Deciding on a coffee bean variety for your cafe is serious business - its what your customers will remember you by and if its fantastic, they will spread the word increasing the success of your cafe business. 

To make things easier, you can order a sample of any or all of Coffee Bean Shop's coffee beans here - you will receive a generous sample size pack of 500 grams, enough to share and get valuable feedback. 

As a general guide, if your cafe is in a trendy or youthful area, you will want to standardise on a stronger coffee; both Espresso and Crema are fantastic choices. Crema will give you that unique edge with a full flavour strong coffee bean that none of your competitors are likely to be providing to their customers. Be known for serving exceptional coffee. Espresso is a competition coffee that has been entered in the Fine Food Festival

If your cafe is in a more traditional area, or your customer base is mostly office staff, you will want to choose a more rounded and smooth coffee bean variety like Daily Blend. 

When it comes to Decaf or Fairtrade certified coffee beans, you're in great hands - Coffee Bean Shop Decafeinated is a  full flavoured Colombian coffee beans that has been expertly decaffeinated by the all natural water mountain process, so there are no nasty chemicals used. Customers that don't usually like Decaf have been so surprised by the taste, aroma and flavour that they cannot believe it is a decaf!

Take a look at the full range of coffee beans and save with special discount pricing just for cafes here - you'll also benefit from Free Delivery. 

I learned a very important lesson today about the importance of fresh coffee beans. With the holiday season in full swing, I was run off my feet and didnt restock my coffee beans at home, a few friends over for coffee and before you know it, I'm reaching for an old bag of emergency coffee beans. The emergency bag of coffee beans was for this very purpose, the moment when I would have less than perfectly fresh coffee beans rather than no coffee beans - a pretty smart decision on my part, or so I thought. 

A few minutes later, the beans were in the grinder, doing their thing landing in my portafilter ready for the magical extraction in my coffee machine at home. I knew and expected that not everything would be perfect with these older coffee beans, and after all, most mass produced coffee in Australia and supermarket coffee is usually 12 months old before it even reaches your pantry - how bad could it be? Truth is, it wasn't that bad, but it wasnt that good either. My coffee was flat and boring -definitely not exceptional. My friends and family have come to expect exceptional coffee from me and I felt a little embarrassed that the coffee king was letting them down. 

I have the luxury of being able to manufacture my own coffee beans at home while the factory is down for maintenance, so that's exactly what I did - life is too short for bad coffee! Don't make the same mistake I did, and don't accept boring stale coffee, ever!

Are you in the mood for entertaining and celebrating this Christmas 2013 and New Year 2014? Have your fresh roasted coffee beans delivered before Christmas by ordering by December 20th. Any orders placed after December 20th will be automatically scheduled for delivery from Monday January 6th 2014. 

To sumarise, Christmas / New Year: Orders after 20th Dec will be sent on Jan 6th.

I asked you to tell me about something you've broken, and some of the stories were spectacular!

Joshua recalled the time his eldest child tried to create a fancy champagne glass waterfall - that ended badly for everyone;

"Between me and the kids I owe my wife about 1000 coffee cup/ wine glass but the worse one was when my eldest saw a champagne waterfall on TV and tried to copy it - lost about 20 wine glass that day"

Stephen recalls the early days of courting his wife-to-be- all ended well though, he got the girl!

"When I was dating my wife she invited me to her house for dinner. I made coffee in a large coffee plunger and stirred the coffee with a metal spoon, which smashed the glass, pouring coffee everywhere. It was a lovely plunger and cleaning up the coffee grinds wasn't fun. She still married me though."

So, Joshua, Stephen and Linda, you've scored yourselves a set of thermal coffee cups. Drop me a line and I'll get them out to you. 

There is an old saying that nothing that is cheap is good and nothing that is good is cheap. I still live by that beleif. I am proud to be offering my varieties of Nespresso compatible coffee capsules, which are a very high quality coffee capsule at an unbeatable price - I'm able to do this in the spirit of marketing, once you taste these fabulously delicious coffee capsules, you'll never want to miss out on the experience again. 

