October 01, 2024
We’re mixing it up this month! Our team visited the home of Port Melbourne based Criteria Coffee’s founder Craig Simon.
Craig took us through his morning coffee routine and gave us some super handy tips and tricks along the way. But, before we get into the brewing, here’s a little bit of a background on Criteria Coffee and the impressive roasting and educational operation they’ve nurtured and grown over the past decade.
Craig launched Criteria back in 2018. First and foremost he wanted to create a learning environment where people could come together to celebrate coffee through a co-roasting model. It’s no small feat launching a startup, and there’s been many moments over the past 6 years that they’ve had to navigate challenges – the biggest being COVID-19 which really impacted how the coffee industry functioned. From cost increases to supply challenges to overcoming working with distancing, it was a testing time, but they worked through it and are proud of their achievements to date.
Criteria deals directly in small volumes and has a close and trustworthy relationship with their partners who supply them with their green beans. Their partners play a crucial role, advocating for Criteria as a customer, but also making sure the producers are paid appropriately and that the green beans arrive on time and to everyone’s quality standards. With this in mind, they look for coffees that have a transparent supply chain, and are of specialty grade. Quality and transparency is incredibly important to them.
This year Criteria is looking forward to hosting one final roasting workshop with a small group of students in November. They also have some very special new coffees dropping just in time for festive get-togethers. They sure are sending the year off with a bang!
The Roaster
We caught up with Criteria Coffee founder, Craig Simon, at home to learn more about his home brewing techniques as well as snagging a few coffee making tips and tricks.
Tell us about you!
Hi, I’m Craig Simon. In a former career I was a touring Jazz Drummer, my fascination with music started at age 5, I played all through high school and went to the Conservatorium of Music in Sydney. The reality is, music is hard to make a sustained living from and with a small family to support I picked up some casual barista work to bolster gigging. Slowly, coffee making started to consume more of my time which led to a full time role at a reputable roastery. They were very supportive of my curiosities and after a period of learning I was working as part of the roasting team.
This was early 2000 and the movement towards specialty coffee in Melbourne was rapidly growing. I was lucky to have the opportunity to compete in Barista Championships, which led to making direct connections to origin, working with producers to source and produce my own beans for presentation at competition. Nearly 20 years on, my career in coffee has been dedicated to unpacking this simple, yet very complex product. I’ve worked around the world and made lifelong friends. Like music, every person involved in the creation process has a role to play, when there’s a unified intention for the best outcome, it really is magic.
How do you make your coffee?
A benefit of owning a roastery is we have access to fresh beans all the time, we
brew filter in the morning for its simplicity. Espresso tends to happen on weekends, including visits to local cafes and roasteries to appreciate other people’s work.
What's one piece of coffee equipment you have at home you couldn't live without?
The Origami Dripper is my filter go-to at home, but the key piece of equipment that makes for great coffee would be starting with a quality grinder and choosing fresh whole beans to grind on demand.
Say, I'm just starting my at-home coffee journey. What advice would you give me?
Get curious. There’s a million ways to approach your coffee making technique
and even more coffee brands to explore. I would say once you arrive at a method
you like, aim to be consistent so there’s repeatability.
The Producer
Since both of the coffees by Criteria come from the same Brazilian coffee farm we
wanted to give a special shout out to the team over at Fazenda California in this
month’s feature.
Fazenda California, owned by the Saldanha family, is located in the Norte Pioneiro do Paraná region of Brazil, known for its fertile volcanic soils and ideal coffee-growing climate. The region’s moderate temperatures, consistent rainfall, and altitude of 750 metres create a perfect environment for producing high-quality Arabica coffee. Craig and the Criteria team have been working with Luiz, from Fazenda California, for a long time. In 2004, the late Dr. Paulo Cesar Saldanha Rodrigues began the farm’s transformation into a specialty coffee producer. After his passing, his son Luiz and daughter-in-law Flavia, both agronomists and certified Q Graders, continued his vision. They modernised the farm’s infrastructure and adopted sustainable production practices, renewing 100% of the coffee crops.
Today, Fazenda California is a leader in specialty coffee, driven by a passion for quality and sustainability. Luiz and Flavia, along with their daughters Heloisa and Maria, are dedicated to continuing the family’s tradition of producing exceptional coffee for future generations.
The Coffee
BRAZIL - FAZENDA CALIFORNIA
FILTER & ESPRESSO COFFEE
Coffee Origin:
Brazil
Tasting Notes:
Notes of milk chocolate, hazel nuts, malt and orange marmalade.
Espresso Recipe:
Dose: 18g
Yield: 32.5g
Brew Time: 25-30 seconds
Temperature: 93.5°C
Brew Ratio: 1.8:1 
Filter Recipe (V60):
Dose: 15g
Water: 250g
Brew Time: 2-3 mins
Temperature: 93°C
Brew Ratio: 1:17