Plumbed her in (FINALLY!)

So, I hardly ever post here - need to fix that! I actually let my machine sit dormant for about a month or so (GASP!). I was doing lots of drip coffee as I wasn't at home as much in the morning and I could set the timer to be ready when I got up in the morning. Well, I've recently switched jobs (back to my old company) and so I spend some mornings around the house so I'm back to pullin' shots and roastin' coffee!

I actually was fortunate enough to get the direct plumb in kit from Chris' Coffee for Christmas and it has sat in my office for the last 6-7 months. Last night I decided enough was enough, it was going to happen!

The directions are pretty clear although if there was a link to it on Chris' webpage, it would be helpful (with bigger, clearer pictures). Even without that, I managed to do the job in just a few hours. Chris SHOULD provide a disclaimer though; I cut my damn hands TWICE on the sharp edges of the machine. . . NOT a happy camper!

So you start by putting a solenoid valve on the back panel. It attaches very easily and then you just have to reroute some tubing, disconnect some wires and jump a few others. After that, you are 1/2 way home!

The source for water going into the machine:

My work area:

The solenoid valve, some jumped wires and the water tubing (no more tank!):


So, that is finished, now just to move the fridge and add a "splitter" from the wall to the ice maker. . .right?

WRONG!

Thought that would be the easiest way, but the fittings Chris sent were not the same size so I have to go to option #2 - plumb in from under the sink (Grrrr! Hoping to avoid that!).

Because of the set up of my kitchen, I will have to run the water from under the sink, through two cabinets, out the side of one and on up. None of this will be visible, so it won't be an eye sore - but it makes for a lot of work. Also, because the cabinets are on an angle - it is gonna be tricky to get it "threaded".

I started by moving a dozen or so empty or almost empty Glass Plus containers from under the sink to make room. After that, I started drilling through the sides of the cabinets:


I THEN spend the next 10+ minutes trying to stick a coat hanger through two of the holes to get the tubing through.



Once through, I used what eles? DUCK TAPE! (You can add this to the 1,000,001 uses list!).

A little tug and:


After that I disconnected the cold water supply to my faucet, added the splitter, reconnected, checked for leakage, and plugged the tube into the John Guest fittings (which work wonderfully!) and I was good to go!

The finished product:


What took me so long?

I've taken too much time off lately and will get back on the horse. I've got lots of catchin up' to do, so be patient with me. . .

I lied, new tamper makes it's way in.

Okay, okay, I lied. . . sorry!

If you read on my blog entry about the Espro, it was supposed to be my one and only. There was simply no reason to look any futher than the Espro tamper. Solid, feels good in my hand, tells me when I hit 30 pounds, what else could a guy ask for? Well, I’ve been reading CoffeeGeek.com and Home-Barista.com quite a bit and there is endless debate as to if a flat bottom or a convex bottom is the way to go. It got me thinking (and that is saying a LOT!).

So, welcome home to my Deluxe Lava Tamp with a CONVEX base. I doubt I'll use this new tamper much for when I use my spouts, but for a naked extraction, I think it might make them more 'porn worthy'. So far, the results have been hit or miss (more hits though. . .).

The Lava Tamp also feels good in my hand. Slightly lighter than the Espro, but still substantial. The height too is very close to the Espro tamper. You can see how they stack up below:

The convex base versus the flat of the Espro.


Now that I have a flat and a convex, we'll see if I can hold off from adding to my ever growing collection of espresso gadgets. With this order, I added two new frothing pitchers and a Pallo group head brush (still en route).


I'm hoping not to run out of room or even more so - the wife not running out of patience!

YIKES!

HAIR BENDER!

Okay, I got my first order of Stumptown’s Hair Bender Blend in. Fresh roasted and rested a few days, just right for pulling! This blend is fantastic. I will gladly re-order and I like the fact that it doesn’t become sickly sweet after it’s first week. Thick, rich and gooey! A whole latte yum (har-har)!

I pulled shots for sippin’, I pulled shots for iced lattes, I pulled shots for macchiatos, I pulled shots for cappuccinos. . . I pulled all kinds of shots and they were all FANTASTIC!

A naked pull early on in the week:


Another, goopey, gloppy shot:



The start of a beautiful naked pull.



My overstretched milk, I like to coin this one the 'Plumber's Crack' ;)


I’ve also got a pound of their Ethiopian Sidamo to pulls as Single Origin espresso and I can’t wait to get into it!

Honey'ed Espresso

Based on an idea from Mark Prince's CoffeeKid.com, I decided to try a honey'ed espresso.

Granted I just used some Publix honey - I think I might search out what he used and give 'er a try.

Pre-heated my cup (inside and out) to help the honey melt. Used the hot water wand on my machine:

Dump the water in the Demitasse and let the honey sit for a while to melt:

Ready for brewin'!

And the shot:


Although pretty good, I think I needed more honey. It sweetened it just a tad but I thought the honey flavors would come through more. I'll try again by the end of the weekend!

Macchiato Madness!

During the last week or so I’ve been pulling the Red Sea Blend from Intelligentsia. As an espresso shot, it wasn’t doing it for me. Had a bit of a bite, a harshness I didn’t care for. I did however LOVE it in milk drinks. My morning routine is to make a HUGE latte for the Mrs. and then use the ‘scraps’ in my steaming pitcher for my drink. I should maybe pour mine first and then I could maybe get a little art in my cup – but I put off my drinks until I’m finished with hers. I’ve just started drinking macchiatos and a have been loving them. The dollop of milk cuts the bite just enough to make the Red Sea Blend wonderful. After my morning macchiato – a little Splenda in the cup makes it palatable as a shot. Maybe I’m brewing this at the wrong temp, maybe it’s the blend. I don’t know, but I do know if I order more – it’s getting cut with milk each and every time. . .

I love the Espresso Monkey cups from SweetMarias!






Not pretty, but they do the job!

Intelligentsia’s Yemen Sanani

Because of JonR’s posts on CoffeeGeek.com, I decided to pull the trigger on this coffee to pull as espresso. Ordered on a Monday or Tuesday and delivered freshly roasted on Friday, it was degassed and ready to go.

I will say, this coffee was the gooiest, gloppiest espresso I’ve ever pulled. The pictures don’t do it justice and my ‘trigger finger’ was always a split second behind in snapping the big gooey glops that landed in my cup.

This produces my favorite shots to date through the Andreja. As straight espresso, it is spicy, potent and it absolutely coats the palate and lingers for what seems like days.

I pulled shots for my wife’s lattes and used the left over steamed milk for a few macchiatos, they were incredible and now I’m hooked! The Yemen Sanani also does incredibly well in milk drinks and makes a great cappuccino. I think this is a must have and I’m going to be sad when it’s gone!

Also, I know I don’t have the pictures to prove it, but after this thread on frothing, my microfoam has improved immensely and I poured a perfect heart for my wife’s latte on Thursday morning. Soon, I’m going to attempt some other pours. . .

Double in my Gaggia Demitasse Cup:


It’s ‘go time’!




In da cup:












It does seem like it’s starting to really come together.

Cuban Caracolillo Rested

I revisited this morning. The espresso really came around and became fuller flavored. I wouldn't say the flavors changed at all, only they intensified and it became less boring. I'm drinking this on day four and as one of the rules with espresso, days 3-4 onward really help the coffee shine.

Distribution really improved, yet I have that one 'spot'. The striping is improved too!

Near the end of the shot, before it went thin and started to blonde. THICK and GOOEY!

My microfoam continues to improve, I am not even trying to pour art. I am going to look into a new pitcher as mine is beaten, ragged, and the spout is all mangled.

A little Splenda, a stir and it was good to go!

Cuban Caracolillo Single Origin

I wanted to continue my experiments with single origin coffee pulled as espresso. This Cuban Caracolillo (Caracolillo means little snail as these beans resemble snail shells, they are a peaberry), was roasted City+ and should be roasted darker as the coffee takes dark roasts really well. It is rich, earthy, and nutty. I don't find it overly complex when brewed into coffee and it wasn't overly complex as an espresso. It was only 2 days old, so I'll see if it comes into it's own over the next 2-3 days - but I'm not holding my breath. A great 'plain Jane' coffee, but it has never been spectacular to me.

I started with a double pulled into seperate shot glasses. It poured a little over an ounce in each right at 25 seconds - the grinder is close. . .



The finished shots:


Both were very smooth and didn't require any sweetner as they weren't the least bit bitter.

Next I pulled a double through my naked PF, again - my shots look blond and thin - but they really aren't. I can't get the beautiful Tiger Striping I was getting near the end of my relationship with the Gaggia. I'm not certain why - but practice will hopefully make perfect.




This double was for a cappuccino. It did well in milk, but didn't blow my mind. Again, it needs more rest or it needs to go futher in the roast.

Last of all I was sick and tired of the "blonde" looking shots. I opened all the windows, turned on the lights and turned off the flash. The pictures are not pretty at all as they are out of focus due to the shutter being open for a titch longer than with the flash. If I pulled out the tri-pod it might help. The next pictures are from two doubles that I pulled for an iced coffee. 1/2 espresso, 1/2 milk with 2 Splendas. 8 shots so far today, I'm wired. . .











I'm having fun with the single origins and think my experiments may take me to Mexico next. . .

Outta Focus. . .

It seems as my shots on the espresso machine improve, my photo skills seem to be going the other way. I'm not sure how the camera focused on the machine behind but not the shots in front, but somehow it happened.

Here is a sequence of a Redline pull from a few days ago:





Nice cinnamon speckles on top:



And one NAKED!

