A £3.15 Temperature Sensitive Sticker has transformed my Hario Buono Pouring Kettle from a simple hot water storage and pouring device to a functional (and essential) piece of kit for any home coffee brewer to use.

I’m amazed at how accurate the temperature reading is, to within 1c of the water temp inside the kettle.

When you combine this with a set of scales and either a Hario V60 or an Aeropress you give yourself the ability to replicate brewing variables best suited to the bean you are using.

The advantage of knowing your temperature is that you have control over another key variable

Along with Time (adjusting your grinder accordingly to determine the contact time between the water and the ground coffee) and Turbulence (controlled by your hand movements during the brewing process) you can determine just how good your coffee can taste.

If only I was allowed to have an Über Boiler on my bench …

I’d like to thank Ms Gourmet Chick for the opportunity to visit the Summer BBC Good Food Show and BBC Gardeners World event at the NEC in Birmingham, having won tickets on the Gourmet Chick blog last week.

This morning (having slept in a little longer than planned) we headed north, full of anticipation, and looking forward to getting some inspiration for dishes to create this summer.

The layout in the exhibition halls had changed from previous years and the aisles seemed narrower, with more space being dedicated to the theatre events, where celebrity chefs (and wannabe chefs) were demonstrating their skills, or advertising their sponsors latest products. There were very few free seats when we arrived and by lunchtime there were rows of people up to 4 or 5 deep trying to get a glimpse of what was going on.

There seems to be a surge of ‘spice’ based cuisines at present, with many of the stalls selling pre-packaged curry’s, chutneys and asian accompaniments to spice up any meal. Some of the stalls screamed of mass production and there was not the level of care and creativity in the presentation of many products, compared to the Foodies Festival at Hampton Court a few weeks ago.

 Most show specials were realistically priced, but some stands were hard to reach due to the sheer volume of people trying to push and shove to get prime position for a freebie taster of a product, not helped by the number of pushchairs, prams, wheely trolleys and even dogs (*these were not Guide Dogs, just simple family pets), that you had to navigate around (with the aim of keeping both shins intact), whilst trying to stay upright – no mean feat when you are being barged from behind by walking stick weilding grannies.

Escaping the mayhem we headed for the considerably less densely populated) (and much quieter) nature and gardening arena, where the RSPB volunteers were holding court with less than 10 people (in a 50+ seat capacity theatre), and the Bee Keepers were giving demonstrations on hive maintenance and honey extraction methods

Top Tip: Adopt a Beehive

A third of the food we eat requires insect based pollination and bees are dying out across the world. The worthy cause of the day (in our opinion) is the Adopt a Beehive scheme being run by the British Beekeepers Association, where for £29.50 you can adopt a beehive for a year (as we have just done)

We finished our visit to the show with a stroll through the show gardens before heading for home.

The drive home offered me the chance to reflect on the show and some of todays experiences. If I had paid to attend (the going rate was £14+ per adult) I would have been disappointed, as the quality was not as high as previous years and other events I have attended recently. I’m not sure that the exhibitors in certain parts of the show are getting value for money as some people were ignoring stands completely (or could not get to them) due to the lines of people queuing for freebies from the stand next door – an unfortunate situation to be in.

Should there be a charge to attend an event?

Should there be a charge to attend an event as a consumer, where the main purpose of attending is to taste and buy products (many that can be bought in a supermarket or from the high street)?.  The exhibitors have already paid to be at the event, and will recoup the cost of their stall through sales. I would happily pay to attend a workshop, or presentation that is of interest to me but increasingly the events are no more than a chance to put a salesperson in front of you, rather than as a pretty picture on a label or a review in a magazine or on a website.

I think i’ll stick to attending more of the specialist shows and boutique markets, leaving the headline annual events for the masses, who are brave enough to dodge the prams and wheely trolleys or who are desperate to catch a glimpse of a celebrity strutting their stuff.

Last week I entered a competition on Twitter, run by Teapigs – a quality obsessed, independent tea company, and won a pair of tickets to the Hampton Court Foodies Festival, the first of a series of festivals in the UK.

The day started out overcast and by the time we arrived the umbrella was required, but that didn’t stop people attending and enjoying themselves.

