Can coffee get any better? · Monday June 12, 2006 by colin newell
We have just returned from a 3-day visit to Vancouver. For me, it was a chance to scope out the latest and greatest in cafe culture in the lower mainland.
The coffee scene in Victoria and Vancouver has taken a massive leap forward. For coffee consumers, fans, geeks and newcomers, it is an all good news message. For existing cafes that are not getting in on some of the trends, they run the risk of getting left behind.
So what is going on in Victoria and Vancouver and who are the players?
Vancouver: The Elysian Room (5th Avenue West & Burrard) and Prado (Commercial and East 4th) seem to be ‘top of their game’ with espresso. This is not to say that there are not contenders breathing fire up their portafilters – because there are, and the players are plenty.
The Cafe Artigianos are holding their own in the espresso zone but they see some of the writing on the wall – as a result they have responded with Clover coffee at one location and thermal French press presentations at some of the other locations. Add to that some very exotic offerings; cup of excellence single origin bean – and now you have the mixings for a very competitive position on the part of the Piccolo’s cafes.
JJ Bean? They are not exactly resting on their laurels. They offer uber-fresh origins, blends and espressos that are always spot-on!
Over on Vancouver Island, there is no lack of activity. In fact, there may be more on the ball here (per capita) than in Vancouver or Seattle.
Sam Jones, of Discovery Coffee and 2% Jazz has cornered the market on the leading edge gear – Synesso and Clover. Sam is even roasting his own bean. And although his roasts are not quite at the level of a Batdorf and Bronson, he shows great promise. Currently, the intellectual leader of leading edge roasting is at Cafe Fantastico – Derek is currently handling the bulk of the batch roasting with Ryan and Kristie doing parental duty.
So. What about the tools that I keep refering to?
The Clover. It is a brewer. It is a single cup brewer. In the right hands (and the right coffee) it can produce a remarkable cup.
It is like a French-press on steroids. All steel. An element of pressure brewing. It produces a remarkably transparent cup. From what I have tasted it has surpassed anything I can do with my most high-end temperature controlled drip brewing techniques.
There are some words that I would like to toss around to describe my initial Clover experiences: stunning, shocking, humbling, challenging… I could go on and on about this.
The Clover could be the single most important development in the cafe tool-kit in years. I mentioned previously that the Aeropress is the single most significant development for the home or travelling coffee lover of the last 25 years. However hyperbolic, I stand behind this statement.
In the World of espresso brewing, there are the Rancilio’s, the Gaggia’s, the Cimbali’s, the Nuova Simonelli and the like.
Then there is the La Marzocco and the Synesso.
There is some family history between those last two.
One of the engineers from L.M. left to become a Synesso engineering partner. Good move.
The Synesso takes advantage of digital temperature control and pre-infusion to ensure the best possible environment for the espresso brew cycle. If you can find a cafe in your neighborhood that uses a Synesso – do it!
So. Victoria has one. Ladysmith B.C. has one. Nanaimo has two I believe – soon three! The Coyote Cafe, currently my pick for Vancouver Island’s best cup of coffee and espresso, uses a Synesso. They know their coffee and it shows.
Yup – for coffee lovers, there are exciting times indeed. There is something very special happening in Victoria and Vancouver right now – perhaps this is an important part of our coffee/cafe history.
120 pounds of coffee · Friday May 12, 2006 by colin newell
Spent 4 hours at EveryDay Gourmet Coffee Roasters at the historic St. Lawrence Market – Front street Toronto.
I roasted 120 pounds of coffee in 3 1/2 hours.
Did mostly single-origins; Ethiopian Harrar, Sidamo, Sumatra, Ethiopian Decaf, Celebes, etc
Did the house espresso and the bar espresso blends.
This is somewhat different that roasting coffee in those little 4 ounce electric jobbies. This is the real thing.
15 to 20 pound batches.
Timing is everything.
Did a lot of Q&A as well. People seem to be drawn to coffee roasters. When there is a batch of coffee cooling in the tray, it seems to have a hypnotic effect.
There are always lots of questions, good ones. I did my best to answer them all correctly.
Cannot wait to do this again.
As Sara says: “The Roasters life is the best life!”
No kidding!
Introducing better coffee in Victoria... and beyond · Saturday March 4, 2006 by colin newell
Adam Tindale and I visited Discovery Coffee today. For the coffee, yes – but also, for the Clover coffee maker. And some.
A little lead-in:
Discovery Coffee is on Discovery Street (on the North-west side of the corners) 2 or 3 doors down from Douglas street in Victoria, B.C. Canada. It is about a ten minute walk North of the downtown
Okay – Something exciting is happening in the Victoria, B.C. coffee marketplace and it is an all-good message for the consumers.
Not surprising, people like Sam Jones, his partners and crew at Discovery Coffee, are helping make this happen.
Okay – so it take a little more than a single coffee brewer to make the difference in Victoria’s vibrant and dynamic coffee community.
In fact, Discovery Coffee is, in some ways, a lab and showcase of all the right tools that any cafe could possibly need for the best cups.
- mahlkoenig coffee grinder
- mazzer coffee grinders
- synesso 3-group espresso machine
- clover coffee brewer
- good filtered water
Did I mention that it’s the people as well as the tools?
