MILAN – Equipment cleaning is a fundamental part of the process that leads to the final quality cup result: a step that is often underestimated by the operators behind the counter, but on which it is necessary to insist in order to spread a certain culture of maintenance. A delicate phase, to be carried out with a certain constancy and with the most suitable products in respect of the drink and of the machines themselves, which can count on the help of various companies that have assumed considerable importance on the international market.
Cafetto is an industry leader that produces cleaning and sanitation products for espresso, coffee brewing and beverage dispensing equipment, a brand that is not new in these pages: we had the chance to talk about this important company with the CEO Christopher Short, who explained to readers how the business has started and above all how it has developed during the years, gaining its actual success, with the prospective to grow even better towards innovative products.
How was the idea of Cafetto conceived?
“When I was a younger man, my father, who was a tea drinker, gave me a home espresso machine, a Turmix Espresso TX10, that he had been gifted. That gave me my first taste of whole bean coffee. I bought a small home blade grinder and a stove top steam frother to go with my Turmix and I would visit the local coffee shop to purchase whole roasted coffee beans. I became quite proficient in making espresso coffee and cappuccino which led to my house being very popular with friends and family!
After years of constant use the Turmix broke down and I could not find a competent repairer in my home town of Adelaide. So I bought a new machine, but this time a one group commercial machine, a San Marino Lisa along with a Mazzer Mini grinder. I immediately started making coffees and loved the theatre of extraction and steaming milk, along with the improved taste. However, I quickly realized that I needed a special cleaner for the brew group and so visited the machine distributor on my next trip to Melbourne.
They sold me a jar of powder which I brought home, read the instructions and commenced cleaning. The result was poor and left residue in the blind filter and an odd smell. I was fortunate that my father owned a commercial chemical company and so I asked one of the R&D chemists to analyze the powder and formulate a better product. After months of work and testing we had our first product which I called Espresso Clean. It was so much better than the few other products on the market that we quickly developed a customer base and loyal following. Constant requests for other products led to more staff and
the development of a broader range of products covering the myriad of espresso machine and coffee brewers.
My idea from that point was to produce a premium range of quality cleaning and sanitation products that meet the needs of our customers.”
What’s the meaning behind the brand Cafetto?
“Once we had a range of products I realised that we needed a brand name, one that was unique and recognisable. Coffee roasters in Australia at that time were dominated by the Italian community. I felt we needed a brand name with a strong emphasis on espresso rather than filter coffee. I wanted a name that respected the Italian heritage of my coffee experience and reflected our desire to assist the barista brew the perfect coffee, or in Italian “per il caffè perfetto”. From this phrase came the new brand – Cafetto, the products to use for the perfect coffee.”
But Cafetto can’t be divided from Mr. Short: what’s the story behind this business man?
“Following my school days I attended university reading economics and finance. After graduating I worked in the finance sector before moving into an academic career at the University of Melbourne. Of course, it was in Melbourne that I discovered my love of coffee.
My academic career was short lived though when my father asked me to join the family business and manage the chemical manufacturing operation. Of course, I would rather my family had owned a coffee roasting business! Ultimately though I saw the market opportunity to have our research chemists work on cleaning products for coffee machines. From here Cafetto was born.”
Cafetto produces cleaning and sanitation products for espresso, coffee and beverage equipment. How important is the right cleaning product for a good coffee service?
“Cafetto’s very first product was Espresso Clean, a powdered product designed to clean semi-automatic espresso machines. Our customers quickly found that it cleaned better than other products on the market. This was a real benefit to Australian coffee roasters who wanted their own customers to have clean machines to allow their coffees to deliver the full flavour profiles of their coffees. Of course, cleaning is part of any machine maintenance programme and this enhances the reliability of the coffee service.
Customers soon demanded more products for the cleaning, descaling and sanitation of other equipment like filter coffee machines, capsule machines, milk frothers and grinders. Again they found improved reliability and better performance in their equipment when effectively cleaned and sanitized. It is not rocket science, just common sense.”
