Kopi Luwak coffee. Demystifying the myth.

Kopi Luwak is probably one of the most recurrent topics when talking about coffee. Its fame of best and most expensive coffee in the world seems to beat anything and anyone on this planet. Let's talk about it.

What is Kopi Luwak ?

Kopi Luwak is the Asian palm civet. This famous coffee consists of partially digested coffee cherries, which have been eaten and defecated. The cherries are fermented as they pass through its stomach, and after being defecated with other fecal matter, they are collected. Due to the increased popularity of this method, Asian palm civets are now increasingly caught in the wild and traded for this purpose.

the origins:

Back in the 1600’s the coffee market was very different from today. One of the most prominent sources of coffee was the Dutch East Indies –  a group of islands that is today known as Indonesia.

Indonesia was the first country, besides Ethiopia and Yemen, where coffee was grown on a large scale. At one point the Indonesian island of Java became almost synonymous with coffee in Europe.

But by 1830, the Dutch had created a more strict set of rules governing agriculture in the colony. This meant that the native farmers, who were already accustomed to drinking coffee, were suddenly no longer allowed to pick any beans for their own use.

Somehow these caffeine-craving farm workers discovered that a small cat-like animal known as the “Luwak” ate the coffee cherries and passed the seeds without digesting them. It didn’t take long before the workers began collecting, roasting and brewing these defecated beans.

Where is it produced ?

Kopi luwak is produced mainly on the Indonesian islands of Sumatra, Java, Bali, Sulawesi, and in East Timor. It is also widely gathered in the forest or produced in farms in the islands of the Philippines, where the product is called kape motit in the Cordillera region, kapé alamíd in Tagalog areas, kapé melô or kapé musang in Mindanao, and kahawa kubing in the Sulu Archipelago. Weasel coffee is a loose English translation of its Vietnamese name cà phê Chồn.

The raise of Kopi Luwak

In 2007 Kopi Luwak was mentioned in the movie “The Bucket List” featuring “Jack Nicholson” and “Morgan Freeman”.

The interest boomed. Suddenly, a bunch of coffees in South East Asia had a Kopi Luwak stamp on their packaging even though they had never been anywhere near Luwak poop. With a bit of marketing, an average “robusta” bean could be sold at a premium price, to tourists who believed that they had bought the ‘best coffee’ in the world.

The big issue

The boom in popularity made some farmers in poor coffee producing Asian countries suddenly began capturing civets to force feed them the cherries.

The traditional method of collecting feces from wild Asian palm civets has given way to an intensive farming method, in which the palm civets are kept in battery cages and are “force-fed” the cherries. The conditions in which they live are tremendous, poor diet, small cages, continually forced to eat coffee cherries.

Considerations:

• It is possible that this combination of carefully selected cherries and efficient processing thanks to the “Luwak” made the coffee superior to anything available back then. However, it’s worth remembering that the general standard of processing wasn’t anywhere close to what we experience today in higher qualities and more professionally advanced industries such as “specialty coffee”.

• Kopi Luwak coffee is considered by professionals an average coffee, an inferior product. A lower quality grade and can not be compared to higher quality coffees such as “specialty”.

• Certainly drinking a certified ethically produced Kopi Luwak could be a unique experience. However today a large proportion of all coffee sold as Kopi Luwak is fake and not traceable.

• Kopi Luwak gained popularity thanks to its particular and unique method, to countless of marketing campaigns and thanks to famous movies appearances rather than for its quality attributes.

I hope you've found this article useful and provided much food for thought.

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Have you always dreamed about writing your own coffee articles but you do not have a website ? Would you like us to write about something in particular ? Do you have new content ideas or would love to see more of anything in particular here on “gianmarcoierardi.com” ? Hit me up now. I am always open for collaborations and discussion.

I would like to hear your thoughts, opinions and experiences. If this was helpful and inspiring tag or use #gianmarcoierardi on instagram to connect with me ! 

“I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think.”

— Socrates

All the above is based on our personal and professional experience, it is what we believe and what brought us here writing this guide.Onto the way to success there are no rules, just commitment and consistency.Ultimately the is no right and wrong but only different ways of thinking, different approaches and different methods.There is no perfection but only progression.Do not believe who says to know everything. Learning is ongoing and endless.What we believe is right today might be wrong tomorrow, stay always up to date.

Be curious.

I wrote this hoping to inspire others! If you made it to read all of this to the end..

THANK YOU !

Become a better taster

Few questions people often ask when approaching to the specialty coffee industry are:

• How do I recognise quality in coffee?

• How can I describe those quality attributes ?

• How can a train and develop my palate?

Became a better taster

Before sharing with you tips and tricks to became a better taster you should know that:

• If the quality of raw product is low, there is very little you can do to make it better as a barista or roaster. Equal do not be surprised or upset about your drinking experience, if you are paying very little for that cup. You get for what you pay.

• Stop judging and enjoy the experience a bit more. Respect what you are drinking and acknowledge that behind that cup there are human beings putting lots of work. It can’t always be perfect. There is no perfection but progression.

• We should not be judging but instead providing constructive feedbacks.

Here i have written my 7 tips that helped us become better tasters:

Network

Can’t stress enough of  how important is to network. 

• Find a local roastery, coffee shop, or coffee network with regular coffee cupping and tasting. Go along to a few shops and ask if they do cuppings or know someone who does.

• Research for coffee groups on facebook, instagram, blogs or even event management apps on your smartphone. I was using Eventbrite in Au and participated in more than 60 coffee events in one year. 

  It may seem difficult at first, especially if you live in a small town, but keep persevering; you’ll find one eventually. 

Drink lots of coffee

I am sure you are already doing it but keep pushing.

• Drink as much different origins, roast profiles and styles as you can to compare analyse and memorize differences and characteristics.

• Anything is good even bad shots are good, that is why if I pulled a bad shot of coffee behind the machine, either a terribly under extracted or over extracted ones, I’d drunk it to understand what is good, what is bad and why is that. Very important.

Smell everything

Flavour = taste + smell 

Seems safe enough to say that if you wanna become a better taster you also need to train your sense of smell. The nasal membrane can sense thousand of distinct odours, with the average person capable of differentiating 2000 to 4000 odours. Generally speaking coffee cuppers rely on a highly developed odor memory created through years of experience and training. 

Broaden your diet

In order to build that muscle memory we need to get in contact with as many elements as we can. You can not taste something you do not have a memory of. That is why is very important to build and constantly train your muscle memory to then recall those memories while tasting.

• Eat more fruits, candies and different type of cuisine from around the world to expand your culinary vocabulary and tasting experiences.

• When going for grocery shopping smell anything you can from fruits to vegetable.

Exercise and train to improve 

We also want to practise tasting some common coffee flavours.

• Buy a selection of different food such as nuts, chocolate, fruits, vegetable, spices, herbs and taste them with the purpose of analysing flavours and store those informations as memories. 

• Generally speaking start eating and drinking things with a purpose.

• Now apply your experience by using your memories to the coffee you are drinking. Write down everything you think, remembering that the purpose is to develop a skill to give constructive feedbacks to get better and do better, not to judge. 

Do not stress about tasting notes 

People stresses too much about tasting notes forgetting all the rest.

• Tasting notes are strictly related to you being exposed to a certain type of food and drinking culture, therefore are extremely personal. Instead of asking “what does it taste like?”, ask yourself “what does it remind me of ?”

• Sometimes tasting notes you see on the coffee bags are too detailed, too personal and too much pushed towards the marketing side trying to sell the coffee with interesting and “appealing” tasting notes.

Be schematic and organised

• Write down or memorise a scheme, a path to follow when analysing the coffee you are drinking / tasting in order to build an easy and repeatable routine.

• Refer to broader categories to better communicate with other people from different countries and cultures. I am talking about the “Flavour wheel” a tool designed to unify the tasting experience and gather notes that speak the language of the people independently from where they are from in the world. Matching tasting notes is not easy and will come with training and experience. 

• Describe macro categories first such as fruity, nutty, floral, chocolaty. 

• Indicate colors as descriptors such as yellow for citrusy fruits or orange for tropicals,  red for that full red ripe and juicy fruity like flavour, brown for nuts and chocolate. 