My shots are tasting better and better, but as it always seems - the best looking Naked shots seem to escape the camera. . .

Getting more comfortable with the set-up

Here are a few more 'shots' from today. Oh so slowly, they are getting better. They do look a lot better in person than on film as the lighting makes them appear blonde.

Metropolis Redline

Just got my order in, roasted 06.28.06, so it's degassed and ready to pull. I had heard SO much about this blend and I was really looking forward to it. Not only did my order arrive as requested, but "Chris the Roaster" included a little sample of a single origin coffee. I think I'm going to pull a double to try it as espresso and then brew the rest as a drip.

Thanks "Chris the Roaster"!

I pulled my first shots with a double basket, in my spouted portafilter. It pulled the perfect amount in about 24 seconds. . . I'm pleased. Crema up the wazzoo, beautiful color, mmmmmmm! I sipped both the singles and it was likely the best shot of espresso I've EVER had. Could be the beans, could have been the pull, likely was a bit of both. I'm in love and am pumped I have 2 pounds of this THICK and GOOEY goodness!

Next was the naked pulls for a cappuccino:





This was a better distribution than I have been getting with my new set-up, but no where near perfect. I'm happy with the direction I'm heading, but I have a long way to go. Redline made an excellent cappa as well. It is great in milk, but I think I prefer it on it's own - just a straight shot, nothing added.

Still learning MACAP/Andreja. . .

I've had them paired up for a few days now. It is taking a bit of work to get both machines to work as a unit. Even though some of the shots aren't pretty, the espresso they are putting out is BY FAR the best I've ever had.


The crema is amazing, much fuller and thicker than before with Gaggia/Solis Maestro Plus. This is SweetMarias Monkey blend with about 5 days rest. The shots have been sitting for 20-30 seconds.

The next few pictures show how much difficulty I am having getting my distribution down pat. The shots are pretty ugly. . ..




These three pictures led to a pretty good tasting shot, and my first attempt at latte art. The Andreja steam power enables me to get close to micro-foam. I've got a lot of practice in front of me - but it is MUCH closer than I ever got with the Gaggia.



I'm gonna keep on working at this. . .

MACAP M4 Stepless Waltzes In

So Bezzera BB004 didn't do it for me. I'm not saying it's not a decent grinder, with a few mods, I think it could be fantastic. It is solid with it's abilities and I frankly feel like I got a lemon.

BUT, I needed something to match up with Andreja - the new love of my life.

I called 1st Line and explained to them the issues with BB004. They understood and I was told by Michele that she doubts Jim will make me pay the 20% restocking fee. He is on vacation, so only time will tell. I personally don't have time to wait, so I box it up, ship it back and order the MACAP.

Patiently I wait the 2-3 days for FedEx to arrive. I continue to push the Andreja to it's limits with the Solis - dreaming at night of the MACAP/Andreja pairing.

Thursday comes and the M4 is here. I'm shocked by the heft of the box, almost double what the BB004 weighed and I thought that thing packed a punch. I pull it out of the box, put it on my desk and marvel at the size of this thing. It was bigger than I thought. . . don't know if that's good or bad.




So I remove the finger guard in the doser (so I can sweep it clean). I DON'T RECOMMEND DOING THIS AS YOU CAN INJURE YOURSELF AND LOSE A FINGER TIP!

I placed the M4 next to Andreja, WOW - simply stunning! These two look like they were made for one another. I'm thinking I did pretty well!




This grinder reeks of quality. Fit and finish is that of a fine luxury car. The doser lever is solid. There is a counter to see how many 'doses' you've pulled. The ON/OFF switch has a rubber cover (which I like). The plastic for the hopper and doser bin are thick and solid. When turned on, it runs quiet. The burrs wind down quickly upon switching to 'Off'. The portafilter fork is PERFECT as coffee won't accumulate on it like some of the others with more surface area. Heavy, heavy, heavy. So far, so good - I'm loving it!

So, it's 9pm at night, the Andreja is HOT AS HELL, and I want to dial this thing in! I turn on and turn the worm adjustment to the ZERO point. After I find that, I back off a good bit. Pull my shot and it's about 20 seconds for a 2.75 ounce double. THIS IS WHEN I GOOFED! I went coarser. . .by mistake. 18 seconds, same volume. Coarser, 18 seconds, same volume. Over and over until I notice I'm a dipshit. I start over, find ZERO and then go about 1 number coarser. AHCK! Andreja almost chokes! I figured it out after about a half to 3/4 pound of beans.

The good news is I almost have it dialed in. Bad news is I wasted a TON of beans. Good news, I won't waste too many more as I learned my lesson.

