The History of Coffee

Coffee has become one of the world's most cherished drinks. Its distinct aroma and taste have made it a staple of many cultures and a daily part of our lives. However, coffee is much more than just a beverage. Its complex and extensive history has played a crucial role in shaping the world we live in today. The History of Coffee starts from its birthplace in ancient Ethiopia to the modern third wave of coffee, the coffee industry has come a long way, and the development of specialized coffee equipment like Slayer Espresso has helped push the quality even further.

One of the most favoured drinks in the world is coffee. It has become a staple of many cultures and a part of our daily life thanks to its distinctive aroma and flavour. Coffee, however, is more than just a beverage. Its lengthy and complex history has been instrumental in creating the world that we live in today.

What was the Birth Place of Coffee

Ancient Ethiopia is thought to have been the birthplace of coffee, and this is where its history can be found. A goat herder by the name of Kaldi once observed that his goats become extremely active after consuming the berries from a certain bush. Kaldi was intrigued by this and decided to eat the berries for himself. To his surprise, he also felt an increase in energy. As soon as this finding became known, people started experimenting in different ways with the berries. The exact year when coffee was first discovered in Ethiopia is not known, as it was a long time ago and the information is largely based on legends and oral traditions. However, it is generally believed that coffee was discovered in Ethiopia sometime between the 6th and 9th centuries.

The Sufi monasteries of Yemen are where coffee was first used as a beverage in the 14th century. These monasteries would concoct a beverage using water and roasted coffee beans that they felt would keep them awake during their lengthy prayer sessions. The larger populace quickly adopted the beverage, and coffeehouses sprang up all over the area. The first recorded use of coffee as a beverage comes from the Sufi monasteries of Yemen in the 15th century, around the year 1450.

Coffee Began to Move

In the Islamic world, coffee gained popularity swiftly, and it didn't take long for it to reach Europe. When the first coffeehouse in Europe opened in Venice in 1645, the aristocracy quickly adopted coffee as a fashionable beverage. Around this time, several regions of the world started to grow coffee on a considerable scale. While the French introduced it to their colony of Martinique in the Caribbean, the Dutch started growing coffee in their colony of Java.

Coffee became a valuable product in the 18th and 19th centuries, and large plantations were built there and in other areas of the world. The world economy was significantly impacted by the growth of the coffee trade as many nations became heavily dependent on coffee as an export. The development of colonial empires was greatly aided by the coffee trade, as several European powers used their control of coffee-producing areas to sway other nations.

What is the First Wave of Coffee?

The first wave of coffee Is defined by the widespread use of pre-ground, canned coffee, which was mass-produced and marketed as a practical and reasonably priced beverage for the general public. This wave of coffee started in the early 1900s. Coffee was mostly regarded as a commodity during this time, with little consideration given to its origins or quality. The goal was to create a reliable, affordable product that was simple to produce at home.

What is the Second Wave of Coffee?

The second wave of coffee Is defined by the expansion of specialty coffee shops and the rise in appeal of espresso-based beverages, and it appeared in the 1960s and 1970s. During this time, there was a renewed emphasis on the quality and origins of coffee, with the idea that it might be savoured as a gourmet beverage because of its distinctive flavours and qualities. Aiming to ensure that coffee farmers received a fair price for their goods, this wave of coffee also introduced the ideas of fair trade and direct commerce. Our family started in the coffee industry in 1974, and we began roasting coffee in 1985. We have seen a lot of changes in the industry. One can not talk about possibly the most important movement in the second wave of coffee, is how Starbucks impacted and educated the mass market of what specialty coffee is and can be. Starbucks began to talk about interesting regions and espresso based beverages making it common around North America.

What is the Third Wave of Coffee?

The third wave of coffee began in the late 1990s and early 2000s, was distinguished by a stronger emphasis on coffee quality, a preference for single-origin, traceable coffees, and a more sophisticated method of roasting and brewing coffee. Specialty coffee shops proliferated during this time, and baristas improved their skills and coffee knowledge. Alternative brewing techniques, like pour-over and immersion brewing, which attempted to highlight the distinctive flavours and smells of various coffee kinds, also became more popular during the third wave of coffee. The coffee industry's increased attention on ethical sourcing methods and environmental sustainability has also been linked to this wave of coffee.

The modern coffee industry is a highly complex and sophisticated one, with a wide range of different varieties and methods of production. Coffee beans are grown in countries all over the world, with each region producing beans with a unique flavor and aroma. The most popular types of coffee are Arabica and Robusta, with Arabica being considered the more premium of the two. Coffee is typically harvested by hand, with workers carefully selecting only the ripest berries. The berries are then processed to remove the outer layers, after which the beans are washed and dried. The dried beans are then roasted, with the roasting process playing a significant role in determining the flavor and aroma of the coffee.

Introducing Slayer Espresso Machines

Slayer Espresso was designed by us and our team at Fratello Coffee, true coffee professionals for coffee professionals. We wanted to “Make Coffee Better”….to taste better, with better equipment. Since 1991, the Prefontaine family was in the espresso machine importing business, focusing at that time with Nuova Simonelli. Over the years, we had decades of combined experience: Coffee roasting/sourcing, importing & servicing specialized restaurant equipment as well as real world café experience. We, along with other third wave roasters, knew to compete with large chains and the “Starbucks” of the world, cafés had to focus on quality. Quality equipment, coffee, esthetics and staff training.

Countless individuals love coffee today, and new techniques for making and consuming it are always being developed. Every taste and desire can be satisfied by a coffee beverage, which ranges from espresso and cappuccino to cold brew and nitro coffee. One thing we know for sure is, we can’t wait to see what the forth wave of coffee will officially be, and how this might impact our daily lives of enjoying this wonderful beverage.

Discover a Classic Offering: Costa Rica El Poeta

The arrival of Fresh crop coffee from Central American coffees is something that the team at Fratello Coffee, as well as coffee aficionados everywhere, look forward to every year. This year, we're concentrating on the traditional and in-demand products from Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Honduras. Costa Rica El Poeta stands out among them as a genuine tribute to the great quality and varied flavour profile of Central American coffee. As a business that takes pleasure in locating and roasting the best coffee beans from across the globe, we are happy to provide our esteemed customers with more details on the iconic Fratello Coffee offering, Costa Rica El Poeta.

Some of the best coffee in Costa Rica is produced in the West Central Valley area, which is found in the Alajuela province close to San Ramon. This area, dubbed the "Land of the Poets," gets its name from San Ramon, a city with a lengthy political and cultural past. This area is well known for its spectacular landscapes, which include lowland marshes, lush tropical rainforests, active volcanoes, and breathtaking waterfalls.

Can you Describe Costa Rica El Poeta?

El Poeta coffee is a silky, smooth blend with pronounced citrus fruit and mixed nut undertones. This coffee is manufactured from the finest beans and is produced by the knowledgeable coffee producers Julia Vega Rodrguez, Olman Cruz Vega, Ricardo Chávez Garita, and Juan Bautista Mejia Rojas in the San Rafael area of Alajuela.

This coffee's flavour profile is clean and consistent as a result of the fully washed procedure used to make it, making for a genuinely memorable and pleasurable cup of coffee. This coffee is blended with their best Catuai and Caturra beans, produced at an elevation of 1200-1500 metres. Smallholder farmers process and harvest the coffee, which is then delivered to Cafe de Altura de San Ramon, a cutting-edge Micro-mill that meticulously oversees every step of the coffee-producing process. This strategy not only ensures the best coffee, but also offers technical assistance and promotes sustainable agricultural methods, enhancing the farmers' standard of living and income from coffee sales.

How is Costa Rican El Poeta Processed?

A sophisticated Micro-mill is used by Cafe de Altura de San Ramon to process cherries from several small farms and create a well-balanced regional blend. Using a recycling water system, the cherries are first sorted and depulped before being washed to get rid of any pollutants. Using a combination of forced air and a number of dryers, the washed beans are dried, bringing the moisture level down to 11% in just over 5 days. The coffee is processed for export after at least a month of resting in silos (to maintain stable water activity in the beans).

The green beans are dehulled and sorted by weight and colour on a number of machines before the coffee is processed for export. With every detail of the post-harvest operation carefully managed, producers can concentrate on sustainable farm management practices and produce coffee with special intensity and rhythmic precision. This process results in the pure poetry of El Poeta coffee.

What Makes Costa Rican Coffee So Special?

Costa Rican coffee is known for its exceptional quality and unique flavor profile. This is due to several factors, including the country's ideal climate, rich volcanic soil, and the passion and expertise of its coffee growers. The warm and humid conditions, combined with the high elevations at which the coffee is grown, produce a coffee with bright acidity, balanced sweetness, and a smooth, clean finish.

In addition to the favorable growing conditions, Costa Rican coffee producers place a strong emphasis on sustainable and responsible farming practices. This not only contributes to environmental protection but also ensures the industry's long-term profitability. The nation's strict quality control procedures and cutting-edge many micro-milling facilities are further factors in the excellent calibre of its coffee.

Overall, Costa Rican coffee is a very unique and sought-after product due to a unique combination of excellent growing circumstances, environmentally friendly farming methods, and a dedication to quality control.

Shade Grown Coffee and Its Role in Coffee Production

One of the most popular beverages worldwide is coffee, which boasts a distinctive and complex flavour profile. But many coffee drinkers might not be aware that a variety of environmental elements, such as elevation and longitude, have an impact on the quality of the coffee they enjoy. The interaction of these elements may significantly affect the development, maturation, and general quality of the coffee beans. Understanding the relationship between elevation, longitude, and shade grown coffee is important when simply looking at these terms exclusively alone.

Why is the Elevation of Coffee Farms Important?

Elevation and longitude have a significant impact on the quality of coffee. Elevation affects the temperature and other environmental factors that influence the growth of coffee plants. Coffee plants grow best at specific temperatures, and too much heat or too much cold can negatively impact the quality of the coffee beans. At higher elevations, temperatures are typically cooler, making high elevation coffee-growing regions ideal for growing high-quality coffee.

Coffee farms located near the equator are often located at elevations of over 1500 meters, while coffee farms further away from the equator, such as in Central America, are typically located at elevations of around 1100 meters. This difference in elevation is due to a combination of factors including tectonic activity, global weather patterns, and the intense solar radiation at the equator. We go deeper into this conversation about High Altitude Coffees in an older blog post “High Altitude Coffee : What’s The Big Deal”

Why is Shade Grown Coffee Important?

Cloud cover, which offers natural shade and aids in temperature regulation, frequently benefits coffee farms located at higher elevations nearer the equator, thus negating the need for shade trees. This cloud cover is caused by moist air rising from the nearby lowlands coming into contact with the chilly, high-altitude air and condensing into clouds. In contrast, coffee plantations farther from the equator and at higher elevations, like those in Central America, may require the utilization of shade trees to control the temperature and provide a better environment for coffee growth.

It is crucial to remember that while shade and temperature regulation are crucial for coffee quality, other elements like soil quality, the local microclimate, and coffee varietal also affect how best to grow coffee. It depends on the exact region and its particular environmental elements whether shade trees are required or not. Depending on the region, several things are considered "high elevation" for coffee region.

The regulation of temperature and shade are essential factors in determining the quality of coffee. At higher elevations, coffee plants are exposed to cooler temperatures and more moderate climate conditions. The coffee cherries may grow slower and mature over a longer length of time as a result, giving the coffee beans more time to develop their intricate flavour and aroma characteristics. The general temperature of the farm trees would be too cold to grow coffee if these places also have shade trees.

However, excessive sun exposure can result in overheating of the coffee plants, which can harm the coffee beans and lower the quality of the resulting brew. Additionally, because coffee plants require a constant temperature to survive, excessive temperature variation can stress plants, which lowers the coffee's overall quality. Shade trees are used in some areas to help control temperature, lessening the effects of heat stress on coffee plants.

The use of shade trees in coffee production has other benefits as well. Shade trees provide habitat for beneficial insects, birds, and other wildlife, which can help to maintain a healthy ecosystem in the coffee growing region. They also help to conserve soil moisture and improve soil fertility, further improving the overall quality of the coffee.

In conclusion, the use of shade trees in coffee cultivation aids in temperature regulation and guards against overheating, minimizing the effects of heat stress on the coffee beans and enhancing their quality. In addition to offering shelter for wildlife, shade trees preserve soil moisture and fertility, which benefits the ecosystem's ability to grow coffee.

Maximizing a Cafe's Success : Choosing the Right Coffee Partner

Your business strategy should include selecting the ideal coffee brand to partner with. A good collaboration can direct and mentor your planning and choices, accelerating your own and your team's learning curve. However, a bad collaboration can result in contradictions, broken promises, and poor quality goods. If you are looking to maximizing a cafe's success, choosing the right coffee partner is as important, as finding the right location.

Creating your own brand is an alternative to collaborating with a coffee roaster's brand. While creating your own brand has advantages, it also entails additional costs, potential distractions, and a longer period of time to gain awareness and trust.

At Fratello Coffee Roasters, we provide both tiers of service because they both have many benefits.

The power of two brands working together will be explored and highlighted in the information that follows.

What are the benefits to partnering with an established coffee roaster brand vs trying to create your own brand when running a cafe?

Partnering with an established coffee roaster brand when running a coffee shop can provide several benefits, such as:

Consistency and Quality: Established coffee roaster brands often have a reputation for providing consistent and high-quality coffee beans, which can help attract and retain customers.
Sourcing and Traceability: Reputable roaster brands often have direct relationships with farmers and know exactly where their beans come from and how they were grown, harvested, and processed. This can give the shop owner and customers the peace of mind that their beans are ethically and sustainably sourced.
Brand recognition: By using a well-known and reputable brand of coffee beans, you can benefit from their established reputation, which can help attract customers who are familiar with and trust the brand.
Marketing and Promotion: Established coffee roaster brands often have marketing campaigns, which can help generate buzz and attract customers to your coffee shop.
Supply chain: A well-established roaster brand will have well-established supply chains and distribution channels that can save time and money for the business owner when it comes to sourcing beans.

