SCAE and YOU!

For non-TMC members to ask questions and offer comments

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Postby espressomattic » Tue May 23, 2006 10:31 pm

espressomattic wrote:Well thanks for the mention mate...I think ;) I am in no way a 'Vanguard' etc...

You know, at the end of the day we all love coffee and the whole plethora o fable and folklore along with it. I'd like to think that I would never knock anyone for what they drink (Pretty petty really), I might take the piss out of them, which I do at work and vice versa (But they are the ones drinking my coffee at the start of a shift!!). I might bemoan the masses drinking the stuff off the shelf, well their loss really. My wife would tell you people really enjoy coming round and hveing a brew, whilst agreeing jointly that I am sad!!

For me, coffee is a very social element in my life, it is not insular or snobbish, it is about sharing the experience. You will never get everybody to drink CoE Coffee, face it, it is too damn weird sounding! How many still drink Lambrusco or Retsina??????

This forum is a 'safe haven' for us saddos', and whilst we might agree, disagree or be totally ambivilant to whatever the thread might be about, it is a place where we can enjoy our obsession. The thing is the average Joe is not going to look on here is he/her? If you come here you already have some sort of knowledge of coffee. Maybe we should try to be a little more aware of the 'Guest' in our midst?

BTW I do not feel slighted...named along side Steve, Cakey and George one can only feel humble ;)
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Postby espressomattic » Tue May 23, 2006 10:32 pm

Hmmm something went wrong there :?
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Postby CakeBoy » Wed May 24, 2006 2:41 am

Thanks for the mention and as much as I love it, you can't name me in the same breath as Steve. I send 100 "we're not worthies" his way every day. He's my hero. Everyone who is on TMC and been at it a little while can make superb coffee and many who don't talk as much as some of us are way better than me. It's TMC that is the vanguard and the collective is hopefully helping push the general attitude to coffee in the right direction.
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Postby GeorgeW » Wed May 24, 2006 9:58 am

I think Fatboy's point is true in that on this forum, we are for the most part, preaching to the converted. But people do stumble into here, led by a wish to find something better and seeking more information. I know I did and I'm sure that's true of others. That's not to say that we should not spread the word outwith the forum and do our best to make people aware of what they are missing.
I think the truth of the matter is that some people, and I think that means people similar to those on this forum, when they find something GOOD, feel the need to share it. I know that I can't help myself doing this and others must find this irritating. We have a natural impulse to share a good thing and want others to benefit from our discovery. We are also perplexed when we find that others are not appreciative or even interested.
This may go some way to explaining the extraordinary degree of mutual support and practical help we so freely give to other members of the forum. I think we recognise that we share this characteristic and are warmed by it.
It so happens that we are interested in coffee but I believe the principle holds good for most things.
Personally I think that our particular passion will never be mainstream and we have to recognise this. We are a small group of people who value quality and certainly I'd be surprised if this attitude were confined to coffee for most of this group.
Without meaning to be pessimistic, it may be that we are destined to be a permanent minority.
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Postby GeorgeW » Wed May 24, 2006 10:11 am

Just a footnote: I'm just a beginner here and not worthy...no.. not worthy ( rubbing hands together and bowing), to be lumped together with the other lot even though it's flattering to be so. I'm just mouthy really.
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I was impressed by that and remain so.
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Postby Fatboy_007 » Wed May 24, 2006 11:23 am

Sorry if I upset anyone with my rant it was late!

However I do stand by (most of) the points I made, anyone who is prepared to spend £1,000+ on coffee equipment, as Cakey and others have done, is very much at the cutting edge, sure people like Steve are pre-eminent in their field (normally a soggy one in Origin) but anybody who makes regular and valid points on a forum such as this, (so that counts me out), is an apostle for this stuff. Don't sell yourselves short.

Part of what makes Steve one of the best and most accomplished roasters in the World (remember that 5th in the WBC!) is his desire and ability to educate and inform, and provide encouragement to all around him. Long before I was a member here, I would leave reviews of some of Steve's coffees on hasbean.co.uk, and every so often I would get a late night e-mail from Steve thanking me for the review that I had written. How proud was I of that!

I do however agree with a lot of the comments being made, we exist in a rareified world, and maybe we are all just 'quality freaks' at heart. To paraphrase someone else, it's all about 'education, education, education'

Anyway, many thanks to all here, Matt, George et al. It is through your enthusiasm and helpfulness that my 'obsession' with coffee has managed to flourish, which I still haven't worked out is a good thing or a bad thing. Whichever way I have to go and have a lie down now.
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Postby tisri » Wed May 24, 2006 12:57 pm

Like the idea of certification although if it's the sort of stamp you can display simply by paying an annual fee it's probably counterproductive (think of the coffee novice who tastes some foul offering from a "certified" coffee shop and abandons any hope of becoming proficient themselves).

Like the idea of discounts and general information on what's happening in the coffee world. Something that brings everything together for those of us too lazy to spend whole evenings with Google or dozens of RSS feeds.
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Postby Fatboy_007 » Wed May 24, 2006 3:37 pm

I think in the main the SCAE's role should be one of education and exposure, I don't see them on the list of exhibitors at Caffe Culture for example. If they can stand up and persuade retailers that being quality focused will make them money, then they are laughing (unless you can't make money out of quality, in which case we are all crying!)

