Author: WithamsAdmin

If you are always on the go and can’t bear to be without caffeine for too long, you should definitely check out the AeroPress Coffee Maker. This handheld espresso maker has developed a cult following with bean lovers around the world.

So, what is all the fuss and what makes it special? Well, it is really small and light and at under 50 bucks, it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg either. It also makes a pretty damn good cup of coffee in around 2 minutes. That makes it perfect for anywhere where you need to have great coffee with minimal fuss – be that at the office or when you are out and about and not close to a decent cafe. The AeroPress has become the go-to device for outdoor enthusiasts – everyone from campers and backpackers to cyclists, bikepackers and rock climbers love the convenience and portability of the device.

What is an AeroPress?

Let’s take a look at what this nifty device consists of.

There are four bits to the device – a brewing chamber or cylinder, plunger and rubber seal. The fourth piece is the filter holder. It also comes with a stirrer, scoop and spare paper filters in the box.

How to use the AeroPress Coffee Maker

It’s really simple to use – all you need is hot water, your favourite freshly roasted coffee and an AeroPress. Start by:

• Placing a microfilter in the cap, and twist it on the chamber
• Stand this over your favourite mug
• Next, put ground coffee – fine to medium coarseness is best – into the chamber using one scoop for each cup of espresso, up to a maximum of four scoops
• Then add your hot water – 75° to 80°C is ideal – up to the numbered cup marker, and mix for ten seconds
• Then press the plunger down using a gentle, steady motion for 20 to 30 seconds.
• The coffee is now in your cup/mug ready to be enjoyed as an espresso or made into the coffee of your choice It is that easy. And the best bit is that with the total immersion brewing style you get a rich, full coffee flavour with no grit or bitterness.

Cleaning an AeroPress

Cleaning an Aeropress is really easy – rinse and repeat basically. Simply push out the used coffee grains from the chamber into a bin and rinse the chamber and plunger. The paper microfilters are also single use, so they go in the bin with the coffee.

We also have a range of home brew gear, including Chemex coffee makers, syphons, coffee scales, kettles and more available to order online. You may also want to grab a bag of coffee to try in your AeroPress? You can order online or sign up to our Coffee Connoisseurs Club and we’ll deliver awesome freshly roasted beans from the world’s coffee hotspots to your door every fortnight. And remember, we only roast to order, so you always get the freshest beans available.

We just wanted to give a shout to the new Moving Bodies Cafe at Mt Kuring-gai, who are now officially up and running!

If you don’t know, The Moving Bodies Centre is the home of adult and kid’s fitness on the North Shore. This is the place to get stuck into a range of fitness programs in a supportive and safe environment. Adult classes include general fitness, pilates, gymnastics and swimming while the
kids can indulge in gymnastics, parkour, meditation yoga, swimming and kindygym – as well as school holiday programs and birthday parties.

And you can now indulge in a Withams coffees as well a range of other healthy goodies. Lance and the team also helped them refine the cafe look and layout, to make it easier for customers and staff to navigate. We also helped train staff, choose and supply their machinery and grinders, as well a coffee blend that suited their palate – and make sure everything was ready to go for the big day.

Are you a café, restaurant or office with a serious caffeine habit?

We would love to support the growth of your business.

How?

As a wholesale coffee supplier we pour over two decades of industry experience into bringing you the finest, freshest Arabica coffee on the planet. And it doesn’t matter if you are a start-up, a small established neighbourhood café or a 50+kg per week account – we treat everyone the same.

Need some reasons why you should give us a go?

