Barista Training at Paulig Institute

Coffee keeps fascinating me. I am addicted to the taste of coffee but also the whole coffee culture interests me more and more all the time. Over the years I have traveled around the world and drunk different kind of coffee in so many memorable places. Many times I choose my holiday destinations just because of coffee and I always want to tour the local coffee shops. At home and at the office coffee is an essential part of my days. I have read books about coffee and bought different type of coffee makers to enjoy this wonderful drink. 

With a constantly growing need to learn more about coffee I decided to attend a professional barista training. The training was a one day course ”Barista basics” organized by the Paulig Institute at their head office and roastery in Vuosaari, Helsinki. The day started early but the sleepiness was soon gone due to the amazing morning coffee serving from the famous Paulig golden coffee cups! Honestly, it felt somewhat unreal drinking coffee from the iconic golden cups.  I must say I felt a little nervous holding the cup knowing that the cups (Arabia, Myrna) are exclusively made for Paulig and that they are now longer being made – you don’t want to drop a cup like that!

The training was divided in two parts: first theory lessons in the morning and then practical hands-on training in the afternoon. The theory part was a good introduction to where coffee comes from, how it it processed and roasted, and how good coffee is prepared. The day included also two cupping sessions.  

The practical training started with espresso brewing. After getting the espresso right it was time to move on to other espresso based drinks - cappuccino, caffe latte and latte macchiato. For these drinks it was important to learn how to prepare and pour the milk foam. Although I have an espresso machine at home it was very different to use the bigger professional machine. Actually with the right good machine it felt easier to get a good result. Well, except for the latte art – for that I still need some practice. Anyway it was so much fun making the cappuccinos that I could have continued the whole night! Other participants at the course seemed to feel the same since the trainers had to ask us to stop several times. The day ended with a practical lesson of the maintenance of the grinder and the espresso machine as clean machines are an absolute prerequisite for making good coffee. 

For the first round of cappuccinos the latte art was pretty "original" but at the end of the day the caffe latte and cappucinos looked a little more professional. 

Suomeksi (In Finnish)

Pauligin Baristan perusteet –kurssilla oppimassa lisää kahvista ja harjoittelemassa espresson, cappuccinon ja caffe latten oikeaoppista valmistusta. 

We Love Coffee

Add cafe and Helsingin Kahvipaahtimo (Helsinki Coffee Roastery) organized a We love coffee day on Valentine's Day Eve at Add cafe in Aalto digital design laboratory’s facilities in Otaniemi, Espoo. During the event different brewing methods were introduced and coffee was prepared for tasting (2 euros a cup). My coffee was made from their darkest roast, blend no 4, and prepared with aeropress.

At the event Tomi Nieminen from Helsingin Kahvipaahtimo gave an interesting lecture on coffee – where coffee comes from and what steps are needed before coffee is ready to be served. The lecture gathered around twenty coffee lovers to the coolest and whitest lecture room on the campus. I think the lecture and the event in total was good preparation for Valentine’s day – the ones who participated and bought coffee beans home can surprise their loved ones on Valentine’s day with fresh quality coffee and perhaps make an impression with their coffee knowledge.  

Do you have beans ready for Valentine’s day coffee? Are you planning a special coffee moment? Perhaps breakfast in bed?

See also my earlier post on Add café here.

Helsinki Coffee Tour 2.2.2014

On the first Sunday of February I took part to a coffee tour in Helsinki organized by Hanna-Maria Huhtonen from Mustana blog. The program of the tour was packed with the trendiest coffee shops in Helsinki and a visit to a coffee roastery. The tour started with morning coffee at Johan&Nyström's coffee shop by the sea in Katajanokka. I was there a little early and had time to enjoy a morning cappuccino and read some magazines before the tour started.  Other coffee shops on the tour were Fratello's siphon coffee bar in central Helsinki, Good Life Coffee in Kallio and Freese Coffee Co in Töölö. Most of the people on the tour moved from one place to the other by bicycle - even the snowy roads did not bother thirsty coffee fans.