• Focus also on other important characteristics such as Aroma / Fragrance / Acidity / sweetness / body / Length / Complexity / balance / Flavour.

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If you would like to have a chat regarding in-depth details, tips, training methods and smart routines to become a better taster hit the “learn more” button now.

I would like to hear your thoughts, opinions and experiences. If this was helpful and inspiring tag or use #gianmarcoierardi on instagram to connect with me ! 

“I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think.”

— Socrates

All the above is based on our personal and professional experience, it is what we believe and what brought us here writing this guide.Onto the way to success there are no rules, just commitment and consistency.Ultimately the is no right and wrong but only different ways of thinking, different approaches and different methods.There is no perfection but only progression.Do not believe who says to know everything. Learning is ongoing and endless.What we believe is right today might be wrong tomorrow, stay always up to date.

Be curious.

I wrote this hoping to inspire others! If you made it to read all of this to the end..

THANK YOU !

Our Q Grader experience

About the course:

“The Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) designed the Q Grader program to create a skilled and credible body of specialty coffee cuppers. The role of these cuppers is to consistently and accurately assess coffee quality, both cup and grade, as a part of its Q Coffee System.” 

It is a 6 day course broken up into theory, practice and examinations consisting of twenty individual tests that must be passed in order to qualify for certification. The first couple of days are all theory and calibration. You get a good understanding of what the exams will be like and a base point of the coffees. 

The journey

In 2019 my wife, Veronica, and I had the opportunity to sit the Q grader course. It was held at 5 Senses Training Academy in Melbourne, AU, taught by instructor Ben Bicknell.  

Everything started, more then a year earlier, while sitting at the 5 senses stand, enjoying a beautiful coffee tasting experience, during MICE ( Melbourne international coffee expo ). We where talking and there we decided one day we would attend the “Q grader” course. 

Few months after MICE, on December 13, Veronica was handing me, what was my birthday present. Was the “ Le Nez Du Cafè” aroma kit and Organic acids kit. From there we started to train daily covering as many topics as we could. End of march, 5 Senses released the “Q grader” dates. Although the price of the course was intimidating, being around 2900$ per person, we immediately booked our spots and we were in. 

It was a mentally challenging experience. Everyone’s tip is to face it for what it is, a course, where you will learn heaps and whether you will pass it or not surely you will walk out being a better taster. In reality is not as simple as that. 

It’s a big effort in terms of money, time and energy. As the week goes on, the intensity raises to another level. It becomes harder and harder to taste and stay focused. We found the hardest exams were the sensory component ( Sweet, sour, salt ), organic acids was another tough one, washed mild triangulation being very tricky for the similarities among the cups. 

We both pass during week one, along with Alex ( Roaster for Rumble coffee roaster ) and we were extremely happy and proud for that.

Challenges

The biggest challenge we have had was to have never cupped with a Q grader before in order to calibrate ourselves. Our role within the coffee industry was “head baristas”, while most of the people attending the “Q” are already working in “QC” ( quality control ) or within a roastery, cupping lots of coffees every day. However for the more experienced one sometimes can be hard to calibrate following different standards.

The biggest advantage we have had was ourselves. During our experience within the coffee industry from day 1 we literally spend every single day trying to learn new things. We kept studying, practicing visiting cafes and more especially after working hours. As a couple we kept pushing each other and did countless hours of training and calibration. A month before the “Q grader” we met a beautiful person, now close friend of us, which was too going to attend the course and we teamed up intensifying even further our Training program. 

The tests

Green Grading

You are given 3 x 350g green coffee samples that have been tainted with a certain number defects. The aim is to identify the defects and then correctly name the type of defect it is.

Cupping Skills

The core exams of the Q Grader course. Evaluating 4 flights (Naturals, Milds, Africa, Asia) using the SCA form. Each flight contains 6 coffees. The whole cupping session will be run exclusively by you and the other attendees, therefore working as a team is key. 

Olfactory Skills

Olfactory skills tests uses the Le Nez du Cafe scent vial kit. I found that each kit was quite different in intensity and some off them were totally off as well which made this test very tricky. The aim is to recognise all thirty six aromatic scents often found in the fragrance and aroma of coffee.