The main reason our wholesale customers trust us with their beans is because we really care. We also understand the retail cafe trade. This means:

• No minimum volume accounts.
• We sample roast, cup and taste every bean before we add it to our range.
• We only roast to order, which means you always receive the freshest coffee.
• We carry one of the largest selection of single origins in Sydney, from all the major coffee producing regions, including a selection of Fairtrade and Organic beans.
• We can tailor a flavour profile and develop a signature blend to suit your customer’s palette.
• We can make you look the business with all the branded paraphernalia – cups, barriers, aprons & more – you need.
• We provide ongoing training and support

We have been buying and roasting coffee for two decades have a reputation as one of Sydney’s finest specialty coffee roasters. From our headquarters in Hornsby we now service hundreds of local cafes, wholesale customers and fulfill online orders from coffee lovers across the country. Why not give us a shout if you want to talk about growing your coffee business…

With over 400 billion cups served every year, coffee has become the most popular beverage in the world. The variety of coffee blends and brews available, regular or decaf, means that there is a cup of coffee that is perfect for nearly any palette.

Cold brewed coffee has gained popularity because it is a wonderfully refreshing cold beverage for a warm summer day, and cold brewed coffee has a more mellow, subtle taste that is less acidic than conventionally-brewed coffee. In addition to its invigorating qualities and great taste, it is easy and economical to cold brew coffee at home.

Choose the Beans

One of the beautiful things about cold brewed coffee is that it makes coffee taste extra great. If you have the equipment to grind your beans, set your grinder to it’s most coarse setting, or pick up a bag of coarsely ground coffee from our store.

Steep the Grounds

There are several products on the website designed to help make cold brew coffee. Cold brew coffee is made by soaking the coffee grounds in cold or room temperature water for a period of 12 to 24 hours, producing a coffee concentrate.
Find a suitable container with a lid, such as a large mason jar, and add four parts water to one part ground coffee. Gently stir the mix until well blended, seal the container, and place it on the shelf or in the fridge and forget about it until tomorrow.

Strain the Coffee

Allowing the mixture to steep overnight, or for a full 24 hours if possible, will produce a rich, mellow coffee concentrate without the bitterness often associated with traditional brewing methods. When the steeping process is complete, filter the mixture into a large container with a strainer to remove the grounds. Filter the coffee through a finer sieve to remove any smaller grounds and pour into a container for storage.

Relax and Enjoy

Brewing a cold brew requires only a few steps and little work, but pays rich dividends. All your hard work and time will pay off when you fill a tall glass with ice, pour your cold brewed coffee over it, and sit back, relax, and enjoy. You’ve earned it.

To learn more about this or anything else contact us today.

There’s nothing quite like enjoying a hot and steamy cup of coffee to start your morning or perk you up in the afternoon. But if that coffee is stale, the ritual can be anything but enjoyable. A lot of people don’t realise that their coffee can go bad if it sits too long in their pantry or that their coffee might already be stale when they pick it up from the local supermarket.

So, how can you tell quality coffee from stale coffee? Here are some tips for how to recognize whether your coffee beans are fresh:

1. Take a close look at your beans

Fresh beans have a glossy appearance from the oily substance that gets drawn out during the roasting process. When you pick up the beans, they should leave some residue on your hands and there should be some residue on the inside of the bag.

2. Breathe deeply

Fresh coffee beans give off a delightful aroma. Take a deep inhale of your coffee beans. If you can’t smell anything, or the smell is faint, then those beans are past their prime.

3. Use the plastic bag test

Seal a few handfuls of beans in a plastic bag and leave them on your counter overnight. In the morning, check to see if the bag is inflated or deflated. If it’s inflated, then your beans are still fresh. If it’s deflated, then your beans have gone stale. The bag will inflate when the beans release carbon dioxide, which only happens while they’re still fresh.

The best way to make sure you’re only brewing fresh coffee from fresh beans is to buy a little at a time instead of stocking up on coffee beans. By a few days’ worth of beans from a source you trust. This will ensure that the beans won’t have time to go stale before you get around to brewing them. Never store your beans in the fridge, since they can pick up the flavour of other food stored there. For more ideas on how to make sure you never drink a bad cup of coffee again, contact us at the roastery.

Your guests are going to love coming over, now that you’ve nailed the Espresso Martini. It’s the perfect starter or apratif as the caffeine provides a subtle kick, with it’s sophisticated and rich flavour it’ll be sure to impress.