Another important matter when it comes to cleaning, is the time: have you ever created some products that could help baristas to spare on this issue?
“I have always believed we must listen to our customers when it comes to product development. One of Cafetto’s best loved products is Inverso, a product specifically designed to clean milk jugs or pitchers. This product derived from a request from one of our New Zealand customers, Miriam Heycoop who owns and manages Emporio Coffee in Wellington with her husband Eric. Miriam could not find a product that would effectively clean the milk residues from milk jugs. Cafetto chemists formulated a powdered soaking product that is brilliant at removing milk residues and restoring jugs. It saves time in scrubbing and leaves equipment like new. We then discovered it is wonderful at restoring and maintaining crockery and service equipment. So thank you Miriam.”
All of Cafetto products are biodegradable and certified for use in organic systems. What are exactly the advantages of those systems? How important are they in an eco-friendly context like nowadays?
“Our very first organic product was EVO, our loved espresso machine cleaning powder. Like Inverso, EVO is the result of a customer request. Enzo Massarotti from Bean Alliance in Melbourne ask if Cafetto could offer an espresso cleaning product that was organic. That customer request resulted in the Cafetto research team looking at products in a new way. After a year of development and testing EVO was launched and received a great reception. From there Cafetto has developed many more organic products for other applications such as descaling, milk system cleaning, super-automatic espresso machine cleaning.”
Australia is famous for its coffee culture. As Milkman said in 2016, ‘In Australia, coffee isn’t fuel for work – it’s a way of life’. How hard was for Cafetto in 2004 to develop and grow in a country in which anything coffee-related is so important and serious? How did Cafetto handle competition?
“The great thing about developing the Cafetto product range and brand in a county where coffee is a “way of life” is that our customers inspired us to do more and to do better. The challenges were significant but our research team responded by innovating better products that met our customers’ needs. Competition can be a real motivator. We look at what others are doing and see how we can do it better. And again, customers continue to challenge us to do more – and that keeps us innovating and testing ourselves.”
Over the last decade Australia’s coffee consumption significantly raised. How did the relationship between coffee and Australians change over the years from your perspective?
“As you say, coffee consumption has continued to increase in Australia and in many other countries. I think this has resulted in consumers becoming more aware of what makes a good coffee. They then demand more from their café, their roasters and equipment supplier and ultimately that flows through to their machine cleaning products. The result has been continual improvement in the quality of the beverage in the cup and that is now here to stay.”
Cafetto offers a contract manufacturing for businesses looking to develop a cleaning product that is customized for their brand. How does the creation of a personal branded design work in detail?
“While Cafetto is now a well-known brand, some customers want their own brand to have prominence on the cleaning product they sell. We are more than happy to assist in this regard. Of course, this adds some time and cost to the process. Label design must incorporate all the required safety warnings, instructions and required certifications. This means extra time to design and print labels which then requires minimum volume commitments and increased pricing to cover these extra costs.
Some customers also desire their own formulations. We are quite happy to assist in this regard but it does take considerable time. Again, it brings with it cost and time implications.”
Cafetto delivers its products worldwide. Which countries (except Australia) have the highest demand for your products? Are Cafetto cleaning products in demand in European countries, where most of the coffee is consumed? What about Italy?
“Cafetto has enjoyed steadily increased demand for our products across the globe. With distribution now in over 70 countries sales continue to increase, particularly in Europe, Middle East and Asia.”
Christopher Short is the founder and CEO of Cafetto
Chris was born, raised and schooled in Adelaide, Australia where his family had a chemical manufacturing business. Chris was not though in the family business having taken a career in finance which took him to Melbourne for further study and work. It was in Melbourne that Chris discovered a passion for coffee.
Ultimately Chris returned to Adelaide and took over the chemical business. It was from this background that Chris found his niche corner in the coffee world – bringing together his passion for coffee with the art of chemistry. And so Cafetto was created with the aim of ensuring the equipment used by both baristas and consumers alike was clean and functional.
Chris has a Bachelor of Economics and a Master of Finance. He and his wife Julie enjoy time with family, boats, wine and, of course, coffee.
