Tips & Tricks

The Bean

At Neli Coffee we pride ourselves on using the finest quality specialty grade beans. Our reasoning for this is simple; we think that to roast great coffee, starting with premium quality green beans is a no brainer. Although we have several signature blends, we encourage you to taste our single origin coffees. The beauty of single origin coffee is really in the range of flavours that can be found; from the spicy and bright acidity of the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, to the citrus smooth and sweet body of the Brazil Ipanema, there is a variety and taste to tempt any palate!



The Roast

The humble coffee bean goes through a number of significant chemical reactions during roasting. With the exception of the quality of the bean (and the final extraction), everything we do during the roast goes towards determining the end flavour of the bean. We adjust our roasting profile to suit the bean, and amongst many other variables, this depends primarily on its origin, density, temperature and water content. Ultimately, we are trying to match the roast to the bean - and this takes practice, practice and more practice.



Storage

Whether as a green bean or roasted, the natural enemies of coffee are humidity, high temperatures (including temperature variation), and sunlight. We store all our coffee in a purpose built temperature controlled and dehumidified room. At home, we don’t think the best place for your coffee is the fridge or freezer, instead we suggest keeping your coffee in the pantry. Try and keep it in an airtight container or preferably the bag it came in. Coffee beans give off large volumes of carbon dioxide following roasting, the one way seals on our bags ensure that the gas escapes and the freshness is preserved. We recommend you buy coffee in small quantities, grind fresh, and use it all within 3 - 4 weeks of purchase.





Coffee Menu

Here is a list of the coffee's we make and a short description on how we make them. We recommend serving all coffee's immediately after they have been made, especially if they are non-milk based.

Ristretto (short glass or short espresso cup) 15ml in around 15 seconds from a single shot.

Double Ristretto (short glass or short espresso cup) 15ml in around 15 seconds from a single shot, reload, and repeat pouring over the top of the first shot.

Espresso (short espresso cup) 30ml from a single shot in roughly 25-30 seconds.

Short Macchiato (short glass) 30ml from a single shot in roughly 25-30 seconds with a small stain of milk poured though the crema(approx 1 teaspoon of milk).

Cappuccino (Long espresso cup) 30ml from a single shot in roughly 25 – 30 seconds, filled 2/3 with textured frothy milk, and dusted with chocolate (optional).

Latte (Long glass) 30ml from a single shot in roughly 25-30 seconds, filled with textured milk and aiming for approx 1cm of froth.

Flat White (Long espresso cup) 30ml from a single shot in roughly 25-30 seconds, filled with textured milk.

Affogato (Long glass) 60ml from a double shot in roughly 25-30 seconds poured over a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Doppio (Long glass) 60ml from a double shot in roughly 25-30 seconds.

Long Black (Long espresso cup) ¾ fill cup with boiling water and layer 60ml from a double shot in roughly 25-30 over the top.

Long Macchiato (Long glass) 60mls from a double shot in roughly 25-30 seconds with (approx 2 teaspoon) stain of milk poured through the crema.

Doppio Ristretto (Short glass) The first 30mls of a double espresso.

Mocha (Long glass) 30mls form a single shot in 25-30 seconds, spoon of chocolate powder, stir, fill with textured milk and approx 1cm of froth, dust with chocolate.

Piccolo latte (Short glass) 30mls from a single shot and fill the rest of the glass with textured milk and a very slight frothy top.



Cupping Coffee

Coffee cupping is a process by which small, consistent quantities of a roasted coffee are ground, brewed, and then tasted. Certain tastes and aromas are looked for in cupping and we use some of the below words to describe what we find.

Acidity - this is a good thing in coffee and refers to the brightness of a coffee. We might also say that a coffee has winey, dry, or clear acidity to name a few. Acidity in coffee is vital if you want to cut through milk. Additionally, the darker you roast, the more you flatten out acidity.

Aroma - as the name suggests, this is the smell or fragrance of the coffee and it can tell you a lot about what you are about to taste. Dull, lifeless aroma will usually be indicative of a dull, lifeless cup. Whereas a pleasant floral aroma with hints of orange blossom and cinnamon might tell you you're on to something good.

Body - this is how we describe the texture of the coffee on the back of the palate, whether its dense and heavy or light and vague.

Balance - again as the name suggest, this is used to describe flavours which are in equilibrium. Where one flavour does not overpower another.

Flavour - this is an all encompassing term to describe the attributes of the coffee and the final impression.