We have recently concluded a coffee-hopping trip [including the erstwhile capital of modern world espresso - Seattle] and we now firmly believe that Melbourne takes its place – not just as Australia’s but pretty much the world’s, coffee capital – and as you’ve probably guessed, we don’t make that sort of statement lightly!

However, coffee has got to such a stage in Melbourne, that there may not be much further you can go with espresso. The ‘third wave’ in coffee has seen more emphasis on brewing with different methods – syphon, pour-over, chemex, french press and clover – to the extent that some roasts are optimised for these brewing methods & may actually not be quite so good for espresso… a quandary that probably no other city in Australia may be experiencing.

This leads us to a second point, this review was done on the basis of espresso coffee. Many of Melbourne’s top cafes & espresso bars are actively experimenting with the delicate intricacies of single origin coffees, which can be best explored by non-espresso brewing methods – syphon being foremost amongst these – hence perhaps, the absence of a couple of the better known ‘big names’ in this review… of course, the ultimate is both – great choice in syphon and the perfect espresso!!

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1. Proud Mary
172 Oxford Street
Collingwood

Still relatively new on the scene, and rated no. 5 in our Best Cafes of Melbourne last year, Nolan Hirte and the team at Proud Mary have continued to push the boundaries and the results are stunning. With their custom-made, 6-group Synesso purring like a stretch-limo on the counter, Proud Mary is full-throttle coffee at its very best. Now roasting off-site, they offer their own blends (in addition to 5 Senses) and single origins available from the Synesso but for the more fastidious coffee-connoisseur, or
those wanting to audition their taste-buds, Nolan also roasts more exclusive coffees especially for the syphon bar, clover and other slow brew methods.

Whilst one of the earliest protagonists of the 3rd wave, Nolan continues to maintain a strong focus on offering single origins and blends optimised for espresso as well as exploring nuanced roasting for alternative brewing. The Kenyan ‘Gethumbwini’ Peaberry was the show-stopper with a luscious citrus acidity, blackcurrant notes and a creamy mouthfeel… distinctive and delicious.

When it comes to commitment in everything they do and an enthusiasm to share their knowledge, Proud Mary gets the number 1 podium spot from us and exceeds the already lofty benchmark for coffee excellence in Melbourne.

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2. Dukes Coffee Roasters
169 Chapel Street
Windsor

There is a certain element of fate when it comes to opening up a new business, especially a cafe in the already over-caffeinated Melbourne. For owner Peter Frangoulis, Dukes is one of those places that was simply ‘meant to be’; originally the cafe was to be located at the Duke and Orr dock at South Wharf, giving rise to the name ‘Dukes’. Although securing the location fell through, Peter had already become attached to the name and so, launching forth in search of premises, as fate would have it they landed in Windsor, up the road from the Duke of Windsor Hotel and across the road from Duke Street.

Using only single estate or co-op beans, roasting is in-house with a 15kg Joper. They also roast smaller batches (on a US Roaster Corp 1lb sample roaster) which are used for filter coffees, Syphon and French Press. Their house espresso maintains a base of Brazilian natural processed coffee; when we visited it was blended with a high grade Kenyan, a single estate El Salvador and an Indonesian from Aceh – with a deliciously sweet choc-nut flavour and notes of caramel and spice, it packed a punch with a creamy finish leaving us wanting more; the Ethiopian Guji offered the aroma of jellybeans that gave way to flavours of tropical fruit and apricot acidity. The name was perhaps an omen – that it was meant to be – that was 2 years ago and today Dukes Coffee Roasters is a buzzing showcase of great coffee.

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3. Axil Coffee Roasters
322 Burwood Road
Hawthorn

In botanical terms, the axil of a plant is the point at which a leaf or stem springs out of the branch from which it grows. Perhaps, this also symbolises David Makin’s development and growth from the fold that is the Melbourne coffee scene. David (ex Australian Barista Champion and silver medalist in the 2008 World Barista Championships) along with his partner Zoe Delany, also a noted barista, have recently opened a showcase cafe at the roastery site on busy Burwood Road in Hawthorn.

