COFFEE NOTES JULY/AUGUST
Welcome to the July/August issue of Coffee Notes. This issue will begin with the story of the espresso machine, tracing today’s tech-induced machines back to the pre-technology days of Italy in the early 1900s. Further, we’ll discuss whether the full potential of tea has been realised, how the coffee industry is breaking up with single-use plastic and what you can do with your used coffee grounds. As always, we’re here if you have any questions or want to talk through anything you’ve read here today. You can get in touch with us at: coffeepartners@uk.nestle.com
3-MIN READ
THE ESPRESSO MACHINE STORY The espresso is at the heart of every coffee. The centrepiece of every café is the espresso machine - the definition of innovation in the coffee industry. Coffee dates back as far as the early 1400s – pre-technology and pre-espresso machine. So, when was the espresso machine invented? How has it developed since its earliest model? What does the future of the espresso machine look like? Let’s take a look.
1884
THE ESPRESSO WAS BORN
Italian culture is synonymous with coffee, so it’s fitting that Italy was the birthplace of the espresso machine. The first espresso machine was built by Angelo Moriondo of Turin, Italy, in 1884. He was granted a patent for “New steam machinery for the economic and instantaneous confection of coffee beverage.” Though his espresso machine invention was the first of its kind to use both steam and water, it was essentially a bulk brewer and no verifiable machines around today can be attributed or linked to his designs, nor are there any photographs of his work.
1901
PRIMARY INNOVATIONS
The late 19 th and early 20 th century gave witness to the Italian industrial revolution. During this time, factory bosses noticed how their workers performed better after a coffee break. The problem was that it took anywhere upwards of five minutes for workers to get their coffee made and even longer to drink it. Each coffee had to be brewed in smaller batches and was closer to Turkish coffee than what we know as the espresso today. Luigi Bezzera, a local mechanic in Milan, patented improvements on Angelo Moriondo’s original coffee machine in 1901. The first of these patents was titled "Innovations in the machinery to prepare and immediately serve coffee beverage", with further ones including the portafilter and multiple brew heads. From Luigi Bezzera’s innovations, a coffee could finally be brewed in seconds and he would go down in history as the inventor of the espresso. However, due to its need for an open flame it was hard to control temperature and pressure, meaning it couldn’t guarantee a consistent shot. Bezzera designed and built a few prototypes of this machine, but his lack of funding meant he couldn’t grow the business or market the machine as he wanted, although he knew someone who could.
1905
THE IDEALE
In 1905 the patent was bought by Desiderio Pavoni, founder of La Pavoni company. The pair worked together on perfecting their espresso machine, which Pavoni dubbed the Ideale, in a small workshop in Via Parini, Milan. At the Milan Fair in 1906, the two men introduced the world to the “café espresso”. The Ideale marked an important step in the initial developments of the modern espresso and was the first commercial espresso machine on the market. It could produce up to 1,000 cups of coffee per hour and it started the fashion of drinking Italian "espresso" in Europe, the idea of which would spread across the world. After its grand introduction at the Milan Fair, similar espresso machines to the Ideale began to appear throughout Italy.
1945
THE PISTON PUMP
The first espresso machines forced steam through the coffee which burnt it, but after World War II in 1945, an espresso machine was developed in Italy by Achille Gaggia, founding father of Gaggia, that used a piston-pump system. This was a revolution. It forced hot water (not boiling) through the coffee and was further pressurised by a spring-piston lever pulled by the barista. This process produced a more natural taste, increased the water pressure from between 1.5-2 bars to between 8-10 bars of pressure (the modern-day standard). It also produced a layer of foam known as ‘the crema’ – one of the key characteristics of modern-day espresso.
1945 1961 – PUMP-DRIVEN PROGRESS Gaggia’s piston machines were finally surpassed by pump-driven machines, introduced in 1961 with the Faema E61 by Ernesto Valente. These machines had a motor-driven pump to provide the full nine bars of pressure needed to brew an espresso and didn’t rely on the barista’s manual force for additional pressure. It became the most popular design in commercial espresso bars and largely remains so to this day, even with the continued rise in automation throughout the industry.
