Archive for the " General " Category

Refractometry and Espresso Quality

There has been some good work done on using digital refractometry to asses total dissolved solids in coffee.  Naturally I was curious to see if a refractometry index (RI) reading could actually be a use ful number to asses the quality of espresso coffee.
I bought the Atago Pal 1 and read up on it.  Refractometery [...]

Geneva Sullivan my partner at Vivace

Dear Reader,
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Often I have written about how small business is so tough it will polish you to your best self, or grind you up. And, in twenty four years it provides ample opportunity to run smack into your limitations. Now in my case I’m a wee bit of a hot house flower and I wilt [...]

Dolce Blend- “Schomer’s Opus”

Dear Reader,
After twenty years of roasting and blending I feel that this year’s Espresso Dolce has all the elements I am seeking, balance, sweetness, and complexity. Please allow me the conceit to label it myself as my opus, the best art I can do.
In tasting, the perfectly pulled shot of this blend reveals salted carmel, [...]

Micro-particle Migration in Conical Grinding Systems

Micro-Particle Migration in Conical Grinding Systems
Let me start with an unusual apology this time….A few years ago I announced that I was partnering with LaMarzocco to design a direct dosing, conical-burr grinder. I am very embarrassed to admit that we failed to produce any machine. The “S-Grinder” project has ground (hee-hee) to a halt. LaMarzocco [...]

EQUIPMENT-Steam Tip

Dear Reader,
Something new under the sun…the “Foam Knife One” from Espresso Parts NW is a steam tip with a slit on the end, about 6mm in length, and a 1.2 mm hole in the center of the slit. It fits on LaMarzocco and Synesso machines. I recieved it in a sample pack of three innovative [...]

Espresso Theory-Water Purity and Mineral Content

Dear Reader,
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Let’s revisit a factor I have not written up for 15 years.  Water purity and mineral content.  For about a year in 2006 we had water formulators to “tune” our brewing water to a specific mineral content.  The effect on the flavor of our coffee and tea was sublime.  But what is the best water [...]

Espresso Theory-pressure profiling

Dear Reader,
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Pressure profiling essentially describes the abilityof the espresso machine to change the brewing pressure during the extraction of a shot and then save your changes in a program to be repeated on the bar.  The hope, of course, is to improve espresso coffee.
I see no increase in espresso quality through pressure profiling.  My opportunities to play [...]

Equipment-direct dosing grinders

Dear Reader,
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After many efforts to assist in the manufacture of a new grinder with no Italian-style dosing hopper (read: air/coffee mixing device that contributes annoying clacking sounds to the espresso bar) I decided to just outfit my own DRM grinders with Mazzer cones. (I use the mixed-burr model with the rubber drive belt.) A few [...]

Artisan business-structure and philosophy

Dear Reader,
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Once again thank you for your patience waiting for my infrequent posts.
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Back when I was reading everything, the early 70s, the book that I was the most influenced by was a philosophical tome by Robert Pirsig.  With a pink cover and the pop title of “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”,  I had [...]

EQUIPMENT REVIEW-LaMarzocco GS-3

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Right now I think it is fair to say that the espresso machine world is in the midst of a revoloution.  The march toward the stabilized brewing water temperature, employing digital controls and improved group head designs, is no longer the sole domain of Synesso and LaMarzocco.  That means I may not be aware of excellent equipment [...]