I will continue to offer these amazing prices on these delicious coffee capsule varies so you can benefit by saving money too.  

You can purchase your Nespresso coffee capsules here, with Free delivery on orders of $100 or more. 

Im always on the lookout for that special coffee cup - I've got more cups that I do space for said cups, but these ones just looked so, classy. They remind me of a retro cup and saucer combination, but with the benefit of thermal insulation. 

The shape is very classic, which is great for a flat white or cappuccino, but I was a little concerned by how fragile they looked - so, as you would expect, I was nervous to actually use them with my usual clumsiness, but they have survived a few of my accidental knocks and a few rounds in the dishwasher.

I've got two sets of these glasses to give away (I had three, but I'm keeping one!). You've got the chance to win one - just tell me in 5 billion words or less (by leaving a comment below), one thing you have smashed in your lifetime. (bonus points for smashing world records, or ex boyfriends things etc). Winners announced in one week.

You can buy coffee beans just about anywhere, but why just settle for 'just another product' when you can get exceptional quality and exceptional and personalised service from a coffee business that holds old fashioned values close to heart. 

If you are looking for delicious coffee beans, yummy chai latte or a fresh roasted and exciting alternative to Nespresso coffee capsules, you've come to the right place!

An alternative to a domestic or commercial espresso machine is a compact Nespresso coffee machine - but there is a trade off between convenience and coffee quality. It can be compared to the hands-on feel of driving a manual car, vs a automatic car, or the artistic licence granted to a photographer using a professional camera vs a camera-phone. Each device has its place and its own unique benefits. 

The biggest problem faced by owners of Nespresso coffee machines is the limited variety of capsules available, the fact they are mass produced and stored until sold, and no access to Fairtrade or Decaf coffees.  Add to that the high cost per capsule, and you discover there are areas for improvement. 

Coffee Bean Shop is proud to announce our very high quality coffee capsule for Nespresso  When you purchase compatible nespresso coffee capsules from Coffee Bean Shop, you are guaranteed personal and professional service with Free Delivery anywhere in Australia. Prices start from only $16.97, with quantities to suit home use right though to office and commercial applications. You've even got access to Fairtrade Nespresso compatible capsules and Decaf capsules. 

Take a look at this video I made to show how easy it is. 

You can learn more about, or purchase your Nespresso compatible capsules here

The Coffee Bean Shop has a brand new website and a fresh new way to buy coffee beans online. You get free delivery on orders over $100 plus generous discounts for orders of over ten kilos - perfect if you are buying coffee beans for a cafe.  

i hope you enjoy using the new coffee beans website - if you need to get in touch anytime, I'm always available. 

There are lots of places you can buy coffee beans - your local fresh produce markets, your convenience store or if your in a rush, Coles or Woolworths stock pre-packaged coffee beans, but why settle for prepackaged or oversupply coffee beans when you can be enjoying fresh roasted coffee beans delivered fast to your door - and when I say fast, I mean FAST!

There is a great selection of coffee beans available on the online store - click on the BUY COFFEE BEANS heading to take a look, or if you are looking to buy coffee beans for my office, take a look at the BULK COFFEE BEANS and enjoy some very generous discounts, usually reserved for cafes and coffee vans. 

Delivery is FREE on orders over $100, so there's really no reason to not buy your coffee beans from Coffee Bean Shop. 

Oh yeah! There's nothing quite as good as FREE. 

When buying coffee beans online, who wants surprises? I want to make it easy for you to buy coffee beans online, and it is - Delivery is Free anywhere in Australia on orders over $100, or if your order is less than $100, delivery is capped at $9.95. 

So, know you know exactly what the price of your coffee order will be before you even get to the checkout.

As an extra bonus, save with automatic discounts when you purchase 10 kilos or more. The savings are generous, so if you can take advantage of it, added to Free Delivery, you could be a superstar!

