It's been a big year for grinders... and it's not over yet, because a brand new option just hit the market, the Rancilio Stile. Intended for both home and commercial applications, it appears to be made for some serious use. On the outside it shares their classic understated and straightforward design, and on the inside its sports...
Did you ever look at the Linea Mini... and say to yourself, "I really wish this was smaller"? No? Me either, but just about a week ago the folks at La Marzocco Home dropped something brand new; the Linea Micra. If it looks familiar, that's because its more or less the spitting image of the Linea...
If there’s one thing in coffee... I’m always impressed by its the ingenuity of manual espresso machine design. I’ve used the press, I’ve used the twist, and now with the Superkop, I’ve used the ratchet. And if your first thought during that last sentence was "superwhat?" I was right there with you just a few months ago. I...
When it comes to espresso grinders... the options are seemingly endless. But there are a handful that seem to continuously garner praise among the home barista community, and one that really took off in 2020 was the DF64. It hit the market when single dosing, home grinders were in high demand, and the Niche Zero had...
There are endless rabbit holes in coffee... and roasting is one that's been growing in popularity, especially in enthusiast circles. Over the last few years there have been a handful of coffee roasters hitting the market, like the humble Hive, and the mini workhouse the Aillio Bullet, but there's another option that has been finding its way...
Everyone loves an underdog... and living in the shadow of popular siblings can be a frustrating existence, but the Lagom Mini aims at bringing the premium feel and brewing experience of its bigger burred family members, the P64 and P100, to those not looking to drop a lot of money on a coffee grinder. But they still...
There are few brand names in coffee... that carry as much history and respect as Mazzer. They've been in the coffee grinder and burr business for nearly 75 years and have built a positive reputation across the entire industry. Their burrs have become synonymous with quality, and many other grinder companies build their products around Mazzer's...
As much as I love a classic... pump driven machine, there is nothing quite like the manual espresso maker experience. Each unit is unique in its design, method, and manufacture, but all of them aim for the same outcome: a proper shot of espresso. Over the last few years I've had my hands on quite a...
Rancilio is no stranger to espresso... they've been building machines for 95 years, and put them on home counters in 1997. Over that time the Silvia has become synonymous in home barista circles and is now in its sixth generation. From the humble single boiler, to today's dual boiler with PID and "soft infusion" the Silvia...
Crowdfunded coffee gear and I have a rocky relationship... there's been ups, downs, and everything in between. That same attitude also translates to hand grinders, which as I've said before aren't really my thing. But the Goat Story ARCO is a little different. It's a hand grinder, but also an electric grinder. It appeals to those...
When it comes to brew methods... you can't find two as massively different than espresso and cold brew. One takes 24 hours and the other, 24 seconds. So when I saw the Osma I couldn't help but be intrigued. If you aren't familiar, the Osma is essentially a combination of an espresso machine and a cold...
A humble hand brew... will teach you a lot about brewing good coffee; consistency, grind size, brew time, and how they all correlate, building a solid foundation of knowledge. But one factor still remains more or less a mystery when it comes to traditional pour over designs, and that is water bypass. The term bypass refers to the...
If you've never heard of... the El Rocio Zarre V2 you wouldn't be alone, its a brand and machine I've only recently been seeing over the past couple months. The main reason for this is El Rocio is a Korean made machine and up until their partnership with Prima Coffee Equipment wasn't available for the US...
Okay, I admit it... last week's video was a bit of a tease, but I needed some extra time to work on the full review of my new Weber Key. Which was for many coffee lovers, one of the most anticipated coffee grinders since the Fellow Ode, and we all saw how that worked out. The...
This may surprise you... but I'm actually very risk adverse. So of course crowd funding isn't really my thing, it feels a bit like a gamble, and when I saw the Weber Workshops Indigogo campaign for the new Key grinder I was a little apprehensive. But I found myself powerless, I had no idea how much...
It may not come as a surprise... That capsule based coffee machines have never really been on my radar. That is until I heard of the Morning machine. It boasts some features that seem better suited to top of the line espresso machines. Things like pre-infusion, blooming, automatic volumetric, and three phase pressure control. So if...
The home grinder market... has more or less exploded with options over the last couple years, many of them single dose, aimed at taking on the current king; the Niche Zero. Some of them even touted as the "Niche killer", and now Eureka, a grinder company with over one hundred years experience, has entered the battle...
I've said it before... and I'm going to say it again; espresso is a finicky beast. Anyone who's made it, even just once, has experienced how many variables are in play. Even though getting a tasty shot is based almost entirely on personal preferences, there are still some golden rules to process, and one of them...
I think it's pretty clear... that there is no shortage of accessories on the espresso aftermarket. Each one claiming better taste here and more extraction there, and I've tried my fair share of these accessories and shared my tests and thoughts. It should be no surprise that not all of them can be winners, but that...
For quite some time... beverage enthusiasts have been making and designing their own glasses to elevate their drinking experience, and the company Kruve has continued to try to innovate in the coffee vessel space. It all started with their award winning filter glasses, then the pro-swirl espresso versions, and now with the new Kruve Imagine line...
In the very recent past... handheld espresso was more or less a distant fantasy than it was a true reality. Even though there are multiple accessories and compact options on the market, most if not all fall kind of flat. The Joepresso, and the Fellow Prismo claimed real shots from your Aeropress, and that just isn't...
