Meet Mike Nugyen!
There has been a huge rise in home baristas teaching themselves and an audience online how to recreate their favourite specialty coffee beverages at home. Brewed by Hand was excited to sit down with Mike Nguyen, @fortyseven.coffee on Instagram, to learn more his unique origin story in coffee that begins with a passion for the positive social impacts of coffee.
Tell us a bit about yourself!
How did your interest in coffee begin? What were your motivators?
My interest in coffee didn’t actually start with coffee! What interested me was the reasons why people went to coffee shops and coffee shops as a community/social hub. People from all sorts of backgrounds, occupations, etc would somehow find each other in one common place enjoying this special thing that is ‘coffee’. That kicked off the idea of wanting to open up my own coffee shop in Hanoi, Vietnam, however, I didn’t really drink coffee at the time so that would’ve been a HUGE mistake. So, around June 2020, I reached out to a specialty coffee shop who were taking on interns to train as barista intern. A month later, I was offered the job and I have been into coffee ever since!
What prompted you to start making content about coffee and how do you plan to continue your coffee journey?
Since coming back to London April last year, I was quarantining at home and also had some family stuff going on which meant I had free time. I missed coffee so much I got myself a manual coffee grinder, Chemex and set of scales. Every two or so weeks, I’d buy bags of coffee from UK roasters and create videos. I have a huge passion for photography and video editing (which I’m still working on), so it made sense to make content about coffee.
I still enjoy creating coffee content, mainly reels and photos on Instagram and writing blogs on my website so that wouldn’t change any time soon. I plan to continue sharing my coffee journey and experiences as I progress both as a coffee professional and home enthusiast, whether that be through Instagram or blogging. Writing is also one of my passions so why not combine all my passions as one!
Do you have any tips for someone starting out in coffee? What are your favourite pieces of equipment in your kit?
Never be afraid to ask questions! I learned a lot from chatting with baristas at coffee shops and asking for suggestions as to what coffees to choose from, beverage recommendations, etc. Also, I highly recommend James Hoffmann videos on YouTube as his approach to coffee is very open and appealing to everyone, whether you are into coffee or not.
My favourite brewers are easily the Orea V3 and Hario V60, combined with the Brewista gooseneck kettle and scale, and Comandante C40 mk4 with Red Clix. These are my absolute weapons of choice whether I am brewing coffee at home or bringing my coffee kit over to family/friends house haha!
What is your go-to recipe for pour-over?
17g medium-fine
250ml filtered water at 90 degrees C
Brew time between 2:30 – 3:30 minutes
Hario V60 (01) or Orea V3
- Pour 60ml water over ground coffee and bloom for 30 seconds
- Give the brewer a gentle shake to agitate the coffee grounds
- Pour gently and slowly in circular motion until 250ml
- Let the coffee drip and once it finishes, give the carafe or server a stir
- Serve in your favourite cup and enjoy!