Amongst all traditional coffee-brewing equipment, AeroPress is perhaps the biggest game changer; it is the most affordable and accessible coffee maker that allows us to brew coffee one cup at a time. Since its launch in 2005, AeroPress coffee has gained popularity for its full body and flavour. In fact, AeroPress has become one of the most iconic brewing methods – it even has its very own World AeroPress Championship.

In this brewing guide, we will provide a starting place for those who would like to start brewing their own AeroPress coffee, whether at home, at work or when out and about.

Ingredients and equipment

You will need:

• NOC coffee beans
• coffee grinder
• AeroPress coffee maker
• sturdy coffee server/mug
• hot water
• thermometer
• scale
• timer
• coffee spoon

A few things to pay attention to:

• Water temperature is one of the keys to brewing delicious coffee. Avoid using boiling water and check that the water temperature is between 91–92°C right before you start brewing.
• The amount of ground coffee and water you need depends on how many cups of coffee you would like to brew. For every cup of AeroPress coffee you would like to make, use 16g ground coffee and 240g water.

Step-by-step guide to an Aeropress coffee

Step 1: unscrew the plastic cap at the bottom of the AeroPress chamber. Line it with a piece of filter paper. Fit the plastic cap back onto the chamber. Set it onto your coffee mug or server. Wet the filter paper with some hot water. Dispose of the water in your server.

Step 2: grind the coffee to a medium or medium-fine grind. To preserve the flavours, it is best to grind the coffee just seconds before you start brewing.

Step 3: set the chamber and server onto the scale. Pour the ground coffee into the chamber and slightly shake it to level the coffee.

Step 4: zero the scale. Pour 60g hot water into the chamber in an outward spiral, starting from the centre, until the water level reaches the number 1. Like yeast, ground coffee rises slightly – this is called blooming, a process in which the carbon dioxide escapes from the coffee beans. Let it sit for 30 seconds before stirring clockwise, twice.

Step 5: pour an extra 250g hot water into the chamber, until the water level reaches the number 4. Again, stir clockwise, twice.

Step 6: let the coffee sit for 1 minute and 45 seconds, then remove the scale from under your server/mug. Insert the plunger and press gently. Finish pressing before the brew time reaches two minutes and 10 seconds.

Step 7: give your coffee a little swirl before serving it. Et voila!

Fun facts about AeroPress

• AeroPress was invented by Stanford professor-slash-engineer Alan Adler in 2005.
• Aerobie, Alan’s company, was famous in the 1980s for creating a type of Frisbee that managed to set new world records.
• As a coffee lover, Alan was frustrated with most of the coffee makers at the time because they mainly yielded 6–8 cups of coffee per brew, meaning that he either had to drink all the coffee at one time or waste most of it. So he made use of his engineering expertise to build a coffee maker of his own.
• Although professional baristas raised their eyebrows at the coffee maker in the beginning, the AeroPress proved itself worthy of attention by showcasing its versatility and quality in the coffee cup. In 2008, sales of AeroPress started to grow and the first World AeroPress Championship was held in Oslo, Norway.

For those interested in learning more about other brewing methods, be sure to read our guides on pourover and cold brew. Happy brewing!

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In order to give you an unparalleled experience of simplicity, we focus on the tiny details so that you don’t have to. From the food and beverages we serve to the decor, furnishings and staff – every single element plays an equally important role in helping us to tell the NOC story. Besides the taste and appearance of what’s on your table, a good selection of tableware to showcase our food makes a difference and helps to elevate your dining experience.

As we were putting together our Whampoa shop, we tested different brands to see if there were any newer, better dinnerware we could use. That was when we found Bomshbee, a Hong Kong–based tableware brand founded by William and Anthony Lau. Inspired by their mother’s 30-year career as an entrepreneur in crockery, Bomshbee is a passion project by the Lau brothers. They share an interest in embodying modern, everyday essentials with beauty and quality. We’re always stoked to meet local talent who share our love for minimalism and obsession for detail, and we had a tough time picking out a few items from their amazing range to feature.