Just a few short days ago... there was a knock at my door, and there on my doorstep sat a box that I wasn't expecting. It was from Fellow, and after my most recent harsh (but fair) review of their new French press I wasn't sure what to expect. My mind raced. Is this a cease...
In the coffee world... very few manufacturer names fill the hearts of baristas with quite as much excitement as Mahlkonig. With nearly 100 years of coffee grinding pedigree, and a line of legendary cafe heros like the EK43 and Peak, they are finally entering the world of home brewing. The brand new Mahlkonig X54 is their...
It's time for a home brewer renaissance... and it's possible that the Ratio Coffee home brewers will be the vehicle for such a change. Personally, I do love a good pour over, but there is still a place in my kitchen for the perfect brewer...once I find it. Many of the current options have been around for...
Dairy alternatives and I... have a bit of a contentious relationship, I've always wanted to like them, but I feel like they tend to fall short in one way or another. Whether it's how they taste, how they blend with coffee, their foamability or mouthfeel, they just don't check all the boxes. I'm clearly not the...
Home espresso machines... are a growing market, and one of the newest additions is the chic and modern looking Kickstarter funded Xbar. As of this writing its campaign has been funded nearly twenty times over, and still has about a week left to pick up some early bird deals. Like most, if not all, espresso machines...
No one ever said that coffee... was a cheap hobby, and at this point in my whole coffee loving life I've fully accepted that as a reality. Yet, there are still times where the price of some coffee gear really makes me give it a double take, and the Clara French press from Fellow is on...
The time has finally come... after a year of speculation and vague information the brand new Flair 58 has finally arrived on the scene. I've been a big fan of the Flair machines since I picked up the Signature Pro about two years ago. It was my first foray into hand pressed espresso, and I was...
Instant coffee has come a long way... from those dehydrated Foldgers crystals. Today we've got coffee in tea bags, super concentrate, and even specialty instant, but there's still room for the bar to be raised. This brings me to the newest, and dare I say most unique option to enter the market lately, Cometeer. They call...
I've said it before... and I'll say it again, consistently steaming glossy, smooth, microfoam is one of the hardest parts about being a barista. Even I have my off steams, but now there is a new product that claims to help you get that treasured latte art capable foam and it fits in the palm of...
It seems every couple of months... a new distribution tool materializes out of the bottomless dark void that is third wave coffee gear economy. The WPM (Welhome Pro) ESPCUP is the newest contender to an already pretty full arena of tools. With big coffee industry names like ONA Coffee, Pullman, and Saint Anthony's Industries already having...
At this point my digital... footprint may as well be a coffee bean because when some kind of new coffee contraption finds its way onto any platform that I use regularly it will absolutely find its way in front of me. The Seven & Me is one such contraption. It presented itself as a sponsored advertisement...
Making a passable espresso on the Aeropress... is one of those horizons many have attempted, but no one has yet to really nail it. Even coffee industry heavy hitters, Fellow Products, took a swing at it with their Prismo attachment. Now, fast forward to today and the Joepresso is newest contender to enter into that arena...
Paper coffee filters... seem like one of those simple pieces of coffee brewing that pretty much don't get much love in terms of updates and innovation, until now. CAFEC has entered the filter fray with something new. Just a few short months ago they started offering roast specific coffee filters. Using their proprietary hot-air drying method...
Don't let the name fool you... it's not some kind of robot butler, the FrankOne is actually a coffee brewer. Once you get past the name, which really isn't explained anywhere on the website (the owners being Eduardo and Otto) its actually a pretty interesting piece of coffee gear. It's uses an electric USB charged vacuum...
To stir or to swirl... that is the question. This question has been plaguing espresso lovers since James Hoffman's video revealing the huge disparity in flavor and strength without stirring. Personally, I've always gone back and forth depending on the availability of a tea spoon, or if I just feel like looking fancy. I feel ashamed...
Home roasters come in... all shapes, sizes, and prices. This one, the Hive Roaster, is small, portable, and looks like a bee hive (hence the name). It's also affordable, clocking in at a price of $70 and made by hand by Hive's only employee, Mathew. He is currently trying to raise money via a Kickstarter campaign...
Dialing in is one of... the more challenging things about being a specialty coffee barista. We're dealing with a lot of factors, and it can be pretty frustrating chasing that perfect shot. Dialing in can even be more daunting as a home barista. We generally don't always have other professionals to bounce our ideas and questions...
The KB90 dropped... out of nowhere. It gets its namesake from Kent Bakke, former La Marzocco CEO and current Board Chairman. He is also the pioneer of the newest and most exciting feature of on the KB90, the 'Straight-In' portafilter. It's something he's wanted to develop for years, as part of his continued vision to make...
The Melodrip is the new kid on the block... well, the pour over block anyway. Although, I may be doing some espresso experiments with it down the road. But I digress. I first took notice of the Melodrip after watching some of the Brewers Cup competitors using it. I did a bit of research on it,...
Those who know me best... would describe me as a purist. Whether it’s my taste in coffee, cars, or most things in my life. Simple is usually better. I also am not a sweet drink person, but it’s the season for pumpkin spice and peppermint mocha. So I decided to grab a couple of La Colombe’s...
As a coffee purist I’m not a fan alternative milks… I feel like they tend to change the coffee too much. Almond, coconut, macadamia, soy, or rice, they all take away from the unique aromas and flavors that they should be elevating. So I was skeptical when I saw a sudden, and constant stream of promotions...
