La Cimbali sponsor London Coffee Festival and are holding a special competition for roasters!

The year's coffee events are picking up pace. In 2 months, the London Coffee Festival will start and it will be held at the Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane, London. There's no doubt that the La Cimbali team are very excited to be sponsoring the event, they wouldn't miss it! They will be back to their old space which is located at the Hyde Park Area.

This year, La Cimbali want to try something new. They are thrilled to give the announcement that they will be looking for 4 independent roasters and run a competition for it. They will let these roasters take over their main M100 HD espresso coffee machine -- 2 roasters for Saturday 2 May and another 2 for Sunday 3 May.

This won't be the only treat for enthusiastic roasters; La Cimbali are also offering the opportunity to showcase their coffee on a second M100 HD coffee machine to other roasters who might be interested!

The M100 HD espresso coffee machine with magnum on demand grinder features an exclusive thermal system consisting of a 10-litre steam boiler, and is the ultimate traditional espresso machine. It’s packed with many features including an integral pressure profiling system that gives baristas direct control of the pressure throughout the extraction process. For the event, the M100 HD coffee machines will be fitted with either standard filter baskets or 20g VST baskets, depending on the roaster’s requirements.

So if you think that you are a passionate roaster and you are looking for the chance to showcase your coffee making skills during this fantastic event to thousands of coffee devotees, and have full control of La Cimbali’s M100 HD espresso coffee machine, then all you need to do is:

·         Create and upload a 1-minute video that demonstrates your passion for coffee and roasting.

The video should show you making the coffee that you will put through the M100 HD coffee machine, and explain in 50 words (or less) how you would make the most of the available technology to produce the best tasting espresso on the stand.

Videos can be uploaded via this link:http://www.londoncoffeefestival.com/WhatsOn/LaCimbaliCompetition

The deadline for entries is 15 March 2015, and winners will be notified by 31 March 2015. If you have any questions please email us at:

info@londoncoffeefestival.com

The London Coffee Festival – Thursday 30 April – Sunday 3 May

www.londoncoffeefestival.com

The ScotHot Show: La Cimbali Will be Exhibiting for the First Time

Every 2 years, the largest hospitality catering and tourism show in Scotland, ScotHot, runs in order to showcase Scottish hospitality, catering and tourism industries.  This event was launched in 1973.

This year, the event will be held on March 4 & 5 at the SECC in Glasgow and will be opened by the Minister for Business, Energy and Tourism as part of the Scottish Tourism week.

This event would be the perfect opportunity to showcase the latest products from over 200 suppliers in the UK.  Visitors will get inspired by live demonstrations for culinary cooking and have a look at the top industry developments as well.

This year, the programme of events is exciting and full of competitions such as the event for the best coffee in the country, as the UK Barista Championships will take place in front of a live audience.

20 of the UK’s top baristas will compete in front of a live audience, and test their all-round coffee knowledge, presentation, and preparation skills.  They will get 15 minutes to set up their work area and then 15 minutes to make 4 espressos, 4 cappuccinos and 4 espresso based non-alcoholic speciality drinks. 

The winner will go on to represent the UK at the World Barista Championships in Seattle in April.

This is a new event for La Cimbali, whose stand (number 4454) will be right across from the UKBC stage where the UK Barista Championships final will be taking place, so very easy to find.  Visitors can pop along to taste an espresso, prepared on either the M34 coffee machine with the award winning PGS Magnum on Demand Grinder, or on the even more impressive M100 HD with its clever pressure profiling technology. 

The M100 HD also features Cimbali’s exclusive thermal system consisting of twin Heat Exchanger pre-heating system, independent group boilers which are hard wired to a solid metal group giving complete temperature control of each group, and is the ultimate traditional espresso machine.  It is packed with many features to ensure that it delivers the very best espresso & speciality coffee experience, with an exterior that oozes style and flair.

La Cimbali’s Coffee Specialist Rob Ward, and Head Barista Matt Lasek will be on hand to demonstrate their coffee machines for all types of business. 

The Cimbali team which comprises of Matt, Rob and the rest, are really looking forward to being at the show. They would also like to wish all the competing baristas a very good luck for the competition!

For more information please visit: www.scothot.co.uk

Gruppo Cimbali exhibited at The Gulfood Show, Dubai

The Dubai World Trade Centre once again opened its doors this week for the world's biggest annual food and hospitality show. This year, it celebrated 20 years and people have said that it was bigger and better than ever. There were more exhibitors bringing with them the latest innovative products and lots of big brands to choose from!

There were almost 5,000 exhibiting companies during the show and was able to provide visitors an unrivalled opportunity to be inspired by exciting flavours, smells and even source a variety of fabulous products from the many brands showcased.

There was a very warm welcome at the show for all visitors, and the event was buzzing with thousands of industry peers and people passionate about the food and beverage market. Throughout the five days, guests were entertained by demonstrations from the food & drink sectors, food service & hospitality and restaurant & café industries. They also had plenty of conferences and seminars to choose from, where they could connect and network with key regional and industry players in a focused environment, sharing their knowledge, experience and expertise.

Representatives from the Gruppo Cimbali Spa team based in Italy had a great position in Hall 1, where they had their top performing coffee machines on display, including the award winning M100 HD.

La Cimbali’s M100 HD espresso coffee machine with magnum on demand grinder features an exclusive thermal system consisting of a twin heat exchanger pre-heating system. Independent group boilers, which are hard wired to a solid metal group give complete temperature control of each group, and make it the ultimate traditional espresso machine. It is packed with many features to ensure that it delivers the very best espresso & speciality coffee experience, with an exterior that oozes style and flair. Visitors to the stand were shown by baristas how using the M100 HD they can easily enhance the flavour characteristics of a finished drink, by using the machine’s integral pressure profiling system to adjust the pressure at any point during the extraction process.

