The London Coffee Festival opens for Sensory Science in 2015!

La Cimbali perform Sensory Science at the London Coffee Festival

As The London Coffee Festival commences on 30 April, La Cimbali is proud to announce that they are one of the sponsors of the event. There will be an Espresso bar at the Hyde Park area where they will be performing the Sensory Science experience for those who want to understand flavour and taste further. Those who choose to join the experience will be shown how to make a single cup of coffee in four ways while using the M100 HD coffee machine.

Coffee lovers know that there is a science when it comes to creating the perfect espresso cup. It is an art. This is why L’Accedemia di Cimbali will take their visitors on a ride; an immersive experience in coffee making in order to explore the different tastes achieved when the same coffee is served in different ways.

Baristas at La Cimbali’s Espresso Bar (designed to emulate the iconic Mumac building) will present visitors with a Coffee Flight, running tasting sessions surrounding the manipulation of coffee flavour from one origin through four slightly different ways of brewing.

These ‘Coffee Flight’ tasting sessions show you how different brewing methods can affect the flavours in one coffee. There are a few places left, and you can book your free tickets for this, which are available through this link.

As well as our Espresso bar we will also have mobile Espresso carts in the Hyde Park Area too, also featuring the M100 HD coffee machines. During the weekend consumer days these will be operated by the independent roasters who were the lucky winners of our recent competition – please look out for them and try their espressos!”

We look forward to seeing you at the London Coffee Festival in a few days time.

La Cimbali are ready to go to this week’s London Coffee Festival!

The London Coffee Festival is finally upon us once again. This event serves as the official launch of the Coffee Week in the UK and it’s finally happening this Thursday 30 April.

La Cimbali is proud to say that we are part of this event where over 22,000 visitors are expected. Foodies, coffee lovers, coffee shop owners, professional baristas and more will gather at this event to celebrate anything and everything coffee!

La Cimbali will be running an Espresso bar in the Hyde Park area and La Cimbali’s Coffee Specialist, Rob Ward will be there. Rob says, “The year since the last London Coffee Festival has flown by. I can’t wait to be back, and this time we have designed our Espresso bar to emulate the iconic Mumac building in Milan, so it will be really special.”

Right from the Espresso bar, La Cimbali will be performing the Sensory Science. Rob will be demonstration how to make coffee in four different ways using the M100 HD coffee machine. Your ability to understand flavour and taste will be tested.

This elegant high performing coffee machine features an integral pressure profiling system that gives baristas direct control of the pressure throughout the extraction process. Using the M100, I will demonstrate to visitors the flexibility of an individual coffee and how the flavour can be manipulated using technology and techniques, so customers will have a bigger more immersive experience.

As well as our Espresso bar we will also have mobile Espresso carts in the Hyde Park Area too, also featuring the M100 HD coffee machines. During the weekend consumer days these will be operated by the independent roasters who were the lucky winners of our recent competition – please look out for them and try their espressos!”

We are excited about this event and we look forward to see you at the London Coffee Festival.

There are still a few places available for the La Cimbali Coffee Flight Sensory Experience across all four days at the event. To book a place at one of the tasting sessions, please visit: www.ticketsource.co.uk/cimbaliuk

The London Coffee Festival opens to the industry Thursday 30 April and Friday 1 May from 10am-5pm, and for the general public from Friday 1 May at 5.00pm and during Saturday and Sunday 2 and 3 May.

For more details visit: www.londoncoffeefestival.com

Cimbali - Rob is back in Seattle for 2015

It was just in the last year when Rob was on a trip to Seattle. Rob’s last visit to the place was in 2005 and he noted the changes in the coffee scene in Portland and Seattle since then. So in this year’s trip, he was looking forward to see whether the coffee industry has grown and developed even more.

Trips outside of the country opens our eyes and experiences to those that we do not normally find in our homes. There’s always bound to be something new to find around the corner and it’s not a wonder that there are also differences in the coffee scene from one country to the next.

