"Please tell me one thing. If I will order my coffee beans right now on your website, when can they be delivered to Baulkham Hills 2153, NSW? 

Also, I have a Jura Automatic Machine. Before this one we had a DeLonghi for almost 5 years but it needed to be replaced. I wanted to buy something manual (not automatic machine) but we are really lazy and again we bought an automatic machine. However, I really hope that Jura S8 will be a good choice and the coffee will taste great. How should we set the grinder to grind the coffee?"

With your coffee being roasted fresh this morning, if you order by around 11am, I am able to package your coffee and lodge it with the courier today - they can deliver it to Baulkham Hills tomorrow.

I completely understand your choice of automatic machine, in fact, it can be a better choice than a standard machine. With the automatic machine, you, your wife or visitors can make a great coffee at ease, whereas with a manual machine, perhaps you will always be tasked with the responsibility and you wouldn't enjoy it as much. 

For the coffee grind setting, it is individual to each machine, even of the same type. Aim for a grind that allows your coffee to extract in 30 seconds. If it is longer than that, you'd need to make your grind a little more coarse to allow the water to pass through more easily. If it is gushing out too fast, make your grind finer. 

"Could you help me choose a good coffee bean variety for home usage? I'm not a full expert as I'm using Jura s8 expresso machine but still I love great coffee. I need a minimum two types of coffee; One for my wife - can’t be strong or sour and needs to be delicate and good for cappuccino. Second for me - I’m in love with espresso. Coffee can be strong, slightly sour with good crema. We both prefer 100% arabica (not with robusta) with some additional aftertaste (like cocoa etc). Are you able to propose something for our first coffee beans purchase in Australia?" 

Hi, thanks for your email. 

I am happy to help! The Jura S8 is a great automatic machine and will love and care for your coffee needs - you've made an excellent choice to seek out fresh roasted coffee beans. It sounds to me like your wife will really enjoy Forte (I'll send you the links below). It is a mild to medium coffee with that classic brazil and Colombian flavour profile that brings out some chocolate tones. Mocha Prince steps that chocolate up a little, but does also tend to make the coffee a little more mild, but that could be a good thing here. 

For yourself, I have to give you two recommendations - Espresso Master is my favorite for espresso and long black coffee with a perfectly balanced flavour profile. If however, you're looking for something a little more adventurous, you'd have to give Super Crema a go - it really is quite bold and full of flavour, and that crema is really something! 

Here are the links to the different varieties - I hope it helps. 

Regards,
 
James Axisa
Chief Espresso Officer

www.baybeans.com.au
Mobile: 0428 555 535
Voicemail callback: 02 8208 3477
 
[I reply to all emails personally]

"We are having debate in the office about dual wall or single wall filters (we have the Breville dual boiler manual machine). What is better with your coffee beans? Also – for the large filter basket how many grams should we be using for one coffee, and how fine?"

That's a pretty advanced debate, it's a pretty small percentage of coffee lovers that care to think about it. 

The answer comes from why Breville introduced the Dual Wall portafilter at all.. the idea behind it is that it pressurises the basket then forces all the coffee out through a tiny nozzle, to then relax again and drip into the cup. its a fake internal bottom with its sole purpose to force coffee through a small hole, which in turn aerates the coffee. That aeration is what creates a foam like look to the extraction, which then mimics quality coffee with crema. The problem was that most of Breville's customers at the time were buying supermarket coffee, which was sometimes 12 or more months post roast (minimum 3 months), where the crema is dissipated after 6 weeks usually. This problem was compounded by companies like Lavazza who would leave their roasted coffee out to go stale before packaging it, so that the bags could be formed into bricks, and retain that shape during transit - wasted air means higher transport costs. 

So, that's the reason the dual wall was invented, and it doesn't really cause a problem with fresh roasted coffee at all, except it creates an unnatural path for the water under pressure to flow through the puck - water will take the path of least resistance and so it will head for the middle and not so much the sides - will that result in a weaker coffee? Will that reduce the flavour of your coffee? 

A traditional single walled filter allows a more natural path for your water to flow through the puck, and could mean your coffee tastes fuller. The only downside is if you are using coffee that is not fresh roasted, you will end up with a flat looking coffee. Its important to note that while double wall filters are intended to improve the look, they cant improve the flavour, and I think they can contribute to a decrease in flavour, both by the aeration process and the problem of water taking the shortest path and lastly by encouraging channeling of your coffee puck, like erosion on a dirt road. 

As far as to answer how many grams of coffee should be used in a basket, the Italians traditionally used 7 grams per shot, so that's 7 grams in the single basket, and 14 grams in the double basket. They also tended to grind extra fine and tamp very lightly. As coffee has evolved, we tend to up-dose a little, so 8 (or even 9 grams) per shot. So that's 9 grams in a single and 18 grams in a double - the trick will be to grind a little coarser and also tamp a little harder with about 15kg of downward force. Its all an experiment! I usually only use a double filter, or triple filter paired with a bottomless portafilter handle. The bottomless is opening up an entirely new world of coffee technique and training - the main idea with a bottomless filter is as a training aid, so the user can determine by sight if there is any channeling in the coffee puck or unevenness in the coffee grounds distribution. It certainly looks pretty during extraction, so it adds to the aesthetic, but when a shot goes wrong, you can end up with a squirt of coffee shooting out at your business suit! 

