The coffee bloom

There is a huge force in coffee culture that is growing exponentially. It’s exciting and, sometimes, overwhelming.

Since returning to London and creating No .47 Coffee, I’ve been seeing more and more growth in coffee brewing, whether it be at a coffee shop or at home. Many Instagram accounts I follow are home baristas and watching Instagram reels of people brewing coffee using Espresso machine, Aeropress or V60, gets me excited. The reason for this is because people are becoming more invested in the coffee they drink - developing taste for different types of coffee, experimenting different brewing methods, and simply caring more about the source of the coffee beans. In London alone, there are a huge number of amazing coffee shops who sell fresh roasted coffee. How great is it when you go to your local coffee shop, pick up a bag of coffee and take it home to brew. Or better yet, you can find plenty of small-batch roasting companies and buy fresh coffee directly online. We are spoiled for choice and buying coffee has never been easier. This can, however, have a downside.

Because we are spoiled for choice, we are completely overwhelmed by the number of coffee choices available to us. How many companies have Ethiopian coffee? Brazilian? Honduras? How can one differentiate between the many coffee beans that so many companies sell? This can be particularly overwhelming for new coffee enthusiasts, I mean, where do you start? Everywhere we go there are many coffee shops around us, which one do we go to? What makes this coffee shop different from the other?

For those who are new, I’ve put together a list of the things I did when I first explored the world of coffee before I became a barista which, I hope, might be useful:

1. Local coffee shops - do a quick Google search for coffee shops in your area and visit them. Get a vibe of the coffee shops are like and see what they offer.

2. Try a cup of coffee - we visit a coffee shop to drink coffee! If you’re unsure about what kind of coffee you’d like, here is a rough guide of what you’ll typically find on the menu in most coffee shops:

   • Espresso - strong, concentrated coffee served in shots (normally single or double). Espresso serves as a base for many other drinks such as caffe latte, cappuccino and flat white

   • Americano - double-shot Espresso with boiled water added to reduce intensity. Served black

   • Caffe latte - Espresso combined with steamed milk and light foam

   • Cappuccino - Espresso combined with steamed milk and a lot of foam

   • Flat white - Double-shot Espresso with some steamed milk and minimal-to-no foam

   • Mocha - Espresso with chocolate syrup and steamed milk

3. Don’t be afraid to ask the barista questions! After all, it’s our job to help and serve you as a customer.

4. Interested in home brewing, learning more about different brewing methods, and how to buy coffee beans? I highly recommend checking out James Hoffmann. There are plenty of useful and easy-to-understand information about anything related to coffee. I will say this though - if you want to brew coffee at home, first ask yourself, “Do I want a new hobby?”

I strongly believe the world of coffee is here to stay and with the world is going, more people are looking to replicate the quality of their coffee at home. Sure, home brewing isn’t for everyone and that’s okay! That’s why coffee shops exists - to give you the best coffee experience. No doubt I enjoy visiting my local coffee shops now and then too. Whether you enjoy drinking coffee, brewing your own coffee at home or just like the ambience of sitting in a coffee shop, know that there is a place for everyone and anyone in coffee.