Sylvain Chauvineau, coffee lover

Fortunately, there are an ever-growing number of those who guide us and offer us not " coffee " but " coffees ", defined by their origins, terroirs and aromatic profiles. Since 2007, behind the scenes at first, Anbassa has made specialty coffee... its specialty. Today, in a superb boutique in Pantin, Sylvain Chauvineau welcomes and advises connoisseurs and neophytes alike. The cradle of coffee is Africa," he explains. And it was in Ethiopia that my partner, Jacques Chambrillon, was studying geography. His subject wasn't necessarily coffee, but one of his observations was that he was on coffee land. But coffee was a product sold at auction in a very generic way. Everything was mixed together without any notion of terroir. I was getting a bit bored in my job as archivist at the Centre Pompidou. So, when he came back, our idea was to create an original sector, in the image of our French AOC culture. "

They set off to meet producers, familiarize themselves with coffee varieties, and canvass Île-de-France roasters with their finds. This was the very beginning of what is known as " specialty coffee ", a category of coffees that must combine several criteria: precise traceability, a roast adapted to each origin and a tasting score of at least 80 points out of 100, awarded by the SCA (Specialty Coffee Association), the Californian authority in the field. This movement is accompanied by the opening (particularly in Australia and the United States) of so-called " third-wave " coffee shops.coffee shops that focus on design, selection and preparation of coffees, while taking great care to serve good, beautiful coffee - the famous drawings in the cappuccino foam!

In 2011, one of our roasting customers in Melun retired and asked us to take over his business," continues Sylvain Chauvineau. We had a good grasp of the production chain, the various processes involved in transforming the cherry into green coffee - the kind that is exported - and in developing the bean's aromas. What interested us was the second part: roasting. "In his store in Pantin, housed in a small art deco building with a glass block dome and Eiffel structure, the masterpiece is on display for all to see: the Loring roaster, a high-precision tool. For each origin has its own roast, tailor-made to allow the coffee to express its specific characteristics to the full. The roasting process is longer and gentler than that used by the major brands, which aim to erase the coffee's defects and standardize its taste. In its coffee bar, Anbassa offers a wide variety of local coffees, from rare ones like Ethiopia's " Sidama Bombe Anaérobique ", fermented in an oxygen-free environment and developing aromas of plum, blackberry and blackcurrant. As soon as you cross the threshold, everything is visible, and we're there to talk to our customers. Our ambition is to make them understand that coffee is like wine. There's everyday coffee, and then there's coffee for special occasions, when you get to taste something new and original. "

A thousand and one coffee makers

Gentle methods

After production and roasting, coffee preparation is the third essential element in coffee enjoyment. While espresso remains the benchmark for many, gentle methods are gaining ground, enabling the subtle aromas of local coffees to be better revealed.

Piston

Bodum coffee ", named after the best-known brand of this type of piston coffee maker, or French Press as it's known in North America. Indeed, it was in France that this method of brewing coffee became popular in the 1960s with the Mélior brand. This is undoubtedly the simplest and quickest way to obtain a full-bodied coffee.

Chemex

Designed in 1941, this sleek coffeemaker has been revived in coffee shops the world over. What sets it apart is the thickness of its filter, which retains much more sediment than a conventional filter. This requires a little more time, but the result is a very pure, clear coffee.

Siphon

The siphon (or vacuum) coffeemaker popularized by Cona since 1825 has been putting on a show in coffee shops since the Japanese brand Hario made it its flagship product. This vacuum system requires a little mastery and patience, but allows gentle extraction thanks to the double passage of water.

Origami

The beauty of this Japanese object makes it one of the stars of the moment. A porcelain filter holder (to keep coffee warm) with a harmoniously folded filter in a multitude of colors. The folded shape facilitates the flow of water, limiting contact for a light preparation.