An interview with Stelios Apostolakis
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By HYLAN JOSEPH
Stelios serves as Quality & Service Assurance Manager at Coffee Core in Greece. He’s an AST, an active member of the CTG, and my relationship with him proves that the internet and social media make the world a much smaller place.
Hylan Joseph: Speak to a short history of your background.
Stelios Apostolakis: After graduating from High School in '89, I decided not to attend University even though I had been accepted and pursue a promising career majoring in Mechanical Engineering. The reason for this decision was the certainty of continuing in my family business. The company was active in the car repair industry, where I worked as an Electrician / Electronics Engineer, while I simultaneously continued studying at a State Vocational College in the same field, where I graduated and excelled in '92.
Technical Specialization has always fascinated me and that is why I continued my studies in similar fields of study such as Safety Technician and Synergy Waste Manager.
Having always been passionate with coffee I made a major change in my career, which led me, first as an amateur and later as a professional, to work as a Technician in several Coffee Companies such as Pianeta Gusto, Gerousis Coffee Co. / Semprevivo Espresso, Kofi Microroastery, EUROGAT S.A, and later on as a Technical Manager at Lavazza / 3E / Coca-Cola. I am currently working as a Quality & Service Assurance Manager along with my status as Authorized SCA Trainer (Introduction To Coffee - Barista Skills – Brewing - Sensory Skills - Roasting) in my own company Coffee Core.
HJ: What brought you to the coffee/water industry?
SA: For people in Greece coffee is not just a drink but part of our daily lives, entertainment and socializing. We don't just drink coffee to wake us up, but get great pleasure out of it. That was the motivation for me to use my knowledge in the technical part and start dealing with coffee so that I can contribute as much as I can to making people happy.
HJ: What made you chose your career path, why coffee?
SA: My AST Certification and my Technical knowledge and Expertise in Coffee Equipment Machines were what, in combination, allowed me to work as a technician through the eyes of an AST but also as an AST with Technical Knowledge.
HJ: Where do you see the coffee industry going in the next five, ten years?
SA: My assessment is that the evolution of technology and automation of equipment functions (espresso machines, grinders, etc.) will significantly reduce the participation and creativity of Baristi. A good cup should primarily be the work of a Barista having as allies good coffee beans together with reliable equipment.
I would also like to mention the rapid rise of Specialty Coffee, which if managed properly will not only upgrade, in many ways, the "impression" but also the "taste" that we have had for so many years, either as ordinary consumers or as coffee lovers.
HJ: What knowledge base does a service tech need to understand water in the coffee/espresso environment?
SA: In the first place, one should have basic knowledge of Electrical & Hydraulics.
To be aware of how to use a multimeter and the basics of current (voltage, current, resistance, power).
It is also very important to understand the danger of working with high pressure machinery, high temperatures, high voltage (SAFETY FIRST).
To be well acquainted with the use of plumbing tools
To be armed with patience and perseverance
To be polite and always willing to serve until the job is completed.
HJ: What do you consider to be significant events in the coffee industry in the last ten years?
SA: Once again, I will refer to the rapid rise of Specialty Coffee, something that has brought on a series of developments. These developments influenced the construction philosophy of both Espresso Machines & Grinders. New technological innovations such as pressure profile, temperature profile, flow rate profile as well as the use of telemetry and distance control are now considered basic requirements in order to upgrade the result in our cup.
HJ: What was your first job?
SA: Bass guitar player in Coffee Shops & Rock Places… karma is a bitch!!!
HJ: What’s your customer service philosophy?
SA: We need to gain the customer's trust, so that they, in return, can trust what we suggest to
them as more specialized.
HJ: What are your top five go to tools for performing service/water analysis and why?
SA: a) A full Water evaluation test kit: Total Hardness – Alkalinity – Chlorides – TDS/EC - pH. Each measurement data individually and in combination gives us information for the appropriate solution to the problem of water filtration.
b) Analog multimeter –Temperature SCACE device – Pressure gauge check device –Screwdrivers –Monkey Wrench. I believe that the correct assessment / diagnosis of the problem makes its solution easier, faster and safer.
HJ: What advice would you give a tech who want to learn about the service business
SA: My motto is "Do the job you love, love the job you do". This way you set the foundation and in combination with continuous update of information, research and education one acquires the required knowledge that together with experience lead one to success. And let's not forget that we should never stop because there are always things we haven't learned yet.
So…” Train insane or remain the same “.
HJ: being in Greece, how much is water and factor in service and equipment failure?
SA: The rainwater, on its way to the tanks of the water company, collects mineral salts from the limestone rocks. It dissolves them in metal ions, such as calcium (Ca ++) and magnesium (Mg ++), and to a much lesser extent, iron (Fe ++), strontium (Sr ++), manganese (Mn ++). These rocks are abundant in Greece and this is the reason why Greece, in many parts of the mainland, has hard waters with TDS content of > 300 ppm. In addition, Greece is a country almost entirely surrounded by sea, which makes brackish water with TDS content of > 1000 ppm / lt.
Above all, special care must be taken so that the appropriate filtration system prevents any possibility of equipment failure.
In both cases, the appropriate solution is the use of filtering by Reverse Osmosis System so as to protect our equipment from lime scale, but also for giving the best taste to our cup.
HJ: What sparked your curiosity about working on espresso/coffee equipment, are there
specific areas you like over other ones?
SA: Clearly the complexity of the relationship between a hydraulic, an electrical and an electronic circuit, which if adjusted accordingly, will always provide us with the taste we desire.
In addition to proper maintenance and repair of the coffee machines, the challenge for me is to optimize the operation of them with the correct modifications.