1. Google isn’t always the go-to
Turning to Google search when you need answers can provide lots of information regarding facts, techniques and “trends”. But finding the detail behind the deception can be challenging. So how do you go about learning about coffee without Google?
It’s a relatively simple answer really, we recommend looking at our “Want Qualifications in coffee?” blog. In this blog, we outline a variety of professional coffee courses that will give you the edge over your competitors, or even the edge over your fellow interviewees. Gaining certified qualifications in coffee gives you a fantastic knowledge base supporting you through any path you want to venture, whereas Google will only cater for the knowledge that you’re asking for.
2. Using coffee that is not fresh
As a coffee company, why spend so much money on brand spanking new equipment and use old beans? Logically, it makes zero sense. Little trip for all coffee drinkers, if a bag of coffee doesn’t have a roast date anywhere on the bag, the likelihood is that it’s usually older beans than you’d have thought, or even liked.
When packing your coffee, ensuring your beans are fresh is vital. Ideally, your beans should be packed 3-14 days after roasting, provided they are stored correctly.
How can you store them correctly?
If the bags are nitrogen-flushed with CO2 value, you can leave them sealed in the bag until you are ready to brew. Please please, do not store your beans in a chiller unit, like a refrigerator.
3. Always use a Scayl
Nearly 100% of issues home baristas face is with eyeballing dosage and output, then just making adjustments. When you’re starting up, you need to ensure to use an accurate scale. Why? If your scale is off, incorrect product output means that you’re virtually losing profit. Something no business owner wants. Say for example 20 grams of your coffee grinds to make 30 grams of the express mix, if you’re off by 2 grams that’s 10%. Check out this range of coffee sealing and packing machines.
4. Resist the tamper temptation
How can tampering with coffee affect the overall flavour of your espresso grind?
The best way to tamper your expresso grind is to use a twisting motion when pushing downwards, continuing that motion as you come out. Using this method will continue to compact the coffee, even whilst you lift the tamper off the surface. The issue comes when you tamper your expresso grind too hard, it causes over-extraction from the grind and can cause repetitive strain issues for your wrist.
5. Check your water hardness
An expresso, no matter the blend, consist of 98% water.
But what’s the other 2%?
Compounds that are created by dissolving in the water. With expresso’s predominantly and most other coffee-based beverages, being water-based ensures you use the correct type of water is very important. Using the incorrect type of water can not only ruin the flavour composition of the coffee but also create issues for the machines as well. Hard water is a no go. Using hard water/tap water allows for unwanted factors, like limescale, to develop in the heating unit of your machine. Descaling your machines can cause more hassle than it’s worth, so why not just use the right water? We recommend using filtered water, the hardness between 35-85ppm. Using this hardness rules out reverse osmosis, unless you’re retreating with Third Wave Water.
To ensure your water maintains the pristine level wanted, test it regularly, ideally every 3-6 months.
6. Inadequate cleaning
This is something that we’d like to think comes with common sense but having taken a look into the hospitality industry as a whole, you’d be surprised.
Coffee, at its’s core, is a food and thus, biodegradable. This means that it will rot. When the condition of your machine and/or product gets to the stage where it’s rotting, not only does it taste vile, damage your machine, it can be harmful to your health.
Granted, it’s not the easiest thing to clean your machine, but it’s a must-do. Cleaning your machines, makes the coffee taste better, equipment maintain optimum function for longer, keep the customers happy.
7. Know your milk
The harmonisation between milk and coffee is dependent upon 2 factors, fat & protein. Both are as important as the other to achieve a much desired, smooth, silky coffee. For a lower-calorie cup of coffee with all the flavour of a normal one, we suggest using low-calorie milk. Perfect.
8. Understanding brew-ratios
As the measurements in a cookbook are your guide, brew ratios are for coffee. Ensuring you understand your ratios is a vital part of giving the customer exactly what it is they want, whilst significantly reducing waste.
9. Purging the water
Consistent extraction requires heavily upon one factor, temperature. More specifically, continuous consistent temperature. Any slight deviation in the temperature of the water can have serious knock-on effects on the cup's profile. Under extract your expresso, sourness with becoming prominent. A simple yet effective way to reduce the effect that any temperature deviation is to flush water through the group head prior to pulling a shot. Doing this will cool down the utensil to a base core temperature, allowing for the entire unit to raise its temp to that of the water. If the brew may be sitting for a while, whilst you froth milk, for example, heat the cup.
10. Lacking innovation
The creation of every known technique and flavour failed before it succeeded. Be brave, be bold, be unique. Do something different with your coffee so it stands out.