Held in the grounds of Hampton Court Palace, the Foodies Festival is aimed at food lovers who don’t mind rolling up their sleeves and cooking. It is not a show for armchair chefs.

Surrounded by food but first – a coffee…

We made a bee-line to visit Weanie Beans, who we normally bump into at their pitch at Barnes Market, but this weekend have shared a stand with Outsider Tart – usually resident at 83 Chiswick High Road, London.

Their flat whites are right up there with the best we have tasted and are served with a smile. It’s always a pleasure to see Adeline, she is so cheery!

Coffee in hand we started on our gastronomy tour, with a cheeky tasting of a wild boar and apple sausage from Supreme Sausages, followed by a lamb and rosemary. The tastebuds were lit up like a Christmas tree and this was only the first stand. We bought a pack and carried on.

After chatting with the team on the stand we were buzzing from their enthusiasm

Next stop was the Teapigs stand where we tried a Licorice & Peppermint infusion, which cleansed the palate , in readiness for more taste sensations. After chatting with the team on the stand we were buzzing from their enthusiasm and bought a couple of their tea temples (boxes of teabags)

I won’t bore you with the details of every stop we made but there were a few exhibitors that stood out. The passion from these smaller producers is so infectious, and their intimate product knowledge helps you understand exactly how a product is lovingly made, often by hand or with very little automation, yet sold for very realistic prices.

The standout product at the show (for me anyway) was the Pomegranate and Fig Balsamic, enjoyed with a leaf of spinach, from the gift of oil.

There was no shortage of chutney producers – each with a unique taste, and a dazzling array of spices to use in preparing a curry. We sampled many of these infusions and bought a few home with us.

Stopping briefly to pick up a matured cheddar cheese block from Barbers Cheese, we started to plan our exit as we were pretty well laden with all sorts of gastronomic delights.

I’m glad we only had a light breakfast as the last stop of the day before leaving was to the Hog Roast stand (whose company name eludes me) where I tucked into a roast pork filled ciabatta with home-made apple sauce.

Spotting even darker clouds on the horizon, we squeezed in 1 more coffee each from Weanie Beans, a few minutes of jazz and then a sprint to the car before the heavens opened.

A review of the Duracell Instant Charger – a useful USB powered, rechargeable device for charging the iPhone and other handheld battery operated devices

don’t let the dainty looks deceive you, this thing packs a punch

At first glance you could mistake the Duracell Instant Charger for an iPod Nano, as its dimensions are fairly similar, but don’t let the dainty looks deceive you, this thing packs a punch.

I received the device on Friday and charged it immediately (whilst charging my iPhone at the same time)
With a USB Power Cable IN at one end and a USB OUT at the other, you can charge both the instant charger and another device at the same time.

There is a simple led charge indicator (red meaning still charging and green meaning charged), an on/off switch and a charge remaining light on the case next to the USB port.

Eager to test the chargers capabilities I happily used my iPhone for FourSquare check-in’s, sending tweets and general web surfing until the (formerly) dreaded Low Battery message flashed up on the screen. The iPhone instantly recognised the external battery source and started charging immediately.

Within several minutes the battery was back in the green. By the time we had relaxed and chatted over a lovely filter coffee and cakes there was a healthy level of charge, allowing me to resume social media activities and web surfing.

the iPhone is increasingly used for long periods of time and battery life is critical

There is, however, a tangible business benefit too. Having recently downloaded business related apps such as the award winning MoJoToGo^TM app for calculating coffee extraction – an iPhone version of the PC based ExtractMojo^TM software – the iPhone is increasingly used for long periods of time and battery life is critical. You only truly realise how important it is when you absolutely need it and cannot access vital statistics that have not yet been synced with a laptop or internet data storage device, or when an important call ends half way through.

I let my battery run right down yesterday before charging the iPhone using the charger only (not plugged in via the charger from the laptop) and easily got an extra 2 hours of usage from a single charge of approx 30-45 minutes. I am confident I could have used the phone for longer if I had left the charger plugged in (without using it) for a little longer.

I’ll be putting the charger through it’s paces at the WBC when I expect to be away from home for long periods each day and will be relying on my phone more than ever to coordinate my life and keep up with social media updates.

disclaimer: I responded to a tweet offering me the chance to receive one of the Duracell devices after following @DuracellUK on Twitter. I had been looking into external battery chargers to cope with the ever decreasing battery life on the iPhone and was actively researching options at the time. I would have bought this type of device had I known about it earlier and find it something I now could not live without. My gadget obsessed friends will be getting these for their birthdays!

