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Postby Raf » Sat Mar 27, 2004 12:05 pm

Thanks for all the info, zix. Anyway, consider yourself lucky to have that "EspressoHouse" thing. In Belgium, nobody has a clue how to make a decent espresso (except maybe me, and Phil would probably even disagree with that ;) ).

I'd love to see this evolve into some sort of article, a bit like what I wrote about Brussels. Do you feel up to that?
This week I am eagerly anticipating the first god shots from my La Spaziale machine....

La Spaziale S1, Vibiemme Domobar (retd), Mazzer Mini Electronic, Behmor 1600 230V
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Postby moccafaux » Sat Mar 27, 2004 1:22 pm

Welcome zix
How about writing a "follow-up" article on the finer points of HG-roasting?
chocolate+-----__0
coffee=-------- \ >;
myfuel------- (_)/(_)
_____________________________________________
Wo ich geh und steh brauch ich mein Kaffee........
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Postby Raf » Sat Mar 27, 2004 1:37 pm

zix wrote:Quick Vibiemme Domobar rating before longwinded speech (ratings may still change)
• build quality 9/10 - only thing I want is a little thicker front plate otherwise it is perfect


You're right about that front plate, btw, it's a bit thin for such a machine.
This week I am eagerly anticipating the first god shots from my La Spaziale machine....

La Spaziale S1, Vibiemme Domobar (retd), Mazzer Mini Electronic, Behmor 1600 230V
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Postby zix » