World Barista Competition

Held in Melbourne 2013, the World Barista Competition (WBC) was a test of the highest caliber of baristas in front of formidable judges. One representative from 30 countries have been through countless competitions just to get to this level and seeing them all perform in Melbourne was a real treat for the BeanSurfing team. Using […]

5 Most common home coffee mistakes

Black Market Roasters, the online coffee bean shop looks at the most common problems people face when making coffee at home. They are simple to fix, just read on and you will be tasting fantastic tasting coffee in no time! 1. The coffee they receive is dead! If you buy coffee from a supermarket, chances […]

Long blacks, short blacks and other fancy coffees

You can seriously walk into one café in the same city order a long black, get a coffee, then walk into one around the corner, order the same coffee and get something completely different! This can be frustrating as a customer, tough it isn’t all bad, it is because hopefully the barista is trying to […]

Office Coffee

What are the different types of coffee beans?

There are literally 100’s of different types of coffee beans grown around the world. Names like caturra, bourbon, geisha and mundo nova can be very confusing, so we will take you through the basics so you are ready to take on the geekiest of coffee geeks! Basically there are two different types of coffee bean […]

Barista Courses in Sydney

The History of Coffee Beans

This story is one of the most wildest, controversial and amazing that has ever been told. Some facts are debated today and the intercontinental grudges are definitely being held to this day! The history of coffee beans as told by the online coffee beans shop, Black Market Roasters in Sydney. It all started with a […]

How hard should I tamp the ground coffee beans?

While this is a very common question I get, it is by no means a really important factor to consider when making coffee at home when compared to bean freshness, dose size, grinding etc. At Black Market Roasters, we have experimented with many different tamp pressures and styles and on a minute scale it makes […]

How do I make a short black coffee?

Technically, a short black is the 25-30ml extraction of coffee beans ground finely for the espresso machine. Looking at a range pour time of 15-30 seconds, the short black is traditionally served in a demitasse, or small ceramic cup with a handle, which is preheated. This is the traditional way to serve it….at Black Market Roasters, […]

How do I make a long black coffee?

A long black in our opinion is a bit of an art form. If done well it can leave a prefect mouthfeel that lasts till lunchtime, though if done poorly it can scald your mouth so you don’t taste anything till lunchtime! Black Market Roasters looks at the ultimate long black making process and what […]

How do I make a cappuccino?

What does our strong soy cappuccino with 2 sugars have in common with 17th C Viennese Monks? A lot apparently! Here at Black Market Roasters, we like to find out the story behind everything coffee, and this one is great! First….a little history lesson: At the time of the Ottoman/Turkish empire, they were pro’s at […]

Storing coffee beans at home

Very simple this one…YOU DON’T! Well, in an ideal world, you will not keep coffee for longer than a few weeks. In this short post Black Market Roasters looks at the best way to keep your freshly roasted coffee…fresh! Firstly, we need to realise that freshly roasted coffee, as it ages, loses volatile aromatics, beautiful […]