Also being demonstrated on the stand was the M1 which is a super automatic bean to cup coffee machine, compactly designed for locations where there is not much space but is still one of the most high performance machines on the market, and the Q10, which is able to deliver a complete beverage (chocolate optional) menu, designed for locations with a production of up to 100 beverages per day.

Given the position of the Cimbali team in Hall 1 along with all the machines on display, there were surely a lot of visitors to the stall, curious about the machines. These shows are always a great opportunity for Cimbali to show the world their remarkable coffee machines which are surely able to produce the best quality coffee.

For more information regarding this event and 2016 please visit: www.gulfood.com

Zero Gravity Espresso Cup – helps astronauts to sip their coffee in space!

For many of you coffee lovers out there, how do you think you would feel if you started your day without a cup of coffee? Perhaps a day without coffee would be tolerable for some, but can you last a week without coffee?

Just imagine how astronauts feel when they need to wake up to start their day but having difficulty in creating a really good cup of coffee. Of course, how can they do this when they are in zero gravity? The simple and satisfying act of pouring a hot cup of espresso in zero gravity is not the same. Now aren't we taking this act for granted a lot?

Cimbali have learned that a team of US researchers and design engineers have recently created a unique coffee cup that will let astronauts sip the perfect shot of espresso in space!

This news is a welcome relief for astronauts in space who are struggling with getting up in the morning to start their duties. Researchers have discovered the zero gravity espresso cup which aids in delivering the perfect shot of coffee while in space. This is done by having a series of channels that stimulates the pouring needed to create the perfect drink.

Micro-gravity conditions in space inhibit the production of ‘crema’ which is the defining feature of a decent espresso. A shot of espresso is composed of a complex, low density colloid of emulsified oils, and the earth’s gravity causes these oils to rise to the surface producing the aromatic foam enjoyed by coffee lovers around the world.

Created by a team at the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science, at Portland State University in the US – 6 of the 3D printed cups are scheduled to fly to the International Space Station (ISS) this month aboard a SpaceX rocket.   The shape of the container can passively drive fluids to desired locations without moving parts – exploiting the reflexive forces of wetting and surface tension. The special design makes the enjoyment of espresso coffee, and other drinks in low-gravity environments of spacecraft possible.

Without the pull of gravity, fluids behave differently than they do on earth, as instead of‘pouring’, a liquid retains a more globular shape held together by its own surface tension. This phenomenon complicates even the most basic of manoeuvres such as drinking a cup of coffee. The 3D espresso cup is designed to cheat low-gravity by channelling liquid along a specifically-calculated contour in the vessel to exploit capillary forces that simulate the action of pouring.

Hovering up to 270 miles (435 kms) above the Earth, the International Space Station is a long way from home, and astronauts have said how they miss their creature comforts such as coffee and beer!

Food and drinks provide an important psychological support for anybody, more so for people who are working in space – away from their family and the usual comforts of being home. Now that the perfect cup of espresso may soon be readily available in space, this could help the astronauts feel just a little bit closer to home.

La Cimbali UK are confirmed as headline sponsor for SCAE UK CIGS Final

When talking about specialty coffee, it could become a race to see the baristas who will be able to create the best cup. This is why there are a many competitions held each year to find the best baristas in the business who would be able to produce the best coffee drinks that would cater to all caffeine enthusiasts.

Of course, in these competitions, there needs to be sponsors who should be able to lend their support to the event. It is fortunate that La Cimbali has this opportunity.

The Speciality Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE) has awarded La Cimbali as their Coffee in Good Spirits (CIGS) competition, new headline sponsor.  

This year the competition will take place at the 10^th annual Caffe Culture show from 13th-14th May at London Olympia.  The World Coffee in Good Spirits Championship promotes innovative beverage recipes that showcase coffee and spirits in a competition format.  

The highlight of this exciting competition is the mixology skills of the barista/barkeepers in a setting where alcohol and coffee go together perfectly. There are recipes that are surely made to impress such as the traditional Irish Coffee through to unique cocktail combinations and more.

During the preliminary round, competitors produce four drinks – two identical hot/warm coffee and alcohol-based designer drinks, and two identical cold coffee and alcohol-based designer drinks. The six competitors with the highest preliminary round scores will compete in the final round.

The final round requires competitors to produce two Irish Coffees and two coffee-and-alcohol-based designer drinks. The highest scoring final round competitor will be named the World Coffee in Good Spirits Champion. The winner of the competition will represent the UK at the Coffee in Good Spirits event in Gothenburg in June 2015.

As part of the sponsorship package, all the baristas and bar keepers will use La Cimbali’s award winning M100 espresso coffee machines with magnum on demand grinders, to make their exciting coffees and cocktails.

The M100 features an exclusive thermal system consisting of a 10 litre steam boiler and Cimbali heat exchangers which pre-heat the water before entering individual coffee boilers for each group, which will maintain incredible temperature stability.  A different water temperature can be set for each group head which allows for greater flexibility across the speciality coffee menu.  

For the purposes of the competition, the water temperature will be pre-set at the same level for each competitor.

La Cimbali UK’s Coffee Specialist Rob Ward, who will be part of the team at the CIGS competition, said,  “La Cimbali is extremely thrilled to be a part of a competition which showcases the growing creativity of some our leading baristas and bar keepers.  Anyone who enters a competition such as CIGS has a clear passion for what they do, so I am very interested to see how these enthusiastic and creative baristas use our flagship machine, the M100, to create innovative signature drinks”

Indeed, to be an integral part of this competition is an honor for La Cimbali. It would be great to see the M100 in action and in the hands of artistic baristas.

For more details regarding the World Coffee in Good Spirits Championship visit:

www.worldcoffeeingoodspirits.org