Tuihana Cafe. Foodstore

Tuesday 31 December
Tuihana Cafe. Foodstore
114 Dominion Road
Mt Eden
Auckland
http://www.tuihanacafe.co.nz/


Large Flat White: $4.90

This cafe is out of my initial area for the Flat White Review, but they were nice enough to send me a message on Twitter so I thought I’d give them a try. After all, it is New Year’s Eve and I’ve got all the time in the world.

Coffee: Wow. Strong, full of flavour and very tasty. Didn’t give a bad, ashy aftertaste.  I could drink a hundred of these if the caffeine didn’t kill me first! (5/5)

Image from: tuihanacafe.co.nz

Milk: Perfectly done. Gave me that thing where you get velvety milk dregs in your cup when you near the bottom. Yeah, that. Did not detract from the taste. Wasn’t too hot either which made it that I could enjoy the drink straight away. (5/5).

Presentation: Solid cup with a leak-proof lid, and tells me about the beans (Burton’s espresso). (3/3)

Verdict: This is the first perfect coffee of the review, and also outside of East Auckland. It’s a bit far away from me but I can say that if you want a GREAT flat white, then this is where you will find one. If this were going to be the last coffee I have in 2013, I’m glad it was this one. 2014’s first coffee will have a hell of an act to follow.

Overall rating: 13/13. Unlucky for some, but not for Tuihana Cafe. The first perfect flat white of the Flat White Review.

Heights Bakery and Cafe

Monday 20 December 2013
Heights Bakery and Cafe
5/114 Reeves Rd
Pakuranga
Manukau, Auckland

Medium Flat White: $4.00

This bakery is just up the road from where I live so gets a lot of my business, especially over this holiday period.

Coffee: Not bad. I guess I can taste it, but it isn’t overly strong, and doesn’t give me the kick in the pants I’d like from a coffee early morning. (2.5/5)

Milk: Not a great deal of flavour, and there is some foam, but it is more aerated than velvety. It doesn’t detract from the taste of the coffee though which is a plus. (4/5).

Presentation: The cup tells me about the beans (Karajoz) and gives me the contact details. Solid lid construction, nothing wrong with it. (3/3).

Verdict: It’s not a bad coffee, but it’s not great yet. A stronger tasting coffee would help out a lot, as there isn't much else wrong with it. The fast service at the Heights Bakery is also consistently welcomed. It’s at the top of my street and at the top of my list for close by good coffees.

Overall rating: 9.5/13. It doesn’t knock my socks off, but it’s what I’d call a good (enough) coffee. Definitely worth my repeat custom.

Wild Bean Cafe, East Tamaki

Sunday 29 December 2013
Wild Bean Cafe
588 Chapel Road
East Tamaki
Auckland

 Medium Flat White: $4.40

I’m used to fairly good coffees from Wild Bean wherever I’ve been, and I often get a before-work coffee from this particular BP.

Coffee: Robust! Strong! I can taste it! Who would have thought that you could taste coffee in a flat white? (4/5)

Milk: Not burnt or over powering. Compliments the coffee as a medium for the coffee to do its work. A closer inspection shows that the velvet foam that I’ve been looking for is present and still there as I drink. (5/5).

Presentation: The cup is colourful and informative of the coffee (more for the benefit of the staff than for me). Solid black lid - nothing’s getting out of this sucker, unless you are coffee from the mouth hole. (3/3).

Verdict: I’m used to good coffee from Wild Bean and this one does not let you down. I know that I’m drinking a coffee out of this one from Wild Bean, and that’s something that you can’t always say when ordering a flat white. I’ll be back for sure!

Overall rating: 12/13. Who said franchised coffee from a gas station was rubbish?

Boulevard Dairy, Sunnyhills

Saturday 28 December 2013

Boulevard Dairy

The Boulevard,

Sunnyhills

Auckland

‘Large’ Flat White: $4.00

 

Flat White from the Boulevard Dairy, Sunnyhills.

Coffee from a dairy is usually a no-no, but in the spirit of the experiment, I decided a small, quiet local dairy is worth a shot. It’s a large but is the same size as the medium I had the other day. An interesting side not, it used Kings Coffee beans (http://www.kingcoffee.co.nz/), which I have not heard of before.

Coffee: Fairly weak tasting. (1/5)

Milk: Not really a layer of velvet foam, but like having a very large milky coffee. Came off being a bit watery in the end. (2/5).

Presentation: The cup is nice enough, but the lid almost has a vinyl type appearance and looks a little flimsy under the heat. (2/3).

Verdict: It’s a cup of coffee alright, but the lack of a punch from the coffee stops it being anything better than it can be.

Overall rating: 5/13. Looks like I was right about dairy coffee.

Columbus Pakuranga Highway

Friday 27 December 2013

Columbus Pakuranga Highway

Medium Flat White: $4.80.

Coffee: Couldn’t really taste it. I assume it was there. (1/5)

Milk: Not much velvety foam, and it tasted VERY creamy. Given that I had just spent the last few days eating trifles and what not, I was ready for a break from cream. Very off-putting. (1/5).

Presentation: Columbus always has their yellow cups which since I often go to another Columbus outlet give me a sense of satisfaction and safety. No leaks or anything. (3/3).

Verdict: I am used to reasonably good coffees from Columbus, but this hyper-creamy delight left me feeling very shortchanged. So short changed that I needed to put a sachet into it to taste some coffee. A let down from a usually reliable coffee company. Hopefully just an aberration.

Overall rating: 5/13. Most of that from the colour of the cup.

The Flat White Review!

The Flat White Review

A lot of us will have a coffee each day. For me, I can’t start my morning without one. But I’ve had so many coffees now that I’m left wondering, where is the best flat white in (East) Auckland?

I intend to try out the flat whites from the cafes all around where I live to try and determine that age old question – where can I get a decent coffee, or more to the point – where can I get the MOST decent coffee?

There are some rules. I will endeavor to have it in a takeaway cup. It will be a medium sized flat white, or as close to it as possible. And there will be no sugar, or sweetener.

It'll be rated out of 13 - 5 for the coffee, 5 for the milk and 3 for the presentation. 

Hopefully by mid way through 2014 I'll know the best places to get coffee in my local area!

The following definition of a Flat White from Wikipedia may help as a start point:

The beverage is typically served in a small 150–160 millilitre ceramic cup. Microfoam is used, and loosely frothed milk from the top of the steaming vessel is typically discarded or held back in the vessel while the creamy milk from the bottom of the vessel is folded into the coffee, resulting in a smooth and velvety texture. 

(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_white) 

This is all about finding the best flat white - I'm not going to be reviewing food, decor, service, but those things may pop up from time to time. If you're after a meal or light lunch review, this ain't the blog for you. This one is all about coffee!

If you wish to get in touch with me, then you can send me a message through my blogger profile. Alternatively, leave a comment with places where you think I can find good coffee in Auckland!