Triangulation Skills

Triangulation tests are designed to increase your sensitivity in the differences of coffee characteristics. Test subjects must taste and identify the one different cup in each set of three for six sets in each test for purposes of quality control.

Organic Acids

Firstly you will be introduced to each of the six primary acid components of coffee. However, only four will be present in the test ours were Citric, Acetic, Phosphoric and Malic. In the exam you are asked to match and name the pairs. Eight sets of four cups of brewed coffee are placed on a table; participants must identify which two coffees have been fortified with one of the common acids in each set and which ones are plain, as well as name the acid. This was one of the hardest tests of all, on top of that the cups were very lightly tainted therefore the presence of acids was not as obvious, also the reference was not as mild and diluted as we were expecting.

Sensory Skills

Test subjects must identify three intensities of salt, sour and sweet odorless solutions individually and when combined in mixtures.

• Part I: Reference – Participants are provided three samples (low, medium, high) of each taste group (salt, sour, sweet) which must be ranked by intensity.

• Part II: Blind Identification – All nine sample solutions are provided blind and must be identified by group and intensity.

• Part III: Mixture Set – Subjects are provided with eight mixtures of samples containing either two or three base solutions. Students must correctly identify the number, type and intensity of base solutions in each mixture.

Easy to say that this is the test everyone's fear !

Roasted Coffee Grading

Probably one of the easiest tests in the course. You must correctly identify the number of quakers which are underdeveloped beans that do not roast properly.

Sample Roast Identification

Test subjects are given four trays of coffee; one of the trays meets SCA Cupping Protocol specifications and the other three are either unacceptable as, Under-develop, Baked or Over-roasted / dark. Participants must correctly identify each sample.

General Knowledge

The general knowledge exam is the only completely written test, consisting of 100 multiple choice questions about coffee cultivation, harvesting, processing, cupping, grading, roasting and brewing.

 Here 11 tips that helped us get through the week:

• Stay calm

• Do not second guess yourself

• Use all the senses 

• Do not over cup 

• Stay well hydrated 

• Do not drink alcohol

• Avoid eating food heavily spiced, salted or with lot of garlic and onion

• Do not wear perfumes or cologne 

• Enjoy the experience

• Get enough sleep

• Take lots of notes

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If you would like to have a chat regarding in-depth details, tips, training methods and routines in preparation to the “Q grader” hit the “learn more” button now.

I would like to hear your thoughts, opinions and experiences. If this was helpful and inspiring tag or use #gianmarcoierardi on instagram to connect with me ! 

“If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you”

— Fred DeVito

All the above is based on our personal and professional experience, it is what we believe and what brought us here writing this guide.Onto the way to success there are no rules, just commitment and consistency.Ultimately the is no right and wrong but only different ways of thinking, different approaches and different methods.There is no perfection but only progression.Do not believe who says to know everything. Learning is ongoing and endless.What we believe is right today might be wrong tomorrow, stay always up to date.

Be curious.

I wrote this hoping to inspire others! If you made it to read all of this to the end..

THANK YOU !

Specialty coffee explained

In this short article we will define and explain what is specialty coffee, single origin and blend. What they are, how they are classified in terms of quality and where to find them.

To contextualise, I call coffee any beverage made out of coffee such as cappuccino, flat white, filter coffees which could be made out of many different methods, espresso and so on. On this article I will refer to coffee as merely black whether it is made using a filtered method, espresso or others. 

To fully understand what is Specialty coffee we should first comprehend other rankings of the coffee quality chain, which to simplify it I would define such as:

• Commercial : The coffee you purchase from large brands, roasted and sold in bulk. You’ll find these products in almost any shop, regular cafe and supermarket around the world, thanks to their popularity and business structures. They are often sold as instant coffee, capsules, or even whole beans, usually roasted darker. The quality is medium - low to keep selling price low and profit margin high. The traceability of the product unsure as well as other informations such as, roasting date and so on.

• High quality : This are often micro - roastery trying to differentiate themselves from commercial by buying higher quality coffees. Although they try to buy better quality products, these can be ruined at any stage of the chain due to lack of investment towards formation, information, processing methods, knowledge and business development which can lead to downgrade not only the coffee but also the business itself.

