• Home
• Features
• Top Restaurants
• Lunch Blog
• 
• 
• Bookmark this site

Paul Pratt looks like the kind of guy who owns machines. And he does, Pratt is well known on the international coffee industry circuit for his passion for repairing and restoring vintage espresso equipment. His current collection is estimated to be worth overmore than $1 million, including 25 sought-after La Marzocco machines, all in full working order from his handiwork. Coffee is not just Pratt’s full time job but also his passion; this is the guy who brought a La Marzocco espresso machine and grinder to the Peninsula for his wedding – so the coffee would be good.

From barista to espresso machine expert, Pratt’s done just about everything one can do in the coffee business; from being a barista, to importing espresso machines, roasting his own beans, and establishing Cafelat – h; –  his company that sells designer coffee accessories to the pros and coffee aficionados alike.

Though he’s a machine expert, Pratt maintains that the most important factor in making a good brew is to stick to the basics, something Hong Kong coffee shops often ignore: “Good fresh coffee, the correct grind and tamping, correct extraction. Start with good ingredients and then add a well skilled barista – super expensive machines will not make great coffee if you have an inexperienced barista.”

Pratt enthuses about Fuel Espresso in the IFC (“They're mad about coffee.”) In fact, he’s stocked some of the best coffee shops in town with their equipment. When you taste some great coffee from a fancy machine, you can bet that Pratt’s probably had a hand in it.

Bourree Lam

Top coffee spots by district:
Central
Sheung Wan
Causeway Bay & Wan Chai
Tsim Sha Tsui

Profiles:
The Obsessive: Spencer Douglass
The Educator: Sanjay Ponnapa
The Indie Owner: Felix Wong
The Mechanic: Paul Pratt