Meet Chris from our Barista Team

Boxi, French started in Chaussee

love focusing on coffee and

Are you a filter or espresso kinda guy?
Both really, I would go for one or the other depending on what's available and my level of thirst.

Favourite Coffee Drink:
Espresso and filter as long as it is black.

Where are you from?
I am French.

How come, Berlin?
I was just willing to discover something new after a few years in the UK.

On average how many cups of coffee do you drink in a day?
Way less post lockdown, I now go for 2 or 3 a day as my tolerance decreased but I used to drink 10+ shots a day.


What are you doing at 19grams? Describe your job in one sentence.
I work behind the bar at Boxi, good place, good vibe, just trying to get people to enjoy good coffee and a smile.

When and Why did you start working in Coffee?
I started to work in hospitality about 7 years ago and grew to love coffee little by little. I find it fascinating how many possibilities one has to brew his own cup and how it can impact the final drink and just love to discuss this with coffee enthusiasts or help coffee drinkers to discover new flavour profiles and the best way to do so is to be behind the machine in a specialty coffee shop.


Do you prefer a certain processing method and / or varietal? If so, which one?
Amongst the coffee I have worked with, I have always had a lot of fun with Washed Castillo coffees from Colombia. I find them ideal to promote the importance of nicely dialed in setting as they can develop very different flavour profiles with just a tiny tweak in the recipe.


How did you brew your coffee this morning?
It always depends on the mood and how much time I got but this morning I used a V60.


Would you please share the brew recipe with us? :)
I usually stay in the 23 to 24 grams of coffee to 370 to 390 grams of water window. As for the water I use magnesium enriched filters and heat it up to 96 degrees.

What is a typical coffee recipe in your family?
Chuck a bag of pre ground arabica you found in a supermarket in a batch brewer and then add some milk and sugar to it.

Do you drink the coffee, when someone in your family serves you this coffee?;)
I sure do. Brewing coffee is a beautiful craft that requires a lot of effort to start to appreciate and perform. You cannot expect everyone to know how to brew a good cup of coffee.


What’s your favourite part about the specialty coffee industry so far?
What I really like about the specialty coffee industry is its impact on people. It feels like day by day more and more people learn how to appreciate coffee for the fine beverage it is and not just as a boost needed in the morning.

What is your favourite coffee at the moment?
I have a taste for washed colombian's coffees. However I appreciate all sorts of coffee from the most candylike to the darkest and so it is very hard to pick a favourite when you work for a company that provides such a wide range of really good coffee.

Do you have a preferred coffee origin? Is there one country that you drink a lot of coffees from?
It changes every year! This year I love Colombia, last year I was all about Peru, the year before that it was Kenya... That is what is amazing with coffee, it isn't set and all harvests are different from a year to another.

What’s been your biggest revelation about the coffee industry since you started working in it?
That it is an extremely active field of research at so many levels and that there are still many things that require deeper understanding.

Have you ever been to Origin? If so, what was your favourite country?
If not, where would be first on your list?
I unfortunately haven't. If I had to pick I would probably go to Sumatra. I am very eager to visit places where people traditionally use very specific processing methods.

What is the coffee you hate making the most?
I cannot think about any. It is always a pleasure to provide someone with what matches them taste.

Your last word?
Have a good one!