• Specialty coffee : The technical definition of specialty coffee refer to a coffee that has scored over 80 points on a 100 point scale by the SCA, Speciality Coffee Association. To qualify as a specialty coffee, the beans have to be graded by certified coffee tasters - Q graders.

I like to add to the definition that specialty should combine all what’s written above to a great cafe general experience and vibe. Specialty coffee is the perfect marriage of a higher quality product served to consumers with professionalisms and knowledge creating a unique and satisfying Experience, which increases the value of coffee.  

Specialty differs from regular coffees in the sense that they are often grown at higher elevations, are traceable and processed carefully once harvested. Every step from growing to brewing is monitored, studied, measured and understood to improve quality and keep it consistent.

It is a true masterpiece of coffee production , made possible by farmers who really craft a unique, rifined, premium product and afterwards by the rest of the supply chain, who has the role of carefully storing, treating, roasting, brewing it and educate consumers to perceive the high value attached to it.

In this model, the whole coffee chain works as a team to elevate the product. The barista takes on a role of increased value: educator of a coffee drinking establishment that matches the tastes and interests of its consumers and is knowledgeable in that matter. Higher value means increased consumer satisfaction and loyalty, as well as increased earnings for the business and its suppliers.

Single Origin and Blend coffee

You will often find 2 different categories of coffee offering at a specialty Coffee shop :

• Single origin

• Blends 

So what is a blend and what is single origin coffee and why do we bother so much about it ?

• Single origin : As you can imagine is as simple as a coffee grown within a single geographic region. Is merely the result of the development and maturation of a higher tier of quality within the broad range of coffees that we define as specialty. The concept of single origin coffee is to offer one good coffee with distinct taste characteristics and accompanying information that describes its unique source, the farm, land, people, climate, cultivar, processing, etc, in as much detail as possible. Its quality is transparent and so its informations. 

• Blends : Are single origin coffees mixed together. Blends are used for two reasons; financial control and flavour consistency. Being an agricoltural product, coffee’s characteristics, qualities and therefore prices aren't 100% consistent throughout the year, it is conditioned by many different factors making it extremely seasonal. 

Blends are built around flavour profiles, rather than specific component coffees. Using what's available in the current season to build the given flavour profile, adjusting the ratio or even the number of coffee components as needed. You might notice slight variations throughout the year, but roasters can manipulate components to accommodate origin availability, price differential fluctuations and seasonal flavour changes in order to maintain a consistent product at a reasonable price. A blend is the distinct signature taste profile of a cafe, its most consistent and personal product.

Single origin coffees are served when better individual lots are available, their unique characteristics are good enough to make them shine and stand alone and would be a shame to combine them with others.

The next time you are sipping a cup of coffee, take 10 seconds to think what is behind that cup, to think to its quality, whether you like it or not and whether you would love to pay a little more to an overall greater and more satisfying experience.  

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If you would like to have a chat regarding in-depth details such as where to purchase great quality coffees that suits your taste, either online or in a physical store; Hit the “learn more” button now.

I would like to hear your thoughts, opinions and experiences. If this was helpful and inspiring tag or use #gianmarcoierardi on instagram to connect with me ! 

“Be curious, not judgmental ”

— Walt Whitman

All the above is based on our personal and professional experience, it is what we believe and what brought us here writing this guide.Onto the way to success there are no rules, just commitment and consistency.Ultimately the is no right and wrong but only different ways of thinking, different approaches and different methods.There is no perfection but only progression.Do not believe who says to know everything. Learning is ongoing and endless.What we believe is right today might be wrong tomorrow, stay always up to date.

Be curious.

I wrote this hoping to inspire others! If you made it to read all of this to the end..

THANK YOU !

Arabica and robusta explained

Before jumping straight into the juicy conversation about Arabica and Robusta we need to consider where they are coming from and what they are.

Coffee is represented as a brewed beverage prepared from roasted seeds, commonly called coffee beans. Seeds are found inside of drupes, a type of fruit with a fleshy mesocarp and a hard, stone-like endocarp with a seed inside, commonly called coffee cherries, which are the fruits of the coffee plant that grow in over 70 countries, along the equator line in a preferred tropical climate. Higher quality coffees grows best at high altitudes on nutrient-rich, frequently volcanic, soils.

