Pallo Coffee tool

    The Pallo Coffee tool is a group head brush. A group head is the receiver for the portafilter, which includes; the screen, the gasket, and the groove. So, why do I need a “group head brush” couldn’t I use any old brush? Well yes, if you like burning your hand and not removing all of the coffee grounds hiding in the group; then ya, go for it. One of the things that makes this a great  tool is the brush itself. Each bristle is a thick round, made of a stiff nylon. Also they are arranged in a circle and the bristles are long, about an inch, so they fit up in the groove where the portafilter fits into. There is also a stainless steal poker which can be used to unclog your steam wands hole or holes. Another great thing is the handle. The handle near the brush has a ribbing that deflects the water down keeping it from traveling down the handle and onto your hand. The handle has a thumb rest and is angled so as you hold it the brush and ribbing remains parallel to the ground while your hand is at a comfortable angle. There is a measuring spoon at the end of the handle which is about one tsp. and is perfect for measuring out JoeGlo a back flushing detergent (also one of Pallo’s products ). Another great feature is that the bristles are replaceable, they just screw in place.  I know that this is the most used espresso machine tool I have, also it is quite possibly the best $9.00 I have spent to keep my machine clean.



Once Again The Pros:
1.Inexpensive Around $9.00.
2.Does a great job at cleaning your group head.                                                                 
3.Comes in 3 colors, red, black, and orange.
4.Very durable.
5.Replaceable bristles.
6.Easy to clean.

And The Cons
1.The replacement bristles are a bit pricey three for around $9.00

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Pallo Coffee tool by Noah Brewer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Black Cat Project Cups by Intelligentsia Coffee: The Small Latte Cup

    So, Intelligentsia with Notneutral  has come out with a new line of coffee cups. Right now there is three to chose from; the cappuccino cup with a capacity of  6oz, the small latte cup which holds 8oz and the large latte cup that has a capacity of 12oz. I also found on notneutral’s site, that they have an espresso cup and coffee cups coming soon. The “coming soon” cups have the same design as the existing cups offered, excluding the Intelligentsia logo. Now, whether Intelligentsia will have them is unknown to me but I think that it would be a safe bet that they will.
    I bought the small latte cup back in April, at that time they sold them individually, as it is they only offer them in a set of two. Because I bought only one cup at first and now that they are only sold in a set of two I now have an odd numbered set and no way to fix it aside from breaking one. I do plan to buy the other sizes (and buy one more set of the small latte so I will have 4 oh ya 5). I thought I would buy the cup in the middle before the cappuccino or the large latte primarily because I knew I would use the small latte cup the most. I will review the other two sizes separately when I buy them.     
    On to the review. The following is for the small latte cup and saucer only. The cup holds a little over 8oz to the brim, and 7oz comfortably with out worrying about spilling with every little movement. The cups are nice and heavy, between 12ozs and 13ozs and that heft will help hold heat better. They are made of  “fine porcelain” according to notneutral and they look and feel very nice in your hand, definitely not a cheap cup. The handle is well thought out, there is a wide portion to rest your thumb with your index finger in the loop and the middle finger under the loop, supporting most of the weight. The cup has a nice balance in the hand and for me is not fatiguing to hold. Also, the lip has a nice taper and is not to thick making it easy to drink from. As for the durability, well, I have dropped one while washing it in my sink, though not a massive drop it did survive; I have yet to break any. The cups are dishwasher safe but truth be told, I don’t like dishwashers for my nice cups. Some cups will fade and they tend to get scuffs and scratches so I hand wash all my cups. However, the decision is yours whether you “dishwasher” them or not. The small latte cup is perfect for a traditional latte, one part espresso and two parts milk. So for a double shot of around 2ozs, with the milk 4ozs, and the micro foam for some nice latte art (though I struggle at pouring good art) this cup is perfect. Finally, the look of the cup. There is the Intelligentsia red star on the inside at the bottom, and a red stripe on the outside at the bottom around the circumference of the cup. Flip the cup over and the words “black cat project by notneutral” is on the bottom. The saucer is simple, one size really fits all according to Intelligentsia (no first hand knowledge of that) which is cool. The saucers ridge is a nice fit and holds the cup quite well. The saucer has a valley between the rim and the ridge. So, if you spill the liquid it will not get on your table nor will the liquid get to the bottom of the cup and be dripping on you as you drink. Together the cup and saucer have a retro look to them which I like. Overall a great, esthetically pleasing cup to enjoy your coffee from or anything wet really.


                                                                                       
Pros
1.Heavy, holds heat well.
2.Easy to clean, dishwasher safe.
3.Great aesthetic.
4.Does come with matching saucer.
5.Perfect size for a traditional latte.
6.Easy to hold and drink from.

Cons
1.Heavy, could for some, become tiresome with it full.
2.Only is sold in a set of two.
3.Only comes in one color, I thought that the cup would be really cool if it was black with the red stripe(given that it is the “Black” Cat Project)
4.Kinda pricey $34 for a set of two.
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Black Cat Project Cups by Intelligentsia Coffee: The Small Latte Cup by Noah Brewer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Espresso: What you need and need to know. Part Six:Final Thoughts

