Coffee

In Praise of the Lungo

/ Pete Denison / Leave a comment
A little less body, a lot more consistency and enjoyment

My days run varied, yet frequent when it comes to coffee. Cappuccinos, (perhaps a decaf) long blacks, filter coffee, and by mid-afternoon it’s espresso time. All of which can make nailing the afternoon espresso pour that much harder, having only one shot (literally and figuratively) per day to get the thing right.1

Consequently, over time I have gravitated to brewing my espresso in a way which maximises the likelihood of getting it right first time, whilst aligning with my taste preference. The candidate filling both criteria? The espresso lungo, caffe lungo, or plain and simple lungo — however you prefer to describe it.

What is it?

I was hoping to avoid too much in the way of definitions or technical jargon, however for the sake of clarity, I probably need to include a little.

Most people likely have an idea about what espresso is (a “shot” perhaps), yet I sometimes wonder if there really is a universally accepted definition. In many ways, things simply change over time, through different technology, understanding, and approaches to what was once a fairly well-entrenched standard. There was (and still is, depending on where you are) traditional espresso, and also “modern espresso”.

For simplicity, we’ll take the most common (modern espresso) definitions:

  1. Ristretto: 1:1 (say, an 18g dose; 18g beverage weight)
  2. Normale “Espresso”: 1:2 (18g dose; 36g beverage weight)
  3. Lungo: 1:3+ (18g dose; 54g beverage weight)

The key points from the above list? The increasing amount of liquid weight for the same initial coffee dose. In literal terms, the “lungo” is a “longer” espresso drink. Further, I generally don’t use an 18g dose; however, it is a common one and used here to further explains the ratios listed above.

The list above (even if each is perfectly brewed) will also take you from strong and thick (likely great for your milk-based beverage), to balanced and sweet (great — but may be still a little too intense for straight espresso), and finally thin and bitter. Exactly where you don’t want to end up. Don’t be a pod/capsule machine and just run more water through your standard recipe.

In my experience (and humble opinion) and those of some professionals linked below, a truly great lungo requires a little more nuance.

It’s that… but a little faster

My advice? Go with your taste preference first, however if you’ve never tried a turbo-shot lungo, you owe it yourself to at least give it a try.

If you’d like a deeper dive into the thinking behind this, more experienced and better coffee thinkers than I have some views which you can find on YouTube:

What do you achieve with a faster shot? A somewhat less intense, more forgiving, and generally more reliable and consistent extraction. Particularly helpful when you are giving yourself one chance to perfect that elusive straight espresso shot that will be consumed without the addition of anything else.

My current parameters?

  • Dose in: 14g (single origin or carefully selected blend)
  • Beverage out: 45-50g
  • Extraction time: 20-24s (Linea Mini pre brew 2sec on; 3 sec off)
  • Water temp: 92-93.5 degrees
  • Hardware: La Marzocco Linea Mini; Niche Zero grinder

A couple of other points on the above:

  • I use a 14g La Marzocco basket lined on the bottom with a paper filter paper. After trying high extraction baskets, I felt they never really fit the machine perfectly and the holes clogged more easily, making cleaning a chore. Paper filters work just as well in my experience, though mess greatly with your sense of calm when you watch a shot pour after having forgotten to put one in…
  • Given I lose about 5 seconds of shot time with the pre-brew parameters I have set, I am a little further from the 15-second shot time of a true turbo shot. That said, I have found 18–20 seconds a little better when not using the pre-brew function.
  • This whole process is definitely something to play around with until you find your niche, and I’d say definitely don’t be strict about any preconceived rules when you do.
A visual reminder to self — don’t forget the filter paper on the bottom of the basket

The result? An espresso served exactly the way I like it. A more nuanced, lighter bodied brew at the height of its sweetness. I’m also not a big fan of bright acidity, although coffee selection plays a large part here. As someone who doesn’t favour bold, thick and intense espresso (at least when consumed in its pure form), I’ve simply found the above to be a good match in taste and consistency.

The finish

If I’ve learned anything from trying to make better coffee at home for the best part of 30 years, it is every coffee drinker has their preferences, and a stock standard approach isn’t going to please everyone. Nor should it.