Coffee made with the siphon was on the menu at Fratello Torrefazione. The video on Fratellos’s website shows what happens in siphon coffee making - it is like a visit to chemistry lab.

The tour also included a visit to Kaffa Roastery's roastery at a temporary location in Teurastamo area at Helsingin kahvipaahtimo's facilities. At the roastery coffee roaster Michael Akins introduced how the system of coffee roasting works and what happens to the beans in roasting. He also gave a demonstration by roasting one batch of beans. At the roastery we also tasted a new roast of Bolivian beans and got some samples to take home.

The party really got started at Freese's where we tasted three different coffees prepared by Finnish barista champion Kalle Freese in frespresso style (filter coffee made on the espresso machine). After all the coffee drinking people had a cheerful feel and caffeine levels hitting the roof.

The tour gathered around twenty coffee enthusiasts to learn about coffee roasting and brewing, spend time together, talk about coffee, and of course drink a lot of coffee. This was a first time for a coffee tour like this but hopefully more is to come. The participants seemed to be locals but I think tourists visiting Helsinki would enjoy this kind of program as well. The café culture definitely belongs to the top reasons to visit Helsinki.

Speciality coffee bars in libraries: Oieblikket and Democratic Coffee in Copenhagen

In Copenhagen I visited several great coffee bars and two of them were inside a library. One of them was Oieblikket coffee bar located in the Black Diamond - an extension to the Royal Library and a modern landmark of Copenhagen. The Black Diamond is indeed a black building facing the sea at the harbour front. The old part of the Royal library is connected to the Black Diamond with an atrium and the old and the new merge together amazingly well.  Oieblikket coffee bar is right in the entrance hall of the Black Diamond and has large windows with great views to the channels heading to the sea. Apart from the library and coffee bar, the building houses the National Museum of Photography, a bookshop, a roof-deck and a concert and theatre hall. Surely a place worth visiting while in Copenhagen.

Although the cafeteria has great views to enjoy with the coffee, this time I decided to have my coffee outside on the wooden benches facing the channel and waterfront. Together with the coffee I had a very healthy snack primarily made from nuts and seeds (a version of the Danish rugbread) – you know I am not always eating just cakes. The coffee served at Oieblikket comes from Estate coffee.

Per Kirkeby's stunning painting covers the ceiling of the Black Diamond.

At the Copenhagen Main Library (Hovedbiblioteket) in the city centre you find Democratic Coffee. This coffee bar is known for its good quality speciality coffees. The bar itself is quite small but more seats and tables are located in the library hall. Most customers at the Democratic Coffee seem to be students and other users of the library but I assume some coffee geeks go there as well. Their cappuccino tasted just right for me. 

Oieblikket

at the Black Diamond/Royal Library

Søren Kierkegaards, Plads 1

Copenhagen, Denmark

Democratic Coffee

at the Copenhagen Main Library (Hovedbiblioteket)

Krystalgade 15

Copenhagen, Denmark

Next stop for coffee: Copenhagen

Cup of coffee and a book to read

The Exhibitionist is a very small café full of books for the customers to read and purchase. I have heard that one could pay his coffee with a book here.  On my recent visit I paid my cappuccino the classical way but while there I took advantage of their travel books – you know I am always looking for new coffee destinations.  I think the Exhibitionist is a fun place if you want to take some time reading and enjoying a cup of quality coffee. They are told to serve some pastry as well but during my visit there was not really anything available and it was soon that I found myself on the other side of the street at a chocolate shop (Petris Chocolate Room).

The Exhibitionist

Museokatu 28

Helsinki, Finland

Coffee and wine tasting at Cafetoria

On Thursday evening Cafetoria Roastery together with Luomuviinit.fi organized a coffee and wine tasting at Cafetoria’s showroom in Helsinki. The tasting was focused on organic coffees and wines. Cafetoria’s owners Ivan Ore and Mia Nikander-Ore were hosting the coffee tasting. The coffee tasting menu had two organic espressos and two organic filter coffees. One of the coffees was naturally the organic and Fairtrade certified Gran Palomar – perhaps the best known and oldest of Cafetoria’s coffee brands. Gran Palomar is a filter coffee coming from Peru and is said to have the flavour and aroma of the Andes.