      Final thoughts. Wow you made it this far… ok, so what could  I possibly have left to say. Well to be honest I could, go on and on and, but I wont. The final word on espresso, is that you will never perfect it. Wait a minuet, what are you talking about? Ok let me explain, its not the destination it is the journey…… ok that was lame, let me try that again. You will never make a perfect shot time and time again, which is not to say that you will never make a perfect shot. That cup of espresso that just blows your mind will happen, just don’t expect it to happen every time. So, why not?  The devil is in the details, a perfect cup is kind of a freak occurrence that can be  helped by doing everything right every time. There are just so many variables involved like: the water, temp of the water, water pressure that is applied by the machine, the tamp, grind size, grind consistency, age of coffee, roast of the coffee, the amount of coffee used, and so many more, and some you don’t have any control over at all. So, is it hopeless? No, not by any means, you just have to take control of the variables that you can control, and wait for the rest to fall in place for that, “god shot”. Every time you make a cup of coffee you will get better at controlling things. I would say that you raise the bar, every time you make espresso. What tasted good a month ago, that if you could go back in time and make your self a cup you probably wouldn’t like it. I would even say that someone whom has been making espresso for 30 years plus still has room for improvement. So it is a never ending pursuit of perfection, a very tasty pursuit to be sure. I hope that all of my rambling (no not of a mad man) will help you make an informed decision and get you on your way to making outstanding espresso. Aside from this series, there are some really great resources out there, I will include a list of them.

Places to buy your gear:
espressoparts
greatinfusions
chriscoffee
wholelattelove
aabreecoffee
seattlecoffeegear

Places to learn:
coffeegeek
home-barista
epicurious

Places to get great coffee:
Zoka Coffee
Ecco Caffe
Intelligentsia Coffee
Counterculture Coffee

And some great books:
Coffee: A Guide to Buying, Brewing, and Enjoying, Fifth Edition
Home Coffee Roasting, Revised, Updated Edition: Romance and Revival
Espresso: Ultimate Coffee, Second Edition
The Professional Barista's Handbook: An Expert Guide to Preparing Espresso, Coffee, and Tea
The Coffee Companion: A Connoisseur's Guide
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Espresso: What you need and need to know. Part Six: Final Thoughts by Noah Brewer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Espresso: What you need and need to know. Part Five:Espresso Extras

    Like what? Well a bottomless portafilter for one. So, what is a bottomless portafilter? It is a portafilter that has had its bottom including the spout cut off, leaving only the portafilter’s walls and locking flanges, making it just a ring. Now there is nothing impeding the flow from the basket allowing you to see the flow and make adjustments accordingly. Adjustments? Yup, say that there is uneven extraction, one side not flowing or just not as much as the other side. Well, now you can see and correct it next time by tamping more evenly. If you did not have a bottomless portafilter you wouldn’t have seen the uneven extraction, it would have been hidden from you. With the bottomless portafilter your espresso will now be improved. How much? Well, it depends, you can do it your self, free, (do some looking online for a how-to). You could send in your portafilter to espressoparts.com for modification, what ever it costs to ship it to them plus $25.00. Or if you order your machine from espressoparts.com you could have them replace the standard portafilter with a bottomless one, free, it was for me but don’t hold me to that price.
    A knock box is another good extra. A knock box will save you some trouble in the removal of the puck. I will not go into this one because I already wrote a review of one and explained why you need it here ,so go read it.
    A frothing pitcher is needed to steam milk in. There are many choices; straight sided, bell, tapered, and some hybrids designed to help in creating microfoam(more on microfoam in the future). So which one is best? To be honest I couldn’t say definitely, however, I use a straight sided steaming pitcher with a handle and a well defined pour spout, not a pour lip. Just be sure that the pitcher is 18-10 stainless steel and that it is heavy. If you can bend or crush it in one hand, its junk, don’t buy it or if you did buy it return it(though if you crush it, it might be hard to explain when you return it). You should also buy a steaming thermometer, it will help you get the right temp until you get the hang of feeling the right Temp. Get a thermometer that has a large face at least one inch in diameter, and has clearly visible numbering.
    Timers, measures, and cups. You will need a shot timer, any one that can do seconds is just fine. A digital scale is also helpful, I wrote a review of one hear . A scale can be used to measure the amount of ground coffee placed in the portafilter and to measure the shot so you don’t have to pull the shot into a measuring glass, you can use the cup that the espresso will be drank out of. That leads me to cups, many many, choices are available. To make this short there are three main choices. There is an Espresso cup this holds around 2.5 to 3.5 oz. A cappuccino cup, they hold between 4 to 6oz. Lastly there is the latte cup which usually holds around 6oz to 8oz.The decision is up to you, but with all of them you should look for ones that are heavy and hold heat well, other than that, just pick ones that you like. You should be good to go.
    Cleaning supplies are next. Like what? I would suggest that you get a Pallo Coffee Tool, they are the best thing for cleaning your group, dispersion screen and group gasket of coffee debris. Also a stainless steel brush, a brass brush and a nylon brush, is also helpful. Just be careful with the brass and stainless steel ones, you wouldn’t want to scratch anything, brass on brass and steel on steel or chrome with caution. Also some back flush detergent like JoeGlo and a blind portafilter basket(also called a backflush filter or backflush basket), just be sure it fits your portafilter size, most are 58mm. Back flushing is good for periodic cleanings, I would suggest that you do it once every weak. A Steam Wand Brush is also handy, Pallo makes a nice one. You’ll also need some descaling granules, powder, liquid, whatever the case may be, to remove scale buildup in your boiler. Whether you use filtered water or not, scale buildup will happen and if it is not taken care of it will ruin your water flow and the machines ability to heat properly. I descale once every three or four months. Just use the instructions on the package.
    Next, is some tools. Now you cannot be sure of what size wrenches you will need ,but you will need some. When you get your machine get some calipers or something to measure the following: the steam wand tip, and the steam wand bolt(where the steam wand attaches to the boiler, it should be visible, not internal). Also you’ll need either a Philips or a Standard screw driver the stubby ones are best, for removing the dispersion screen and plate.
    Spare parts. You should buy a few parts to be safe. I suggest that you get; a Group Head Gasket, a Steam Wand o-ring or rings depending on the machine it may have more than one, a Group Head Screen, and a Boiler Gasket. For some machines they sell a Maintenance Kit, or an emergency repair kit, these are good a choice they usually include all of the aforementioned parts and some screws, etc.
    Finally the water. Yes water, coffee is something like 98 percent water so it would be safe to say that it is important to have good water. If you have good tap water that you would drink, you could use that, but even so I still would use a water purification system of some type. Like a 2 stage activated carbon filter from either Britta or Pur, or even better a reverse osmosis system(a bit pricey though they are the best solution out there). Using filtered water, besides making a better cup of coffee, will reduce scale buildup and help reduce long term problems.