It was love at first sight for us when we saw the Silo salt and pepper shakers. The subtle, wavy texture of the letters “S” and “P and the different shades of grey on the shakers are designed to help users to distinguish between the two. We love that they encompass the minimalist ideals of functionality and thoughtful design. And it seems we’re not the only ones – the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) has also taken a shining to these little guys, offering them for sale on their website.

Our favourites from the Bomshbee collection include the Tinge clay bowl and the plates in grey. We appreciate how the exposed rims are beautifully executed in order to highlight the use of the glazed and raw porcelain surfaces. The sleek curves on the edges of the dinnerware help to create an elegant tablescape.

For those of you who visit our Whampoa branch to enjoy our delicious coffee, we have also selected the small Pleat container in white, which we use as a sugar bowl. Created with coloured porcelain, there are eight pleat lines that extend from the bottom of the container to the very top of the lid. We admire its sophisticated details and textured look.

We really enjoy connecting with like-minded local business owners and are thrilled that we get to feature designs from Bomshbee, a local family business, in our Whampoa store. We feel it is especially important for us to showcase local designs in our spaces so that we can take part in supporting Hog Kong’s home-grown designers and ensure that the unique talent of our city is preserved.

Did you know that NOC was named one of the world’s best coffee shops for design lovers by Wallpaper* magazine? Click for more details!

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For a lot of our customers, brewing at home still plays a big role in how they consume their favourite NOC blend. To pay homage to the art of home brewing, we’ve curated a list of the best coffee machines to use at home so that you can enjoy that perfect brew when it best suits you – in style.

La Marzocco Linea Mini

Inspired by the much larger Linea Classic, the Linea Mini encompasses everything that professional baristas love about the original – it’s stylish, efficient and knows what’s best for your beans. So if you’re craving that shot of fruity Kenyan magic from Nyeri Rumukia Thunguri AA, combining notes of plum, blackcurrant and grapefruit, La Marzocco Linea Mini will do (almost) everything for you. Once the brew paddle is activated, its pre-infusion programming ensures impeccable consistency in each and every shot. And while the machine takes care of the brewing, you can take care of steaming the milk, which takes no more than a few seconds.

Photo credit: La Marzocco

Slayer Espresso – Single Group

With the option to personalise a machine to your specifications, Slayer Espresso’s mission is to “make coffee better”. Reflecting the same design ideology that interested Benny enough for him to make a career out of it, Slayer Espresso’s ethos is built on three core pillars: design, ergonomics and technical performance. We recommend this one for brewing a shot of Dukunde Kawa Musasa, a Rwandan blend featuring notes of honey and orange.

Photo credit: Slayer Espresso

Chemex

If you’re looking for something a little less automated, Chemex has a range of heat-resistant glass coffee makers that are specifically designed to produce the purest, most flavoursome coffee, free of sediment each and every time. Shaped like an hourglass, they feature a leather tie and a polished wood collar.

Photo credit: Chemex

Aram

Aram is a relative newcomer to the personal espresso maker scene, but they’ve got bravado to match the old vanguard – their claim is that Aram will make the “best espresso you have ever tasted”. While the verdict may still be out, we can attest to the pure craftsmanship and ingenuity behind its design. It’s made of noble wood and stainless steel and produces a double shot of espresso without the use of electricity or a filter. In honour of the Aram team’s native country, Brazil, we tested it out on our natural-wash Brazillian No. 18 House Blend, and the result really does compete with its electric-powered cousins.

Photo credit: Aram

Ratio Eight

Ratio Coffee has done a great job of combining automated and mechanical brewing methods. Using an algorithm and quality construction, with just a few simple clicks, the Ratio Eight is able to mimic the precision of a handmade pourover. Moreover, the makers have set out to elevate the design of any environment; it’s not hard to imagine this beautiful piece of coffee-making equipment adding style to your home or office.

Photo credit: Ratio Coffee

The post The Most Stylish Coffee Makers for Your Home appeared first on Foodie.