However, similar to partnering with a brand for running a coffee shop, partnering with established roaster also comes with certain restrictions and often requires following strict guidelines. Additionally, It may limit the shop owner's flexibility in terms of experimenting with different blends and origins.

What considerations should I have when choosing a coffee roaster brand to work with?

When choosing a coffee roaster brand to work with, there are several key considerations to keep in mind:

Quality: The quality of the coffee beans is of the utmost importance. It is essential to try the coffee from different brands and choose a roaster that consistently provides high-quality beans.
Ethical buying practices: It is important to consider the sourcing and traceability of the beans. Look for roasters that have direct relationships with farmers and can ensure that the beans are ethically and sustainably sourced.
Brand alignment: It is important to work with a brand that aligns with your values and mission as a coffee shop. This will not only help attract customers but also help you maintain a sense of pride in the products you're selling.

Support and communication: Consider the level of support and communication that the roaster offers. Look for a roaster that is willing to work closely with you and provide you with the resources and assistance you need to succeed.
Availability and Logistics: Check if the roaster has a good distribution network in your location. Check if they can deliver beans on a regular basis and if they can provide fresh beans when needed.
Cost: Consider the cost of the beans and compare prices from different roasters. Keep in mind that the cheapest option may not always be the best choice in terms of quality or alignment with your values. The lower price of beans can quickly be lost in the price you are able to charge per cup, and lost opportunity.
Reputation: Research the reputation of the roaster, check if they are well-known and respected in the industry. Read reviews and testimonials, and ask other coffee shop owners in your area for their opinions and recommendations.

Choosing the best coffee roaster brand is ultimately a critical choice that can greatly affect the success of your coffee shop. Finding a company that shares your beliefs and can offer the superior beans, assistance, and resources you require to thrive requires rigorous investigation and evaluation of several choices.

What are the advantages of collaborating with another brand instead of solely promoting your own?

Working together with another brand can be beneficial in several ways:

Increased reach and visibility: By partnering with another brand, you can tap into their customer base and increase the reach and visibility of your own brand. This can help attract new customers and drive sales.
Shared resources and expertise:Together, the two businesses may pool their resources and knowledge to increase the potency of their marketing and promotional initiatives. For instance, a coffee shop and pastry business could collaborate to provide a package deal, reaching a larger audience and bringing in more consumers.
Cross-promotion: Both brands can cross-promote each other, which can help increase brand awareness and drive sales for both parties.
Synergy: The two brands' combined efforts may have a synergistic effect, where the whole is larger than the sum of the parts. In order to showcase the coffee shop's specialised drinks, for instance, the coffee shop and pastry shop collaboration may take advantage of the pastry shop's reputation for producing visually appealing meals.
Brand enhancement: Partnering with a complementary brand can also enhance the overall perception of your brand. By associating with reputable or complementary brand, your own brand may also be perceived as more reputable or valuable.

However, it's important to note that a partnership is a two-way street. Both brands should have a clear understanding of what each party is contributing and what they hope to achieve. Additionally, it's important to make sure that the partnership aligns with the brand's mission and values to ensure a smooth collaboration.

French Press | How to Brew Instructions

The French press was invented in the early 1900s by Italian designer Attilio Calimani. However, it was not until the 1950s that the French press became popular in France and the rest of Europe. The design was later improved by Danish designer Erik Nielsen in the 1970s with the addition of a double screen filter system, which helped to produce a cleaner cup of coffee.

Since then, the French press has established itself as a standard in homes and coffee shops all over the world thanks to its easy-to-follow brewing method that yields a rich, flavorful cup of coffee. Overall, the French press is a time-honored coffee machine that is still a favourite among coffee drinkers today. The flavour profile and detailed instructions are described in more detail below.

What is the flavour Profile of a French Press?

French press coffee is renowned for its powerful scent and rich, full-bodied flavour. The direct contact of the coffee grinds with the water, which allows for better extraction of the coffee's natural oils and flavours, gives it a strong, distinctive taste.

The French press often yields a coffee that is bolder, with a thicker texture and a more robust flavour profile, compared to other brewing techniques, like a drip coffee machine or a pour over. It is the ideal choice for those who prefer a powerful, robust coffee with a smooth body and little bitterness.

Overall, the smooth, velvety texture and the nuanced, rich flavour profile of French press coffee make it a favourite among coffee connoisseurs.

How do you make a French Press?

Here are the instructions for using a French press coffee maker:

Fill the French press with hot water and let it sit for a minute to warm up. Then, empty the water.
Measure out the coffee beans and grind them to a coarse consistency. You’ll need about 1-2 tablespoons of coffee for every 4 ounces of water. Your coffee should be ground slightly coarser than a filter grind. Each granule should be distinctly visible to the naked eye. Refer to the picture for added clarity on grind size.

8oz French – 15-20g or 3-4tbls coffee – 300mL water to fill line (1 cup)
40oz French – 30-45g or 6-9tbls coffee – 750mL water to 1st fill line (3 cups)
40oz French – 40-60g or 8-12tbls coffee – 1000mL water to 2nd fill line (4 cups)

Place the coffee grounds in the French press.
Pour hot water over the coffee grounds, filling the press to just below the rim. Let the coffee steep for 4 minutes. It is recommended to use water that is just off the boil, around 200°F, to ensure optimal extraction of the coffee flavor.
Slowly press down on the plunger to separate the coffee grounds from the liquid.
Pour the coffee into your cup and enjoy!

Why would a cafe want to offer French Press instead of filter brewed coffee?

A cafe may choose to offer French press coffee instead of filter brewed coffee for several reasons:

Flavour profile: Compared to other brewing techniques, French press coffee has a distinctive, rich, and full-bodied flavour. By providing a French press option, a café may highlight the distinctive qualities of its coffee beans and attract clients who like a stronger, more potent cup of joe.
Greater control over brewing conditions: The French press gives the barista more power over the brewing procedure, including the water temperature, steeping time, and coffee-to-water ratio, which can lead to a more reliable and superior cup of coffee.
Aesthetic appeal: The French press has a timeless, classic style that can give a cafe's drink menu a touch of refinement. The cafe may convey to clients that it values coffee and is dedicated to delivering a high-quality coffee experience by giving a French press option.
Greater adaptability: The French press is a versatile option for a cafe's drink menu because it can be used to brew a number of coffee varieties, from light and delicate to bold and robust.

Overall, providing a French press option can help a cafe stand out from competing businesses and draw in patrons searching for a distinctive and high-quality coffee experience.

Is Owning a Cafe a Profitable Business?

Is owning a cafe a profitable business? They can be, but it depends on a variety of factors such as location, competition, menu offerings, and cost control. A successful cafe typically has a strong concept or theme, a prime location with high foot traffic, a unique and appealing menu, and a focus on providing excellent customer service.

Read more to find strategies to generate more traffic and attract new customers. Get tips to help make sure your cafe a profitable business.

Location is often a key factor in the success of a cafe. A cafe located in a busy commercial area or tourist destination is more likely to attract a steady stream of customers than one that is located in a residential area with little foot traffic.

What financial KPI’s should be monitored while managing a cafe?

There are several key financial KPIs that you should monitor while managing a cafe. These include:

Sales: This is perhaps the most important financial KPI to track. You'll want to keep an eye on how much revenue your cafe is generating, and how that figure changes over time.
Cost of goods sold (COGS): This is the total cost of producing your menu items. It includes the cost of ingredients, labor, and other direct costs associated with serving your customers.
Gross profit: This is your sales minus your COGS. It represents the profit you're making on each sale.
Operating expenses: These are the ongoing costs of running your business, such as rent, utilities, and marketing.
Net profit: This is your gross profit minus your operating expenses. It represents your overall profitability.
Customer acquisition cost (CAC): This is the total cost of acquiring a new customer, including marketing and sales expenses.
Customer lifetime value (CLV): This is an estimate of the total value that a customer will bring to your business over the course of their lifetime.

By tracking these KPIs, you'll be able to better understand the financial health of your cafe and make informed decisions about how to grow and improve your business.

Menu offerings are also important. A cafe that offers unique and high-quality food and drinks will be more successful than one that only serves basic coffee and pastries. Having a good cost control, keeping expenses low and pricing menu items accordingly, can help to ensure profitability.

Another important aspect is the focus on customer service, making sure that customers are happy and satisfied. Positive reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations can be very helpful in attracting new customers.

However, starting and running a cafe is not without challenges and risks. It can be a significant financial investment, and operating a food service business can be complex and difficult. It requires knowledge of food safety and sanitation regulations, inventory management, and staffing. Additionally, the cafe industry is becoming more and more competitive with many players in the market.

What do you recommend a coffee shop owner does to generate more traffic?

There are many things a coffee shop owner can do to generate more traffic and attract new customers. Here are a few strategies that can be effective:

Develop a strong social media presence: Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter can be a powerful tool for promoting your coffee shop and reaching new customers. Use social media to share menu updates, special promotions, and behind-the-scenes content to give customers a glimpse into the personality of your shop.
Offer promotions and discounts: Consider offering special promotions or discounts to attract new customers. For example, you could offer a discount to first-time customers or a loyalty program for repeat customers.
Build a strong community: Building a strong community around your coffee shop can help to attract new customers. Host events like book clubs, poetry readings, or live music to create a sense of community and to give customers a reason to keep coming back.
Partner with other local businesses: Partnering with other local businesses can help to generate more traffic to your coffee shop. For example, you could partner with a nearby bakery to offer freshly-baked pastries or with a nearby bookstore to host author events.
Get involved in the local community: Get involved in your local community by participating in local events and festivals, or by supporting local charities and causes. This can help to build a positive reputation for your coffee shop and attract new customers.
Optimize your online presence: Make sure that your website, Google and Yelp listing, and other review sites are up-to-date, accurate and with good rating. Many customers nowadays check this before visiting a new place, having good rating can increase your reputation and attract customers
Be creative with your menu: Experiment with new menu items, flavors and drinks to offer something unique. A unique menu can help you stand out from competitors, especially if you're in a heavily populated area.

Ultimately, the key to generating more traffic for your coffee shop is to be creative and consistently providing high-quality products and services that customers enjoy. In short, running a cafe can be a profitable business, but it requires careful planning, attention to detail, and a willingness to work hard.

Reach out to our team here at Fratello Coffee Roasters to dig in further to this topic. Our coffee consulting can help you think through topics like this, and others.

A Guide to Calibrating Batch Brew Coffee

The art of making the perfect cup of coffee involves expertise and close attention to detail. In this blog post, is a guide to calibrating batch brew coffee, your brew ratio, solve typical flavour problems and explain the value of utilizing a TDS metre. The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) suggests a starting brew ratio of 1:15 to 1:18; nevertheless, it's vital to keep in mind that the ideal ratio can vary depending on the coffee and individual taste preferences.

There is a lot to ensuring a consistent and high-quality cup of coffee. Also find advice on cleaning and maintaining equipment, and using fresh and high-quality beans.

When utilizing a commercial batch coffee brewer, there are various procedures involved in calibrating the brew ratio. There are many brands available such as Fetco, Bunn, Bloomfield, etc.....each can be adjusted and calibrated utilizing their own systems and technology. These steps below may vary depending on the specific machine you are using, but a general process is similar, regardless of the machine you are using:

Begin by measuring out a set amount of coffee grounds to use as your starting point. A common ratio is around 1 ounce (28 grams) of coffee for every 16 ounces (450 milliliters) of water.
Turn on the machine and let it heat up to the appropriate brewing temperature.
Grind your coffee beans and measure out the appropriate amount.
Place the coffee grounds into the brew basket and start the brewing cycle.
Once the brewing cycle is complete, measure the amount of coffee that has been brewed and measure the volume of coffee in your pot.
Compare the two measurements to determine the brew ratio (coffee:water).
Adjust the coffee dosage or water flow accordingly, until you achieve the desired brew ratio.
Repeat the above steps for a few brews for consistent results.
Once you achieve a good ratio, record the setting for future reference.

Note: If the commercial machine doesn't have a built-in way of measuring the brew ratio, you'll need to make use of a scale and a timer to measure the dose (coffee) and the yield (water) during the brewing process.

What would you suggest if the coffee tastes bitter?

If your coffee is tasting bitter, there are a few potential causes and solutions to try:

Grind Size: The grind size of your coffee beans can affect the taste. If your grind is too fine, it can lead to over-extraction and a bitter taste. Consider using a coarser grind or adjusting the grind setting on your grinder. There are specific tools you can use to check grind consistency such as the Kruve grind size.
Brewing Temperature: The temperature of the water used to brew your coffee can also affect the taste. Water that is too hot can extract bitter compounds from the coffee beans. Make sure your water is at the appropriate temperature, which is generally between 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit (90 and 96 degrees Celsius). In Calgary, we recommend 200°F.
Brew Time: Over-extraction can also be caused by brew time that is too long. Try reducing the brew time to see if that improves the taste.
Dose: The amount of coffee used in relation to the amount of water can also lead to a bitter taste if the coffee is over-dosed, check if you are using the appropriate dose of coffee for the amount of water you are using, refer to the brew ratio you've calibrated before.
Coffee quality: The type of coffee and how it's been stored can affect the taste. Old, stale beans can lead to a bitter taste. Make sure you are using fresh, high-quality coffee beans and storing them properly to maintain their freshness.
Cleaning: A bitter taste can come from a build-up of old coffee oils and minerals in the machine, ensure to clean the machine and brewing equipment regularly, following the manufacturer's instructions.

Try making these adjustments one at a time and tasting the coffee after each change to see which one makes the most difference. Consider conducting a blind taste test with a control group.

What would you suggest if the coffee tastes thin and weak?

