What Cafe Owners Want (and What Home Baristas Should Want Too)

When a café owner buys more than 50 pounds of coffee a week, they aren't taking a chance on trendy stories about where the coffee comes from. What they really care about is:

• Shot-to-shot consistency: If you pull 300 or more espressos a day, you need beans that work the same way from the first shot at 7 AM to the last one at 5 PM. No surprises, no days off.
• Window of forgiveness for extraction: Professional beans can be ground and brewed at a variety of temperatures and settings. Mixes for amateurs? They're picky and don't forgive mistakes, which is bad for hectic mornings.
• Milk compatibility: 80% of orders at cafes come with milk. The beans ought to be sweet and full-bodied enough to stand out in steamed milk without getting lost or tasting bad.
• Commercial freshness curve: Beans can rest for 7 to 14 days at home. Cafes need beans that reach their best quality in 3 to 5 days and stay fresh for more than 3 weeks in the hopper.
• Real-world profitability: You shouldn't need a PhD to make great espresso. The best commercial beans get you 95% of the way there with very little change.

In short, professional-grade beans aren't just "better"; they're made to work well under duress. And here's the secret: the same things that make them great for cafes also make them great for home use.

How to Pick the Best Coffee Beans

There are a number of things to think about while choosing the right coffee beans:

Think About How You Brew

Different ways of brewing bring out different flavours:

• For espresso machines, medium to dark roasts work well. Elements and After Dark Blend are two good examples.
• Lighter roasts, such our single origins or By The Bay, taste best when filtered or poured over.
• Press in French: The optimum balance is found in medium roasts.
• Automatic machines: Consistent mixtures like Elements or Sydney Road work well every time.

Find What You Like

• Do you like robust, bold coffee? Try the After Dark Blend
• Like flavours that are smooth and balanced? Parts The mix is amazing.
• Do you like fruity, complex notes? Take a look at our single origins
• Want to be able to do a lot of things? Sydney Road and By The Bay both work with different brewing methods.

Tips from Experts for the Best Cup

Every Time, Grind Fresh

The most crucial thing you can do to make wonderful coffee is to grind your beans right before brewing. Coffee that has already been ground loses flavour quickly when it oxidises. Get a good grinder. We favour burr grinders over blade grinders since they make particles of the same size every time.

Use the Right Temperature for the Water

The temperature of the water has a big effect on extraction. For espresso, the temperature should be between 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit. 195–205°F is the best temperature for filter coffee. Water that is too hot will extract too much and make things harsh, while water that is too cool will extract too little and taste weak.

Set Your Espresso

Take the time to dial in your espresso when you obtain new beans. Find the sweet spot by changing the size of your grind, the amount you use, and the time it takes to extract. Use 18g of coffee, aim for an extraction time of 25 to 30 seconds, and get 36 to 40g of espresso. Taste it and make changes from there.