Art of Coffee is dedicated to providing the best home and commerical barista training in New Zealand. We use only the best quality equipment and materials which ensures that you will be able to achieve the perfect espresso that you have been aiming for. We endeavour to provide courses throughout the year which cover everything that you want to know.
We have recently launched a new coffee course in Christchurch, The Coffee Connoisseur, which focuses on home baristas and providing you with the opportunity to learn more about the entire coffee process. If you're looking to buy an espresso machine or want to learn more about how to use and maintain yours then this is the perfect opportunity for you to pick our tutors brains.
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November 8, 2009
November 6, 2009
Coffee Candy...?
The store where I usually get the Kopiko coffee candy recently ran out of the bags in the size that I normally buy. They have a huge bag available for 300 pesos, but I don't want big bags. When my nieces and nephews see a large bag of candy, they won't stop hounding me until it's gone. Their teeth are bad enough as it is and they don't need MORE candy to make them worse (they already eat candy every single day).
The store is on Magsaysay Drive, near the Olongapo City Mall, and the sign says "Circle J" outside (very similar the Circle K stores in the US). Some of the labels and racks inside the store say "J-Mart", so I can only assume they decided to change their name at some point and didn't change all the references. Anyway, since I wanted coffee candy, I decided to buy another brand.
X.O. Coffee Candy
The X.O. Coffee Candy comes under the brand name of "Jack 'n Jill" for the candy division of the Universal Robina Corporation (URC). URC is one of the largest brand food product companies in the Philippines and they have a ton of candies under the "Jack 'n Jill" brand, including candies that resemble cough drops.
I don't know how much a bag of X.O. Coffee Candy costs. I wasn't paying attention, but it's near to the same price as Kopiko. Kopiko is made in Indonesia whereas the X.O. products are all made in the Philippines.
Ingredients
Like Kopiko, X.O. Coffee Candy isn't the healthiest candy to have around. I'll live with the consequences. The ingredients are sugar, glucose syrup, hydrogenated vegetable fat, skimmed milk powder, coffee powder, soya lecithin and iodized salt.
When I see "hydrogenated" on anything, I tend not to buy it or consume it. I've seen and eaten worse and I want my coffee candy, so I'll live with it.
The Taste Test
While a piece of Kopiko coffee candy is a little dark brown square, a piece of X.O. Coffee Candy is oval-shaped and a little thicker. Kopiko comes in bags of 150 grams (the regular size anyway) and X.O. Coffee Candy comes in bags of 175 grams, which means X.O. provides 25 grams more for about the same price.
To be honest, I can't tell the difference in taste. Kopiko is a little stronger in flavor and that's about it. I think I'll be sticking to X.O. Coffee Candy from now on, unless they run out of it as well. In that case, Kopiko is the backup treat.
Read more...
The store is on Magsaysay Drive, near the Olongapo City Mall, and the sign says "Circle J" outside (very similar the Circle K stores in the US). Some of the labels and racks inside the store say "J-Mart", so I can only assume they decided to change their name at some point and didn't change all the references. Anyway, since I wanted coffee candy, I decided to buy another brand.
X.O. Coffee Candy
The X.O. Coffee Candy comes under the brand name of "Jack 'n Jill" for the candy division of the Universal Robina Corporation (URC). URC is one of the largest brand food product companies in the Philippines and they have a ton of candies under the "Jack 'n Jill" brand, including candies that resemble cough drops.
I don't know how much a bag of X.O. Coffee Candy costs. I wasn't paying attention, but it's near to the same price as Kopiko. Kopiko is made in Indonesia whereas the X.O. products are all made in the Philippines.
Ingredients
Like Kopiko, X.O. Coffee Candy isn't the healthiest candy to have around. I'll live with the consequences. The ingredients are sugar, glucose syrup, hydrogenated vegetable fat, skimmed milk powder, coffee powder, soya lecithin and iodized salt.
When I see "hydrogenated" on anything, I tend not to buy it or consume it. I've seen and eaten worse and I want my coffee candy, so I'll live with it.
The Taste Test
While a piece of Kopiko coffee candy is a little dark brown square, a piece of X.O. Coffee Candy is oval-shaped and a little thicker. Kopiko comes in bags of 150 grams (the regular size anyway) and X.O. Coffee Candy comes in bags of 175 grams, which means X.O. provides 25 grams more for about the same price.
To be honest, I can't tell the difference in taste. Kopiko is a little stronger in flavor and that's about it. I think I'll be sticking to X.O. Coffee Candy from now on, unless they run out of it as well. In that case, Kopiko is the backup treat.
Read more...
September 29, 2009
September 4, 2009
Espresso Or Cappuccino - The Secret To Great Coffee
No two professional coffee makers or baristas can come up with a cup of coffee that tastes the same. The reasons are legion. Here are a few answers to your unasked questions.
Strange as it may seem the quality of water can affect your brew. The fresher and hotter it is, the better. The temperature of water should reach 203º F / 95º C, which is near boiling point. If water is allowed to stand for too long, it tastes stale. Mildew could form as well. If the utensil used to store water is not clean, it could have a bearing on your cup of coffee. So could water that has been insufficiently filtered.
While selecting coffee beans, Arabica is a good choice. The plantations are 3000 ft. above sea level and even higher. It doesn’t matter if the beans are from Brazil, Bogota or the many other areas where coffee is grown. The thing that matters is that the beans should be freshly roasted. Whether you do it yourself or get it a few days after roasting, the aroma should have a satisfying freshness. Over roasting could result in a burnt flavor!
Robusta does not have as pleasurable a flavor as Arabica does, as it contains more caffeine. This coffee plant thrives and is comparatively less prone to disease. The beverage is fine for a quick energy booster, but it is not used in the making of espresso coffee. The latter is a coffee to be enjoyed at leisure, sip by tasty sip.
Roasting plays an important part in the pleasure a cup of coffee affords. The beans are roasted to a dark French or Italian color and ground not with blades but burrs. Blades tend to chop the beans. Burr grinders, on the other hand, with pyramidal teeth fixed on two plates, work efficiently. The closer the plates, the finer the particles. Sand-like granules are preferred over powder or small gravel-like granules. Once the beans have been pulverized, the product should be put into airtight containers. Failure to do so immediately will lead to oxidation and the absorption of ‘alien’ odors.
It is imperative to buy a good machine. Do not invest in one where steam is necessary to build pressure. Go with a boiler or thermoblock to generate heat. A pressure pump that produces 9 bar or more is ideal. Above all, the machine should be well maintained.
The method is to pour clean, fresh water into the machine. Switch on the machine. Once the water gets heated, allow a cup to warm up the machine and to clean it of any residue. The heated water goes through the machine to the pump. Meanwhile, put in the roasted granules of coffee and press down till the packed coffee is springy to the touch. Make sure nothing spills out.
With the hopper firmly in place, put a cup under the spout from where the espresso will flow out. It takes just 5 seconds to get that piping hot cup of espresso and 20 seconds if a double is your requirement.
If cappuccino is your preference, heat a little organic milk (approx. half a cup) in the microwave oven for one and a half minutes. Beat it up till it becomes froth and float it on the espresso. You can have your choice of topping - chocolate may appeal to some, while others may prefer cinnamon or nutmeg. Those with a sweet tooth could add organic sugar.
Armed with this information, it shouldn’t be difficult to turn out a refreshingly, delicious cup of coffee. Espresso or cappuccino, the choice is yours!
Read more...
Strange as it may seem the quality of water can affect your brew. The fresher and hotter it is, the better. The temperature of water should reach 203º F / 95º C, which is near boiling point. If water is allowed to stand for too long, it tastes stale. Mildew could form as well. If the utensil used to store water is not clean, it could have a bearing on your cup of coffee. So could water that has been insufficiently filtered.
While selecting coffee beans, Arabica is a good choice. The plantations are 3000 ft. above sea level and even higher. It doesn’t matter if the beans are from Brazil, Bogota or the many other areas where coffee is grown. The thing that matters is that the beans should be freshly roasted. Whether you do it yourself or get it a few days after roasting, the aroma should have a satisfying freshness. Over roasting could result in a burnt flavor!