If your coffee is tasting thin and weak, there are a few potential causes and solutions to try:

Grind size: The grind size of your coffee beans can affect the taste. If your grind is too coarse, it can lead to under-extraction and a weak taste. Consider using a finer grind or adjusting the grind setting on your grinder.
Dose: The amount of coffee used in relation to the amount of water can also lead to a weak taste if the coffee is under-dosed, check if you are using the appropriate dose of coffee for the amount of water you are using, refer to the brew ratio you've calibrated before.
Brew time: Under-extraction can also be caused by brew time that is too short. Try increasing the brew time to see if that improves the taste.
Water flow: The flow rate of the water through the coffee grounds may be too slow, which can lead to under-extraction. Check if the water flow is consistent and strong, and if not, try adjusting the water flow rate or the machine's pressure.
Water temperature: The temperature of the water used to brew your coffee can also affect the taste. Water that is too cool can extract fewer compounds from the coffee beans. Make sure your water is at the appropriate temperature, which is generally between 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit (90 and 96 degrees Celsius).
Coffee Quality: The type of coffee and how it's been stored can affect the taste. Old, stale beans can lead to a weak taste. Make sure you are using fresh, high-quality coffee beans and storing them properly to maintain their freshness.
Cleaning: A weak taste can come from a buildup of old coffee oils and minerals in the machine, ensure to clean the machine and brewing equipment regularly following the manufacturer's instructions.

Try making these adjustments one at a time and tasting the coffee after each change to see which one makes the most difference. Also, consider a blind taste test with a control group.

$VST Coffee Refractometer$

Many cafés these days are using a TDS meter & refractometer to calibrate their brewed coffee.

Here are some tips on using this device to confirm your brew ratios.

A TDS (total dissolved solids) meter is a device that measures the concentration of dissolved solids in a liquid, such as coffee. Many cafes use TDS meters to calibrate their brewed coffee to ensure consistency in taste and strength. Here are a few suggestions for approaching coffee using a TDS meter:

Start by measuring the TDS of your coffee before brewing. This will give you a baseline reading to compare to later.
Measure the TDS of your water before brewing. This will help you understand how the water you're using is affecting the final TDS of your coffee.
Grind your coffee beans and measure out the appropriate amount.
Brew your coffee as you normally would, and measure the TDS of the final brew.
Compare the initial TDS of your coffee to the final TDS of your brewed coffee. You want to aim for a TDS of around 1.2-1.5% to achieve a well-balanced coffee.
If the TDS is too high, you may need to reduce the amount of coffee you are using or increase the amount of water. If the TDS is too low, you may need to increase the amount of coffee or decrease the amount of water.
Adjust the coffee dose, brew time, and grind size accordingly, to achieve the desired TDS.
Repeat this process for a few brews for consistent results.
Once you achieve the desired TDS, record the setting for future reference.
Keep in mind that TDS is not the only metric to evaluate a coffee, you should also evaluate the aroma, flavors, and acidity of the coffee to have a full understanding of the final product.

It's important to note that TDS is a guide, not a rule, and the TDS that is ideal for one coffee may not be ideal for another. Additionally, personal preference will also play a role in determining the final TDS.

How to Schedule Employees Effectively

As a business owner, you know your most important asset is your employees. However, you also know that they can be your most expensive expense. That’s why it’s important to make sure you know how to schedule employees effectively and efficiently. But how and where do you begin, when thinking about your overall schedule?

Doing so effectively according to your sales budget is a complex task, as you need to take into account the needs of your business, the availability of your employees, and any relevant labor laws.

Here are a few tips to help you get started

Determine your staffing needs: Think about how many employees you need during each shift and what tasks they will be responsible for. Make sure to consider factors such as the expected level of customer traffic and any special events or promotions you have planned.
Communicate with your employees: Clearly communicate your schedule to your employees in advance and ask for their availability. This will help you create a schedule that works for everyone.
Use scheduling software: Scheduling software can make it easier to create and manage employee schedules. There are many options available, ranging from free and basic to paid and feature-rich. With 6 Analog Coffee locations, we had great experience utilizing Seven Shifts as a way to have open communication with team members on when we required coverage, and when they would have time available. Depending on your POS System, you could have scheduling software already included in their services.
Consider labor laws: Be aware of any labor laws that apply to your business, such as minimum wage and overtime rules. Make sure you are complying with these laws when creating your schedules.
Be flexible: Finally, be willing to be flexible and make changes to the schedule as needed. Things like unexpected employee absences or a sudden increase in customer traffic may require you to make adjustments on the fly.

It is generally not advisable to schedule your employees based on a percentage of sales. Scheduling based on sales projections can be unpredictable and can lead to understaffing or overstaffing, which can negatively impact your business and your employees.

Instead, it is generally better to base your staffing levels on the needs of your business. This may include factors such as the expected level of customer traffic, the tasks that need to be completed during each shift, and any special events or promotions you have planned.

Know Your Labor Laws

It is also important to consider any relevant labor laws, such as minimum wage and overtime rules. Make sure you have enough staff to meet the needs of your business, while also complying with labor laws and treating your employees fairly.

This being said, having a targeted employee costs, including management, of 30% or less of your sales is attainable and should be considered as a bench mark to guide whoever is in charge of scheduling. The key is utilizing the right amount of staff, during your peak hours of operation, and less staff scheduled during the slower times. This is easier to achieve when you have a roster of both full-time and hourly employees on your team.

What can employees do while it is slow and in the evenings?

There are many things that employees can do during slow times in a cafe:

Clean and restock:

Employees can clean the cafe and restock supplies, such as coffee beans, cups, napkins, and pastries. Creating an evening closing check list will aid in keeping team members accountable for daily/weekly cleaning and maintenance needed on your coffee equipment. View one of our past blogs for tips on How to Clean and Maintain Your Espresso Machine. These should be incorporated to routine jobs every week.

Organize the cafe:

Employees can take the opportunity to reorganize the cafe. Rearranging the seating or changing the layout of the display case. Keeping your display case organized (according to the time of day), can really help increase food sales and increase your average transactions. Our past blog about The Importance of Food Programs in your Cafe discuss this topic.

Train new employees:

Slow times can be a good opportunity to train new employees or review procedures with existing staff. Working on advanced barista skills is best taught during slow times as it is much less intimidating for new employees. Have them practice Barista Worthy Steamed Milk, how to properly make and AeroPress and working on their distribution methods so they Tamp Like a Champ are all going to help elevate the beverage experience for your clients. There are many training videos available on YouTube and other social media which cover several topics.

Update menus or specials:

Employees can work on updating the cafe's menu or creating new specials to attract customers. Reach out to your local bakery partners and food distributors to see if they can meet with your team during these slow times to give tastings and educational presentations to further the food knowledge of your team.

Plan events or promotions:

Slow times can be a good opportunity to plan events or promotions to bring in more business. Have your employees ever walked around to personally introduce them selves and your cafe to the neighbouring businesses around you? Drop off a few coffees or a coupon and personally invite them to come visit your cafe.

Take a break:

Employees can also use slow times to take a break, as long as there is enough coverage to handle any customers who may come in. A rested employee is better able to handle the stresses of long line ups and clients who might be upset much easier than an employee who is exhausted and frustrated.

Do paperwork:

Employees can catch up on paperwork or other administrative tasks that might not be possible during busier times. You might be surprised that you have people on your team that are looking to assist you in different ways, which help alleviate administrative stress that burdens many entrepreneurs each week.

Utilizing your team in ways which free you up to work on growing your business should be your priority. Being "stuck" in the day to day work inside your cafe, make it difficult to find times for marketing, sales growth, branding and networking opportunities. Free yourself up and give your team ways that they can contribute to the health and success of your business.

Why Are Food Programs in your Cafe SO Important?

Running a successful coffee shop is more than just serving great coffee. Well thought through food programs could be the key to bring in new customers, as well as current customers more frequently. However, doing this is harder than you might think.

Our experiences working with cafes, as well as running our own cafe locations showed us that implementing a food program is often the most difficult task a cafe owner has.

Food programs can be an important aspect of a café's business, as they can help to attract and retain customers. A well-thought-out food program can also help to differentiate a café from its competitors and provide a unique experience for customers.

Some examples of food and beverage programs that a café should include:

The first things is the specialty coffee and tea programs:

These programs focus on offering a variety of high-quality, specialty coffee and tea drinks. This can include sourcing beans from specific regions or roasters, offering a range of brewing methods, and providing detailed information about each coffee or tea variety.

Food menus:

A café's food menu can be an important part of its overall food program. This might include offering a range of breakfast items, sandwiches, salads, and other light meals. It's important for a café to consider the preferences of its target market and offer items that will appeal to them.

Local and sustainable sourcing:

Some cafés focus on sourcing their food and drink items locally and sustainably. This can help to support the local community and reduce the café's environmental impact.

Special events and promotions:

Cafés may also offer special events or promotions as part of their food program. This might include hosting tastings or pairing events, offering discounts or promotions on certain items, or hosting live music or other entertainment. Catering events, and having easy to carry platter for parties can create unique marketing opportunities.

Should a food program change throughout the day?

It's not necessarily necessary to change a café's food program throughout the day, but it can be a good idea to offer a variety of options to suit different times of day and customer needs. For example, a café might offer a selection of breakfast items in the morning, such as pastries, oatmeal, and breakfast sandwiches, and then transition to a lunch menu featuring sandwiches, salads, and soups later in the day.

Depending on the café's target market and location, it may also make sense to offer different options at different times of day to suit the needs of different customers. For example, a café located near an office building might offer more grab-and-go items for lunchtime customers, while a café in a residential area might focus on offering more sit-down meals for dinner. If you are working with food distributors such as Sysco or GFS, they will often have services with their in-house chefs to help create these menus.

It's also worth considering whether to offer any daily specials or rotating menu items as part of the food program. This can help to keep the menu fresh and interesting for regular customers, and can also provide an opportunity to test out new items and get customer feedback.

Your Customers Buy Food with Their Eyes

We often suggest to clients, that changing your display case, show casing different foods, for different parts of the day can help sell extra items to your customers. Increasing your average transaction with your current clientele is the fastest way to grow your top line sales….and much easier than trying to attract new customers. Local wholesale bakeries such as Al Forno, could often make recommendations on what to offer throughout your day.

Overall, the key is to offer a range of options that will appeal to the café's target market and suit the needs of different times of day. By doing this, a café can create a successful and engaging food program that helps to attract and retain customers.

Is making your own food a better decision than buying from local food providers?

Baking/Creating your own food program offers many benefits, however, also brings many complexities that need consideration. Extra labor, food safety concerns, additional storage and specialized kitchen equipment are simply a few.

When creating a food program, it's important to consider the target cost of goods (COGS), which is the total cost of all the ingredients and supplies needed to produce the food and drinks offered by the café. This includes things like the cost of raw ingredients, packaging, and any other supplies needed to prepare and serve the items.

The target COGS will depend on a number of factors, including the type of food and drinks being offered, the cost of ingredients and supplies in the local market, and the desired profit margin for the business. In general, it's important to strike a balance between keeping COGS as low as possible and offering high-quality, appealing products that will attract and retain customers.

One way to determine a target COGS is to conduct a cost analysis of the food and drinks being offered. This involves calculating the cost of all the ingredients and supplies needed to produce each item, and then determining the percentage of the selling price that these costs represent. For example, if the cost of ingredients and supplies for a particular item is $3 and the item is being sold for $10, the COGS would be 30% of the selling price.

When you are making your own food, It's generally recommended that a café's COGS be in the range of 30-35% of the selling price for food when items and 20-30% for drink items. When ordering in prepared foods from outside vendors, its generally recommended that your COGS be in the range of 45-55% of the selling price of food.

This will vary depending on the specific circumstances of the business, but keeping COGS within these ranges can help to ensure that the business is profitable while still offering high-quality products.

Overall, the importance of a food program in a café will depend on the specific goals and target market of the business. By carefully considering these factors, a café can create a successful and engaging food program that helps to attract and retain customers.

Coffee Processing Methods Explained : Natural, Anaerobic, Honey, Oh My!

Are you starting to get serious about specialty coffee? It’s essential that you learn about all the different coffee processing methods.

You know when you look at a bag of coffee and see “black honey” or “anaerobic natural”? Our aim is to help you end this head-scratchery so you can be confident about your coffee knowledge.

We did a previous blog about coffee processing before, but we wanted to revisit it more in-depth and add some newer processes to the mix. Understanding how your coffee was processed helps you understand why it tastes the way it does.

What is coffee processing?

In a nutshell, coffee processing is what gets done to the coffee cherry after it’s been picked off the tree and sorted. After harvesting and picking the ripest cherries, the producer needs to decide what to do with the cherries.

Coffee is the seed inside of a cherry. Sure, you could simply remove the cherry and discard it immediately. That is a coffee processing method in itself (more on that later). But the cherry itself is sweet and fruity, and it can add some very interesting, complex flavours to the green beans.

In most forms of processing, a certain amount of the cherry pulp is left on the bean to ferment. Fermentation is a tricky task which can go terribly wrong and result in spoilage, but if done right, it can be magical. It requires getting the right temperature, pH level, and fermentation time.

The anatomy of a coffee cherry

Let’s run through the anatomy of a coffee cherry so that when we throw around terms like “mucilage” and “skin,” you know what we’re talking about.

Skin

The skin or the “cascara” of the cherry is the outermost layer of the fruit.

Pulp

The pulp refers to the overall flesh of the fruit, just under the skin.

Mucilage

The mucilage is a very specific part of the pulp–it’s the sticky, slippery layer that covers the seed.

Parchment

The parchment is the papery layer of the seed that covers and protects the seed. It comes off naturally while being roasted.

Seed

The seed of the coffee cherry is essentially the green bean.

To better visualize the anatomy of a coffee cherry, check out this resource.

Let’s run through the most popular coffee processing methods.

Wet process coffee

Wet process coffee, or “washed” process, is a process where the pulp and mucilage are removed from the seed as quickly as possible.

