I caught up with
Chris Tellez, winner of the
2009 Central Regional Canadian Barista Championship after
the competition and grilled him on beans and brewing. Chris is a
barista at the Espresso Post in Collingwood, Ontario and will be
representing the Central Canadian Region at the
2009 National Barista Championship
in Vancouver, BC. Chris started working in the coffee industry three
years ago and it has quickly become his obsession and passion.
Q: What type of coffee do you prefer to use at home?A:
I try and experiment with a wide variety of coffees, in order to better
educate my palate, however I'm a big fan of almost any Kenyan, and of
course Ethiopian Yergacheffe is highly recommended. Whatever I buy, I
make sure that it is as high quality as possible. This ensures that the
farmers will get a better pay, and that the coffee will have serious
potential. If you're willing to spend $15.00 on a nice bottle of wine,
then why not on coffee? It is every bit as much of a delicacy, and
delving into the specialty coffee world will give you a brand new take
on what coffee can be.
Q: What type of machine do you use to brew your coffee at home?A: I
use every machine I can, because each method can open up different
things in the coffee. But if you can pick up a siphon brewer, they are
by far the most fun, and one of the best tasting brewers on the market.
I really like are Yama and Cona brands. The Yama Is a little less
expensive, but still offers an awesome cup of coffee. This method
brews a very clean tasting coffee and really allow the flavors to
develop.
Chris also shared his Top Five Tips for Delicious Home-Brewed Coffee:
- Buy whole bean coffee as you need it! Don't keep coffee in the cupboard for more than a month
- Invest in a quality, conical burr grinder
- Use fresh, filtered water
- Use clean equipment and keep all parts maintained
- Use proper ratios! A good rule of thumb is seven grams of coffee for six ounces of water
Related:
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