The 'mistake' most Aussies are making when buying coffee
There's a simple mistake most Aussies are making when it comes to buying coffee, and that is, most of us are purchasing coffee with a "used by date" rather than coffee with "a roasting date".
The roasting date is key to both freshness and flavour, Ian White from Sydney coffee company Bean & Barrel tells nine.com.au.
And he should know – he's been drinking the best quality possible for most of his life.
There's a simple mistake most Aussies are making when it comes to buying coffee. Getty
A Sydney local, White's love of coffee started with special brews shared with his dad.
Later in life, after establishing a career fixing laser printers and other office equipment, White decided to start tinkering with coffee machines.
"I started picking up broken coffee machines, refurbishing them, and selling them with aim of making higher-end espresso machines more accessible for the entry level consumer," White, 42 said.
His goal was to earn enough money doing this to buy his dream coffee machine, either a Lelit Bianca 3 or a La Marzocco Linea Mini, which can cost between $5,000 and $8,000.
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A Sydney local, White's love of coffee started with special brews shared with his dad. Bean & Barrel/Supplied
"I hit that goal, but by the time I got there, I'd done a lot of [coffee machines] and people were all asking the same question, 'Where do I get coffee beans from?'"
After "a year or two" of thinking and planning, Bean & Barrel was born.
At first, he considered sourcing his own green beans, hiring a roasting machine, and doing it all himself, from scratch.
Then he connected with a company that had perfected the process, and shared a common vision of making amazing coffee more accessible to consumers.
"The more I thought about it, the more I thought I'd love to have something that I personally use that I'm proud of, and then have other people use it and also think it's amazing."
He ultimately partnered up with industry heavyweight Gina DeBrita and together they produced unique blends for Bean & Barrel.
The first blend was based on White's own "flavour preferences and ideas", which became the Sherry blend.
"I wanted something sourced from particular areas. I was aiming for a particular flavour profile. Originally, I was going to launch two blends, a single origin and a decaf, but spending a bunch of time with Gina and her team trying different blends. We ended up landing on three blends."
There's Juniper, a full-bodied blend for everyday coffee drinkers, Negroni, which is described as "bold and strong", and Bean & Barrel's signature blend called Sherry.
"It turns out Juniper is the one people are really gravitating towards," White said.
Most first-time customers opt for the multi-pack to try all three blends, and their next orders are mostly Juniper.
Each blend is offered in multiple grinds. Customers can purchase whole coffee beans or pre-ground, including Espresso, Filter, Pour Over, Stove Top, and Aero Press.
Juniper has quickly become his best seller. Instagram @beanandbarrel_coffee
The first blend was based on White's own 'flavour preferences and ideas', which resulted in the Sherry blend Getty
Suffice to say, White isn't a fan of coffee pods, or capsules.
"You don't know how much coffee you're getting in them. How long have they been sitting in those pods and on shelves?"
Bean & Barrel is, however, actively exploring a product to fit this market that allows pod convenience in a more sustainable way - and will cater for people that want an option for travelling or camping.
White's go-to coffee is an oat milk latte, using a surprisingly affordable oat milk.
"I was drinking Milk Lab for ages, but I've actually just converted to the Aldi Barista Unsweetened Oat Milk." This costs just $2.99 per litre.
His favourite country to source coffee from is Colombia, followed by Guatemala, then Papua New Guinea, and Brazil.
When it comes to price, White isn't holding his breath for the global cost of coffee to fall, due to a combination of extreme weather damaging crops, increased global demand, supply chain issues, and international conflicts, not to mention a weaker Australian dollar making importing coffee costly.
White's go-to coffee is an oat milk latte. Instagram @beanandbarrel_coffee
When it comes to price, White isn't holding his breath for the global cost of coffee to fall. Bean & Barrel/Supplied
But for White, the cost of good coffee is worth it, and Bean & Barrel is delivered fresh.
"Say you put an order in on a Monday. That would be roasted on Tuesday, picked up on Wednesday, and with the customer on Thursday/Friday."
This is in line with Bean & Barrel's mission, which is to "help Aussies savour the moment with good coffee"
"It's just that perfect little moment I want to create, with a high-quality product and the right level of guidance, people can really make the most out of brewing coffee at home," White added.
"At Bean & Barrel, this is our mission: 'Creating moments worth savouring.'
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