First, the coffee cherries are placed in a de-pulping machine. Second, the seeds ferment briefly to soften the mucilage just enough to facilitate easy removal. Third, the seeds are soaked in water and agitated to remove the sticky mucilage layer. Finally, the seeds are laid flat on beds to sun-dry completely before being packed and shipped.

This is a very popular method of processing because it lends a very clean taste that allows the natural acidity to shine.

Honey process coffee

In the honey process, the skin and pulp are removed from the seed, but the mucilage is left on the seed during fermentation.

There are 3 different levels of honey process coffee: yellow, red, and black. The darker the colour, the longer the fermentation, and the stronger the flavour. Let’s explore these sub-processes more in-depth.

Yellow honey process coffee

The mucilage is left on the seed, and the beans are laid out on large mats to sun dry. Yellow honey process coffee is lightly sweet and fruity with a clean profile, similar to wet process, but fruitier.

Red honey process coffee

The mucilage-covered seeds are fermented slightly. The seeds are piled on top of each other to facilitate fermentation, and then raked into a flat layer to dry. Red honey coffee tastes sweet and fruity.

Black honey process coffee

In this process, the mucilage-covered seeds are fermented the longest. The beans are piled on top of each other, with a longer fermentation than red honey. Black honey process coffee tastes winey and boozy thanks to the longer fermentation, with ripe fruit notes.

Natural process coffee

Natural process coffee is where the whole cherry is left intact on the seed during fermentation. This includes the skin, pulp, and mucilage–nothing is removed.

The beans lie in the sun on raised beds, while constantly being turned. This prevents rotting and spoiling the entire batch of coffee. Once the beans are fully dried, the dried cherries are hulled off to extract the green beans.

Natural process coffee has a very fruity, molasses-y flavour that a lot of people are drawn to. It’s common to taste fruity notes like blueberry, strawberry, and raspberry, with a pleasant acidity.

The natural process is popular in coffee-growing countries where clean water isn’t an abundant resource. You’ll tend to see natural process coffee from countries like Ethiopia where there isn’t a huge supply of clean water.

Anaerobic process coffee

The anaerobic process is a newer process that’s quite tricky and time-consuming. When done properly, it can have incredibly exciting, exotic flavours like tropical fruit and spice.

Anaerobic means “oxygen deprived.” The intact coffee cherries are placed in large barrels with water and sealed from oxygen for 48 to 72 hours. They ferment without oxygen, which imparts a completely different flavour from natural or honey processing. After fermentation, the pulp and mucilage are removed and the beans are laid to dry completely in the sun.

Wet hull process

Not to be confused with “wet process,” the wet hull process is a less common type of coffee processing. Also known as “giling basah,” this coffee process method is mainly practised in Indonesia. In this process, the parchment is removed from the seed before the bean dries completely.

Coffee that’s been wet hulled tends to have rich earthy, smokey, dirty flavours, with little to no sweetness or acidity. These coffees tend to taste good when roasted dark, which eliminates some of their unpleasant flavours. This allows the desirable flavours, like earth and smoke, to shine.

Trust the process

Coffee processing methods have a huge impact on the flavour of your coffee. If you’re a coffee lover and want to learn more about coffee, it is essential that you learn about coffee processing methods. It can help you understand why your coffee tastes the way it does.

Want to experience coffee processes for yourself? Shop our Kenya Fully Washed, our West Coast Honey Processed, or our Gunsmoke Fully Washed & Wet Hulled coffees now!

How to Begin Planning a Budget to Build your Cafe

One of the first questions we are often asked when people are beginning to plan their dreams of building their own coffee shop Is “What would be the average total cost to build a 1500 square-foot coffee shop?” In this article we explore some things to consider, and hidden costs you might not have thought about when planning a budget for your cafe.

It's difficult to provide an average total cost to build a 1500 square-foot coffee shop, as the cost will depend on a wide range of factors such as location, equipment, and finishes. In general, you can expect to pay anywhere from $350,000 to $450,000 or more to build a 1500 square-foot coffee shop. This estimate includes the cost of rent or purchasing a space, as well as the cost of equipment, supplies, labor, and other expenses.

It's important to keep in mind that these estimates are just rough estimates, and the actual cost of building a coffee shop will depend on your specific circumstances and location. It's a good idea to work with a professional, such as a contractor or an architect, to get a more accurate estimate of the cost to build a coffee shop. They will be able to take into account the specific features and finishes you want for your coffee shop and provide a more detailed cost estimate.

What are things you should consider when planning a budget to build a coffee shop?

There are several things to consider when planning a budget to build a coffee shop:

Location: The cost of rent or purchasing a space will vary depending on the location of the coffee shop. It's important to consider the cost of real estate in the area where you want to open your coffee shop.
Equipment: You'll need to purchase or lease coffee-making equipment, as well as other items such as tables, chairs, and display cases. Make sure to budget for these expenses.
Labor: You'll need to hire employees to work in your coffee shop, and you'll need to budget for their salaries and any benefits you offer.
Supplies: You'll need to purchase supplies such as coffee beans, cups, and other consumables on a regular basis. Make sure to budget for these ongoing expenses.
Marketing: It's important to promote your coffee shop to attract customers. You'll need to budget for marketing efforts such as advertising, social media, and events.
Legal and professional fees: There may be legal and professional fees associated with setting up a business, such as fees for incorporating or registering your business, as well as any consulting fees.
Contingency: It's a good idea to budget for unexpected expenses that may come up as you're setting up and running your coffee shop. This could include things like repairs or unexpected increases in the cost of supplies.

What are other hidden costs you might not be considering when planning your budget?

Here are some other hidden costs that you might not be considering when planning a budget for your coffee shop:

Permits and licenses: You'll likely need to obtain various permits and licenses to operate your coffee shop, such as a business license and a food service permit.
Insurance: It's important to have insurance to protect your business in case of accidents or other unexpected events. You may need liability insurance, as well as insurance for your equipment and supplies.
Rent or mortgage payments: If you're leasing or purchasing a space for your coffee shop, you'll need to budget for rent or mortgage payments. These costs may be higher than you expect, especially if you're in an expensive location.
Utilities: You'll need to pay for utilities such as electricity, water, and gas to operate your coffee shop. These costs can add up, so make sure to budget for them.
Maintenance and repairs: Your coffee shop equipment and facilities will need regular maintenance and may need repairs from time to time. Make sure to budget for these costs.
Taxes: You'll need to pay taxes on your business, including income tax and sales tax. Make sure to budget for these expenses.
Professional services: You may need to hire professionals such as lawyers, accountants, or consultants to help you set up and run your coffee shop. Make sure to budget for these services.

Once your café is built, what is the average amount of time to expect your full ROI?

It's difficult to provide an average amount of time to expect a full return on investment (ROI) for a coffee shop, as it will depend on a wide range of factors such as location, pricing, and competition. In general, it can take several years to recoup the initial investment in a coffee shop.

There are several factors that can impact the time it takes to see a full ROI on a coffee shop:

Location: The location of your coffee shop can have a big impact on its success. A prime location with high foot traffic can help your coffee shop generate more sales, which can in turn help you see a quicker ROI.
Pricing: Setting your prices too low can make it difficult to generate enough profit to see a full ROI. On the other hand, setting your prices too high can drive customers away. It's important to find a pricing strategy that strikes a balance between attracting customers and generating a profit.
Competition: The level of competition in your area can also impact your ROI. If there are many other coffee shops in the area, it may be harder to attract and retain customers.

It's important to keep in mind that it may take some time to build a customer base and establish a successful coffee shop. It may take several years to see a full ROI, but with careful planning and hard work, it is possible to achieve success.

Reach out to our team here at Fratello Coffee Roasters to dig in further to this topic. Our coffee consulting can help you think through topics like this, and others.

High Altitude Coffee : What’s The Big Deal?

Have you ever wondered what elevation has to do with the cup of coffee you’re drinking? If you’ve ever looked at your bag of coffee and been baffled by “5200 ft”, you’re not alone. High altitude coffee is the kind of coffee you want to seek out, and elevation is one of the most important flavour factors.

Even in hot countries near the equator, pieces of land at high altitudes have cooler temperatures. A piece of land high up in the mountains will be much cooler than the land closer to sea level. Coffee trees are happiest in these lower temperatures, and that’s why you’ll find almost exclusively high elevation coffee in the specialty coffee sphere.

In this article, we’ll help you understand why high altitude coffee is so sought-after.

What is high altitude coffee?

High altitude coffee is coffee that’s been grown at a high elevation of 4000-5500 ft above sea level. High altitudes have lower temperatures, which is why many mountainous regions in hot climates tend to feel cooler than ground levels.

Growing coffee is a very long process, and it needs a consistent temperature. Coffee mainly grows in hot countries near the equator, like Ethiopia, Kenya, El Salvador and Colombia.

Ironically, coffee trees don’t like intense heat. Arabica coffee is a delicate plant. Coffee trees like the kind of weather that you and I like–20 degrees C with some shade. Comfortably warm, without the scorching sun on our skin.

In order to facilitate this paradise-like microclimate for coffee trees, producers like to grow coffee at high elevations, like in the mountains.

Why is high altitude coffee desirable?

High altitude coffee tends to have better, more complex flavour than low altitude coffee. The cooler temperatures of the high altitudes allow the coffee trees to grow slowly. This allows them to mature slower and develop complex flavours. When it comes to specialty coffee, high altitude is key.

Coffee does also grow closer to sea level. This is called low elevation coffee, and it’s widely commercially available because it’s cheap and in high supply. In general, the lower the altitude, the lower the quality of the coffee.

What is low altitude coffee?

Low altitude coffee is coffee that’s grown at an altitude of between 600 and 2500 ft above sea level. Most commercially available coffee sold around the world is low altitude coffee. It’s cheaper to produce, it grows quickly, and it has a massive yield.

However, arabica coffee (the only subspecies of coffee you’ll find in specialty coffee) doesn’t grow well in heat and direct sun. Robusta, on the other hand, loves heat and sun. That’s why most low altitude coffee is robusta.

“Sun grown coffee” is another related term that means coffee that’s grown directly in the sun. When the sun hits the coffee trees, they grow very quickly. A lot of low elevation coffee is also sun grown coffee. Direct sunlight makes the coffee grow even faster.

Low altitude and sun grown coffee are widely grown because they’re much easier to cultivate than high altitude coffee. High altitude coffee requires a lot more hard work and knowledge to produce.

Physical differences between high and low altitude coffee

An expert will be able to quickly spot the difference between high and low altitude green coffee beans. However, there are some general tell-tale signs.

High altitude coffee physical characteristics

High altitude coffee beans are harder and denser than low elevation coffee. The beans are hard because they’ve grown slowly and have had time to mature. The fissure (ie. that little line that runs down the coffee bean) says a lot about the coffee. High elevation coffee will have a fine fissure line, which is sometimes zig-zagged or askew.

Low altitude coffee physical characteristics

Low altitude coffee is a softer, less dense coffee bean. Because it grows so quickly, it doesn’t grow compactly. It has a wider fissure line than high altitude coffee, and the line is usually straight.

The difference in flavour

High altitude coffee has complex flavour and acidity. You’ll taste a lot of things going on at once, like sweetness, fruit, spices, acidity, body, bitterness, and more.

Medium altitude coffee will have some sweetness, with little to no acidity. Medium elevation coffee is somewhere between 2500 ft and 4000 ft above sea level.

Low altitude coffee will have no acidity, no sweetness, and taste bland and vegetal. People drink this coffee just to get their caffeine fix, and it tastes bearable if you like tons of sugar and cream in your coffee!

Check out Perfect Daily Grind’s elevation coffee chart to see where your coffee lies!

Can low altitude coffee be good?

In some cases, low altitude coffee can be excellent. Altitude is relative–some coffees won’t do well with high altitudes in parts of the world with already cool temperatures. Take Kona, Hawaii, for example. This low altitude coffee region produces some of the best coffee in the world. The higher altitudes in Kona would be too cold, and likely kill the coffee trees.

While high altitude coffee is certainly praised in the specialty coffee world, there’s no saying that low altitude coffee is “bad.” Specialty coffee has its own distinct culture, with its own grading system. To rate low elevation, sun grown, or robusta coffee by specialty coffee standards can often be simplistic.

Robusta coffee, which thrives in low elevations, heat, and sun, has its own culture that’s separate from specialty coffee. It’s a different subspecies of coffee, with a completely different flavour profile, making up 40% of the world’s coffee production.

There is a lot of love for robusta coffee, which contains more caffeine and is enjoyed in smaller quantities. Robusta coffee is very popular in countries like the Philippines and Vietnam, which have a huge coffee culture.

However, it’s safe to say that most commercially available coffee that’s low altitude coffee is lower quality.

Tasting the difference

If you want to find the best specialty coffee, look for coffee that’s been grown at an elevation of at least 4500 ft. To further explore the flavours of high altitude coffee, check out our previous article on coffee cupping at home.

Looking for a true elevation coffee experience? Try our high altitude coffees. Our Nicaragua is clean and creamy with notes of jasmine and black tea. Our Colombia is sweet and citrusy, with notes of caramel and honey.

How to Clean and Maintain Your Espresso Machine

It may seem like a daunting task to have to clean your commercial espresso machine. With all those levers and buttons and knobs, it may look more like a fuse box than a coffee maker. But rest assured that cleaning your commercial coffee machine isn’t much harder than cleaning your drip coffee maker! Read more for tips on how to maintain your espresso machine.

Sure, you can dig out your dusty old user manual, complete with typos and instructions that make so sense. Or, you can check out this easy guide on how to clean your espresso machine. We’ll go over how to clean an espresso portafilter, what is backflushing an espresso machine, and how to descale an espresso machine.

What happens if I don’t clean my espresso machine?

If you don’t clean your espresso machine, you risk crappy tasting coffee, bacterial build-up, and the function of your machine. While you’re using your espresso machine throughout the day, espresso grinds, coffee oil, and mineral scale from water intake build up throughout the day.

