Making a perfect cup of coffee means using quality tools to help reduce variables to ensure you are consistent each time. Grind distribution is one of the many variables that can impact on quality and consistency of each shot. That is, until the invention of the NCD (Nucleus Coffee Distributor), and now with the release of NCD, the depth is easily adjustable to accommodate the desired dose and basket depth.
A textured, non-slip design around the sides provides grip and durability while the brass body helps eliminate static electricity, allowing for more even extraction.
Nucleus’s founder and former World Barista Champion, Sasa Sestic, is the inventor behind both the Ona Coffee Distributor and the Coffee Stem. The coffee distributor, commonly known as the NCD coffee distribution tool, was first publicly used by Sasa Sestic on stage at the 2015 World Barista Championships in Seattle, USA.
Yet, the NCD distribution tool was developed a few years before its WBC championship premier, with early editions coming out in 2012. Several models of the coffee tool have been released, and the NCD coffee distributor is now commonly used in homes and the coffee industry: cafes, coffee roasteries, and on the world competition stage.
This latest model of the NCD tools, includes several new features, including lighter weight, and an advanced static-reducing coating on the base allowing for greater consistency in coffee which ultimately leads to great coffee.
A common question is "Why do we need a coffee distribution tool?". The answer is simple yet simple. When coffee is ground there is a variance in particle size. The better the grinder, generally the less the variance, as is the more evenly the coffee particle size is distributed.
Yet even in awesome grinders, with most grinders now being grind-on-demand there is now a dosage chamber that used to previously distribute the coffee somewhat. So a coffee distribution tool helps with ground particle size distribution which allows for an even extraction and less chance of channeling which leads to a better, more consistent espresso shot!
The Coffee Steam, on the other hand, was born from the need to weight-out coffee shots. It is common for coffee machines to have room under the machine for the scale, yet no room in the drip tray to allow a scale and still fit larger 6 to 12-ounce cups. So Sasa built a simple plastic riser to allow sales to be places on the counter yet still weight coffee shots at the drip tray.
The NCD combined with The Stem allows you to now easily weight your coffee shot which has been evenly distributed. Allowing the weight-in weight-out coffee process to occurs in a channeling free extraction process. This allows for consistency between espresso coffee shots and ultimately better coffee.
Who is Sasa Sestic? The NCD and The Stem were projects done by Sasa which represent a small portion of his contribution to the Australian Coffee Industry. Sasa is a world champion barista and the founder of Ona Coffee Roastery which has several cafes in both Canberra and Sydney, Australia.
He has also become a recognized consultant in the coffee industry and trainer of competition baristas. As well as the author of The Coffee Man Book and star of ‘The Coffee Man’ film. And lately, he has launched his own podcast too.