We joined the team in their daily routine to learn more about the curation of our city’s favourite coffee. Here’s what we discovered…

9am

We start the day by doing some housekeeping around the Roastery. To get our coffee machines ready for another day of roasting, Rax and Seth give our roasting machines a deep clean by removing all the coffee chaff from inside, which builds up from the roasting we did the previous day. After that, Rax warms up the roasting machines so that we can accurately control and make changes to the temperature of the machines and the coffee beans.

Why did you decide to make coffee your career?

Rax: I was a barista when I first started working for NOC. As I brewed coffee day in and day out, I began to understand that a roast profile can make or break a batch of coffee. A barista can have amazing brewing techniques, but it is down to the roaster to highlight the tasting notes of a coffee with a good roast profile. I wanted to be involved in every aspect of coffee brewing, starting with sourcing high-quality green beans, experimenting with various profiles and ensuring coffee is well roasted, so I decided to join the Roastery team.

Seth: Like Rax, I started as a barista. As much as I love brewing coffee, I wanted to dig deeper and explore the world of roasting, so I applied to join the Roastery team. Being able to roast and uncover the world of distinctive tasting profiles every day is quite a satisfying experience for me.

10am

Our W15A is ready for roasting, so Rax and Seth get going.

How do you ensure the quality and consistency of our beans across all locations?

Seth: We use a software called Cropster to record our roast profiles and the changes in our coffee beans throughout the process. The technology allows us to very accurately measure many data points and monitor every variable in the roasting profile. It is extremely important for us to achieve the ideal roast profile for every coffee we test and maintain consistency in all the coffee we roast.

Rax: We hold small cupping sessions every day. By comparing coffee from different roast batches, we can ensure that we achieve consistency across everything we release. We also drop by other stores for espresso tastings and to check that the ideal espresso recipe is always being used for a particular batch of espresso.

2pm

Rax and Seth are joined by Sam, who took the time to visit other NOC outlets for taste tests through the morning. The trio is ready to start their tasting session to sample the end product of the roasts today.

Talk us through your routine – how do you guys divide and conquer?

Rax: While Sam is in charge of sourcing and roasting our single origins, I am in charge of roasting our house blends and Seth manages the inventory and packs our beans. To make the process more efficient, she also helps me prepare green beans for the next roast and the cupping sessions – she’s very good at multitasking.

Seth: We do regular cupping sessions on our own for quality control, but we also have frequent cupping sessions with Sam. We gather to cup samples from our green bean suppliers and also small batches of our new single-origin offerings, which Sam roasts with the IKAWA PRO V3. Through our cupping sessions, we are able to cherry-pick our favourite beans from a particular season, as well as the ideal roast profiles.

Rax: The regular meetings with Sam are when we decide as a team which seasonal crops we would like to invest in, how we would like to adjust our espresso blends and recipes and the single-origin offerings we would like to include in our seasonal selection.

What is the NOC way?

Rax: Being meticulous is the nature of a roaster – every variable in the roasting process can contribute to the cup of coffee our customers are drinking, so it is the roaster’s job to pay attention to detail and make sure every batch of coffee is well roasted and consistently delicious.

Seth: When it comes to the NOC experience, details matter. From our carefully selected beans, to our roast, down to the packaging of our coffee beans, we need to make sure everything is up to par.

How do you take your coffee?

Seth: My go-to is hand-drip coffee. I guess it makes sense for a roaster to favour black coffee over white coffee, as we enjoy something that lets us taste the different notes of a coffee in its original state. I especially like single origins from Ethiopia – the floral, fruity mouthfeel and clean cup are the best.

Rax: I also like to enjoy a cup of pourover after a long day of work. I really enjoy savouring the flavours of coffee beans from around the world.

The post A Day in the Life of a Coffee-Roasting Team appeared first on Foodie.

Let’s review the health-boosting applications of coffee grounds, while also exploring some of the most creative – and sometimes even bizarre – uses around the world.

Photo credit: tasteofhome.com

Making homemade beauty products

Apart from being abrasive and exfoliating, used coffee grounds still retain a part of their original chemical composition, which means they still have some caffeine and other compounds left in them. These two qualities have been used by women and men around the world to take advantage of caffeine’s topical health effects (by topical, we mean when applied externally over the skin). Some of these effects include reducing inflammation, increasing blood flow and even preventing cellulite, all of which are backed by science.

