FAQ

COFFEE (GENERAL)
 

Q.     What is a piccolo?

I suppose there are two answers to this question. At my shop, a piccolo is a 4oz drink composed of a double espresso and steamed milk, which is served in a Duralex glass. More generally speaking, a piccolo latte - to give it its full name, which is essentially just Italian for 'small latte', or 'small milk' if we're being super literal - is 15-20ml of espresso topped with warm, silky milk, usually served in a demitasse (100ml) glass.

Despite the piccolo being one of the less popular items on our menu, this is by far the most frequently asked question at BLK Coffee!

Oh, and, it’s also a small woodwind instrument.

Q.     What's the difference between a latte and a flat white?

This one is pretty simple: the main difference between a latte and a flat white is the amount of milk used in each. Broadly speaking, a flat white is smaller than a latte and, because both drinks should contain two shots of espresso, it is typically the stronger tasting of the two. At BLK Coffee, for example, a latte is an 8oz drink while a flat white is 6oz. 

Q.     What's the difference between an americano and a long black?

As far as I'm aware, there isn't one. These are just different names for the same thing. I have heard the argument that one involves adding the espresso first, then the water, while the other involves the reverse, but this seems pretty egregious to me. At the end of the day, it’s just coffee, and this one really isn't worth losing sleep over. (Well, unless you knock back a bunch of 'em before bedtime.)

Q.     Which is more caffeinated: espresso or filter?

This is a really worthwhile question as it involves one of the most common misconceptions in coffee - that an espresso is the most caffeinated thing you can drink. People are invariably surprised to learn that this isn't the case. The amount of caffeine in a coffee is determined by how long that coffee is in contact with water, i.e., how long it takes to brew. The average espresso takes about thirty seconds to brew, while filter coffee can take several minutes to brew, depending on the volume and method used. Therefore, filter coffee is actually more caffeinated than espresso!

ME + COFFEE

Q.     How did you get into coffee?

To cut a (very) long story short, I fell into it. I started drinking coffee whilst studying for my A-Levels, mostly in order to prevent myself from falling asleep in the middle of Wordsworth and Coleridge's Lyrical Ballads, which has to be the most tedious volume of poetry ever published. For many years, coffee was just something I consumed in order to get things done - a catalyst, if you will. I never thought that it would become a 'thing' in and of itself, or that I could make a career out of it.

Anyway, that's the short version!

Q.     Did you always want to open your own coffee shop?

No, not really. But once the idea was there, it wouldn't go away. I have always wanted to do something of my own, however I always imagined this would involve writing an incendiary coming-of-age novel, or fronting an unusually sentimental punk rock band. I wish I was joking.

Hospitality? Food and drink? Business? These are not fields I expected to find myself in. Fortunately, I am happy here.

Q.     How many coffees do you drink in a day?

Three cups of filter coffee is generally my limit. Anything more than that and the world starts to turn into one giant Hieronymus Bosch painting. 

Q.     What's your favourite type of coffee?

This is another "there are two answers to this question" type of question. My favourite coffee beverage is a black coffee, straight up. I'm lactose intolerant and personally don't like the way coffee tastes with either almond or soya milk, so, black coffee it is! I tend towards filter coffee more than espressos or americanos; I make myself an AeroPress first thing every morning, and then mess around with different brewing methods throughout the day.

My favourite coffee origin is an easy one: Kenya. The first single-serve filter coffee I ever tasted was a Kenyan, and it blew me away. Since then I've had some really extraordinary Kenyan coffees at home and at work, and I chose to use a Kenyan coffee when I competed (and finished second) in the UK Brewers Cup last year. Acidity, brightness, clarity, juiciness...there's just nothing like a Kenyan coffee.

Q.     Would you ever consider roasting your own coffee?

No. I don't think I have the right temperament for it.

Q.     Would you ever like to visit a coffee farm?

Of course! Given the chance, I would love to visit a coffee farm.


This piece was originally published on blkcoffee.co.uk in 2017.