Befimmo

Tool: Ha. Another Corporate Nespresso.
Taste: Nespresso Green
Temperature: Good
Tumbler: Classic China

Back at Befimmo after a few months (was it my praise of their coffee? Nah.) You know what it's like in financial services. Things go up (proper spoons instead of plastic toothpicks), things go down ("Hey, where's my chocolate?"). But mostly, at Befimmo, things stay the same (the Taste, the China). In turbulent times, a coffee at Befimmo is like closing your eyes, listening to Mahler's 5th.

Petercam

Tool: My guess? A corporate Nespresso

Taste: Nespresso Black

Temperature: Great

Tumbler: Traditional China.

Welcome to the plush world of private bankers, where every guest should feel priviledged. Belgian private bankers, I'd say by the "Café Liégeois" cream and "Côte d'Or" chocolate. A nice touch, the chocolate is obviously added at the very last moment, avoiding the unpleasant soft & greasy melting chocolate effect. Tell-tale details. I have something in common with bankers, and it's not my money.

Eurométropolis

Tool: Bonamat-Bravilor Thermo Flask

Taste: Errr... what do you expect? 

Temperature: Must have been great yesterday.

Tumbler: Cheapest china mug you could imagine.

Building Europe is a slow process. Italy clearly hasn't reached the Eurometropolis yet. The what? Yep. The Eurometropolis. Lille, Kortrijk, Tournai. It's a shame, the potential's there. Lille is hip, Kortrijk is rich, Tournai even roasts its own beans. 

Not a place to go for their coffee. Worth a detour for the strangest offices I've ever seen, set in an old casino. They should have kept the bar. And barrista.

Shurgard

Tool: Blinking/Atmospheric LED-equipped free vending

Taste: Average - sugary even when "no sugar" selected 

Temperature: Good.

Tumbler: Proper china mug.

Not worth a visit to their offices, but decent when you're there. In a sense, it's a shame... they probably have hundreds of unused expresso machines in their stores.

Rhodia

Tool: Automatic, unbranded

Taste: None 

Temperature: Burning on machine exit, cold when drunk.

Tumbler: Plastic, obviously

Rhodia are active in plactics. So that's where the focus is. The tumbler. Rhodia are also located in one of the La Défense buildings (to see douglas geddes' excellent picture, click here.) where space is scarce. Small meeting rooms, small tables, small cups, no spoons, no biscuits, no nothing. The café just outside their building serves much better coffee. For around 6€ a cuppa'. This may sound expensive, but, I'm sure you'll agree, free coffee isn't worth it if it's tasteless. 

(Coffee News Network)

I am happy to announce today, on April the 5th, 2012, the editorial committee has doubled, hiring one full-time professional barista critique. Welcome on board!

ACC Team

Tool: probably an american, double-jug, always-ready type of coffee-machine

Taste: ...less.

Temperature: Tepid.

Tumbler: Dish-washer resistant.

Well obviously. I mean, what do you expect from a group of people solely dedicated to optimising cost structures? A lot of cheap water, very little expensive beans... Optimised coffee!

Please note the individually packed Speculoos. If you don't eat it, it goes back in the box, ready for the next tax inspector. I hope the same does not apply to the milk...

Having said this, I'd rather have a good accountant serving poor coffee, than a good barista sorting my accounting.

Katodix - the return

I told you this guy was out of his mind. The minute I had published the enthusiastic post about his company's coffee, he emailed me an outraged comment about what I would normally consider minute details. Not to him. The temperature depends on a number of parameters ranging from the type of machine, the type of coffee, the type of roast, the quantity served, the quantity of coffee (not the same!), the speed at which the cup might be filled. Interesting concepts were mentioned such as temperature surfing.

I think Patrice has lost it. But if you think you're on his side, and your knowledge of french is almost as reasonable as is his of coffe, check this out: temperature ;-)

Befimmo

Tool: undefined, but a proper espresso machine hidden down a looong corridor

Taste: good (but miles away from Katodix's freshly ground Maragogype)

Temperature: was probably perfect at the start of the looong corridor

Tumbler: average.

Comment: Classy china to be expected in these offices run by serious, professional workers. Nice touches such as an Exki chockie, let down by the plastic stirrer. I guess the friendly receptionist is getting tired of these visitors who seem to prefer coffee to water (yep, the water fountain is somewhere right behind her desk). She won't tell you, though. Professional. As I sat there, waiting for my visitor, I realised I hadn't posted lately. I guess I'll just have to be as professional as the Befimmo guys and girls. I also realised I could have done with a second coffee. I guess it means it was ok...

Katodix

Tool: Lelit PL042EM classic style with integrated coffee grinder

Taste: Hey, we're talking instant ground Maragogype here, man!

