TESCO supermarket coffee adventure - part 3

Welcome back peeps! Grocery stores keep surprising me. Didn't see it coming at all actually. Maybe cuz I was simply not used to such a variety of anything. I was pleased to see several well-know specialty coffees in Lidl one day, among which Costa Rica Tarrazu and Colombia. By the way, you gotta keep an eye on the offers, for those are not available at Lidl right now during St. Valentine's celebration season. Waiting on new stuff to come later!

Then there was Carrefour with quite a long row of coffee and that sweet Tchibo stand with Mahlkönig grinder. I heard those grinders set standard for the industry and are super popular with coffee shops. The premium Guatemala coffee I got was quite good. So I am definitely coming for more.

Next on the list of supermarkets is Tesco. I don't really have one super close to where I live or on my daily route. So I just went to one intentionally with my fam to get some food. And, of course, take a glance at the coffee corner. This particular store has a cool graffiti drawing on the neighbouring old building on one side and a gorgeous church on the other. the rest of architecture isn't that fun, yet you don't really choose neighbours, ha?

After picking some tulips for my beloved I went hunting for my drug. Coffee. I didn't know what actually to expect for this was my very first time at Tesco. Tea and coffee stand was hidden in the very back. My guess is most people make several laps to find it. The good thing the shop itself wasn't that large. I took a look, saw some familiar brands like Nescafe, Jacobs, Lavazza. Those are big names and they take over half of the coffee space. Yet, I was in the mood for something less popular, not instant or already grinded.

Even though there were many packs of coffee there, I could still feel the smell which was a bit stronger than the rest, maybe fresher or just different. Hard to tell. I took a pack of MK cafe and pressed it a bit to get some of the air out. It was the one. Whole bean, special pack with one way valve (the idea is that it protects coffee from O2 coming,  but at the same time lets CO2 out of the pack), pleasant aroma. I'm in. Let's play.

P.S. The pack says 'Recommended by baristas'. Oh, I am intrigued.

Passion is everything

Once a barista told me, 'I don't really like coffee or drink it'. I stood speechless for a minute or two. Is that at all possible? I guess it is. I appreciate his sincerity, yet that info was too hard to digest or accept. Have you come across coffee shops that seem 'to have no soul'? There is coffee, there are people making it and those buying it. The business is running. Yet something is missing in the picture still. Why don't I have the desire to stay here longer or come again? My soul rejects places without a passion.

Don't you love when barista is crazy about coffee? Even if they are busy like bees, they find a sec to say, 'Today we have this stuff, you gonna like it' or 'We just roasted this new bag a couple days ago and it is worth trying'...

I understand it takes time to learn about various aspects of coffee business. The more I read the more I realize I am in my first year still. But who cares how much you know when you love to talk about it, drink it till late at night and experiment with roast, taste, grind, milk whatever.

I actually know several coffee shops that have both passion and neglect for coffee. Either the investor is a fan and barista isn't, or one shift of baristas is and another is not. I guess there might be more options here. Maybe for some it is just business, nothing else. Or just a drink, no more. Yet, for a shop to be really successful, I bet it has to have a passion for what it offers. How else would someone convert you to coffee unless they loooove it?

At times I buy too much coffee and just don't have the time to try it all. It gets old and I either have to give some away or double the drinking, or throw the old stuff away. I know it is bad. I try to stay calm when i see/hear about new coffee brand or new farm in some exotic land. I want it all, I want it now. Might regret buying some of it later, but who cares, I got the experience.

New equipment to work with coffee is invented pretty often. I want it too. I should probably get a second job to afford it))). That's who I am. And I'm looking for places that resonate with my soul. Appreciation for coffee as something great, a passion for getting the most out of the bean and a service that gives me good memories of both coffee and the shop.
Follow me and let's explore. I hope my search is contagious enough so that you give coffee another chance.

