R. Willbur

So, I know I’ve been on this kick about teaching everyone how to make coffee at home. When I started becoming interested in coffee siphons and slow brew methods, I told myself I wanted to learn where most consumers do… At home. So, I started building the home bar. We just started carrying a couple new items at the store, and looking at it now, we have built a pretty impressive collection of home coffee equipment… Anyone wanna trade 3 Virtuosos for 1 Vario?

The entire bar...

Earlier this week, I had the privilege of doing my first customer training with a Rancillio Sylvia. Interesting experience. Anyone who purchases a Sylvia from our store gets the esteemed privilege of training with either Devin or I… To steal a line from Kanye West, my greatest pain in life is that I’ll never get to train with myself.

Right now, I’m really hoping you can read my sarcasm through the internet.

Anyway, these trainings are definitely one my favorite parts of what I get to do for a living. The appreciation most of these customers show is really rewarding. It’s all about to get even better.

A few months back I wrote about how I wanted to put together a home brew kit for coffee. Sell things in packages. Doug Zell picked up on the post and said it would be done. Now, it is.

These showed up today...

We are now offering an Eva Solo kit, a Chemex kit, and a siphon kit. You pick the brew method and the level of grinder you want, and we put it all together for you! Even better, with the purchase of a kit, you also get a pound of coffee and a home brew class with either Devin or I. I’m really excited to begin this. I really hope it takes off and people get into it.

What’s great is the quality of the wares included. We are selling a really nice scale, an amazing Hario water kettle, and some great grinders… with an option to get the new Vario.

Also new to our walls, is a card that features instructions for how to brew with each of the three methods!

Our recommended method

I’ve come to the realization that I’m in a new stage of my career. Priorities come and go from time to time and I’m acknowledging a big change in my ‘coffee doctrine’ and belief. The part of me that is growing up is the boy who started in coffee. He’s the guy  you could run into in many coffee shops… The outward signs say he’s probably some sort of punk (i.e. the piercings, tattoos, band t-shirts, and so on). He’s got keen eyes and they always tell what he’s thinking… about you, your order, and the things that are coming out of your mouth. He’s constantly judging people and scrutinizing their daily coffee shop repertoire. He’s the kid who’s passionate about coffee in all the wrong ways. Espresso to go, fuck off. Nonfat, fat chance. Decaf, go to hell.

The difference is that my focus has changed. I’m finding that I’m less concerned with what people are drinking at the coffee bar and I’m more concerned with what they’re drinking at home. If any of the punk-teenager still leaks out on bar, it’s probably because someone is asking me to grind a pound of coffee for them. You could call it my ‘new’ espresso on ice. More than ever, I’m excited to push more and more people into making better coffee at home.

I want a series of t-shirts. Want is the key word because they’re probably a bit too passive aggressive for my customers to take them the right way. My first t-shirt would probably have a picture of a home grinder in the center… Orbiting around it, I would have silhouettes of brew methods (i.e. table top siphon, chemex, french press, eva solo)… The caption on top or on the back would say something like “It all starts with grinding fresh” or something relatively cheesy. Baratza, if you’re out there, I’m practically writing your new marketing campaign for you!

This also brings up a question I’ve been pondering for awhile… Which is the way to go? Do you only sell coffee equipment that is ideal or do you bend on a couple points for the greater good? To be specific, I was wandering through good ol’ Costco the other day and stumbled down the home appliance aisle (One of my favorite). What did I find? Well, a Capresso home coffee grinder. flat burrs (Not great ones either). Selling for a mere $29.99. Now, in our retail store, we sell the Capresso Infinity. We pimp that shit hard at $100. Still the price is a bit high for some of our customers who are a bit ‘concerned with the times.’ Do you sell the flat burr grinder that isn’t ideal for $30, or do you stick to your guns and only sell the quality stuff… while grinding dozen of pounds of coffee for people a day?

For me, the result is in the cup. I think I lean toward freshly (inconsistently) ground coffee as opposed to the stale (even) ground coffee.

Intelligentsia is working on a home brew kit, or something like that… I’m excited to see what comes out of it. Think of how much easier every baristas life would get if people were making good coffee at home! Okay, maybe it’ll make some baristas lives more complicated, but if that’s the case, then maybe they should pursue a different career path. Either way, how much easier is it going to be to sell high end coffee if people can appreciate it. I think anyone who is in this industry can attest to the fact that most people who get hooked on a good sweetened latte can easily get that person drinking stellar 5 oz. capps if the barista just does their job well and builds a strong customer relationship. How much further can it go if you can get that customer drinking amazing siphon coffee on their Sunday mornings! It’s worth working toward and getting excited about.

I hope you can follow that and it make sense. With all that ranted, I’ll go now.

I can’t even begin to tell you how grateful I am right now. First of all, simply for the time to write this post. Life is finally slowing down… Prior to the slow down, I am simply grateful for the outcome of the United States Barista Competition. I could not be more proud of the myself and the gentlemen that I was surrounded by in the final round. If you saw me during the finals, you might know how nervous I felt. My stomach was turning and twisting. Prior to competing I felt fine. Relaxed actually. Something about performing, doing my best, then watching everyone else- so flawlessly- doing their best, was the worst part of the whole weekend. Looking back on the situation, that nervous feeling was only a sign of how rivetting the final round was…

The new United States Barista Champion is Michael Phillips. Heading into the event, I’d be lying if I told you I thought I’d be writing that this year. However, nothing excites me more than being able to congratulate Mike. If you missed his presentation, you missed something truly remarkable. Mike used a coffee from Bolivia, and not only did he present the coffee well, but he showed the world that he is a great barista. Mike’s presentation involved shifting variables and using his coffee in ways that I’ve never seen a barista use coffee in competition before. For his espresso he pulled his coffee in a manner that would give it one flavor profile. Then Mike changed the flavor profile of his coffee to use in his cappuccinos. This could cause potential complications in his performance, but he did with poise.

I’ll keep this short for now… Before I go though, I must send out major ‘Thank You’s to several people… Including my Los Angeles teammates, Devin and Nick. Both have excellent eyes and opinions for competition. We do well in competition because we have each other… I’m amazed by the people who think we do well simply because we work for Intelli. I hear accusations like it’s because of the money, the equipment, or the time… No, friends, it’s the teamwork and our ability to be completely open and honest with each other that keeps us improving.

Much thanks really needs to go out to Doug Zell, owner and CEO of Intelligentsia. Doug’s vision for the company and what he wants it to be is what makes Intelligentsia such a great company to work for… and he’s done nothing but given us all a place to grow, learn, and flourish.

My girlfriend, Monica, is amazing. She designed and screen printed the menus I used in the competition. She is incredibly supportive and her patience is astonashing. She was that helping hand before each run-through… making sure everything had that perfect shine, and then she was there helping me at the washing station… Making sure everything was clean to either pack or move to the next round.

Kyle Glanville, Deaton Pigot, and Stephen Morrissey are all to blame for aspects of my presentation. Kyle is relentless in his critisims. He’s dastardly brutal and has had me to the point where I thought I was going to put in my two weeks notice… But everytime I bounce back and his ideas and thoughts sink in, I walk away as a better barista. Deaton has a keen eye… his feedback was encouraging and he never let us slip on our technical skills. He’d just tell me that my machine wasn’t clean enough… even when I was just pulling shots and messing around. Nick and Devin have been more open and wiling to acknowledge their help from Stephen Morrissey. I still feel like it’s something that I should be keeping quiet, but it’s true… Stephen is amazing. Just as a World Barista Champion should be. His ideas and opinions are inspiring and he’s got a lot of them to give. He’s loud and obnoxious at times, but in the end, he’s a great, more than helpful friend. Stephen came to give us a hand… and did it on his own dime. I can’t say how grateful I am.

Alright, that turned into a lot… I’m going now.

It’s been a long weekend and I’m about to enjoy a day of visiting the Chicago Intelligentsia stores, as well as, some coffee explorations at our Fulton St. Roasting Works. But man… has it been a long weekend.

We arrived Friday night, so we missed both of the first competition rounds. However, Saturday was packed with tons to do. I poured my way into the finals of Millrock, as did my coworkers. Then Michael Philips and Jesse Crouse worked their way into the finals of the Great Lakes Regional Barista Competition. Sadly, my friend Talya Strader did not make the finals, however, she represented both herself and her coffee well.

