About Coffee

Coffee is the seed of a berry from a tropical tree which grows between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. It requires very specific environment conditions to thrive: temperature, rainfall, sunlight, wind, soils, drainage and mineral content must all be just right for the plant to grow well.

There are 20 major species of coffee producing plants, but most people would be familiar with just two: Coffee Arabica and Coffee Robusta. Robusta accounts for 25% of all coffee production and is a lighter roast. Arabica coffee is more expensive and is a darker roast.

Some of the world's best coffee beans are produced in Brazil, Kenya, Colombia, Costa Rica, Jamaica and the Ivory Coast.

Roast types

Coffee is roasted light, medium, medium-dark or dark. Light roasted beans are mild and best with milk based coffee, while dark roasted beans are used for espresso drinks without milk.

Types of coffees

There are many different ways coffee can be prepared. Some of these include cappuccino, flat white, mocha, latte, espresso, long black, ristretto, macchiato, and affogato.

Storing your coffee beans

Coffee needs to be treated well to deliver the best flavour. Coffee changes with weather and needs to be protected from the elements such as air, light and humidity. Store your coffee in a cool, dry place. Keeping your coffee beans fresh is a must for a great tasting cup of coffee.

Looking after your espresso machine

• Keep group handle clean and free of used coffee.
• Leave the group head in when not in use to maintain temperature.
• Steam clean arm and nozzle after steaming milk.
• Always make sure grinders are clean and free from foreign objects.
• The grinder's hopper should be filled with beans for the day's usage.
• Always use a filtered water jug for domestic machines.

Looking after your grinder

To get the best quality coffee out of your machine you must have an adjustable grinder. This is to allow you to grind the coffee coarser or finer, which can be necessary with changes of weather which may affect the coffee. We recommend cleaning your grinder canister once a week using a clean, dry cloth or an unused paint brush. If the oily residue is not removed it may turn rancid and affect the quality of the coffee produced.

Using filtered water

The quality of water used in a coffee machine has a significant bearing on the ongoing service costs of the machine, as calcium and other suspended particles in unfiltered water cause blockages which can result in expensive repair costs. It is essential that the water used in domestic coffee machines is filtered to the highest level to minimise servicing costs. We recommend that you invest in a suitable high quality water filtration system for preparing water for use in your coffee machine.

Please contact Coffee Magic for filtered water needs.

The perfect pour

The perfect coffee pour comes back to your grinder and coffee machine. The machine needs to get to a certain bar before it can be used and the head needs to be at 94 degrees before it infuses the coffee. The coffee head must be hot at all times. If you use the machine when the coffee head is cold, your coffee will be cold, bitter and watery. You should never leave fresh coffee in the head unless you are ready to use it otherwise you will burn the coffee. You should use 7g of coffee for a single cup filter holder and 14g for a double cup. Once you have filled the cup filter with the required amount of coffee you need to tamper it firmly and then place it into the grove and press the button to start the coffee pour. If you compact it too hard or over fill group basket you will chock the pourer and burn the coffee.