In the most common applications, people mix coffee grounds with a thick agglutinating agent, such as honey or pure coconut oil, in different proportions and then apply it to the skin on different parts of the body. Sometimes they gently apply it to bags under the eyes, where caffeine’s anti-inflammatory effect helps to soothe and reduce bagginess. Other times, they’ll apply the paste and massage it on the thighs and buttocks to reduce or prevent cellulite. Finally, the most common application is to use this paste as an exfoliating agent, rubbing it on the body until a fresh and soft new layer of skin emerges from underneath the removed dead skin cells.

These applications all cater to healthier skin, not just because of the coffee grounds themselves but also because of the additional benefits that coconut oil or honey bring with them.

Combating fleas and ticks in pets

Whether or not this really works is yet to be determined, because there’s no scientific evidence to support the claim that fleas flee from caffeine or coffee grounds. However, some mixed coffee/dog and coffee/cat enthusiasts like to rub their beloved pets in moist, used coffee grounds just before they use their regular shampoo to bathe them. They believe that the coffee grounds repel those annoying little critters. Not only that – they also believe that the caffeine helps them to have a healthier, shinier coat of hair.

In any case, we think we’d all prefer our dogs and cats to smell like coffee rather than to smell like… dirty dogs and cats. We’re not too sure we’d try this method on a Yorkshire terrier or French poodle though – rinsing off the grounds could be just as tedious as removing the fleas by hand. Maybe on a short-haired breed like a boxer or bulldog? We’ll leave that for you to decide!

Absorbing odours

Let us tell you a little story. Once during a long power outage, we had a freezer breakdown at home, and we didn’t realise until the smell caught our nose. It was Mission Impossible to wash away the stench from the freezer, but after remembering that we had just brewed a pot of coffee, we ran into the kitchen, put the used grounds in an open jar, put the jar inside the freezer and sealed it shut. A couple of hours later, the difference was already noticeable, and only a couple of days later, we were able to start putting food inside the freezer again.

Using coffee grounds as an odour absorbent can be really effective. And there’s a good reason too. Coffee grounds are made up of many very small particles, and the smaller the particles, the higher their collective surface area. But what does this have to do with odours? Well, these small particles act like a sort of sponge that absorbs the organic compounds that give many things their peculiar smell. Fish, meat, rotten eggs, dirty socks, mould – you name it – they all produce some substance that causes the bad smell, and most of these substances are organic compounds. Since there’s so much surface area in coffee grounds, there are a lot of places where these compounds can “stick” and thus be eliminated from the surrounding air.

You can also dry the grounds and put them inside a stocking or small fabric bag that lets air flow through it and then put this bag wherever you want to eliminate or prevent bad smells like inside your car, in the wardrobe or wherever you keep your shoes or dirty laundry.

Photo credit: inhabitat.com

Gardening

There are actually different ways of using coffee grounds in the garden. One way is to compost them along with other leftover food and vegetables in order to make new, rich and nutritive soil. The other way people use the grounds is as a barrier against ants and other pests that attack flowerbeds. This is based on the same assumption that some insects don’t like the bitterness or smell of caffeine or coffee in general, so by sprinkling coffee grounds in a circle around each plant, you’re protecting it from those kinds of pests. But, of course, this won’t be effective against flying insects, so you still have to keep an eye out for those.

Scouring pots and pans

Here is yet another example of coffee grounds’ abrasiveness in action. By applying the grounds as a paste and then scrubbing with them, they can help to remove some hard-to-tackle stains as well as stuck or burnt leftover food in your pans. The good news is that since the grounds are softer than the metal, ceramic or Teflon linings that most modern pans have, they won’t leave behind any scratches.

Washing off car grease or oil from your hands (or any other diehard stain from your skin)

If you’ve ever had to put your hands inside your car’s engine compartment, you’re definitely familiar with how hard it is to remove those black stains left on your hands after you’ve been in contact with dirty grease or oil. A great solution is to mix a mild powdered detergent or a good, strong liquid hand soap with some coffee grounds and then rub your hands with the mixture after adding just a bit of water. You’ll be surprised at the results when you rinse it all off: a sparklingly clean pair of hands. You won’t have to look like a mechanic ever again!

