Champion Barista Donates Winnings to Coffee Kids

17th April 08

This past weekend (Sept. 12-14) Hiroshi Sawada, owner of Caffe Milk Art in Japan, competed in the Millrock Latte Art Championship and took first prize in one of the most challenging competitions to date, beating 39 of the best latte artists in the world. He has competed in numerous barista competitions traveling around the world to display his craft, but this is the first time he won. Sawada was awarded a check for $5,000 for his efforts.

Following the award ceremony Sawada tracked down Sarah Allen and said that he wanted to donate all of his prize money to Coffee Kids. All of the staff at Coffee Kids were very humbled by Hiroshi's generosity and grateful for his help in improving the lives of coffee-farming families.

Congratulations on your win, Hiroshi!

Rubra Latte Art Champ Comes to Town

Tristan Creswick the 2007 NSW Australian latte art champ is in town. Tristan represents Rubra Coffee in NSW and Dalla Corte espresso equipment. He will be demonstrating his skills at the Boat Shed in Cott on Friday the 8th of Aug from 8.30 am until 12 noon, so if your after some tips or just like to try some award winning rain forest alliance coffee for free get down there and check it out.

On Saturday the 9th Aug he will be at The Food Store on Hay Street West Perth from 8.30am until 12 noon and Sunday he will be at one of our newest cafes Jac\'s on Ardross Street Applecross from 8.30 am until 12 noon. Hope to see you there.

Rain Forest Alliance - News

Jul 14, 2008

The Rainforest Alliance has nearly doubled the amount of coffee sold every year from its program that certifies coffee as good for the environment and beneficial for farmers, a representative of the conservation group said.
Companies in the groups sustainable coffee program have been making commitments over time to scale-up the volumes of coffee that theyre sourcing and help farms that already supply them, get certified, said Sabrina Vigilante, senior manager of marketing and business for Rainforest Alliance.
Vigilante spoke on the sidelines of the organizations event in New York Thursday. New York-based Rainforest Alliance, an international nonprofit conservation group, certifies farms that meet specific criteria aimed to produce what it calls sustainable agricultural products. The process is designed to benefit the environment, farmers and their communities.
Coffee purchases from Rainforest certified farms has grown by an average of 93 per cent annually since 2003.

Drink to Your Health

Jul 10, 2008

Report Supplied by the National Coffee Association of the USA
When does a menu item become a health food? While there\'s no simple answer, 19,000 primarily positive scientific studies surely meet even the toughest criteria. Coffee has been through the scientific ringer, you might say, and almost invariably has come out with flying colors. Over the past few decades, not only have old myths about coffee gone the way of the Edsel, but significant positive health benefits have been uncovered through intense and exacting scientific inquiry. Existing evidence suggests that coffee may simply need to update its image to match the facts.
Antioxidant Powerhouse
Probably the best kept secret about coffee is that it delivers more antioxidants than even the latest antioxidant bellwether, green tea. Green coffee beans contain about 1,000 antioxidants, and the brewing process adds 300 more. The roasting process, by the way, creates its own set of healthful compounds which, like some antioxidants, are unique to coffee alone.
Coffee, in fact, has four times the antioxidant content of green tea, according to a study conducted in Switzerland by the Nestle Research Center and recently published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. The study found that coffee also outruns cocoa, herbal teas and red wine. Of course, precise antioxidant content varies from cup to cup, depending on the type of bean (Robustas have twice the antioxidants of Arabicas, although the difference is reduced in the roasting process) and the level of \"solubles\" in the cup, determined by the brewing method, time and amount of coffee used.
The health benefits of antioxidants are broad, since the compounds neutralize errant molecules known as \"free radicals.\" These electrically unbalanced cells kill healthy cells as they try to stabilize themselves by robbing sub-atomic particles. This process has been implicated in premature aging, cardiovascular disease, degenerative brain disorders, cancer, cataracts, the decline of the immune and nervous system, and other health problems.

Dalla Corte Passes WBC Test

Apr 11, 2008

We are very proud to announce that we passed the WBC Technical Standards Test 2008 conducted in Vancouver, January 2008. The Series EVOLUTION fulfilled all the necessary requirements in the different sections which were tested. For the whole Dalla Corte Team this test result is a great confirmation for the innovative and focused work which was done in the last years in order to satisfy our customers needs through simple and outstanding solutions. We thank the WBC for carrying out a fair and transparent test on a very high technical level!

more info on Dalla Corte

Here Now at Rubra the world\'s first and only coffee naturally grown with only 1% caffeine

Apr 04, 2008

Following twelve and a half years of intense breeding and cultivation, Daterra Coffee of Brazil announces Opus 1 Exotic, the first 100% Arabica coffee grown to be naturally lower in caffeine.

With less than 1% caffeine, Daterra Coffee\'s Opus 1 Exotic is the first naturally grown low-caffeine coffee available to Specialty Coffee roasters.
Developed through natural breeding methods, Opus 1 Exotic is not genetically modified; rather it has been meticulously bred from ancient Ethiopian varieties of Caffea Arabica, the finest coffees in the
world.
Opus 1 Exotic is not a GMO product and poses no threats that are so often associated with GMO products.
All Daterra Coffees, including Opus 1 Exotic are Rainforest Alliance certified, ISO 14001, and Utz Kapeh certified.
Daterra Coffee has successfully cultivated and brought to maturity this extraordinary new coffee.
Opus 1 Exotic has 30% less caffeine than traditional Arabicas making it the perfect coffee for afternoons and evenings - and its taste profile is one of a kind.


About Daterra Coffee

Daterra started 20 years ago as a project of premium and sustainable agricultural products. Today, 100% of the agricultural business of Daterra is coffee. Its vision is to preserve the planet and protect
its people. These are the seeds for a better world and great coffee.
Daterra\'s values revolve around massive investment in research, quality improvement, solid partnerships and responsible governance, environmental protection, and social development.

Daterra grows its own seedlings and uses organic composting in 100% of the plantation. Daterra coffees participated as finalists in two Cup of Excellence competitions and were the coffee of choice of the 2005 and 2006 World Barista Champions.

And thats why we love it!

more info on Daterra Coffee

Espro Tamper

30 Mar 2007

Check it out!

Unless your tamping arm is calibrated to 30lbs of pressure, you might want to get friendly with the ridiculously clever Espro automatic tamper.

Just press until you hear the 'click' and you'll know you've tamped those grounds to perfection - each and every time.
The Espro comes in Two size diameters and you can choose between convex or flat base. (Yes it makes a difference) 83mm & 87mm

Dalla Corte Coffee Technology Award

Mar 12, 2008

Which products impress coffee lovers?

Which products have the potential to be a real hit on the booming coffee market?

The coffee community voted on them online in connection with the first-time Coffee Innovations Award. The competition was organized within the framework of COFFEE COLOGNE at domotechnica and is the first worldwide Innovation Award presented in recognition of particularly outstanding coffee products, components and packaging for the trade and catering industry.

Numerous manufacturers in the coffee sector entered for the award. A jury has subsequently selected the best products and nominated them in 8 categories.
All coffee lovers were then called upon to vote online at Coffee Innovation Award for deciding who the winners are in the individual categories.
The winning products in the respective category were exclusively and prominently presented at COFFEE COLOGNE within the framework of domotechnica from 18th to 21st February 2008 in Cologne.

In the "coffee technology" category our Series Evolution won the award.

Thank you very much for voting Dalla Corte!

more info

Dalla Corte and German Barista Championships

Mar 10, 2008

The German Barista Championship 2008 in Frankfurt during the fair "ambiente" for Dalla Corte was a big success! The spectator crowd and several TV-teams which showed up are proving the increasing interest in specialty coffee.

Dalla Corte would like to thank everybody who helped this event to become a great promotion for the German specialty coffee scene! Such an event, of course, would be impossible without the participants who are showing their skills behind the coffee machines.

Congratulation to the winners in the divers disciplines! We hope you enjoyed "competing" on the Dalla Corte machine!

For the final results and the complete list of participants.

click for results

Dalla Corte and WBC

Feb 06, 2008

Between the 11th and the 14th January 2008 the WBC 2008 Machine Certifications took place in Vancouver, Canada.

Further information about the results of the testing will follow.
In the meantime you can find some impressions by watching this slideshow (We propose to move with your mouse to the middle of the first photo. Click on the "I" which will appear and you will get some comments about the photos from a CoffeeGeek expert.)

Have fun...!

slide show

Grounds For Hope

Mar 30, 2008

Coffee Kids

We are proud to announce our involvement with Coffee Kids.

Coffee Kids is a program to help Coffee-Farming families improve the quality of their lives.

The fantastic staff at Coffee Kids work with local organizations in Latin America to create education, health care, micro-credit, and community-based programs for coffee farmers and their families.

These efforts allow coffee farmers to reduce their dependence on the volatile coffee market and to confront the most pressing community needs.

Coffee Kids creates partnerships with local organizations in coffee-growing regions that work directly with coffee-farming communities.
Through their partners they provide technical resources, training, and follow-through to communities to implement grass-roots projects.

Providing the resources that enable our partners and their communities to put their vision into action.

They facilitate idea-sharing exchanges between project participants and other organizations to find solutions to common problems.
All projects are designed by community members and based on their needs and priorities.

Because every coffee-growing community is unique, every Coffee Kids project is unique. What is common is an attitude of respect for all people's values, cultural integrity, intelligence and ingenuity. And we think thats a great thing.

more info

Woolly Latte

Wooly Latte
Kath and Kim would love the idea of having their latte served in it's own wooly jumper. The somewhat naff idea is offset by seriosly good coffee - Rubra, which supports Rain Forest Alliance - and a great selection of cakes and muffins and a range of local oils and chutneys.

