For all the attention focused on baristas and the art of the espresso, there are occasions - such as conferences and banqueting - when it's practically impossible to serve espresso-based coffee to hundreds of dinner guests all at once.
Invariably, the best way to fill several hundred cups at almost the same time is to use filter coffee.
The brewing of filter coffee does involve a bit of science. Briefly, 50g of correctly ground coffee, sitting in one litre of water at a temperature of about 94°C for a period of about five minutes, will give an "extraction" of flavour which equates to about 20% of the bean converted into dissolved solids, which is the likely optimum taste.
Where many caterers go wrong is to keep their coffee brewing, on direct heat, for too long. The answer is to remove the coffee from direct heat after brewing, and to hold it in an insulated jug, flask or urn. If it's not exposed to direct heat, it will stay in acceptable condition for a surprisingly long time.
Buy It! has teamed up with Marco Beverage Systems to offer readers the chance to win the company's latest Filtro Shuttle filter coffee brewer plus one six-litre insulated, removable urn worth a total of more than £1,300.
HOW TO ENTER
One lucky reader who can answer the question below correctly will win this amazing prize. All entries must be submitted on a postcard by 15 December. Entrants should include their name, job title, company name and address, and contact telephone number.
Send entries to Buy It!/Marco Filtro Shuttle Competition, Caterer and Hotelkeeper, Quadrant House, The Quadrant, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5AS.
THE QUESTION
How long should 50g of filter coffee be allowed to brew for optimum taste?
(a) 5 minutes
(b) 20 minutes
(c) 50 minutes
THE PRIZE
The winner will receive a Filtro Shuttle filter coffee brewer plus one six-litre insulated, removable urn.
The Filtro Shuttle is designed and manufactured to meet the European Coffee Brewing Centre's standards and to deliver coffee in line with the SCAE's Gold Cup certification standard. It is a compact bulk brewer, less than 12in wide, that brews filter coffee at the touch of a button directly into a six-litre insulated and removable urn.
When the brew cycle is complete, the full urn of coffee may be transported to a remote location for dispensing. Being insulated, the urn will keep coffee hot with minimal deterioration for more than an hour. It's ideal for venues with a medium- to high-volume requirement for coffee, such as hotels and restaurants, where coffee needs to be prepared in advance, and for self-service applications, such as conference centres, workplace meeting rooms and staff restaurants.
The Filtro Shuttle is constructed from high-grade stainless steel. It's a plumbed machine which offers full- or half-brew options, and features a basket safety lock so that the brew basket cannot be removed during the brew cycle. A separate hot water tap provides hot water for teamaking and other purposes.
For further information on Marco Beverage Systems, call 020 7274 4577 or visit the company website here >>
AND LAST MONTH'S WINNER IS...
The winner of the Gilberts Gustav Emil Ern knives competition in the 27 September issue of Buy It! was Ian Short, head chef, The Key, Failsworth, Manchester.
Terms and conditions
- This competition is not open to employees or agents of Reed Business Information, or Marco Beverage Systems.
- We reserve the right to change the prize without notice and no cash alternative will be offered.
- The winner will be selected at random from correct entries, and the publisher's decision is final.
- Reed Business Information will use the contact information you provide to communicate with you on behalf of the Caterer Group. We may also use the information you have provided to send direct marketing material from ourselves relating to other products and services that may be of interest to you. Your information may also be disclosed to other companies who wish to send you information about their products and services, including our sponsor, Marco Beverage Systems. This could involve data transfer to countries outside the European Economic Area. For further information and choices, please visit our data protection page at www.reedbusiness.co.uk/dataprotection, or write to us at RBI, Freepost RCC2619, Haywards Heath, RH16 3BR, UK.
- The winner's name will appear in Caterer and Hotelkeeper and on Caterersearch.com.