There's no need to over dose!

Have you read the latest edition of Cafe Culture magazine (Issue #48)? There's an article titled, What's on your Menu? on pages 71-73. It's a guide to making traditional espresso based beverages such as latte, flat white, cappuccino, etc. The guide suggests the new industry standard for coffee beverages, including ristretto, is a double shot of espresso for a single beverage!

The guide suggests that the industry standard for an espresso is a double shot to produce a 40ml shot of espresso. They also suggest that a ristretto is a very short (20ml) double shot.

The "original" industry standard for an espresso is 25-30ml (one shot). This is the measurement that we stand by and our coffee is most suited to. We believe in producing a coffee that cuts through milk without having to use excessive amounts of coffee to achieve this.

We have seen many trends come and go in this industry and we believe this new direction is being driven by the trendy expensive roasters who also expect their customers to use large 22g baskets.

We want to reassure our customers that la Casa del Caffe coffee does not require you to use a double shot to enjoy the taste of coffee in milk-based beverages.

This is what we recommend: Use a standard double basket (20g), extract for 25-30 seconds, split into two espresso shots (2 regular size beverages) and your customers will be happy coffee drinkers.

Baristas should be getting at least 80-90 cups from a kilo of la Casa del Caffe. If the Cafe Culture guide is followed, cafes will yield approximately 40 cups from a kilo. To put it simply, this is profit leaving your business and going straight into the roasters pocket.

Some roasters have taken to the light roast trend, and in our opinion, a coffee roasted too lightly doesn't bring out the flavour of the bean enough to cut through the milk and this would be one reason why a double shot is being recommended. A single origin (including decaf), in our view, is the only exception, as they tend to be lighter in body and acidity, so making a double allows for the coffee flavour and subtle nuances to cut through the milk.

A light roast increases the shelf life of the beans, which might be another reason why roasters are choosing this profile and actively promoting the need for a double shot in a single beverage. At la Casa we roast everyday and the product is out the door within two weeks. There's no need for us to light roast, our coffee does not require an extended shelf life, however if we have a lovely delicate single origin we will look to a light roast to bring out the origin flavours.

So by all means use a double shot with a single origin or decaf but if you're using a la Casa del Caffe roasted blend, like la Casa Blend, Tazza Dóro, French Roast, Colombian Blend, Seasonal Organics 3 Bean Blend, etc, use the double basket for two coffees and don't waste your money!

Don't hesitate to call us if you would like to discuss.

The magazine can be viewed online here http://www.cafeculture.com/latest-issue-3

For more information on our recommended serve sizes, please see this blog post https://lacasadelcaffe.com.au/blogs/news/serve-size