TODAY FOURTH-WAVE COFFEE , AUTOMATION & SELF-SERVE Many espresso machines today have software that controls and stores every tiny nuance that goes into an espresso-based drink, improving consistency for espresso extraction and milk texturing. Further, with modern developments of self-serve coffee machines, a great coffee can be enjoyed in the workplace, at home and on-the-go, at the touch of a button without the need for a professionally trained barista at all. Some believe automation could spell the end of the barista, while others see this as a fantastic evolution to the customer experience. For baristas, automation has provided more time for customer interaction – a key part of the coffee shop experience – while still being able to assist in delivering great coffee by focusing on getting the recipes right and the coffee dialled in. For business owners, it allows for a quicker turnaround of customers, higher levels of consistency and long-term profit gains due to a lesser need for hiring workers. This is particularly useful for businesses where coffee isn’t the centrepiece e.g., convenience stores and petrol stations. The landscape of the coffee industry has changed and espresso machines are now almost unrecognisable from their earliest models. Fourth-wave coffee (scientific methods, accuracy in brewing, water chemistry etc.) has brought technology innovations to the espresso machine that the likes of Luigi Bezzera and Desiderio Pavoni could only dream about. Purists may claim the “art” of the espresso machine is being lost, but there’s an equal case to be had for the continuation of automation, especially if that means more time between baristas and customers and more time for perfecting the coffee-making process. No matter how far coffee innovation goes, the espresso will always be at the heart of every coffee, the espresso machine will still be the centrepiece of every café and the espresso machine will still be the definition of innovation in the coffee industry.
1-MIN READ
WHY YOU SHOULD KEEP YOUR COFFEE GROUNDS AROUND The lifespan of coffee grounds largely revolves around the making of coffee. But once the coffee has been made, what next? The obvious next step is to dispose of the grounds, but how? Coffee grounds have much more potential to be unleashed. Let’s take a look at some different ways to use them.
1
https://www.growveg.co.uk/guides/a-common-sense-guide-to-using-coffee-grounds-in-the-garden/
R EPEL I NSECTS AND PESTS
(AND FLEAS FROM YOUR PETS)
The rough, grainy texture of coffee grounds can repel slugs and snails from your flowers and plants. A variety of other bugs and insects also don’t like coffee grounds’ intense acids and aromas, including ants and fleas, so keeping a cup of coffee grounds around can help you fight off all those unwanted visitors.
FERTILISE SOIL If you have access to a garden, a plot of land or houseplants, you can sprinkle your used coffee grounds into the soil as a natural fertiliser. Coffee grounds contain the right amount of nitrogen, as well as some potassium and phosphorus, plus other micronutrients, making it a great slow-release fertiliser 1.
NEUTRALISE ODOURS From your fridge and freezer, your shoes, drawers and gym bag to anywhere that might hold an unpleasant scent. A small cup of coffee grounds will help absorb and eliminate bad odours. You can even keep ground coffee by the sink and use them to scrub your hands after chopping garlic or onions.
EXFOLIATE YOUR SKIN The coarse particles of ground coffee work as a good exfoliating agent to help remove dirt and dead cells from the skin. Mix some of your used coffee grounds with a little water and use them as a facial and body scrub.
TOUCH UP FURNITURE SCRATCHES Wooden furniture can easily get scuffed and scratched. While there are products that can help minimise the appearance of scratches, if you have coffee grounds handy, they do a fine job, too. Whether you can put your ground coffee to extra use, or know someone who might benefit from them, the tips above show that coffee grounds are worth keeping around and can go much further than your daily cup of coffee.