Now, the M4 isn't perfect. It too has 2-3 grams of coffee in the chute after grinding. It does however sweep pretty clean and it is, by far, the best grind I've ever seen. Even, quick, quiet, PERRRRFECT! I haven't used a Mazzer, but I doubt it can produce a better grind. On par, of course - but not better. The doser breaks up clumps pretty well (one of the main reasons I didn't go with the doserless) and has a solid feel to it. This thing will shine when we entertain! On a scale from 1-10, this is a solid 9.5 - only the Mini E would be better for a low volume house.

At this point, I've only pulled about 4 doubles that have touched my lips and I'm VERY happy. I can't wait to continue to play, grind some fresh beans and start snapping pictures. NOW THE FUN BEGINS!

Giddy up!

First day with Andreja!

I will start by saying this machine was never even on my radar. This is un-frickin'-real. It is BETTER than any review I've read, better than I could ever imagine. . . Now I just need to learn how to really use the damn thing. This is a machine that I will likely NEVER outgrow, one that is MUCH better than I will likely ever be. It is 'upgrade proof' and I no longer have envy of any others out there with different machines. This is it! If money was no object (I hit 6 out of 6 on a Saturday night), I'll keep this baby. I LOVE IT!

Also, dealing with Chris' Coffee was an absolute pleasure. It is tough for a company to live up to the hype - especially for me. I am about as nit-picky as they come, I look for shortcomings in customer service and companies as a whole - I can't find one with Chris'. Mary is great, Chris is as well. I called into their service department (more on that later) and Roger was in a manager's meeting - but Jason took the reins. They deserve each and every accolade and all the praise that they get, THERE IS NO BETTER!

So Andreja is sitting on my counter, just waiting for the first test. I fire her up, wait 30-40 minutes for her to warm up and then go to work.

The Solis is ready, but is way outta it's league. Because the Andreja is SO FORGIVING, it does okay - but I can tell Andreja will shine with a premier grinder.

The first shots out of her is a double through the spouts. I grind, dose, tamp, open the brew head up for 6-8 ounces to cool her off and lock and load. I pull a shot that is not as pretty as I'd like, but was oh so sweet in the cup (shot glasses). This is Black Cat at about 2 weeks.




Don't ask me why one is 1/2 ounce more than the other, must have been a user error.

Second is another set of shots:




These are equally as good. For it being day one and shots #1 and #2 - I'm pleased. I know once I get a new grinder and get used to the machine, it's gonna get better and better. Even with the newness and the sub-par grinder, I'm already happier than I was with the Gaggia as these shots were better than about 80% of what came through the Gaggia.


Now it's time to get NAKED!



Not stellar by any means, but good none-the-less. I then decided to do my first steaming session with Andreja. I've read great things about an HX (Heat Exchanger) when it comes to steaming and I'm worried I'm gonna mess this up. I bleed the steam wand, dip it in my 2% Organic milk and let 'er rip.

This machine could steam for DAYS without running dry. Where it took Gaggia a minute to a minute and a half (after coming up to steam temp), this baby got the milk up to temp in 20-30 seconds with no warm up. Oh this is gonna be fun. This is also when the wifey is gonna see the benefit as I will no longer mind making her Triple Decaf Vanilla Soy Latte extra hot. IT'S EASY NOW!


Although I still suck at steaming milk and pouring, this is my first Cappa. It WAS good to the last drop. . .

At this point I no longer care what the MACAP M4 stepless is gonna cost me, I'm sending BB004 back and I will buy the MACAP from 1st Line. It is my hopes that the order will help them forget about the fact that I had to slice the BB004 box open to get it out and I won't have to pay the 20% restocking fee. Jim is a great guy and I'm sure he'll take care of me, but I have to have a GREAT grinder to go with this machine. HAVE TO!

Now, not all is perfect in the world of Andreja. I wrote an email to Mary and Chris letting them know:
1) The machine and service I've recieved is UNMATCHED, and THANK YOU! Better than I could have imagined, everything they promised and MORE!
2) The drip tray cover sucks (not their fault). I know there is a new one, what would it cost me?
3) The magnetic floater ball isn't working to tell me I'm out of water, I'm concerned.

I get a prompt reply to call in the morning.

I call on Wednesday morning and while on the phone with Jason, take the machine apart. We believe the sensor is shot. I then get a follow-up email from Mary. They are sending out a new sensor AND a new drip tray cover for my trouble! Are you kidding me? They practically let me STEAL THIS MACHINE, now they are 'upgrading it'? WHOA! Did I mention I love y'all?

Andreja in the House!

So, after a let down with the Bezzera, and waiting over a long-ass weekend, Monday rolls around. Come 4:30pm the Big Brown Truck pulls up, yipee! After a brief complaint by my trusty UPS man (due to the weight), I drag in the box and start unpacking. . .












Of course it's boxed really well and I doubt this thing hardly jiggled on it's way from Rochester. I've read about the difficulty in removing it from a box going solo, but I managed as my adrenaline was pumping!