The baristi at Discovery Coffee wear Chef’s uniforms. Seriously.
Back to the Clover introduction. The Clover Coffee maker is a single-cup (12 ounce thereabouts) single coffee brewer that retails for 8000 U.S. smackers. Eight Thousand. That is a big coin for a coffee maker. Single cup. Seriously. What about it?
Here is Victrola’s take on the beast.
Well – there is, like, continuous temperature settings from 180 – 210 ºF, Cup sizes 6 – 16 fluid ounces, brew time 10 seconds – 5 minutes with a standard interchangeable filter 70 micron.
Enough tech already. what does it taste like?
The clover is transparent. All you taste is coffee. You taste sharply focused berry notes that are just perceptible with the most diligent home drip preparation (under perfect conditions). With slight variations in roast signature, with the same bean and grind, we tasted remarkable variations in prevalent taste spectrum.
It tasted good. You have to try it yourself. Clover coffee… at Discovery Coffee – Discovery at Douglas Street – Victoria.
Derek and Gena (and their team of beautiful coffee people) at Buon Amici’s feel, it’s in the ambiance… and in the food… and in the physical space. Truth be told, Buon Amici’s wins hands down in the physical space category. Why? Go there and find out. Some of the Buon Amici magic defies a word description. Trust me.
On the way to Discovery Coffee, on Saturday morning, Adam and I stopped by the Mirage Cafe (corner of Government Street and Broughton). They have a bright street corner space with 2 Eagle-Elektra espresso machines – they look like hood ornaments for one of those Earth moving catepillar graders (you know the ones – tires the size of a 2 story building)
Anyway.
The espresso coffee was spot on (their coffee is roasted at the Blanshard and View location) and the food complimenting the java was fresh and appealing. Top marks!
So, what does this all mean? It means there are more choices and more good coffee people in the Victoria cafe biz. This is a serious up-tick folks. I have no idea about how long it will last or whether it will keep getting better out there.
The overall message (from me) is: If you have not been to a cafe recently or the last cafe-cappuccino you had was at the Contempo Cafe in 1979 (a real place) then you really need to get out there now and see what is going on. Seriously!
Looking for another excuse? You know that pretty girl or guy you have had your eye on for a while? Coffee is the fuel of love… and the fuel has never been more pure!
Go on – Ask her(him) out. It is, after all, the Spring! almost.
For the CoffeeCrew.Com Blog, I am Colin Newell
Buy in haste, repent at leisure... · Friday December 9, 2005 by colin newell
This time of year, people are spending money, lots of money. Some of it goes online. Some of that hard earned dough is going to be spent on an espresso machine, coffee brewer or a pricey accessory like a burr grinder.
In a perfect World, it would be no more difficult that filling in the online order form or making a phone call or two and waiting the 5 days for your order to arrive.
In the World that you and I live in, it is a bit more complex. By and large, every sidewalk bricks and mortar business or online enterprise that sells coffee stuff is pretty much on the level.
Truth be told, the internet (and most physical storefronts) are pretty competitive places and noone would be in business very long if they weren’t straight with their customers.
Still, a few rules for the consumer go a long way. Here are some to keep in mind:
- buying online? Ask about warranty and the type of warranty
- ask about the return policy
- ask about after-sales service – everyone has questions
99 times out of 100 you are going to have a good experience.
For a more detailed look at buying coffee stuff online, read my full article over at coffeecrew.com
Ground Zero for Victoria's best coffee · Saturday December 3, 2005 by colin newell
There are more coffee joints in Victoria than car dealers and, let me tell you Bernice, they all want to sell you something. Trick is to find what you are looking for.
Personally, I look for the people that know what they are talking about (in a way that makes sense to my pearl sized brain), people that believe in what they are doing, and lastly people that do not give me the crazy-creeps talking about coffee in a way that I just do not get!
Sam Jones, Victoria’s ubermyster coffee god, holds court at 2% Jazz on Douglas Street (adjacent to the Times-Colonist building). Surrounded by the finest in coffee-espresso hardware and only the finest baristi that the city has to offer, Sam takes the bean to levels that other cafes can only daydream about.
The thing about Sam is, he cultivates leading-edge ideas in the kind of positive environment that offers genuflection (courteous acknowledgement) to everyone in the coffee-chain, from the farmer to the cup.
As Dave Anderson (of Ottawa) and I sat in 2% Jazz, the other day, it became readily apparent that every single body coming through his door was a little wiser about the caffeine bean than the average schelp that walks into Starbucks looking for their Vente whatever.
Sam is a teacher, a damn good teacher. He believes his gospel and when he starts to preach the good word, you cannot help but listen.
I could not help but gaze in wonder as he led Dave, by the hand (Ok, stretching here) up onto his raised pulpit behind his glistening Synesso espresso machine. I could almost hear the choir as Sam coached Dave through the fundamentals. Dave, who is a seasoned coffee-nerd from Ottawa, came away exclaiming “That was the best coffee I have ever had in my life!” Where else in Victoria would you actually become part of the espresso experience?
Only at 2% Jazz, that is where!
If you want real coffee and the best espresso that the city has to offer, drop your pretense and your double-cupped swill take-away and get your feet down to 2% Jazz.