Rob says, “It’s great being back in Seattle two years in a row, and is also a bit of a surprise, as the Speciality Coffee Association of America (SCAA) exhibition, which normally switches between the US east and west coasts, is this time in Seattle as it hosts the World Barista Championships (WBC) too!

My time during last year’s trip was filled absorbing the coffee culture scene and seeing how it had changed, but this year, immediately after landing at Tacoma International airport I headed straight into the SCAA Symposium, which precedes the SCAA Exhibition and the WBC.

The opening focus of the Symposium tackled some key industry issues head-on, such as how we can solve the ‘Wicked Problem’ by looking into ways to close the gap on extreme poverty.

In the early part of the century and more recently, the global recession has hit the world hard, but the coffee industry including roasters, coffee shops and coffee machine manufacturers have been less affected as people have still been buying coffee. Unfortunately though, farmers have still felt the pinch of this recession. This was really put into perspective when we saw the figures showing that many coffee farmers will only earn $3,200 per year, whereas in reality, the reasonable living wage is around $12,000. This poses a real danger in the sustainability of our industry.

There were other interesting topics covered in the Symposium such as Sensory Science. In the coffee industry, this can be used not only to expand what is usually being done but also to prove and quantify some of the things said about methods for brewing and specific coffes we use. We will be performing our own Sensory Science at the London Coffee Festival soon – but I will tell you more about that nearer the time.

Great news – the UK’s Barista Champion, Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood has just got through to the WBC finals. Go Maxwell!”

For more details regarding the SCAA annual exhibition in Seattle visit:

www.scaaevent.org

For more details regarding the World Barista Championships visit:

www.worldbaristachampionship.org

For more details regarding the London Coffee Festival visit:

www.londoncoffeefestival.com

Hot Topic: Coffee Drinking Health Benefits!

It seems that not a week goes by without another study being released showing the health benefits of drinking coffee.

Sometimes, we wonder whether these are just excuses that people create in order to put coffee-drinking on a more positive note so we can continue to drink coffee every day. Let's face it, there is a minority who would say 'no' to coffee because it is something that does not agree with their bodies. This number is easily overturned by the majority of the populations who cannot live a day without coffee--an addiction that is not easily cured.

However, see the reasons below as to why drinking coffee is good for your!

Dementia, heart attack, type 2 diabetes and skin cancer are diseases that have been recently linked to coffee--but not in a bad way. In fact, the risk of having these diseases are reduced due to drinking coffee!

Coffee drinking also helps your eyesight, symptoms of tinnitus are relieved, it protects against tooth decay and even has a hand on hair growth! This is all due to caffeine that is found in coffee beans. Caffeine helps to produce these effects in our bodies and now latest research has revealed that coffee’s naturally healthy properties may also keep your waistline trim, and can even give your muscles a boost!

Drinking coffee can trim your waistline!

Choosing your coffee wisely could help you lose weight. A caffe latte if made with whole milk contains around 170 calories, but by opting for an espresso you could save a whopping 160 calories in one drink! However, swapping to espresso is not the only way to lose those inches, as coffee can also help suppress your appetite.  

A recent study discovered that green coffee, made from unroasted coffee beans, may aid weight loss by reducing the amount of sugar absorbed from the gut, which speeds up the rate at which the body burns fat. This is due to chlorogenic acid, which is a compound in coffee.

Drinking coffee can give your muscles a boost!

Researchers at the Australian Institute of Sport have found that drinking coffee can boost muscles and provide more staying power! They discovered that just a single cup of coffee helped athletes exercise for almost a third longer. During the study, cyclists were given either water, coffee or cola to drink as they pedalled, and those who drank coffee or cola, which both have caffeine, were able to go on for longer. The results showed that caffeine appeared to trigger the muscles to start burning up fat for energy once the energy from carbs had run out.

So after knowing all of these health benefits of coffee, it's no wonder that you should want to run to your cupboard and brew a fulfilling cup. However, health experts generally advise that drinking coffee in moderation e.g. up to three cups of coffee a day can help improve health along with exercise and a healthy diet.