Not one for hiding his light under the metaphorical bushel, David is often the one to greet you as you enter the cavernous warehouse cafe space – it’s bold, vast and strikingly decorated in black, definitely a statement by design. The botanical reference continues as the spacious seating area is separated from the ordering counter by a suspended trestle holding terracotta potted ferns. The single origin Tanzanian impressed the most – offering aromas of marzipan and almond, there was citrus acidity on first sip, with a delicious creamy mid-palate, good acidity at back of mouth and a nice silky finish. This is a hot house for coffee excellence and they demonstrate their passion for espresso with outstanding coffee and great service, and their almost
unheard-of leap directly to no. 3 position in Melbourne’s Best Cafes.

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4. Dead Man Espresso
35 Market Street
South Melbourne

Warm and inviting, with large windows and a stylish timber decor, this funky cafe seems somewhat at odds with its name. ‘Dead Man’ I’m told, is a reference to the gold rush times of the 1850’s when this area of South Melbourne was a dangerous place with men being murdered for their spoils. It is perhaps a reflection of the current dynamism of the Melbourne coffee scene that these guys, having only been open a little over a year, have already lost their tag of ‘new kids on the block’. With a little help from their friends [including chef Nitish Kissoondhery], owners Luke Mutton and his wife Kylie Mackinlay are using their considerable collective experience and putting it into a well crafted combination of food, ambience and of course, coffee.

Both former baristi, they have maintained a close association with Mark Dundon from St Ali days, so it’s not surprising that the coffee here is roasted by Seven Seeds. At the time of our visit, their house blend was comprised of Brazilian Fazenda Do Sertao pulped natural yellow bourbon, Fazenda Ambiental natural bourbon and a Colombian microlot Los Idaos – lovely almond tones with a caramel sweetness and a long chocolate finish.

We’d say it’s ‘to die for’ but we suspect they may be hoping you want to come back!

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5. Monk Bodhi Dharma
202 Carlisle Street
Balaclava

By repute, Bodhi Dharma was a Buddhist monk who lived during the 5th/6th century and is traditionally credited as the leading patriarch and transmitter of Zen, and if it wasn’t for the banging tunes coming from the Bose speakers you could be forgiven
for thinking that you’d entered into a temple – the contented cogniscenti happily gaze into their lattes, quietly contemplating the ‘god shot’ required to produce such an ethereal beverage.

Dark timbers and cosy tables further reinforce this image, as do the long haired, bearded baristi, circling silently behind the coffee machines – who are surely the prophets of the modern era. Certainly, it almost takes a pilgrimage just to find the place, hidden away as it is among the confines of a disused alley, but the faithful few are rewarded for their efforts with superbly crafted coffee, roasted mostly in-house.

We tried the Nicaruagan Cup of Excellence offering a nose of roasted figs, the palate syrupy with lemon and sour cherry flavours predominating. The house blend was rich and creamy with a nose of almonds, dates and sweet flavours of sticky date pudding on the palate. Zen and the art of coffee roasting.

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Our sincere thanks to our judges: Andreas Martinu, Patrick Sloane, Kris Wood & Mel Caia; for more on methodology & judges’ backgrounds go to the Forum

Cafe Customers – is your favourite local cafe participating? If not, ask them why they haven’t signed up yet? For a list of participating cafes visit the StreetSmart website www.streetsmartaustralia.org/findcafe

Cafe Owners – Why sign up your cafe? For lots of good reasons, for example …..

• you’ll be helping people who desperately need your support

• it’s local – your donations will support people in your suburb or region

• you’ll be helping to tackle homelessness and build stronger communities

• it’s a unique activity– something to talk about and connect to with your customers and staff

• it brings in potential customers to familiarise themselves thereby encouraging repeat business

• your business will be promoted through partner databases, media and PR coverage

• what goes around…. comes around – feel the karma!

Go on – this is important – go to www.streetsmartaustralia.org/cafesmart_signup and get involved

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My love affair with eating chillies is something that has developed over a number of years; I simply can’t resist the sensation of a good hot chilli! I love exploring the various levels of heat and the subtle unique flavours that individual chillies have such as the ‘Guajillo’, which has a red berry flavour and the’ Ancho’ with its smokey dried fruit notes. This fascination for chillies has evolved into a deep appreciation for Mexican cuisine. I have also come to value that there is more to the country than tequila and tacos, Mexico also grows some pretty good coffee too.

