You Oughta Know #32
In this issue: Brew guides and methods; It’s competition time for Kiwi baristas; Salt in coffee - how to make America melt; Interview with the best AeroPresser.
If you’re new here - nau mai haere mai and welcome to You Oughta Know - your regular update on all the things happening in the coffee world!
If you’re a regular - nau mai hoki mai - it’s great to see you again.
It’s been a busy few weeks at TMR Towers, with new coffees on the rotation, lots of sports ball and school going back. Being fueled by coffee, in particular this wicked anaerobic natural from Grey’s, or incredible flat whites by Lake Taupō, certainly makes things a lot easier.
Righto, grab a brew and check out what is in this issue of You Oughta Know: Brew guides and methods; The competition is heating up for Kiwi baristas; Salt in coffee - how to make America melt; Interview with the best AeroPresser.
Brew guides, methods and recipes
I come across a bunch of brew guides, methods and recipes, and I hate having to try and remember where to access them.
So, a few months back, I started a collection here on The Magic Roast.
If you’re reading this online, scroll to the top of the page and you’ll see ‘Recipes and Brew Methods’ right there. If you’re on email, click here.
I’ll keep updating this page as I discover brews that work for me.
It’s a collaborative effort though - share the love! Fire me your brew methods, I’ll give it a hoon and share it in that list. Wicked.
Competition heating up for Kiwi baristas
Woah - it’s going off like Phil Goff(ee) in the world of competitive coffee.
MILKLAB Barista Battle
MILKLAB’s Barista Battle kicks off next week and runs until 1 March. This competition is fully run on Instagram! This virtual format makes it super easy for the 64 competitors to throw down their best latte art, using MILKLAB’s range of alternative milks (which I love).
It might be easy to dismiss the competition as shits-and-giggles, but the winner gets a trip to Melbourne to compete at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo and a chance to win $5,000 dollarydoos.
Keep an eye on the best pours on MILKLAB’s Instagram to follow the action as it unfolds!
Regional Barista Champs
Hot on the heels of the Barista Battle are the Regional Barista Champs 24.
Across March, barista’s will be battling it out in Wellington, Christchurch and Auckland, to find the finalists for the New Zealand Barista Champs, later in the year.
This regional format makes the competition more accessible to a wider range of baristas by “…breaking down the barriers to entry by focusing on what baristas know. It’s all about knowing your coffee and serving it with great customer service. No signature drink in the regions, just espresso and milk beverages.”
This is a pretty exciting development in the world of competition here in New Zealand. I’m excited to watch the action unfold, and I’m hoping to make one of the events to check out the action live.
World Barista Champs
And once all that is done, the World Champs are going to come around in May. Our very own Honoka Kawashima won the Meadow Fresh NZ Barista Champs 2023 and will be heading to South Korea in May to compete with the best!
Sprudge: American’s melt at British putting salt in coffee
It’s always funny to watch American’s become aware of something that’s been going on for, like, an age.
This time around, US-based news coffee website Sprudge is having a crack at the British for putting salt in coffee.
In among the hand-wringing, is this great line:
I first came across this idea from some random coffee dude called James Hoffmann, who, THREE YEARS AGO, talked about the idea of adding A LITTLE salt to SOME coffees.
This is a technique I use in some cold-brew methods, and it works very well.
Don’t listen to American’s - have your coffee how you want!
Check out the interview with Tay Wipvasutti
This is a great yarn, and it’s one of the absolute joys I get to experience in having a hobby like this.
Tay is a legend and his brew method is a winner. Check out my attempt at this method over on Instagram.
Coming up on The Magic Roast
Roaster of the month: Kū by Coffee Tech
A review of the AeroPress Flow Control Cap - thanks to The Magic Roast Members
Good Shout: Salty Brew Coffee, Karikari
If it’s not Fair Trade(TM), is it fairly traded?