Saturday 22nd May 2010 saw the much anticipated Square Mile Coffee retail presence arrive in London, in the form of Penny University.

Penny University – situated in Redchurch St, just off Shoreditch High St in the suddenly fashionable East End of London – introduces a new concept in the UK.

With the focus on brewed coffee there is a noticeable absence of milk and sugar, and whilst this may not be to everyones taste, it lets the coffee do the talking and relies on the barista to extract the best out of each bean served.

Penny University is a cosy shop with seating for 6 in front of the preparation area, formed from 150 year old reclaimed pine and adorned by an Uber Boiler.
(there is an outdoor bench seat if you prefer to enjoy your coffee al-fresco)

The minimalist (yet stylish) interior design lends itself to focussing on the coffee preparation, of which you are made to feel part of.
Each drink is lovingly crafted in front of you, and your barista is on hand throughout the process to answer any questions you may have, and should you request, he or she will regale the history of the bean and reaffirm its provenance.

On opening day there were 3 brewing methods available;
Pourover – using a Hario V60 1cup dripper
Siphon
Woodneck – through a cloth filter

The coffee’s on offer can be enjoyed on their own or as a tasting package (minimum 2 people), giving you the opportunity to sample 3 unique tastes

Water is served in a funky, delicate, individual water pitcher.

Coffee is available for purchase and an extensive range of Hario and Eva Solo products can be acquired, to allow you to enjoy these coffees at home.

There is an eye catching and enticing display of brewing products that you cannot fail to miss as you walk through the door.

Make a point of visiting Penny University when you are in London – you’ll be glad you did!

The 2010 Best of Panama awards were due to take place this weekend and in advance of the awards and auction on May 25th 2010 the sample coffees were sent to a number of juror’s worldwide.

This is a twist from the normal cupping / grading and auction process where jurys are traditionally flown to origin to taste and evaluate the coffee before the awards are given and the top coffees announced for the year and then made available for auction.

A number of UK and European Coffee Roasters have taken the concept a step further and invited the public to taste some of the coffee on offer for this years auction.

24 samples were sent out and the cuppers/roasters who formed part of the jury roasted and cupped each sample before submitting their scores to the organising body.

I was fortunate to book a space at the Square Mile Coffee public cupping event on Saturday and shared the experience with the SQM staff and 11 other coffee enthusiasts and industry professionals. For many attendees it was their first cupping experience and we were treated to wildly differing tastes in the cup from all 8 of the coffees we tasted.

Anette from Square Mile, a former World Cupping Champion, did a fantastic job of clearly identifying what attributes to look out for and walked everyone through the Cupping Scoresheet which we all had the chance to fill in and use for reference when discussing the coffee towards the end.

Firstly the dry, ground coffee was evaluated for aroma and to pick up the nuances of each cup, before hot water was added and the cup allowed to steep, before the crust was broken and the cups re-evaluated. The process lasted for approx an hour with each cup being evaluated across the full temperature range to see how it reacted and changed over time as it cooled.

The final step was a comparison, with each cupper able to feedback their thoughts on each cup, compare notes and discuss the merits of each coffee.

The farm, varietal and processing method for each coffee is kept a secret, even from the jurors so as not to influence their scoring, and only Lot numbers for each coffee are known.

I’ll be following the auction process with interest to see how each lot number fares and whether international jurors scored the coffees as I did.

Interestingly, nearly all cuppers present scored 1 particular coffee above all others, and I am expecting that this lot, if scored well by other jurors around the world too, will fetch a high price per pound.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend Bank Holiday Saturday and thanks to the Square Mile team for giving up their time to share the experience with others.

A first look review of the mypressi TWIST™

Since it’s launch towards the back end of 2009, followed closely afterwards by a barrage of awards and endorsements, including the SCAA Best New Product 2009/2010 ^*1, I have wanted to get my hands on the mypressi TWIST™. This desire was also partly fuelled due to my travelling^*2 and partly due to the hype.