Mexico’s coffee history dates back to the late 1700’s with the introduction of coffee to the Antilles by the French however, it really didn’t take off until late into the 19th century. Mexico sits in at number 7 in the top 10 coffee producing nations and the second largest behind Colombia in Central America. The concentration of coffee production is in the southern regions of Mexico growing Arabica varieties such as Catuai, Caturra, Bourbon and Typica. In the low lying plantations they are commonly producing relatively average blend filler coffees’, but as the plantations start to climb the mountains the quality really starts to appear. A lot of the production efforts in Mexico are focused on organic certification and Fair trade in order to boost their position in the market. Mexican coffees take a lot of cupping to find the really good ones so be sure to look out for coffee coming out of regions like Oaxaca, Coatepec and Chiapas as well as its grading – HG (high grown) or Altura means it’s the highest grown coffee to come out of Mexico.

I’m a big fan of much of the coffee that comes out of the Soconusco region in the southern state of Chiapas that boarders Guatemala (I do like Guatemalan coffee so that’s probably why I favour anything that is coming from this region) however, the coffee is becoming harder to find. In October 2005 the region got slammed hard by Hurricane Stan which damaged many of the crops that where close to harvest and recent reports are now suggesting that this years crop will be the worst yield in 20 years due to bad weather and severe labour shortages.

Whenever I get a washed high grown coffee in from the Americas I always have a tendency to roast them on the light side so you really get to experience the delicate fruit notes and brightness that sets them apart from one another

The dry fragrance has an intoxicating toffee note, with a hint of red apple. Wet aroma is hazelnut and honey-vanilla. The cup has a mild and delicate acidity of peach and apricot and I find a little sugar cane sweetness at the end. The body is smooth but a little thin and quick off the palate which makes it perfect for a single origin espresso. Amazing in syphons and pour over units as these make the stone fruit notes come to life. I would not dare attempt blending this coffee as it is far too delicate and would get lost, but I suggest you just grab a block of 85% cocoa chocolate and sip on a double ristretto.

The Coffee
Location: Chiapas, Mexico
Altitude: 1500 meters +
Plant type: Typica, Caturra

Cup Profile
Fragrance/Aroma: Hazelnut, honey and vanilla
Flavour: Stone fruits
Aftertaste: Sweet and short
Acidity: Mild
Body: Smooth and thin

The original De Clieu was a french naval officer who is celebrated for his claim to have introduced coffee to the French colonies of the Western Hemisphere in the 1720s. According to l’Année littéraire of 1774, he arranged to transport a coffee plant (or perhaps several) from the greenhouses of the Jardin Royal des Plantes [which had originally been given to the French King from Holland] to Martinique in 1720.

The story goes that water was rationed on the voyage and De Clieu was so dedicated to his mission that he shared his ration with the seedlings. The story may be apocryphal, but most sources do in fact credit De Clieu with the introduction of coffee to Martinique & thence the Caribbean.

But enough of history – De Clieu is a funky spot where everyone seems to hang out in black jeans [& black jackets, shoes or whatever] but this belies its class – it’s trendy, but it also serves good coffee and very good food.

The menu reveals an elegant simplicity as would be expected from the kitchen of Steven Carr (previously of the Healesville Hotel) and offers a slightly exotic take on otherwise prosaic items – our Pork Neck Roti [sweet roasted pork neck on a spring onion roti, with a fried egg and hoisin-flavoured BBQ sauce] was exquisite.

And the coffee – we had one shot which was excellent and one which was [only] good, which given the general state of espresso coffee, is still very good overall! Definitely recommended.

