Prepare coffee like an artisan!

Know your beans and how to roast them

Learn the differences between the two most used varieties: Arabica and Robusta. Different regions and microclimates where the coffee plants grow are responsible for different dominant flavour notes. Next comes the processing method (washed or natural), which heavily influences the levels of acidity and sweetness. Finally, the raw bean is roasted. Light roasts preserve the unique characteristics of the coffee bean an can produce vibrant and unique flavours. Medium roasts start to extract the sweetness and are less acidic and intense. Dark roasts have low acidity and a heavy body. They produce a chocolatey, nutty flavour.

Get to know your most important tool: the grinder

You can have the world’s best beans roasted to perfection, but without a good grinder you just can’t produce a great cup of coffee. To avoid both under- and overextraction you have to choose the right grind size. From super fine for Turkish Coffee and Espresso to medium for Aeropress and coarse for French Press and Cold Brew there is a wide range of grind sizes to choose from. To achieve a consistent grind size, use a burr coffee grinder. For home coffee grinding there are excellent manual and electric grinders. For use in a professional setting, manual grinding sadly isn’t really an option. But, of course, there a many great professional grade electric grinders available.

Master a multitude of coffeemakers

One of the most iconic manual coffeemakers is the Chemex. Invented in 1941 by a German chemist it is included in the permanent collection oft he Museum of Modern Art in New York and has stared in many TV series and movies. Quite different in design is the Aeropress, which features both a traditional and an inverted brewing method. There is also the annually World AeroPress Championship! Another world-famous manual coffeemaker is the French Press. It is easy to use and produces a full bodied coffee full of flavour in a short amount of time. Electric coffeemakers range from simple one-button machines to complex devices which require a thorough instruction.

Learn recipes for every occasion

In addition to coffee variants like Espresso, Latte Macchiato and Cold Brew there are still more exciting coffees to try out. Here are some of our favourites:

• Cold Brew Tonic
• Iced Lattes
• Cold Brew Martini
• The Irish Bump