Update: 2010
I am now officially representing Highlander Coffee Pte Ltd in supplying their coffee and machines in Malaysia.
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Greetings fellow surfer of the Information Super Highway,
This is the place to find out, to discuss, to recommend, to rant about all things Coffee, especially Coffee in Malaysia. I hope to discover…
The good, the great and the best place for coffee in Malaysia.
I also want to warn and be warned of places that offer horrible or just plain bad coffee.
I love coffee. I am a HOME BARISTA and one of the very few in Malaysia.
I’m from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
My journey: To experience the best coffee available in Malaysia such as espresso and cappuccino.
Problems: There aren’t many good espresso based coffee in Malaysia.
What is espresso based coffee? Espresso, Cappucino, Latte and etc.
Subject: Mostly I will discuss or report matters related to Coffee, Cafes, Espresso, Machines and Brewing Devices.
Note: I don’t want to turn this into a “food blog”. There are already too many blogs about food. But I do love nasi lemak. I’ll report about them when I discover some really good nasi lemak.
My Contact: kfchan (at) coffeeinmalaysia (dot) com
Updates: I’m have recently being exposed to different brewing methods like moka pot, syphon, french press and aeropress.
Hey. Thanks for dropping me a msg. Just returning the favor. You have a very unique site. Coffee only, and in Malaysia. Haha. I’m a Starbucks go-er. I’ll drop by once in a while and see if there’s any new coffee outlets that you’ll recommend. Till’ then, keep it up.
Hi…was looking for an affordable coffee machine for home/office use and found your blog. very interesting/specialized site you have! I’m a starbucks fan though i must admit that the quality of baristas are lacking in general. Still searching for a coffee machine…
I’ll be in KL and other parts of Malaysia next week; are there any decent places for a shot of espresso?
Hello,
I was google-ing coffee related topics and stumbled across your website. Well done; I commend you for searching for good coffee! I live in Sydney where good coffee is abundent, however are moving away next year and still want to be able to have good coffee so I’ve just purchased a lovely Rancilio Silvia machine and Rancilio Rocky Doserless Grinder. I’d recommend them to you (especially getting a GOOD grinder with your machine…do you have one? I couldn’t find if you’d written that). Is it easy to get fresh beans in Malaysia (i haven’t been there since i was 10) coz another option i’m thinking about is roasting my own beans in a popcorn machine; green beans have a fairly long shelf-life and are aparrently not to hard to roast in a popcorn machine with some other implements (google it and you’ll get some informative websites).
Good Luck!
Thank you for dropping by. One of my dream is to visit Australia. I heard they have the most espresso machine ratio to population. I’m actually budgeting for a decent grinder. I’m considering getting a Rancilio Rocky Doserless or perhaps the more affordable Sunbeam EM0480.
I also read about roasting with a popcorn popper but I haven’t come across any in Malaysia. The only one available are those big one used by cinema operators. There are many things we cannot get easily in Malaysia. I cannot import arabica green beans too. Need a permit to do so. Taxation for home machine and grinder is also very high. Really ridiculous. So, where are you moving to?
Hi,
I’m one of a coffee lover from sabah and also looking for specialty coffee in malaysia.
Now I keep practice making espresso and latte art everyday.
It is really great to know your site. Are there many coffee lover in KL?
Hope can learn more from you.
hello there..i stummble upon yr blog when i was looking for a coffee grinder. Can anyone kindly knows if there a good coffee grinder being sold in malaysia. I am not looking for an espresso maker but a powerful coffee grinder such as this http://www.breville.com.au/products_detail.asp?prod=228
thank you
rgds
Dear Mary,
What is your budget for the grinder?
The one you mentioned from breville is not a good grinder.
Basically, do not get any “BLADE” grinder. Let me know how much you are willing to spend and I will recommend one for you. But please, don’t tell me the budget is less than RM 300, ok.
I’m also saving up money for a decent grinder.
Regards,
KF Chan
hahaha i think u r going to be pretty upset with me cause my budget is less than RM150 …but but ..its my fault , forgeting to mention that the purpose of me buying a decent coffee grinder is not to grind coffee bean but for grinding a few ingredients for baking purpose which have to be grind to powdery form. At the moment i’m using the blender which comes with the small pepper grinder ..which i find helpful but the capacity of the pepper grinder is small making it very inconvenient and noisy as well.