De Clieu
187 Gertrude Street
Fitzroy
(03) 9416 4661

Although a city with a population of little more than 300,000 Wellington has the cosmopolitan vibrancy of a much larger city. This is, in the main, due to the fact that the CBD of Wellington is principally structured to be accessible by foot and, with a civic policy of discouraging generic malls and outlying shopping precincts, it draws a communal breath into its restaurants, cafes, bars and shops, giving a pulse to its streets and a beat to its heart. Venture out on a Friday or Saturday night and you will be greeted by the buzz of the city’s populace in its myriad of  forms, all congregated around the restaurant and bar precincts of Cuba Street and Courtenay Place.

But there is a deeper, more visceral, if not down-right dangerous side to Wellington which can be easily overlooked. According to Maori tradition, Wellington  was discovered by the Polynesian explorer Kupe and his followers in around the 10th Century. This Maori legend speaks of the volatile nature of the land and its resulting spectacular beauty. Situated on the verge of two of the earth’s unstable tectonic plates, Wellington experiences tremors on a regular basis and its buildings are designed to withstand major seismic events. It is perhaps with this temporal reminder ever present, that Wellingtonians enjoy an attitude for a life well lived!

And so, good food and wine seem to be the norm in this ‘bon vivant’ city. We had come to Wellington with anticipation as its reputation for good coffee had preceded our visit. However, while we have learnt from past experience to be Initially cautious, we were to our delight, far from  disappointed – for as far as cafe life is concerned, there are few cities that offer good coffee at so many establishments in such a concentrated space.

Our cafe crawl began in the uber-cool environs of Cuba Street. Named not after the South American country – although you could be forgiven for thinking this might be the case – but rather in honour of one of the settler ships, the Cuba,  which landed in Wellington Harbour in 1840. The name however clearly begets the eclectic collection of bohemian cafes, shops, boutiques and art galleries to be found around this quarter of the city.

One cannot be on Cuba Street without being drawn to Fidel’s Cafe, a bastion for coffee, at the top end of Cuba St. There were certainly no pretensions at Fidel’s, being very laid back, slightly grungy, and very much the scene for the local bohemians.

Linked inextricably and not surprisingly with Havana Coffee Works, one of Wellington’s primary local coffee roasters, the coffee at Fidel’s was fresh and well-made but with a certain punchy flavour and mouth-feel unusual to Sydneysiders. Heading down Cuba street toward the harbour, the buzzy cafe scene continued. One that caught our immediate attention was Plum, which was, on a decidedly cold Wellington afternoon, full enough on the inside to have patrons braving the outside tables. Small but comforting, the interior of Plum was warm and inviting with simple cakes and slices on display and a definite aroma of freshly ground coffee in the air. We managed to score a table inside and once again, the coffee was good, with a freshness and presentation that only comes from a dedicated barista accustomed to serving quality coffee. We learnt that the roaster, Eight-thirty, was a relative new-comer to the city, but once again the brew was potent with the distinct ‘Wellington’ style.

Other offerings on Cuba worth a visit were Ernesto’s and Midnight Espresso. Both part of the Havana Coffee Works stable of cafes, the latter was the first cafe they opened and as its name suggests, is open for coffee into the wee hours of the morning.

Our caffeine needs well and truly satiated for the day, we headed out for dinner to Matterhorn, a stylishly warm and secluded Wellington institution located just off Cuba Street. The meal was definitely pleasing and the service attentive, but the highlight was the wine which was to die for – defying us to forget that this part of New Zealand is also famous for its pinot.

Next morning and a short walk from our digs on Cuba Street, we were assured of a ‘kick-start’ by launching our second day with breakfast at Caffe L’Affare. One of the iconic daytime cafe institutions of Wellington, this place is large and open but with a quirky, cluttered decor that brings a personality to the walls and table spaces. Apart from the innate benefit of roasting their own coffee (the roastery has only recently relocated from the cafe to just a few streets away), Caffe L’Affare is renowned for its all-day breakfast, of which we could definitely vouch for the Eggs Benedict and Avocado Toast! The coffee here was much more of a breakfast style, lighter and more milky, but still with the ubiquitous Wellington caffeine jolt to set you on your way.