There she sits on my office floor - remember this is a tax write-off, right? :)


I put her gently on my kitchen counter, read and re-read the instructions and start the boiler filling process (after checking my water hardness with the test strips that are included by Chris' Coffee, by the way - have I mentioned how GREAT they are?).




I fill the resevoir, turn on. Wait 30 seconds and turn off. Wait 5 minutes. Repeat. It took 1 second into the 3rd attempt for the pump to shut off, the boiler is now full! I let it heat up for a while (30 minutes) and since my Solis was dialed in and the Bezzera was going back - I grind, tamp, pull and toss. The machine should now be seasoned. The shot poured a little fast, but it was close and now should be ready for the morning. . . I can hardly wait.

Bezzera BB004

Well after pulling the trigger on the Andreja, the slightly used MACAP M4 fell through. Grrrrrr! I was over budget with the Andreja - so I had to skimp a bit on the grinder (I know, I know. . . the WRONG place to skimp). Instead of the MACAP, I was back to the Rocky or a lesser grinder. I did a bit of reading and thought Rocky Doser or a Bezzera BB004. I liked the looks of the Bezzera quite a bit more than the Rocky (next to the Andreja, the polished steel/chrome look would be a better match). It is a light commercial machine (I thought it would be similar to MACAP or Mazzer), 50mm burrs with a 250 watt motor. All for about $50 less than the Rocky. The kicker is there are hardly ANY reviews on it at all. I KNEW Rocky was solid, but I took a chance. The Bezzera looked eerily similar to the Pasquini machines and knowing that the Livia 90 and Bezzera BZ02 are the same machine internally - I thought the BB004 might be the same as the Moka or K2 from Pasquini.

I logged onto 1st Line and made the purchase. 3 days after the order, FedEx dropped her off. I was giddy with excitement. This machine beat the Andreja home, but I decided I'd use the BB004 with the Gaggia until Andreja showed up.


Here she is in the shipping carton.


Double boxed with peanuts.


Inner box.


In the box, notice no extra padding/packaging?



On the counter.

So, it was all unpacked and ready to go. Initial impressions were not THAT positive. I thought the fit and finish would be a little better for a machine in this price range.

There was a little 'ding' at the top, where the metal meets.


One at the bottom as well.


Rough edges around the doser lever.

It was also missing a screw in the bean hopper.

I figured it would soon take a beating, so I was more concerned about it's output. I loaded up some beans and started to dial in.

I turned it on and it (lids and other pieces) rattled rather loudly. MUCH louder than I would have expected. This concerned me too, I wondered how long it would hold together with a 3-5 double a day output load.

Coffee got stuck in the throat (going into the doser). I'd guess it was roughly 2-3 grams worth after grinding for a double. I did some reading and this seems to be a common issue with dosered grinders. I went to Home Depot and got a 6 pack of little acid paint brushes to sweep this coffee out and then pulsing the power switch helps shoot out the remaining grinds. The doser hole was small, but no smaller than any of it's competitors.



Initially I had issues with it grinding too course, but I found out that was user error. I found a grind that would choke my machine and then backed off a little bit. This is a stepped grinder and I found the steps were too far apart. I would go from an 18 second shot to 24, then to a 29. They seemed to be about 4-6 seconds apart. That worried me a bit. The grind was EVEN, much better than the Solis Maestro Plus and it was a bit quicker (much larger, flat burrs). I figured I could mod the underside of the collar and get it to be a stepless grinder, but there were too many other issues with mine.

You can see the steps reflected below the collar. They are the round holes. This could EASILY be modded to be stepless and offer much better control.

The doser felt flimsy to me and I didn't find it to sweep cleanly. This too is an easy modification with electrical or Duct tape (it can be searched at coffeegeek.com).

You can see a 1/8-1/4" gap between the 'sweeper' and the edge. Also, the 'sweepers' didn't rest on the bottom and left behind grounds.

When I pulled shots side by side with the Maestro Plus, I found the Bezzera shots to offer more crema and they were much sweeter tasting. This was a very noticible difference.

So I had a grinder that I felt comfortable enough that it could handle the load, produce a fine enough and consistent enough grind to get along with my Andreja. It had flashy good looks but felt flimsy and was noisy. After sleeping on it for an evening, I decided she had to go back. I was back to Rocky, MACAP M4 or Mazzer Mini - I'll just have to get creative and find a way. . .


You gotta admit, it's ALMSOT a match made in Heaven!

New Equipment???

You all are about to go on a journey with me, a journey that I had no way of knowing it would end up the way it did. . .

I'm hopelessly addicted to espresso, can't get enough. Obviously so, as I'm taking pictures and writing an 'online diary' about it. I love the fact that I have a naked portafilter with my Gaggia so I can take pictures and share them. I don't worry about the occasional scorching 'shooter' from a poor distribution/tamp. No, no - it's all about getting that 'shot'.

