Proverbs 22:6 says “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. “
That must have been what the people who designed this toy had in mind.
From Flickr.
Tag: coffee machines
Rocking coffee machine
I like this concrete coffee machine – I’ve been toying with the idea of casemodding a two group machine I bought on ebay a few weeks ago (fixing its busted pump is a more pressing priority though…).
Via Yanko Design. It’s just a concept at this stage I believe, nothing concrete…
Pressure points
Pressure profiling, managing the pressure during the pulling of a shot of coffee, is “the next big thing”TM in specialty coffee. Pressure is one of the variables during the shot that until now has been restricted to modifying your machine’s pump in order to have a particular water pressure supplied throughout the shot.
Slayer was the first to experiment with pressure profiling – and now, La Marzocco, the Ferrari of espresso machine manufacture, have entered the fray with their new machine the “Strada”…
(picture credit: Gizmodo)
You can read about that machine here, but interestingly, for the sake of this post, here is LM’s guide to pressure profiling.
Forensic coffee
This new Saeco, the Xelsis Digital ID SLX 8870 MS, is a triumph of integrating disparate pieces of technology in a novel, but mostly pointless, way. It takes almost all the effort out of making coffee – which, for a Super Auto machine, is taking things to a whole new height.
This machine has a fingerprint scanner. It saves user profiles, and at the swipe of a finger will produce your “usual”…
Pretty cool.
A farewell to my coffee machine
Yesterday was a sad day in the Campbell household. And a happy day too. I don’t know if you, dear reader, suffer from the same disorder that I do – but I grow all too fond of my inanimate possessions because I imbue them with personality, and if the occasion warrants it, I give them a name. Yesterday I decommissioned Sheila. My three group Rancilio coffee machine. Sheila has been a good, and faithful, servant these two years… and now she is for sale (though I have a potential buyer so if you want to make an offer get in quick).
The day she arrived
Sheila in happier times
I feel a little heartless replacing Sheila with a younger, and skinnier model, but that is what I have done.
The new model
She’s beautiful. But we’re still working each other out. This morning she had a little meltdown, shooting coffee around the kitchen and all over me. But we’ll overcome this. I still don’t have a name for her.
Any suggestions for names? And am I the only one who thinks about my worldly possessions in this manner?
Coffee and PC: The Mac Edition
Building a coffee machine into your PC is easy (allegedly) – but Macs are notorious for not requiring tinkering. You don’t need to tinker with perfection – well not without a really good reason.
Here’s a guy who puts together a Mac/Coffee Machine/Speaker combo. And he does it all in the body of the now defunct iMac.
The magic of Twitter
I suspect I’m starting to understand the utility value of Twitter. Here’s an update on the Slayer Espresso Machine that I’m so excited about – straight from the designer’s mouth…
Slayer update
No doubt you’re all as excited about the Slayer coffee machine as I am. You’ll be happy to know the following details:
“Seattle’s newest espresso machine, the Slayer, will start shipping in the next month from its new factory in the old Sicks Rainier Brewing bottling building in Georgetown to coffeehouse customers in San Francisco, Michigan, Canada and Australia.”
“It’s also a beauty with Art Deco-looking groups (those are the nozzles from which the espresso pours) fitted with Peruvian walnut handles or “paddles” that let the barista control brewing pressure. Cost: $14,000 for two groups; $18,000 for three.”
So, get saving.
I’m harnessing the power of Twitter to find out if there’ll ever be a one group version. Will keep you posted.
Slayered in the spirit
It’s seriously time to start saving. Because I want one of these more than I’ve ever wanted a coffee machine before. Or in fact any “thing” before*. It is a work of art. And it will no doubt be as expensive as a fine work of art. It has knocked me off my metaphorical feet.
The Slayer Espresso Machine. Is. Beautiful.
And the focus is on function rather than form. One day Slayer… One day…
Slayer Espresso Machine @ Fratello – teaser from Chris Prefontaine on Vimeo.
*hyperbole.
Convergence coffee
Super-automatic coffee machines are not wildly appreciated in the “specialty” coffee world. There’s something nice about the manual coffee making process that appeals but this contraption is taking things to a whole new level. I guess you could call it a super-manual… It’s a coffee roaster, grinder and brewer in one beautifully gas filled unit.
Ignoring the problems with preparing your coffee immediately after roasting (due to beans needing to degas post roast), and you’ve got a beautiful and iconic piece of brewing technology.
Here are the directions…
“Take 50 green beans. Roast for 7 minutes for a medium roast, 9 minutes for a dark roast. Cool beans. Whilst grinding the cooled beans heat the water until air bubbles begin to pop. Place ground beans into water. Stir and brew for 4 minutes. Then pour and enjoy a cup of fresh perfect coffee.”
Here’s a video of the contraption in action.
I should mention that I spotted this marvel here…
Walking the coffee minefield
So, you’ve decked out your house with a “Microsoft Windows Game Pack” chic. And you’re looking for the perfect coffee machine to complement the solitaire wall display and FreeCell kitchen bench top.
Well, here you go. A dangerous looking coffee machine that’s set to explode onto the home coffee scene.
I was going to make this post one of those lists of “ten cool ___ designs” posts – but that will have to wait. I have bigger fish to fry today and blogging is likely to be sporadic at best. Again.
Coffee Works
Mareeba is the undisputed home of coffee in Australia – and it’s as much to do with the amazing collection of coffee paraphernalia on display at Coffee Works as it is to do with the presence of the vast majority of Australia’s coffee plantations.
Coffee Works is impressive. The founder has a collection of literally hundreds (perhaps thousands) of coffee brewers, espresso machines, roasters and grinders.
He traveled the world to find them. He sought them high, he sought them low, he sought those French presses everywhere… And that my friends is how you drop in a reference to the Scarlett Pimpernel.
Not only is this perhaps the world’s biggest collection of coffee (and tea) bric-a-brac – it’s also home to a boutique chocolate maker, specialty coffee roaster and they make a pretty mean coffee liquor.
There’s unlimited tastings of their coffees, teas and chocolates on offer for anyone who takes the tour – and it’s well worthwhile.
It’s fair to say that the extent of this guy’s collection gave Robyn a sense of perspective when it comes to my very small collection of coffee equipment.