Just around the corner on Tory Street, we popped into the cafe which fronts the Havana Coffee Works. Housed in an old faded green art deco building, complete with a restored Buick pickup truck out the front, we could have literally been on the streets of a Havana. Once inside, through the decorative glass etched ‘Havana’ doors, the interior was designed to give the impression of having a coffee ‘on the streets’ of downtown Havana with a stage-like backdrop of building facades reminiscent of the city itself.

It was then on to Customs, situated on the curiously named Ghuznee St. Relatively understated and low-key, Customs is the showcase of Coffee Supreme and boasts Wellington’s only Slayer machine, along with one of the few Clover’s in New Zealand; enough, from a coffee point-of-view to firmly establish its coffee credentials. And Customs didn’t disappoint, with the best coffee of our trip – an espresso with sufficient ‘oomph’ yet delicate enough to reveal the fruit and floral notes of high-quality arabicas.

Our Wellington coffee education began to take shape as we started to understand the strong influences on the coffee palate of this surprising and slightly quirky coffee city.  The inner sanctum of roasters belongs to three main players, each of which has gained the respect which only comes from the passage of time, starting as they did twenty or more years ago.

Indeed the essence of Wellington coffee was set many years ago, when the greater populace were still drinking instant, by the founders of Caffe L’Affare, Havana Coffee Works and Coffee Supreme [a brand which has also taken a foothold in Melbourne].

Jeff Kennedy, Geoff Marsland and Chris Dillon respectively, are the ‘dons’ of the Wellington coffee scene, and to a certain degree, their brands reflect the personalities of their owners. Caffe L’Affare probably boasts the closest to a typical Italian brand, not too bright, not to dark, with its middle-of-the road flavour profile echoing its brand name [the rather utilitarian 'Coffee Business' in Italian].

Havana Coffee Works, with its imagery, logo and roast profile reflecting its link to island-sourced beans [and suggestive of early 70s days of grungy student radicalism] roast relatively dark and with a high proportion of Cuban and Venezualan beans – that give a big-mouth feel without the delicacy of high-grown arabicas] – meaning their blends have an unmistakable ‘punchy’ quality. Coffee Supreme offers flavour profiles more similar to what we have been accustomed to in Australia, with cleaner and brighter flavours, suggestive of arabicas sourced from higher altitudes.

With enough caffeine in our blood stream to convincingly manage the Haka, we decided to cool our heels with a lunch at Cafe Nikau. Situated in the Town Hall precinct, and boasting the sort of the smart and minimalist decor that you would expect of a cafe opposite the Michael Fowler Arts Centre, the food and service were excellent. We tried their signature dish, the oddly named Kedgeree. A pilaf of mildly curried rice with (Nikau’s own) smoked fish, a scatter of boiled egg, parsley and lemon juice, it was amazing and the only disappointment was that when we went back for more the next day (Sunday) they were closed!

Our cafe exploration over, we had just enough time to take in some of the ‘must-see’ sights of this extraordinary little city before heading off to the airport. Te Papa, New Zealand’s national museum, is an imposing structure on the harbour foreshore which dares to be ignored. With five floors of displays and interactive exhibitions it is an experience worth taking. A quick trip up to the Mount Victoria lookout to take in a final stunning sweeping view and we were off.

And so we departed ‘the windy city’, without so much as a breath of wind to be felt our entire visit. Without a doubt, Wellington is a destination with a groove like no other in the South Pacific; as cool as a southerly, warm as a northerly, as fresh as an easterly and as unpredictable as a westerly.

10 Llankelly Place
Potts Point NSW 2011

Sydney is no exception to this and boasts a number of truly world-class cafes. Many of our reviewers have travelled, or even lived in Europe and their reviews attest to the increasing dominance of antipodean coffee on the world scene; let no-one doubt – these cafes are at the peak of their game and are of a world class standard.

So it is with pleasure that we bring you Crema Magazine’s Best Cafes of Sydney for 2011…

The first thing to note is that there seems to have been a ‘changing of the guard’ in the upper echelons of the Sydney specialty coffee scene. Whilst the more established players are still pumping out excellent coffee, the ‘quiet achievers’ and a couple of ‘new kids on the block’ have been pushing the limits even further and have proven themselves worthy of higher accolades.