The espressos on the tasting menu were Espresso Amigo and Espresso Sublima. The Espresso Amigo is made from 100% Arabica beans coming from Honduras and Ethiopia. The Espresso Amigo worked very well in a cappuccino and gave a flavoursome yet soft taste. The Espresso Amigo ended up being my favourite of the entire tasting. The other espresso – Espresso Sublima – was very good as well but comparing to the Espresso Amigo I felt the taste was a little more spicy and acid.  The Espresso Sublima was told to be an organic blend of gourmet Arabica coffees from South and Central Americas.

The tasting was organized at Cafetoria’s beautiful showroom.

After tasting the coffees it was time to taste some organic wines. The online wine shop "Luomuviinit.fi" was in charge of the wine tasting and they served several organic red and white wines coming from Spain and Italy. Similarly as with the coffees I personally do not prefer much acidity in any drinks and this clearly influenced in the wine tasting as well.  Maybe it was because the weather has now turned colder the red wines seemed much more interesting than the white ones.  Of the red wines I tasted a favourite was easily found. The Spanish red wine Aroa Gorena Reserva coming from Aroa Bodeagas in Navarra was preferred by many of the participants – including myself.  The Aroa Gorena Reserva is a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon red wine matured in oak barrels for 18 months making it taste soft and full-bodied. This is a wine I would consider to accompany a  well cooked meat dish. Good to keep in mind when preparing a special dinner!

The Aroa Gorena Reserva standed out in the wine tasting.

Cafetoria Roastery

Runeberginkatu 31

Helsinki, Finland

POC People On Caffeine

POC People On Caffeine and CaffeCouture (pictures of CaffeCouture in this earlier post) – coffee bars in Vienna - have been nominated in the category for "Best Independent Coffee Shop Europe 2013" by the European Coffee Awards. According to the European Coffee Awards this year the awards especially recognise and promote company and individual excellence across the sector. POC definitely fits well in the category in terms of individuality. POC is a third wave coffee bar and represents the young independent trendy coffee culture in Vienna.

On my resent trip to Vienna I had a chance get a cup of POC caffeine. My dose – a cappuccino – looked in the cup so good that I would have not wanted to break the art on top. Taste of coffee is naturally the most important thing and this cup was of top quality.

POC coffee bar is actually located in a corner basement of a church.  The place itself is small and their bar design is very rough and unconvential compared to traditional cafes. If you wish to sit down to enjoy the coffee there are only a few chairs available. The location is close to the University of Vienna and I guess their customers are mostly young adults taking their coffee on their way to school. The place is a must for coffee geeks but if you are looking for traditional Viennese coffee houses, this is not the place. I will publish a review of in my opinion the best traditional coffee houses in Vienna here later.

The coffee bar is almost hidden in this quiet street corner. 

POC People On Caffeine

Schlösselgasse 21

Vienna, Austria

How about The Other Cookie?

I will start the café reviews by introducing in my opinion one of the best cafés in Finland. Later I plan to write a separate text about what makes a good café and what is my criteria for the “best cafes”. Anyway, these are the places I really recommend for having coffee and cake.

Café Toinen keksi (The Other Cookie in English) has currently three cafés in the South of Finland, one in the city centre of Salo, one in Halikko (Design hill cafe) and one in Teijo (Masuuni cafe). Café Toinen keksi serves a lunch menu (soups and salads) and has a good selection of cakes and chocolates. The coffee menu is special for having cortado on the menu. This is so far the only café in Finland that I have found to have cortado on their coffee menu. Since I love cortados, this is the place for me! 

At café Toinen keksi coffee is always served with some little sweets.

Their cakes are also delicious.

Toinen keksi/ The Other Cookie

Turuntie 15, Salo, Finland

Vaskiontie 418, Halikko, Finland

Telakkatie 17,  Teijo, Finland