Worth a tamper
ACCORDING to Greg Pullman, manufacturer of the Greg Pullman tampers, Western Australia is a very progressive state when it comes to all things coffee.
"The level of interest and the level of expertise are greater in WA." he said This is one of the reasons why Mr Pullman tested his products at West Perth-based Epic Espresso for six months last year.
"I wanted to tap into that expertise and find out what was working and what wasn't, the barista at Epic would give me that feedback," he said.
The tamper is a crucial element of coffee making; it determines how the water flows through the coffee and therefore directly affects the quality of the coffee in the cup.
Epic Espresso is one of the cafes to distribute Greg Pullman's products, which are also sold around Australia and overseas.
Home barista
ALTHOUGH Western Australians love to hang out at their local cappuccino strip, increasing numbers of people are setting up their own barista gear at home.
According to 5 Senses shop sales manager Shaughan Dunne, Australians are the world's second most enthusiastic home brewers per capita (as determined by coffee machine sales), and internet sales of coffee beans on the rise.
In Western Australia, coffee education is also on the up, with the Western Australia Barista Academy offering courses to the public.
Therefore a (quality) domestic coffee machine is a must have.
Italian brand, Isomac, is one of the most popular, with a range of domestic coffee machines selling for about $3,000.
But dedication doesn't stop here, Mr Dunne said his shop also sold three Synesso coffee machine to domestic users this year, this top end brand is a favourite in the hospitality industry and retails for about $8,000.
They are both available at the Five Senses Rockingham shop.
Roasting revival
WESTERN Australia is becoming the coffee roasting capital of Australia, with several professional coffee roasters around the state highly regarded in the industry.
To mention a few, Fiori, 5 Senses and Essenza Coffee are the well-established players in the local coffee roasting scene, with their blends generally picked by any new serious cafe that opens in Perth.
There is plenty of choice in the region as well with The Naked Bean in Albany, Margaret Riverbased Yahava and the Yallingup Coffee Roasters.