KF Chan – I’m not sure if Breville is any good as i hv limited knowledge in coffee grinder but i think it serve my purpose of gringing my ingredients in to powder form ..looking at the size and capacity of the product.
But do u mind telling me if there is anywhere around Kl / PJ ( PJ would be best as i stay around there) that i’m able to find variety of grinders or similer to breville that i can maybe look at and see if there a right product for me. I only noticed many espresso maker but nothing similer to a grinder. Is there a speciality shop just selling the coffee equitment.
take care
rgds
Dear Mary,
Hahah, no worry. Actually if you go to most shopping complex, place like Best, Harvey Norman, they sell those “pathetic” espresso machine like Delonghi, you will find they sell grinder too.
For your purpose of grinding pepper, a blade grinder would be around that price. The most common I’ve seen are from Delonghi and Krup.
Forget about those proper coffee grinder known as burr grinder. Not sure it will work for pepper.
Try Harvey Norman at Ikano Power Centre.
Regards,
KF Chan
Second thoughts.
You might as well look for a proper food grinder. Most coffee grinder at the RM150 price range is quite small. It wouldn’t give you much improvement over the blender I think.
thank you ..i will try Harvey Norman at Ikano Power Centre to see if there is a suitable grinder .
You have been a big help ..thanks again.
I’ll keep u updated whem i buy my new coffee grinder..kay!
take care
rgds
Hey KFChan,
I just discover your website while i’m searching for espresso in Malaysia through google, haha…
anyway i’m a so called barista in Starbucks, recently just tasted one shot of espresso from their verismo machine it tasted really weak, practically the coffee taste is just now there.
I would like to ask, in Malaysia, where do you find the nice espresso or espresso based drinks other that those franchised coffee store?
Dear Jim,
There are many places where you can find espresso based drinks.. most cafes have them like Dome, Secret Recipe, Yippy Cup and many many more unheard of cafes.
But if you want nice espresso… nada, tada. In Malaysia, I have not been able to pay for a nice espresso. Check out http://kfchan.wordpress.com/2007/08/16/my-good-espresso-esperience
Cheers.
Hello,
I’m quite surprised to know that the existing of coffee lover in this country were shared the experience and idea through this blog.. in fact i was looking for a coffee grinder so far but without succeed. I’m aprreciate Chan-san advice in order to get an reliable grinder.. definitely i’m looking for a grinder to work for me on coffee bean instead of grinding pepper (haha…)
My budget is less than RM500, i hope you’re able help me on this, thanks ya
Rgds,
Steve
hi there kfchan! good to know a fella coffee enthusiast exist in kuala lumpur
a little bit about meself, i own a gaggia revolution since 2003 and got it while i was in uk. now thinking about getting a decent grinder, is there any in malaysia? i visited etc concept (thanks to your website 
) and they have ascaso i-1 or i-2 cant really remember. the price is quite expensive also..around 2k+ i think. but on amazon/whollattelove etc the price is around 200 usd only. plus shipping maybe 300 usd even if it is 350usd convert to rm (350 x 4 = RM1400) why o why such a steep difference..perhaps you could direct me in the right direction, is there any other store in KL except etc concept/simplexmaju? really appreciate your help.
ps: storing a ground coffee or coffee beans is also a headache. maybe i’ll order beanvac. what do u think? how do u store urs? been looking for a decent airtight/vacuum canister container oso. any suggestion?
for rm2000+, maybe can even get mazzer mini (usd 479 from amazon). the problem is they dont ship to m’sia. perhaps other online store do. need to do more research..
Hi Buji,
I understand Consumer products (unlike equipment for business) incurred about 40% tax to come in. I thinking of ordering one to friends in Singapore and drive over to Malaysia
Check out the following:-
http://kfchan.wordpress.com/2007/08/31/fhm2007/
http://kfchan.files.wordpress.com/2007/08/coffee-container.jpg
well good for you. perhaps i ought to go to singapore also to do some shopping
hehe..where and how much did u buy the coffee container shown on fhm2007, if you don’t mind me asking. is it in kuala lumpur?