Coffee is a living thing

Coffee is a living thing, cultivated, observed and enjoyed by mankind. The study of living things is Biology, therefore the study of coffee must include this science.

Biology is the natural science that studies life and living organisms, including their physical structure, chemical processes, molecular interactions, physiological mechanisms, development and evolution.

A division of Biology is Taxonomy which is all about the laws and principles of classifying things.

In biology, taxonomy  is the science of naming, defining and classifying groups of biological organisms on the basis of shared characteristics. The principal ranks in modern use are domain, kingdom, phylum class, order, family, genus, and species.

Coffee plant belongs to a coffea genus of ten species of flowering plants of the family Rubiaceae. It is an evergreen shrub or small plant that may grow up to 10 meters tall with horizontal branching pattern.

The two most commonly grown species are Coffea canephora, know as robusta and Coffea Arabica. Less popular species are liberica, excels, stenophyla, Mauritania, racemosa.

Arabica

- Was the first and until 20th century, the only spieces of coffee grown for human consumption.

-Currently it represents 60-65% of the world coffee production.

-Cherries are often oval and bigger than Robusta with a curved middle cut.

-Grows at higher altitudes than Robusta

-It is self pollinating, producing a cluster of small, white, fragrant flowers

-Has 0,8-1,4% of caffeine content

-Chlorogenic acid (CGA) content It’s a significant antioxidant and an insect deterrent. Arabica has 5.5-8% CGA.

-It has sweeter more acidic fruitier and smoother characteristics than Robusta

-Contains a higher number of oils and sugar than Robusta

-The arabica coffee shrub typically grows between 2.5-4.5 meters (8.2-14.7 ft) in height, requires a temperature between 15°-24°C (59-75°F) and an annual rainfall of about 1200-2200 mm/yr.

-In terms of yield, Arabica produces less coffee per hectare than robusta, making the cost of growing arabica much higher.

-It has 44 chromosomes

Robusta

-Currently it represents 35-40% of the world coffee production.

-It is nearly always used as a part of a blend

-Cherries are often smaller and rounder than Arabica with a straight middle cut and develop in large centralized clusters.

-Grows at lower altitude than Arabica

-It depends on cross pollination

-Has 1,7-4% of caffeine content

-Chlorogenic acid (CGA) content It’s a significant antioxidant and an insect deterrent. Robusta is 7-10% CGA.

-It has more bitter, nuttier, more persistent characteristics than Arabica

-Robusta’s high caffeine and CGAs content makes it more resistant to deseases, pess and fungi as the extra caffeine is a chemical defense for the coffee seed as the quantity is toxic to bugs.

-Overral it is easier and cheaper to cultivate

-Tolerates higher temperatures and humidity then Arabica

-Robusta grows slightly taller at 4.5-6.5 meters (8.2-21.3 ft), requires a warmer temperatures of 18°-36°C (64-97°F) and slightly more rainfall (2200-3000 mm/yr) than arabica.

-It has 22 Chromosomes

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If you would like to have a chat regarding in-depth details such as how to recognise Quality, how to know what coffees to purchase and much more; Hit the “learn more” button now.

I would like to hear your thoughts, opinions and experiences. If this was helpful and inspiring tag or use #gianmarcoierardi on instagram to connect with me ! 

“Be curious, not judgemental ”

— Walt Whitman

All the above is based on our personal and professional experience, it is what we believe and what brought us here writing this guide.Onto the way to success there are no rules, just commitment and consistency.Ultimately the is no right and wrong but only different ways of thinking, different approaches and different methods.There is no perfection but only progression.Do not believe who says to know everything. Learning is ongoing and endless.What we believe is right today might be wrong tomorrow, stay always up to date.

Be curious.

I wrote this hoping to inspire others! If you made it to read all of this to the end..

THANK YOU !

Take your coffee making skills to the next level

You have now found your first job as a barista and thinking how to grow and enhance your skills ?

Here are my 5 tips to take your coffee making skills to the next level and become a better barista:

1. Keep learning, never stop learning
If you think you know everything, you know nothing !

“A strong mind is built with learning, learning new things every day”

Most of the cafes in which you will work can arrange free training, with their coffee supplier, where you will learn heaps of free stuff and very important, different approaches to coffee making.

Gather informations from different sources, for comparison, to analyse different perspectives, always ask yourself why, and search for answers. Be curious.

2. Join the coffee community

Enter the coffee community ! You will exchange knowledge get connections which leads into more job opportunities, make new friends and always stay "up to date”.

Join events, there are tons of them, taking Melbourne as example. We are incredibly lucky to have them organised not only by the best coffee experts, roasters, cafe owners etc in the world.. but they also come to us for FREE and on a regular basis.

3. Read articles 

The web is full of usefull resources to be used wisely, follow good instagram profiles, read content online.

4. Surround yourself with likeminded people

Surround yourself with likeminded people who can add value to your personal and professional figure, surround your self with positive people and enjoy the process.

5. Enter competitions

An amazing way to skip many steps and jump ahead straight away. The whole process of preparing and training will already give you a lot in terms of preparation, knowledge and experience. There are people made for competitions and people who are not. My suggestion would be give it a try, push your limit get out of your comfort zone. Definitely on my to do list.

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If you would like to have a chat regarding in-depth details, tips, training methods and smart routines to take immediately your skills to the next level; Hit the “learn more” button now.

I would like to hear your thoughts, opinions and experiences. If this was helpful and inspiring tag or use #gianmarcoierardi on instagram to connect with me ! 

“If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you”

— Fred DeVito

All the above is based on our personal and professional experience, it is what we believe and what brought us here writing this guide.Onto the way to success there are no rules, just commitment and consistency.Ultimately the is no right and wrong but only different ways of thinking, different approaches and different methods.There is no perfection but only progression.Do not believe who says to know everything. Learning is ongoing and endless.What we believe is right today might be wrong tomorrow, stay always up to date.

Be curious.

I wrote this hoping to inspire others! If you made it to read all of this to the end..

THANK YOU !

Find your first job as Barista - part 2

You are looking for your first job as barista, within the specialty coffee industry, and you feel overwhelmed or you are having difficulties ?

Here my further 8 tips that will help you to find a job as barista, within the specialty coffee industry:

Let’s use Melbourne as example..

1. First impressions count  

-Customize your resume based on the job position you're applying for.

-Customise your resume for a particular venue you're applying for.

-Create a customised cover letter to apply for jobs using different platforms. 

2. Do not ask for a job !

Let me explain. Before asking for a job, sit down have a coffee chat with the barista then propose your self.

-Do not ask for a job.

-Propose yourself instead.

-Tell them you could offer your help for their business.

-Showcase your key strengths.

-Explain how you could add value to their business.

-Make them feel like their not hiring someone but instead they're investing in someone, you.

3. Go professional

Proposing your self for jobs in high end venues might be a little scary but trust me, they are often better organised in every aspect. Organisation means better work conditions and possibilities to grow your professional figure within the company.

4. Use the power of connections

-Use connections to find a job but do not count only on them.

-Speak to people get involved in events and connect within the coffee community.

-Network, network and again network.

5. Find your luck

Being in the right place at the right time is luck but you have to take action and get there. Let others know you're looking, use connections, before that.. connect with others :)

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity ”

— Seneca

6. Mindset

-Turn failures into lessons. 

-Find positive friends mentors and co-workers.

-Shape your mindset with visions and goals.

-Jump out of your comfort zone.

-Think positive stay positive surround your self with positive vibes and people.

-Remember attitude is more important than knowledge, if you show interest, if you show willingness to learn, you will make it ! Knowing that you do not know and being honest is better than pretending to know.

“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard”

— Tim Notke

7. Do your homework !

Even now before doing trials I do my “homework” I research:

-What “coffee” is used.

-What “equipment” and how to use it if I do not know. This is so important and i can not believe how people can skip this point all the time, when is as easy as opening youtube or google and literally get free coaching online.

-What is the “level” of that cafe, i have applied to, and the baristas working there.