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Espresso: What you need and need to know. Part Five:Espresso Extras by Noah Brewer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Espresso: What you need and need to know. Part four:Tamp

     The tamp is important because it compresses the ground coffee into a tight puck, which is needed for a proper extraction. Too much pressure applied with the tamp and the shot will be short, too light, and the water will flow too easily thought the puck. Also, if the tamp is uneven the water will not flow evenly through, under extracting one half of the puck and over extracting the other.
     How do I get a good tamp? You should use a bathroom scale to make sure that you are applying the right amount of force, that is 30lbs. Secondly keep your arm straight, eventually you will get to know the feel of 30lbs and you will not need the scale. Does the tamper I use matter?, yes and no. Yes, don’t use the one that came with your espresso machine it is likely to be one of those cheep plastic things, just throw it away and buy a real tamper. No, any tamper that is steel or aluminum, heavy and is comfortable to use, is a good one. Sure, you could spend over $70 on a custom wood  handle and finish. Will this make your espresso better, no, but it sure looks nice. Also be sure that the tamper is the right size for your basket.


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Espresso: What you need and need to know. Part four: Tamp by Noah Brewer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Espresso: What you need and need to know. Part Three:Espresso Machine

    Third is the espresso machine. Why is the machine third and not first? Because, it is only if the first and second are fulfilled that the espresso machine even matters. But the first and second are fulfilled. Ok then lets talk machines. The first thing you need to do is set a budget. Then you should only look at semiautomatic espresso machines. Disregard automatic ones; they are big, pricey and for the money, well they suck. With an automatic you have no control over anything. They don’t even make great espresso and the ones that make good espresso are just to expensive in my opinion to be justified. As for manual machines, well they are not for beginners. They offer to much control and it can be really hard to get a good shot of espresso. So we are left with the semi-automatic ones, which offer the perfect amount of control for the beginner and the pro alike.
    Now there are three main types of semi-automatic espresso machines out there. Here they are: Single Boiler, Heat Exchanger and Dual Boiler. Now I am going to assume that you’re new to espresso and your budget is not that much. Therefore, Heat Exchanger and Dual Boiler are out of the picture, unless you have over $1000.
       I will focus on Single Boiler, but most of the upcoming recommendations could apply to both Heat Exchanger and Dual Boiler just the same. What should I look for in a good espresso machine? First off you don’t want one that is steam driven, these are not espresso machines. Just avoid them, they are easy to spot, usually sub $60. They are all plastic and very small, no good for espresso. What you want is a pump driven machine, which is the vast majority of the machines available. The next thing you want to see is a brass group head, this is important because brass holds heat very well. Also, try for a machine that uses a 58mm basket in its portafilter, this is the standard size for most machines, especially home ones. As for the portafilter itself, look for a heavy one, most portafilter’s are made of brass with chrome-plaiting        and it should have a comfortable handle, that is what you want .
     Next is the steam, that is, steam for frothing the milk. One thing you don’t want is a machine that doesn’t have a steam knob. Without a steam knob you will not be able to control the amount of steam that is put out. Secondly, you want a non-plastic steam wand. If the wand is plastic that usually means that it has some type of so called “froth-aider”, avoid these “froth-aiders”. A simple chrome-plated brass or chrome-plated copper or even a stainless steal one with a removable tip will do just fine. The learning curve for steaming milk is not to steep, just do it a few times and you will get the hang of it.
    The next thing is build quality. The less plastic the better. Look for aluminum or stainless steel, preferably 18-10 or 18-8, the first of the two being the best. Try finding a machine with heavy duty switches/ buttons with bright indicator lights. As for the number of buttons, switches or knobs, you will need four; one for power, one for brew, one for steam ,and a steam control knob, that is a minimum, you could have many more. What about those gauges? Not completely necessary, nice but they will not improve your coffee. Weight and stability also matter, because when you’re securing the portafilter in place, with coffee in the basket it will be a tight fit, even after the tamp(the tamp will be explained in next section). So, if your machine is to light or not stable or both, it will slide or tip as your trying to secure the portafilter. Another thing to consider is the water reservoir, the bigger the better. You could use as much as 18oz of water per shot, between temp surfing, brew and cleanup. Also, a reservoir that is easy to fill and one that can be removed is best, especially for cleaning. Another thing to look at is the drip tray, both the capacity and the ease of access and removal.
    One thing that is often over looked is the ease of getting spare parts, especially gaskets as they WILL go bad, so being able to find them is important. So before you decide on your machine take a look around for some basic parts like: the group head gasket, steam valve O-ring, Steam Wand O-ring and boiler gasket, of coarse other things could fail but these are the most common part failures.
    Is there anything else I should look at? Yah, there is a lot more to an espresso machine that I did not talk about, however, if you use the recommendations you should be good to go. Also, before you buy do some research, find out if the machine your looking at has any endemic problems. Try to find someone on a forum that has the machine you like. Ask some questions but remember that people tend to like what they bought. I guess it is a pride thing, few people will admit that they bought a piece of junk, or made a bad decision, especially if they cannot return it. Ask for the downsides or problems, as no machine has no problems. Take all things with a grain of salt(remain a skeptic, yes, even with what I write).


