Common Grind has officially hit the twitterverse, and I want to try and hit 100 followers before the end of tomorrow, so please follow me @commongrind I can promise information, and cheap laughs!

Thanks guys!

Chris, Common Grind

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However, the good news is the January podcast is getting rather imminent. We have a cracking interview with James Hoffman of Square Mile recorded, we’ll be having a small chat with R-James, the Coffee Forums UK competition winner, and rather eccentric geordie. We will also be cupping a record six coffees for the cast, and finally will be having guest host Ashes first ever solo segment, so it’s going to be good one. And the first podcast of the new year.

So anyway, sorry for neglecting you guys, I hope you’ve all been enjoying my drunken tweets at @chrisweaver

Chris, Common Grind

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Chris, Common Grind

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The real argument lies within defining the difference between lattes and cappuccinos. Firstly I’ll look to the chains and indie stores in Lincoln to try and work out the difference. If you go into Nero and order a latte or a cappuccino, the first important thing to notice is that they come in the same size cup. And infact, the major difference lies in the construction of the drink. On the cappuccino you’ll find anywhere between an inch and two of foam. Thus, this is what 90% of people tell you the difference is between a latte and a cappuccino.

If you then travel up the high street to my former place of work, and order a latte and cappuccino, you’ll get a 7oz latte in a glass, and a 6oz cappa in a cup. Same amount of milk, and same texture of milk. The difference here becomes the strength, with the cappa having less milk mixed with the espresso.

Finally if you head to The Angel Coffee House, where I currently work. There is a sort of midpoint. The latte and the cappa will come in the same cup. But there will be approx 2cm of foam on a cappa, and 1cm or less on latte, giving a difference in texture, and making the cappuccino slightly stronger.

But of these three methods, who is right? Is the difference in lattes and cappuccino a ratio game, a matter of milk texture, or an amount of foam. If you look to the long shouted ratios, a cappuccino should be a third milk, a third espresso and a third foam. But I have a few issues with this. With most speciality coffee bars pulling 1oz or less single espressos, that’d then give you a 3oz cappuccino. Something I believe most people would laugh at. However if you throw in a double espresso, you’re going to get a very strong 6oz drink, not remotely commercial in the UK, and not even close to the 6oz single shot cappas expected in the UKBC and WBC competitions.

In my opinion, I think there should be a difference in strength and milk texture. But to achieve the sort of ratios I think necessary, you also need to change the cup size between the two, as I don’t believe you can add enough foam to make a suitable difference between the two when they are served in the same cups.

To me, I’d like to see a 5.5oz cappa, served with a single espresso, and 1-2cm foam, and well textured milk, and for a latte, I’d like to see a 7oz with a single espresso <1cm of foam, and lighter textured milk.

What do we think guys?

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Last night, I finally attended my first Square Mile Coffee ‘taste of…” event. And today it was Swedens chance to come under the watchful eye of Anette Moldvaer and the competent tamper of James Hoffman. The forty or so people that attended had the enviable task of blindly tasting five espresso blends from a range of fantastic micro-roasteries in Sweden. Off the top of my head I couldn’t tell you who they were, however every single espresso blend held its own.

Each espresso was poured by James to a very specific brew recipe sent by the roaster, with the exception of one Roastery who simply requested triple baskets, and James extrapolated his own brew recipe from that. After each espresso everyon was encouraged to write one or two words on a whiteboard that was up, be it flavours, descriptors or general thoughts on the coffee. The winning description of the night has to be primordial soup meaning, by some tenuous link, acidic. It was a tried and tested format that did it’s job in reducing people inhibitions to shout out flavours and throw ideas into the mix.

At the end of the night James then revealed the coffees for the first time for everyone, including himself. After a bit of blurb on each roastery and espresso, everyone was asked to show, by a vote of hands, which they liked most. And rather fantastically for the roasters involved, every blend had at least one person think theirs was best.

Finally I managed to pull James away from his Synesso for a fantastic interview which will of course be going out on the January podcast, to be released on New Years Day at the stroke of midnight!

As always though, aside from the fantastic espresso. This event was made fantastic by the people both hosting and attending. A lot of money was raised for Bike to Rwanda, a fantastic cause, and hopefully some new friendships were made. I just want to do my own shout out to one or two people. Firstly, I finally met Gwilym, the roaming barista, after a year or two now of knowing him online, and I have not a bad word to say about him. I envy his life! So Hi Gwilym, and I will take you up on your kind offer someday. I also want to say hi to Brian from Star Barista, Anette who I finally had the pleasure meeting, Andrew from Taylor Street and everyone else who I forget. Also thanks to Glenn Watson for being my sponsor for the evening!

So guys, please sign up to the Square Mile Coffee newsletter, and buy tickets for the next one, its a great event, for a great cause!

And remember to check out the interview on the January, Common Grind: Tales from the Driptray podcast.

Thanks guys!!

Chris, Common Grind

[update] Check the video at www.squaremileblog.com

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If you were there, please leave me a comment and say hi

Chris, Common Grind

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Right. some news.. I’ve had an incredibly busy week since my last post. With practicing for competition, working on my new site (news to come soon), working and also sorting out my trip to London tonight to go to the Taste of Sweden event at Square Mile Coffee. Its the first time I’ll have made it down to one of these, so needless to say I’m super excited and may try and get one or two interviews sorted out for the podcast.

Other big news that I want to talk about is the first two advertisers coming on board for the website. I want to offer out a massive thanks to Steve at Hasbean Coffee and Ali at Coffee Creations for jumping on board at this slightly early stage. I will put out a fuller post detailing both their businesses, however for the time being, please click the links and have a browse.

The final thing I want to mention is the podcast teaser. It being the end of the year, I’d love to try and make this podcast a bit special, but we shall have to see as it being the end of the year there just doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day. Hopefully I will have a reasonably extensive cupping to go on. One or two good interviews all going to plan, and I aim to be recording it on News Years Eve from my dads house. It will be scheduled to release at the stroke of midnight on New Years Day.

If any of your Common Grinders are stupid enough to download this at the stroke of midnight, leave me a comment on the show notes and I will sort out some sort of prize for you.

Chris, Common Grind

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Keep an eye out for any discussion codes. You can sav £7 on orders of £35 at the moment with discount code DCPINT5

Thanks Guys

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So if you guys see a discussion point in this box, and feel strongly about it, please leave a comment and lets see if we can get something happening

My first discussion point is ‘tipping in coffee shops.

Why, in the uk, do most people not feel an urge to tip in coffee bars?

I can only speak for my place. But the service we give is fantastic. All our staff are happy, polite and enthusiastic. They all have great product knowledge, and also we offer half table service. People order at the counter, but the coffees/food is taken to the table. Yet we seem to recieve on average £2 of tips a day, a very low amount compared to the states.

I know a lot of people claim its due to a different mentally on tipping than in the US, which may be true to a part. Yet most people will tip for a lunch or dinner in a restaurant, but not in a coffee bar?

Is it due a lack of appreciation of coffee bar staff as a whole? or is there more to it?

Please comment and lets get arguing!

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