Hi Beanbuffs,
If not for three good souls, I wouldn’t be on the path to roast beans.
I received Bullet Aillio roasting machine this week. I am working on the set up, learning to operate the machine and then a ‘Coffee Satsang’ for the Beanbuffs.
But, first thanks to Tony, Sunil and Vasu.
First, Tonx
He is the original gangster. He and his cohort are responsible for all things cool in coffee today. It was Tony who got me excited about the specialty coffee. He had a blog and a Flickr account. He would often update about his coffee life. It wasn’t just about coffee. It was about motorcycles, vintage cars, music, culture, and food. Coffee was the thread.
Later he did bigger gigs in his unique way: Intelligentsia Venice, Tonx Coffee (Blue Bottle Coffee acquired it) , $1 Locol Coffee and the most recent Yes Plz Coffee ( New blend every week).
I admire his philosophy towards coffee. He has always been gracious. Recently, he spent two hours speaking with me. That’s when I decided to get a home roasting machine. More about him later.
Check out: His series about brewing the perfect coffee at Link + Cool videos about his coffees Link & Link
Two, Sunil, my BFF
Without him, there wouldn’t be Shack Coffee. We founded it in 2007. It was to be a community and coffee space. When he moved to Europe, Shack Coffee became dormant. Sunil got himself a home roasting machine and an espresso machine. In his annual trip, he would get international coffees and brewing equipment. Both weren’t available in India. We didn’t give up on our dream. We started Beanbuffs/ Coffee Satsang and The Kaapi Project.
In his last trip, he made me attend Kaapi Sashtra. He saw me struggling to source coffee beans from a roaster. He suggested that I should roast my coffee. The workshop made me change the rigid ideas about coffee. I am less of a fool, thanks to Sunil. We will keep exploring Indian coffee together.
Check out: Sunil was exploring Dalgona before it became cool. Here & here
Finally, Vasu, the roaster
Without Vasu ( founder, Astro Coffee and Tea Limited), I wouldn’t get the roasting machine. An entry-level roasting machine like Aillio costs around INR 4lakhs. Vasu sold me his machine at a price I could afford. He isn’t in India these days. I got in touch with Vasu. He had first bought it in August 2020. He roasted beans until May 2021. The second COVID-19 wave and his another calling made him leave the country.
He was super helpful, from being transparent about the machine to getting the machine to Delhi. He has offered me to share his learning. He would be my go-to guide to learn everything about the machine. I have to interview him. I will be writing about his journey from a beanbuff to a roaster to his current calling.
Check out: His French press guide Link