Are you ready for delicious coffee at your office? Having a coffee machine at the office is a great investment in staff moral and a great way to reward employees. Don't make the mistake of serving stale supermarket coffee beans or coffee beans from your office stationary supplier - that would be a disaster!


The most popular coffee bean variety for offices is easily Espresso  - it has a terrific full rounded flavour, a delicious coffee served as flat white or cappuccino, or for the die-hard coffee lover, an excellent black coffee.  

I am over the moon right now - having just launched an awesome new mobile website for Coffee Bean Shop! It couldn't be any easier to buy coffee beans on your mobile in under 60 seconds, or brush up on your coffee making skills with the new EDUCATE section

Its so simple too, browse to coffeebeanshop.com.au on your Android or iPhone and you automatically get the mobile optimised website!

To celebrate, I'm offering a free sample of Bondi Chai - all you need to do is order from your mobile, and the rest will be taken care of. (Expires Wednesday 24th July)

Take a look now on your mobile and leave a comment below.

Finding great quality decaf coffee beans is well worth your effort. The problem with decaffeinated coffee beans, is that so few coffee bean retailers and wholesalers give enough thought to the quality, flavour and aroma of their decaf coffee beans. I spent months searching for the perfect decaf coffee bean and I have been rewarded time and time again by my customers and their positive feedback and reviews, proving that I have made the right choice. 

This decaf is a full flavour Colombian decaf coffee bean which has been processed by the all natural Mountain Water process to remove over 99% of the caffeine. Other decaf coffee beans are treated with chemicals to remove the caffeine content. If you were to compare the flavour of this decaf coffee bean with any other full flavoured coffee bean that we have available, it is almost impossible to tell them apart by taste - it really is that good. 

It's a question I get asked often, "What are the best coffee beans for my cafe"? There is no single right answer, with the best coffee bean for your customer being decided by both you and your cafe customers. In Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney, coffee lovers like their coffee strong and full of flavour, so will generally choose Espresso, where as cafe customers in Adelaide and Perth tend to prefer Daily Blend - which has a full and rounded, but more mellow flavour.  

If you need assistance with deciding the perfect coffee bean for your cafe, try the generous sample pack, or get in touch with James to discuss some options. 

Wow! I am so excited right now. I've been working with a designer to create a brand new coffee bag design and theme that will carry over to the website and other marketing material for our delicious coffee beans. I have to say, the result is awesome, very awesome. (If you need a very talented designer, get in touch and I will share the love). Now is the time to get on board if you own a cafe or restaurant and benefit from our bulk coffee bean discounts - your customers will love your coffee as much as I love the new coffee bag!

Running a restaurant is hard work - the early starts, the late close, serving customers with a smile and managing all the food service is sure to take its toll on a busy restaurant manager. Did you know that you can increase the profits, along with the profits of your restaurant by serving quality coffee to your customers. If you already have a coffee machine and grinder at your restaurant, why not serve up great quality coffee too?

Get in touch today to discuss your requirements and discover what coffee will be best suited to your customers. start building a relationship with your customers that will have them recommending your restaurant to everyone they know. 

Its been a tough few years for business, that's for sure. Cafes in Australia have done quite well and I have a theory;

When times are tough, people like their comforts, and great coffee, with friendly service is a inexpensive reward. 

But, watch out, the economy is picking up, and that will bring more competitors to your area. Get ahead of the game now and start rewarding your customers with fantastic coffee. Cafe customers of Coffee Bean Shop have been servicing delicious coffee to their customers and benefiting from no contracts with exceptional pricing. You don't need to be paying a large amount of money for your quality coffee beans, but you do need to be choosy with who you buy them from. 


Coffee beans from Coffee Bean Shop are roasted fresh for your cafe, and delivered fast anywhere in Australia. You will benefit from fantastic old fashioned customer service when you deal with James. 

Buy your coffee beans online now, or get in touch to discuss your requirements. 

Are you sometimes questioning the difference between a latte and a flat white? Are you unsure of the difference between a short black, an espresso shot, and a long black coffee? Its not just you, some of the confusion comes from different countries in the world referring to the same coffee by a different name. 