These are just a few of the many ways in which people have put used coffee grounds to other uses. One thing is clear: you should think twice before you throw them away.

To share your own creative uses for used coffee grounds, message us on Instagram @noccoffeeco

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To ensure we serve consistently great-tasting coffee all year-round, we obsess on sourcing the best beans we can find from around the world each season, roasting them with the best possible roasting profiles.

To help us to decide on which seasonal crop to buy or which roasting profile we will use for a coffee, sample roasting is something we often do at NOC Roastery in Sai Ying Pun.

What is sample roasting?

Sample roasting is roasting a small sample of green coffee. Why do we do it?

First, it helps us to evaluate the quality of a coffee, with minimum wastage and maximum accuracy.

Before we can commit to buying green coffee in bulk to include it as part of our offering, it’s essential that we know whether its flavours and quality are up to par; we need to avoid roasting 50kg of coffee and then realising it doesn’t taste the greatest. That’s why we need to sample-roast and cup small amounts of selected seasonal crops from our trusted suppliers. The process allows us to gain more understanding on the different options, which then allows us to make efficient buying decisions.

Next, it helps us to select the ideal roast profile.

Once we decide to purchase a coffee, our roasters work together to come up with the ideal roast profile in order to highlight its distinct flavours. Sample roasting allows us to explore and experiment with different roast profiles by roasting, cupping and then comparing mini batches of coffee.

What is an IKAWA roaster?

Based in London, IKAWA For Professionals is a start-up founded by Andrew Stordy and Rombout Frieling in 2010. The pair’s idea was to create a portable coffee roaster that is repeatable and consistent so that coffee- sample evaluation can be made fair, easy and accessible for anyone, anywhere.

We have chosen the IKAWA PRO V3 roaster for its precision, reliability and simplicity. The roaster is controlled via the IKAWA PRO app, which allows for easier but greater control over the roasting process. Similar to Cropster, the programme we use for our Giesen roasting machines, the IKAWA PRO app allows us to save roasting profiles, which helps us to review, compare and replicate different profiles. What’s even better is that the app connects the global coffee community by allowing roasters to share their roasting profiles, which we think is a great plus.

How do we sample-roast?

Step 1

We start by connecting the PRO V3 to the IKAWA PRO app on our smart device. Before we begin, we adjust the exhaust, inlet and airflow settings of the roaster and set the roasting curve.

Step 2

We measure 20g green beans and pour into the PRO V3 machine from the opening on top.

Step 3

We press “go” and let the roaster do its magic as we monitor the roasting curve.

Step 4

Once the roasting process is complete, we release the chaff into a glass container and dispose of it. We then release the roasted beans into a second glass container.

Step 5

We repeat the same process on the same coffee using different roast profiles. Once we are finished roasting 3–4 different batches, we hold a mini cupping session to review and compare the coffees and/or roast profiles.

Depending on the roast profile, processing, season and crop itself, each and every coffee has its own unique tasting notes. Rather than roasting every coffee extra dark to achieve a consistently smoky flavour and heavy body, it’s our aim to highlight the beauty of each coffee for you to taste and appreciate.

For more information about our house blends and single-origin offerings, speak to one of our baristas or message us on Instagram @noccoffeeco

The post Coffee Roaster Basics: Sample Roasting appeared first on Foodie.

Our founder, Benny, and our team, conceived a space for customers to enjoy coffee and the beautiful views without distractions – an urban sanctuary away from the stresses of city life.

At 3,500 square feet, this is the largest NOC location to date. Space is such a rare commodity in Hong Kong, and as with all our stores, we aim to bring greater harmony between empty space and carefully selected furnishings. The shop features an elevated island coffee bar, bringing customers closer to their coffee by offering a 360-degree view of the coffee-brewing process.

