Barista is an Italian name for male or female bartenders, however in the context of coffee it is a title to describe the preparer of coffee. Today there are even international competitions to recognise and award the craft that a barista has achieved!

Baristas predominantly operate coffee machines, preparing and pulling the coffee shot. Espresso is a notoriously tricky beverage to perfect, so good manual espresso-making is recognised as a skilled task. Milk-based drinks such as cappuccino or latte also require an amount of expertise to achieve the skill of effective frothing as well as the increasingly popular latte art – creating a pattern or design on the surface of a latte within the top layer of foam.

Baristas are trained to operate coffee machines and prepare the coffee based on the guidelines of the shop owner or roaster. So to put into context - a barista is required to gain the knowledge of the entire coffee process to effectively prepare the desired cup of coffee, it’s not just about working the coffee machine, it’s about understanding grinding methods, roasting, coffee plant cultivation and the maintenance of the coffee machine to achieve maximum taste satisfaction. A lot of work and knowledge is needed to get the best possible taste out of your unassuming cup of coffee!

Beyond making the coffee, a barista is also required to advise customers on selecting their beverages, bean types and offer modifications according to customers’ requirements and looking after front of house.

A good barista is essential to the success of a coffeehouse or bar, if that perfectly brewed coffee is on offer then coffee fans will always want to come back for more!

Related articles:

• How to make great coffee in a cafetiere
• How to brew coffee

We feel the cafetiere is important in coffee making; many coffee lovers swear by them to provide a rich and full bodied cup. They are simple to use and most kitchens’ boast one. We have an espresso machine at home but the cafetiere still comes out at the end of a meal and is a frequent companion when we go on holiday. This is why in our house our cafetiere is a stainless steel double wall one; it keeps your coffee warm and it is doesn’t get broken when packed for holidays or when my teenager washes it up!

Here is the standard method of making coffee in a cafetiere:

• Select your coffee type, if you are grinding your own beans then make sure that the grind is set between medium or course, if you grind it too much you risk sediment in your coffee cup and it can reduce infusion time. One desert spoon per cup is the general rule, of course this depends on your own taste.
• Heat the cafetiere by filling with boiling water and insert the plunger. The reason this is advisable is that a cold cafetiere will lose up to 10 degrees centigrade within the first minute of brewing, which will affect the extraction. Leave to heat for around one minute, then discard the water.
• Do not boil the kettle again, the water should have cooled sufficiently (one minute) to brew the coffee. Never use boiling water to brew coffee, this destroys the aromatic flavours as well as heightens the bitter and sour ones. Pour the water in slowly at a low height, minimising the risk of agitation to the coffee grounds. Fill it to around 1cm below the spout and leave for one minute.
• Give the coffee two gentle stirs to ensure that the grounds are evenly wet, replace plunger allowing it to rest just above the water line.
• Allow the coffee to infuse for 3-4 minutes, then gentle push the plunger down and serve immediately.

Whilst the process may seem a little serious and long-winded, it soon becomes second nature and helps you make the most of the coffee flavour – enjoy!

Try our cafetiere mug so that you can enjoy fresh individual cups of coffee anywhere! It is double walled so it keeps your coffee warm and is easy to clean. Perfect for the office, camping or even just at home.

Related articles:

• Cool facts about coffee
• When coffee came to Europe

Want to treat the coffee lover in your life to a hot and steamy cup of fresh coffee in bed on Valentine’s Day morning?

Enjoy our 100% Arabica roasted coffee available in Colombian, After Dinner, Decaffeinated and Espresso Blend. All available in 250g ground or beans.

Why not add our double wall cafetiere mug to make that perfect gift.

If you are worried about your parcel arriving on time, your order can be collected from store on Friday 13^th February  between 10am and 2pm at 5 Haze Lane, North Hykeham, Lincoln LN6 9SR. Just order online and select the ‘Collect from Store’ option.

Passion in every cup….

Its official – tea is great for your health! But make sure what you’re drinking is real tea – this comes in four varieties: green, black, white and oolong, so the herbal teas are an infusion of a different plant that isn’t technically tea.

Let’s take a look at some of the reasons tea improves our health:

• The antioxidants in tea help to prevent a whole host of cancers, including breast, skin, lung and stomach, to name a few.
• Tea helps to destroy free radicals which can damage DNA in the body. Whilst our body is designed to fight free radicals on its own, it’s not always 100% effective.
• Tea is just as hydrating as water – despite the caffeine!
• Green tea has been found to improve bone mineral density and strength. Studies suggest that people who drank tea for more than 10 years had the strongest bones.
• Evidence suggests that drinking three to four cups of tea can reduce the chances of heart attacks.
• Tea has less caffeine than coffee, coffee usually has two to three times more caffeine in it.
• Tea boosts the immune system and helps to fight off infection. Evidence shows that when some volunteers drank five cups of tea a day researchers saw higher immune activity in their blood.
• Oolong tea can aid in weight management. Studies showed that people who drank oolong tea burned slightly more calories during a two hour period compared to those who only drank water.
• White tea can make you look younger! White tea inhibits wrinkle production by strengthening elastin and collagen.

So all of these reasons go to show that tea is fabulous, so get brewing!

Source: www.teaadvisorypanel.com

Related articles:

• Tea: a history of Britain’s favourite drink
• Essential rules for making tea

Around 90% of the tea drunk in Britain is blended; these popular branded names can contain up to 35 different teas, each with their own secret recipe. Some of these popular brands are even blended to cope with the various different types of water in Britain, ensuring that the same quality taste is maintained.

It is the job of a tea blender – a tea taster of many years standing – to make sure that his company blend meets all the criteria required by his tea company. To do this, the tea blender, along with the buyers (also tea tasters) will taste the teas purchased at auction to assess whether they have been contaminated or damaged whilst in storage awaiting auction.

The blender’s results are logged on a computer, then the required number of sacks of different teas are put into a large blending drum which rotates and mixes the teas together.

It takes five years to become a tea taster, and then the learning is continuous. During a day, a tea taster can sample between 200-1,000 teas, this is to ensure that the company’s brand remains consistent. The process is very precise, with each tea’s leaves laid out in containers on a tasting bench, then boiling water is poured on and the brewing carefully timed for 5-6 minutes. The brewed tea is then poured into tasting bowls and the infused leaf is tipped onto the lid of the brewing cup.

The taster then “slurps” the tea (similar to the method of a wine taster) and the liquid is rolled around the mouth to assess the flavour before spitting it out. The tea taster will then take into account the appearance of the dry leaf, the infused leaf as well as the colour and quality of the brew.

Related articles:

• Tea: a history of Britain’s favourite drink
• Essential rules for making tea