2-MIN READ
THE BREAK-UP BETWEEN COFFEE AND SINGLE-USE PLASTIC
The coffee industry has leaned on plastic for a long time. From straws and stirrers to takeaway cups, plastic has often been the backbone of what consumers have used when getting their daily cup of coffee. Conscious consumers are more aware than ever of the full impact plastic has on the environment, as well as the coffee industry’s own involvement. They’re demanding action and the coffee world is responding. With sustainability now being at the forefront of many movements across the industry, plastic is high on the agenda for coffee roasters and coffee shops alike; looking at ways to reduce the need for it and seeking more sustainable alternatives.
WHAT ’S THE PROBLEM WITH PLASTIC IN THE COFFEE INDUSTRY? In 2018, the Environmental Audit Committee estimated 2.5 billion takeaway coffee cups were used in the UK each year. 2 9 out of 10 of consumers put these takeaway cups in recycling bins with the expectation that they’ll be recycled 3. However, despite being made of paper, most takeaway cups have a plastic lining to make them waterproof, which makes them hard to recycle. In fact, less than 1% of takeaway cups are successfully recycled. 4 Currently, there are only three recycling facilities in the UK that can separate the plastic lining from the paper cup.
WHY DO CONSUMERS USE TAKEAWAY CUPS? Consumers use takeaway coffee cups for various reasons; from commuting to-and-from work, returning to work from a lunch break, to drinking coffee outside in public areas. Takeaway cups offer quick and easy solutions to on-the-go consumers, who may not anticipate wanting a coffee when leaving the house. Further, with coffee shops being limited to a capacity, sometimes takeaway cups are unavoidable.
ARE TAKEAWAY CUPS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM? Reducing single-use takeaway cups is only part of the bigger picture. An 8oz full-fat milk latte has a carbon footprint of 250g. 5 Of that, only 5% is from the takeaway cup and lid, with 75% coming from the milk and 22% coming from the coffee making process. Whilst the plastic percentage of the footprint may be tiny in comparison, it is a part of the problem that is most easily visible to consumers and can be directly improved today. So, how can we reduce the amount of plastic used in the industry?
2
h ttps://committees.parliament.uk/committee/62/environmental-audit-committee/news/100314/mps-call-for-latte-levy-oncoffee-cups/
3
https://unitedbaristas.com/articles/insights/wasting-less-but-were-still-left-wanting-more-from-the-proposed-latte-levy/
4
h ttps://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/disposable-coffee-cups-how-big-problem-environment-landfillrecycling-incinerate-export-rubbish-a8142381.html
5
h ttps://unitedbaristas.com/articles/think-pieces/why-keepcup-cant-save-the-world/
LIMIT THE USE OF TAKEAWAY CUPS Takeaway cups have many uses aside from simply holding coffee. It’s common in coffee shops for baristas to use cups to hold grinder and espresso machine parts during cleaning and servicing, as well as mixing hot chocolate, storing liquids and purging coffee grounds. In this instance, by replacing takeaway cups with mugs, you’re immediately reducing the number of takeaway cups that end up in waste. Another widespread use for takeaway cups is double-cupping. Drinks like the americano are often too hot for customers to hold comfortably, especially single-walled cups, so baristas are known to serve these drinks in two cups, therefore doubling the amount of plastic destined for waste. Investing in sleeves will stop this from happening and encouraging customers to drink-in would eliminate the issue entirely.
PROMOTE AND INVEST IN REUSABLE CUPS The largest issue related to reusable cups is people not using them regularly, but the benefits of them are undeniable. A single reusable cup saves hundreds of single-use takeaway cups from ending up in landfill every year due to recycling assumptions. For coffee shops, having reusable cups readily available for purchase, displaying promotions and offering discounts will encourage customers to make the change. Regular reminders and further promotions of them will likely increase the chance of them being consistently used.
