Hippo Espresso

Its been a while since I’ve been out to Warners Bay and seeing a new cafe on the scene I walked in to check the place out. I ended up ordering a short black and a double piccolo.
The barista did a fine job of crafting both the short black and the piccolo with a nice full bodied espresso that leaves a slightly chocolaty after taste. I didn’t have time to chat with the staff about their blend, though it immediately tasted fruity and left a slightly chocolaty after taste, quite a nice blend over all.

Bills Bakery

Bills Bakery has been on the top end of The Esplanade for as long as I can remember. Their focus is naturally on their pies and cakes, though its a popular spot for older demographics to catch up on a pensioner Tuesday. The barista fits into this demographic.

After being asked “What’s a double piccolo?” and waiting 15 minutes for my beverages I quickly gave up hope on tasting anything beyond over extracted espresso and burnt milk. The piccolo was served in a cappuccino mug and showed evidence of several different batches of milk in the froth.

They had a range of blends on display that people were encouraged to buy, however there was no way I could taste any of them, “Oh, we only use this one”. After briefly enquiring about the origins of the blend I drew blank looks and gave up.

Overall a poor performance, I would have liked to taste the different blends but as I mentioned earlier they were unavailable.

Closing Remarks

While some may say that comparing the two establishments is unfair I point out that these two businesses are in direct competition with each other, and in this industry those with better products and services will come out on top as thier customers will spend their money on quality when the price point is the same (which it was).

For quality barista coffee Hippo Espresso wins hands down.

Want to improve on your Barista Technique, visit The Mighty Coffee.

The format of the competition goes like this

• 15 minute time limit
• 6 minutes to adjust the grinder so your shots pull perfectly.
• 9 minutes to produce 2 Short Black’s and 2 Cappuccino’s, with each pair served simultaneously.

Points on the Short Blacks were awarded based on the following

1. Colour of the Crema (Hazelnut, Dark Brown, Reddish)
2. Consistency and persistence of crema
3. Taste balance (of sweet vs acidic vs bitter)
4. Tactile balance (full bodied, round, smooth)
5. All espressos served simultaneously
6. Correct espresso cups used (Hurr Durr)

Cappuccino points were awarded on a similar standard, though the criteria reflects the drink

1. Visually correct cappuccino
2. Consistency and persistent foam
3. Temperature of cappuccino (not too hot or cold)
4. Taste balance (rich sweet milk vs espresso)

Additional points were awarded for how technically correct the use of the espresso machine was, as well as the workstation tidiness. As you can see very few details go un-noticed.

Want to improve on your Barista Technique, visit The Mighty Coffee.