Pressed Coffee Co: Does their coffee live up to the hype?

Pressed Coffee Co – how have I only just discovered you?

Several weeks ago, I caught up with an old friend who was visiting the capital for a conference.

Melbourne-based for years, this guy knows his way around good coffee. I felt pressure to represent Canberra well. I trawled forums, Facebook groups and write-ups, looking up reviews for the best coffee close to his hotel. Over and again, Pressed Coffee Co made the list, so we decided to try it.

We met at the cafe very early and placed our order. I anxiously waited for my friend’s verdict as he sipped and savoured. He released an enormous sigh of relief as he declared it “fantastic coffee!” Our second cups tasted just as good, and I continued raving about this wonderful liquid gold through my week.

Weeks later, I returned for more coffee and, this time, for lunch.

Owner Mandy says she moved from working in hotels to owning a cafe to better accommodate starting a family.

“I remember the first day I brought my baby to work, just eight weeks old. He began to cry while I was on the coffee machines, with only two of us working. Everybody in the line looked from me to the baby. I called out, ‘Is somebody in the line happy to pick him up?’ From that moment, he literally got passed from person to person to person. He is the most socialised human.”

Mandy’s regulars and her team definitely feel like family; I sense that just from my superficial observations during lunch. She remembers every name!

As well as being voted ‘Best Coffee’, Pressed Coffee Co boasts an extensive bagel menu.

“I’d love a kitchen,” Mandy says, “but without one, I decided to serve bagels.”

When I asked how she came to create such consistently excellent coffee, Mandy admitted that it was a learning curve in the beginning.

“I just put my head down and learned as much as possible about specialty coffee.”

I enjoy two coffees during lunch. The single-origin Colombian, Mandy’s favourite, is deep and robust with rich caramelly, almost berry-like end notes.

In contrast, this week’s house blend is smooth and nutty. Pressed Coffee Co’s brew is all about perfect texture – silken and glossy and lush froth with minuscule pores – unlike the porous and rapidly evaporating foam I produce at home. Both coffees are of that calibre, and you want to sip them slowly with your eyes closed like the lady in the Nescafé ads from the ’90s.

I struggle to narrow down my bagel choices. Mandy mentioned that she would eat the ham salad bagel every single day, so even though both the smoked salmon toasted and the grilled halloumi call to me from the menu, I go with Mandy’s pick: ham salad!

The ham salad bagel is tart cheese, ham and avocado slices, layers of lettuce, tomato and jam all stuffed into a toasted bagel. It is simple done well. The mix of cheese and jam creates flavour magic with this perfectly seed-encrusted bagel.

Thanks, Canberra, for bringing Pressed Coffee Co to the limelight. They deserve all the accolades! Go for great coffee, it lives up to the hype, and stay for wonderful bagels.

Pressed Coffee Co is located at 10 Hobart Pl in the city. It is open Monday to Friday from 7 am to 2 pm. Follow Pressed Coffee Co on Facebook and Instagram – and then go for brunch!