Coffee, Science, and a Sandwich: An Afternoon at Ground Up Coffee & Roastery

Let me set the scene. One coffee enthusiast (Me) and two unsuspecting friends (Hasna And Shabnam, Who Were Just Along For The Ride) walk into Ground Up Coffee & Roastery in Bangalore. The mission? For me, it was to explore great coffee. For them, it was probably just to humor me and hope I wouldn’t start rambling about espresso extraction ratios 😂 Fair enough. Two out of three were achieved, which, in my books, is a solid win.

The Setup: Vibes and First Impressions

Ground Up is not your average cafe. It’s got the kind of energy that says, we take coffee seriously, but you don’t need to wear a monocle to enjoy it. The space is modern yet cozy, with the unmistakable hum of grinders and the rich aroma of fresh brews floating through the air. It’s the kind of place where you walk in and immediately regret all the bad coffee you’ve had in the past and trust me i’ve had a lot.

And sitting proudly at the heart of it all? The Sanremo Naked Cafe Racer. If espresso machines had a “Cool Kid” ranking, this one would be effortlessly leaning against a wall, sipping an espresso, and judging everyone’s shot extractions. It’s sleek, precise, and built to bring out every nuanced flavor from the beans. Seeing it in action was like watching a high performance sports car tear up the track except instead of speed, it delivers liquid gold in a cup.

That's Hasna & Shabnam BTW

The Coffee Order: A Little Bit of Everything

Since we’re incapable of making simple decisions, we got a shot of espresso, a Vietnamese cold coffee, and a cold mocha, a well balanced selection covering the bold, the sweet, and the chocolatey.

Espresso – A proper wake-up call. This was not your burnt, bitter, “I regret everything” kind of espresso. This was smooth, rich, and had a nice fruity acidity that lingered. It made me rethink my life choices, specifically why I don’t drink more espressos (The Reason Being I Have Bad Acidity 🙂)

Vietnamese Cold Coffee – This was a no nonsense caffeine bomb, strong and sweet with that signature condensed milk magic. If espresso is a firm handshake, this is a warm hug that slaps you on the back at the same time.

Cold Mocha – A dessert in disguise. It had just the right balance of chocolate and coffee, avoiding the dreaded sugar overload. This was the kind of drink that makes you forget why you ever drank instant coffee as a teenager. This was actually Shabnams pick and she loved it !

The Food: Because Coffee Alone Isn’t a Meal (Unfortunately)

As much as I’d love to survive purely on coffee, even the best caffeine needs a sidekick. We ordered a chicken focaccia sandwich and a tea cake to keep things civilized.

Chicken Focaccia Sandwich – Soft, flavourful focaccia filled with well seasoned chicken, crisp greens, and a sauce that tied it all together. It was real food, not just a cafe afterthought. If my sandwich making skills weren’t so tragic, I’d have tried to recreate this at home.

Tea Cake – A simple but effective treat. Moist, lightly sweet, and perfect for balancing out all the caffeine we were consuming. If the coffee was the star, this was the reliable supporting actor.

The Salman Experience: Coffee Wisdom and Nucleus Paragon

Now, let’s talk about Salman, the head roaster at Ground Up, and the kind of person who can casually drop coffee knowledge that makes you question everything you thought you knew about brewing. Somewhere in our conversation, he handed us a few samples and introduced us to something called the Nucleus Paragon, which, I’ll be honest, initially sounded like a secret weapon from a sci-fi movie. Turns out, it kind of is, but for coffee.

What is Nucleus Paragon?

So what’s the Nucleus Paragon? It’s a brewing tool that uses extract chilling to capture and retain more of a coffee’s aromatic compounds, basically, ensuring that all those delicate, complex flavours don’t just disappear into thin air. Developed in collaboration with Zurich University of Applied Sciences, this setup features a chilling rock, a fancy looking, food grade stainless steel sphere coated in titanium that rapidly cools the coffee mid extraction. The result? Up to 40% more aroma retention, meaning every sip delivers a fuller, more vibrant taste.

Salman explained how Ground Up has been experimenting with this method to push the boundaries of what’s possible with brewing. And let me tell you the difference was noticeable. The samples we tried were bursting with clarity and depth, like someone had turned up the volume on the coffee’s natural flavours.

Final Thoughts: Would I Go Back?

Absolutely. Ground Up Coffee & Roastery is not just a cafe! it’s an experience! The coffee was exceptional, the food was solid, and the insights from Salman made the visit even more worthwhile. Plus, any place that makes me feel like I’ve learned something new about coffee is a place worth revisiting.

Would I return? Yes. Would I drag Hasna and Shabnam with me again? Also yes. Would I embarrass myself by pretending to understand coffee science better than I do? Almost definitely 🤣

Until next time, stay caffeinated and avoid bad coffee ☕️

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