When your working from home, perhaps coffee is the most important part of making your day somewhat normal!

Here I am steaming milk for a flat white, extracting an espresso base for that flat white, while simultaneously topping up my espresso base in a coffee mug to make an American style long black. A traditional long black is made by adding hot water to an empty cup, then pouring an extracted espresso base on top of the hot water. While the American version is faster and more convenient to produce, requiring only the single cup, the traditional method ensure the crema is preserved and added to the top of the hot water.  

Have you tried pour-over coffee? It's perfect for the office, or a quiet and delicate way to prepare coffee. I use one when I am away from home paired with some pre-ground coffee.

Simply insert a new paper filter into the pour over device, add 30 grams of ground coffee, pour water that has come off the boil a few minutes ago (to get your water to around 91c) and allow time for your brew to drip through the filter.

If you need some Hario coffee filters or a pour-over appliance, a complete starter kit can be yours for about $30, including filters. Available on the website www.baybeans.com.au or email/PM me. 

I have to admit, I am a tech head and I've been following Elon for a long time - around the time he was part of the sale of PayPal to Ebay in 2002 after founding it as x.com in 1999. He was reported to have earned $165m from the $1.5b sale. 

So, of course when he launched the Cybertruck, like the nerd I am, I was glued to my device watching the livestream - this ute is completely different to what I expected, but actually, exactly as I expected. 

I know how it feels - you've got a great coffee machine at your office. but your staff still seem to find themselves wandering downstairs to the cafe instead of using the office coffee machine - why? 

The solution is simple - pre-packaged coffee from your stationery supplier, or supermarket just doesn't have the flavour or intensity to make a great cafe quality coffee at work - for that, you need fresh roasted coffee beans. 

The great news is that you don't need to spend more to get more - Bay Beans fresh roasted coffee beans cost the same or less than most supermarket coffee beans and your coffee beans are roasted fresh and delivered free to your office! You know your in great company with Bay Beans being enjoyed by many of the best cafes and workplaces in Australia and we've been doing it since 2006! Our coffee beans are delivered to engineering companies, accountants, recruiters, real estates, cafes, financial planners, manufacturing and a good number of small businesses too. 

The most popular coffee in an office environment is Espresso Master and Forte - they are both bold coffee's with enough kick to have your staff feeling like they are enjoying cafe quality coffee at work and they'll thank you for it!

I recall over ten years ago, my first discussion with Martin Buggy, the co.-founder of Bondi Chai - an Australian company dedicated to producing high quality chai latte for both the local and international market. His passion and dedication was testament to the quality chai product he produced,  and the reason we partnered with Bondi Chai almost immediately.  

Ten years on, Chai latte is becoming one of the most popular non-coffee drinks in Australian cafés! With Australian's being one of the most mature and loyal customers when it comes to cafe culture, it is no surprise it is the quality, taste and Australian branding of Bondi Chai that has us standing proud. 

A 2018 report from 'Square' places the average cost of chai latte at $4.57 for a regular - thats 38c cents higher than the next most expensive drink being hot chocolate. I don't know about you, but when I'm paying almost $5 for my chai, I want it to taste just as good as I expect and to have that fabulous mouthfeel from a deliciously smooth and creamy chai latte.  

While some café owners are falling prey to the confusion surrounding chai latte and many of the syrups
and premixes available, most appreciate the quality and recognition of a premium product. Few café owners have the time or resources to make an authentic Indian chai masala - it can take half an hour to make an ‘authentic’ chai masala (what we call chai latte) by steeping tea leaves and raw spices.

The best hope café owners have is to use a pre-mix that retains as much of that authenticity as possible while being mindful of the resources required, however, customer feedback, the barista's input and the cafe owners knowledge should all be considered. Australian consumers especially can very quickly determine when the chai latte they’ve ordered is premium quality chai mix or a syrup based drink. 

Most chai drinkers would say syrups are the furthest from the mark, complaining that they’re too sickly-sweet and have a taste reminiscent of artificial flavours. By considering what your chai is made from, whether it uses natural ingredients, how its prepared by the barista and how it ultimately tastes, you will both benefit your cafe's reputation and respect your customers loyalty. 

We’re never surprised when café owners who use syrup based products tell us that ‘chai doesn’t sell!’ We fell in love with chai latte years ago because, luckily, our first experience was with a good quality product – but too often we hear from people who are disappointed with bad chai latte and desperate to know how they can find a solution for their customers - it's easier than you'd think!

Chai Latte is a deliciously smooth beverage that is as comforting as a hot milo by the fireplace on a cold winters night! I'm not sure if its the familiar texture of the creamy milk, or the staring role of cinnamon in the company of cardamom and star anise, but whatever it is, Chai Latte is delicious!

Making a Chai Latte at home is so simple too - its the same process as making a hot milo or hot chocolate. Drop a couple of teaspoons into a milk jug (or cup), add a small amount of hot water to dissolve the chai then top it off with milk and steam it as you would regular milk for coffee. If you don't have an espresso machine steam wand, your microwave is your friend. 

You might be surprised to know, that even though the word Latte is used to describe the popular coffee, there is no coffee in a chai latte. the ingredients are: Cinnamon, Cardamon, Star Anise, Tea Extract, Sugar, Glucose Syrup, Vegetable Oil, Sodium Caseinate from Milk, Emulsifier (471), Stabiliser (340), Anti-Caking Agent (551), Beta Carotene, Dextrose, Milk Solids and  Caramel Colour. 

​Bulletproof coffee is a drink you can make yourself at home with some simple ingredients. Let me start by saying I am not a fan of Bulletproof coffee, but I don't need to be - its a personal choice. 

The recipe for Bulletproof coffee is pretty simple;

1. 60 grams of fresh roasted coffee, ground for plunger and mixed with 500mls of hot water in a french press
2. 10 grams of MCT oil (available at Woolworths) - its a coconut oil derivative.
3. 30 grams of unsalted butter
4. mix it all together in a blender

There are a number of claims that have been made about bulletproof coffee, with my approach being 'everything in moderation' is a good mantra when it comes to new products and ideas like this.

Bulletproof coffee borrows ideas from the ketogenic diet or a low carbohydrate diet that can assist a person with diabetes to reduce the risk of heart attack, loose or control weight, lower blood sugar levels and reduce hunger. You should balance these ideas with the increase in saturated fats that comes from both the butter and MCT oil. It's important to be aware that two tablespoons of butter (40 grams) contains 14 grams of saturated fats - the recommended limit of saturated fats is 14 grams. The recipe above contains 30 grams of butter, or 10.5 grams of saturated fats. 

The core idea behind Bulletproof coffee is to replace your breakfast with this coffee. While the recipe may satisfy your hunger, it does not deliver the nutrients you may need. A balanced diet contains protein, fruits, vegetables and carbohydrates, so don't forget those when planning your diet if that is important to you.