Although many offer food,  that is not their primary purpose – they’re listed here because our reviewers believe they are at the top in the business of espresso coffee in Sydney; they are, with one exception, not really cafes but ‘espresso bars’ and whether they serve food or not, is ancillary to their mission.

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1.           Coffee Alchemy

24 Addison Road
Marrickville
Tel: (02) 9516 1997

In spite of its unprepossessing exterior, it’s amazing the number of coffee cogniscenti that flock to this little coffee haven in the light-industrial precinct of Marrickville on a Saturday morning.

The unassuming brick exterior hides an amazing little corner box comprising one of Sydney’s best boutique coffee gems. Coffee Alchemy doesn’t offer food at all  – they only do coffee – a blend, at least 3 single estate espressos each day,  4 or more single estate filter coffees and later in the week cold drip coffee and shakeratos [sparkling cold coffee].

This variety is founded on a bedrock of deep coffee knowledge – Hazel de los Reyes grew up with coffee trees all around her in the Philippines and was Australian Barista Champion in 2005 and what she doesn’t know about coffee isn’t worth knowing. She has passed this passion and enthusiasm on the her team and they are constantly pushing and trying new things, and for those less knowledgeable, they are always happy to share.

Note: this is a haven for coffee purists and on that note, be aware this is a tiny space, often with customers.jostling for room. In the words of one of our reviewers, possibly ‘the most authentic specialty coffee place in Australia’.

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2.       Mecca

67 King Street [corner of York]
Sydney CBD
Tel: (02) 9299 8828

Voted  no. 1 in our 2009 review for many reasons, not least of which was [and still is] their ability to bring great coffee to a ridiculous number of people, but also the professionalism of the team.

Although on a busy street-front location, the buzz of sated coffee aficionados at the outside tables is such that you soon forget the traffic passing nearby; and in any case, there are stools inside to hide away from the bustle outdoors and marvel at the beautiful MISTRAL espresso machine taking pride of place inside.

The team at Mecca have a wealth of coffee knowledge, which in spite of the busy city location, they are usually quite happy to share, when they have a spare moment!  Feel free to ask for different coffee options – for instance siphon, served on demand – and they are one of the few places in Australia which offers Clover coffee.

A cafe with a busy and buzzy inner-city vibe. The coffee quality at Mecca does vary, but only from good to amazing!

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3.       The Source

6/914 Military Road
Mosman
Tel: (02) 9969 1368

In our 2010 feature, we rated Russell Beard’s The Source as best ‘up-and-coming’ and there’s no doubt this promise has been fulfilled… amongst the beamers and botox of suburban Mosman , this shrine to Sydney coffee deservedly claims its place in our official Top Five.

Russell and the team offer up consistently excellent coffee [including Clover] and despite the cafe often being filled to the brim with patrons, they still roast on site, choosing to maintain complete control over the coffee process from bean to cup rather than succumbing to the desire to fit more people in –  a ‘less is more’ approach in stark contrast to the otherwise dollar-driven backdrop of Mosman. The beauty of this, of course, is that on most days customers can interact with the roasting process whilst drinking some of those very same blends and origins. The staff are friendly, yet extremely professional and although coffee is their main business, the food is equally as impressive.  A coffee haven such as this is a rare find on Sydney’s North Shore.

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4.   White Horse

2/137 Flora Street
Sutherland

Sutherland is not the first destination you might think of when searching for top-quality espresso, but these guys are a shining light in Sydney’s southern suburbs.

Their La Marzocco Linea espresso machine belies their location on a rather bland suburban street, but the inside space is city-chic – shiny and modern with white marble.  As for coffee credentials, Dom [the owner] is an ex NSW Barista Champ and has recently opened White Horse after working in Tokyo for two years, helping Paul Bassett [World Barista Champ 2003] launch his Espresso enterprise there.

White Horse currently uses coffee roasted by Mecca and they will soon commission their own roaster. If you’re looking for great coffee in the southern suburbs, these guys nail it time after time.

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5.       Le Monde

83 Foveaux Street
Surry Hills
Tel: (02) 9211 3568

Rated highly by several other reviews for their food, Le Monde has been recently concentrating on their coffee as well , and it shows.  Located on Surry Hills’ busy Foveaux Street, and often better known by taxi drivers and the local fashionistas from neighouring Kippax St, LeMonde has reinvented itself with a new chef [Chris, formerly of Oscillate Wildly in Newtown] and more recently, a new emphasis on coffee.

They have been truly transformed, right down to the shiny Synesso sitting nobly on the bench and like most of Sydney’s top [coffee] cafes, Le Monde also has brewed coffee available by Clover & offers single estate espresso.

One of the few foodie cafes in Sydney that also knows how to do coffee. Excellent.

Our sincere thanks go to our panel of judges who devoted their time and expertise. It was not an easy task – in the words of one of our reviewers, “any of these cafes could be Sydney’s No.1 on any day – it was very difficult to separate them”! Our judges were, Emily Oak, Scottie Callaghan, Paul Golding, Aaron Lucas

by Emily Oak, Director, WBC and AIR Training & Development Manager

From June 23-25th at Olympia, in Kensington London, the world’s best baristas and coffee professionals gathered together under one roof to celebrate all facets of the specialty industry. Baristas from more than 50 countries represented their individual nations competing against each other in a bid to win the global title.
This year was fresh and even more interesting for two main reasons. Firstly, it was the first time a semi final round was introduced into the competition. This added a layer of complexity and difficulty for competitors and judges. Secondly, there were more than 15 second or third time champions competing. This mean the standard of performance was higher than it has ever been before. Australia’s reining Barista Champion Scottie Callaghan, (who was also World Latte Art Champion 2006 and Australian Barista Champion 2007) put in a solid performance, making it through both the preliminary and semi final rounds to the final of the championship, no easy task at all. Scott came away with the third place trophy, making him the third best barista in the world. Combined with the efforts of the rest of ‘Team Australia’ competing in a whole range of competitions (Latte Art, Good Spirits and Cup Tasting) Scott’s placing helped secure the overall team trophy for Australia…. Well Done!

By Christopher Short

Coffee aficionados love to discuss the elements that make for their perfect cup. Factors often mentioned are their favorite brand of coffee beans, the proportion of arabica to robusta beans, the type of roast and single versus double boiler espresso machines, just to name a few. Interestingly, one issue only occasionally considered is that of water quality. This is odd given that water constitutes 95% of an espresso.

The reason it is not top of the list is probably because few really know what attributes they should be looking for in water and they generally have little choice in the matter. For most of us, it just arrives, normally out of the tap. The reason we should be concerned about water quality is that it does affect the taste of your coffee and it has a significant effect on brewing equipment performance and reliability in many regions.

Water could be referred to as ‘the universal solvent’. It will dissolve almost anything to some degree. As rain falls to earth it takes up airborne gases like car and truck exhaust fumes and industry air pollution. This is why the air smells so fresh after a good rain. Once on the ground the water soaks in, dissolving naturally occurring calcium, magnesium, iron and other elements as well as ground pollution. In addition, water collects particulate matter (commonly called dirt!) that will not dissolve but is carried in suspension.

To improve water quality, public water authorities treat the water to remove most of the dirt particles and to disinfect it. The most common way to disinfect water is through the addition of chlorine, which will inevitably alter the taste of the coffee. Installation of appropriate water filters will remove the chlorine from the water and will ensure that any dirt particles are removed. Some people prefer to use rainwater in their home espresso machines. It is imperative to use a water filter before filling the water tank to remove the dirt particles and, if the correct filter is used, the dissolved air pollution.

Another issue involving water is that of water ‘hardness’ – that is, the content of calcium and magnesium in the water. Higher levels constitute harder water. The reason water gets hard is by the percolation of ground water through calcium and magnesium-laden soils. Water hardness is not removed by filtration and has no health effects. In fact, many bottled mineral waters are exceptionally hard. It is interesting that espresso made from hard water tastes better. The reason is that flavour extraction from ground beans increases with harder water. However, there is a limit – beyond 90 parts per million (ppm) of calcium carbonate, flavour extraction does not increase. This would be fine except that hard water (150ppm and above) causes significant build up of calcium scale in coffee brewing equipment. A way of avoiding this is to use a water softener, which replaces the calcium content with sodium. This is why water softeners must occasionally be regenerated with sodium chloride (common salt), which is the source of the sodium.