My opportunity came at Hotelympia 2010 where I met the CLS team^*3, the official UK distributors for mypressi TWIST™ who were exhibiting

I had been sceptical that a hand-held device retailing for approx £120 could produce a consistent extraction with temperature and pressure stability to rival a domestic espresso machine selling for several times this price.

Upon opening the box I was greeted with an assortment of shower screens, baskets and spare seals and the mypressi TWIST™ itself.

Looking somewhat like a normal portafilter, the mypressi TWIST™ is a self contained, pressurised chamber, holding freshly ground coffee, hot water and an 8g N20^*4 charger (as used in Mosa™ cream whippers)

The mypressi TWIST™ completely dismantles for ease of cleaning, and more importantly pre-heating prior to extraction.

Making a coffee using the mypressi TWIST is a simple 4 step process, following the principles of espresso extraction

• Pre-heat    (optional but recommended & don’t forget to preheat your cup too)
• Grind    (espresso grind)
• Tamp    (firm – equivalent to a normal espresso tamp)
• Extract    (just pull the trigger and let the fun begin)

Now that we know how it works, how did it perform?
The first coffee I made was using pre-ground coffee, hot water poured through the mypressi TWIST™ and a pre-heated cup.

The water went in at 96c and the espresso was extracted and entered the cup at 86c. A 10 degree temperature loss but I figured the extraction took place at approx 90-92c so within the ballpark of a Gaggia Classic or Aeropress™ extraction.
I used 14g of coffee and obtained an 18 second extraction for 31mls liquid, which started off thinly and had about 2mm of crema on the top

The second coffee I made, within 2 minutes of the first coffee was much better, achieving a 4 degree temperature loss (as the internal parts had retained the heat from the first extraction), but a much better looking and tasting espresso.
For this shot I ground fresh coffee, using 16g and obtained a 23 second extraction for 29 mls liquid, with approx 3-4mm of crema on the top

The third coffee made 2 minutes later was almost identical to our second extraction +/- 1 second
The fourth coffee made another 2 minutes later behaved the same way as well

I attempted a 5th, to see what happened when the charger expired and found that the pressure started well, then fell away after about 6 seconds into the shot, so we had to discard the espresso and coffee grounds, which was a lot less messy than I imagined.

Pros
Highly portable
Stable temperature and pressure
Easy to assemble, dismantle and clean

Cons
Plastic tamper (although this fits snugly into the basket)
53mm basket
For best results the top chamber, portafilter ring and extraction chambers all require preheating (for the first extraction at least)

What we would like to see
58mm basket version
Steel tamper included
Charger indicator (indicating number of charges remaining)
Battery (or electric) powered pre-heating
Metal extraction chamber
Different colours

Espresso quality will vary greatly by user and we recommend trying various techniques, grind sizes, dose weights and pressure of tamp
Above all we recommend using freshly ground coffee and the quality of your grinder will still influence the quality in the cup.

The mypressi TWIST™ opens up almost unlimited infusion opportunities, therefore I can see that the mypressi TWIST™ may find it’s way into barista competitions for signature drink preparation, or more importantly into the hands of mixologists, cocktail, bar and restaurant staff.

Could the mypressi TWIST™ be the device that introduces espresso to the dessert menu?

I can’t wait to introduce this product to a number of people who have been toying with the idea of home espresso making but were not confident in their ability to make coffee.

The mypressi TWIST™ in its current form will help introduce more people to speciality coffee and raise awareness of the taste nuances of coffee, with its clean, uncomplicated extraction. I cannot wait to see how the mypressi TWIST™ evolves.

Footnotes:

*1 SCAA – Speciality Coffee Association of America - http://scaa.com
*2 100+ nights a year away from home in both 2008 and 2009
*3 Catering & Leisure Supplies Ltd – http://www.creamsupplies.co.uk
*4 N20, also known as Nitrous Oxide or Laughing Gas, is a food-safe colourless, non-flammable gas

Further reviews and photos can be found on Coffee Forums UK

Yesterday I spent the day drinking Piccolos, Cortados, Flat Whites and Espressos in the East End of London.

Starting my day at Gwilym’s cart in Whitecross Street, I spent an enjoyable hour and a bit chatting to Gwilym and Jenni. My first coffee was a flat white with a beautifully poured Rosetta, accompanied by a delicious chocolate croissant.

