by Tiffany Wertheimer (pictured left in excruciating concentration!)
A few days ago, Scott, Dianne and myself delved headfirst into the espresso world, by taking a coffee making class with Yahava’s trainer Lloyd Rainsford. As you’ll soon find out, there’s a lot to consider when making a good cup of coffee.
Yahava offer a number of different classes, so you can choose one which is best for your interests. For example, there are classes on roasting coffee, how to make the designs on the top of lattes, and of course the introductory class – how to make a good coffee!
Yahava’s class gave me so much respect for trained baristas, because they have to know a lot more than just how to pour milk – there is an entire science behind it. It’s no wonder that Lloyd is aching for certified baristas to have an official sticker to display on their espresso machines, so customers know they are getting the real deal.
Let me tell you now that coffee making is messy, and as Lloyd said, if you want to make a good coffee, you have to make a good mess! The first step is grinding the seeds. There are two rotating blades called “burs,” which usually need to be adjusted around ten times a day, to ensure the coffee is ground correctly. Factors such as heat, humidity and the age of the seeds can affect the burs settings. You basically want to extract all the oils out of the coffee when it is put through the espresso machine, so the hot water should be able to trickle through, with just a bit of resistance.
Once your coffee is ground, overfill the “basket” (the big spoon looking thing that you’ll put in the espresso machine), and then level it off and put it in the machine, letting the hot water do the rest of the work. The water should dribble really slowly at first, as it struggles to find the best path through the coffee, but then it should flow more easily, and just as it starts to get lighter in colour, and wave a little, STOP! Otherwise you’ll have a burnt coffee.
And hey presto! A perfectly made coffee, engineered to perfection, and if you want to, you can steam the milk and add it slowly into the cup. So the next time you order “just a cup of coffee”, be aware that it’s far more than that!
If you are interested in doing a coffee making class with Yahava, give Lloyd a call on 0433 800 500, or visit www.yahava.com.au
Not just a coffee…Yahava's training grounds!
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