Coffee Log

EXTRACTION SETTINGS

• Equipment: Gaggia Classic Pro E24, DF54 Grinder
• Grind setting: 8.5
• Dose in / yield out: 17.5g in / 32.0g out
• Extraction time: 25 seconds
• Other notes: 18g IMS precision basket, 1.0mm puck screen, fresh and frozen beans.

I first had Mission Coffee Works‘ espresso blend, Bells, back in 2024. This was near the beginning of my coffee journey. I made lattes with this coffee using my old machine, old grinder and a milk frother (since my old machine’s steam wand really wasn’t it) and I remember enjoying the coffee back then. Full details on the old setup can be found on the Grind Guide page. My paper notebook described this blend of coffee as “a very pleasant cup that I can see myself enjoying every day“.

I’d only come across Mission Coffee Works because a coffee shop near my work sold shelves and shelves of their beans. In my usual fashion, I  struck up a conversation with the barista and quickly decided to buy a bag to try at home.

Some years later and I’m on my quest to find The Bag You Know (the reliable bag in your cupboards that is your go to – for espresso in my case). With this new goal to find a literal House Coffee, I  decided to revisit this roasters espresso blends as I have enjoyed plenty of their filter coffee over the years. I was invested in the company and thought they were worth giving a shot.

Bells won a Great Taste Award (one of the largest world renowned food and drink awards run by the Guild of Fine Food) in 2026 and I can see why. This chocolatey and surprisingly dark coffee is quite delicious. In a shorter drink like a cortado or flat white, it will punch you in the face with its intense cocoa flavours but with little more milk, and a little longer; the drink mellows – becoming this creamy sweetened chocolate-milk-like drink. As a girlie who isn’t a dark chocolate fan, this espresso blend was delicious but I couldn’t see myself drinking it every day. It didn’t quite hit the spot (for me).

Unfortunately, Bells won’t become my Bag I Know so, the journey continues to find the perfect everyday espresso. Mission Coffee Works do have one more espresso blend worth trying which is a little funkier and that is Pivot – but I think I want to take a small break from this roaster and widen my horizons for a little while.

🤎🤎🤎 ( 3 / 5 ) Balanced, clear and fresh.

FLAVOUR PROFILE

– Flavour: Dark chocolate, demerara sugar, caramel and hazelnut – Acidity: Crisp and rounded – Body: Creamy – Finish: Jammy

A BIT ABOUT THE PRODUCERS

65% of Bells comes from Fazenda Magnolia farm in Brazil, located by the well known Alta Mogiana countryside of São Paulo. The husband and wife duo, Humberto and Maria believe in having a positive impact on both the environment and their community. By prioritising regenerative farming methods (e.g. using organic compost, biological pest/disease management and solar energy) as well as supporting their local community through education, health initiatives and fair labour practices – they aim to ensure a safe and supporting work environment for their employees.

The remaining 35% of Bells is grown by the Coopedota Community Members in Costa Rica. Before the formation of the cooperative, coffee farming in this region was difficult. Producers were less experienced with the science of soil and crop growing, coffee was often sold to middlemen who paid producers poorly and the lack of nearby wet mills, meant long trips to process their grown coffee. Now, with the formation of the Coopedota, coffee is picked by hand but pulped mechanically leaving clean coffee beans ready for drying and fermentation on patios.

More information can be found from the roaster, @MissionCoffeeWorks.

Until our next cup,

– Anita, Your Grind Guide