Søren Stiller Markussen

2010-05-18T22:53:00.000+02:00

Testing grinders for WBC

2010-05-12T21:42:00.012+02:00

What is an espresso without a grinder?

I had the oppertunity to test 4 different grinders evaluating my espresso for WBC.

I asked Rune L. Home barista Champion, 2009 and Mobak Founder of http://www.espressobar.dk/ .

Rune and Mobak was so kind helping me - giving feedback during my preparation for Danish Championship. Their approach is quite different which help me to think outside the box...

- so they will be helping me for my preparation towards WBC as well together with Sine, my assistant.

One of the things I decided I want to improve was my espresso. So I will be using two different espressos.....

two espressos=two grinders...

So I tested these models.

Mahlkônig k30 twin, old model

Mahlkônig k30 twin, new model/WBC model

k10 Compaq

Mazzer, Rubur with digital doser

Dosing with 19 grams on:
Volume: 32 grams.

Time/extraction....I left that issued open and depeded on appearance and taste.

Same techniques was used for all shoots, so we acually wanted to look how the espresso reacted when brewed...and off cause,,,how it tasted.

All shoots was brewed on a Lamarzocco GB5 with flow restrictor.

The experiement was very interesting:

The old twin model made a decent espresso, acidity was pleasent, although some of the body missed out..and had a major problem - it clumbs too much when grinding. First drop in the cup appeared after 5 sec. and started to blond already after 18 sec. finished the shoot at 23 sec.
The new twin model on the other hand didnt clumb. The new improvements is far much better now, compared too the old model. BUT...the taste was a lot worse than the old model....it tasted ashy and the shoot reacted very agressively. The coffee when grinded seemed very fluffy had a bigger volume - which required a harder collapsing of the coffee in order to have 19 g. in the portafilter...the first drop appeared after 5 sec. and started to blond after 17 sec. ended at 22 sec. After 17 sec. it started to blond very suddently - no smooth change from dark/brown to white....
K1o Compaq...my second favorite but I guess now a days noone uses doserchamber anymore with these advanced grinders which are on the marked...the coffee did without any doubt tasted sweeter, had a pleasent body and fine acidity. It extracted longer than the other two twin grinders - I stopped it at 27 sec. and it didnt start to change colour before 22 sec.
Mazzer.....the best result....the espresso extracted perfectly. The colour was nice and dark smooth until 26 sec and ending at 28 sec. Sweet and balanced espresso. Pleasent acidity and the mouthfeel was delisious. First drop appeared in the cup after 6 sec.

My preferred choise of grinder is without any doubt Mazzer. The same test will be made 4 days after, to recheck if the result has changed.....

LatteArt....

2010-05-08T23:24:00.000+02:00

New creation for Arla.....

I have had the pleasure of working with Arla for 1 year now. This year Arla initiaed a seminar called Milk Lab with me as a trainer giving the baristas an oppertunity to test different milks and their ability in relation with coffee.

Danish Barista Championship, 2010

2010-05-08T14:11:00.001+02:00

Danish Barista Championship, 2010

Yet...another year competing at the Danish Barista Championship and a long wish being present as a competitor in London, at WBC again.

Since I started to roast coffee approx. two and a half years ago I have been visiting 5 Coffee Origins meeting the Producer, the farmer and their beneficios - picking berries, roasting coffee at the farms together with the farmer, cupping "I dont know how many cofffees"..implemented new fermentation methods together with the farmer - enhancing coffee flavours by optimizing production, meeting new coffee people as well as old....and have even been so lucky to get fist han on coffee "and developed my own natural AGED coffee" together with the farmer....

Won the Danish Championship, with my own coffee which I roasted myself......"noone has done this so far" in Denmark. Being a Barista as well as A Roaster, sourcing and trading coffee knowing the influence and the impact....

A busy year.....and a statement nothing is static. The definition of "the bairsta way" "direct trade" "Fair trade" for me has more than one perspective.

Today when ANALucia from Honduras, Finca Santa Marta won her National championship - I got so happy that our "new" direct trade succeded and our "new barista way" got another dimension as well....

At my visit to the farm in Nov. last year we agreed to established a transparency/open communication in our preparation for our respective National Championship....hectic but duable....and me roasting several samples send with DHL from Finca Santa Marta packed personally by RAUL Hawitt repsonding on the quality "skyping" taste profiles, discussing qualities and roasting techniques...sending roasted coffee back to Ana Lucia specifying brewing/ratio/best date for espresso brew....for her training with Heather Perry in CA

...Giving back to the Farm....

Now...new coffees has arrived which I will roast for our mutual project "WBC IN LONDON"....and is happy that we both will be presenting the coffee from their farm....

And least,,,,in the middle of my preparation had time to travel to Serbia training the Baristas at Coffee&Factory, who by the way took 1st, 2nd and 3rd place at their National Championship. "NENAD won.....

Its going to be great in London....