A lot of things can go wrong if you don’t clean your espresso machine, or don’t clean it properly.

For one, your coffee will taste stale or “off.” If you’re brewing espresso from a brew head with day-old grinds, through a dirty portafilter, you’ll taste yesterday’s coffee. Not exactly what you’re going for! When exposed to air, moisture, light, and heat, coffee oils go rancid quickly.

Not only that, but you also run the risk of attracting pests. Stray coffee grounds are food to cockroaches, and they can attract mice and rats if you’re not careful. Restaurants and cafes are particularly susceptible to pests. Make sure all surfaces are wiped of coffee beans and grounds, and don’t give pests a reason to stick around.

In general, having a visibly dirty espresso machine could make customers think twice about ordering coffee off of you.

How to descale an espresso machine

Part of cleaning your espresso machine is descaling. Descaling your machine cleans it, but it also removes mineral buildup in the hot water tanks. If mineral buildup goes unchecked, it can affect water flow and pressure in your machine. This, in turn, will affect the flavour of your espresso. Excess mineral build-up will require a professional to remove, and can even cause your machine to call it quits altogether.

How often do I need to clean my espresso machine?

To maintain your machine properly and have great tasting espresso at all times, clean your machine at least once a day, at the end of the business day.

We’ve broken down the cleaning tasks by espresso machine part.

Portfilters

The portafilters (the filters that screw into the group heads with handles) need to be cleaned spotlessly. Soak them in hot water and dish soap to loosen stuck-on grounds and oil. If you’re worried about a soapy flavour, you can soak them in hot water and Puro Caff. After they’ve soaked for 10-15 minutes, scrub them vigorously, rinse them, and leave them to air dry.

Pop the basket out first before you leave them to soak in the water to get them as clean as possible. To remove the basket, pry it off with a spoon or a butter knife.

Backflushing your espresso machine

Backflushing the machine is when you intentionally change the direction of the water flow so the machine can flush the water tank. You do this by using “blind” or “blank” baskets. Unlike regular portafilter baskets with holes, these baskets are solid, forcing the water backwards into the tank. Backflushing removes any scale, coffee grounds or sludge from the inside of the water tank.

To backflush, remove the regular basket from the portafilter, and put the blind basket in. Place ½ tsp of PuroCaff into the basket, and screw the portafilter into the machine. You’ll want to run 5 cycles, each with 10 seconds on, and 5 seconds off. You’ll likely see dirty, foamy liquid coming from the outlet–that’s normal. After your 5 cycles, remove the portafilter, run some water from the group head, and rinse the portafilter.

Screw the portafilter back in, and run 5 cycles (10 seconds on, 5 seconds off), this time without the Urnex. Your backflush is complete.

NOTE: Backflushing works on 3-way valve systems. If you have a lever-style machine, backflushing isn’t necessary, and shouldn’t be attempted.

Group heads

The group heads are the brewers, ie. the part that the portafilters screw into. They’ll be covered in grounds from the day, and will need a good wipe-down and brushing. Using a group head brush, scrub the entire top of the group head while running the water. If the hot water is threatening to splash at you, just turn the hot water off while scrubbing, running it between brushes.

After you’re done brushing, wipe the entire group head with a clean cloth or paper towel.

Steam wands

The steam wands are in contact with milk all day, posing the risk of bacteria. Not only this, but if the wands aren’t cleaned regularly, the milk residue can harden over time, affecting the performance of the steam wands. They won’t make barista-worthy microfoam if they’re clogged up.

To clean them, dissolve a ¼ tsp of Frother Cleaner in a small pitcher with hot water filled halfway. Place the steam wand in the pitcher and leave it to soak for 30-60 minutes (NOTE - Do not leave overnight). In the morning, simply wipe down the steam wands and purge them for 30-60 seconds.

Drainage tray

The espresso machine has a tray that collects water and spilt coffee. During the day, this can get quite dirty. It’s important to clean this daily–otherwise it can clog the drain, smell foul, and attract pests.

To clean the tray, simply flush the tray with hot water until all the grounds are gone. You can also manually remove it and rinse it under the sink (just make sure you cover the hole with a damp cloth or you’ll have another mess to clean up!).

Other cleaning duties

While it’s what’s on the inside that counts, we also believe your espresso machine should look sharp on the outside, too. Make sure the tops of your espresso machine (where the cups and saucers live) and the exterior of your machine are cleaned regularly. Grinds can accumulate on top of the machine, and coffee and milk splashes can be seen on the outside of the machine, facing customers. Your espresso machine is a work of art, so make sure it always looks taken-care-of.

A clean cup

Maintaining the cleanliness of your espresso machine should be a group effort. An espresso machine that doesn’t get cleaned regularly can make the flavour of your coffee suffer, and it can slowly degrade your machine. Espresso machines are not cheap, and neither are espresso machine technicians. Remember: a stitch in time saves 9!

Looking for more tips for masking tasty espresso? Check out our previous article on how to pull a perfect shot of espresso. If you need more guidance on the ins-and-outs of espresso, book a consultation with us–we’re here to help!

Want Great Espresso? Start with Tamping your Espresso Correctly

How you tamp your espresso can have a huge impact on the flavour of the coffee. If you did everything else right but your espresso is tasting sour or running poorly, your tamp could be the culprit. Read more to learn tips on tamping your espresso correctly and consistently.

When you’re leading a team of baristas, it can be common for everyone to have different ways of tamping. There are lots of wrong ways to tamp espresso, and baristas can carry these bad habits for years.

Poor tamping is not just an issue of flavour–it’s also a health and safety issue. Tamping can cause repetitive strain injuries over time, a condition more commonly known as “barista wrist” in the industry.

Luckily, it’s easy to learn how to tamp espresso properly and fix any mistakes. We’ll walk you through all the dos and don’ts of tamping espresso. But first, we’ll take a look at why we tamp coffee in the first place.

What happens if you don’t tamp coffee?

Tamping coffee is when you apply downward pressure on coffee using a tamper.

If you try to brew a portafilter with loose grounds, the water will move through the coffee instead of brewing it. As a result, you’ll get a watery, under extracted, sour espresso. Coffee that hasn’t been tamped has a lot of pockets of air, and the water finds an easy way to exit.

Tamping removes these air pockets from the coffee. This helps the water move more evenly throughout the whole puck. All it takes is one loose spot on the puck for the water to find this weak spot and rush through it. This is known as “channeling.”

What are some examples of poor tamping?

Here are some common ways that tamping goes wrong.

Tamping at an angle

If you tamp at an angle and the puck isn’t parallel to the portfiler, the water will go to the lowest point. Water is always looking for the path of least resistance. Instead of brewing the whole puck, it will only brew the low part. To make sure your tamper is parallel to the portafilter, use the ring inside the portafilter basket as a guide.

Holding the tamper incorrectly

Holding the tamper incorrectly can have an impact on the flavour. Avoid holding the tamper like an ink stamp with your hand gripping the handle only. This can cause coffee grounds to jump out of the basket and cause an uneven tamp. Instead, wrap your fingers around the base of the tamp while applying downward pressure.

Not levelling out the coffee grounds before tamping

Tamping a mountain of coffee grounds won’t result in a level coffee bed. You’ll get a flat surface with bevelled edges–a perfect weak spot for the hot water. After grinding your beans into the portafilter, give the portafilter a good tap on the side. This helps the process along by settling the bed of coffee.

Knocking the side of the portafilter with the tamp

After tamping your espresso, there will usually be some loose grounds floating on the sides of the puck. The barista’s common instinct is to knock the portafilter to get the loose grounds in the middle so they can tamp again. But knocking the side of the portafilter can crack the puck, causing channeling, and it also damages your equipment.

Instead of knocking, place your tamper on top of the puck again, and spin the tamp with no pressure. This will make those loose grounds on the side co-operate.

How to tamp espresso the right way: Here’s a simple step-by-step guide on how to tamp espresso properly.

Grind your coffee into your portafilter. Once ground, tap it against the side of your hand (or on the tamping mat) to help level out the coffee bed.
Place your portafilter on the tamp mat. Turn your body so that your dominant hand side is parallel with the bar counter. Place the tamper evenly on the bed of coffee so it’s parallel to the ring in the portafilter basket. Push straight down firmly until you meet resistance. (If your portafilter has a splitter, make sure the splitter is off the tamp mat. This prevents the splitter from breaking off.)
If there are any loose coffee grounds, place the tamper back on. Without applying any pressure, spin the tamper to settle the loose grounds.
Brew your espresso. Easy!

How hard should I tamp?

In the coffee industry, it’s agreed upon that 20-30 lbs of pressure goes into a proper tamp. You don’t need to tamp incredibly hard to achieve this. Tamp until you feel the coffee stop.

It can be easy to get tired at the end of the day and tamp lighter as the day goes on. Be aware of this, and try to keep a consistent tamping strength throughout the whole day.

Tamping safety

The trick to avoiding strain on your wrist is keeping it straight while you tamp and engaging your shoulder and your arm. Lifting your elbow at a 90 degree angle makes it easy to keep your wrist straight, and makes the power come from your arm.

Which is the best espresso tamper?

The most important thing when looking for a tamper is finding one that fits your portafilters. The tamp should spread to the very edges of the basket, ensuring a smooth, uniform tamp. If the tamper is too big, it simply won’t fit; if the tamper is too small, you’ll create air pockets around the edges and cause channeling.

For newbie baristas who don’t know how hard to press, click tampers are a great option. They make an audible clicking noise once 30 lbs of pressure have been pushed into the coffee puck.

How do I know if I’m tamping correctly?

You can tell a lot about how well (or poorly) your coffee is running just by looking at your spent coffee pucks. If you see any air pockets or obvious signs of the coffee spilling over the edge of the basket, your tamp could be the issue.

If you’re still not sure, try to look at the bigger picture. Brew a shot of espresso, dilute it with some water, and taste it. If the coffee tastes unpleasant and has an edge, try again. If it tastes acceptable, or even good, you’re on the right track!

Tamp champ

Tamping isn’t complicated; it’s actually remarkably easy. But unfortunately, there are a lot of bad habits out there that seem to be contagious. Baristas learn by watching other baristas, picking up on their habits without knowing whether they’re right or wrong. But it’s not their fault–if they don’t receive the proper training, how can they be expected to do a good job?

As a cafe manager or owner, it’s up to you to set standards and catch any bad habits before they get out of hand. By teaching correct tamping, you improve your coffee, retain your customer base, and keep your team safe.

Looking for more tips to improve your espresso game? Check out our previous blog post about degassing coffee for better tasting espresso. And, if you need more support, book a consultation with us, and drop us a line at .

How to Read a Coffee Label Like a Pro

Do you ever go to buy a bag of quality coffee, only to stare blankly at the information on the label? Maybe you see “elevation: 1600 masl” or “varietal: SL-28.” What the heck does “honey process” mean? If you don’t know what it all means, it can make your head spin. You’re not alone. The world of coffee is vast and can be complicated. If you want to get the best coffee around, it starts with understanding what you’re buying.

Don’t let complicated labels plunge you into imposter syndrome! Great coffee is for everyone, and it’ll take some time to get acquainted with the specialty coffee label. Maybe you’re searching for particular tasting notes, or just want to learn more about specialty coffee. Or, maybe you just want to impress your friends with your knowledge! Either way, you’ll find that this tidbit of information isn’t so trivial afterall. Learning how to read coffee labels is not only important for understanding the journey the beans have taken before ending up in your cup, but also for being able to make educated purchase decisions.

Why should I read the coffee label?

If you’re becoming a real coffee lover, understanding the coffee label will take your passion to the next level. Plus, it’ll help you spot ethical coffee right away. Ethical coffee is coffee produced with the wellbeing of farmers in mind, and it’s more expensive as a result. Most coffee on the market today is incredibly cheap, and farmers don’t get a fair share.

You won’t find a comprehensive coffee label on bags of poor quality coffee. That’s because poor quality coffee companies don’t want you to see the ugly side of the coffee industry. Read any Fratello coffee label, and you’ll find the country, region or farm, process, roast date, and roast level. If you check out our online coffee collection, you’ll find even more information about the producers. Coffee labels aren’t just for laughs–they’re for traceability and transparency.

Specialty Coffee Label Specifics

Here are the most common pieces of information you’ll see printed on a specialty coffee label.

Coffee origin

It’s not enough to know which country your coffee came from–you should know the origin, and ideally, the farm. You can even get information about the microlot. For example, with our Guatemala Montecristo, “Montecristo” refers to the microlot where the coffee was grown. If you read the label further, you’ll find that it comes from the San Marcos region of Guatemala.

Even if you’re buying a coffee blend, you should know which origins make up the blend. Don’t be fooled by flowery language that describes the coffee with no information about where it comes from.

Coffee elevation

Coffee elevation is everything in specialty coffee. Quality arabica coffee is a delicate plant, and it likes to grow in cool, shady conditions. Growing coffee at higher altitudes achieves this. Lesser quality coffees are grown in full sun and on lower elevations. Although sun-grown, lower elevation coffee makes for a big yield, the quality of the coffee suffers.

When you see “1600 masl” on a coffee label, that means that it’s grown at 1600 metres above sea level. You might also see altitude in feet.

Tasting notes

Good coffee doesn’t need artificial flavourings to taste delicious. You’ll often find tasting notes printed on coffee bags that refer to the subtle characteristics unique to that bean. When it comes to fruit notes, you could see apple, cherry, or blueberry. For sweet notes, you could see toffee, caramel, or molasses. You could even come across notes like nutty, chocolatey, floral, earthy, and even smokey.

As a newbie coffee enthusiast, these flavour notes can be daunting. You may be thinking, “the bag says floral, but all I taste is coffee!” Remember, it takes a long time to develop a flavour palate. If you want to speed up the process, purchase two coffees with wildly different flavour notes, and try them side-by-side. For example, try our Ethiopia Guji (citrus, watermelon, bright) next to our Godfather Espresso TM Blend (milk chocolate, caramel, smooth).

