The annual AD coffee test

[Aadje]

The results of the annual AD coffee test (AD is a national newspaper):

Top 5:

1. Bagels & Beans, 's Hertogenbosch
2. Café De Blonde Pater, Nijmegen
3. Grand Café Van Bleiswijk, Enkhuizen
4. Kaldi Koffie en Thee, Goes
5. Café Pol, Rotterdam

Bottom 5:

57. Stationsrestauratie De Kiosk, Breda
56. BP De Vliete, Krabbendijke
55. Grand Café Down Town, Ridderkerk
54. Caroussel restaurant Erasmus Universiteit, Rotterdam
53. Croissanterie La Fontaine, Heerenveen

And this on the website of Kees van der Westen:

"Coffeetest

A large Dutch national newspaper conducts a coffeetest every year. I`m happy to report 8 out of the top ten are using machines provided by us. Most strikingly, two are working with Mirages Idrocompresso`s, the levergroup machines. One finished at the number 1 position, the Bagels & Beans shop of Sietse van den Berg and Laurens Dekkers in `S-Hertogenbosch. Congratulations!"

[Bertie_Doe]

Nice one Adriaan, does the newspaper link give positions say, 6 to 20, on another page? Might be handy if in future, anyone asks for info.

Cumbers

[Aadje]

yeah they give all the results. But only the top 10 scored 5,5 out of 10 or higher, and are considered drinkable, the other 43 scored less.

[Merlino]

I have my doubts about the credibility of this test. Instead of having a panel of independent judges there's only one judge doing all the..uhhm... judging. This judge's company supplies a number of wellknown bars who as a result of this cannot partake in the test because instead of getting a different judge (or better yet, a panel of judges) they disqualify the supplied cafe's. It's a bit like telling Federer that he can't play the Wimbledon finals because they're having a Swiss umpire reffing the match. Furthermore, according to the website of the judge's company they are the sole distributor in Northern Europe of the coffee used by the winner of this test.

[Andretti]

I have my doubts about the credibility of this test.

You can have doubt's with very test or inquiry. Also with this one.

For instance; AD never tells how they construct the list of shops to visit.

I know for a fact that some good shops are never visited.

But I als know for a fact that the top shops deserve their position and that they have their M's in order.

-La Macchina (the machine)
-La Miscela (the blend of coffee)
-La Macinadosatore (the grind and dose)
-La Mano (the barista or operator)

They show a passion for coffee and have excellent barista's that excell in latte art.

Now you could argue that the way coffee looks doesn't say anything about it's taste, but in fact it ussualy does say a lot about it's taste imo.

[Merlino]

Not having visited the winning café I can't comment on its quality and to be honest I'm quite sure it's fine -- but three of the top 5 bars don't use fresh coffee (as in within two weeks of roasting) so to what standard is the cup being judged? And the fact remains that the coffee used by the winning café is supplied by the judge's company.

I'm happy with the idea of a national coffee test raising people's awareness of what constitutes good coffee but the execution of the test leaves room for improvement.

[Andretti]

People are craving for a cuppa at my place and I use a blend that's roasted, well I have know idea when.. The factory packed sack shares no light on that matter.

I could do better with fresh beans I guess, but I like this blend so much, what can I do?

Freshly roasted coffee is only one of the 4 M's.

If the other M's are in order, I think you can have good have cuppa from a "factory blend"

I know a great little place where they serve freshly roasted coffee from the Golden Coffee box from a lovely Kees van der Westen machine and I never been back after drinking there once, if you know what I mean..

[Aadje]

I know what you mean. A shame for such coffee and such a machine.

[Barend]

Hello everyone,
Nice that you write about the test in which I performed as a judge. If you read the test in the newspaper accurately, you will have better ideas how the test is done. See on the internet AD koffietest.
I am not allowed to test in the places who use our coffees.
About the coffee of B&B den Bosch: We sell Panama La Torcaza Estate and Panama los Alpes exclusively, Bagels & Beans has another coffee from the same estate. See website of our roastery.

[Merlino]

Hello Barend,

First off: I hope you didn't take offense at my comments. By no means were they meant to discredit you or your operations. Second: thanks for clarifying the bit about the coffee.

However, my doubts as to the choices made by AD regarding this test stand. Would you agree that it's strange to 'disqualify' some bars because of the ref used? And would you also agree that in principle an opinion formed by one judge is too weak/subjective to be put in print thus either boosting sales of a winner of inflicting harm on sales of a loser based on one man's opinion? I'd say a panel of four independent judges make for a lot more representative test. I understand that this happens in the food critic business all the time but a newspaper advertising the 'big national coffeetest' (translation mine) should try and use a little more thorough methodology.

Best regards,
Merlijn