Scan Magazine | Culinary Feature | Austrått Kaffebrenneri
Photo: Jan Inge Haga
Craft coffee specialist with a creative touch When software developer Tor Sigve Taksdal tasted a high-end coffee from Ethiopia but could not find a similar coffee elsewhere, he took matters into his own hands. “The disappointment led me to do some research on coffee beans, and it made me want to try roasting beans for myself,” says Taksdal. His passion for coffee and software development led to the creation of Austrått Kaffebrenneri, where the Norwegian today offers sustainable and delicious specialty coffee to fellow coffee lovers. By Ingrid Opstad | Photos: Austrått Kaffebrenneri
Since Taksdal established Austrått Kaffebrenneri in 2009, he has seen a rise in popularity of specialty coffee. Today, his growing business delivers quality coffee, made primarily from African and Latin-American beans, to over 30 cafés, hotels and businesses around Norway, while currently receiving requests from other parts of Europe too. “I have recently invested in a brand-new coffee roaster 20 | Issue 114 | July 2018
and moved into new premises in Sandnes to meet the increasing demand,” Taksdal says proudly. “All my roasts are quite light and tailored to the country of origin and the processing method, so you can taste the origin of the beans. They’re also very fresh, because I roast on demand only,” he says. All his coffee is cupped and quality-
controlled before it is shipped. Cupping is a technical tasting to discover flaws in the cup, either from the beans or from roasting defects.
Chilled ways to enjoy coffee New to his list of craft coffee is the trendy cold brew, available in cans and bottles. Cold-brew coffee is not to be confused with iced coffee, which is brewed hot before chilling; instead, this new craft coffee is roasted, grounded and then steeped in cold water for quite a few hours. “I have been testing cold coffee for four years now to find the best method. My cold brew is made by extracting coffee with cold water over time, while some nitrogen is added to preserve the aromatics,” the coffee specialist explains. His current