It is with that same philosophy we need to turn the lens on ourselves. Maybe there is something out there, or a method at home you’ve not tried yet, and it just might elevate your experience a little (or a lot). Without giving it a (turbo?) shot, I guess you’ll never know.

  1. Yes, the afternoon espresso is a different coffee to those morning cappuccinos, so it is very much a one shot wonder… ↩

A Trip to Tokyo – Local for a Moment

/ Pete Denison / 2 Comments

A trip to a foreign city? What an opportunity to get out and explore as much as you possibly can, the sights, sounds, and culture. As the recent post on my stationery adventures in Japan suggests, we certainly did get around and explore.

I’m a somewhat routine oriented person, which can itself cause certain limitations, however also has the ability to bring untold joy and contentment, over and over again. Life often becomes a constant search for the next thing — whether that be doom-scrolling, the next great pen, even a perfect espresso. Always the search. Contentment? That’s another world, and one which definitely exists on a higher plane.

Visiting another country is not the first thing on a list of “how to be quietly content”, with exploration and new experiences inherent to the very act of visiting a foreign city. Nevertheless, during our recent trip to Tokyo I found myself returning each morning to the same café, sitting quietly and considering the day ahead.

Located about a three-minute walk from our hotel, Blue Bottle in Shibuya would probably not be your idea of immersing yourself in the traditional culture, given its typical Blue Bottle menu.

Blue Bottle Shibuya – image courtesy of Japanese Coffee Co blog

A counterpoint which I’d most likely make though: the attention to detail, architectural aesthetic, and wonderful staff are quintessentially Japan, granted, without perhaps the deep tradition. Though if you look, it is present in touches.We have over four thousand photos from the 11-day trip in our shared iCloud photo album. A way to mark the start of each day? My coffee photo of the morning from Blue Bottle. As I retrospectively fill out the travel journal of the trip, I can confidently scroll to the next tabletop coffee photo and begin the days’ review.

None of this is about Blue Bottle, Shibuya, a trip to Japan, or even the coffee — great as it all was. It’s the fact that for a brief moment, you are a local, going about your daily routine with an untold level of joy, spirit, optimism, and excitement about what the day exploring will bring. In reality, that is of course pure fantasy, with a vacation removing the daily grind of your working existence, something those kind souls walking by each morning on their way to work knew all too well.

For that small snapshot in time, though? I’ll consider myself a local, and fondly recall everything about my days spent walking to this calm, majestic space. Content to the very last sip.

Stirling Gooseneck Kettle — a middle aisle gem

/ Pete Denison / Leave a comment
Every journey has a destination…

An example of Aldi’s middle aisle at its finest. You know, a come for the barbecue sauce and leave with a cordless tyre inflator type of purchase. You’ve got to grab them while you can.

When an Aldi catalogue appears with some coffee items, as you can imagine, I’m likely to take a look when next in store. On this occasion, it was a special trip for one of the Stirling Gooseneck Kettles. Why? Well, first and foremost you can never be sure how popular any particular item might be, yet the remainder of the answer needs a little more explanation.

As an enthusiast (of anything), I’m sure we’d all agree the likelihood of owning (or at least having owned) quite a few iterations of similar products is quite high. Coming along before the subject Aldi kettle were stovetop versions of the Hario Buono Drip Kettle, followed by a Fellow Stagg Pour-Over Kettle. To date though, I had not yet had the pleasure of owning a dedicated electric, temperature controlled model to boil (or near boil as the presets allow…) and hold my water at temperature. Not specifically being in the market for a replacement, this had to be decidedly within the “non-significant purchase” price tag to comfortably be an incidental pickup.

Overall, I find kettles an interesting part of the whole coffee journey, as they of course all do the same thing. They heat water. It’s difficult to find any sort of perceptible way they each do that particular function differently. Sure — faster, quieter, stovetop, or electric — but the result is the same. It therefore becomes very difficult to justify a higher price tag. At $59.95? Justified. A week later, a little further down the aisle in the clearance section at $49.99 — even more so. A bargain indeed. At the time of publishing? Still there…

You’ve still got a shot if you’re quick

What it does well

Boils water. In fact, from a room temperate 24 degrees Celsius to 100 degrees boiling in 3 minutes and 20 seconds. I assume this is not the fastest by any stretch, however gets the job done. It certainly doesn’t feel slow. Though quieter than our larger, more traditional Russell Hobbs kettle, it is however perhaps a tad louder than my Stagg Stovetop. That said, I have no qualms about using it pre-dawn when the rest of the household are fast asleep.