I was surprised to learn that;

• A Latte, ordered in Ital will get you a glass of steamed milk, and no coffee! You need to ask for a 'Caffe Latte' if you want your regular Latte coffee.  

So, here is a description of each of the popular coffees that you would see on a blackboard at a cafe in Australia. These descriptions are my survival guide only, and are open to interpretation depending on the cafe etc. 

• Espresso Shot - a 30ml shot of espresso coffee. made from 7grams of coffee, straight from the machine served in a 60ml porcelain cup
• Short black - exactly the same as a Espresso Shot
• Double shot Espresso - exactly the same as an Espresso shot, but two shots are made into the one cup - doubling the size to 60ml
• Long black - 120 to 180mls of water with an espresso (or double espresso) shot poured on top of the water. Its incorrect to add the water to the espresso shot for risk of dissipating the crema.
• Caffe Americano - same as a long black, but the espresso shot is added first, and the water on top to intentionally disipate and disturb the crema 
• Flat white - start with an espresso base, in a 250ml porcelain cup, add steamed frothed milk, but hold back the froth.
• Latte - same as a flat white, but more milky (ie: less coffee). served in a tall glass (not ceramic) and topped with a small amount of foam
• Cappuccino -  as for a Flat White, but introduce some extra froth and dust chocolate powder on top for presentation and flavour. 

A few that you might not see too often;

• Single Origin espresso - same as an espresso shot, but using a single coffee bean origin, rather than a expertly blended coffee from various regions. (can also be ordered as a double shot machiato)
• Picollo Latte - an espresso shot with 90ml of steamed milk (can also be ordered as a double shot machiato)
  
• Machiatto - an espresso shot with a teaspoon of milk froth to 'stain' the espresso. (can also be ordered as a double shot machiato). Some people refer to this as simply a 'mach'
• Ristretto - same as a espresso shot, but only using the first half of the espresso shot (15ml) which is sweeter. Can be ordered as a double ristretto totaling 30ml. 

NOTE: A single shot is 30ml of espresso coffee extracted from a single basket of coffee holding 7g and etracted in 30 seconds. A double shot can be acheived by repeating the single shot, or using a double basket (holding 14grams of coffee) but extracting in the same timeframe (30 seconds) and producing 60ml of coffee. Same with a tripple shot - repeat a single again, or use a tripple basket (21grams of coffee). Generally, I never ever use the single shot basket and standardise on the double shot basket. 

A great choice of coffee bean for black coffees is Coffee Bean Shop Crema - There is a trick to getting maximum crema on top of your coffee espresso - its only part technique! Get the edge with this delicious full flavour coffee bean using a base of the Monsoon Malabar, its a bold coffee bean just oozing thick strong crema. Served black, this is an impressive coffee. Served as an espresso, it is fabulous! This coffee bean is never acidic or bitter and if you are making this coffee as a milk based drink like a flat white or cappuccino, wow, it is just delicious. One of my all time favorite coffees. 

• Would you like to be serving one of the most popular beverages in Australia at your cafe?
  
• Would you like to increase your cafe profits with ease?

Chai Latte is benefiting from a boom at the moment, and Bondi Chai is the perfect product for your cafe. It is simple to prepare and deliciously smooth, it will have your customers coming back again and again. You can even offer your retail packaged Bondi Chai to your customers to take home and enjoy themselves. 

Bondi Chai is simple to prepare; 

1. add 2 teaspoons of Chai powder to a pitcher
2. disolve with a small amount of hot water
   
3. add 250ml of milk
4. steam with your espresso machine steam wand
5. pour into a glass
6. serve!

Bondi Chai is increasing the profits of cafes with these simple facts;

• Each serve costs less than 40c. 
  
• each kilo of Bondi Chai can convert into $400 in sales, making it very profitable. 
  
• Bondi Chai continues to win awards, inspiring confidence and ensuring quality. 
  

Packaging: Packed in 250g retail packs and packed inside cartons for ultimate protection and presentation.

