The way I see coffee now is a lot different from years ago. These days, I don’t really go to coffee shops to work from. More often than not, I just like having a nice warm cup of coffee with beautiful latte art that the barista crafted for me (the customer).
The other day, I went to Dogel, a homey coffee shop that I always frequent. At some point, even the online driver thinks I own the place.
Unlike many places in town, I just feel comfortable there and their coffee, especially their matcha. It is hard to find a place with consistent matcha flavor and actually know how to blend it well. This place, they know how to elevate and mix matcha with espresso.
So far, I haven’t found a place that actually sells matcha espresso like them. But lately, they keep running out of it. So, I ordered their magic, an Australian coffee that offers a balance of intensity and creaminess from the milk. As you can see below, this is their magic.
For someone who has been reviewing places like this for many years, actually it doesn’t make sense to visit a coffee shop to just drink a coffee.
Given these days, everyone can become their own barista. All you need is just a coffee machine and some basic skills to actually operate the machine and make the coffee. There’s no rocket science in making coffee these days.
Coffee grounds can be easily found anywhere with different roast and taste profiles. So, we can easily replicate the experience at home.
I don’t know about you, but it’s true that if you want to save up more, skip having coffee outside. In the end, once the latte art is gone, it’s basically milk and coffee. The only positive thing about coffee shops is practically the atmosphere that offers something different than if you’re working from home.
By the way, that’s why these days I go to a roastery called Hubbie where I get my weekly beans. They are selling all types of coffee and that allows me to sample so many types of coffee without having to commit to just one type.
I personally prefer Arabica more than Robusta just because Arabica has more flavor profile than Robusta. So, around here, I mostly review Arabica. Anyway, this time, I was trying Ciwidey coffee. It’s grown in West Java with several taste notes including sweet lemon, earl grey tea, and citrus. This is one of the best coffee if you enjoy a light coffee to accompany your afternoon.
Different coffee profiles don't always work on all coffee extraction methods and menus. For instance, coffee like Ciwidey with a very light body won’t work. At the same time, to make latte or adding milk into the mixture, anything citrus and tea-like its tastes would be blended in and you won’t notice the coffee in your latte.
The same goes with coffee that has earthy notes which will make you think you’re drinking some herbal concoction rather than a good cup of coffee. So, that’s why around the coffee shop, they tend to have sweeter options for you to try and choose from.
All these are theories and as brewer, they always want to give the best for the customer. But in the end, some people love to experiment and they end up with unique extraction even if their coffee profile won’t match the type of extractions that they should actually do.
So, if you’re diving into the world of coffee, this could be the north star to explore all the roasts and profiles that would match the coffee brewing method and tools that you have at home.