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Espresso: What you need and need to know. Part Three: Espresso Machine by Noah Brewer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Espresso: What you need and need to know. Part Two:Grinder

    The grind and grinder. The grind is very important, it can be the difference in ok espresso and great espresso. Why is that you ask? Well let me educate you on that. The reason the grind is so crucial for great espresso is, there needs to be even and thorough extraction of the puck. So what is the difference between a bad grind and a good grind? Consistency…. that’s the key, that is what you need for a good grind. Every part of the ground coffee needs to be the same, you don’t want large pieces of coffee chunks and likewise you don’t want coffee dust mixed with your ground coffee. Why not? Well if you set your grind size to say “3” but you get some dust say  “½” and you get boulders say “5” you are not getting an even grind. That uneven grind will lead to an uneven extraction of the puck. If the grind is uneven the dust will over extract and be sour, while the boulders are blocking even water flow causing an under extraction. So what is the point of setting your grinder to”3“ when you are getting an inconsistent grind? “Well, there isn’t”. You want to set it to a point and you don’t want it to deviate from that point.
    So what is the solution? A good grinder that gives a consistent grind. Ok then what makes a good grinder? Well, a good grinder always uses burrs not blades, grinders that use blades are by no means good for coffee(however they can make a good spice grinder). With burr grinders there are two types of burrs used, flat burr and conical burr. Which one is better? Better, I could not say definitively, however I will say that I prefer a flat burr set. To me, you get a more consistent grind. Though I know some prefer conical, I don’t.-I have owned both and still like flat burr grinders. There are two main  types of materials used for burrs, they are ceramic and steel, usually stainless. The most prevalent type is stainless steel but there are some ceramic burr grinders, like the Baratza Vario Grinder. I have also seen Titanium burrs, though not many grinders use them and whether they are needed or not is something I couldn’t tell you, as I have never owned a grinder that has titanium burs. Does what the burrs are made of matter? Yes and no, you wouldn’t want burs made of aluminum, (too soft) they need to be strong enough to crush the coffee and hold a sharp edge, aluminum does not fit the bill. So, a grinder in theory could use stone burs if you don’t mind them wearing out quickly. Stainless steal or ceramic is the best bet.
     The short of how burrs work. This applies to both conical and flat burrs. Burrs function in a set of two individual burrs, one upper and one lower. The upper burr is stationary and is the one that is used to control the coarseness of the grind by being lowered down on to the lower burr. The lower burr is the one that is attached to the drive of the motor and is the one spinning which moves the coffee through the set. Together they will crush the bean between themselves.
    The next thing you need to know about is the doser. There are two choices, doser or doserless. A little bit of info, a doser is a chamber attached to the grinder. The coffee is ground into it, then the coffee is dosed into your portafilter basket by the flicking of a lever which drops a pre portioned amount of coffee. The draw back of having a doser is that you have to fill it to get it to work right, which means that the ground coffee that you don’t use will go stale. Unless you are making a lot of espresso in one hit, these are best left to the coffee shops (there are some dosers that do not need a lot of coffee in the chamber to work right but they still will leave some stale coffee in the chamber to fowl your next shot later on). Then there are doserless ones, which is what I have. A doserless grinder grinds straight into your portafilter basket through a shoot, this is the best for home espresso, in my not so humble opinion. Because there are no grounds sitting around to go stale and there is less wasted coffee. One downside of a doserless grinder is that you have to watch to make sure it doesn’t over flow and you usually have to hold the portafilter at the grinder. Now with either a doser or doserless grinder there may be a portafilter holder, this a nice addition but is not a requirement. A portafilter holder does exactly what the name says, it holds your portafilter during the grinding so you don’t have to.
    Next is Motor Speed, fast is not a good thing. Here's why, if the burrs are spinning to fast, the speed will create more friction . The friction will create heat and this is never good because the heat will damage the coffee. Now, a lower speed motor doesn’t mean that it cannot grind a lot of coffee in a short amount of time, that is more a case of torque and the size of the burrs and not the speed of the motor. Just be sure the rpm’s don’t exceed around 1600.
    The next thing is adjustment of the grind. There are two types of adjustment, stepped and stepless usually a worm gear. I will not get into this to much however, stepless is better for espresso because there is more room to dial in your grind, which is needed for getting that perfect shot. The one downside to me, is that a stepless grinder is harder to switch between espresso and say Vacpot or French press, hard but not impossible it just takes some time to get there.
     Throughput is something that should be considered. Throughput is the amount of coffee placed in to the grinder and received after grinding. It’s important because if you put in 30g of whole coffee you should get 30g of ground coffee, not 28g or 29g. Not all grinders will say what throughput they have, so do some looking.
    Finally, if you find a grinder you like, look for someone that has the grinder on a forum like coffeegeek.com or homebarista.com Ask some questions before you buy the grinder, like how long they have had it, how much they paid and, well, any thing that comes to your mind. Anything more I should know? Well everything else is just not as important, like how much the hopper holds or the color or timers, all should be considered, but are not needed for great espresso.
    One last thing on a grinder, if you are buying your first burr grinder with your espresso machine. The grinder should be 50 percent of your total budget, up until the 50 percent is over $700 at that point it is just a case of diminishing returns. I would suggest that you buy the best possible burr grinder, and if necessary wait on the espresso machine and use a Vacpot or a French press, until you have enough to buy the espresso machine you want.