Grab a few packs of Bondi Chai now and give it a go at your cafe. 

Cleaning your espresso coffee machine great for your karma and your machine. Like cleaning your coffee grinder, it will depend on your specific make and model, but generally you want to clean the group head and the valves inside the machine by back flushing. 

With my Rancillio Silvia, I will give my machine a general clean after each use as good practice, and will then give it a through clean every month - you might want to extend that to bi monthly, quarterly or every 6 months, depending on your usage. 

After each coffee making session, I will do what I call the 'portafilter shuffle', which is basically wiggling the portafilter with the group head water running through the group head. That will assist in removing any coffee grounds between the coffee group head and the group head seal. also cleaning the shower screen while giving the portafilter and basket a nice rinse. If I use the steam wand for milk, I will give the steam wand an extra blast (to clear out any milk inside the wand, then clean the wand with a cloth warmed from the steam (be careful). Other than wipe the machine down, that's pretty much all I do out of habit. 

On a monthly cycle, I also give my machine a back flush by using a back flush blanking plate for the portafilter and back flushing powder. Use just a quarter teaspoon of powder, backflush according to the directions, repeat a few times and then follow up with a backflush series of just water to clean out the pipes from the backflushing solution. Empty the drip tray and your done. (I will generally give the group head seal a clean using a stiff group head seal brush, while the backflush solution is still in the system and then continue backflushing)

Domestic and commercial coffee grinders differ somewhat in the configuration of the grinding components. A domestic grinder will generally have a burr set where as a commercial grinder may have grinding wheels or discs. The idea behind cleaning your grinder is to prolong its usable life and to make efficient use of your equipment. A grinder will collect a build up of stale coffee grinds and coffee oils. 

Before you attempt to clean your grinder, disconnect your grinder from the power plug at the wall - it would be a disaster to have an accident.  Remove the bean hopper from the main unit and give it a general clean using mild soapy water and a cloth. Remove the burr set or grinding wheel and give it all a good general clean using a stiff brush (a toothbrush is perfect). Be careful not to get the grinding wheel or burr set wet as it may be prone to rusting. Reassemble everything and check its operation. 

Its a good idea to replace the burr set or grinding wheels every year or so, depending on the use it gets. For heavy duty commercial grinders, your grinding wheels can be resharpened professionally at less cost to replacing them - keep in mind that depending on the turn around time of the resharpening process, you may be without your main grinder. 

Coffee (and Green tea) may help lower your risk of having a stroke, especially when they form a part of you regular diet, according to new research reported by Nicky Broyd.


The study examined the green tea and coffee drinking habits of around 82,000 Japanese adults, aged between 45 and 74, over a 13 year period. Researchers found that the more green tea or coffee people drink, the lower their risk of having a stroke.

The Journal of the American Heart Association features this research.

Tea and coffee are the most popular drinks in the world after water, suggesting that these results may apply in other countries, too.

Study Findings

In summary, the study found:

• People who drank at least 1 cup of coffee daily had about a 20% lower risk of stroke compared to those who rarely drank it.
• People who drank 2 to 3 cups of green tea daily had a 14% lower risk of stroke, and those who had at least 4 cups had a 20% lower risk, compared to those who rarely drank it.
• People who drank at least 1 cup of coffee or 2 cups of green tea daily had a 32% lower risk of intracerebral hemorrhage, compared to those who rarely drank either beverage. Intracerebral hemorrhage happens when a blood vessel bursts and bleeds inside the brain. About 13% of strokes are due to this condition.

It always makes me proud when I receive such fantastic feedback from customers. This one was in my inbox to great me when I woke up this morning;



"Wonderful to receive my order so fast, in one day & now enjoying my Chai Latte so quickly. Great to get a reply email so fast after I placed the order, nice to have that personal contact with the supplier. Will be trying your coffee beans next - thanks James."


Meredith, Woolongong NSW (January 2013)

I dont know - I think these little fellas can hang around for a while and help out at the factory?