So, I start thinking about an upgrade. Everyone is doing it, right? So what will any espresso snob tell you? That's right, put your money in your grinder. So I figure I'll start with a grinder, go TOP SHELF and get the creme de la creme. I won't look back. After getting the 'Holy Grail' of grinders - I'll then upgrade the machine in a 6-24 month period. Sounds good, eh?

Well I've always known the Rancilio Rocky was the former King of home grinders. Likely better than most will ever need, right? So my search starts there. I'm gonna do a Rocky. But wait, there is something better. A new 'King of the Hill" - The Mazzer Mini.

Wow, the Mazzer Mini. This thing weighs in at 20+ pounds, stands almost 18" tall and is the most consistent, even grinding machine out there for espresso geeks. The Mazzer is the be all end all in home espresso grinders. . . right?

NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND (in my best Lee Corso voice).

The CONTENDER to the Mini is the new MACAP M4. Everything the Mini is and more for a slightly lesser price tag. Similar size, fit and finish of the Mini. Same sized burrs and similar motor. BUT, it offers a cleaner sweeping doser (big plus), a cord that can come out of any side of the machine (not just the left side), and an ON/OFF switch versus a timer (not sure this appeals to me). WOW, a Mini killer right? NOPE! The new contender is a stepped grinder and doesn't offer the fine tuning of the Mini.

Dagummit (in my best Bobby Bowden voice)!

But wait, what's this?

A NEW MACAP M4. . . and it's STEPLESS! Whoo-hoo! That is it! That is my next grinder. I know there is a new Mini, with no doser (the Mini E), but I can't swing it ($) and I like the idea of a doser for entertaining. So the M4 is it, at least for me. . .

So I start calling around, looking for a deal on a returned or a demoed unit - all to no avail. While I'm at it, my dang Gaggia starts sputtering and leaking when attempting to steam. Uh-oh, what now?

What now? Let's do a proposal to the CFO of the 'T' Family. . . that's right - the wifey. So it goes like this:

New Grinder $XXX
+New MACHINE $XXX
-----------------------
TOTAL $XXX
-Tax write off (it IS a business expense when working from home) ;)
-----------------------
NEW TOTAL $XXX
- money already saved
-----------------------
money needed to 'borrow' for BOTH

I got the usual, "If I say yes, will you stop talking about it?"

. . . and BINGO was his NAME-O!

SO, I'm set on a MACAP M4 Stepless and now I need to find a machine.

After thorough research (and I'm talkin' DAYS), I have it narrowed:

Bezzera BZ02 (a Livia 90 in 'cheaper clothes)

Expobar Pulsar


I really wanted the Quick Mill Anita, but I couldn't fund it. So it was between the other two. I hem and I haw, and I decide on the Pulsar. Lookswise it is not quite there (although it is notorious for being poorly photographed), but surprisingly the wife likes it more than the BZ02. I liked the thought of doing a Livia 90 in cheaper duds, but the Expobar called to me with it's smaller footprint, the E61 clone group head and the wife's approval.

Well, I called 1st Line to get a quote on the MACAP, they made a nice offer. Then I called Chris' Coffee. At this point, I wanted to compare those two to a lead I had on a slightly used MACAP M4. When I called the second one, I also asked it they had any demoed Quick Mill Anita's as that was the only way I could get the machine I REALLY wanted. They didn't but they did have an Andreja (Anita's big brother) they were willing to make me a deal on.

I KNEW this way outta my league, but I thought I'd listen. I'm a salesman and I like to be sold, let's see what they've got! Well, this machine was one of the original Andreja Premiums, it just doesn't have the alarm for low water and it had the old style drip tray (more on this later). Mary put Chris on the phone and he started the conversation, "I'm Monty Hall - make me a deal!" I didn't have a clue since this machine was SO out of my league, I didn't know what to say. He went through all the features, went over EVERYTHING and then named a price. . . . WHOA! I love you man. . . SOLD!

JBM Single Origin Espresso

I have a friend that travels to Jamaica quite often. He loves the country and loves to help the poverty stricken while he is down there. Through his travels, he has come to know many of the locals and a few farmers in the coffee business. He has an arrangement to bring some back to sell at fair prices to help the farmers. He has told me of his favorite activity while in Jamaica – getting a newpaper, grabbing a cigar and heading to his favorite ‘hole in the wall coffee joint’. He drinks his JBM cappas and espresso while reading the Sunday paper and smoking a fine Habanos. It really doesn’t get any better than that, does it?

I did his JBM today, rested about 7-8 days. I took it (if memory serves me) 5-10 into second crack, could have been a hair less. . .

First round was my double shots, into glasses to measure and see if the grind was dialed in. The shot poured fast, but it was drinkable. Although the shots look 'blond' it was not, something about the camera/lighting when I shoot espresso.

