PRODUCT REVIEW – Sunbeam Barista Max EM5300

Over the years I have been lucky enough to try a number of different coffee machines. From various coffee pod machines to entry level at home barista machines. However, I have finally found my favourite.

A couple of weeks ago I was offered the opportunity to trial the new Sunbeam Barista Max EM5300. It is seriously the best at home coffee machine that I have tried and I firmly believe it is as good as a barista made coffee. In fact, many people I have sampled it to have commented that it makes café style quality coffee  (*note I am NOT a professional barista).

 

I found the machine aesthetically good to look at it, its super easy to set up, with adjustable setting available to tailor to my needs. I am still playing around with it a little to determine the perfect settings. I don’t have a lot of space in my kitchen so I found the integrated built in grinder particularly appealing and useful. Many I have tried in the past have been loud, however this one is relatively quiet which is great as I don’t wake anyone else up! I also found that the texturizing of the milk particularly good and easy to use. The only problem I have now, is that I now don’t need to go to cafes which I guess saves me time and money! Overall, the Sunbeam Barista Max EM5300 is a machine that I would highly recommend to anyone interested in making coffee at home! 

 

Meet Ivo!

Meet Ivo! A Brazilian Barista working at @nineyardscoffee.

‘I’m from Brazil and have been living and working with coffee in Sydney for 3 years. I’ve always had a passion for Art… so I started to making coffee and really enjoying the latte art. I now spend my days working for now Nine Yards Coffee Roasters – a Sydney based boutique specialty coffee roaster’ 📷 @nineyardscoffee

Meet Nick!

Meet Nick! Owner at NEW CAFE in South Melbourne café @the_coventry.

‘I am a country boy. Born in Mildura. I have always been around fresh food and always had a passion for hospitality. I spent some time working in real estate, but I got over it. Years ago, my old man bought a café in Mt Waverley. I worked there as manager. One day, I was sitting on my phone when this venue appeared as being available. It was a quick process and before I knew it, it was mine. I want @the_coventry to become a South Melbourne destination. A venue the locals can claim as their own. We specialise in farm to table, high quality food and specialty coffee. We are using @coteterracoffee, the guys have been incredible in helping set up. We have a rotating single origin, cold drip, V60, batch brew etc. We have the best baristas in Melbourne working here, so we encourage you to come down and check it out’.

Meet Dennis!

Meet Dennis! Owner at Rosanna café @hunterlanerosanna .

‘I have a health background and once worked as a Chiropractor, but it wasn’t something I was passionate about. I grew up in food and hospitality, my father always worked in hospitality. He was a migrant from Greece. This venue was originally a Greek restaurant. We came here for dads 70th and thought it would be a great venue for a café. A year later it was for sale. So we bought it. It was meant to be. We opened in late 2016. We are a family venue. My wife and father are also actively involved. We use Third Wave coffee roasters as our coffee supplier. We also have a rotating single origin and we like to introduce a cold drip during summer. We are all about great old fashioned service, contemporary food. We love getting to know our customers’ .

Meet Jane! Barista and Manager @mysistersays.

‘I came to Australia as an International Student. I had an interest in coffee so thought I would do a Barista Training Course. I found that the more hours I worked and practiced, the more I enjoyed it. My favourite part about being a barista is making our customers happy. They make me love my job. They always encourage me. It’s even better when we already know their orders. When they give me great feedback, it makes my day. Our coffee supplier here @mysistersayscafe is @coffeesupreme_au and we use their South Blend. Our venue here in Port Melbourne is cosy. We have an open kitchen, so customers can interact with the chef. We consider it to be a family kitchen. We want everyone to be a part of our venue

Meet Zac!

Meet Zac – one of the owners at new Armadale cafe @torpecafe. .

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‘Torpe technically means a boy who is too shy to tell a girl that he likes her. We liked the name. The venue was previously another café but we felt the area needed something better. We have big plans for the venue. Our coffee supplier is Axil Coffee Roasters. We want to attract all the locals. Create a nice vibe. A place where we can interact. A sense of belonging. We will be taking over both buildings on either side. One side will be a deli. The other will be a woodfired pizza/pasta restaurant. Upstairs we will have a wine bar. Out the back, we will have another area where local kids can come and learn about their produce. We plan to have a chickens and a veggie patch.

Meet Ahmad

Meet Ahmad (L)! He is the Owner and Head Barista @thefoodstorecafe.

‘I was studying to be a PE teacher. I love kids, but it wasn’t something I was super passionate about. My parents had a fish and chips shop so I worked a lot with dad. He taught me about customer service and how important it is to running a business. I soon had an opportunity to work in a café. I loved it, and realised that I want to run my own café. But it was hard work, its long hours and you have to have the right attitude. Luckily, an opportunity came up and I bought @thefoodstorecafe about 3 years ago. It was originally a milk bar. We use @venezianocoffeeroasters and absolutely love their Estate House Blend. It is a great all round coffee with flavours of toasted cashews, sweet spice and a honey finish. We also have batch brew as well as a rotating single origin. I look forward to continuing to grow @thefoodstorecafe.

Meet EV!

Meet EV! (@ok.an.eerie.evil). The 2017 NYC Coffee Masters Champion 👑

‘Ultimately, coffee is about human connectivity. This sweet, bitter, bright beverage is the connector for people from all over the globe. When you really think about how many people influenced your morning cup, its awe inspiring.

Working for an importer puts me smack in the middle of that. It’s like a beautiful puzzle, finding the perfect fit that benefits both farmer and roaster. After 11 years behind bar, this new challenge is a welcome one’ #storybehindthecup 📷: @ok.an.eerie.evil

Meet Bri!

Meet Bri! Former customer, she now works with the team @collectiveespresso. Pictured holding some of their famous cold brew.

‘I used to come here for coffee and brunch and I soon became really good friends with the staff. Having worked at other coffee shops previously, I had the skills. The manager offered me a job and completed my journey from customer to employee 🙂 I gradually learnt more and more and am now employed in an all rounder role. Some days on the coffee machine, some days on the floor so it is important that I know everything.

I am still at uni, studying a masters of teaching. Not 100% sure if I will go into teaching. It’s so much fun working here. I enjoy the customer vibe, a lot of my friends come here and I have become really passionate about the world of coffee. I get to meet so many people and learn so much about them – that’s what I love about being a barista. We are such a close knit team, everyone helps each other out and it’s a real team environment’ #storybehindthecup #collectiveespresso

Meet Lou!

Meet Lou! Supervisor at Hawthorn hotspot @shortstrawhawthorn.

‘I’m originally from Perth and moved to Melbourne by myself about 15 months ago. I’ve been in hospitality since I was 15 years old. I studied journalism/communications. Over time I have managed to pick up coffee knowledge. I don’t think you can ever learn enough about coffee. I learnt by watching videos on YouTube and Instagram. Since I moved to Melbourne, it’s amazing to see how competitive it is when it comes to coffee. I was even slightly nervous about how it will be.

When I moved over, the guys here @shortstrawhawthorn were so accommodating. They looked after me. I don’t know what I would do without this team. I have learnt so much over the years. It’s so important to not let the little things get to you. In the future, I would love to stay in hospitality, perhaps even in natural health’ #storybehindthecup #shortstrawhawthorn #womenincoffee