The Great Lakes was a tough competition. I wasn’t counting, but it felt like there were many more blends represented here than single origin. However, it was single origin that took home first place… and I am stoked to be able to call Scott Lucey champion.

Scott’s performance was light hearted and fun. It wasn’t too serious, rather, it was full of knowledgable commentary and wit. It was the kind of perfomance that someone outside of the coffee industry could watch and sort of ‘get it’. His coffee was delicious and I’m very glad it scored well. Kyle, as an emcee, mentioned how American espresso that is balanced really just tends to be kind of muted. Scott’s espresso was balanced, however, it was not that old school American balanced. It was bright and full, floral, and intense. It was an espresso I’ll remember for a good while. Oh, and what impressed me most was that Scott used a Robur. No timer, dosered. He had a small mod on the bottom, and he didn’t level the coffee at all. Cheers to that!

Scott Lucey, GLRBC

Jesse Crouse performed very well. Very relaxed. It makes me quite jealous to see someone up there who presents a coffee well, all while looking like they just don’t care. Devin Pedde has the same characteristic and both seem to do well with it. I also tasted the coffee Jesse used and it, too, was delicious. His coffee was El Mirador, a coffee from Santuario in Cauca Colombia. Santuario is a farm that is broken into different plots of land, each containing a seperate varietal of coffee. The Mirador is the typica found on the farm.

Jesse, GLRBC, 2nd Place

I can’t close this without mentioning Mike Philips. Mike certainly had the most innovative performance of the weekend… Possibly of the competition year. Competitors have used multiple grinders for seperate coffees before. They’ve changed their coffee for different beverages before, but Mike took all that further. For his espresso coarse, Mike dosed his coffee about 17 grams. For his cappuccinos he dosed his coffee at 18 grams, and coarsened the grinder. Finally, he pulled the espresso a third way to create his signature beverage. Not only that, but he used different parts of the espresso extraction to make his signature bevergae… Using the first 18 seconds for one component and the remaining for another. Mike also chose not to use his prep table at all. Rather he treaded the judges table like a bar. With two small waters carts, he kept all his serving ware and drink prep hidden from the sensory judges eyes. Well played, Mr. Philips.

Michael Philips, keeping it behind the bar...

A week from today, Devin and I will be leaving for Portland. I have more scores to post… and when I receieve the real list of GLRBC scores, I’ll post the top 20 scores of the 2008-2009 regional season.

1. Nick Griffith- Intelligentsia, Los Angeles, CA- Western Region- 682.5

2. Devin Pedde- Intelligentsia, Los Angeles, CA- Western Region- 677

3. Ryan Willbur- Intelligentsia, Los Angeles, CA- Western Region- 668.5

4. Robin Seitz- PT’s Coffee, Topeka, KS- Midwest Region- 658

5. Amber Sather- AMS, Brooklyn, NY- Northeastern Region- 650

6. Mike Marquard
- Kaldi’s Coffee- St. Louis, MO- Midwest Region- 641

7. Renee Teichen- Ritual Coffee- San Francisco, CA- Western Region- 638

8. Katy Duris- Murky Coffee- Arlington, VA- Mid-Atlantic Region- 632

9. Allie Turner- Murky Coffee- Arlington, VA- Mid-Atlantic Region- 619

10. Nikolas Krankl- Taste Coffee House- Newtonville, MA- 609

11. Clancy Rose- Cuvee Coffee- Spring, TX- Southcentral Region- 607.5

12. Jared Truby- Verve Coffee- Santa Cruz, CA- Western Region- 605

13. Sara Peterson- The Abbey- Santa Cruz, CA- Western Region- 600.5

14. Christopher
 Weber
- PT’s
 Coffee- Topeka,
KS
- Midwest Region- 596.5

15. Alex Pond- The Fresh Pot- Portland, OR- Northwest Region- 595

16. Jesse Bladyka- Cold Creek Coffee- Laramie, WY- Mountain Region- 595

17. Jeremy Sterner- Peregrine Espresso- Washington DC- MA Region- 594.5

18. Jordan Barber- Abraco Espresso- Brooklyn, NY- NE Region- 591

19. Kristina Marryman- Lava Java- Ridgefield, WA- Northwest Region- 588.5

20. Kevin Fuller- The Albina Press- Portland, OR- Northwest Region- 588

It was almost a year ago that we, as a coffee community, began to discuss and get antsy for the announcement of who would be the 2009 equipment sponsors for the WBC. We awaited rule changes, details, and debated on what grinders should and should not be allowed.