Buji,
I think the only place you can buy those containers is at Isetan, KLCC. In fact there are some new versions specifically for coffee.
thanks bro. believe me, i went to search a few places before, and couldnt find one (with vacuum pump). i went to isetan, parkson, living quarters, is store etc..perhaps, i should pay another visit to isetan klcc, and also checkout etc showcase and promotion..ascaso grinder, here i come again…
Dear Buji,
What is your budget for a grinder? Would you be interested in a La Scala M5?
I can get it for around RM2K. I have seen it. Excellent built quality. 9KG commercial quality. 58mm flat burr, 1400 rpm and have a doser.
Way better than the Ascaso I-1 which cost at least RM1790.
Hey how did your coffee blog turned politcal? Or is it election fever?
Ha ha ha.. I only did a link it to another site in order to maintain the “integrity” as a coffee blog
Dear kfchan:
I am interested to get a grinder around RM2k can you advice? Or maybe the La Scala M5. Is it the same with Macap M5? Where can i get it?
Dear CK,
I got great deal for you. The La Scala M5 is a re-badge of Macap, but I can’t be sure if it is M5 or M4. Please email me your contact number to kfchan7(at)gmail(dot)com.
All I want is a good espresso machine….I am so confused! Where do I go, what do I buy??!
Dear Muna,
Please email me to kfchan7(at)gmail(dot)com and tell me your budget. Then I can advise you on what and where to buy.
hi kfchan,
have you heard of kopi 434 in muar? so far their coffee shops only operated in muar area. they home-grown their own coffee there called ‘elephant bean aa’. a so called m’sian version of jamaican mountain coffee. its not a robusta nor arabica beans but called ‘liberica’. they also have arabica green beans imported from central and south america. they roasted their own espresso bean as well.
more info at their website ‘www.saikee.com’
never been there, but looks interesting enough to have own coffee grown here in malaysia.
thanks.
hi kfchan,how ya been?=)
therez really gud flow of response from ppl enquiring bout coffee n d machines fr u.tis is a gud platform to exchange infos n opinions.keep up d gud work!=)
just one question…when would u be organizing a coffee club gathering?keep me posted ya!thks!;)
Hi, stumbled upon your site! Great stuff. I love coffee but I think it’s starting to keep me awake at night!
Dear Nekochan,
you may try to drink coffee that contain lower caffeine such as coffee make up of mainly arabica bean. Instant coffee and our local kopi-o usually contain higher caffeine level. The simplest method to reduce the amount of caffeine you consume in your coffee is to drink a decafeine coffee. Hope this will help.
Dear Nekochan,
you may try to drink coffee that contain lower caffeine such as coffee make up of mainly arabica bean. Instant coffee and our local kopi-o usually contain higher caffeine level. The simplest method to reduce the amount of caffeine you consume in your coffee is to drink a decaffeinated coffee. Hope this will help.
Hey, since you are a coffee lover here; I’d like to ask if you know where can I buy an espresso tamper in Malaysia? I just couldn’t find it anywhere. Please kindly revert to get_kimo@yahoo.com.tw
Hi KF Chan – I really liked your idea about a coffee based theme – a good designer will have a field day – I discovered ‘real’coffee about a year ago – we have a local roaster – I particularly like the beans from Yirgacheffe in Ethiopia (no offense here – I am still a beginner) – All the best – Stephen
Hi
I have a unit of of SAECO Classic (wood motif panel) that has been serving me extremely well for the past few years. Recently, I have bought myself a GAGGIA and would like to see if there is anyone out there who is looking for a pre-loved machine.
If you are interested, please send me a message at wongcw.my@gmail.com.
Regards
CW Wong
Bro…you’re indeed rare species…lol…it’s so hard to find anyone that’s crazy enough about coffee to start a blog on it (ahem…I mean from malaysia)…kudos to you!
Have a question…do you have any suggestions on where to find coffee beans in KL? I’ve been making my own press but will be trying my hands at espresso. Sadly, I only use beans from Starbucks as I do not know of anywhere else to get them (the other option that I know of would be Coffee Bean).
Would appreciate your recommendation.
Thanks!
Melvin
Etc at the curve sells Coffex & Bristot beans. They are not the cheapest, but definately cheaper than the cafes. Wee Chuan provided cotacts of Illy wholeseller that sell in a bag of 3kgs. I don;t mind sharing as I want to try Illy out. I think KF sells Highlanders beans.
My favourite is the Bristot. Etc grinds for you also if you require.
Hilsy, thanks for your recommendation. Just perfect timing as tomorrow I will be going to PJ area….hopefully can make a trip to the curve to get it.
Talking about ETC, I used to buy Coffex Superbar and Bristot Tiziano from them. Downside is the beans are in 1kg packs.
You’re right, unfortunately they come in huge packs!!!
I wished they had smaller packaging though.
Dear Mr. Chan,
I have seen the Krups gvx2 burr grinder costing around RM250.Is it worth buying for use with espresso machine?
Bye
Sincerely yrs,
ricky ooi
Dear Ricky,
The Krup gvx2 is quite useless as an espresso grinder.
Hi Kfchan,
i’d never knew there is another malaysia cafe/coffee blogs outthere until i met yours, very interesting blog and very insightful, btw i just bought a bialetti espresso maker, do you know what(recipe) is the beans dose in grm and water level in ml for making single espresso using bialetti stovetop espresso
and do you know where can i buy a milk tempreture.
your reply is much appreciated.
kindly check my blog.
ladolcerita.wordpress.com
I agree with kfchan – the Krups gvx2 is not good. I have one for home use, it has many idiosyncrasies, grinds uneven, overheats if grinding too fine, you have to shake it constantly so the beans will fall into the blades and you need to hold down the bean hopper otherwise it turns itself off. HA what a joke – but besides all of that it will grind beans in small quantities for household use only.
If you looking for 100% arabica speciality whole beans (Indonesian) look at http://www.lavacoffee.net
Hi, KF Chan. It is indeed a surprise to stumble upon your site while searching for coffee machines available in Malaysia. I’m a Form Five student studying in Ipoh. Working at Starbucks after SPM is sort of my dream job, to be able to experience coffee and perhaps, learn latte art, my greatest interest. But there are no vacancies available and now I plan to buy a coffee machine/coffee maker (whatever it is called). However, being a student, my budget is quite limited (about RM1000-RM1500). And I hope that you will be able to suggest any coffee maker within my budget that is decent enough for my “freshman” coffee experience.
I’ve been searching for them from Senheng (http://www.senheng.com.my/) and HSL (http://www.hslene.com.my/default_ca.htm). But the coffee makers offered there kinda confuse me since I dunno which one is better. Also, would you please suggest any grinder that is appropriate (let’s say RM 1800 including coffee machine) if it is possible?
Btw, I buy my coffee beans from Starbucks (since there isn’t any proper coffee retailers in Ipoh). Really interested to know more about coffee and hope that you might make things easier for me. Many thanks.
Kindest regards,
Chi Hao.
Dear Chi Hao,
The only option available to you is the Gaggia Evo (RM1200) + Gaggia MM grinder (RM6xx). They should be around RM1800.
These are not really great but just good enough for you to play around with till you upgrade them. They are tedius to use and can be frustrating. The Gaggia Evo espresso machine is not bad if you want to learn to make espresso. Frothing milk will be challenging.
Unfortunately, some of us with Silvia machines already sold them off.
And please forget about Seng Heng or any electronic electrical shops. You can’t expect to find any real espresso machines there.
Hello there, I’m looking for a decent coffee maker that cost below RM300. Do you have any suggestion pls?”?? It need not be to make 10 cups of coffee. around 5 to 8 cups will be enough. Thank you so much!!!!!!!!
ps: Starbucks came out with a travel french press. what do you think of it?
Dear Lisa,
The only coffee maker below RM300 that is decent and can make a few cups (5 small cups) is a french press.
To make 2 cups and very convenient and very decent coffee would be an Aeropress that cost RM185.
Go and get Aeropress, the best device under RM200….the result is better than French Press…..hands down, KF & I both own one. Get it from KF if you need one.
Wah…. So many things to consider…. Technical stuffs somemore…. ><… An Aeropress? That sounds simple enough for me I guess. Anyway, what's the difference between the coffee brewed using Espresso machine and the Aeropress??
They are totally different products.
Espresso machine makes espresso and espresso based drinks like cappuccino, mocha, latte etc.
Aeropress makes plain black coffee the aeropress-way.
To see how the aeropress works, check out the 2 posts below:-
http://kfchan.wordpress.com/2008/09/30/aeropressing-the-costa-rica/
http://kfchan.wordpress.com/2009/09/10/kopi-luwak/
I was in Bangkok over the weekend, inspired to start a cafe in Malaysia, I started googling and found your site. Guess, I’ll be here often. It’s very informative! XOX
Welcome Yuh Wen,
When you start a cafe, make sure you offer good coffee.
We always wish for more place to go for good coffee.
Yuh Wen, coffee scene in our neighbouring countries are miles ahead of us.
So we welcome you to improve the coffee scene together!
Hi Yuh Wen,
You’ll definitely get tons of support from us here. Some of us who’ve had great coffee experiences overseas are enthusiastic in looking for places to go. We just want our coffee to taste good.
Hi,
I read in TheStar newspaper that you have a cafe in Section 14 PJ. Whereabouts it this? And the name of your cafe please?
Thanks.
YJ
where to buy not very expansive coffee bean at k.l…
Hi KF,
My dad mad love coffee! and our espresso machine have got some problems with the grinder (its those 2 in 1 kind of thing where the grinder is built in together with the coffee machine.)
He is now making noise and craving for his “self-brew” coffee… Hahaa.. (he enjoys doing it.. ). And so i was thinking to get him a coffee grinder so that he can still use the espresso machine…
Would you be able to name me some place (PJ/KL) where they have coffee grinder for sale? I am struggling to find one… =(
Your kind advice is muchie muchie appreciated!
Thx !
kfchan do u noe where to buy small coffee grinders ? tht the on/off button is just pressing . pls reply a.s.a.p
Hi KF,
My boyfriend just bought me a coffee maker brand De’Longhi model EC7 last 2 days
We tried few times to make coffee but it did not turn very good. I use the Illy’s ESE
pod but it seems that the filter not for the pod, only ground coffee. Then I tried with
the espresso powder, it turns ok but it did not make foam. I found out later the BAR
it low (3.8) so not very strong preasure. I saw another model of De’Longhi, which is
Bar 14 Espresso & Cappucino maker. Do you think this model is better than EC7?
I thought of changing it. I think the size is almost the same. Need your advise.
Thanks.
Dear Suzie,
If you plan to make delicious coffee, you best forget about Delonghi.
Delonghi EC7 is a toy. It cannot make you good coffee. It is not just about the pressure. There are many many things wrong or insufficient about these machines.
If you want to enjoy good plain coffee, there are many cheaper brewing methods that cost between RM150 to RM300.
But if you want to experience good espresso and cappuccino/latte, you need to be ready to invest between RM2500 to RM7000.
I say “INVESTMENT” because these are machines that can last you many many years and make you really good coffee. Some people have used their machines for 10 years plus.
Please, forget about those machine you see if shopping malls like Delonghi or Krup
Hi Chan,
Just discover your page today. It’s really good to know there’s a lot of people who sharing the same passion with me. so i’m not the wicked one, LOL.
Hi Chan
I am a coffee lover and look forward to my strong cup (sometimes 2 cups) of flat white every morning to kickstart my day. I have a delonghi magnifica rapid cappucino brought in from singapore 2 years ago. I get beans (my good source is from Cofffee Ritual in PJsec14 and BSC Ogourmet). I have a problem with my delonghi… the drip tray inside the machine gets filled up more than the cup outside each time it operates. Drip tray overflow when I make more than 1 cup of espresso. I’m pretty sure that is not common with delonghi machines; there was a 1 week period that it gives out perfect crema coffee withstanding 10 cups of coffee without overflowing the driptray, I was so happy! But it’s back to overflowing now with every 2 cups .. have you tried these machines before? Any suggestion as to what the problem could be or it’s a malfunction? Otherwise if you are going to tell me to move on from this, can you recommend a guaranteed reliable espresso machine with built-in grinder that will last me for a few years (what brand, budget and where)?
Incidentally, there are 3 good coffee places that can serve NZ/Australian standard flat whites.. Coffee Ritual in Sec14, PJ; La Bodega BSC and Espressamente Illy!
Cheers
Christina
I’m interested to know if coffee is actually grown in Malaysia?
Hi KF,
Hope you are keeping well.
Currently i’m looking for a espresso machine for own consumption.
Besides Gaggia and Delonghi, do you have a better suggestion?
My budget will be around 2.5k which should includes machine and grinder.
Also if you could advise where can i get coffee beans besides Starbucks.