From my vantage point I could see people approaching the cart and it was a great place to see how peoples mood changed when they realised that they were only a few steps away from a great coffee. Their moods transformed, lifted, and you could sense the excitement and expectation as they approached, smiles forming and ready to place their order and banter with the baristas.

A trend I have noticed is that passionate cafe / cart / shop owners seem to effortlessly impart enthusiasm for their product onto the consumer, and Gwilym’s clients were no different. They asked questions about the coffee, the milk, the rosettas or tulips and even about the machine, eager to learn what made them want to return time and time again.

After a lovely creamy Piccolo it was time to head to Spitalfields market to meet up with Photographer and Podcaster, and ex-Barista, Brian Jones (starbarista).

Brian introduced me to Taylor Street Baristas, at 1A New St, London, EC2M 4TP, opposite the entrance to Liverpool St station, where I was treated to a lovely Piccolo (image here).  Taylor Street had a good vibe about it and made good use of space. Taylor St uses a bespoke blend from Union Coffee Roasters. You have to try it!

Our next stop was Present on Shoreditch High Street where we ogled the stunning Victoria Arduino lever machine, expertly operated by Mattias Björklund, the current Swedish Barista Champion, and enjoyed a finely crafted Cortado.

I waved goodbye to Brian at the top end of Brick Lane and made my way to Nude Espresso, for a bite to eat and to try their new East blend, being formally launched to their clients. This was my first visit to Nude and I was surprised at how big the cafe was, bucking the trend of ‘micro-cafes’ that we have come to know and love. With plenty of seating, ranging from 2 person spots to communal tables and wi-fi, there is a space to suit everyone here.

There were a number of well known industry figures in attendance and I got the opportunity to meet Instaurator, the author of Espresso Quest as well as Jeremy from Union Coffee Roasters, whose blend I had enjoyed earlier at Taylor St Baristas.

My final coffees of the day were a Piccolo and and Espresso before heading into Covent Garden to meet a friend for dinner.

I can thoroughly recommend a walk in the East End and will be sure to return the these cafes in the very near future.

Yesterday I paid Paul at CoffeeHit a visit at his new premises in Brockley.

The showroom was larger than I expected and it was great to see so many products and parts in one place.

Most of us are familiar with coffee suppliers websites, with nice images of the products, but many of us never imagine the scale of the operation behind the scenes.

Having the ability to touch and feel new parts and products that are often upgrades from the standard offering is an important part of the buying process. Throw in the knowledge and passion of the retailer and you have a winning combination.

I was in awe of the (at least) 3 dozen teflon coated portafilters laid out nicely on the newly fitted workspace and although my credit card was twitching in my pocket it remained under control (for the time being…)

Teflon Coated Portafilter available to purchase from CoffeeHit

It’s not often you get to explore the beauty of the high end domestic use Vibiemme espresso machines, but I was shown not one, but 2 fine specimens that are available for purchase (more twitchiness from aforementioned credit card…), as well as items from the Cafelat range.

Whilst CoffeeHit are not the only online supplier to the UK cafe industry, they maintain a highly visible presence, often sponsoring barista events such as UBF and have a Twitter account with regular tweets and contributions.

Visit the CoffeeHit website to browse and buy at extremely keen prices. Check out the continually changing web specials page too.

In the past week we have visted two great cafes outside of Soho, one in Fitzrovia (Kaffeine, 66 Great Titchfield Street) and the other in Hampstead (Ginger and White, 4a-5a Perrin’s Court).

Both cafes have exceeded our expectations and have combined great food with good coffee and have a funky vibe about them, yet they are both distinctly different.

Kaffeine is light and airy and serves healthy food in a relaxed atmoshphere. The staff are charming and attentive and appreciate all aspects of customer service.

Healthy food and mouthwatering pastries

Ginger and White has table service, rarely found in a cafe in London, and serves honest food. The recipes are inspired by the in-house food stylist and produce is sourced from within the UK where possible, from known farms and sources.

Menu & Ingredients

Cakes & Pastries

Reviews we have written for both cafes can be found on Coffee Forums UK, and Beanhunter, a dedicated cafe review site

Both cafes use Squaremile beans and at the time of writing the Summer Espresso was being served. We have tried this at many London locations and the quality of the espresso based drinks at these two cafes is right up there with the best we have had.