Books, coffee and modern art

 Nice Sunday afternoon, sunny and windy. Perfect day to sit with a book and coffee on a terrace. Unfortunatelly that's not my case, I'm fighting with GPS which way to go to get to my target place for today. I win yet to lose about ten minutes on parking. The good thing is that parking is mostly free at weekends. And I'm close to my destination on Pańska 3, Warsaw.

I walk by a Starbucks with an open door, the interior looks very welcoming and cozy, yet not enough to tempt me today. Cool pricy merc is parked nearby and some fun old cars keep passing by. What a mix. Kinda like Warsaw's architecture is, old town, soviet minimalistic buidlings and contemporary glass skyscrapers right next to each other.

And what is this... I thought for a moment that guy up there was a real man. Oh, that's where art begins and the coffee is already close. I had to surf through the web to find the place. EMESEN is a coffee shop inside the Modern Art Museum. 

Here is a sign one might easily miss. That would be like not seeing a treasure right before your very own eyes. Don't pass, give it a chance. I know the museum's look is questionable and shabby. On the other side, it offers books, lots of coffee and art!

I get in, walk straight to the two cool lads at the bar. My polish is improving, so the convo is pretty fluent. English is my safe option when I lack words, so no worries wherever you come from. Today is my third time here. You can tell I'm becoming a loyal customer. Yes, I bought here a pack of Honduras by Bonanza roasters (Berlin) a month ago. Highly recomended by barista ladies whose shift it was then. What will the men advise? They suggest I have another roast by Bonanza, Ethiopia Seka Forest this time. Quite an intriguing name. Automatic dripper? That's new, I'll go for it! Common price of 10zl (2.5 USD) is not cheap, yet coffee is always a treat for me, so I get a bigger cup for 13zl and a piece of a pumpkin quiche pie.

I'm glad I took couple sips before biting the pie for it was spicy and I lost ability to tell what coffee actually tasted like. Didn't see it coming! Anyway, the impression I got from this Ethiopia was nice light acidity and balance. Nothing really striking or surprising. Can it be that automatic drip lacks the magic human hands can do? I might buy a pack later and see what I can get out of it in my home lab.

These guys cooperate with another shop Filtry to sell coffee through Czarna Fala website. They do have quite a wide choice. When I came to buy beans to take home, they brought a big box full of various roasts and put it on the tall table for me to dig in. Impressive! Looking at the line of coffee they brew, might make you pause for a sec cuz choice is not easy at all. They win me by offering a choice so every time I have something new. When I find perfect beans and roast I might stick to it for a while. We'll see.

And last but not least - books. One is very welcome to take books and read them right there while having coffee or else. Reading is free. It just felt so good to sit in a company of reading people. Most books are about art, design, photography and the like. The shop was busy and that just made it even better. Yes, the seatting is not soft or super cozy, there is no wood on the floor or ceiling, no armchairs to sink in... Feels like you entered a factory and are walking through a corridor to your workplace. It is indeed modern and simple. Not traditional or fancy. I would call it a cool spot if you like. Something here resonates with my soul. I guess it is the coffee again.

Close to main train station at the moment? Want new experience? Like to read and have a coffee? Emesen is worth stopping by.

Krakow and Coffee Proficiency

Krakow has indeed a lot to offer, and probably that's why it is usually crowded with tourists. Those old churches are huge and make an unforgettable impression on you! Having several extra pairs of feet to never stop walking around would be perfection. What about coffee though? I'd like to start with a place I was intentionally looking for.

After having my first Costa Rica Las Lajas by Coffee Proficiency, it became my favorite so far. That happened when I was rushing to an airport to pick up a speaker from US I would later interpret for. I might tell about that specific experience separately, but I can just say for now that it tasted and smelled like fruit. No bitterness, light acidity and the aroma... OMG! I don't know the magic these guys do, but it makes coffee truly outstanding.

