Day 2- complete

I've had five cups of coffee today! I wonder if I'll ever get to bed tonight. I have to admit though; a good cup of coffee just can't be beat- sleep or no sleep. I don't know what I'll do when this course is over. I’m so going to miss all the fresh roasted, freshly ground and brewed goodness that the course administrator keeps dishing out.



Although today's class was on coffee shop start-up, myself and another student from yesterday were asked to make drinks for the class, workshop leader and administrator. Only about 7 people in total. However, I ended up having to serve an espresso to the workshop leader. Now this guy, the very likeable Bill Herne, has practically every possible specialty coffee certification in the world. He's travelled to almost every good coffee producing country and has sampled some of the best and most expensive coffees in the world, including the US$100 per pound La Esmeralda from Panama. And as if that wasn't enough, he's a certified super taster- which means that he has a super sensitive and super sophisticated palate! I have to serve this guy espresso that I made after only 1 day of practice! Great! I was so nervous about his reaction to it that I asked him if it “looked okay” before I let him take the cup from my hand! Fortunately it did. He even showed me how the 'mottled' crema that I had produced was a good sign that the appropriate oils and flavours had been released. Mottled crema or tiger stripe crema- Good! Yaay me!   :o)


Now if only I could get that Evolution machine into my own house!!!

My birthday wish list- item #1 and only

Day one- complete

Dose, Tamp, Rinse, Pull
Dose, Tamp, Rinse, Pull
Over and over again and then some more!
Then steam the milk- Purge, Dip, Lower tip, Plunge, Swirl
Over and over and over again.
Then Latte Art- Okay this one I have no mantra cuz I still haven't gotten it right.  Hopefully I'll get it during the final coffee-making session on Monday.
What a day! It was long but interesting and extremely tasty.  I had a really good espresso for the first time.  I'm telling you guys once it's good coffee you can ditch the sugar and milk.
Oh and since we are almost in the lovely month of June, I know many of you are wondering just what to get me for my birthday.  Simple: a Dalla Corte Evolution super automatic.  It's only a few thousand dollars (USD)- Thanks!

Here's my best attempt at a rosetta for Day 1.

The Cappu-chinky Revisited

In preparation for the barista course which starts tomorrow, I've continued reading up on specialty drinks. Apparently, in Italy, the trend has been to downsize the cappuccino. Italians already serve smaller cappuccinos and lattes than the North Americans and Northern Europeans. However, the Italians seem to want to go even smaller. They have therefore created the Caffe Marocchino, which is essentially a four ounce cappuccino. So there you go Husband dear, I served you a Caffe Maroccino- not a Cappu-chinky! There! See, I wasn't at all bothered by this cappu-chinky matter!


I just need to remember to sprinkle some cocoa powder next time :o)

Toronto Here I Come!

I’m leaving on a jet plane,

I know when I’ll be back again!


That would be next week Wednesday fully equipped with my barista skills.
Who’s coming over for some coffee??? Bring on the specialty orders!

A Kind Request to Rituals

Dear Rituals,

As a coffee house establishment in Trinidad and Tobago, in fact, as the only coffee shop chain in Trinidad and Tobago, I kindly request that you ensure hot drinks are on sale in your TruValu Trincity store. I was quite disappointed today, and indeed the last time I entered this store, that I could not get any coffee.
Please address.

Yours Respectfully,
KimmyDe

Don’t put the X by the Sugar

As we prepare for our general elections on Monday, I have come before you, dear readers, to bring to your attention a matter of grave importance.


My dear friends, a dark cloud looms over our Nay-tion. This cloud threatens to destroy the taste and purity of our coffees and espressos. It will make redundant the flavours, aromas and nuances of even the finest Arabica coffee beans. Our adversary, ladies and gentlemen, is Sugar.

***

So, Husband and I have been on a quest to find quality coffee in the East-West Corridor. We have been savouring the offerings of many an establishment- some fine and others not so fine. (Found a lovely one in Grand Bazaar). Today’s café was in MovieTowne.


Let’s examine the good points first:


• Clean and welcoming café.


• Very pleasant lady greeted us.


• The cafe uses the Rancilio Silvia Super-Automatic (which is like the big brother or rather grand-daddy to my humble Silvia V3)!


• The cafe uses Lavazza coffee beans (which is the next best thing if you can’t get fresh roasted).


The not so good points:


• The cafe uses the Rancilio Silvia Super-Automatic (which is a fantastic espresso maker) but doesn’t have an actual coffee maker.


• Sugar and milk are not available to the customer to add at his/ her own discretion. You must advise the barista of your preferences.


Husband decided to be today’s guinea pig. He requested a ‘regular coffee with milk and one teaspoon sugar’. As there’s no regular coffee here, what he got was an espresso heavily diluted with steamed full-fat milk… somewhat akin to a café latte.


The major issue lies in the added sugar. Perhaps Husband should have specified that he wanted 1 level teaspoon of sugar rather than 1 heaped teaspoon. What we tasted could no way have been 1 teaspoon! It was like drinking a mildly coffee flavoured milkshake.


Too much sugar is the nemesis of great coffee. Or rather, a sign that the coffee is not so good and the taste must be masked.

***

Sugar Sugar Sugar… billions of grains wasted! Sugar- no concrete plans and policies except to get bitterness out!


This will not do. I vote for better tasting coffee with no need for excessive added sugar! Let us appreciate the true taste of our coffees.


So my dear friends, the next time you order a cup of coffee, sit with it in its unadulterated goodness. As you watch, the steam will rise! The steam will rise and you will savour all the aromatic goodness. And at the end of your cup you will say ‘Great is the coffee. Great is the coffee. The taste shall prevail!’

*This was not a paid political announcement*

P.S. I plan to revisit the café soon. I saw great potential and I’m quite excited to try an Americano and savour the goodness of the Lavazza beans!

Time for Tea?

Generally, espresso making happens in the afternoon between the hours of 4:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.  Before 4 I’m at work (no comments!) and after 6 is just too late to be ingesting all that caffeine.  Husband is currently studying for exams in mid June.  So I thought he’d appreciate a little brain boosting espresso, even though it was well after 6 by the time I’d settled in from Pilates class.  Imagine my surprise when he opted out of my coffee offering for a cup of tea!  He’d better not be cheating on my Silvia with that home-wrecking Lipton!!!!

Latte Macchiato vs Caffe Macchiato

Should I have milk marked with espresso or espresso marked with milk? Which one would go better with a drop of Baileys? Which better with amaretto? Or better yet- which one can take a good old dollop of ice-cream?



I’ve just reviewed the course content of the Barista training course. By day three we’re supposed to have mastered the basics, and some of the intermediates, and are supposed to be ready to take on some advanced latte art and specialty drinks.


“[Trainee]s will try their hand at their own artistic creation” Says the course outline. Hmm… I’m guessing Cappu-chinkies don’t count here. So I’ll be flipping through the pages of Coffee Love by Daniel Young (Thank you Husband for the lovely Christmas present) to get some ideas on the more creative side of espresso. Feel free to share any ideas you might have on this one.


I must admit that I’m quite liking the Vodka Espresso. With almost equal parts Vodka, Kahlua and Tia Maria, anyone can get pretty darn creative off of one of those! Woooo…..

Cappu-chinky???

Back to work this afternoon on the single filter shots. Some marginal improvement on yesterday’s attempts with small amounts of crema in each of my three shots. Getting there… slowly but surely!



So after three relatively decent shots I decided to foam up some milk and go after that elusive cappuccino, which Husband asked for since last Tuesday. I got my milk pitcher out, filled it up half way with some low fat milk and a touch of low fat evaporated milk, stirred, expelled some initial steam from the steam wand, put the milk pitcher under (at an angle) and turned up the steam!


My milk rumbled, it rolled, it gurgled and it swelled!!!! I had lovely, rich, velvety microfoam! So exciting!!!!! (Hey you try doing this thing day after day and see if you don’t get excited when it finally starts going right!)


I quickly grabbed a spoon, poured three equal amounts of steamed milk into my already prepared espresso shots and then spooned the beautiful foam onto the tops. I had made cappuccino! I ran excitedly into my room and called Husband to come see my accomplishment.


“I made you cappuccino. Come see quick quick!” I exclaimed. Then as an aside, “It’s not the big fancy one you get in the shops”.


I dragged him into the kitchen and proudly pointed at my little-more-than-half-full 8 ounce cups. “What’s that?” He asked, “A Cappu-chinky?”


A Cappu-chinky?????????


Did he not realise how hard I’d just worked? How much effort went into this? How proud I was of this… this… this… cappu-chinky?


Alright it really was about 4 ounces that I was trying to pass off as a drink that normally comes in a filled to the brim 10 or 12 oz cup. Fair is fair. I, however, am still quite proud of today’s efforts. I got some decent-ish shots; I successfully foamed my milk; and I made a miniature cappuccino… a cappu-chinky!


Maybe I’ll offer cappu-chinkies in my coffee shop, one day.

Soooo Need That Course!

After 3 days of no practice I got back to the Silvia today.  Bleh!!!!! 

I can't wait to get into the Barista course and learn some good techniques.

I tried the single shot filter for a change but all I got was black sludge.  The first attempt was probably over-packed and over-tamped.  So I tried a second one, with less grounds, that was only marginally better- still struggled to flow out of the portafilter but at least this time there was some evidence of crema.

So frustrating! But must persevere. 

Be a Job...  Be a Job...  Be a Job.

Out of Practice

sunday.16.may.2010

Very busy days- Friday, Saturday and Sunday- kept me out of the house and away from my Silvia. So not much to report on the practice front. However, word seems to be spreading about my coffee-making endeavours. A brother-in-law keeps reminding me to call him to come over and try some of my espresso; one of Husband’s friends passed through the other day and made a point of noticing the coffee trolley (She’s supposed to come by again in June for some good coffee).


Why June? Because at the end of this month, my father and I are off to the Canadian Barista and Coffee Academy in Toronto to hone (obtain) our espresso making skills. Given how my practice has been going so far, I’m really looking forward to getting some expert advice on how to achieve espresso perfection (or close to it).


So one more week of dithering around on my Silvia. Soon I’ll be training like a pro!

Applying the Techniques

thursday.13.may.2010

If there is one thing I must be grateful for in this day of modern technology and virtual social networking, it’s YouTube. You can find anything there including how to pull shots on a Rancilio Silvia; how to steam milk the best way; and how to tamp.

Before I get to today’s effort, I should tell you that I bought my coffee trolley. This coffee making hobby of mine takes up waaaay too much space (in my kitchen and in my chequebook)! Husband keeps questioning the wisdom of picking up this expensive ‘new hobby’. Wait ‘til he hears about my ideas to start roasting my own beans!


Anyway, to de-clutter my kitchen countertops, I’ve bought a very sturdy plastic trolley that now holds all my espresso making supplies and some baking supplies. This beautiful and sturdy trolley can be wheeled around the kitchen at ease, while still supplying a comfortable resting spot for Silvia and Gaggia. [Promo ends here]


Okay so tamping technique improvement for today: Keeping my arm straight when tamping. Why did none of the articles I read state that by ‘keeping your arm straight’ they meant elbow to wrist be straight vertically? To all you know-it-all-coffee-snobs I know that seems oh so silly not to figure out but I’m new to this thing!


I started up the machines, dosed and tamped (using a ‘straight’ arm) and prepared my shot. Again a slight improvement on the previous day’s offering. I found the shot lasted a bit longer- got to the 18 second mark before the liquid turned clear brown. So I adjusted the Gaggia to a 4 and followed the same procedures. Much better this time! I got to 21 seconds and achieved a richer crema.


On to milk steaming in my new milk pitcher! I filled the pitcher half way with low fat milk and began bubbling away. Still need to work on correct angling and learn how to recognise changing sounds as the milk steams. However, I did get some creamy-ish milk that doubled in size. The milk, also fell back to just above the half way mark upon standing for a few seconds. But it’s getting there. It’s still not the quality that Gail from SeatleCoffeeGear gets on her video: http://www.youtube.com/user/SeattleCoffeeGear#p/search/3/ALYmXGI84TQ


Practice Practice Practice.


Who knows what tomorrow will bring? Hopefully some better tasting espresso!

I’m thinking it really was Beginners’ Luck!

wednesday.12.may.2010

I spent some time at work today (not working) reading up on tamping. I figure even if I’m stuck with the crappy plastic tamper for the next couple of weeks I could at least try to figure out a good tamping technique to try to improve my espresso. My search led me through many a site on the wonders, artistry, science that is tamping. What do I need to achieve the perfect tamp? According to the many many sites I’ve visited:


1. A good tamper
2. A bathroom scale
3. A good counter height
4. The patience of Job!


So what do I have? 1 out of 4? Maybe even 0.5 out of 4? Cuz I’m not quite sure,as yet, if I’m cut out to be a Job.


Back to the kitchen. I warm up my machine, grind my beans on a Gaggia 5, run some hot water through the portafilter, dose and tamp. I use the two part tamp method. Apply (what I think is) 5 pounds of pressure, tap the sides of the portafilter to clean, apply (what again I think is) 30 pounds of pressure, try to polish and then insert into the grouphead.


Results: Very moderate improvement of yesterday’s attempts. Soupy looking puck which surprisingly held its shape when plunked into the sink.


I tried more pressure on tamping the second shot. Hmm… shot still seems to run clear too quickly and puck still soupy.


Milk time! At least there was no mess this time but I’m still not getting that pretty looking microfoam!


I’ll try again tomorrow.
Off to view some tamping and steaming videos.

Was it only Beginners’ Luck?

tuesday.11.may.2010

So, still glowing from Monday’s successful initial foray into the big wide wonderful world of espresso making, I came home from work on Tuesday all excited to continue my practice. I set up my Gaggia and my Silvia, put the beans to grind and let the machine warm up.

I should mention that by now I had piqued the interest of my soon-to-be-three-years-old nephew. Mind you, his interest in not something new. Deron has been ‘helping’ Aunty make “hot hot coffee” in the coffee press since before he could even stand on his own. In fact he even drinks his own version of “hot hot coffee”- Milo! It is also called “hot hot coffee” even when chilled.


Again riding on the enthusiasm of Monday’s successful attempts, Husband comes in and asks for a Cappuccino. Not a problem, I think. I grind the coffee, dose and tamp and fit the portafilter back in.


“What you doing” Asks Deron.
“Making hot hot coffee.” I answer.
“Why?” He asks- Yes he is at that stage.
“To drink”. I patiently answer.
“I want to see. Lift me up”. He asks or rather demands as little hands immediately reach up.


So I pick him up, take him over to the Silvia and flip the coffee switch. Ah, here comes the nice rich chocolate brown goodness, then comes the crema (hmm… that’s a bit soon) and look it’s already starting to run clear and watery. Flip off switch. Baby down. What’s going on here?


Okay. Maybe I didn’t tamp hard enough. Next batch in but same thing happens. My pucks even break in two immediately when I dump them in the sink. Yesterday’s pucks kept their shape. Coffee also tastes a bit bitter. Hmm…


I decide to try steaming the milk. Give myself a break from the brewing. Little feet are still pattering right behind me trying to get the best view possible from below the height of the counter. Husband has come out to see the milk get steamed and foamed. I fill my coffee mug half way (have to buy the milk pitcher still), flip the steam switch and open the steam valve- SPLATTER WHOOSH SPLATTER SPLAT WHOOSH SPLATTER


Little feet run to the opposite side of the kitchen, Husband jumps with surprised look on his face. I turn off the valve and move away quickly. Of course the milk is still cold so all the jumping and running was complete unnecessary! What a mess!!! Milk all over the counter, splattered all over Silvia and numerous other counter items.


I probably turned on the steam wand while it was too close to the surface of the milk. So I sulked for a bit, cleaned up the kitchen counter and the Silvia then got back to milk frothing.


On the plus side there were no more spills and the milk did get hot. Did I get cappuccino consistency milk? NOOOO!


Oh well, I’ll try again tomorrow.


Tips for tomorrow:
1. Try adjusting the Gaggia to a 5 grind (instead of the 6).
2. Run hot water through the grouphead and portafilter to get them warmed up before pulling the shot.
3. Have less audience!

Silvia has Arrived!

monday.10.may.2010

Actually the Rancilio Silvia V3 arrived on Friday night. He was unpacked on Saturday and I looked at video user displays on ‘youtube’. Sunday was Mother’s Day which I spent with my Grandmummy and Mummy. So, it wasn’t until Monday afternoon that I set the Silvia up on the counter and put him to work. Here follows my 31 step journey to my first cup of espresso… will work on reducing the number of steps!

1. Read instructions.
2. Read instructions again.
3. Put water in the tank.
4. Had husband check online to find out why there was extra tubing in the tank.
5. Did not need to remove extra tubing.
6. Tried to plug Silvia in but heard funny noise and swore I got shocked (mild).
7. Called husband.
8. Steam switch was flipped on- Husband switched it off.
9. Made Husband try plugging it in again- no need for me to be shocked twice- told him I loved him before he tried.
10. Yaay! Machine came on and no one had been electrocuted.
11. Husband disappeared.
12. Plugged in the Gaggia MDF (she also arrived on Friday night).
13. Popped in some Waitrose French Roast beans (will get better espresso beans shortly).
14. Beans ground- Dispensed some coffee into coffee container.
15. Placed portafilter under grouphead.

16. Ran hot water through grouphead.
17. Used Silvia’s scoop to put a double shot’s worth of coffee into the portafilter.
18. Was ready for action.
19. Got the cheap plastic tamper (need to buy a good one) out and prepared to tamp.
20. Squash!- with gentle force
21. Shook excess coffee grounds off.
22. Squash again!- with more force.


23. Got cup.
24. Forgot to warm cup!
25. Washed cup with hot water to warm and placed under portafilter.
26. Flipped coffee switch on.
27. Wow! I’m making espresso!
28. Dark liquid, followed by slightly lighter brown, followed by thick creamy golden brown goodness.
29. Off!
30. My very first espresso.
31. Called husband back and got camera to take picture.
32. Didn’t taste too bad.

I had made espresso. I had made espresso that had crema. Crema was made without the use of any crema enhancers or special beans. WooHoo! I’m on my way! By the way, I still want to try that LavAzza Blue that’s been recommended on several sites.

Anyway, I made a few more espresso shots to fill the caffeine void of family members who just seemed to appear in the kitchen asking what was smelling so good. Then I decided to try steaming the milk. But my father (who had come over just to check out the machines) was there and he took over the steaming wand and got the milk going. Will try it myself tomorrow.

So not too bad for a first day with the Silvia. Will see what happens tomorrow.