Coffee process

For those who don’t know, coffee is actually the seed of a cherry. The cherries grow on shrub-like trees, and are picked ripe once they turn dark red. Farmers pick thousands and thousands of cherries, and the seeds are extracted. The extraction method is referred to as the coffee process. There are a few different processes, and different processes lead to unique flavours. Here are the most common ones.

Washed: In the washed process (or “wet process”), all of the pulp is removed before the beans are laid to dry. To achieve this, the cherries are placed in water tanks, and the whole cherry is removed from the seed. This imparts a much-desired clean taste in the coffee. Because this process requires a lot of water, some origins opt for other processing methods that require less fresh water.

Natural: In this process, the coffee seeds are not removed, and the cherries are dried with their seeds intact. After drying, the dried cherries are hulled to extract the seeds. This imparts a very sweet, fruity flavour to the coffee. This process is great for producers who have limited access to fresh water.

Honey: The cherry skin is fully removed, and some or all of the mucilage (or flesh) is left on during drying. This causes fermentation, and as a result, the flavour is fruity or sugary. Honey processes range from yellow honey (less mucilage left on) to black honey (more mucilage left on).

Anaerobic: This is a newer process, where the cherries are placed in oxygen-deprived barrels for hours to days to ferment. This is a tricky process because the coffee can over-ferment and rot. But when done properly, the coffee can take on delicious, exotic flavours like tropical fruit and spices.

Varietals

Just like with wine, arabica coffee has its own varietals. With wine, you’ll see different grapes, like merlot, chardonnay, or bordeaux. In coffee, you’ll see varietals like typica, caturra, catuai, SL-28, bourbon, and more. There are over 1000 heirloom varieties, though typica is said to be the oldest known coffee varietal.

Roast level

Roast level refers to roasted coffee, not green coffee. Roasts range from light to dark. Lighter roasts tend to have a bright, acidic, fruity flavour. On the other hand, darker roasts will have more of a bold, toasty, chocolatey flavour.

Roast date

Make sure to buy beans that have been roasted within the past two weeks. Roast date is extremely important if you want to drink fresh coffee. Many coffees sold at the supermarket will have coffee that’s been roasted months ago and vacuum-packed. Specialty coffee roasters will never offer stale, months-old coffee. Just say no to stale coffee!

The cream of the crop

Coffee is one of the top most traded commodity in the world, along with sugar, corn and oil. As a result, there’s a lot of bad coffee out there. You can dodge a bullet by only purchasing coffee with information about process, elevation, and more. Life is too short to drink poor quality coffee. So do yourself a favour, and learn to read coffee labels like a pro!

Want to learn more about specialty coffee? Check out our blog post about new crop coffee.

New Crop Coffee : What is it and Why Does it Matter?

You may have heard the term “new crop coffee” in the specialty coffee sphere. But few people actually know what it means, and why it’s so important in the coffee world. Here at Fratello coffee, our work revolves around new crop coffee. While it’s important that our coffee arrives to you freshly roasted, it’s equally important that the green coffee we roast is of the utmost freshness, too. New crop coffee is essential for delivering fresh coffee with exciting flavour notes.

Drinking Coffee and Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting is one of the hottest health trends to come out of the last decade. You may know someone who has tried it with varying degrees of success. It’s not just for bodybuilders and health nuts. Everyday people are trying it, for reasons including weight loss, improved sleep quality, better focus, and anti-aging.

You might be wondering how you’re going to go 16 hours everyday without eating. Those 16 hours can seem like an eternity at first. Your stomach will growl audibly, and you’ll likely feel irritable and “hangry.” You’ll need to find something other than calories to keep you preoccupied during the morning hours. Delicious specialty coffee, consumed black, can be a lifesaver. Drinking high-quality black coffee with complex flavour notes is a whole new experience. If you’re trying intermittent fasting, this can be a great opportunity to explore different origins with different flavour profiles.

Fasting can be tricky at first, but your body eventually adjusts, and there’s a good case to try it out. Think of it this way: it generally means no snacking after dinner, fasting during sleep, and skipping breakfast. If we fast after dinner (starting around 8 p.m.), and then for 8 hours during sleep, that’s 12 hours fasted. All you have to do is just add another 4 hours, and voilà–you’re intermittent fasting.

Before we get into coffee and fasting, let’s take a closer look at intermittent fasting.

What is intermittent fasting?

Intermittent fasting is less of a diet plan, and more of a lifestyle. You choose a window of time during the day, and you only eat during that window. A popular time frame is a 16-hour fast, followed by an 8-hour eating window (sometimes called 16:8). If your eating window begins at noon, you begin your fast at 8 p.m. Your eating window doesn’t open up again until the next day at noon.

There are many different types of intermittent fasting. The “18:6” fast is where you fast for 18 hours followed by a 6-hour eating window. In the “5:2” fast, you eat normally for 5 days of the week, followed by 2 days of caloric restriction. “OMAD,” or “one meal a day,” is where you eat one large meal with no caloric restrictions.

Intermittent fasting benefits

Most people turn to fasting for weight loss. The science on why intermittent fasting leads to weight loss is still unclear. Some experts say that 16 hours of fasting triggers the fat burning process, called ketosis. Other experts say the weight loss is simply down to less calories consumed. Shortening your eating window generally forces you to eat more nutrient-dense foods. It also makes you feel more full, and less likely to eat everything you’d normally eat in a day.

Many people prefer fasting to dieting because there are no restrictions on what you can and can’t eat. The only restriction is time. For people who hate counting calories and enjoy the odd slice of cake, intermittent fasting is the answer.

The most exciting science on fasting is something called autophagy. Autophagy is a natural bodily function that only occurs when we’re in a fasted state. It’s a self-cleaning process, triggered by low insulin levels, where our damaged cells are replaced with new, healthy ones. For this reason, autophagy has been associated with anti-aging, and can be a powerful tool to prevent disease. If intermittent fasting is not for you, fasting just once a month can be enough to reap the benefits of autophagy.

Aside from weight loss and autophagy, fasting comes with some other great health benefits. People who fasted for a few months reported improvements on their energy levels, ability to focus, and sleep quality. Science links fasting to significant brain function improvement. Other added benefits include lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and reduced liver fat.

Will coffee break my fast?

The key to drinking coffee while fasting is to drink it black. Black coffee contains a negligible 2-5 calories, which isn’t enough to break your fast. Drinking coffee with sugar and cream will break your fast, so if you’re going to drink coffee while fasting, drink it black.

I don’t drink black coffee! Black coffee is bitter.

Many people can’t fathom the idea of drinking coffee without the addition of sugar and cream. Poorly brewed coffee, whether bitter or sour, is unpalatable without sugar and cream. If your coffee is so bitter that you can’t enjoy it black, maybe it’s time to troubleshoot your brewing routine. Check out our foolproof pour over guide to get the best out of your cup each time.

Take this a step further and drink the smoothest, most flavourful brew known to mankind–cold brew. Cold brew is so smooth because the cold brewing method doesn’t extract any of the unpleasant compounds found in coffee. It only extracts the pleasant compounds, leaving bitter and sour flavours behind. Check out our incredibly easy, straightforward guide on how to make cold brew coffee at home. If iced coffee isn’t your thing, try heating up your cold brew.

When choosing coffee for intermittent fasting, go for specialty coffee with an emphasis on freshness and single origin offerings. If you browse the Fratello coffee collection, you’ll see coffees from Ethiopia, Guatemala, Congo, Nicaragua, and more. These coffees have exciting

flavour notes that you would otherwise miss out on if you added milk and sugar. You’ll get the true coffee experience when you drink it black.

If you must add flavours to your coffee, add a dusting of cinnamon or nutmeg, but don’t overdo it. You can also add a zero-calorie sweetener like erythritol or stevia.

Why should I drink coffee while intermittent fasting?

You don’t have to drink coffee while fasting. But a lot of people who try fasting say they aren’t willing to sacrifice their morning coffee routine. Black coffee can help if you’re finding that intermittent fasting deprives you of joy in the morning. It can be just the thing to get you through those difficult first hours of the morning when you’re “hangry.”

There is some scientific evidence that coffee’s own brain health benefits can complement the brain health benefits of fasting. Moderate caffeine intake may improve brain function and reduce your risk of long term mental decline. There are less cases of Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s in people who drink coffee than those who don't. Moderation is key, however–limit your coffee intake to 1-2 cups a day to reap health benefits.

Trying out intermittent fasting and need something delicious to get you through it? Browse our coffee collection, read the complex flavour notes, and try something different!

Matcha Powder - Delicious Caffeine Fix Packaged with Health Benefits

Green Tea Matcha powder is a delicious and healthy caffeinated tea option that’s grown in popularity in recent years. Known for its emerald green hue and many health benefits, it makes for a healthy treat or a calming ritual.

Unlike regular varieties of green tea that are steeped, matcha powder is ground into a fine, pale green powder. The powder is then whisked into hot water, making a vibrant green, frothy tea. With matcha, you’re drinking the whole tea leaves instead of an infusion.

Many people who complain of jitters and heartburn associated with coffee turn to matcha tea as an occasional substitute. Matcha gives you a sustained caffeine fix that won’t give you that signature caffeine crash. Plus, it’s loaded with antioxidants that come with several health benefits.

Matcha tea powder is the centrepiece of the traditional tea ceremony in Japan, a tradition spanning over 500 years. The ceremony is centred around mindfulness, relaxation, purity, and simplicity. Matcha can be emblematic of a new habit in your life. It can be part of changing your diet, improving your work-life-balance, or decluttering your home. You can bring the traditional tea ceremony into your own home with a bag of Idle organic matcha powder.

How it’s produced

Our Idle matcha tea is made from the Yabukita green tea variety. It is the largest cultivar in Japan due to being frost resistant and yielding a good crop size. It was originally cultivated in 1908 by tea breeder Sugiyama Hikosaburo, and has been the dominant cultivar ever since. The tea leaves are picked young, and a month before harvest, the crop is covered with a dark canopy. This helps retain the nutrients, and enriches the tea leaves with chlorophyll, which gives it that rich dark green colour. The stems and veins of the leaves are removed, and the leaves are stone milled.

Ceremonial vs. culinary grade matcha powder

There are two grades of matcha: ceremonial and culinary. Both are loaded with nutrients, but they differ in terms of their flavour and uses. Culinary matcha is mainly used for lattes or for baking. If had on its own, culinary matcha has a more bitter flavour, and as a result, it’s cheaper. Ceremonial matcha is meant to be had on its own, and is used in Japanese tea ceremonies. It has a sweet, grassy flavour, and is a bit pricier. Idle matcha is ceremonial grade.

The origins of matcha powder

The origins of matcha date back to the Tang dynasty in China during the 7th-10th century. Green tea leaves were steamed and formed into bricks, making them easier to transport. Chinese Buddhist monks later brought the tea to Japan. Today, Japan produces the best matcha in the world. Idle matcha tea is made in Nishio, a central region in Japan located southwest of Tokyo.

The Japanese tea ceremony is of huge cultural significance, dating back over 500 years ago and still practised today. The ceremony is always led by a host or a tea master. The room is sparsely decorated, and guests kneel on a tatami mat with good posture. The ceremony is centred around harmony, respect, purity, and tranquillity.

The host always starts by purifying all the utensils with a silk cloth, mainly as a symbolic gesture. Before the tea is prepared, Japanese sweets, called wagashi, are laid out. After this, the host prepares the tea. Hot water is poured into the powder, and the tea is whisked vigorously until frothy. The host uses a chasen, a delicate bamboo whisk made specifically for matcha. Both the host and the guests bow before slowly sipping the tea. The ceremony can take up to 3 hours.

What are the health benefits of matcha?

Green tea in general contains antioxidants, but because matcha powder is the whole leaf, it’s loaded with antioxidants. Antioxidants fight free-radicals in the body, and free radicals cause damage to our DNA. Things that trigger free radicals in our bodies include air pollution, radioactive substances, tobacco smoke, and UV rays. Antioxidants undo the effects of these substances. Matcha contains a group of antioxidants called catechins.

Matcha contains EGCG, a type of catechin with several health benefits. Though more studies are needed, there is evidence that EGCG may prevent cancer and slow the rate of tumour growth. In addition, it may lower cholesterol, and speed up metabolism, leading to weight loss.

Matcha also contains L-theanine, an amino acid that promotes alertness and helps avoid crashes. It also reduces stress and triggers relaxation in the brain.

How do I prepare matcha powder at home? Can I make matcha without a whisk?

Matcha is easy to prepare at home, and has many uses. If you don’t have a chasen, you can use a regular small whisk. Whisk vigorously to get a frothy texture. If you don’t have a small whisk, you can make it with a small spoon–just make sure to mix it very well. We recommend using a teaspoon of hot water, and mixing it well before adding any more hot water.

You can drink matcha on its own for a calming, healthy treat. You can also make a latte by heating up milk or non-dairy and pouring it over the matcha concentrate. In the summer months, iced matcha makes a delicious treat. Just pour the matcha concentrate over ice and your choice of milk.

You can also bake with matcha. Add a teaspoon of matcha powder to pancakes, sugar cookies and cakes for a beautiful pale green hue.

Can matcha powder go bad?

Matcha powder will stay good for a year if left unopened, but after it’s opened, we recommend consuming it within a month. After that, the flavour begins to deteriorate.

Need an alternative to your morning coffee? Check out our Idle organic matcha powder, and while you’re there, peruse the whole Idle tea collection.

5 Reasons to Upgrade Restaurant Coffee Programs

As a restaurateur, do you ever stop to think about restaurant coffee from the perspective of your patrons? Bad restaurant coffee is a common complaint on Google reviews, and it can bring down an otherwise great experience.

Put yourself in the patron’s shoes. You walk into a beautiful restaurant, noticing the soft lighting and the wonderful aroma. You’re met with friendly service, and you enjoy a superb meal, which is paired with a great glass of wine. At the end of your meal, you order a coffee. And the coffee is a let-down.

