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PostPosted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 3:07 pm
by Davec
neocelt wrote:Hey guys, I was a little surprised not to see anyone suggest the obvious: If cost is a concern, make your own! Express yourself! A whole host of containers that were originally intended for other uses are readily adapted to a new role as a knock box. I've dragooned everything from neatly-ornamented stainless steel covered sugar bowls and serving dishes to funky retro ice buckets shaped like penguins! You can pick up an appropriate container at the local thrift shop for a song and make the conversion by adding a hardwood dowel rod sleeved with rubber hose. So why not try thinking outside the (knock) box?

Cheers,
Nick


Yup, thats more like it...your right, they should be easy to make. I have seen some great photos gadgets knocked up by TMCers. I especially liked the small wooden hoppers for the Mazzers!

PostPosted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 3:21 pm
by zapty
Coffee grounds are notorious for clogging up drains, if not in your u bend it probably will make a bad clogg further on at some point.

PostPosted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 3:57 pm
by Steve
Its greta for keeping away snails in the garden be green :)

PostPosted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 4:03 pm
by nickr
In my house we are always concerned about the visual appeal of kitchen equipment, one reason for going with an Andredja. I therefore ordered a matching Quickmill Knockbox with the machine. This took sometime to be delivered, so we made do with a red plastic lego box (no lego obviously). Now the quickmill knockbox has arrived - guess what, I prefer the lego box. The bar is too far inside the draw on the quickmill making using it difficult and messy. I now stand the Rocky on it, opening the draw to catch the inevitable mess. Honestly, get a lego box - their great.

Nick

PostPosted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 4:11 pm
by leecb
We got one of the boxes, manufactured by BB, with the Andreja and while it may not be the prettiest around (I do like the Grindenstein, but with a drawer you don't have to clean it out every day!!) it's pretty practical and helps keep the mess down and you can admire the quality of your pucks too as you empty it! :roll:

PostPosted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 4:47 pm
by Davec
nickr wrote:In my house we are always concerned about the visual appeal of kitchen equipment, one reason for going with an Andredja. I therefore ordered a matching Quickmill Knockbox with the machine. This took sometime to be delivered, so we made do with a red plastic lego box (no lego obviously). Now the quickmill knockbox has arrived - guess what, I prefer the lego box. The bar is too far inside the draw on the quickmill making using it difficult and messy. I now stand the Rocky on it, opening the draw to catch the inevitable mess. Honestly, get a lego box - their great.

Nick


Thats interesting, I have a Quick Mill knock box....long story and initially didn't really like the look of it....thought it was a tad flimsy looking and didn't like the square piece of wood at all, not one bit. I was convinced it would stain, go mouldy and not be easy to knock the pucks out on (i would have preferred round plastic rod).

After many months using it though, I can truthfully say it works good. It's strong enough to stand the Mazzer on, so I can dispense with that silly mazzer plastic base. The few grounds that fall I just open the draw and sweep them in. It takes a good 3-4 days worth of pucks.

You do from time to time have to give the draw a sort of flick in and out to move all the biscuits to the back of the draw so they slide under the bar. I have found it quite easy to use though, but mabye another design would be even easier (it's the only one I have ever tried)?

The wood must be quite tough, becuase it cleans easily, still looks the same and I suppose if it ever rots, it's easy to replace. Oh and the pucks don't seem to go mouldy, the vents in the box allow them to go quite dry, so 4-5 days of pucks is fine (probably not longer).

I don't know if they do a variety of sizes or just one size, mine would be big enough to stand an Andreja on.

I don't understand why the bar positioning makes it difficult & messy though, can you please explain a bit more? :?

PostPosted: Sat Apr 08, 2006 1:50 pm
by Guest
Just given the Quickmill box another go. I take it back, it works fine. My son can have his lego box back now!

PostPosted: Mon Apr 10, 2006 1:07 am
by RobC
Off topic but made me chuckle (and kind of on the theme), I was chatting with another commercial engineer regarding pressure testing requirements, and he mentioned making sure the double spout on portafilts had the required guard if applicable. The story goes.....