Robusta does not have as pleasurable a flavor as Arabica does, as it contains more caffeine. This coffee plant thrives and is comparatively less prone to disease. The beverage is fine for a quick energy booster, but it is not used in the making of espresso coffee. The latter is a coffee to be enjoyed at leisure, sip by tasty sip.
Roasting plays an important part in the pleasure a cup of coffee affords. The beans are roasted to a dark French or Italian color and ground not with blades but burrs. Blades tend to chop the beans. Burr grinders, on the other hand, with pyramidal teeth fixed on two plates, work efficiently. The closer the plates, the finer the particles. Sand-like granules are preferred over powder or small gravel-like granules. Once the beans have been pulverized, the product should be put into airtight containers. Failure to do so immediately will lead to oxidation and the absorption of ‘alien’ odors.
It is imperative to buy a good machine. Do not invest in one where steam is necessary to build pressure. Go with a boiler or thermoblock to generate heat. A pressure pump that produces 9 bar or more is ideal. Above all, the machine should be well maintained.
The method is to pour clean, fresh water into the machine. Switch on the machine. Once the water gets heated, allow a cup to warm up the machine and to clean it of any residue. The heated water goes through the machine to the pump. Meanwhile, put in the roasted granules of coffee and press down till the packed coffee is springy to the touch. Make sure nothing spills out.
With the hopper firmly in place, put a cup under the spout from where the espresso will flow out. It takes just 5 seconds to get that piping hot cup of espresso and 20 seconds if a double is your requirement.
If cappuccino is your preference, heat a little organic milk (approx. half a cup) in the microwave oven for one and a half minutes. Beat it up till it becomes froth and float it on the espresso. You can have your choice of topping - chocolate may appeal to some, while others may prefer cinnamon or nutmeg. Those with a sweet tooth could add organic sugar.
Armed with this information, it shouldn’t be difficult to turn out a refreshingly, delicious cup of coffee. Espresso or cappuccino, the choice is yours!
Read more...
September 3, 2009
Coffee connoisseur/home barista class
If you would like to know more about coffee and also how to make the perfect espresso cup, then join our Master Roaster and barista trainer, David Rosa, for one of our classes. David will teach you how to make coffees like a real professional! We go through the basics of getting the best grind, the perfect extraction and milk texturing techniques. We set this against a backdrop of the history of coffee and a tastings of different coffee origins and blends. Prepare to be transported to the coffee estates of Brazil, then the mountain altitude of Africa and finish off in the cafes of Rome!
Our fee is just $88.00 and includes morning coffee with a selection of pastries. The classes are held at our showroom at 1/44 Buckingham Street, Surry Hills (see below for details of how to get there). Classes run from 10.00am to 12.00 pm on selected Saturdays.
To book yourself into one of these classes, please fill out the booking form on the on-line store of this website. You will find the dates of the courses listed there. If you have any queries, please call Elizabeth on 8084 3479.
In our classes we cover the following:
* A brief history of coffee
* Coffee origins – includes cupping & discussion of different origin characteristics
* An outline of coffee growing and processing, and the art of blending and roasting
* Hands-on espresso skills including:
o How to use a espresso machine
o How to achieve the correct grind
o Extracting the perfect espresso shot
o Milk texturing
o Coffee layering
o Cleaning and maintenance of your espresso machine
Read more...
Our fee is just $88.00 and includes morning coffee with a selection of pastries. The classes are held at our showroom at 1/44 Buckingham Street, Surry Hills (see below for details of how to get there). Classes run from 10.00am to 12.00 pm on selected Saturdays.
To book yourself into one of these classes, please fill out the booking form on the on-line store of this website. You will find the dates of the courses listed there. If you have any queries, please call Elizabeth on 8084 3479.
In our classes we cover the following:
* A brief history of coffee
* Coffee origins – includes cupping & discussion of different origin characteristics
* An outline of coffee growing and processing, and the art of blending and roasting
* Hands-on espresso skills including:
o How to use a espresso machine
o How to achieve the correct grind
o Extracting the perfect espresso shot
o Milk texturing
o Coffee layering
o Cleaning and maintenance of your espresso machine
Read more...
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