Pralus, founded by François Pralus, is a brand born from a dream to own a cocoa plantation. After two years of searching, François found his ideal spot in 2003 on Nosy-Be, an island off the northwest coast of Madagascar, known as the Island of Perfumes. Surrounded by the scents of ylang-ylang, vetivers, peppers, and vanilla, he began his tree-to-bar journey. Set amidst the rolling hills of Nosy-Be, beyond the rice fields and between fragrant vetiver trees, frangipani, and raphias, lies the fertile land where François Pralus' cocoa trees thrive. The plantation, cultivated from scratch on a hillside, started with a nursery nurturing over 25,000 cocoa plants. Here, a variety of criollo beans, typical to the Malagasy land and known for the prized white bean, were chosen for their finesse. These seedlings, once matured, were planted in a preserved primary forest, under the canopy of large trees, allowing them to flourish for at least five years before bearing their first cocoa pods. Pralus' journey from a passionate dream to crafting exquisite tree-to-bar chocolate encapsulates a deep commitment to quality and the art of chocolate making.
Les merMenakao, deeply rooted in local production, operates from its chocolate factory in Ambohidratrimo, near Antananarivo, Madagascar. This factory is distinctive for transforming Grand Cru beans, exclusively sourced from Madagascar, into 100% Malagasy chocolate bars. Fine Malagasy Cocoa: Madagascar chocolate is renowned for its unique floral notes, a touch of acidity, and a slightly astringent finish, making it an exceptional cocoa recognized globally. Since 2016, it has been labeled as "Fine Cocoa" by the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO), ranking it among the world's best. Ethically Committed Brand: Menakao's approach of processing cocoa beans locally into chocolate helps shorten the intermediary chain, contributing to Madagascar's economic development. This initiative ensures that the country not only produces cocoa beans but also benefits from the value-added processing industry, leading to more equitable income distribution. Quality and Traceability: Working closely with five plantations, Menakao ensures the quality and traceability of each cocoa batch received and processed. Regular visits to their partners allow them to monitor the quality of the beans throughout every stage, from harvesting to sorting, and even the cleanliness of the trucks transporting them. This commitment to quality extends to the choice of ingredients used in their chocolate recipes, ensuring a premium product in every bar. Bars with the Faces of Madagascar: At the heart of Menakao chocolates, there are women and men! We therefore wanted to illustrate our shelves by putting forward the faces of the different ethnic groups that represent the Malagasy people, who are very little known. The Tanala, the Betsimisaraka, the Mahafaly, the Antanosy, the Bara or the Merina, all represented in their headdresses and traditional clothes. A tribute and a desire to discover a country with multiple cultures that make the richness of Madagascar. Also a wink from the founder of Menakao, who wanted to recall four generations later the first commercial activities of the family: arriving at the beginning of the 19th century, it began in the sale of postcards. These magnificent portraits visible on our cases, painted by the late artist A. RAMIANDRASOA, illustrated postcards of the period.
Les merThe Details: Sold in both walnut and maple wood. This is the Maple version. Kit includes kettle handle, top lid pull, and appropriate hardware to assemble to your kettle (Phillips head screwdriver not included) Fellow kettle sold separately Compatible with Stagg Pour-Over Kettle, Raven Tea Kettle, Stagg EKG/EKG+, Corvo EKG and Stagg Mini. For stovetop kettles, only compatible with electric and induction stoves. Not compatible with gas stoves. (Wood and gas flames don't mix!) We advise against pairing the walnut option with our matte white kettles because oils from the wood can stain the immaculate finish Wood care instructions: Because wood is a natural product it is prone to drying out and warping. Wood components that are exposed to high heat and steam like the lid pull and handle can eventually crack or dry out (like repeatedly putting a cutting board in a dishwasher). To prevent this, we recommend periodically applying mineral oil to the lid pull & handle once per month - and buffing with a soft cloth. It’s also good practice to do this any time you notice the wood feeling especially dry.