A bar had a 2 group group espresso machine, the staff had little idea how to use it and even less inclination to use it. One day, a gentleman walked in and asked for a double espresso. The unlikely event followed:-

Bar staff dosed two shots from the grinder into the group handle and locked it into place (Note, there was no filter basket in the portafilt), started brewing. The double spout handle was of the type that has a cover over the spouts, in this instance the cover was missing, leaving the outlet hole of the spout exposed.

With no filter basket, the ground coffee became compacted in the base of the portafilt, while attempting to make coffee the operator created pressure in the group sufficient to force a pellet of ground coffee out of the double spout (with no cover to stop it). The pellet shot out, across the bar, across the room and struck the only customer in the place over 20ft away squarely on the head. Needless to say he claimed for compensataion.

Rob.

PostPosted: Mon Apr 10, 2006 8:59 am
by GeorgeW
RobC wrote:Off topic but made me chuckle (and kind of on the theme), I was chatting with another commercial engineer regarding pressure testing requirements, and he mentioned making sure the double spout on portafilts had the required guard if applicable. The story goes.....

A bar had a 2 group group espresso machine, the staff had little idea how to use it and even less inclination to use it. One day, a gentleman walked in and asked for a double espresso. The unlikely event followed:-

Bar staff dosed two shots from the grinder into the group handle and locked it into place (Note, there was no filter basket in the portafilt), started brewing. The double spout handle was of the type that has a cover over the spouts, in this instance the cover was missing, leaving the outlet hole of the spout exposed.

With no filter basket, the ground coffee became compacted in the base of the portafilt, while attempting to make coffee the operator created pressure in the group sufficient to force a pellet of ground coffee out of the double spout (with no cover to stop it). The pellet shot out, across the bar, across the room and struck the only customer in the place over 20ft away squarely on the head. Needless to say he claimed for compensataion.

Rob.


Well, to be fair, he did have the grounds. :wink:

PostPosted: Mon Apr 10, 2006 9:19 am
by Steve
:roll: Stop please stop I give in :roll:

PostPosted: Mon Apr 10, 2006 4:25 pm
by AlanP
Absolutely brilliant :lol:

I think I'll give it a try :wink:

PostPosted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 12:51 am
by CakeBoy
Hold on, if it struck the only customer in the place who was 20 feet away, where was the man who ordered the coffee? :roll:

PostPosted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 9:09 am
by monkey66
It reminds me of back at school when we used to shoot old bits of chewing gum with our bicycle pumps....awsome, you roll up a little pellet and put it into the screwes thread of an (old style) pump. depending on the ammount you pressed down would dictate the preasure level the pelet let go. I seem to recall its power being somewhere close to my air pistol. you can use blue-tac but it doesnt have the adehesion and releases at lower preasure.

After receint post I wonder if you can make an espresso machine with a bit of chicken wire and a bicycle pump....shoot the shot straight in your mouth....one for all you cycle geeks?

On a serious note letting untrained people use a machine that generates scalding water at high preasure is a clear breach of the H and S act and asking for trouble.

PostPosted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 9:24 am
by GeorgeW
monkey66 wrote:It reminds me of back at school when we used to shoot old bits of chewing gum with our bicycle pumps....awsome, you roll up a little pellet and put it into the screwes thread of an (old style) pump. depending on the ammount you pressed down would dictate the preasure level the pelet let go. I seem to recall its power being somewhere close to my air pistol. you can use blue-tac but it doesnt have the adehesion and releases at lower preasure.

After receint post I wonder if you can make an espresso machine with a bit of chicken wire and a bicycle pump....shoot the shot straight in your mouth....one for all you cycle geeks?

On a serious note letting untrained people use a machine that generates scalding water at high preasure is a clear breach of the H and S act and asking for trouble.


Exactly! Exactly! This is just what I've been saying all along. Those members buying these new machines, for the most part are really not up to it and do present an unacceptable safety risk.
Far better that they be given to a mature, responsible member, such as myself. They can be returned when I am satisfied that they have reached the required standard. It is, after all, only common sense. :wink:

PostPosted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 12:21 pm
by CakeBoy
Ok. ok George ..... if you take Anna because I'm not to be trusted, you have to make my coffee for me .... deal? :roll: