“Coffee is not just about the beans and how much care we put into roasting them. It’s also about managing many other variables, including your water quality, training and finding the right equipment manufacturers to align ourselves with,” reads a statement from the RAW Coffee Company.
RAW was established in 2008 by New Zealand natives, Kim Thompson and Matt Toogood. The company prides itself on sourcing some of the best quality, organic and ethically traded green beans and then roasting them by origin in a custom-built warehouse in Al Quoz. It supplies these freshly roasted coffees to over 200 cafes, restaurants and businesses throughout the GCC region.
Located at Warehouse number 10 on Al Manara Rd, RAW has an attached espresso bar where anyone can drop in and sip a cup of some of the best and freshest coffee offered in the UAE. The company also conducts Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) accredited coffee training courses at their facility, for both experienced coffee professionals and armature enthusiasts. SCA is a non-profit, membership-based global organisation that represents thousands of coffee professionals, from producers to baristas.
For home-brewing enthusiasts, the company delivers freshly roasted coffee to its customers’ doorsteps. To take it one step further, the company also distributes a wide range of high-end coffee brewing equipment and accessories. Chief among these are the Rocket brand of espresso machines.
The Milan based Rocket Espresso company produces some of the finest espresso machines in the tradition of ‘Fatto a Mano’ or ‘made by hand’. The company’s small team of craftsmen produce both premium domestic and commercial espresso machines, each beautifully made with meticulous care and attention to detail. More importantly, the Rocket Espresso machines are built to deliver the finest espresso, time after time.
Rocket is a partnership between New Zealander Andrew Meo and Italian Daniele Berenbruch who “bring philosophies from opposing sides of the world into their Milan factory to make the best espresso machines they possibly can.” RAW Coffee offers two Rocket Espresso models specifically for Dubai’s home brewing enthusiasts.
The Appartamento is a compact (W274xD425xH360mm) espresso machine designed for environments where space is at a premium. Its designers have optimised the chassis and layout of the internal components to reduce its overall volume without compromising on quality or brewing performance. It has a total boiler capacity of 1.80 litres. It comes with two coloured panel insert options; copper and white.
The bigger Rocket R58 (or R Cinquantotto) model (W310xD440xH385) is a formidable dual-boiler espresso machine that combines commercial-grade components with the handmade quality that the company is renowned for. The commercial-grade rotary pump draws from the machines’ internal water reservoir or allows for the machine to have a direct water connection from the water supply.
The R58 comes with double-boiler functionality (1.8 + 0.58 litres) and dual PID temperature control, in classic chrome and stainless-steel chassis. It comes standard with a 2.5-litre water reservoir. A control switch enables the R58 to connect directly to the kitchen’s main water line. The pre-infusion system is the standout feature which saturates the puck before full pressure. The R58’s functions are controlled by the touch screen communication pod that now includes an automatic on/off function. The communication pod can easily be removed from the machine to retain a rustic aesthetic.
With the purchase of these coffee machines, RAW coffee customers are eligible for a discounted coffee subscription. RAW’s 12-month coffee subscription is offered for the price of 9 months, and comes with a choice of two flavour profiles – Fruit or Chocolate. Every month, one kilo of a mix of Premium & Regular coffees will be home delivered. This offer also applies to the purchase of Rocket’s R91 and R60 models.
RAW Coffee is the authorised UAE Rocket Espresso distributor and its only authorised service centre. Each machine comes with a warranty of one year, which includes “labour and part charges of any issues (faults) due to manufacturer’s negligence in producing the machine.” In addition to Rocket Espresso, RAW also offers general coffee machine servicing and preventative maintenance for these brands – La Marzocco, Nuova Simonelli, Victoria Arduino – Mythos One, Mahlkonig Grinders, and Eureka Grinders.