Cimbali Anniversary Treat: Win a MUMAC Book!

Celebrating 100 years since the start of Gruppo Cimbali, we are pleased to announce that we are giving away FIVE copies of the MUMAC Book!

Coffee lovers will love the MUMAC book. This book is the stunning €28 edition, which celebrates the opening of the Museum of Espresso coffee Machines (MUMAC) in 2012. Cimbali UK is celebrating the 100 year historic milestone of the company by giving away copies of the MUMAC book to five lucky individuals.

The MUMAC museum is the world's largest and first permanent exhibition for coffee equipment. The museum is dedicated to the culture and world history regarding Espresso Coffee Machines.

If you are wondering about what the MUMAC book has; it covers the extraordinary story of coffee machines that started from the early 1900's until today. The book contains stories of more than 200 Coffee Machines using 15,000 extremely valuable and important archive documents, with text and pictures, that are able to captivate visitors at the museum.

MUMAC, the Museum of Coffee-Making Machines, is exhibiting the richest and most ample collection of coffee machines found around the world. It was opened on 12th October 2012 and is located just a few kilometres outside Milan. If you are looking for a coffee machine collection that protects as well as represents the Italian heritage for the last 100 years, you will find them in the museum. Technology and Italian design are, in fact, told through a multimedia pathway, packed with audio-visual stimuli and backed up with a range of historically important documents.

There are many rare models in the collection at MUMAC, some are prototypes or unique models, whilst others are industrially successful models, of which, up to 10,000 have been produced.

La Cimbali has a rich history and heritage. During the last 100 years, we have built our brand on providing the best quality and innovative coffee machines possible – each one designed to meet the different needs of our customers.

Today, thanks to Gruppo Cimbali and MUMAC, the history of coffee has become a story to savour, in every sense of the word.

If you are interested in winning a copy of the €28 book, go to THIS LINK and fill in your details now!

ScotHot is Hot this Week!

The Scottish tourism week has finally opened this week and we are excited about this event. The wait is also over for the opening of ScotHot at The SECC, Glasgow. This event is a part of the tourism week.

This will not only be a time for us to have an exhibition for our prestigious and impressive machines, but we will also be happy to let you try the coffee we make from our machines.

La Cimbali is really excited about this event and we are happy to be here since it is our first time. Our Stand 4454 is located at the opposite of the UK Barista Championships finals stage, so it shouldn't be too difficult to find us.

We have two of our best coffee machines -- our mid-priced M34 coffee machine with award winning integral PGS (Perfect Grinding System) Blue Tooth Grinder, as well as the more impressive M100 HD traditional coffee machine with its clever integral pressure profiling technology. This fully evolved espresso coffee machine turns the complexity into simple and immediate actions for the barista. The M100 HD will surprise any barista with the extreme simplicity of its touchscreen commands, its wide LED work area and its inclined ergonomic and soft touch filter-holder handle.

The M100 HD machine 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.

Water temperature and extraction pressure are key variables for making the perfect espresso. To control them simultaneously, Cimbali patented the HD (High Definition) technology, which allows baristas to run and guide the extraction process in a simple and intuitive way. Not only does the M100 HD provide maximum flexibility in adjusting the delivery temperature, but the barista will also benefit from the electronic modulation of water pressure through the setting of the ideal profile (depending on the used coffee blend), so drawing the most appropriate pressure curve and enhancing the flavour characteristics of the finished drink.

Do make sure that you visit our stand and see our machines and the team in motion. Our Head Barista, Matt Lasek and Rob Ward, our Coffee Specialist will be around to demonstrate how the M100  and the M34 machines are suitable for businesses of all types and sizes, while still being able to deliver a consistent, great cup of coffee every time.

The team is looking forward to meeting you and even hear and chat with you to listen to your thoughts and views on all things coffee!

ScotHot, SECC, Glasgow – Wednesday 4 March & Thursday 5 March

www.scothot.co.uk

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