Hello Readers,
Before we got hands-on with the actual making, we had a
little presentation about how coffee is made and where it comes from and the
bean belt. I actually really enjoyed the little presentation about where
the coffee comes from and finding out that all the coffee sold and used by 200
Degrees is imported by themselves and roasted in house which gives them the
ability to control their blends.
We were given a little run through of how to make an
espresso then we were let loose with the coffee machines. I’ll be honest I made
a lot of mess I don’t know if it was me being my usually klutzy self or if it’s
just messy. Espressos have a very short run time through the machine 25-30
seconds to be exact for a perfect shot. All I will say is thank you to the
coffee god that they have automated grinders, depending on how coarse or fine
the coffee is ground depends on the run time through the machine. I think my worst runs were a good solid 6 seconds and it was beyond bitter then a 55 second
that tasted better but not the correct profile for the task at hand. At this
point, I realised how competitive I am that I was getting a little frustrated
with myself and kept running coffee through until I finally got my espresso
runs through at the 26-second mark.
If you follow my Twitter or Instagram you know that last
Friday (24th May) you know I was lucky enough to be gifted the chance to take
part in the 200 Degree Coffee shop barista school in Lincoln. Despite this opportunity being gifted, I will
still be as honest as always.
Let’s start by saying this class is not a formal
sit-down chat you’ll soon be up making espressos and attempting latte art but
most of all you’ll be enjoying yourself and getting to know coffee. We started
off with a smell testing, putting your senses to the test to appreciate coffee
profiles. I remember being told that coffee tends to be pretty much what it
says on the tin. For example, if it smells earthy its earthly it’s not overly complicated.
One thing I learnt from the smell profiles is that I know the smell of cocoa
bean thanks to being a dark chocolate fan.
Then we got to move on to milk for me this was much more
fun and enjoyable. Just as before with the espresso’s we got a little run
through and were again let loose with the coffee machines. We were told that
for lattes the milk must make the right noise not loud and screechy like some
coffee chains, but gentle bubbling with a little squeak. We were also told
how to gauge the temperature of the milk with our own hand on the bottom of the
jug to get the correct temperature for latte art. I had a go at making a latte
and I will be honest my lattes weren’t the best taste wise but they weren’t
completely terrible and I even managed to drink one of them.
I was dreading the latte art I’m not really beautifully
creative but I can do gory and I can do it well, so trying to make hearts and
flowers wasn’t going my way so I went with spirals in the hopes of turning them
into cobwebs. The key is to keep
everything moving, not letting anything rest. (top left was an attempt at The Darkmark, Top right was a crop circle, bottom left was going to be my cobwebs and bottom right the jury is still out on a turkey or elephant let me know what you see?)
The three hours flew by and I now have a new found
respect for coffee, how it’s made, how to make it taste and look good. I honestly can’t recommend the class enough to
anyone interested in coffee and want to learn a new skill. I also think it
would be a good alternative for a Hen Do or Birthday that doesn’t involve a
cocktail masterclass.
Here’s a little
link list
L x
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