Flavor was nutty, sweet and dare I say 'winey'??? Did my usual, one with a little Splenda (maybe 1/6th or so of a packet) and one without. It offered a little bite which I liked and which I think will lend itself well in a cappuccino.

Gotta love the Guiness effect!

Looks like mini Pint glasses, huh?

So next was my cappuccino. Took the grinder down a notch and a half (could have gone another 1/2 or full notch). Got a pretty good tamp and distribution and pulled double. Steamed the milk and poured the cappuccino.

Mellow is the way to describe this in milk. SMOOTH! I could honestly drink these all day long. I also think it'd be great to do another few shots with the same amount of milk and do it iced.

This stuff is fantastic and made a nice espresso shot.

Oh yeah, look at my skillz!

Thanks Rich for including me in this latest buy!

-T

UncleBeanz.com NEW Espresso (Final Installment)

Another installment. . .

I tried the two roasts back to back. The first roast (lighter) was ultra-smooth. The second (20-25 seconds into second crack) was good too, but I think it took on too much of the roast characteristics. It was more potent, more smokey.

The grind had to be a bit courser for the second batch as the oils helped 'cake up' the grounds and I got a few 'sprayers' on the first pull.

I agree with Norman, this stuff is best at a little lighter roast. Not a robust, in your face, espresso - this espresso has class and elegance, almost like an aged wine.

I did a few more cappuccinos today with it and I am finding myself reading and learning more to hone my skills. The espresso is coming along, not perfect but coming along. My milk frothing leaves a lot to be desired.

Not my best 'shots', but I'm working at it!

UncleBeanz.com NEW Espresso Blend Part II

Today's installment:

After some added rest, I believe I need to take this blend a little further into the roast. I've still got enough roasted for the next few days. After that, I'll try it darker and see how it comes out. I would dare say it's almost TOO smooth.

I also thought I'd try something new today with this Beanz blend. This stuff is SO smooth - almost like a Chocolate Silk Pie. I thought I'd go against what I always do and try a 'milk drink'.

She sure is purdy. . .

Mmmmmm

In the cup.

The finished product (I can count on one hand the number of times I've attempted this). Not too bad, eh?

The Beanz esprsso blend makes ONE HELL OF A GREAT Cappuccino.

UncleBeanz.com NEW Espresso Blend

Uncle Beanz is one Hell of an operation. Not only do they roast some of the best coffee around, not only are they run by one Hell of a great guy – Norman, but they are also great people – philanthropists. . . they care.

Recently, OUT OF THE BLUE / FOR NO REASON, they sent me a bunch of Beanz to try. All they asked is that I roast them and post a review. As much as I'd like to do the review justice - I have a hard time pulling flavors out of coffee. I often know if it is bold or soft and if I like it or not. That is about it. A few other things come to mind: acidity, sharp, etc - but my mouth can't pick up the tiny nuances that others can in coffee.

My thoughts on this, the newest Beanz espresso blend, is this: Chocolaty, slight hints of fruit with a nutty aftertaste that goes on for days (I can't do better than that). Roasted last night to a Full City roast, this blend of Beanz produced LOADS of crema. The smell of roasted and brewed Beanz filled my kitchen - and I ain't complainin'. This stuff was great. SMOOOOTH! One of my favorite espresso blends I've had, and I'm not just saying that. I can't wait to try it after it rests some more over the next few days. I often find I like SM's espresso blends on days 3, 4 and 5.

Anyhoo, thank you kindly Norman - this stuff is great!

My set-up (paper towels are needed because the naked portafilter tends to send 'sprayers' if you don't get a good distribution and tamp):

Heating the portafilter, group head and cup:

Solis Maestro Plus doing it's job nicely:

The Espro tamper is GREAT for newbs and experienced espresso junkies alike. It 'clicks' at 30 lbs of pressure, taking the guess work out of your tamp pressure:

All tamped and ready to go:

Here it starts:

A second later:

In full swing:

Shot #1 in the cup:

After a quick stir:

Mmmmmmm, all gone!

Shot #2:

Shot #2 in the middle of the pull:

GOOD STUFF!

Thanks again Norman!

-T

Ethiopian Harar Horse Lot 19 as a Single Origin Espresso

Don't know if any of you have experience with this, but I thought I'd try it out. I just got a shipment in from SM and I decided to try the Ethiopian Harar Horse Lot 19 as an espresso and then a cappuccino.

As espresso, I did two shots. One with a little Splenda (blech!) and one straight. The Splenda shot was sickly sweet and I dumped half of it. The other started off very nice when HOT. It was fruited and smooth. As it cooled, it lost all character and wasn't all that memorable

Picture of shots to follow:

Next I pulled a double to make into a cappuccino. My grind was close to being dialed in, so I felt safer with the naked PF.