The coffee tastes stale, weak, bitter, or all of the above. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth (in the literal sense) and makes you regret ordering it in the first place. Restaurant coffee can be so much more, so why is your 5-star restaurant serving disappointing coffee?

Shouldn’t your coffee be as good as your menu, your wine selection, your service, and your ambiance? Your kitchen is stocked with local organic produce and free-range eggs. You’ve worked with a sommelier to source excellent wine. You’ve hand-picked your team of talented kitchen staff and servers. You don’t skimp on quality when it comes to the big picture, so why skimp on coffee?

You may be faced with some challenges when it comes to serving better coffee. Maybe you don’t have the budget for the overhead costs of coffee equipment. Your fast-paced kitchen environment may make it difficult to make coffee with proper attention and care. But whether your budget is big or small, you can make huge improvements to your restaurant coffee program. No more serving instant coffee and generic coffee pods. It’s time to embrace specialty coffee for restaurants that stays in line with your food philosophy.

What is specialty coffee? How do I source good coffee for my restaurant?

Specialty coffee is defined technically as coffee that scores at least 80 out of 100 on a cupping evaluation. In the general sense, specialty coffee fits a few criteria. The coffee company you source from should have an emphasis on freshness (ie. roasted within the last two weeks). You’ll want to buy from a provider who roasts and sources the coffee meticulously. A good roaster has a direct trade relationship with coffee farming co-operatives and pays a premium to protect their livelihood. The flavour of the coffee should be fresh and complex, with tasting notes from fruity to nutty to chocolatey. Lastly, the more local, the better.

What if I can’t afford an espresso machine and barista training?

While a $20,000 espresso machine tended by a barista champion would be ideal, that might not be affordable for you. We offer options of leasing equipment or helping to set up a monthly rental program like SilverChef offers you. The other option of purchasing an industrial automatic drip coffee machine is less costly. The trouble is that you’re brewing large volumes of coffee that can potentially sit in the pot for hours.

A great solution to costly equipment is going low-tech by offering pour overs or French presses. They’re very affordable, they’re straightforward to use, and they make a better tasting coffee than industrial drip machines can. Plus, your customers will be dazzled by the novelty. If someone wants steamed milk, you can offer a “café au lait.” Milk frothers won’t make proper microfoam, but they’ll emulate the Italian cappuccino experience, which many diners seek anyways. Keep non-dairy milks and quality sweeteners on hand. Offer demerara sugar and local organic honey to create a memorable experience for the customer.

In terms of restaurant logistics, you’ll want to put a restaurant staffer on coffee duty to avoid chaos. Servers don’t have time to drop everything they’re doing to make a pour over that takes upwards of 3 minutes. For equipment, you’ll need to invest in a burr grinder, pour over or French press hardware, and a weight scale. Hook up with a local coffee roaster to get fresh beans, and only grind them right before you need them. Make sure staff follow a straightforward recipe for maximum flavour and consistency. Check out our foolproof pour over recipe for a perfect cup every time!

This is a great starting point for restaurants to gauge specialty coffee enthusiasm with patrons. You can always upgrade later to an espresso machine if you feel the demand is there.

Now that we’ve gone over the “how,” it’s time to go over the “why.” Without further ado, here are our top 5 reasons why you should upgrade your restaurant coffee.

5 reasons to upgrade your restaurant coffee program

It’s the lasting impression.

Don’t let customers have a great meal and glass of wine, only to be followed by a bitter instant coffee. The coffee will be the last thing they taste, so don’t make them regret ordering it from you. Your coffee offerings should complement the entire experience, not detract from it.

You’ll create a following of loyal customers.

Word will get around quickly, whether it’s over Google reviews or word-of-mouth, if the coffee is good. Lots of foodies and restaurant goers are on the hunt for great restaurant coffee. They love it when they can enjoy their favourite coffee brand at their favourite restaurant. Serving great coffee will make you stand out from the crowd, and you can brag about it on your menu. When customers see that you’re serving an independent, quality product, they’ll be impressed by your good taste.

Supporting local small business is good for the economy.

Supporting local small business puts more money back into the Canadian economy, improving infrastructure. In addition, you’re helping your neighbours stay in business and keep their livelihood. It also has an environmental impact–going local means less transportation of goods.

Supporting independent roasters is more sustainable.

Because of their ease of use, many restaurant coffee programs are based on coffee pods. Unfortunately, the plastic pods are hard to recycle and create a lot of waste. Wholesale coffee from independent roasters comes in bulk bags, meaning less wasteful packaging. If you set your coffee program up wisely, you can knock out several pour overs at once. It may not be “press-of-a-button” fast, but it doesn’t have to slow you down if you play your cards right.

The critics will rave!

Your restaurant will become popular with the critics if you offer good coffee. Sustainability, quality, and organic farming are top-of-mind for modern restaurant-goers, so make sure to hit a home run. Make your clientele come for the food, and stay for the coffee. As the American silver screen actor Burt Lancaster aptly says, “I judge a restaurant by their bread and their coffee.”

Thinking about serving Fratello Coffee at your restaurant? Get in touch with our wholesale team for pricing and tastings. For more in-depth guidance on coffee service, book a consultation with us. Drop us a line at for more information.

How to Make Cold Brew Coffee at Home

Summer is officially here, and nothing compliments the hot summer months more than cold brew coffee. We’ll show you a few easy methods to make cold brew at home to enjoy all season long.There are lots of different variations on iced coffee out there, but cold brew is a completely different experience. It has a signature velvety-smooth flavour profile, making it a delicious iced coffee option. You’ll find it so smooth that you won’t have to add any milk or sugar to it–it’s that good!

The best part about cold brew is that it’s incredibly easy to make, with great results. If you’ve never tried it, you’ll be amazed at the difference in flavour compared to a regular cup of coffee. We’ll show you how to make cold brew at home with basic household tools that you probably already have. But first, we’ll answer some common questions about this intriguing coffee method.

What is cold brew coffee?

Unlike hot brewed coffee, cold brew is coffee steeped in cold water and refrigerated for 16-24 hours. Some of the more bitter chemical compounds released in hot brewed coffee are not found in cold brewed coffee. That’s why it has a smooth flavour, with very little bitterness or acidity.

What type of coffee should I use?

There aren’t many rules about what coffee you should use when making cold brew. If you want to amplify the smooth factor of cold brew, choose a coffee roasted on the darker side, and look for chocolate and caramel notes. A great option for a darker cold brew would be the Godfather ™ Dark Roast, featuring notes of chocolate fudge and toffee. If you want a similar flavour profile but with a bit more brightness, opt for the Godfather ™ Light Roast. The lighter roast brings out a milk chocolate and caramel profile. And if you’re feeling more adventurous and looking for brighter, fruitier profiles, we recommend the D.R. Congo, with notes of grapefruit and caramel, and the Ethiopia Guji Uraga, with tropical fruit and citrus notes.

Do I have to buy a bunch of tools to make cold brew at home?

Hardly! While most people don’t have a cold brewer, you can easily make cold brew at home with some common household supplies. All you really need is a large glass container and something to strain your coffee with. You can even make cold brew in a French press–just steep your coffee in the glass vessel, and use the plunger when it’s time to strain it. If you own a reusable cloth filter, you can fill the filter with the ground coffee and tightly tie it off with an elastic band. Just make sure you give it a few good squeezes while submerged in the water to ensure the water can saturate the grinds all the way through.

If you don’t have a French press or a cloth filter, you can also use a large glass jar, and strain the cold brew at the very end. Just pour your coffee into the jar with a litre of water, and then strain it with cheesecloth when brewing is complete.

Got everything you need to make cold brew at home? Recipe for standard cold brew:

100 grams of coffee
1 litre of cold water
Large glass jar with a lid (large enough to hold 1 litre of water + 100 grams of coffee)
Cheesecloth
Fine mesh sieve

Let’s get brewing!

Measure out 100 grams of coffee. Grind it on a medium setting, as you would for automatic drip.
Place your coffee grinds into the large glass jar. Pour 250 grams of your cold water over top, and stir gently. Make sure all the grinds are saturated. Pour the rest of the cold water in, and give it a final stir.
Secure the lid on the jar, and store it in your fridge. At the 16-hour mark, do a taste test. If it tastes weak, let it continue to brew in the fridge, for a maximum of 24 hours. Once brewing is complete, remove from the fridge.
Line a fine mesh sieve with cheesecloth folded over twice, and place the sieve over a large bowl with a spout. Strain the mixture into the sieve. Once you’ve poured it all out, gather the edges of the cheese cloth, and give it a good squeeze to remove excess water. If the cold brew still looks murky, you can pass it through cheesecloth one more time.
Pour your fresh cold brew into a glass container, and store in your fridge for up to a week. If the flavour is too heavy and concentrated for you, dilute it with some tap or sparkling water. Enjoy!

How to Fix a Bad Pour Over Coffee

Have you ever been in the frustrating position where you’ve made a bad Pour Over coffee, not knowing where you went wrong? We’ve been there too–that’s why we made a comprehensive guide to show you how to fix a bad coffee.

Pour Over coffee can be delicious. It can be the last thing you think about before bed, and the first thing you think about upon waking. Then again, coffee can also be not-so-delicious. It’s discouraging when you buy quality coffee, only to make an unsavoury cup. Even the best beans won’t make a good cup of coffee if you don’t know the basics. A poorly brewed cup of coffee can taste sour, bitter, flat, burnt, or cardboard-like. Read up on how to fix a bad coffee, and you’ll never have a morning-ruining cup of coffee again!

**Note

When we say “fix” bad coffee, we don’t mean that you can alter the cup after the fact. We simply mean that you can start over and make a new, delicious cup. There’s nothing you can do to a bad coffee but accept it and move on. So cut your losses, grab a new coffee filter, and let’s get to work.

Coffee Flavour variables

First, it’s crucial to understand all the different variables that affect the flavour of coffee. Here are the main things you have control over. The main thing to start with, is fresh roasted coffee from your local coffee roaster of choice.....like Fratello Coffee Roasters.

Coffee Grind Size

Grind size is really important to making a good cup of coffee. A good cup of coffee is one that has been extracted enough–not too little, and not too much. Extraction refers to the amount of flavour and caffeine being pulled out of the coffee by the hot water.

Grind size plays a key role in extraction. When it comes to most coffee methods, a finer grind leads to a faster extraction rate. Conversely, a coarser grind leads to a slower extraction rate. For example, a pour over has a relatively quick brew time, which calls for a finer grind. You want to extract the flavours quickly. A French press, on the other hand, calls for a coarser grind, to slow down the extraction rate. Due to the longer brewing time and the immersion element, a fine grind would produce a very bitter French press.

Brew Ratio

The ratio of water to coffee will dictate the strength of your cup of coffee. The most popular, recommended ratio of water to coffee is 1:16 or 1:15. So, if you’re using 20 grams of coffee, you would use 300-320 mL of hot water. While you can play around with the amounts, try not to diverge too much from the golden ratio.

Water Temperature

The water you use to brew coffee should be hot, but not boiling. Water straight off the boil can give your coffee a burnt taste. Ideally, it should be between 93-96 degrees C. To achieve this temperature, bring a pot of water to the boil, and let it rest for 30-45 seconds.

Coffee Brewing Gear

Changing up your coffee equipment slightly can immediately fix a bad coffee. If you’re using a cheap automatic drip machine, consider switching to a pour over dripper set. It’s inexpensive and low-tech, and it will make a better cup than your clunky old coffee maker.

If you can, purchase a gooseneck kettle. Not only do they look beautiful in your kitchen, but they also let you control the flow of the water. Pouring your water straight from a kettle can make the water flow too quickly, resulting in under extraction. If you don’t have one, consider pouring your water into a metal pitcher or a heat-proof container with a spout.

While optional, a weight scale is helpful for weighing coffee beans, and great for gauging how your coffee is going.

The most common cause of bad coffee

The biggest factor affecting the flavour of your coffee is the grind. Your coffee can be ground too fine or too coarse, and it can also be ground inconsistently. We hope that you’re not using a blade grinder, as this will result in an inconsistent grind. Blade grinders, while cheap and convenient, will most definitely produce a bad coffee. What you’ll get is a cup that’s both bitter and sour. It will also lead to a flat flavour, with not many distinctive flavour notes. As a serious coffee drinker, it’s time you invest in a proper burr grinder. If you’re not ready to invest in an electric burr grinder, consider purchasing a manual hand grinder.

If you already do have a burr grinder and you’re finding your coffee isn’t tasting great, you could be grinding your coffee too fine or too coarse. Does your coffee taste strong and bitter? Set your grinder a few notches coarser. Does your coffee taste weak and sour? Go a little finer.

Now that you understand extraction and its effect on the overall flavour, it’s time to put your knowledge to the test. Try our foolproof pour over, and you’ll be an expert going forward. Make sure to read the directions from start to finish before trying your hand at this recipe.

What you’ll need:

Gooseneck kettle
Pour over dripper (ceramic or plastic works fine). We like to use the Hario.
#2 paper filter
Mug
Weight scale
320 mL of hot water off the boil
20 grams of coffee beans
Burr grinder
Small metal spoon

Weigh your beans. Pour your beans into your grinder, and grind on a setting that’s finer than drip. Set aside.
Bring your water to a boil. Set aside for 30-45 seconds. Place the paper filter in the pour over dripper, and place the dripper on top of a medium-sized mug. Pour hot water all over the empty filter until the whole filter is wet. Discard the water.
Place the ground coffee in the filter. Give the dripper a tap to level out the coffee bed. Place the mug and dripper on a weight scale, and press the tare button to set it to zero.
“Bloom” your coffee. (This is the process of adding a small amount of water to the grinds and allowing the CO2 to dissipate.) Pour 50 grams of hot water over the grinds, making sure to get them all wet. Wait 45 seconds before your second pour.
Begin your second pour. Pour the water in concentric circles, starting from the centre and working outwards, until you reach 200 ml on the weight scale. Grab your small spoon, and gently mix the coffee grinds and the water. Wait until all the water has drawn down before you begin your third pour.
Begin your third pour. Moving in concentric circles, pour the remaining water until the weight scale reaches 320 mL. Let the water fully draw down. Remove the dripper and set aside. Your pour over is complete!

