Kolben Kaffee Freiburg has been around for almost four decades. When it opened in 1983, it was something of a novelty, as it was the first café in Freiburg to use portafilters. From the very beginning, the focus was not only on excellent coffee enjoyment, but also on handmade patisserie products. The café is located directly at the medieval Freiburg Martinstor in Martinsgässle and is surrounded by beautiful antique houses. Not far from the "Kolben", as they say in Freiburg, is the Freiburg University, hence the name academy. The small terrace offers plenty of seating. You have a beautiful view of the old town and can watch city life while enjoying a cappuccino. The recently renovated interior of Kolben Kaffee Freiburg offers a warm, cozy atmosphere. It smells of fresh pastries and good coffee. When you see the stocked display cases, you just want to stay.
Kolben Kaffee Freiburg - Handmade Pâtisserie - More than a craft
Every day, early in the morning, the pastry chefs are in Kolben Kaffee Freiburg 's own bakery and prepare everything from crispy baguettes to sweet tartlets, fresh and, above all, with love. Raising agents and preservatives? None! Only the finest ingredients are used and you can taste it. Head pastry chef Benoît Jaeger and his team rely on great expertise, many years of experience and a never-ending passion for the French baking tradition.
Kolben Kaffee Freiburg - Care and expertise come first
The Kolben Kaffee Freiburg also stands for excellent coffee enjoyment. The Kolben Kaffee Freiburg team always passes on the knowledge they have gained at Goran Huber's coffee institute , as well as their decades of experience, to their employees and of course to their customers. The choice of coffee also plays a big role, of course. The Kolben Kaffee Freiburg has its own 2 roasts, which we at the Wildkaffee Rösterei roast exclusively for the Kolben Kaffee Freiburg. Many tastings, inspiring discussions and constant quality controls, carried out together with Krenar Goduni, ensure the usual harmonious coffee enjoyment at the Kolben Kaffee Freiburg. Krenar Goduni also has his own café, which is only 500 meters away. You can find more information about ViKreGo here .
Kolben Kaffee Freiburg - Powered by Hannes Stoltenburg
In the following interview with operations manager Hannes Stoltenburg, you will get an even more detailed insight into Kolben Kaffee Freiburg and its glorious history. Enjoy reading!
Fischi: Hello Hannes, first of all thank you for taking the time! Please introduce yourself and Kolben Kaffee Freiburg.
Hannes: Hello Fischi, I would also like to thank you for this interview. Now about me: My name is Hannes Stoltenburg. I am the operations manager and barista at the traditional Kolben Kaffee café in beautiful Freiburg.
We were founded in 1983 as a stand-up café and French patisserie. We were the first to prepare our coffee with the classic portafilter and quickly became an institution in Freiburg. With the renovation in November 2020, we created dream conditions for every barista and took the next and necessary step in terms of coffee quality.
Fischi: What’s the best way to start your day?
Hannes: I like to start my day with a filter coffee . Freshly ground, of course, and prepared using the Origami Dripper , the V60 or the Chemex .
Fischi: Which country coffees are your favorites?
Hannes: I am very diverse: Ethiopia , Colombia , Costa Rica and El Salvador.
Fischi: How did you come up with wild coffee?
Hannes: I discovered wild coffee through Krenar Goduni from Café ViKreGo , who has been and continues to be a great source of advice on coffee quality over the past few years. The outstanding coffee quality and the philosophy were also a good fit.
Fischi: What coffee equipment do you use at home?
Hannes: I only use hand filters (too many, according to my family) including Origami , V60 , Chemex , Aromakanne, Carl Henkel . Then of course the Drip Scale from Hario, as well as the pot and grinder from Fellow.
Fischi: Where did you grow up and how did you get into coffee?
Hannes: Geographically, I haven't come very far yet. (laughs) I grew up in the beautiful Elztal near Freiburg. After years of experience in the nightlife industry, I moved to Kolben Kaffee Freiburg in 2017. It was only there that I discovered the proximity to the product and the exchange with like-minded people. In short, I rediscovered my love for the product coffee.
Fischi: You already mentioned the renovation of Kolben Kaffee Freiburg. How was the café received when it reopened and what hurdles did you have to overcome?
Hannes: Exactly, the construction work took place during the Corona lockdown from November 2020 to May 2021. Due to the old building structure and the existing monument protection, we faced one or two structural challenges. However, the reopening was very well received because we had found a good mix between the familiar and the new. The already familiar quality was even improved by the renovation.
Fischi: Which coffees do you use in Kolben Kaffee Freiburg?
Hannes: Our coffee blend (Brazil, Guatemala, Rwanda) and our espresso blend (Brazil, Guatemala, El Salvador, India Robusta).
By changing monthly coffees, we would like to try to introduce our customers to the variety of flavors of the coffee bean.
Fischi: What else is there to discover at Kolben Kaffee Freiburg?
Hannes: We have been serving outstanding French specialties for years. These are freshly prepared every night in our bakery by our head pastry chef Benoît Jaeger and his team without any additives of any kind. From croissants, pain au chocolat, brioche to tartlets, tartlets, millefeuille, éclair, tarte au citron, various fruit cakes and excellent chocolate mousse cakes! The baguettes are also not to be missed. Either freshly topped with selected ingredients or completely purist for breakfast at home.
Fischi: What other drinks can you discover at Kolben Kaffee Freiburg?
Hannes: We also offer cold brew, batch brew, espresso tonic and port brew tonic! We also have a small but fine tea menu. Our range is complemented by all common cold drinks and organic juice spritzers.
Fischi: What do people from Freiburg like to drink the most?
Hannes: The most popular are of course the classics like cappuccino, espresso or a cup of Americano. But they are also open to new things: the batch brew and the cold brew are also popular orders.
Fischi: What is the idea behind Kolben Kaffee Freiburg?
Hannes: We want to sell quality coffee as well as baked goods and we want to ensure complete satisfaction with a good atmosphere in the team and in our dealings with customers.
Fischi: Do you have any favorite places in Freiburg? What does the city mean to you?
Hannes: In my free time I like to be out in nature and in the forest with my family and our dog. For example on the Roßkopf or near St. Ottilien.
Fischi: What are you most happy about?
Hannes: What I enjoy most is spending time with family and friends, sunshine, good coffee and when everything at work runs according to our expectations.
Fischi: What gets on your nerves personally?
Hannes: Sugar and milk in cold brew!
Fischi: What do you enjoy most about your job?
Hannes: The good atmosphere in the team and the fact that there is always variety. I also really like the fact that I still have so much to discover when it comes to coffee.
In short: It never gets boring and you never stop learning!
Fischi: Do you have a motto in life?
Hannes: To be honest, no! I try to go through life as open-mindedly as possible and with my eyes open - always knowing that there is a lot I don't know and that there is still a lot I can learn.
Fischi: Let's finish! What projects are planned for the future at Kolben Kaffee Freiburg?
Hannes: The biggest project was definitely the renovation, which we all successfully completed together. We would also like to make hand-filtered coffee in the shop and work with bottomless portafilters every day.
Personally, I would like to continually expand my knowledge and successfully complete the Coffee Master course at the Goran Huber Coffee Institute (where we have been training our employees for some time). I also have a small dream of being able to visit a coffee plantation in the next few years.
Fischi: We wish you all the best, dear Hannes! Thank you for the exciting conversation and see you soon at Kolben Kaffee Freiburg.
Hannes: Thank you too! I’m looking forward to your visit.