When the rules and sponsors were announced, many raised questions about the final decisions. I made my statement, and I’ve stuck to it.

Now, with my first competition of the year passed, I think it is important to say a big thank you to the people at Nuovo Simoneli. The Aurelia, as we know it, is an imperfect machine. As is the GB5, FB80, Cyncra, Hydra, and every other espresso machine on the market. However, the people behind the machine is what sets Simoneli apart. “What is the difference?,” you may ask… They listen.

From giclures, to sight glass, and steam boiler level, this is a company listening and ready for feedback. The entire weekend, they were on hand, hanging out with us, listening and asking questions. They tasted our espresso and wanted to know what we thought of it.

I was impressed by Giani and his youthful energy. I think I might owe some competitors an apology, as we really couldn’t get him to stop telling people how much he liked the Finca La Maravilla from Guatemala. Several times, I found myself running away from awkward situations where he would be telling another barista about how great our coffee was. His support, however, was not exclusive to us, as he was there encouraging everyone.

Of course, the important part is how the machines performed over the competition. I competed on two of the three stations and found no inconsistencies in either of the machines. All 3 of my groups had a nice, even flow, and steam pressure was abundant and well balanced. The Aurelia’s being shipped from region to region seem durable and stable… as many people initially told us they would be.

We have a handful of competitions to go before the USBC and with all that ahead of us, it may be too early to make some of the evaluations that I am. However, I think this years USBC will be, from an equipment standpoint, one of the most even playing fields yet, and I look forward to a coffee (non-machine) focused event.

2008 Pre-USBC Top Regional Scores

1. Chris Baca 798
2. Heather Perry 773
3. Kyle Glanville 758
4. Billy Wilson 752
5. Nick Griffith 714.5
6. Drew Cattlin 702.5
7. Lemuel Butler 695.5
8. Ben Helfen 683.5
9. Chris Deferio 671.5
10. Amber Sather 671.5
11. Ryan Willbur 671
12. Pete Licata 670.5
13. Maki Campbell 666.5
14. Robin Seitz 664.5
15. Danielle Glasky 663
16. Katie Duris 656.5
17. Alex McCracken 655
18. Scott Lucey 647
19. Jon Lewis 637.50
20. Kevin Fuller 630

1. Nick Griffith- Intelligentsia, Los Angeles, CA- Western Region- 682.5

2. Devin Pedde- Intelligentsia, Los Angeles, CA- Western Region- 677

3. Ryan Willbur- Intelligentsia, Los Angeles, CA- Western Region- 668.5

4. Robin Seitz- PT’s Coffee, Topeka, KS- Midwest Region- 658

5. Mike Marquard
- Kaldi’s Coffee Roasting Co.- St. Louis, MO- Midwest Region- 641

6. Renee Teichen- Ritual Coffee Roasters- San Francisco, CA- Western Region- 638

7. Clancy Rose- Cuvee Coffee Roasting Co.- Spring, TX-  Southcentral Region- 607.5

8. Jared Truby- Verve Coffee Roasters (Comin’ In Hot)- Santa Cruz, CA- Western Region- 605

9. Sara Peterson- The Abbey Lounge- Santa Cruz, CA- Western Region- 600.5

10. Christopher
 Weber
- PT’s
 Coffee 
Roasting 
Co.- Topeka,
KS
- Midwest Region- 596.5

11. Alex Pond- The Fresh Pot- Portland, OR- Northwest Region- 595

12. Jesse Bladyka- Cold Creek Coffee- Laramie, WY- Mountain Region- 595

13. Kristina Marryman- Lava Java- Ridgefield, WA- Northwest Region- 588.5

14. Kevin Fuller- The Albina Press- Portland, OR- Northwest Region- 588

15. Robbie
 Britt
- Zoka 
Coffee 
Roasters-
 Seattle,
WA- Northwest Region-
 582.5

16. Micah 
Svedja-
 Kaldi’s 
Coffeehouse-
 St.
Louis, 
MO
- Midwest Region-  577.5

Notice, Jesse from the Mountain Region snuck in there with his score from their preliminary round…