The art of appreciating coffee

I usually don’t drink coffee. Family, friends and almost anyone who knows me can attest to that.

I’m pretty sensitive to caffeine and a cup of coffee or 2 cans of coke in the evening could easily cause me to be restless all night so I’ve avoided them for most of my life. But in the last few months, I’ve started a keen appreciation for coffee and have started drinking coffee. Still, I have to make sure I have my cup before 3pm to ensure I get a good rest in the night. I’m not yet addicted to coffee but I now understand the draw and attraction that coffee has on so many people.

My coffee interest started when I attended a coffee appreciation workshop with PURO Fairtrade Coffe. It’s always heartwarming to get involved with businesses that try to go beyond just making a profit. Puro is working in partnership with the World Land Trust to buy and protect areas of rainforest in South America. If you are intending to drink coffee anyways, why not buy from a seller that helps to protect rainforests for future generations! Launched in 2006, Puro is on its way to protecting a 4,500 acre rainforest reserve in Ecuador containing thousands of species of plants and animals that inhabit the important ecosystem.

Of course, being in the coffee business, you can’t sell coffee based on just being environmentally friendly. Luckily, they also have a unique blend of premium beans that are precision-roasted for a rich, smooth aroma and produce the velvety crema synonymous with great coffee. It’s really gorgeously yummy and there lies the beginning of my love for coffee.

In this short course, I have learnt about the different types of coffee and what you should expect when you order a certain type of coffee. Although there are so many types of coffee, the differences usually lies in the difference of percentage of coffee, milk and froth. A good cup of coffee should taste so good on its’ own that you do not need to add anything else into it. Other than having a good coffee machine and good coffee beans, it’s the barista that makes a difference to how good or bad a coffee tastes. Delphanie did a wonderful job of imparting her knowledge and passion to us that day and we had a ball of a time trying and understanding different coffees.

The most fun part of the course was learning to do coffee art! Dephanie was so good that she made making a swan with a heart look like child’s play! But being an absolute beginner, we tried making hearts and learning how to control the height and movement when pouring the forthed milk to result in different designs.

It was pretty scary at first then it got fun! All of us managed at least a heart! Now I want my own Puro coffee machine so I can play barista at home.

Puro is actually already found in quite a number of restaurants and offices in Singapore so you might have tried it without even knowing you had Puro coffee. The Puro Fairtrade range includes Fairtrade Noble (an easy-drinking, all day coffee), Fairtrade Feurte (a richer, dark roast with slightly more Robusta in the blend) and Fairtrade Organic (a 100% Arabica, single-source bean grown in Peru). You won’t find this coffee at your local supermarket but if you are a serious coffee drinker and would like to have your exclusive professional set at home or if you want to sell good coffee at your little cafe or if you want to recommend your boss to set this up in the office, you’ve got to give Puro a try!

The best part of this is that  if you are keen on having Puro served in your cafe, an average of five cappuccino’s sold per day will cover the cost of the coffee machine and the ingredients required for those five drinks. From the sixth cup onwards you should be making profit. It so affordable that you can even consider it for home use if you drink a lot of coffees or have a family that does.

Other than coffee beans, PURO also sells sugar packets and their own delicious range of Flavoured Puro Fairtrade Teas including Mint, Green Tea, Lemon, Strawberry, Forest Fruit, Rooibos, Earl Grey, and Rosehip or Fairtrade Organic Ceylon.

 I love their delicious Belgian Chocolate range including Puro Fair Trade Hot Chocolate Mix in 1 kg packs and Puro Fairtrade Chocolate Sachets. Great for those days where you are way above your caffeine intake or just want a comfort drink. Hot chocolate warms my soul before I fall to sleep even though hot chocolate art doesn’t look as good as coffee art.

Another product worth mentioning is their caramelized biscuits. It goes perfectly with the coffee and is the perfect sweet ending of a mid-day coffee break.

Thank you Delphanie for opening our eyes to coffee! I’ve been traveling quite a bit and will be traveling for quite a bit more but when I’m finally settled in Singapore again, I’m gonna have to ask Delphanie the possibilites getting a minimal order to set up a coffee machine in my home.

If you want to give PURO a try, just contact Delphanie. She does barista courses for those intending to start their own cafe as well! It is important to her that her clients understand how to achieve the perfect espresso so they are offering comprehensive training and support for all of their clients.

PURO Coffee

Midview City #04-77, 22 Sin Ming Lane, (S)573969

Tel: 6659 8233

http://www.purocoffee.com.sg

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Outfit of the day

Something simple and casual cause I was in a hurry!

Top: Abercrombie and Fitch

Shorts: from Hong Kong

Bag: Furla Candy Bag

Shoes: Coach