Wooly Latte's is at 46 - 48 Grantham St, Wembley
Telephone 9287 1492

Article Courtesy of :Sunday Times STM magazine Fluer Bainger

Lincolns Cafe

Great food finds don't get much better than stumbling across an old corner shop that has been given a new life as a cafe - especially one that was a derelict eyesore.

And when I say cafe, I mean cafe in the real sense of the word - not some hangout for motormouths on mobile phones, drinking watery coffee and eating stale paninis filled with mortadella and soapy cheese. You'll be wasting your time if you rock up here in your freshly ironed, skinny Sass & Bides because no one will raise an eyebrow over their National Geograph magazines.

Lincoln's, with its jazzy red chandeliers and black board menu, is clearly in a different league. It boasts a breakfast menu which includes duck confit and baked beans in a jaffle and churros with Belgian chocolate dipping sauce (yes for breakfast). It's thanks to Julie Scotchford - formerly of Tarts cafe in Lake Street, Northbridge - who took over the site three months ago and scrubbed, painted and polished it into the gem we see today.

This cafe not only injects new life into an old building; it revives the neighbourhood - a mix housing and business. And the way folk are flocking to it, particularly to buy the delightful cupcakes, makes you wonder what we were doing in the 70's when the old corner shops started being turned into television rooms and extra bedrooms. It took only two mouthfuls of rogan josh with lentals - spicy, fragrant, and tender with multi - layered flavours - to convine me there is a niche in Perth's inner suburbs for friendly providers of good food served in warm, stylish surrounds.

People love nothing more than to stroll down to their regular, down a coffee and linger over a sourdough durum sandwich while catch up on the news. Just to make sure I was on the right track, I waded through a large slab of coffee and walnut cake ($6) which was straight out of the oven and heavenly. I also tried a fabulous Moroccan couscous salad ($11.50) - with roasted vegetables, dates, currants, almonds and figs - and a pear and almond meal cake ($6). And there's the wonderful Rubra Coffee, which supports the enviroment through the Rain Forest Alliance - it makes you wonder if this place does anything wrong.

Actually the side salad of lettuce and tomato could have had dressing, but that's the only nitpicking I could do here. Other than that, Lincoln's is a definite winner for anyone who wants a casual, out of the way lunch or a quite business meeting over coffee and a sandwich. Lunch for two came to $53 with coffee, tea, juice and mineral water, which means I'll definitely be stumbling back.

Lincoln's Cafe is at 104 Lincoln Street Highgate Telephone 9228 1759 Article Courtesy of : Sunday Times STM magazine Gail Williams

New Blend Release

Tabahi
This coffee blend is an absolute must for the coffee connoisseur full bodied espresso created from the finest coffee estates in the world. A very high end coffee. Absolute 100% Arabica and Rainforest Alliance Certified.

And the Winner is... Rubra Coffee!

Rubra Coffee, a small boutique coffee roaster from Perth, Western Australia, has just achieved national prominence by winning four medals at the coveted 2006 Sydney Royal Coffee Competition (27 - 28 February, 2006). Collecting two silver and two bronze medals, out of 203 entries, Rubra became one of the show's most successful entrant on its first ever appearance.

Master Roaster Allan McMurray was thrilled with Rubra's debut performance, citing the company's constant pursuit of quality and excellence. "My passion for quality coffee literally keeps me up all night," said 36 year old McMurray. "We only source the finest coffee beans from the most exotic estates in the world, and all our technology is cutting edge.

The commitment to quality and consistency have made Rubra an overnight success.

"I take consistency very seriously," said McMurray. "The quality of the roast is affected by so many factors, such as the ambient temperature, the moisture levels in the green bean and the gas pressures. Customers deserve consistency and we deliver it every time."

Additional Information:

Rubra's success came across all classes it entered;

Class Won Class 1 Espresso Short Black Bronze Medal winner (Rubra Jazz)
Class Won Class 2 Cappuccino The classic international style Silver Medal winner (Rubra Chantico) also Bronze medal winner in the same class (Rubra Jazz)
Class Won Class 3 Plunger Coffee Silver Medal winner (Rubra Soul) this particular class we where judged number 1 in Australia as there was no gold medal awarded

The 2006 Sydney Royal Coffee Competition was introduced to the Sydney Royal Fine Food Show program in 1988 to encourage Australia?s coffee producers.

The classes judged include espresso, plunger coffee, single origin plunger coffee and cappuccino. Beans can only imported or Australian, but must be roasted in Australia.

Judging is assessed on both visual and drinking qualities. Characteristics such as aroma (indication of complexity and freshness), body, flavour (style and complexity), taste and after-taste are all evaluated in judging.

30% of the available points are for appearance and smell; 70% are allocated to the coffees flavour.

results info