It maintains the set temperature for up to an hour before automatically switching off. For someone who had not owned a kettle where the default setting is to stay “on” once boiled, this took a little getting used to, however now I cannot imagine it any other way.

The presets aren’t infinite though certainly more than adequate

It looks similar to many other more expensive kettles. While purchased in my preferred coffee bar colour of matt white, a black version was also available. Once on the kitchen bench top, it has a similar shape and baseplate style as the Fellow EKG to a glancing eye.

So, while the specs are available for viewing in the attached images, I’m simply here to say it looks reasonably good and completes the task at hand perfectly. All for the princely sum of $59.99, compared with 4–5 times that for the Fellow Stagg EKG upon which it would appear to pay homage.

What could be improved

Certainly not the price — that’s the point here. You get what you pay for, and what you get is a great, functionally adept kettle. However in getting what you pay for, there certainly are compromises which I wouldn’t pay $100+ for, but $59.99? Absolutely worth it.

Build quality will always be a factor here, and it is evident. Generally, a cheaper version will feel as though it is just that. While that’s the case here, I’ve no issues with that affecting performance, you can simply feel it. The slight flex in the plastic handle when the kettle is full; the good but not great click of the on/off dial; the lighter weight lid and baseplate.

The only other areas I’d mention here are perhaps aesthetics, which are again pretty good, though not quite up to something like the Fellow Stagg, particularly when viewed side by side. That said, it isn’t far off. A couple of other considerations include the volume and pouring. Whilst no one in our household ever said: ”make a large pot of…” — at 600 ml it’s not the most efficient way to boil a large amount of water at once, whereas both the Hario and Stagg are 0.9–1.0 litre at maximum fill.

I’ve had a couple of instances of a slightly scalded foot from tipping the kettle a little too far and drips escaping the lid, though I’d emphasise this is most certainly in the category of user error. Come to think of it, so is overshooting the far edge of a cup a few times whilst becoming familiar with the angle of water exit when the kettle is particularly full.

Wrapping up

Is it the world’s best built kettle? No, but it’s solid enough. The best looking? Perhaps not, though it’s comparable to most others, and I’d say an improvement on some. Does it boil water and maintain it at temperature for up to an hour? Perfect, and arguably equal to any other kettle at any price point for what it does.

I make a daily V60 into my Fellow Carter mug to take to the office, and had long given up on bothering with my stove top Fellow Stagg Kettle. It was simply easier to boil our standard electric kettle and do my best to control the flow when pouring from a standard spout.

That has all changed now, and while the Aldi Stirling Gooseneck Kettle may not be the star of the bar (though it could be), for boiling water it’s perfect (well it is a kettle, you could rightly say…). Whether looks, build quality, or brand name carry much weight in your purchasing decisions is a matter for you to decide — I certainly wouldn’t disagree if they did. Heck, they do for me, and I’m delighted with this kettle given what I paid for it.

So if you are any way inclined to consider picking up one of these the next time they hit the middle aisle, you won’t be disappointed. Given I’m only a couple of months along, an opinion on long-term durability will have to wait, though for now, it’s perfect.

I will, however, continue to occasionally check in on Fellow’s “smoke green” Stagg EKG. Which incidentally (and perhaps somewhat tantalisingly…) I’ve also found on sale locally here.

Coffee equipment, where purchases quickly turn from the objective and rational, to the emotive and starry-eyed…

Happy brewing.

The Top-tier Coffee Drinker Prefers Decaf

/ Pete Denison / Leave a comment
Photo by Chevanon Photography on Pexels.com

James Hoffmann on YouTube:

The decaf drinker to me is the top-tier coffee drinker. They are the purest of all coffee drinkers because they’re just drinking it for the taste. They just like the taste of coffee, and they’re willing to drink decaf — disappointing decaf, often, to get there, and that feels very sad.

I must admit I’ve never really understood why decaf coffee, and by association, decaf coffee drinkers draw so much derision in the coffee community. You know, the whole death before decaf mantra. I’ve never found it amusing, nor understood what you’re trying to tell me.

Is it that you aren’t talented enough to source great decaf, roast it well (it can be challenging), or perhaps don’t really understand the nuances around brewing and serving it? Or, most fundamentally — you don’t understand the customer.

Look it’s ok. We often fear what we don’t understand.

The top-tier coffee drinker in my life? My wife, whom, until we met, was not a coffee drinker at all (what a surprise…). She did, however, push through many of the annoying effects of caffeine for some time before choosing to switch to decaf. Yes, I agree — top-tier wife.

Since that time many years ago, together we have seen most of, if not all of it. The pre-ground supermarket bag of decaf pulled from a cupboard and tipped into the portafilter. Being told in various ways (often politely, though not always) why decaf is not served at a particular establishment, including a bizarre mansplained monologue to my wife and daughter on why the style of roast is the issue — not the caffeine. Standing outside those “destination” cafés I’ve always wanted to visit, with my wife saying, “I don’t think we ask if they have decaf — I don’t want to embarrass you.”

How did it come to this…

Don’t get me wrong. We’re more than happy to be politely told decaf is not served and offered options (as you would for alternative milks, for example). It isn’t necessary, however, to go further and provide a diatribe on why you, as the consumer, are somehow too naive to know what is best for you.

Anyway, enough of that. A salute to all the cafés out there who serve a fantastic decaf. Seeing that measured dose thrown into an EK43? Perfect. A dedicated grinder? Wonderful — thanks for the acknowledgement. Taking up the challenge to serve something truly amazing when it can be a little more challenging? Hats off to you for having belief in your expertise. I’m sure there are more than a couple of us who appreciate you taking the time and making the effort. We’ll certainly be back.

Incidentally — the YouTube video I’ve linked to above provides a great overview of the various methods of producing decaf coffee and is worth a look if you are interested.

Finally, here’s to all the top-tier coffee drinkers out there, my door is always open, where the decaf doses are measured, ready, and ground on demand.

Alternatively, try some of my Brisbane favourites if you want service with a smile, minus the caffeine:

Edward Espresso & Kitchen – CBD

Industry Beans – CBD & Newstead

Anytime Coffee – CBD

Cups Runneth Over

/ Pete Denison / Leave a comment

There is always a periodic “refresh” in just about every hobby or passion you could turn your mind to. Every so often I think we rationalise to ourselves that the “things” are outdated or not functioning as they once did and we somehow need new ones.

The reality is more akin to the purchases being small enough to justify a reasonable cadence of replacement, but at the end of the day, satisfying the need for something new. Plain and simple, we want them. “New” is not necessarily essential to keep things ticking along, however will it bring significant enjoyment? Absolutely yes. Further, will it result in incremental improvement? Perhaps. Sometimes we’re just after new — sometimes better as well.

For your tech, it might be new apps. Your pens? Well, a new refill or ink never goes astray. Whatever you might be into, the “accessories” menu on any website is where you’ll find them. It might be an absolute necessity to “add to cart” to stumble over the line for free shipping, or conversely the: ”well if I’m going to pay shipping, I may as well throw in…”type of purchase.

Or it can be significantly more than that…

The humble cup

I cannot think of a more notable and deserving member of the accessories club than the coffee cup. No, I’m not talking about the myriad of takeaway style reusables out there, as important as they are for both the environment and our daily brew, but actual ceramic and glass. The OG’s if you will. Something you can actually wrap your hand around which will give you some warmth and love right back, rather than the apathy returned from an insulated reusable — or worse — a disposable takeaway cup.

One of the earliest “slow-living” enablers, rather than something you hastily fill, close and ram into your car’s cupholder.

Think about it: You. That early morning filter coffee or perfectly crafted cappuccino. Sunrise. A full-to-the-brim companion at your side. What could be better?

Depending on where they sit (atop an espresso machine, hanging on a hook, or sitting on a shelf), they are largely a decorative piece when not in use. The vibe might be one of blending in, or serving as somewhat of a statement piece, adding colour to your bar or kitchen.

