Professional barista Aron Sharma on his passion for cars, coffee and the Porsche community
Cars and coffee? They bring people together, says barista and coffee shop owner Aron Sharma. He also has a huge passion for Porsche, which he shares with other car enthusiasts at his acclaimed Caffeine and Cars events
Coffee is a global language. In towns and villages across the world, grabbing a cup of coffee means a chance to catch up with friends, family and colleagues to talk life, business and the things that you’re passionate about.Aron Sharma and his wife Clare quit their corporate jobs just over 10 years ago to turn their passion for coffee and cars into a new career, running a coffee shop in the pretty English town of Tring, some 70km (42 miles) north west of London. Coffee shops like Aron and Clare’s – The Espresso Lounge – are more than just a place to grab a bite and a hot drink. They’re a meeting place for coffee lovers and those who appreciate the finer things in life – like cars.For Aron, a love of engineering and aviation has influenced his quest to make the perfect espresso and in the process become a top barista. Here he explains how his love of Porsche cars seamlessly intertwines with the daily grind.Aron Sharma (wearing blue shirt, right) has always been fascinated by detail – it’s what drew him to engineering and flying. In coffee, too, there are many moving parts – each critical to achieving the ideal result Photo: @khoryzfmediaAron’s journey to achieving coffee heaven has been anything but conventional. Having initially trained as a mechanical engineer with dreams of becoming a pilot, he found himself drawn to the world of speciality coffee after a transformative experience with his wife Clare.“When I initially started drinking coffee as a teenager, it was instant coffee, which I hated,” admits Aron. “The first good cup of coffee I ever had was with my wife Clare, who took me to a speciality coffee shop, and it was a revelation. From that moment on, I was hooked. My engineering background made me obsess over every detail – from the beans to the machinery. Coffee, like engineering, requires precision and control.”This meticulous approach is evident in the way Aron runs his coffee shop. It isn’t just a place to grab a quick caffeine fix; it’s a space where the art and science of coffee are celebrated. The journey from bean to cup is treated with the same care and precision one might expect in an engineering project – or indeed, in the design of a Porsche. “A lot of people buy these beautiful coffee machines and automatically think the coffee will be perfect. But with all these flavours, it’s like being a chef, and you have to learn the art. Mastering coffee making allows you to bring different flavours into the coffee, depending on your palate.”How to make the perfect espresso, in six easy stepsStep 1: setting up the coffee machine“The key to a great espresso is to control as many variables as possible and ensure consistency,” says Aron. “Start by warming up the machine – this takes about 15-20 minutes. During this time, you place the portafilter in the group head so that it reaches the same temperature, preventing any heat loss during extraction. Once that’s done, weigh the beans on your scales. Nowadays beans can vary from a dose of 15.5g to 18-21g, depending on the machine you have. In our coffee shop we dose about 16g. If possible, I’d also put a second scale under the cup to check that you’re getting the right weight at the end of the process.“Once the machine has finished heating up, you’ll notice that the steam pressure is set at 1.4 bar and the pump pressure is set at normal water pressure, which is about 2-3 bar. When you turn the pump on, it should go up to about 9 bar. These are the checks I would do to make sure the machine is fully operational. Once that’s done, you flush the machine to make sure everything is working again, but also to get rid of any cold spots.”Step 2: adjusting the coffee grind“Dialling in the coffee is crucial,” Aron explains. “The grind size affects the extraction time, which should be between 25-30 seconds. At our shop, we aim for 30 seconds. Consistency is key, so weigh your coffee and adjust the grind until you achieve the perfect extraction time.”Step 3: preparing the cup“Your cups should be warm. The metal plate on top of the machine is designed to preheat them, ensuring that the espresso maintains its temperature and flavour when it’s poured.”Aron loves getting to know his customers and chatting to them about their work and the cars. Being part of a community is extremely important to the best baristas and has contributed to his success Photo: @khoryzfmediaStep 4: tamping and cleaning“Level the ground coffee in the portafilter using a distributor tool or tamper. The surface should be flat and clean for even extraction. I’d recommend using coffee beans that are between zero and three months old at most – this ensures the best flavour.”Step 5: brewing the coffee“Insert the portafilter, start the machine, and monitor the scales under the cup to ensure you’re hitting the right ratio – typically a 2:1 ratio of coffee to water. So if you’ve got 16g of ground coffee, you should be getting 32ml of liquid out of it.”Step 6: enjoy your coffee“Once brewed, your espresso is ready to enjoy. The result should be a rich, aromatic shot with a smooth crema [the creamy, beige-coloured ‘head’ on top of the brewed espresso].”The intersection of cars and coffeeAron’s love of cars, particularly Porsche, is as deep as his love for coffee. Growing up, Aron was introduced to the automotive world by his father, who had a passion for restoring old cars that he passed onto Aron – one that was reignited later in life through his coffee shop, where car enthusiasts gather.“Cars and coffee have always been connected for me,” Aron says. “In fact, my first coffee venture was a van on the side of the road. Over time, CEOs, car collectors and even racing drivers started coming by for a cup of coffee. And they would arrive in these really nice cars, which I would admire and talk to them about. Some of them I even drove in, for example with my friend [Porsche ambassador and former F1 driver] Mark Webber. It was through these interactions that this passion for cars found its way back into my daily life after ten years of focusing solely on coffee.”Aron has always been active in the car community, from go-karting as a teenager to today – where he organises car and coffee meets for fellow enthusiasts Photo: @khoryzfmediaNow Aron runs a regular series of events – called Caffeine and Cars – from his café, is housed in a former bank building, not far from where his original coffeeshop was located. “We’ve got a great collection of people who have a beautiful selection of cars, who just want to come in, have a coffee and be treated like everyone else – even if they’re famous – or just be left alone to enjoy their time with us. No matter what car you have or who you are, everyone is welcome. Through the unique union of coffee and cars, we do our best to get everyone involved and connected.”Porsche and coffee – the perfect unionAron’s connection to Porsche is more than just admiration – it’s an embodiment of his approach to both coffee and engineering. “Porsche has always been about precision, design and excellence – values that I strive to bring to my coffee shop every day. Whether I’m driving a Porsche or making an espresso, it’s about the experience, the connection between man and machine, and the pursuit of perfection.”“Over the years I’ve had the opportunity to drive so many different incredible Porsche cars, such as the 997 GT2 RS, a 918 Spyder, a 1968 911 Carrera and a Taycan. We finally bought our first Porsche three months ago – a Cayenne Platinum 3.0. We love this car so much and feel so connected to it. We do a lot of long-distance driving – for us, it’s the perfect car to do that.”
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