Les merPralus, founded by François Pralus, is a brand born from a dream to own a cocoa plantation. After two years of searching, François found his ideal spot in 2003 on Nosy-Be, an island off the northwest coast of Madagascar, known as the Island of Perfumes. Surrounded by the scents of ylang-ylang, vetivers, peppers, and vanilla, he began his tree-to-bar journey. Set amidst the rolling hills of Nosy-Be, beyond the rice fields and between fragrant vetiver trees, frangipani, and raphias, lies the fertile land where François Pralus' cocoa trees thrive. The plantation, cultivated from scratch on a hillside, started with a nursery nurturing over 25,000 cocoa plants. Here, a variety of criollo beans, typical to the Malagasy land and known for the prized white bean, were chosen for their finesse. These seedlings, once matured, were planted in a preserved primary forest, under the canopy of large trees, allowing them to flourish for at least five years before bearing their first cocoa pods. Pralus' journey from a passionate dream to crafting exquisite tree-to-bar chocolate encapsulates a deep commitment to quality and the art of chocolate making.
Les merThe botanical name of the goldenberry is physalis peruviana. The second word already indicates that it comes from Peru and the surrounding area. So also from Ecuador. It is better known as the Cape Gooseberry. The cape in the name has nothing to do with the cape in South Africa, but with a cloak, the cape.
Les merThe first time Morin bought Peruvian cocoa beans, in 2002, it was only a few bags. They discovered the remarkable quality and developed a keen interest in cocoa from other Peruvian regions. In 2004 everything came together, as Morin started working with a French-Peruvian couple who conduct direct trade with the producers in Peru, creating the all-important short chains and transparency. The beans used for this 70% organic chocolate bar originate from one single plantation in the Chanchamayo region of central Peru. They are a mixture of Criollo and Trinitario beans. The owner of the farm grows several types of trees, including papaya and coffee, in a plantation resembling a natural forest. For Morin, this farm stands out as a positive example: the farmer is very knowledgeable, is organically certified, and has similar yields from his mixed forest system, compared to other farmers who grow only cocoa.
Les merSpecifications 58mm filter baskets the same size as professional semi-automatic machines. Our baskets are extremely high quality, they are made by the same factory that makes all the best baskets in the world. Stainless Steel Tamper 1 piece stainless steel tamper designed and machined to precisely fit snugly in the basket and has tapered side walls to prevent ground being sucked back when you lift the tamper. Pressure gauge Our Patent Pending system takes the pressure reading from inside the basket. Add to that the manual pressing of the lever arms, it enables you to manipulate pre-infusion, flow and pressure in real-time to get the best from your coffee. Extraction pressure Ignore the magic 9 bar, that figure originally referred to the pump output pressure of a Faema E61 machine, when in actual fact the pressure at the group will be lower, maybe even 1-2 bar lower. Traditional lever machines (as measured by us) typically extract at 6-7 bars, and since the basket and piston on the Robot are the same size, we suggest you initially aim for 6-7 bars as well and adjust as preferred. Temperature management The Robot is clearly not going to give you a La Marzocco type flat temperature profile. But water off the boil poured into a gently pre-heated basket will yield approx 95 deg c water, and will give you up to 88 deg c coffee output from the basket. Extraction ratios Certainly a 2:1 ratio of beverage mass to ground coffee is possible i.e. a 16g coffee dose can easily yield a 32g beverage weight. You can increase the beverage weight up to 40-45g if needed. Bottomless is best For best results we recommend using the portafilter without the spouts - but when using the pressurised basket it is best to use with the spouts attached. It's a lever machine Lever machines can be very forgiving thanks to their gentle pre-infusion and the soft ramp up to full pressure. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11ZSXVZbQbA
Les merFounded in 2019 by Jacob, Mellōw chocolate is a Copenhagen-based chocolate brand rooted in ethical and sustainable practices. Born from a suitcase of cocoa beans from Panama, Mellōw has evolved from initial experiments in Jacob's kitchen to a dedicated production facility. Their chocolate, made in small batches, prioritizes human rights, biodiversity, and sustainable cocoa farming. Mellōw chocolate is committed to slave-free and child labor-free chocolate, supporting cocoa agroforestry to combat deforestation. They blend science and art to craft chocolates that retain the natural benefits of cocoa beans, using natural and unrefined ingredients to preserve antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Jacob's vision for Mellōwis simple yet profound: to produce the finest quality chocolate with just two ingredients - ethically sourced cocoa beans and unrefined sugar. Mellōw's approach encompasses sustainable practices, ethical partnerships with farmers, organic ingredients, and plastic-free packaging. Focused on preserving the nutritional qualities of hand-picked cocoa beans, Mellōw chocolate develops its processes scientifically. They aim to inspire with well-designed products, collaborating with local creatives, all while striving to raise the bar in the chocolate industry.
Les mer