“Il gusto italiano” and the Pope's coffee – noe.ORF.at

The brightly lit commercial building in the center of Mödling is the place of desire for many coffee lovers and those who want to become one of them. A ladder leans against floor-to-ceiling shelves filled with bags of assorted coffee beans that promise the ultimate level of enjoyment. But to be able to extract the perfect coffee from it, you need a lot of knowledge and, above all, passion.

At least the latter is what Missy May brings with her to her barista course. “The most important thing is to use good, gently roasted coffee. The Italians can make such good coffee because they invented the espresso machine,” explains managing director Christian Hacker in front of a photo of the first prototype from 1906. The enlarged photo shows a trade fair stand from Milan shortly before From the opening with the machine of Luigi Bezzera, one of the inventors.

Good coffee can be made by any machine

No matter if it is a fully automatic machine, a percolator or a filter coffee machine: with a little feeling and knowledge, good coffee can be made in any machine. Choosing the right pill also plays a crucial role here. “There are coffees that are specifically roasted for each type of preparation. In a fully automatic machine, for example, the beans should not be roasted too dark, and should ideally contain a blend of Arabica and some Robusta beans. “This automatically combines the flavour. The elegant front of the Arabica variety and the full flavor of the Robusta beans,” explains expert Verena Hacker.

In their shop in Mödling, the two coffee lovers enjoy a very special variety, surrounded by something like a halo. “We have a Vatican supplier in our collection which is called ‘Pope Coffee.’ “We can call it that because the Pope actually likes to drink it,” says the managing director, looking proud.

The love of coffee is in the details

In the barista course, Missy learns how to use a filter coffee machine. First, the beans are ground fresh. “I recommend putting a few beans in the grinder at a time, because coffee contains valuable essential oils which are, of course, volatile.” This means that if the coffee sits in the machine for a day or two, it won't taste the same the second day as it did later. Short of putting the pills in the container,” Missy gets valuable advice.

The freshly ground beans are then compressed and compacted and the portafilter is installed in the machine. The brown liquid then slowly flows into the cup. You should definitely take your time as this creates that typical 'crema'. When you choose your favorite variety, you will get the coffee served to you by a professional and you can taste it your way through different variations. Italian music is playing in the background – a piece of Italy in the middle of Mödling.