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Espresso: What you need and need to know. Part Two:Grinder by Noah Brewer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Espresso: What you need and need to know. Part One:Coffee

     So, I decided to break up this article into multiple parts, one through six. A new part will be posted each week, after all parts have been posted I will post all of them in one long post. A long time coming, well, here we go.

    The coffee. First off, you need fresh coffee and when I say fresh I mean no more than 14 days off roast. I prefer coffee that is between one day old and no more than seven days off the roast. Now I know that some say coffee for espresso needs to be at least fourteen days off roast, but I think that is a pile of  ……. (control yourself, noah) ok here is what you need to do, get some coffee and hold on to it until it is over 14 days stale, then go and get some fresh coffee that is as close to the roast as possible and make some espresso with each, and decide for yourself. Wow, you’re right the fresh coffee is better than the stale coffee. Yah I know! So how can I get coffee that is only one day off roast?  Well, I would look for some local roasters in your area. No luck? Well, you could try some online roasters. Ok, so online roasters are not exclusive to the internet, they are local to somewhere but they offer their coffee for order. Now the trick is to find one that is close enough to ship ground and get it in no more than 3 days. I am lucky, I live close enough to Intelligentsia Coffee Chicago to get it in one day, using UPS Ground. Now you could use 2 day or overnight but that can be expensive, if you have the money to spare go for it. I will include a list of good roasters, hopefully one is close enough to you for a 3day max of shipping. If not do some looking. I am sure you’ll find one.
    What about the roast itself, I have to buy a “French” or “Italian” roast right? No, not really. The roast does not have to be a “dark” roast or any special roast of any kind, a light roast can be used for espresso. Personally I like a lighter roast for my espresso. Well what about the coffee? I have to buy a special coffee for Espresso right? No and yes, there are single origin coffees that work well for espresso and there are many great “blends” for espresso. Ok, so here’s the thing, making espresso is a very violent thing for coffee, and it will bring out some of the bad traits in the coffee. So finding a Single Origin that can hold up to the task is hard but not impossible. So, what many roasters will do is, “blending“. The roaster blends the coffees by combining different coffees, they may use as many as six different coffees or as few as two in their blend. This is to make up for the individual coffees weaknesses, sometimes the individual coffees are roasted to different levels. Lets say that one coffee by itself is to sour, so they may add a coffee that is more sweet, to help compensate to create a balanced espresso blend. Now that is a simplified version, real blending is much more complex and there are many more variables involved, but that’s the jist of it. Is a blend a bad thing? No, not at all, just remember that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, the same is true for blends. So use a reputable roaster that discloses what coffees are in their blends and don’t be afraid to sample many different blends and single origin coffees to find one you like.
    One last thing on freshness, ….that is, the freshness of the ground coffee, there is no point to having fresh coffee if you grind your coffee and let it sit around to get stale. Coffee will go stale very fast after grinding. The compounds in coffee that are responsible for most of the flavor are exceptionally volatile and they will decay when exposed to the air after grinding. In the same way that un-ground coffee will go stale, just not at such an accelerated rate. Coffee goes stale because of the evaporation of certain compounds in the coffee, mainly the oils which are relatively safe in the coffee “bean” but once you grind, you crush the coffee exposing much more surface area speeding up the evaporation. Here’s how to combat the stale-ing, always grind your coffee at the last possible moment before you use it and store your un-ground coffee in an airtight container, this will not stop the inevitable stale-ing but it will slow it.

Places to get great coffee:
Zoka Coffee
Ecco Caffe
Intelligentsia Coffee
Counterculture Coffee
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Espresso: What you need and need to know. Part One:Coffee by Noah Brewer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Coffee is Culinary

    So, why is coffee culinary? Because, coffee is not just a pick-me-up, though that doesn’t hurt. It is the subtle nuances in the coffee that makes it a culinary thing, not just a energy drink.  Coffee is generally disrespected, used only for its caffeine, as a way to wakeup or to get some energy, and not for the varying flavor profiles. The individual differences of each Single Origin Coffee, varies and all the places that the coffee comes from like; Tanzania, Guatemala, Kenya, Honduras and many more. There is also many ways to prepare this drink, like: French Press, Vacpot, Chemex, Cold Brew and the ultimate way Espresso. Each of these ways bring out a different flavor profile. For all of the reasons, to me, Coffee is  Culinary.

Source Citation:
The first person who i heard  say "Coffee is Culinary" is Mark Prince, however if he was not the first i am sorry.
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Coffee is Culinary by Noah Brewer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Bodum Pavina Double-Wall Thermo Glasses

    A cup review….really? Yes. Why not, cups are important. Without cups how would you drink things, ok maybe out of your hands, but try pulling a shot of espresso into your hands. “Warning do not attempt, if you do you’re an idiot, and don’t try to sue me, you have been warned“! Plus you wouldn’t want to serve your cappuccino or a nice cup of Assam tea in a paper cup, we are not charbucks or a gas station. Ok enough of that, on to the review. First off, double wall cups do hold heat better, it has to do with the second law of thermodynamics. The short of it is that heat moves to cold. So how does the cup being double walled help? Well there is a pocket of air. In general air doesn’t conduct heat all that well so it takes longer for it to reach the second(or outer )wall. Verses a regular cup which once the hot liquid is in the cup, it begins conduction as the heat moves from the liquid to the cup and eventually your hand or table. By having only air, and a small rim where the two walls meet you slow the cooling. Also, it works in reverse with cold stuff and there will be no sweating of your drink.
    Ok, I think that is enough science for now. The glasses have a good capacity, in this case 8.5oz’s. They also sell a 2oz and all the way up to a 15oz. They make a good glass for espresso because you can clearly see how much crema you got in your shot, and there is enough room for either a cappuccino or latte. Contrary to the way they look they are quite durable. I have had mine for over 2 years and the only damage is the Bodum name on the bottom has worn away, not really a problem. They are light, but they don’t feel cheap. The glasses feel good in the hand(though I cant help but want to try crushing one in my hand). Also the lip is a good shape, and they are easy to drink out of. They sit rather stable, and you would be hard pressed to tip one. One problem is that there is no saucer made by Bodum. The glasses are mouth blown so each is a little different. I have one that is larger and can hold more than the rest. It’s a little warped, nothing to extreme, but it is noticeable. As for the price its not to bad, two for a MSRP of  $24.00, but they can usually be had for $17.00and as low as $12.00. Over all a nice straightforward glass that holds heat quite well.

And the Pros
1.Stable not easy to tip.
2.Easy to clean. They are dishwasher safe, though I wouldn’t.
3.Relatively strong.
4.Microwave safe
5.No sweating.
6.Holds heat very well.

Yup the Cons
1.Each is slightly different.
2.No saucer.
3.They are only sold in a set of two.
4.Could be broken if you use a metal spoon , as the inner wall is thinner.
5.Kinda of pricey.



Amazon Links:
Bodum Pavina Double-Wall Thermo Glasses, Set of 2

Other places to buy:
greatinfusions 

And
Second law of thermodynamics

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Bodum Pavina Double-Wall Thermo Glasses by Noah Brewer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0

Escali Primo Digital Multifunctional Scale

    I use this scale every day, no joke. Its used when I bake and cook, when baking precision is a must. I use it when making espresso, helps get that perfect shot, and I even use it to weigh packages to get perfect postage. This scale is great, its a true multi-tasker. Its simple to use having only 2 buttons, the one on the right is the on/off and tare and on the left is the oz/gram. It is accurate to the gram (I tested it). It uses 2 AA batteries which is great, there is nothing more annoying than trying to find those little coin batteries when they go dead. My only complaint is that the display is a little close the scale platform , no big deal but can be a pain. If you are thinking about buying a scale this one is great and at a great price $25.00. Do it, you wont be sorry.

The Pros
1.Uses AA batteries.
2.Many uses around the house.
3.Simple To use.
4.Very accurate.
5.Good capacity of 11lbs (5kg)
6. Relatively easy to clean.

Enter the Cons.
1.The display is to close to the weighing platform, if u use a plate or something large to place on the platform.
2.The plastic that covers the display has a small gap between it the screen and the body, so grime can find its way there.
3.If you are looking for a scale to weigh heavy packages over 11lbs this one is not for you.



I hope you found this review useful.

Amazon:
All Colors
Escali Primo Digital Multifunctional Scale

Other Places:
escali
espressoparts 
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Escali Primo Digital Multifunctional Scale by Noah Brewer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Dreamfarm Grindenstein Knock box

    Dreamfarm Grindenstein Knock box, “what?” Ok let me explain what a knock box is, basically its used to remove spent pucks from the portafilter of your espresso machine. If you don’t have an espresso machine you don’t know how much of a pain it is to get the puck out of the portafilter, its not fun, and most methods don’t work. Well why do you need a knock box?  Just try washing it out at the sink or trying to shake it out, good luck, either way is a big mess. A knock box is an easy way to remove it,  just give it a good bang and out it comes. The main problem with  knock boxes is that they just don’t last, they can’t take the constant abuse dished out to them, though you would think  the designers would know better. Most are made of metal with a rubber coated plastic or metal bar  that you bang the portafilter on, sounds ok right? Nope, often after a couple of months the rubber tears off leaving only a metal bar which will destroy the portafilter. The rivets/grommets that hold the bar in place will  usually give-up, leaving you to jury-rig it so you can use it. In some cases the metal will began to rust if  it’s not a good stainless steel, say 18/8 or 18/10. Now there are others that will stand the test but they are pricey, like those from Rattleware, your looking at $35+. The Grindenstein Knock box is $23.00 MSRP and can be found for $19.99.

Here R the Pros.
1.Great price.
2.Easy to wash, dishwasher safe.
3.It won’t damage your portafilter, the bar is some type of rubber or soft plastic.
4.It can be stored easily, you can keep it under the group with the portafilter in place on most machines  
5.Will stand the test of time and you, pounding on it.
6.They come in a few different colors.

And the Cons.
1.Its short, if a puck is wet or really dry and if you hit it hard enough it might not keep it all in.
2.It will slide around if your counter is wet.
3.Its kind of small, it does hold 6 pucks so if you make a lot of espresso you may have to empty it daily



I hope you found this review useful.

Amazon:
Dreamfarm Charcoal Black Grindenstein
Dreamfarm Steel Wool Silver Grindenstein
Dreamfarm Fire Truck Red Grindenstein

Other Places:
dreamfarm

 espressoparts RED
espressoparts SILVER
espressoparts BLACK

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Dreamfarm Grindenstein Knock box by Noah Brewer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Filtron 1.5 Liter Cold Water Coffee System

    Cold coffee? No cold brew coffee, there is a difference between cold coffee and cold brew. Cold coffee is any drink where in hot coffee is made cold by any means. Cold brew coffee is where the brewing is done cold, the resulting coffee can either be served cold or hot. So why buy a Filtron, cant I make cold brew on my own? Sure, but using a Filtron is much easier every thing is self contained, unlike say using jars and then dumping the coffee through a homemade filter. Doing it that way is fine, except there will be more sediment and to me that is a bit to much trouble when there is an easier way without giving up quality for convince(that is something I would never do).

Here’s the Pros.
1.Easy to wash.
2.Makes a fair amount of coffee in one batch.
3.Thick cloth filter makes a very clean cup of coffee.
4.Lower in caffeine.

The Cons.
1.Slow brew time
2.Both cloth and paper filters need to be replaced.
3.The whole unit is plastic so there can be odor retention.
4.Lower in caffeine.


    How does it taste? The flavor of cold brewed coffee is quite different than the same coffee brewed in any hot method. Cold brewed coffee tends to highlight the roast if it is not a light roast, also it will be what most would describe as “smooth“. To me smooth is a light mouth feel, with little acidity and a non bitter aftertaste, which is why I love it for a good cup of iced cold brewed coffee(cold brewed coffee is nice on those hot summer days, very refreshing).


How to use
    I use 8grams for every 6oz of water, with a water temp of 68F(ok the temp doesn’t matter as long as it is not hot) and I infuse for 18 to 24hours.

First insert the stopper in the bottom of the coffee bowl and place the cloth filter on the inside of the coffee bowl, I would boil the cloth filter before you use it the first time, next you can place the paper filter on the inside of the coffee bowl (however, the paper filter is not necessary, they do help, though I stopped using them because I ran out). Now grind your coffee, I use a 5 on my grinder which is what I use for a siphon. Now add the ground coffee to the coffee bowl, next place the grounds guard and place on the inside of the paper filter so that it keeps the filter from falling in on itself. Now you can place the water bowl on top and add the measured water to the water bowl. At this point place the whole system in the fridge, I stir it every now and then. Wait 18-24h, when the time is up remove from the fridge and remove the stopper, now place the coffee bowl on top of the decanter and wait it will filter slowly. It might take up to an hour, if it stops there might be pressure keeping the coffee from filtering, so I place a little piece of folded paper on the rim of the decanter to break the pressure that has built up. After it has finished you can enjoy your cold brew coffee.



You can order it here at espressoparts

Unfortunately you cant get the Filtron at Amazon.com
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Filtron 1.5 Liter Cold Water Coffee System by Noah Brewer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Bodum 8 cup (32 ounces) Chambord French Press

     Why use it? Well a French press or press pot is one of the easiest coffee brewing methods you could use. Also, it is the best day to day method to really taste different coffees, however the absolute best way to taste coffee for differences is cupping. If you would like to learn more about cupping you can go to coffeegeek. A press pot is also an inexpensive way to get into coffee, a press pot and a good burr grinder will only set you back $100ish. A French press can also be used for tea, though I would not use the same French press, as even after washing it, the coffee residue may contaminate the tea.

On to the review

The Pros
1.Easy to clean.
2.Easy to use.
3.Great way to taste the coffee.
4.It can be used anywhere, you don’t need to plug it in.
5.Variety of sizes, from 1 to 6+ persons .
6.Not that expensive.

Now the Cons
1.Easily broken, at least the glass ones.
2.You do need a way to heat the water separate of the press pot.
3.Not the quickest way to make coffee.
4.There is a lot of sediment in the cup.
5.Don’t be fooled by the metal mesh filter, it will need to be replaced eventually.


    Now what about the coffee? Again no brewing device will improve the coffee, it only presents and highlights the flavor profile differently. As for what the press pot highlights, well it is the most rounded in profile. To me, at least, it is the starting point, it presents the coffee for what it is and doesn’t impose itself on the coffee it lets the coffee shine. Like a good roast, you don’t think about the roast if it’s done right, that is, unless you do think about it and that’s because it’s burnt (and it now tastes like char bucks). The same is true for a French press you don’t think about the French press, unlike say a Vacpot where, at times it is more about the “Vacpot Method” than the coffee itself. Why is it a starting point? Well it doesn’t apply anything to the coffee and the infuse time is long (compared to Vacpot or espresso) and little force is applied to the coffee preventing any over extraction.

How-to use
    I use 8 grams of coffee for every 6oz’s of water and a water temp of 190F to 200F, just don’t use boiling water, with a infusion time of no more than 4 minutes, if you want a “stronger” cup increase the amount of coffee not the infusion time or the water temp.
    First heat your measured water and bring it to a boil, when the water is ready grind your coffee you’ll want to grind it coarse, coarser than what you would use for drip (I use an 8 on my macap m4) it needs to be “hear comes that word” coarse, enough not to clog the filter or squeeze through it. Now that you’ve ground your coffee at the proper coarseness and your water is at the right temp add the coffee to the press pot first, then add the water. Now you need to stir the coffee to saturate all the grounds(use only wood or bamboo to stir), now put the plunger assembly on top be sure not to push down on the plunger yet, set the timer. When the timer goes off, slowly and evenly push down on the plunger bar, if you go to fast hot coffee will spew out and you’ll burn yourself….. dummy, now you can enjoy your French press coffee, that is if you didn’t burn your self.



You can order a Bodum Chambord French Press at Amazon

51-ounce Bodum Chambord French Coffee Press
32-ounce Bodum Chambord French Coffee Press
17-ounce Bodum Chambord French Coffee Press
12-ounce Bodum Chambord 3-Cup Coffee Press

Or at espresso parts

34-ounce espressoparts
48-ounce espressoparts
12-ounce espressoparts 

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Bodum 8 cup (32 ounces) Chambord French Press by Noah Brewer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Aero Press

    The Aero Press is a cool and simple little coffee brewer, it makes an “espresso like” cup of coffee, as it forces hot water under pressure through finely ground coffee, which could be called espresso(using a very broad definition). But to me it’s not espresso, because there is no defined crema and it lacks the consistency of  “true” espresso. Is that bad? No, not really, it has its own unique traits unto itself, in the way it makes coffee.

So here are the Pros.
1.Easy to clean.
2.Fast way to brew coffee.
3.Simple to use.
4.Makes a good cold coffee.
5.Relatively sediment free cup of coffee.
6.You can use it any were, you don’t need to plug it in

And the Cons.
1.Not the best way to start in coffee.
2.Does not make espresso, as it clams.
3.Only makes coffee for one.
4.It is plastic which I don’t like because of the potential for discoloration and odor retention. 
5.You need to heat the water separate of the devise.
6.Only comes with paper filters, no metal or cloth, unless you make them yourself.

    So how does it taste? Well it depends, on how you use it; there are two distinct ways to prepare coffee with the Aero Press, the first I will describe is similar to French press in that you allow the coffee to have a long infusion, this way will be more “strong” in that the coffee is closer to espresso which is good for using in “drinks” and also makes a good cup of  iced coffee. The second method is quicker, with a shorter infusion time which makes the coffee less “strong” and I tend to drink as is, also, to me the second way tends to highlight the acidic traits in the coffee.    

How to use
    I use 20 grams of coffee for every 6oz of water, for both methods, and a water temp of 190F to 205F.

    Method one: first put the plunger half  in the top and barely push it in only enough to get to the number 4 on the infusion tube. Now heat your water, when your water is at the right temp grind your coffee, I grind to about a 4 on my grinder, which would be slightly more coarse than an espresso and slightly finer than a drip grind. Now add the ground coffee to the tube then add the water to the coffee, give it a stir to saturate the grounds. Allow the coffee to infuse for between 2min to 3min, I would not go any longer than that, as it will over extract. At this point you can add the filter and the cap (I pre wet my paper filter, it helps it stick, and not fall off when you put the cap on). After your infusion time flip the whole device over on to a cup( only use a cup that is hardy enough, remember your going to be putting a lot of weight on it with the plunging) and began to slowly and evenly press down on the plunger, don’t go to fast because it could eject hot coffee on you. Now you can enjoy a hot cup of  Aero Press coffee.
A note on iced coffee, I add whole ice cubes in the cup that I am brewing into and it makes a good iced coffee.
    Method two: is the same as method one the only thing different is I grind the coffee to an espresso grind which is a 3 on my grinder. After I add the water to the coffee I stir for 15 seconds straight after that I allow it to infuse for 15seconds, and then flip and plunge. Now you can enjoy your coffee.




I hope you found this “Review/ How-To”, useful.

You can order the Aero Press here at espressoparts

You can order the Aero Press here at amazon AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker

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Aero Press by Noah Brewer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Yama Vacpot

    what is it? well it makes coffee that’s it …. Ok maybe tea, I have never tried it, I’ll get back to you on that.
So why use this to make your coffee. Because it is freaking cool to use, oh yeah, it makes a damn good cup of coffee.

Now on to the review.

First the pro’s
1.Aesthetically it is very nice, that is if you like the lab look.
2. You can use it any where, that is you don’t need to plug it in.
3.It makes a good show
4.The cloth filter makes a very clean cup of coffee(very little to no sediment in the cup)
5.Fast infusion times.(the time the coffee is actually in contact with the water)

Now on to the con’s
1.It is a pain to clean, (without buying special brushes) can you clean it without the brushes? Yes, but it’s hard.
2.The cloth filter is not easy to clean.
3.It can have a long brew time, meaning it takes a while to bring the water to the right temp. even with the butane burner.
4.Low volume, it makes about 20 oz’s
5.Something that could  be easily broken (I have never broken mine but I use caution when washing it)

    Now what about the coffee? How does it  taste. Only as good as the coffee you use.  A vacpot WILL NOT improve the taste, it will however bring out some subtle nuances of the coffee that  French press or drip tend not to . Well then, what does a vacpot bring out in a coffee? From my tasting’s it will  underscore the acidic notes and hide the bitter notes at the same time, some would described it as bright. Using a vacpot will give a clean cup with not much in the case of sediment, making it a smooth cup of coffee.

How to use
    I use  8 grams of coffee per 6oz’s of water. And an infusion time of  60 seconds to 90 seconds at a temp of  190F.
    First put the measured water in the bottom chamber, then put the spurs to it,  bring the water to about 190F take the top chamber and secure the filter in it. Now grind the coffee (I use a setting of 5 on my macap m4 which is a little finer than a drip grind ) remember  grind your coffee just before you use it, because it  will go stale fast. Now secure the top chamber to the bottom and wait until the water travels to the top chamber, take the water’s temp, your looking for 190F  if it’s  to hot just stir, try to integrate air with each stir until you get down to 190F (DO NOT USE metal, only wood or bamboo less chance of breakage) if the water is not 190F yet, just wait,  it will be there soon. At the point the water is 190F, do not remove the flame, it is what’s keeping the water up there, just lower it a bit. At this point you can add the coffee to the water, give it a good stir to saturate all the grounds. Now set your timer, when the timer goes off remove the flame and watch as the coffee is sucked back into the bottom chamber, wait until all of the coffee is in the bottom then you’ll see a large amount of bubbles in the bottom chamber(the bubbles are created by the vacuum in the bottom which is no longer sucking water but instead is sucking air)   that’s your cue to remove the top chamber, your done now pour and enjoy.



I hope you found this review/ how-to useful .


You can find the Yama Vacpot at espressoparts 

Or at Amazon here Northwest Glass Yama Coffee Siphon Vacuum Pot, 1-Unit

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Yama Vacpot by Noah Brewer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.