The cappuccino was pretty good, but a little too smooth. I think espresso with more bite usually makes better milk drinks. I pulled the double, steamed and frothed my milk and poured it. You can see how amazingly quick my latte art skills are coming around.

The ESPRO Tamper

Well, I've got a decent machine. In my opinion - Gaggia offers the most 'bang for your buck' in the wonderful world of espresso. I've got a grinder that will do the job. I'm pulling good shots - but I hate each time I pull out that cheap, plastic tamper that came with the machine. Proper tamping requires approximately 30 lbs of pressure to pack the grinds. Every one tells ya to get out the bathroom scale and practice. Well, I don't want my bathroom scale ANYWHERE near the machine or equipment that makes this sweet nectar of the Gods (at least one of the sweet nectar's of the Gods - others being beer, wine, bourbon and Dr. Pepper).

So I do a bit of reading and find out about this Espro tamper. It 'clicks' at 30 lbs of pressure, each and every time. PERRRRFECT! That is EXACTLY what I need to take one of the many variables out of the equation for the perfect shot of espresso.

So I ordered it from Our Coffee Barn and it was promptly delivered with a sampler of their espresso (pretty good stuff if memory serves me). This baby is a work of art. HEAVY, the feel of quality and a simplistic beauty. Not only that, but MY tamper is better than YOUR tamper because it TELLS me when I hit 30 lbs. Now I've got a good idea where the tamping should be. . .


This could be the last tamper I ever own. I see no need to have a 'practice' tamper as well as a 'game time' tamper. It will help me with each and every shot I pull. I know there are some beautiful Lava tampers, rosewood tampers and of course Reg Barber - but I'm happy as can be with the Espro and can't see a reason to look at another (unless that other is a convex tamper, Hmmmm??).

Mmmmm, espresso!

After home roasting for a while and drinking TONS of Zojirushi drip coffee, I go to Italy for work.




I've always enjoyed espresso, but never really tried my hand at it. I simply didn't understand it and thought it too fussy and difficult. After my trip to Italy, I HAD to learn how to do it. Each morning, I drank it at my hotel. 3-4 times a day we drank it during a 'break'. After each meal we drank it to cap off an excellent meal. God, I love this stuff! I spent a Saturday in Venice by myself and went to roughly 8-10 different cafes to have espresso. I'd walk out after paying my .85 Euro and started looking for the next spot. . . I was addicted.

I found a moka pot and thought that would do the trick. I never got that thing to work. I also brought back some roasted and ground LavAzza to try in my Mr. Coffee espresso machine. I got Mr. Coffee for a wedding gift about 4 years earlier and tried it a few times. It was messy and produced sub-par espresso. I was determined now as I HAD to find a way. . . I DID get that to work, but it wasn't doing it for me compared to Italian stuff.

After drinking this for a month or two, I decided to kick it up a notch. I needed good espresso in a quick and easy package. I convinced my wife to allow me to purchase a new machine and decided on a SuperAutomatic from WLL. Those friends of mine, in the know on espresso, tried to talk me out of it - but what do they know? I took delivery, drank so-so espresso for a day and couldn't get over the size of the thing on my counter. Called WLL, boxed her up and shipped her off. Hmmm, what now?

That's right, a refurbed Gaggia Evolution from WLL. I didn't yet have a decent grinder as I was going to do the pre-ground stuff - but it'll be fine. . . right? NOPE! Grind wasn't fine enough and water just poured through. On to my next purchase:

A Solis Maestro Plus to round out my set-up. Can't get any better than this. . . right?

New to this Blog Game. . .

. . . But I thought I'd chronicle my journey through the wonderful world of coffee and espresso. Ultimately, this site will be dedicated to espresso and 'Naked Pulls'/espresso porn - but I want to lay the groundwork first.

I've been a coffee drinker for the last 10 or so years. Started with my first real job out of college. . . needed it after all those late nights at the bar with my co-workers/friends. Got me through my day. So I drank a lot of swill that I am almost embarrassed to admit today that I drank. Drank coffee to the point that my doctor advised that I should cut back, well lookie here at the latest article that states drinking coffee is going to save my liver. Whoo-hoo!

So anyhoo, fast forward to a year and a half ago. A lot of my friends advised me that NO coffee is quite like HOME ROASTED coffee - so I took the plunge.

Here are just a few pictures of my first night roasting. . .

This is my set-up on my first night of roasting. You can see the importance of things like a cigar and a glass of beer/wine for a successful night on the back porch.

Just starting to heat up and smellin' REALLY GOOD!

First batch is complete, they turned out MUCH better than expected considering I didn't know what the Hell I was doing.

My trusty helper for the evening, meet Miller B. Miller is a Dudley Yellow Lab and the best buddy a guy could have.

All the batches are complete, one almost found the infamous "3rd Crack", but the rest were perfect and all were much better than anything that can be found at your local grocery.