I hope this helps a little - let me know if I can explain anything in more detail.  

I received a customer email asking about coffee acid as it relates to PH levels.

The email reads as;

I am writing for my daughter whose dentist has told her she has chalky teeth and can no longer drink coffee because of its acidity. I read your article on this subject. Could you tell me please what is the pH of your coffee, including the decaf product you sell? If it’s close to neutral I’ll buy her some.

My reply was;

Thanks for taking the time to email. 

Firstly, its important to note the difference between acid, and acidity. Acidity is generally used as a term in describing the flavours of coffee, where acid is a scientific measurement on the PH Scale, with PH7 being neutral. Coffee generally sits around 5 on the PH scale, which is on the more neutral side compared to other beverages such as juice, beer, wine and softdrink. 

So, coffee is slightly acid on the PH scale, but there are ways you can bring that even closer to neutral if you'd prefer. Techniques such as cold brewing, or any other slower process such as french press / plunger will reduce the acid level of your coffee. Also increasing the grind size will reduce the acid level, which both these processes benefit from. You would generally use a coarse ground coffee for cold brew and plunger coffee. Another thing to assist with moving the PH level is the roast level - a darker roast has a more neutral profile compared to a light roast. 

Choosing an Arabica bean (all of ours are Arabica) vs a Robusta coffee bean will ensure you are selecting a bean on the more neutral side of the PH scale. 

If you are making your coffee with an Espresso Machine, a lower brew temperature will reduce the acid level on the PH scale, however that also introduces some sour flavours to your coffee and it will be less acid on the PH scale (moving to the right on the scale). 

Lastly, adding milk to your coffee will make your coffee less acid due to the calcium in the milk affecting the acid. 

So, while no coffee is neutral on the PH scale, a high quality coffee bean, prepared specifically to reduce acid can be of benefit if you are chasing a lower acid number on the PH scale. 

I recommend the Decaf Swiss water mountain process specifically due to the processing of the raw coffee being the only coffee that processes their coffee in a way that benefits the cause of increasing the PH number closer to neutral. While it is not intentional on the processors part, it works in your favour to move the PH number closer to Neutral naturally. 

Link to Decaf Swiss Water Process https://www.baybeans.com.au/decaf-coffee-beans.html

When it comes to cake and coffee, I rarely partake, but when I do, it has to be something special. I usually reach for the classic carrot cake, or double chocolate mud cake - that thick velvety mouthfeel has me taking my time, but its all over too soon! 

Living in Australia, there are certain stereotypes that we have to live up to, and Lamington is definitely one of them. grab two lamington slices and sandwich some freshly whipped cream in-between and I am right at home. When I am enjoying cake with my coffee, I'll usually double down and exchange my regular long black for a flat white. There is something about the creamy texture of the flat white that really goes well with cake.

​Do you have any questions about pour over coffee? Have you tried it, or just not sure what’s required? 

If you want to get started with pour over, a basic Hario v60 dripper and paper filters will get you going for around $30. Paired with coarse ground coffee beans, then just add hot water, a little at a time. It’s perfect for the office, or if you want to bring a bit of minimalism to your day. 

Pour over makes you usual coffee taste different. You’ll discover flavours you didn’t know existed if you’re use to Espresso. It’s best enjoyed black, but there are no rules, add milk if you prefer. 

If things get serious, you can add a specialised Hario goose-neck kettle, but it certainly is not essential - I use a regular kettle. 

My favorite beans for Pour Over are Mocha Prince, Forte and Fairtrade. 

There is something very special about receiving your delivery of delicious fresh roasted coffee, and its the care and attention that goes into every delivery that lets you know you've made the right choice. 

When your order is placed, we get to work adding your order in with that days roasting schedule, so your coffee is roasted, packaged and lodged with the courier same day, just for you. 

Courier and Australia Post are pretty quick, especially when you consider how vast Australia is. We will select the best delivery method for you, and send you tracking information so you can check on your delivery at any time. I can guarantee, the excitement in opening your package will be heightened by the aroma of your coffee bursting out of the box. 

Once you load your beans into your grinder, the magical sounds and smell of delicious freshly ground coffee, next destination to your appliance and then in your belly!

If you're new to the Bay Beans coffee experience, try the Variety Pack for a selection of our most popular coffees, all in one delivery, just like the one pictured below. 

Need to grind coffee at the office or when travelling? Or want a small footprint grinder for home?  

The new and improved design on the original Hario Slim now comes with a reinforced hexagonal adapter for increased grind consistency and reduced wear. The Slim is made from impact resistant transparent plastic housing, while the Silver and Black PRO models are made from durable stainless steel bodies.

For those holidays or homes where a casual amount of grinding is required, the Hario Mini Mill range is the ultimate grinding solution. The Mini Mill is fitted with adjustable conical ceramic burrs for accurate and consistent grinding of any of the wide range of grinds needed for Drip Filter, Siphon, Espresso, Turkish, Moka Pot, Stove Top or Plunger and French Press. 

Hario Mini Mill Slim Plus and Pro will effortlessly handle 24 grams of coffee beans.

The design is a lightweight and sleek plastic body. Mini Mill Plus easily fits into small carrying bags and suitcases without adding much extra baggage weight. The Hario Mini Mill Plus is a traveling coffee enthusiast’s dream come true.

Free Delivery