How far can a good cup of joe take you? For French Baker Founder and CEO, Johnlu Koa, it would be pretty far. In his words, “coffee is everything”.
Coffee has made an indelible mark in our daily lives. We don’t give it some thought, but it has conditioned many parts of our lives.
It shoots us awake every morning – that distinct, earthy aroma helps to put our minds in a good frame, ready to take on the day. It gathers us together, be it for a meeting with our coworkers or catching up with our peers.
It should surprise no one that coffee has a strong and vivid culture across the world. The Philippines, being born with go-getting fires in our bellies, is no exception.
In this post, we’re going to go over what makes a great cup of coffee. We will even consult with a friend of the blog, French Baker Founder and CEO, Johnlu Koa, about coffee and why he partnered with German coffee brand Piacetto for his restaurants and boulangerie.
What makes the perfect cup of coffee
As with everything, good coffee is all about balance. The perfect cup of coffee has to have a perfect balance between acidity, sweetness, and yes, bitterness – all in one sip. Every other flavor, be it fruity, nutty, or floral, is surplus.
Good coffee goes down smoothly with every sip. And with every sip, it makes you want to take another.
It should go without saying, too, that what tastes “good” will vary depending on your preference with flavor and roast. What’s for certain, however, is that you don’t want your coffee to taste bland, burnt, or raw.
For the perfect cup of coffee, it’s important to nail the following:
- Quality – The quality of coffee beans directly contributes to your cup. Scored using a 100-point scale, coffee that has a quality score of 80 is considered “specialty coffee” and should yield you a fine-tasting cup.
- Freshness – Freshness is also important. Though technology helps to preserve it, your coffee can only be considered fresh fourteen days upon opening the bag. Speaking of, your coffee should come in an airtight, vacuum-sealed container to ensure freshness. A good way to make sure you’re getting fresh coffee all the time is to source it fresh directly from local roasters.
- Roast – Roasting is a complicated process. For casual coffee drinkers, this isn’t something you have to worry a lot about since most bags of coffee come pre-roasted. But if you want to roast your own coffee, you’ll have to shell out cash for equipment and time and effort to learn how to get roasting.
- Brew – Brewing is the part you have to master. Regardless of which methods you use, it’s crucial to use the right grind, water (filtered!), and temperature (the sweet spot is 195 to 205℃).
Johnlu Koa on finding the right coffee brand
Johnlu Koa is the Founder and CEO of The French Baker Philippines. With decades of heading a successful chain of restaurants, Johnlu knows a thing or two about food.
We sat him down to talk about coffee – which he quips, “is life” – and where that fits currently with what The French Baker offers.
“For thirty years, The French Baker has been at the forefront of making the best artisan bread and pastries,” he tells us. “So we thought we needed a partner.” Johnlu, of course, is talking about a coffee partner, which he finds in the German coffee brand, Piacetto.
He continues: “In Piacetto, I realize that their coffee bean has become the standard by which all other coffee houses should [adhere to].” He also tells us that Piacetto tailor-made beans that would work best for the Philippine market.
As for making the perfect cup of coffee, Johnlu shares that every cup of coffee that comes out of French Baker is carefully crafted – from grinding the beans to the brew itself.
Watch the full video below: