Interview by Sibahle Ngqiva
I had the opportunity to have a chat with Leigh Wentzel from Cedar Coffee Roasters, while he brewed some delicious coffee using the classic V60 as his brew tool of choice. I got a chance to hear his story on his early experience being in the coffee industry and how that shaped him in his career.
About the coffee professional
Leigh is the Co-founder of Cedar Coffee Roasters, which he established in 2021 with Winston Thomas. He started his coffee journey at Rosetta Roastery as a part-time driver delivering coffee. He managed to work his way to becoming a barista and eventually a roaster manager where he honed his skills as a coffee roaster.
Brewing equipment of choice
“My favourite tool I have been using throughout these years is the classic Hario V60 2-cup ceramic dripper. Believe it or not, this was the first piece of equipment I worked on when working at Rosetta. I had to earn my stripes to even be allowed to touch the espresso machine lol. I like to think that I come from an older generation where the Hario V60 was the only fancy brewing gear out there.
It has definitely stood the test of time and I prefer the cup profile you can get out of it. A clean filter coffee that easily highlights the acidity and lighter flavour notes of a coffee like our new release Colombia Felix Samboni washed. This device tells me a lot about the varietal and terrior of the country when it is complimented by a good roast profile. You can tell a lot by the draw-down time of the brew and make adjustments from there.”
What you will need:
Dose and Brew time
Coffee Dose: 14g ground coffee (currently using Colombia La Palma El Tucan Anaerobic Natural from Black and White Coffee Roasters)
Grinder setting: 10 on the Severin electric grinder
Brew water: 200g filtered water (Aquelle water)
Water temperature: 94 degrees Celsius
Overall time: 3 minutes
Steps for this brewing method
