Coffee love

It's no secret that I love a good cup of coffee.

I will even go as far as admit that I am probably a bit of a coffee snob.
I usually only have one cup a day, so I might as well make it a good one...

I have a great little coffee machine at home that has served many a flat white over the years. It's a Sunbeam Cafe Series and I recently bought the grinder too - I can thoroughly recommended both. Easy to use, pretty robust and generally makes a decent cup of coffee. (husband needs some more practise though!)



Sunbeam Cafe Series



So, as this machine makes such good coffee I don't have cause to frequent coffee shops that much. When it's time to stock up on some beans I drive to a local roasting house, grab a bag, thank you very much for my complimentary coffee and off I go.

I'm pretty loyal when it comes to buying something and I'll usually stick to what I know, so I have been buying the same coffee beans for years. Nothing wrong with these coffee beans...but recently I got the chance to try something different...

There is a new kid on the block in coffee shop town!

If you are a local Brisbanite, you have to sample the coffee at  Stella rossa



They have shops in the city, one in Fortitude Valley and one in Milton (details here).

I have visited the Milton shop a few times and love the space that they have created there. It's a bit industrial looking and manages to also be inviting and comfortable. They have sofas and comfy chairs as well as the space to hold small meetings around larger tables. The decor is casual with framed coffee sacks on the wall and flyers for local shows and theatre, - there is a bit of a buzz to the place. It's a popular spot with commuters on the way to the train station to grab a drink or even some lunch to take to work.
If you have the luxury of sitting in to enjoy your coffee they serve some yummy stuff to go with it.

The staff are really pleasant and knowledgeable and have an obvious passion for their coffee. The first time that I went they had two, maybe three different blends of beans that you could buy and this has now increased to about five or six, including an organic blend and a de-caf. They worked with Di Bella to come up with some coffee blends  and each one is described like you would expect on a wine list!

I currently have the 5 star beans described as "a full bodied blend possessing spicy, chocolate  characteristics with a rich, lingering, berry-like, velvet finish". Mmmmm, makes me want another cup!
I've been impressed with the fact that my coffee still tastes good weeks after I bought the beans.

Unfortunately for the Railway Terrace shop in Milton it was a victim of the terrible January floods...they hadn't been open for very long before they were flooded.
They have thankfully fully recovered and were quickly back to business. So if you are in the area, pop in to sample for yourself and give some support to a new business - I don't think you'll be disappointed.

linking up with Sarah at
a beach cottage