Temperature: 93°c - dropped to 90°c during the process

Tumbler: Thick-walled super small china

Comment: This guy is clearly nuts, or in the wrong business. I mean, any Director of Photography would focus (no pun intended) on what your cup looks like. Getting the lights right. Patrice, Katodix's CEO (Chief Espresso Officer) is a stakhanovite of the espresso. He probably graduated from some remote italian MBA (Master in Barrista - Advanced) with honours. Yet Patrice remains humble. You'd probably have to torture him (by serving him Winbooks' coffee, e.g.) before he admits having been a consultant for Pavoni's 1905 PC16 relaunch. I guess this is going to be the one others are judged by.

Ageas

Tool: Nespresso mid-range professional
Taste: ... Nespresso, of course
Temperature: Perfect
Tumbler: Wahaow!

Comment: They may love the future, we love their coffee. Off to a new start, new buildings, new everything, new coffee-machine. In a cup that's their only connection back to their 1824 corporate roots. Strange & different. Next time, I'll try and see if I can get a double-latte, cinnamon, regular.

(Recession? What recession?)

Wishfull thinking.

Some of us out there are starting to hear the worst of the financial crisis is behind us, that the markets are showing signs of positive growth (as opposed to the unbelievably stupid "negative growth" - honestly, I mean... "negative growth"...).

Rubbish.

Judging by the higly predictive nature of the research found on this site, this simply is rubbish. Costs have gone down, coffee beans have become an endangered species. The cutlery has been sold by hungry middle managers hours before corporate death. The corporate world is being taken over by camera-equipped hot-water vending machines that report how time and resources are being wasted.

Things are really not looking that good at all. Read your coffee.

Solvay

Tool: Unidentifiable
Taste: Hot water
Temperature: Tepid
Tumbler: Plastic (of course)

Comment: A company that makes 5.2 billion EUR selling off its most profitable business unit can surely dig deep in its pockets to find the cash to offer its distinguished guests a decent cup of coffee. No. It'll promote its plastics (disposable cups), and minimise its environmental impact by not heating the water.

This must be the tip of the cost-cutting iceberg.

BKCP

Tool: Espresso-Style Vending Machine
Taste: Nescafé
Temperature: Hot
Tumbler: Plastic, throw-away

Comment: How can a no-frills bank earn even more money other than serving Nescafé in plastic throw-away cups? Obvious. Asking you to serve yourself whilst the meeting room gets prepared.

I'm getting desperate. Signs are out there. Read on the next post.

WinBooks

Tool: Probably an electric boiler
Taste: Nescafé
Temperature: Tepid
Tumbler: Plastic, throw-away

Comment: Well of course accountants cut costs! I bet their software can tell you the price & value of a simple cup of coffee: not much... here, anyway. Wouldn't recommend a meeting there for a even decent coffee. Ah well... can't wait for this second meeting at Mary's Corner (who probably don't run their accounting under WinBooks).

Marie's Corner

Tool: Unidentified (N)espresso machine
Taste: Excellent
Temperature: Excellent
Tumbler: Design, thick walled, yet designy

Comment: ... but what else would you expect from a company that designs and hand-manufactures top-notch quality furniture? Anything else would have been... well... substandard. If you're about to spend €5,326 on a sofa, they're willing to take you pretty seriously. Definitely a recommended stop for the casual coffee-loving furniture-lover.

Cenelec

Tool: Vending style machine
Taste: Average - some might say "standard"
Temperature: Tepid (but then again, the meeting room maybe a fair walk away from the coffee machine)
Tumbler: Very classical china

Comment:
As an organisation busy standardising the world we live in, you're entitled to... well, standard coffee. Which is what you get. Frothy not from true Tool pressure, frothy from the a bubbler nozzle that achieves a pleasing creamy appearence, but disappointing espresso expression. Not my cuppa'

The Crew Communication

Tool: Most likely "the cube"
Taste: Nespresso
Temperature: Good
Tumbler: Designy Ikea china

Comment:
Honestly, you wouldn't expect anything less in an advertising agency, would you?
Think of it, it seems Nespresso is becoming the Coffee-World Apple: trendy, expensive, (supposedly) different... yet unbeatable.

I'm strong and b(l)ack!

The big sleep hit me. Two years ago. And, yep, it took serious coffee drinking to wake up, but I'm back.

Hang around your virtual coffee machine to find out how "maple syrup double latte macchiato's with a sprinkle of cinnamon" have changed the face of the corporate world. Or haven't.

Toyota Industrial Equipment Europe

Tool: Schaerer automatic espresso machine, with built-in grinder
Taste: Average
Temperature: Perfect
Tumbler: Ordinary, unbranded china.

Comment:
Clearly a humble, yet hi-tech company, with high standards. However, European management still needs to get involved in bean sourcing policies. No expenses spared, choice between biscuit or chocolate. Proper spoon (not the usual throw away plastic "thing"), Toyota is clearly a green company. And you, their valued guest.