The rich flavor of espresso blends nicely with vodka to make a sophisticated drink at your next party. It’ll keep the party going for hours.

Ingredients:

• 30 ml vodka
• 30 ml kahlua (or coffee liqueur)
• 60 ml freshly made espresso
• 30 ml Irish cream liqueur

Method:

• Step 1: Grab a bag of Withams Super Mocha Coffee – You can opt to have it grinded at the roastery before delivery – or simply grind it yourself.
  
• Step 2: Brew your espresso using distilled water.
  
• Step 3: Combine the vodka, kahlua, fresh espresso, Irish cream liqueur into a mixing glass with ice.
  
• Step 4: Shake until combined and chilled.
  
• Step 5: Strain and pour into a cocktail glass.
  
• Step 6: Garnish with a few coffee beans. Serve and enjoy.

Potential modifications:

• No Cream: Remove the Irish cream liqueur if you are looking for a darker less sweet martini.
  
• Almond Flavor: Substitute the Irish cream for an almond liqueur.

The best industrial grade espresso machines and products on the market come from our sister brand Prosumer. Prosumer is the same company that produces the well loved Chemex home coffee makers. They carry various products for every type of business from small lounges to large scale restaurants or coffee shops. Coffee bean grinders and other accessories are also available. Contact us for more information.

The right espresso is the only thing capable of brightening up dreary mornings. That fresh scent wafting through first thing is a great wake up call, and the right espresso can really be the jolt needed to start the day fresh.

With that in mind, using the right blend or single origin is absolutely essential if you want a quality cup of coffee in the morning, and should be smooth, full of richness and flavor with the right notes to suit your palette.

Finding the right blend is difficult enough, as is ensuring that you are in possession of fair trade coffee beans that you can vouch for. The best way to confirm that though, and to verify that you are using the right products is to work with a specialty roaster for your beans or pre-ground coffee.

Speciality roasters have immense experience in identifying the right blends and bringing out its best flavors. There is a certain amount of chemistry and science that goes into taking these plain green beans and transforming them into a rich and flavorful roast.

But how do you find the right specialty roaster? It is a careful process that might require a bit of research, but it is well worth the rewards – especially when it comes to coffee. You could ask about the kind of equipment they use, whether they pre-roast or roast to order and what kind of flavor profiles they use and why.

Speciality roasters will also be able to provide you with a range of options for fair trade and organic, freshly roast and ground espresso and can vouch for their quality and growth. The benefit of working with a specialty roaster is that they are able to serve you throughout the process – from espresso beans to the pre-ground espresso and provide quality service throughout.

To learn more about the best beans, pre-ground single origins or blends and the process surrounding finding the perfect cup of coffee, please follow us on Facebook.

Calling all coffee connoisseurs! Whether you’re a rock star barista in your local coffee shop or a die-hard coffee fan with all the fancy equipment, you need to know the ins and outs of your espresso machine. One of the most important aspects to owning or operating an espresso machine is keeping it clean by backflushing it. Flushing out all the built up grinds and leftover oils from the machine will keep your brew tasting fresh and amazing, just the way you like it.

What is Backflushing?

Backflushing is a specific cleaning term used on professional standard and home espresso machines. The process involves forcing water and cleaner through the systems of the machine. The pressure valve removes any build ups that could later cause problems or bad taste, and keeps the machine in pristine condition. Repeat the flushing 5 times or until the water comes out clear.

How Often Should You Backflush?

Every day! That’s right, you should be adding this into your daily cleaning regimen for best results.
Home machines typically only need backflushed once per week with plain water, but it won’t harm your machine performing it more often or with cleaners.
Commercial machines should be backflushed at the end of every busy business day with a sufficient cleaner. If business was slow that day, plain water may be sufficient to flush with.
There are special backflushing cleaning chemicals made specifically for your espresso machine. After every 200 shots of coffee, a more thorough machine cleaning should be done using espresso machine cleaning tablets or powder.
Always remember to rinse the group head thoroughly with clean water after you use any kind of chemical cleaner. Backflushing will ensure your espresso machine is always ready for the next round of espresso!