That education also needs to be taken to the conumer, they need to branch out from being solely trade based (!)
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Postby Guest » Wed May 24, 2006 5:00 pm

espressomattic wrote:Well thanks for the mention mate...I think ;) I am in no way a 'Vanguard' etc as I am sure Cakey, STeve and George would agrree that neither are they, as would most here. You know, at the end of the day we all love coffee and the whole plethora o fable and folklore along with it. I'd like to think that I would never knock anyone for what they drink (Pretty petty really), I might take the piss out of them, which I do at work and vice versa (But they are the ones drinking my coffee at the start of a shift!!). I might bemoan the masses drinking the stuff off the shelf, well their loss really. My wife would tell you people really enjoy coming round and hveing a brew, whilst agreeing jointly that I am sad!!

For me, coffee is a very social element in my life, it is not insular or snobbish, it is about sharing the experience. You will never get everybody to drink CoE Coffee, face it, it is too damn weird sounding! How many still drink Lambrusco or Retsina??????

This forum is a 'safe haven' for us saddos', and whilst we might agree, disagree or be totally ambivilant to whatever the thread might be about, it is a place where we can enjoy our obsession. The thing is the average Joe is not going to look on here is he/her? If you come here you already have some sort of knowledge of coffee. Maybe we should try to be a little more aware of the 'Guest' in our midst?

BTW I do not feel slighted...named along side Steve, Cakey and George one can only feel humble ;)


Well.. I have to say I agree with a lot of your post... and admit that actually up until last week, I had never heard of this site...I am the 'average joe'... who had time on her hands to go a-wandering through the internet in search of decent online bean-purchasing, due to not being able to find anything worth buying locally or on a recent trip to France...I happened upon Steve's website following a search for beans... and then 'happened' to read a review by someone who made reference to this site... so here I am...I'm a novice in terms of knowledge of coffee... all I know is what I 'don't like'....funnily enough I realised I did like 'real' coffee following an article about ten years ago in a copy of 'sainsbury's magazine' which was written by an Italian barista and described in detail how to make decent coffee.... since then I've been educating anyone who cares to listen... but know that i have a huge amount more to learn... I'd like to see access to training days/cuppings atc geared towards the non-trade enthusiast.... it's tough knowing the espresso I want to make will be c**p but not knowing how to make it 'not c**p!! and not having the finances to invest in decent equipment... I grind my beans with an old 'Elna' hand-grinder and make my coffee in a coffee press...have just bought an old moka pot which I want to try but don't know what to do with it ...etc, etc!! ....

just my ha'penny's worth...

Helena
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Postby leecb » Thu May 25, 2006 9:02 am

Helena, I think you make a good point about not needing to spend loads of money to be passionate about coffee, and sometimes we who breath this "rarefied air forget the simple ways that you can still make a good cup of coffee!!
We need to share our passion, but at the same time not scare the living c**p out of those we are trying to convert!
This week I are mainly ready to get back to making muffins!"

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Postby espressomattic » Thu May 25, 2006 10:33 am

Helena don't be down trodden ;)

It wasn't until very recentyly that I was using a £50 Kenwood machine, a Salter Hand Cranked Grinder, a broken press pot, a severly tarnished Moka Pot and a Grrek Ibrik. We all started with the basics and what is so vitally important is that the purchasing of bigger, better and shinier equipment doesn't detract from the plain and simple enjoyment of a fine cup of coffee. I was roasting this morning in my Whirley and thought how much easier would a Gene be, well it might be easier, but I doubt it is as much fun. For me it is about enjoyment and the minute I start worrying about it and stoip enjoying it, then I will take a bow and retire gracefully.

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Postby GeorgeW » Thu May 25, 2006 11:28 am

espressomattic wrote:Helena don't be down trodden ;)

It wasn't until very recentyly that I was using a £50 Kenwood machine, a Salter Hand Cranked Grinder, a broken press pot, a severly tarnished Moka Pot and a Grrek Ibrik. We all started with the basics and what is so vitally important is that the purchasing of bigger, better and shinier equipment doesn't detract from the plain and simple enjoyment of a fine cup of coffee. I was roasting this morning in my Whirley and thought how much easier would a Gene be, well it might be easier, but I doubt it is as much fun. For me it is about enjoyment and the minute I start worrying about it and stoip enjoying it, then I will take a bow and retire gracefully.

Matt


WHAT! :shock: :shock:
This from someone who boasts a "Hand Turned Purple Heart wood tamper " :roll: :roll:
As Victor would say "I don't belieeeeve it"
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Postby Davec » Thu May 25, 2006 11:35 am

GeorgeW wrote:
espressomattic wrote:Helena don't be down trodden ;)

It wasn't until very recentyly that I was using a £50 Kenwood machine, a Salter Hand Cranked Grinder, a broken press pot, a severly tarnished Moka Pot and a Grrek Ibrik. We all started with the basics and what is so vitally important is that the purchasing of bigger, better and shinier equipment doesn't detract from the plain and simple enjoyment of a fine cup of coffee. I was roasting this morning in my Whirley and thought how much easier would a Gene be, well it might be easier, but I doubt it is as much fun. For me it is about enjoyment and the minute I start worrying about it and stoip enjoying it, then I will take a bow and retire gracefully.

Matt

:lol: :lol: :lol:

WHAT! :shock: :shock:
This from someone who boasts a "Hand Turned Purple Heart wood tamper " :roll: :roll:
As Victor would say "I don't belieeeeve it"
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Postby espressomattic » Thu May 25, 2006 11:46 am

*Takes his bow and retires gracefully realising he is a total contradiction to his own post :oops: :shock: :oops: :P *
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Postby GeorgeW » Thu May 25, 2006 2:25 pm

Matt...it was the thought that counted.



No.......I don't really believe that. :lol:
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