What does "quality" mean to you?

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Permalink Reply by nik orosi on February 7, 2008 at 7:24am

dont be mad on me for saying this, but coffee nero don't have good beans in my opinion, so once again, its just me, nothing personal to you or nero as a great firm. second, we dont drink brand or brands name but the coffee made from a barista, so he can have the best blend but if he dont know how to grind and dose or he or she are overheating milk, whats the point of 'best beans'? as for costumers, not so many of them knows so much about coffee but those who know, they will talk and spread the words, good or bad, majority is just bcos of brand and lets go there, but minority is going to places not so high profile as nero or starbucks maybe. will your barista champ work in nero or starbucks? i think never, not for any money!! needs a lot more than branded cups, paper napkins, bags etc...maybe this sounds hard to you but sorry, im just honest...once again, i do belive that quality as you asked means a high skilled barista, not a name or sign; the best this or the best that

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Permalink Reply by Bel Townsend on February 7, 2008 at 7:34am

oh, please, berate Nero as much as you want! I worked there because I didn't really have a choice, not because I like the company or like the coffee!!
So are you saying the 'high quality' comes from the baristas skill in making it then?

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Permalink Reply by nik orosi on February 7, 2008 at 7:39am

yes, dear, first, im deeply sorry, nothing against nero, after all, they are 20st in europe so anyone can ask, who are you (me) to talk this way. im just saying that alfa and omega in question youv asked is barista, he or she are giving us (or others) their harts, soul, knowledge...how many times did you went to some fancy bar or branded firm that everyone knows and being so much disapointed by their drinks or food? i used to work with illy, when i saw so bad illy quality served from barista around the world, i quit, i went my own way...thats what i wanted to say in the end, no logo, just taste

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Permalink Reply by Bel Townsend on February 7, 2008 at 7:47am

but can a very highly skilled barista make high quality coffee, if the beans they are using are crap?

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Permalink Reply by nik orosi on February 7, 2008 at 7:56am

he or she can make the best of it, with some overdosing and corse grinding, the can bring maybe (but i believe in) a more of taste....now is the question, if beans are crap, more coffee will bring more crap!!!hahaha...i really believe in barista is a brand, you, me, other of our friends here on barista exchange. i believe that everyone here or else where who wants to learn and search for answers is a good barista. so learn, taste, search....high quality coffee!!! whats that? i dont believe in this coffee is better than that one, ok, we know that that there are better and worse but for me barista is a 'quality coffee' answer.

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Permalink Reply by Pablo Castaneda on February 8, 2008 at 8:15am

For me everything start in the coffee bean. As a coffee grower that love to cultivate only the best of the best Guatemalan coffees. We precisely make sure the entire process is taking care. All the way to the soil of the coffee plant, to the type of grafting we are going to use in every step of the root. At least for my country coffee is an art. We want the best quality all the time, not every once or sometimes. For instance Bell I can have a SHB, and everything has been taking care as planned but if I do the handpicking a day after or a day before , the taste will be different. Or even when we roast the coffee, you can have a SHB or a specialty superb coffee, but if we mess up in the roasting, that's it. An entire year of harvest to the garbage indeed. At least in Kafes Guatemala, we have an entire team of coffee tasters (25 years of experience or more) that makes sure our coffees are superb and they taste the same all the time. The barista in Guatemala can tell the difference even when the coffee is from another region or so. In the U.S. market for instance unfortunately they do blends with other countries and they tell you is 100% origin coffee and you are paying as it was. I wonder if people knows that Vietnams harvest ends in the US as well, but have you ever seen a brand name or so with their name or so? I wonder as well if people even know what is Gourmet coffee, like if they know the 5 characteristics to determine if a coffee can be specialty coffee or gourmet. I hope you re doing great, nice trying to add to your university research or so.

best regards

Pablo Castaneda
www.kafesguatemala.com

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Permalink Reply by nik orosi on February 8, 2008 at 9:11am

this all is just great, thank you bel for bringing this, thanks to daniel and pablo, so much to learn from diff points of view...

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Permalink Reply by Peter Tam on February 9, 2008 at 4:34pm

It is the so-called,

1M: select green beans

2M: roast

3M: blend

4M: grind

5M: brewing

Nothing esprecial, but none of them can be missed.


(It as not ours, but the Italian traditions, as every body knows)

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Permalink Reply by nik orosi on February 10, 2008 at 7:15am

its 4M in italia, 1 is michella or a blend, 2. is machina or espresso machine, 3. is machinadosatore or grinder and 4. is for mano or hand of a barista. anyway, this 5 m's are quite ok but barista is missing and hes the most important in my opinion as the end of the coffee circle, with all do respect to others in this circle, without them, barista is just nobody

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Permalink Reply by Pablo Castaneda on February 10, 2008 at 10:52am

I totally understand your point Nik, but honestly I don't need a barista to enjoy a good cup of coffee. If we are focusing in extreme fancy beverages then I agree with you but I agree with Peter as well, each one of us have to put our magic to make this happen. For me Baristas are artists, you guys are, my respect to you guys indeed.

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Permalink Reply by Bel Townsend on February 10, 2008 at 11:04am

thanks for all your comments - very interesting indeed.
All the replies so far though seem to revolve around espresso, or at least baristas. I feel bad for saying this, but I don't think espresso is always the best way of brewing excellent coffees. What are your views on brewing excellent beans using drips for instance? Would that still be considered quality coffee?

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Permalink Reply by nik orosi on February 10, 2008 at 12:12pm

thats why i was saying, so much to learn, so much to find new. thanks Pablo, its right indeed, artists...as for your 'i dont need barista...' im laughing so much, this is the first time someone said something like that to me, not that is brave but is honest...just laughing so much...im 37 but this is great...and i was thinking people cannot live without me and my craft...hahahaha

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