Along with continuing with our neutral minimalist palette of white, grey and light wood, we have added more plants around our space as pops of colour. At the shopfront, we have installed frameless glass walls to bring in more natural light and to allow for ample views of the harbour outside.

On the wall across from our coffee bar, we feature a painting by Kemal Seyhan, a Turkish-Austrian contemporary artist based in Istanbul. The Classic Blue colour pops from the grey concrete wall, offering a calming influence and inspiration for our customers, while the straight lines complement the uncluttered surroundings. Seyhan’s work is the first in a series that rotates every few months to feature both international and local artists.

We have a dedicated area of our new store called The Lab. This is the space in which we will be sharing our coffee skills and knowledge with staff members when they first join NOC, testing new recipes and offering coffee-related classes to the public.

Our baristas are brewing our signature No. 34 and No. 18 house-roasted blends on two La Marzocco KB90 machines, the newest model from the Italian espresso machine master, along with a seasonal selection of single origins as pourovers.

From the kitchen, we are offering up a series of seasonal, nutritious and wholesome brunch items, including dishes of gnocchi with homemade meatballs and apple toast, and, of course, all your usual NOC favourites like the all-day breakfast and our much-loved avo toast. We have also launched our ready-to-drink canned cold brew, created with our house-roasted No. 18 beans.

NOC Whampoa is open daily, 8am–8pm.

Shop G42, G/F, Site 9, Whampoa Garden, Hung Hom, 2122 9751

The post Beautiful Coffee Shop: NOC Whampoa appeared first on Foodie.

Even better, you can now make vegan coffee jelly with our canned cold brew. Simply follow the quick and easy recipe created by our talented head chef, Patrick, and treat yourself to this light, refreshing dessert.

Ingredients:

• 1 can NOC cold-brew coffee
• 1 tin coconut milk
• 1 small carton coconut cream
• 4g kanten* powder
• 3 tsp raw brown sugar (or plant-based sweetener of your choice)

* Kanten is a Japanese gelling agent that is used to make a variety of wagashi, traditional Japanese confectionery. Extracted from an edible algae called Gelidiales, kanten is an all-natural, plant-based alternative to gelatin. Not only is it tasteless and scentless, but it is also made of 80%-water-soluble fibre and has almost zero calories.

Method:

1. Pour 100ml coconut milk and 50ml coconut cream into a measuring container and whisk together (coconut milk and cream are naturally sweet, but for those who have a sweet tooth, you can also add maple syrup or a plant-based sweetener of your choice to taste). Cover and chill.
2. Pour the canned cold brew into a small pan and bring it to the boil. Gradually add in the raw brown sugar and kanten powder as you stir the mixture. Continue until the kanten powder and sugar dissolve completely, then pour into a container or shallow dish. Let the mixture cool down before covering it and putting it in the fridge to chill. To speed up the cooling process, you can also place ice packs underneath the container or dish.
3. Once the mixture sets, run the tip of a knife across the container or dish to cut the coffee jelly into ½-inch cubes. Gently scoop out the cubes and place them in a serving glass or bowl.
4. Pour the chilled coconut mixture over the coffee jelly and serve with a layer of coconut cream on top.

Post your efforts on Instagram and tag @noccoffeeco for a chance to win a goodie bag

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For most of us, coffee tastes like, well, coffee. However, the experience of drinking coffee starts to become more meaningful when you’re able to identify the slight differences in flavour profiles.

We joined Sam and his team at a recent cupping session to learn how each coffee is studied for its flavour profile and also to discuss why coffee is such a deeply personal experience.

What is coffee tasting and why is it important?

Coffee tasting, also known as cupping, is a practice that was created for coffee professionals to grade coffee beans. The technique is now widely carried out by coffee lovers who want to gain a better understanding of coffee.

Cupping is important because it allows us to objectively compare, contrast and evaluate characteristics of different coffees by omitting other factors in the brewing process that may affect the taste of the coffee. As a roaster, I cup every time I roast as a quality-control measure. Cupping is also essential when I’m deciding the roasting profile of single origins and blend recipes/ratio.

Talk us through how NOC conducts a cupping session.