For even more coffee wisdom, follow our blog by subscribing to our monthly newsletter.

It can be easy to forget about, we know. But maintaining a properly serviced (and cleaned) machine is essential for brewing that perfect cup of coffee, every time. And as more of us move to café quality machines at home, it’s so important to keep up with regular servicing.
Did you know we can service your machine for you? We have several servicing options available – you can drop your machine in at our convenient service centre in Hornsby, or we offer a pick-up and drop- off service for Sydney metro (just check with us to make sure it’s available in your area). And for large machines that can’t be transported, we perform in-house servicing.

Coffee Connoisseurs Club

Do you consider yourself a serious coffee lover?
At Witham’s Coffee, we’re definitely very fond of the old coffee bean. There’s nothing quite like that first cup of coffee to start your day. And what’s even better is not having to worry about your coffee supplies.

Running out of coffee is surely the coffee connoisseur’s worst nightmare.

Which is why the Coffee Connoisseurs Club has you covered. Join the club to get fresh-roasted Arabica beans delivered direct to your door each fortnight. Chosen from some of the world’s top coffee growing regions, you’ll always have delicious coffee to drink at home.

You can choose from two of our VIP memberships, to suit your level of coffee consumption. You’ll get tasting notes and information about each packet of coffee you receive; you can learn a little about your favourite beans.

Never run out of your beloved coffee again.

Want to expand your coffee horizons? We’re excited about this seriously great new coffee we have for you. Burundi Scert Kiyago is from, well, Burundi – a tiny little country in the east of Africa, near Tanzania. An Arabica coffee with deep, rich flavours. You’ll taste dark praline, spice and blackcurrants in this complex brew. If you’re a fan of the African coffee beans, you’ll be sure to adore this one. Grab a packet online today or come in store to pick up your bag.

Until next month, take care!

For many, finding the perfect coffee beans is an elusive task. After all, there are an incredible amount of choices in the marketplace, and how do you really know when you have found the right coffee? The one that has that perfect, silky smooth taste and that richness of smell?
The honest answer? A lot of trial and experimentation, and a good amount of research. There are many different factors that go into coffee: the region, elevation, growth patterns among others. Luckily, we have done the research and found one of the best blends out there: Excelso.

Why Excelso?

These organic Colombian coffee beans combine the factors we mentioned above to create a perfect blend. Grown at elevations of 1000m – 2000m above sea level, these beans thrive in the shade beneath a tropical forest canopy.

They are grown under the banner of the Sustainable Agricultural Network, making them ethical as well. The process for doing so is extensive to ensure that the total process remains organic, from composting to soil preservation.

It often takes two years to be certified as true organic, since there is an independent auditing process involved as well, and Excelso has taken that initiative to be certified. This is true organic coffee – no pesticides or synthetic chemicals, and it is easy to surmise this from the superior quality of the beans itself.
Its body is best described as light-medium, not too strong to overpower the taste buds but it still provides that necessary jolt that only good coffee can provide. Extremely aromatic, there are notes of delicate fruit flavors as well.

For the perfect cup, it is recommended that Excelso coffee beans should be roasted medium, or medium-high to retain its characteristics. The tasting notes are described and pure and clean, but with a silky feel. There is also a very distinctive caramel sweetness that adds another layer to the taste. Since it is a medium strength coffee, it is best to brew it strongly.

Excelso coffee beans are truly organic, with wonderful tasting notes – making it a perfect blend for enjoyment. To learn more about Excelso coffee and what makes it such a great choice, please contact us.

Ever wondered what happens to your takeaway coffee cup after you are done with it?

The humble takeaway cup has been getting a lot of press recently, and for a good reason. Us Aussies use somewhere in the region of 1 billion disposable coffee cups (equal to 12,000 tonnes) every year. We all know that we love our coffee, but that is a lot of cups – especially as the majority of them end up in landfill where they become a major pollution hazard.

The main problem with many of these types of cups is the lining used, which is typically made from a non-biodegradable plastic. This is why we chose to use BioCups in our cafe, which are a 100% biodegradable and recyclable brand that offers a more sustainable solution to this dilemma.

Why we chose BioCup

We like to make a difference wherever we can, so our branded takeaway cups and lids are manufactured by BioCup using a PLA renewable plant-based bioplastic lining. Together with the soy and water based inks they use this makes them:

• Recyclable, by many local councils
• Commercially compostable
• Emit 75% less CO2 emissions than conventional plastic

The paper that goes into their production is also a sustainably sourced paper board from managed plantations.

How to enjoy your coffee with a clear conscience

If you want to enjoy your coffee and make a difference there are some steps you can take, such as:

• Where possible recycle your takeaway coffee cup
• Bring along your own reusable coffee cup or mug for a takeaway
• Drink your coffee in the cafe
• Research what cups your local cafe uses, and ask them to make the change if they aren’t currently sustainable

Witham’s and Sustainability

We are committed to stock Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance and organic coffees that offer better prices, better working conditions, and fair terms of trade for farmers and coffee producers around the developing world. We also recycle our coffee sacks, which are made into dog beds, wall hangings, upholstery and carry bags – reducing landfill and our impact on the environment.

We also have been buying and roasting coffee for two decades have a reputation as one of Sydney’s finest specialty coffee roasters. We now service hundreds of café clients, wholesale customers and fulfill online orders from coffee lovers across the country.

Back in May, Lance Witham – founder of Witham’s Coffee – appeared on the Taking Lifestyle’s ‘Living Fresh’ podcast.

Lance talked about all things coffee. Including how he got started in the industry, the latest trends (some good, some downright crazy), the world’s most expensive coffee, non-diary milks, and creating the perfect blend.

Here, Lance expands on a few of the topics he covered in the podcast.

A lifetime of coffee

Born on a coffee farm in Zimbabwe’s Eastern Highlands, you could say that coffee is in my blood. Certainly, it’s been the family business long before I was born.

When I came to Australia, I worked on a coffee farm in Queensland – learning the ropes in a whole new country. Coffee is coffee the world over, but there’s always something to be learned! And it wasn’t long before I discovered that roasting coffee was my future.

In 1994, my wife and I started the first Witham’s coffee shop in Waverton. Cut to 2017, and we now roast our coffee in Hornsby and supply to cafes, restaurants and homes all over Australia.

Making a fantastic cup of coffee

We believe a good coffee should be within everyone’s reach. And people are starting to expect at least a halfway decent cup from anywhere and everywhere.

One of our latest initiatives is grassroots training. We’re going to places like the local club and training the staff to make a great brew – so you can get a good cup of coffee in places you wouldn’t previously have expected it.

And because of the move to top quality machines in the home, we also offer barista training for everyday people. You cannot buy a fantastic machine and not know how to get the best coffee from it!

Current coffee trends

First, I believe you should drink your coffee however you want. If you like lattes, drink your lattes. Don’t get swept up being “on-trend”.

One trend we’re excited to see is the focus on the actual coffee beans – not just the barista or which type of coffee (like a latte!) you drink. Stronger seems to be the preferred style lately. Double shots, triple shots, the coffee is certainly amped up! And we’re noticing the move to less milky coffees; this is partly dietary and partly due to the desire for such strong coffee.

Achieving the right coffee blend

Because we supply coffee to cafes and restaurants all over Australia, we’re often asked to create a signature blend for an establishment.

When creating a blend, we always work backwards. We work with the restauranteurs, we look at what they’re trying to achieve, and of course, we look at what the coffee needs to be matched with (the cuisine, the key flavours). Then we tweak the blend until we get it just right.

This is where the craft of coffee roasting – and blending – can be likened to the art of making wine!

Here at Witham’s, we don’t just create blends for cafes and restaurants. We have many Witham’s Coffee blends you can buy online and in-store. Try them for yourself!