-What is the “area” where the venue is located. Is it a business area ? If yes might be a fast paced environment based on big rushes serving mainly takeaways so latte art is a plus and not the main requirement for example.

-I look for any “detail” which I could take advantage of while doing my trial.

-Be detail oriented

YES, DETAILS MATTER !

This will give you a big advantage in comparison to your competition —> other trials

8. Last but not least

-Smile.

-Show your confidence, humility and your humbleness.

-Show them you are passionate and interested.

-Show curiosity.

-Ask questions.

-Remain calm, do one thing at a time but do it right. Remember you are doing a “trial” you are not supposed to know everything and work as you have been working for ages like the other employee.

-It is ok to make mistakes, we are human being and again is your first day!

-Smash it ! Let your positive energy flow touching others.

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If you would like to have a chat regarding in-depth details, tips, training methods and much more to immediately land you a job within the coffee industry; Hit the “learn more” button now.

I would like to hear your thoughts, opinions and experiences. If this was helpful and inspiring tag or use #gianmarcoierardi on instagram to connect with me ! 

“You dont have to be great to start but you have to start to be  great ”

— Zig Ziglar

All the above is based on our personal and professional experience, it is what we believe and what brought us here writing this guide.Onto the way to success there are no rules, just commitment and consistency.Ultimately the is no right and wrong but only different ways of thinking, different approaches and different methods.There is no perfection but only progression.Do not believe who says to know everything. Learning is ongoing and endless.What we believe is right today might be wrong tomorrow, stay always up to date.

Be curious.

I wrote this hoping to inspire others! If you made it to read all of this to the end..

THANK YOU !

Find your first job as Barista - part 1

You are looking for your first job as barista, within the specialty coffee industry, and you feel overwhelmed or you are having difficulties ?

Here my 6 tips that will help you to find a job as barista, within the specialty coffee industry:

Let’s use Melbourne as example..

1. Know the market in which you are trying to find a job.

Being one of the leaders regarding the specialty coffee scene in the world, Melbourne might become a little crowded when it comes down to “barista shifts availability” and therefore competition.

2. Know the standards

Again Melbourne coffee standards are pretty high and constantly being pushed by ambitious and passionate baristas, cafe owners, roasters showcasing exceptional coffees, work being made by farmers at origins.

3. Know the menu

Is important to know beforehand what are the standard drinks and milk options, served in the daily “Melbourian caffeination” if you want to have an advantage at your trial.

4. Know the basics

Being the standards very high, it’s important to know how to manually tamp, use scales, weighting in and out, the very basic coffee recipes terminology and variables, such as dose, yield, time, grind setting.

5. Understanding the basic workflow

No matter how different each and every cafe is between them, set up and workflow will be always at least similar in terms of equipment positioning.

6. Milk texturing

Whilst i believe latte art is not essential I believe a perfect mix of speed, multitasking and technique are essential if you wanna have a change to succeed at your trial. Speed and multitasking, meaning being able to steam using one hand only, while using the other one to accomplish other tasks, such as managing dockets on the rail or filling your next jug with the appropriate e milk , ready for the next one. Technique equals being able to consistently deliver silky texture and good temperature steamed milk, over time, pouring a nice dot in the centre of the cup.

Does it all seem so complicated ?

No worries mate

I will release “part 2” of this article series

where i will give you few tips and tricks that will direct you toward the right way

☕️ 😃

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If you would like to have a chat regarding in-depth details, tips, training methods and much more to immediately land you a job within the coffee industry; Hit the “learn more” button now.

I would like to hear your thoughts, opinions and experiences. If this was helpful and inspiring tag or use #gianmarcoierardi on instagram to connect with me ! 

“You dont have to be great to start but you have to start to be  great ”

— Zig Ziglar

All the above is based on our personal and professional experience, it is what we believe and what brought us here writing this guide. Onto the way to success there are no rules, just commitment and consistency. Ultimately the is no right and wrong but only different ways of thinking, different approaches and different methods. There is no perfection but only progression. Do not believe who says to know everything. Learning is ongoing and endless. What we believe is right today might be wrong tomorrow, stay always up to date.

Be curious.

I wrote this hoping to inspire others! If you made it to read all of this to the end..

THANK YOU !