Tip: your pour over should take about 3 minutes and 15 seconds. If it takes longer than this, make your grind a little coarser. If it takes less time than this, make your grind a little finer. Use a timer for optimal results.

Want more tips to improve the flavour of your coffee at home? Check out our Coffee Storage guide!

Our Father's Day - An Interview with Cam Prefontaine

This Father’s Day, we’re paying homage to Cam Prefontaine, founder of Fratello Coffee, and pioneer of the burgeoning Calgary coffee scene. From his humble beginnings selling coffee to offices and restaurants and later roasting his own fresh coffee (long before it was cool), he’s seen the industry evolve over the years from the generic, ho-hum offerings of the mid ‘70s to the third-wave specialty coffee movement of today.

It started out as a possible alternative to a dreary mechanic job, and it turned into a passion that his whole family grew to embrace. In running his coffee business, Cam unwittingly sparked an entrepreneurial streak in his three sons, Jason, Chris and Russ. Watching their dad sell and roast coffee had a profound impact on the three sons, who went on to pursue various business ventures together. The businesses ranged from flavour syrups/smoothies, to distributing and installing espresso machines, launching a world renowned espresso machine brand Slayer Espresso, to opening up a chain of cafes called Analog Coffee.

We sat down with Cam and his son Chris to hear about the inspiration behind jumping into the coffee industry, the evolution of the cup of joe, and lessons learned from dad.

Fratello Coffee: Cam, can you describe the coffee scene when you started out in the business in the ‘70s?

Cam Prefontaine: In the early days, it was, “coffee is coffee.” Only generic brands were available. It had little fresh flavour, and was anywhere from 1 to 4 months old, and always ground coarse.

FC: What drew you to coffee?

Cam: The opportunity was presented to me as an alternative to working as an aircraft mechanic for Air Canada. So I took on the product line and worked the midnight shift until we could replace our income. Barb, my bride, took care of the kids and managed the household and the books for this new small business.

Like typical new entrepreneurs, we thought it looked easy.

FC: Was there a moment that made you want to pursue a career in the coffee industry?

Cam: I loved the smell of mom’s percolating coffee each morning with breakfast. As a child, I never liked the taste of milk, so she put some coffee in my milk with a bit of sugar, and boom… I loved the aroma and taste, and its association with many pleasant memories.

So in 1974, we started selling coffee to businesses. After 3 months, I went full-time. Our parents thought we were nuts, but we made a nice living.

FC: Did you ever think that coffee would blow up in popularity the way it has today?

Cam: Never entered my mind.

Around 1984, I was looking for the freshest roasted coffee to source for my customers. We found a local coffee roaster, who would roast small batches of coffee for us to spoil our clients, and keep them from wanting that cheap taste for a cheaper price. It worked!

FC: Did you realize you were doing coffee way before it was cool?

Cam: After attending the first specialty coffee trade show in New Orleans, my wife and I recognized that this would be the future of coffee. We returned home to sell our office coffee service company and devoted our efforts to fine tuning our coffee roasting and services. New prospective café owners would need our help with the best coffee and equipment.

FC: Chris, what was it like watching your dad roast coffee as a kid? What about it made you want to get involved?

Chris Prefontaine: Back in the ‘70s and ‘80s, coffee was not cool like it is now. I remember being kind of embarrassed that my dad sold coffee out of our garage. But I remember thinking it was neat when he got into roasting in 1985. I liked seeing the production process, and it got me more interested. I worked for my dad right out of high school in 1989 when coffee was just starting to get very popular.

But it wasn't until my dad suggested he help me start my own business selling espresso machines to cafés in Calgary that I really became excited. So in 1991, dad made it possible for my older brother and me to start Espuccino Imports, distributor of Nuova Simonelli espresso machines.

FC: How old were you when you started drinking coffee? You look awfully young in those photos standing next to the roaster.

Chris: I must have been 8 or 9 years old. My dad provided coffee for our church, and I would take some coffee from these large percolators, and then I would grab several sugar cubes to dissolve in the coffee! I feel sorry for my Sunday school teachers who had to put up with a super hyper kid in the class.

FC: What changes have you seen over the years in the coffee industry?

Chris: It started out in the ‘70s with my dad's cheesy mustache, selling crappy office coffee. In the ‘80s my dad started roasting many different types of coffee and supplying restaurants and mom & pop shops. At the time, it was all about having 20 to 30 different flavored coffees, like "Irish Cream," "Hawaiian Breeze," or "Toasted Hazelnut Cream." All artificial chemicals we would add to the beans. Yuck.

Coffee Storage: 5 Ways to Keep your Beans Fresh

Need to overhaul your coffee storage etiquette?

There's information out there about how to store your coffee, but not all of it is well advised. Poor coffee storage can lead to flat, uninspiring, and downright stale coffee. You may be committing some coffee storage faux-pas lately, and you don’t even realize it!

When you buy great coffee, you have a duty to keep it fresh and use it up in a timely manner to honour its innate qualities. Don’t forget that coffee is a food item, too. Just like bread, coffee goes stale. Just as you wouldn’t eat stale bread, you shouldn’t drink stale coffee. Fratello coffee bags are dosed at 340 grams for a reason–to encourage you to buy only what you need.

How long do coffee beans last?

Ideally, you will use up all your coffee within 3-4 weeks of the roast date. Don’t buy coffee in huge quantities if you’re a household of 1 and you only drink 1 cup a day. Buy enough coffee to last you 1 week, 2 weeks maximum. If you’re a family of 5 and you all drink 2-3 cups a day, it might make sense to buy it in quantities of 2 lbs, but otherwise, you should never need more than 340 grams at a time. Try to get familiar with your needs, and go from there.

Understanding the things that affect coffee freshness can help you keep your coffee tasting great. Below are the 3 main enemies of coffee.

Keep Coffee Away from:

Light.
Have you ever noticed how coffee bags are always opaque? This is by design. Light, particularly UV exposure, causes photodegradation in coffee. This causes the breakdown of chemical compounds, leading to less aromatic coffee. Keep your beans in the bag they came in or place them in an opaque container for optimal coffee storage.
Air.
When coffee is exposed to air, it oxidizes, and oxygen is what causes all foods to go bad. Never leave a bag of beans open where the air can get to it. Always close your coffee bag, and try to get as much air out of the bag as possible before closing. In addition, never grind a whole bag of coffee beans upon purchase. Only grind what you need, immediately before brewing.
Moisture.
Moisture can not only introduce new, unsavoury flavours to your coffee, but it can also cause the beans to mould and the oils to go rancid quicker. While it may seem like a good idea to refrigerate or freeze your coffee, this is where moisture can be introduced. We don’t recommend freezing or refrigerating as a means of coffee storage. In addition, a humid kitchen will cause your beans to go south, so make sure your coffee is stored in a cool, dry place.

We’ll debunk some coffee storage myths and show you some new ways to keep your coffee fresh. Let’s make stale coffee a thing of the past!

Top 5 coffee storage tips:

Don’t grind all your coffee at once.
When you’re purchasing coffee at a coffee shop or online, there is usually the option to have all your beans ground at once. While you may not have the means to grind it at home, don’t rely on this forever. Get yourself a quality burr grinder for home, and grind whatever you need, right before you need it. Grinding all your coffee at once brings in the enemy of air. More surface area means more air attacking your coffee, and it will begin to stale immediately.
Don’t freeze your coffee.
We don’t recommend freezing your coffee, and we especially don’t recommend refrigerating it. Freezing your coffee not only alters the chemical compounds (ie. flavours) in your coffee and dries up the oils, but it introduces moisture, one of the key enemies of coffee. What happens when you freeze your coffee is that condensation accumulates around the jar. As soon as you take it out of the fridge and open the container or jar, the condensation rushes in, introducing moisture. While freezing your coffee is a common piece of advice, we don’t recommend it as a means of coffee storage.
Keep your coffee out of direct light.
Coffee bags are opaque for a reason–to keep light out, a major coffee enemy. The best container to store your beans in? The bag they came in! While it may be tempting to store your beans in a glass mason jar on the counter, this will quickly lead to flavour degradation. The same goes for storing beans in the hopper of your grinder. It may look nice as a way to display them, but it isn’t proper coffee storage. Avoid leaving beans in your hopper, and if you must, leave a small amount. If you’re going to buy a container for your coffee beans, make sure the container is opaque (black is best) and has an air-tight seal.
Keep coffee away from heat sources.
Avoid leaving your beans near heat sources, such as on top of the fridge or next to the stove. This is an improper means of coffee storage, and it will quickly degrade your beans. This goes for brewed coffee as well. While it may seem nice to have a hot pot of coffee all morning, this is going to singe all those delicate flavour notes in your coffee.
Learn to accept when your coffee is stale.
Once your coffee has gone stale, learn to accept it. There’s nothing you can do to bring back stale coffee. Don’t try to add fancy flavour syrups to it to bring it back to life. It’s time to move on, and vow to change up your future coffee storage habits. The only thing you can do with stale coffee beans is grind them up and use them for compost.

A Fresh Start

While you may have been committing some coffee storage no-no’s, it’s never too late to change your ways. Fratello Coffee is sourced meticulously, and roasted carefully. We want you to get the best out of our coffee, and taste the difference. Want to learn more about how to perfect your home brew? Check out these useful tips about buying and using coffee!

Antigua, Guatemala | Sourcing Trip and Direct Trade Process

Bright red cherries hanging off of shady coffee trees are a beautiful sight for coffee enthusiasts. But that wasn’t what brought Russ Prefontaine to Antigua, Guatemala this past February. The Fratello Coffee president and co-owner has been sourcing coffee at origin for the past 17 years, and he’s seen it all. At this point, he’s after one thing: great coffee.

In conversation with Russ Prefontaine, president and co-owner of Fratello Coffee, about his most recent sourcing trip to Guatemala

But great coffee isn’t just about flavour; it starts with great people. We sat down with Prefontaine to chat about his most recent origin trip to meet the producers at San Miguel Coffees in Antigua and check out their coffee farm. He was impressed with what he saw, and tasted.

Apart from producing some of the world’s best coffee, Antigua, Guatemala is a popular tourist destination. It’s a Unesco World Heritage site, with wonderfully preserved Spanish colonial architecture. In Antigua, you’ll find enchanted cobblestone streets with candy-coloured buildings, ancient church ruins, views of the surrounding volcanoes, and the ever famous pastel-yellow Santa Catalina Arch. Not to mention, incredible authentic culinary favourites, like tamales, sopas and caldos (soups and stews), fried plantains, and spiced mangoes to name a few.

Prefontaine got to bring his two children, aged 8 and 10, along for the ride. When he wasn’t busy cupping coffee and observing the operation of the farm, he was taking his kids to enjoy the essential tourist sites, like riding up the volcano on horseback and roasting marshmallows over red-hot lava.

But tamales and marshmallows aside, Prefontaine was on serious business. He spoke about the ethos behind visiting the origin and meeting the producers, what he looks for, and what direct trade looks like to him. A healthy coffee community not only puts care and passion into growing and processing, but takes great care of its farmers.

Fratello Coffee: Why is it important to you to visit the origin before purchasing?

Russ Prefontaine: I visit origins when I want to start establishing relationships. When I start getting more serious about sourcing larger volumes of coffee, I want to really find out who they are as business people. I consider coffee a very important business, and I want to work with people who see it the same way. The producers are passionate, they’re knowledgeable, they’re educated.

FC: Why do you have direct relationships with these producers? Why don’t you just entrust a third-party importer to the job of sourcing? Why do you have to see it with your own eyes?

RP: You can look around and see the overall organization, the cleanliness. Are they taking care of the environment? Are they taking care of waste water, the trees? How does everything look? We can have conversations about their overall operations, if they have programs within their operations that benefit their employees. Do the people look happy? I get an idea of who they are and if they are running the operations in a way that we can trust working together and get a consistent product.

I like to see education programs where the producers have schooling systems on their farms. Because these farms are very remote, accessing education is almost impossible for the people that live around there. Schooling is mandatory, but not always enforced. What you might see in coffee growing communities is that families aren’t encouraging their kids to go to school because they don’t have a way to get them there. So when you’re driving around the towns near the farms, what are you seeing? Do they have any services? Do the people look healthy? Is there a store around there? What is there for them?

I like to see healthcare programs. San Miguel has a dental clinic and a healthcare centre right on their facility. So you start to see differences between producers who are truly investing in the people and the community to improve it. My job is to support the people who are doing that. I have the choice. I can work with nice people! [Laughs] I get to work with people who are passionate about coffee, business people who get this.

I feel great about who we’re buying from. They’re taking care of any wastewater and environmental issues that they can. And the coffee tastes great! When everything’s working together, I say, “Now I consider you a direct trade partner.” But it doesn’t happen in a year. It’s a very long process to build that trust.

Anyone can just throw “Direct Trade” on their bag. All you have to do is fly down there and take a couple of pictures, and there you go.

FC: Do these producers face any of the common hardships of coffee producers, ie. leaf rust, financial difficulties?

RP: Every year there’s something. In Brazil last year, they had huge floods followed by frosts that they’ve never had so bad. This year, winter season is just starting in Brazil (end of May), and already they have had mild frost damage. Last year it destroyed approximatly 30% of their coffee harvest. Within Central America, more and more, leaf rust is showing up at higher elevation, which is unique. Initially it was just a lower elevation where it was really warm. But what that's showing is that the overall temperatures are increasing, creating the possibility for rust to enter a higher elevation. So that really affects the coffees that roasters like us are purchasing. In addition, fertilizer costs have sky-rocketed more than 3 times the regular price this year alone.