IS A PLASTIC-FREE COFFEE INDUSTRY POSSIBLE? A plastic-free future requires action on a political, commercial and consumer level. So, while a plastic-free future is a tall ask, it is possible. Due to the rise in conscious consuming and demand for more sustainable practices, short-term actions on a consumer and commercial level are naturally phasing single-use plastics out and moving the industry in the right direction. Even if eliminating takeaway cups completely isn’t possible, if more recycling plants have the capability to recycle takeaway cups, we can at least have a landscape that can accommodate them while the industry continues to move in a more sustainable direction.
REALISING THE FULL POTENTIAL OF TEA
3-MIN READ
Britain is historically known as being a nation of tea drinkers. Over more recent years, however, coffee has won over the hearts of many. While coffee has progressed significantly, tea has arguably fallen behind. Many menus across the hospitality industry still offer basic black and herbal teas with a cup of boiling water. This raises a question; have we unlocked the full potential of tea-based drinks? There are many cold and hot tea options to fit the modern dining experience, from aged and fermented teas like turmeric lattes and pu-erh, to iced teas, which all remain largely unexplored.
TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE The steeping process of brewing tea is one of its largest challenges. In a commercial coffee shop, a customer can expect a speciality coffee in a matter of seconds, such is the progress that’s been made with espresso machines over the decades. With tea, however, to get the best out of a cup, a customer would need to steep it for anywhere between 2-5 minutes. This adds to the customer experience when drinking in, especially if the tea is served with cakes, pastries etc. but it isn’t favourable for the on-the-go consumer. Loose tea offers opportunity for a heightened café experience. Generally, loose tea is higher quality than traditionally bagged tea, often because you can see the quality of the tea leaves. Like traditional tea, there is a longer steeping time than that of coffee and its strengths are best experienced sitting-in as opposed to takeaway. However, you can now find many teas where loose tea leaves are inside teabags, which has bridged that gap between the sitting-in and on-the-go experiences.
COLOUR IS KING The natural colours and textures of many teas are visually very pleasing, making for interesting subjects of photos and attracting more non-coffee consuming customers to the café space. Bubble tea, for example, alongside matcha, chai, kombucha and turmeric lattes, have rocketed in popularity in the US due to their interesting textures and colours, appealing mostly to non-coffee drinkers, something which has started to appear in various UK cafés but hasn’t experienced the same ‘boom’.
NATURAL INGREDIENTS Herbal beverages are commonly made from natural ingredients of numerous plant parts, such as roots, stems, buds, leaves, fruits and flowers. This has always been a draw for consumers but is especially so in recent years with the younger generations.
ICED TEA REVOLUTION There’s a growing demand for iced tea beverages, largely from Generation Z. With combined ingredients such as botanicals, flowers and Asian dessert flavours, iced tea allows for interesting flavour profiles, from mango with honey, watermelon and pomegranate green tea to blueberry white tea to name a few. The ready-to-drink iced tea space is developing and the labelling of ‘tea infusions’, which taste just like freshly brewed tea, provides the consumer with an association of a more natural product. There have even been launches of certain ‘premium tea infusions’ using specially selected tea leaves, allowing for both variety of leaf and origin to be stated on labelling, like that of speciality coffee beans.
THE FUTURE OF TEA Consumers are more knowledgeable, curious, health-conscious and hungry for choice. Coffee has an expansive menu of choice, from origins and blends to brew methods. Now, tea-based beverages with various forms of serving, exotic flavours, colours and self-care benefits, have the potential to join coffee on centre stage. Both consumers and cafés appear ready for a worldwide revolution in tea culture, especially in the ready-to-drink iced tea sector, which could echo that of third-wave coffee. Now it’s just a case of how, when and where cafés will reap the benefits.
Nestlé Coffee Partners offers a range of brands and solutions to suit your customers’ requirements. If you’d like to talk through any of what you’ve read and explore how we can help you leverage the insights we’ve shared in this issue, or if you’d simply like to catch up over a coffee, we’d love to hear from you. We’re available on +44 (0)203 124 1029 (Option 2) or at coffeepartners@uk.nestle.com.