Of course, I longed for more of it. At first, on a family vacation last winter, by some divine stirring, while walking Florianska St. the eye caught a familiar name on a coffee pack behind the glass of a desert shop. Immediately my feet stopped and turned that direction. The place looked like a cafe with bright colors, sweet and tasty treats, but had something more precious inside. Barista, equipment and, of course, THE coffee. We got into talking. The guy knows his business, or rather passion. On the first visit my wife and I had Ethiopia Yirgacheff. I often start with it cuz it is a familiar taste to me and I can try to compare it with other roasts I had before.
One year is a lot of time for my memory to remember the details, yet I probably looked like a happy kid whose dream just came true. Here it is! Coffee worth drinking, talking about and paying for. That winter night gave a start to a long term relationship with Coffee Proficiency magic.

On a second visit we had two other coffees, both pour over and aeropress brewed. It is a great feeling when you face a professional. So good to relax and just have him do his routine perfectly well. At times I like to sit/stand close and watch the whole process of coffee being made. This time was different. Also, when I have an option for filter coffee or an alternative brew method, I usually go for it. Like espresso more? Give it a try.

Next happy chance happened this past fall. Short trip, limited time, yet I had to stop by. And here it is (Przemysłowa 3, Kraków), I got to the very heart of the magic. Roast facility, office, shop and cafe same time. Pretty cool approach to interior. Haven't seen one like that before. One can sit on the second floor and watch the master roast. How cool is that ?! My friend and I had Ethiopia as usual, then Kenya. Awesome. Served in a glass carafe with two cups makes it perfect for two people, paying 5 zl a cup, just a bit over 1 dollar.

Still, that wasn't all. Surprise, they offered me to try a coffee shell drink. What? Really? Why not, let's see what it is...My word, it tastes like a dry fruit drink! Not really like coffee at all. I wonder if it has any caffeine. Not brewed in a usual way, just shells and hot water. In this particular case I had Cost Rica shell. What a coincidence. Of course it tastes like fruit! I bet the farmer has it grow on fruit trees somehow))). Trip to that farm is on my list indeed.

Time flew fast, an hour or two, hard to tell. My phone's battery ran out, yet I managed to find a guy with a mac and he was very kind to charge it. So hard to leave. I guess I could live there. Ok, back to reality, the bag is full of coffee, enough to survive for a month and treat my colleagues at work with premium espresso blend of 4 different kind of beans.

This place is a must stop on my way if (or rather when!) it crosses Krakow. Quiet, great atmosphere, friendly and tasty. Place to sit with a book or phone, relax and enjoy the heavenly taste.

Maybe I should note some negative traits of the place too to be fair. You know, I really don't have those in my mind. But in case you like cozy and home feel places, this one might look like a garage. I wonder whether ladies would appreciate the shop. I think I saw several girls hanging out and couple men actively discussing some business. I guess it is great if coffee comes first. I would have to go again and give it a fresh look some day.

My Story

Hey, I'm Oleg. Here you are gonna read about a guy who found himself in a new country with a couple bags of luggage, a family to provide for and... a coffee set. These are going to be stories about coffee more than anything else. Around age of 30 I realized that coffee
moved through my scale of favorites from somewhere "-10" to absolute number ONE.

Born in the USSR, brought up with just several drink options mostly like black tea, water or just drink from dry fruit, 20 something years later I ended up meeting a girl who loved cappuccino and began converting me into the coffee world. Before that as a kid I remember just one place in town where true coffee from real beans was served. I couldn't get what was so special about the drink that people would come for it to just this one shop downtown. It wasn't actually a coffee shop at all the way we see it nowadays. But my mom loved to stop by and brought me with her. Yet, at that age I wasn't allowed to even try it, so what's the use of going? Maybe something influenced my young naive mind on subconscious level then, who knows.

Time went by. Now I'd find myslef among those who really care what they drink on a daily basis and somehow not that much what they eat. Weird? Maybe. Come with me and let's experience coffee and Poland. Both being quite an adventure!

Want to go check out a coffee shop together or get a review on a certain coffee, let me know to olegnesvirskyy@gmail.com!