Three Girls Skipping...

Three Girls Skipping is on Honour Avenue in Graceville. You wouldn't know it from the outside because there are no signs, anywhere. I had to walk past it to even see if they sold coffee.
Fortunately they do.

The friendly staff joked with me when I asked the name of the store saying it was a big secret. Don't tell anyone. Then they flipped that and said tell everyone. I said that would all depend on the coffee.

The cup was:
Genovese coffee made on a Wega.
Aromatic.
Great crema that hung around.
Bright flavour almost fruity.
Soft yet very satisfying coffee.

I will defiantly go back there because I have to try one of the awesome looking deserts they have on display in the cabinets. One I know my wife will love. The coffee was delicate and I know she will love that too.

If I had to have one point to critique them on it would be the cleanliness of the machine. For one of the first customers of the day the machine looked a bit grubby. You have to look after the machine for it to look after us. The bottom of my cup was a bit messy and it transferred to my hands. Other than that small point, I would rate them much higher than there closest competition.






"Life is too short for bad coffee."

Location:Glenwood St,Chelmer,Australia

Some helpful tips

Coffee making tips
For Bellissimo Coffee
By Stefan Cooper-Fox

The right Grind:
Coffee is best ground fresh and ground specifically for the coffee process you are using.
Eg. Plunger grind for use in a plunger only.

Store bought pre ground coffee is only uitable for stovetop and drip filter style coffee. This will never yield effective results from a domestic coffee machine.

Coffee storage:
Airtight container in a cool dry place. Use coffee at room temperature.
Refrigeration is only recommended for longterm storage of coffee and once it is taken out of the fridge it stays out.



Coffee styles at home...

Plunger:

One scoop of coffee per cup.

Tips:
Add a small amount of water to pot to warm and prime the pot.
Add coffee to water and stir - this prevents the ground coffee from being scalded by the water. Do not re boil the kettle.
Fill the pot with hot water and allow pot to sit until Colour preference is obtained, then slowly plunge coffee filter.
Pour to serve.
Coffee in the plunger will continue to extract if left in the pot. If you want to drink it later at the same strenght we recommend you pour it into a separate container to prevent over extraction.

Taste:
This can be a more subtle flavour if not let sit for too long. Very little oils are released in this process.
Character of coffee is revealed.

Stovetop: Cafeteria, Mukka

Fill the filter with coffee every time. Half pots cannot be made without a filter splitter.

Put size indicates number of espresso shots it can make.
Eg. 4 Tazze = 4 Espresso shots.

Tips:
Water in bottom chamber to just under the steam release valve.
Coffee level in filter, little to no tamping.
Do not tamp hard. Pressure will be too much.
Always wipe the rim and seal before screwing closed.
Low to medium heat. Handle away from the heat source.
Percolate until air is released then remove from heat. Pot will continue to percolate off the heat.

Taste:
Flavour will be fuller and more syrupy and intense than that of the plunger as it draws out more of the oils from the ground coffee

Syphon:

Coffee ground for filter works well here.

Tips:
One scoope per cup.
Start with heated water in the bottom chamber.
Insert top chamber to create a good seal.
Ensure filter is in place, add ground coffee to the too chamber.
Light flame under the bottom chamber. Ensure flame it not too large.
Wait until water has risen to the top chamber and stir gently until all coffe is wet.
Wait until all water has risen and bubbles are showing in top chamber.
Remove flame.
Bottom chamber will create a vacuum and draw coffee back into bottom chamber through the filter.
Carefully remove the top chamber and pour coffee into cups.

Taste:
More intense flavour than plunger. Enhanced flavour profiles. Some oils will be extracted in this process.

I hope this helps you make a better coffee at home.
Thanks to Mark from Bellissimo for getting me to put this on paper and get it out of my head.

Stefan


- Life is way to short for bad coffee.

Honor Espresso

With it's prime location opposite the Graceville train station and on a corner, this place caught my eye as soon as we moved to the area. I thought I Really have to go there! So on one of my first trips to the train station on morning on my way to work I swung by for a Double to go... The place looks well finished and there is a nice assortment of biscuits and muffins on the counter. The staff looked a little under the pump as there seems to be a strong cyclist cult there each morning. I ordered my Doppio and stood back to watch. The flow seemed a bit out that morning and I had to ask if my coffee was coming because my train was due. I got my shots and rushed to the train.

I made it.

My coffee was, less than a success. It had very little aroma and the taste was ordinary. Not bad as such. Just mot exceptional. I just wrote it of as a bad day for them and decided to try again later. It is my local cafe after all.

Today I missed my first train. No big deal as I had time. So round two for Honour Espresso. Still a small gang of cyclists gather out front but no where near as busy. And I opt for a have here coffee so I can sit on there funky city style benches in the sun.

The wait is not long and the crema looks good. The shot, for a double Espresso looks more like a doppio restretto. The aroma is non existent. How I do not know. And the flavour again is just ordinary. Not undrinkable but just not satisfying. Obviously they are doing some thing right because there is always customers there. Or maybe it is exactly half way on the cyclist route. Maybe I should try a milk based coffee and it will be better or maybe I should take my wife and see what she says.

Everything else gets a big tick.

Let's face it, I do Honour espresso, everyday.



"Life is too short for bad coffee."

Location:Oxley Rd,Chelmer,Australia