Te och Kaffehuset in Malmö, Sweden

Don’t let the generic Italian coffees and super-automatic espresso machines dissuade you when you peer through the windows of Te och Kaffehuset. There is treasure hidden in this unassuming shop that makes it one of Malmö’s must visit cafes. Owner, Sam Bondesson, has created a space that offers comfortable familiarity for mainstream coffee and tea drinkers, as well as a place for dedicated fans of more quality focused coffee to sample some of the region’s best roasters.

I don’t think I’ve come across a similar arrangement anywhere in the world, and the result is an engagement with coffee consumers that shuns the standoff-ish, holier-than-thou attitude you get at some specialty coffee businesses, instead welcoming everyone and offering a non-judgmental choice. Their Synesso espresso machine is paired with several grinders, one usually filled with a standard Italian style roast and blend (i.e. the stereotypical Italian stale, darkly roasted, and generic tasting coffee that is familiar to most coffee drinkers), and another with a rotating cast of Sweden or Denmark’s best specialty roasters who offer carefully sourced coffee that is roasted lighter, and served fresh to bring out the delicate flavors of terroir. Sam and staff are competent baristas with an eye on the global specialty coffee scene’s latest developments. Pour overs or Clever brews are also available, drawing from the stock of Nordic specialty coffees that include Tim Wendelboe, Coffee Collective, Koppi, Drop Coffee, Da Matteo, Love Coffee, Solde, Haugaard, Kulbay, Johan & Nystrom, and more.

Visitors are offered an explanation of the choices offered: the style and flavor notes are described and the choice is up to the consumer. This creates an interesting social space as people linger together around the bar and chat about what they’re drinking. Drinks are often shared, pour-overs split to offer a taste to others, and those dropping by hear the geekier coffee drinkers talking about what they’re trying, piquing curiosity. It’s a dynamic, friendly social environment that breaks with the orthodox specialty cafe format and style, while solving its problem of ‘educating’ the consumer in a way that is neither offensive nor heavy-handed. I love it!

Te och Kaffehuset has recently changed locations and is now operating near Davidshallstorg. I haven’t had a chance to visit their new location, but it looks great! I spoke to Sam who says they will be expanding the range of coffees they offer to include new roasters like Sandby, Kafferosteri, Stockholm Roast, and others. He also hopes to be able to offer coffees from other roasters around the world at some point. He’s also expanded the range of brew methods to include Chemex, V60, Clever, and Aeropress so that customers can see and try them. This new space should help establish Te & Kaffehuset as a must-visit hub for coffee lovers living in Sweden, as well as tourists stopping by who can easily sample many of the best roasters Sweden has to offer, all in one location.

You may run into Emil Eriksson, one of Sweden’s barista champions, when he stops by to re-stock Johan & Nyström coffee.

Lots of variety here, and different grades of coffee. The specialty shelf is where you’ll want to look, but be sure to ask for recommendations on what’s freshest and most interesting.