As decorative as things may be, function is key. My earlier remark about the cup being the perfect accessory was probably a little flippant — for without careful consideration of material, shape, and design — we are simply left with all style and no substance. A red sports car isn’t just a red car…

You might say the humble coffee cup only has one job, and sure, you could say that, however holding liquid is merely the gateway into showcasing everything preceding that point in time. Long-held coffee wisdom tells us that once a coffee cherry is picked from the tree, we cannot improve on it — only do our best to stop the degradation of flavour and inherent characteristics that make it something special. A critical component of that final expression? The cup it is served in.

Minimum requirements

Now, of course brewing coffee at home will require a few things in addition to your basic consumables. The brewing equipment itself runs the gamut of the entire complexity and expense continuum, from a simple plastic brewer through to an expensive espresso machine. Often, though not always, a cup collection tends to be relatively proportional to that up-sloping curve.

Because as you can imagine, to even function as a human, I absolutely require the following to cater for the various beverages made on my espresso machine:

  • your typical 3oz (90ml) demitasse espresso cups and saucers in both traditional shape and branding, contrasted by some with a modern twist (100ml)
  • 5oz (148ml) cappuccino cups to hold the best type of morning beverage (traditional cappuccino) in the best sized cup;
  • standard 8.5oz (250ml) for those who choose ”mug” when offered the choice
The notNeutral Lino 5oz cappuccino cup (L), with perhaps the best designed handle I’ve used to date, and some of the ACME Roman range.

Anything larger than that for a milk-based drink, and we have no business writing a blog about coffee in any way shape or form. In this house, a 12oz beverage will only be achieved through two sixes, or hey, I’ll throw in a bonus ounce with an eight and a five.

The exception here? Filter coffee, where the diner mug or larger sized cup really comes into its own. For those, yes — we go large. Otherwise, stay classy people.

Fun, frivolity and function. A sample of my filter mugs: the Five Senses Tools of the Craft tin mug, Cat & Cloud original Kickstarter diner mug, and a Blue Bottle gift brought home by my travelling children.

Recent (and most welcome) additions

Long held desires recently fulfilled. The notNeutral Pico range in 6 and 8oz sizes, along with the fabulous emerald Vero Cortado glass.

…to fill in the gaps above. Yes, if you look closely there are a couple there:

  • a 4.0 to 4.5oz (120 – 133ml) cortado glasses, which fills very nicely the gaping 0.5 to 1.0 oz hole between my espresso and cappuccino cups
  • a deftly placed 6.0 to 6.5 oz (180 – 200ml) modern cappuccino cup for when 8oz is too much yet 5oz not enough

Well Peter, perhaps for those situations above you could just use a 5oz and 8oz respectively and not quite fill them? You are kidding, aren’t you?

By the way, you’ll find some of my favourite cups shown above, here:

notNeutral

ACME

Beautiful utility

Really the whole story. Things of beauty, serving a function superbly. A joy to (be)hold. Within the realms of modern, unique, vintage, retro or timeless, with a bit of searching and perhaps luck, you really can get anything that takes your fancy.

Could you use an old jam jar for the same purpose? Well, yes you could. If that purpose was simply to hold liquid, however, I’d argue that isn’t really the purpose at all. For me, beautifully made cups and glasses add to the entire experience of making and consuming coffee at home.

It’s not only how they look on the table in front of me, but also on the cup warming tray atop the espresso machine. It’s the weight, texture, and size as I pick them up to begin brewing. It’s the design aimed at maximising the sensory experience and retaining the heat, body, clarity, and texture of whatever I have just brewed or poured into the cup. Ultimately, it’s what I look at, what draws me in, and what I wrap my hand around at the table.

In the same way many hands have gone into producing, processing and roasting the coffee that now sits in the cup, if I’ve “bought well”, then many hands and design decisions have also gone into manufacturing the cup that particular coffee now fills. There is nothing quite like a beautiful, functional, well-designed piece of drink ware, and it’s something I will not stop putting considerable thought and attention to.

In closing, I do hope your preferred cup is full, and may it bring as much enjoyment and warmth to your soul as the coffee you have carefully placed in its care.

It’s October 1 — Happy International Coffee Day!