We start by preparing 12 grams of finely ground coffee in a cupping cup. This allows us to smell and identify the aroma of the dry coffee grounds.

We then add in exactly 200 grams of hot water. It is important to ensure that the water temperature is between 94–97°C and that we pour the water on the same spot to make sure that the coffee grounds in the cup become immersed. Now that the coffee grounds are wet, we again smell the aroma of the coffee.

At this same point, we start the timer. We allow the coffee to brew for four minutes before we break the coffee- ground “crust” that has formed on top of the cupping cups, gently stir the coffee and skim any coffee grounds that float in the cups.

We wait seven more minutes before we start tasting the coffee with our cupping spoons. When we taste the coffee, we slurp, almost inhaling the coffee into our mouths. This draws in the coffee and creates a coffee “vapour” inside our mouths, allowing the coffee to stimulate both our sense of smell and sense of taste. We taste the coffee multiple times as the temperature of the coffee cools down. This process continues for around 30 minutes.

As a roaster, I cup to compare different roasting profiles for a specific coffee. At the same time, I’ll also perform a coffee grading. The coffees are graded according to their different characteristics: aroma, acidity, sweetness, body, flavour, balance and aftertaste.

To me, coffee is a very personal experience. – Sam Chan, NOC head roaster

What does cupping mean to how our readers experience coffee tasting?

To me, coffee is a very personal experience. Every coffee drinker has her/his own preference, and it’s my opinion that it shouldn’t be up to the professionals to define “good coffee”. Just because a variety of beans is given a high cupping score by professionals, it doesn’t mean every coffee drinker will like its aroma or taste. There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to what good coffee means; if you enjoy the coffee you are drinking, it’s good coffee! This is also the reason why I made the fruity and nutty house blends – to accommodate customers with different preferences in coffee flavour.

For our coffee-loving readers at home, what are the key things to look out for when tasting coffee?

When we taste coffee, we generally look out for the following characteristics:

Aroma: we smell the aroma of the coffee both when it’s dry and when it’s wet

Acidity: acidity in a coffee can be high, medium or low. Coffee with a good acidity should taste like the sourness in certain fruits, not a pungent, vinegar-like sourness.

Sweetness: an appropriate level of sweetness is essential in creating balance with the acidity in a coffee.

Body: you can observe the texture of a coffee by its appearance. The body of a coffee can be thin like water or thick like milk or even butter.

Flavour: you may be able to taste interesting flavour notes, with levels of sweetness and sourness. For example, coffees with higher acidity may feature tasting notes of lemon.

Balance: we assess the balance of aroma, acidity, sweetness, body and flavour in a coffee. Is there a characteristic in the coffee that is very strong? If there is no unpleasant taste/aroma in the coffee and you want to keep on drinking, you can assume the coffee is balanced.

Aftertaste: we don’t want any bitterness or vinegar-like sourness in the aftertaste of coffee.

The post NOC’s Guide to Coffee Tasting appeared first on Foodie.

We know how important design is to our ethos, so we were pretty chuffed when NOC was recently named as the one of the “world’s best coffee shops for design lovers” by the world’s number-one design magazine, Wallpaper*.

…the industrial-feel store occupies a ground-level space of a new residential development and aims at impeccable craftsmanship with personality-filled interiors.

Here’s an excerpt from our feature:

Hong Kong–based design agency Studio Adjective has lent its head for urban storytelling to the new NOC Coffee Co. Located in the Western District, the industrial-feel store occupies a ground-level space of a new residential development and aims at impeccable craftsmanship with personality-filled interiors. The 1,500-square-foot steel and concrete store features airy floor-to-ceiling windows and long, shared tables ideal for working lunches.

Most notable at NOC are the bespoke coffee-themed pictograms that snake across the floor. “These stylised white floor lines tie up the space,” say Emily Ho and Wilson Lee of Studio Adjective. “Playful elements like this will become the interior focus, heightening the warehouse feel.” Following the patterns, customers are encouraged to navigate between the bean roasting area, the art-installation-like coffee storage display and the seven-metre bar, which acts a stage for the baristas.

Original article written by Elly Parsons for Wallpaper*

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