Softening water will reduce the problem of hard water scale build up in the machine but it will, to a degree, alter the taste of the coffee. Alternatively, the use of unsoftened (but still filtered) water will enhance the taste but necessitate occasional descaling of the machine. Non-carbonated spring or mineral water can be used effectively in home espresso machines with water tanks. These waters are generally of moderate hardness and are filtered, providing good quality water for espresso.

In summary, for better tasting coffee, moderately hard water is fine but ensure it is filtered and that you descale your machine occasionally.

Christopher Short is Managing Director of Adelaide-based cleaning products company, Cafetto.

Tasting and blending coffee is a very complex, creative and scientific process which is unfortunately underestimated by a great number of people who actually work in the industry. Coffee cupping is one of those wonderful and very necessary rituals which sadly only a small percentage of coffee roasters, green buyers and retailers undertake. Unfortunately for the consuming public, this can lead to a lack of quality in coffee from those who do not regularly audit their suppliers, coffee production and the end product sold to consumers. Often these same people do not venture out trying new products and styles to improve the quality of the end cup. So why is coffee cupping so important, and what does cupping a coffee to produce an end product entail?

Coffee is a fresh product, is living and changing every second, which must be constantly checked throughout the production line. From one roast to another, from one bag to another, in order to put together a good coffee, the cupper (or taster) must also have an intricate knowledge of roasting, coffee origins, profiling, brewing and storage. Missing even one of these elements is like missing a link in a chain – the end product does not hold up. A good cupper, like a good chef, must have the skill to combine tradition and training with ability and creativity. They also need to explore new territory in order to continue to improve the coffee experience while still respecting established qualities and characteristics.

From crop to cup there are a number of important factors that affect the taste of coffee. Coffee, like wine, develops distinct flavour characteristics based on its country or region of origin. These flavours can develop and vary with season, growing conditions and harvest. Coffee processing is the next crucial element. From the two traditional methods of wet or dry processing, to the more cutting edge pulp natural, semi washed and double pass. Each processing method produces a different taste in the coffee caused by the different ways the layers are stripped from the cherries revealing the coffee bean within. If a cupper does not have the knowledge of the taste each method produces, they cannot understand how it will taste in the end. Fermentation within the beans can also happen at this time and spoil the cup, in similar fashion to corked wine. This major fault must also be tasted for in every bag of raw product to avoid destroying an entire roast.

A more commonly discussed contributor to the taste of coffee is roasting. The ‘Roast Master’ has the power to greatly affect the taste and flavour of the coffee with the processes used.  As well as different roasting methods and different types of coffee roasters, we must add to this, the different roast colours. Coffee can be roasted from medium or light brown, through to a high, dark brown, or caramel roast. Each colour will affect the taste – the lighter roasts have a higher acidity and milder taste, while darker roasts have a lower acidity and more intense taste. Time, temperature control, air flow and volume of raw coffee roasted will also impact the coffee flavour. To complicate things further coffee origins can be roasted separately then blended, or pre blended as green coffee and roasted together. Each taste profile is significantly different.

Equally as important is the production or brewing method of the coffee. The coffee should be blended and roasted to suit the brewing method, be it for a plunger, stovetop espresso, filter or espresso. The brewing process, which includes water temperature and water quality, coffee freshness, grind size and brewing time (the time the water and coffee are actually in contact), is fundamental to the end cup. You can have the best coffee in the world, but if it is not brewed correctly it will not perform.

Cupping is essential in producing a quality end product. The cupper must be aware of their impact on the final taste when selecting the original product. People in the coffee industry who do not cup their coffee or who shop for their raw product from a standard list have no control on how their coffee will taste.

Emily Oak is on the Board of Directors for the World Barista Championships and is the Asia Pacific Regional Coordinator for the WBC. She is also Training and Development Manager for Australian Independent Roasters in Sydney and a regular contributor for Crema Magazine.