let's start at the very beginning...

Our espresso takes between 21 and 25 seconds to filter through the machine. Less and the drink will taste weak and light. Much longer and the drink will taste burnt and bitter. If you want to make sure your coffee is going to be nice it makes sense to start with a good espresso.

Ask the barista to run you an espresso and check that it has a golden 'crema' on top. If you blow over this, it should reform quickly. If the crema is thin, then either the espresso was extracted too quickly or it has been standing too long.

tummy bugs

Milk is a dairy product and as such is liable to carry bacteria. Strangely, the general coffee establishment seem to promote a 'no waste' policy. Many coffee bars do not waste milk. Rather, they steam a jug of milk; pour the milk for that order and then add more cold milk to the jug and re-heat it to make the next drink. So by the time you get your drink, how old is your milk?? Tasty...
We use fresh milk in a clean jug for EVERY order. Yes, this adds a few seconds to the time it takes us to make your drink - but we think it's the right thing to do.

cauliflower wands

Ever noticed the steam wand on your local coffee bar's espresso machine? No, that's not cauliflower - it's dried milk caked all over the end of the nozzle used to heat your milk. 

YES, milk does get stuck to the steam wand throughout the day. Part of a Stray's Barista's drink-making routine is to clean the steam wand with non-tainting antiseptic wipes between each order.
Over the top? Hey, when you care about what you do, nothing is too much trouble...

hot or warm?

Ever gone to bed on a cold winter's night? Ever tried using a water bottle to heat the bed before you get in it? Great isn't it??
Why then, do so many coffee bars pour hot coffee into cold cups? We believe in keeping things simple at Stray's and most of our customers agree that coffee is meant be served hot. So, we heat every cup before we pour any hot drink into it.

it's not rocket science...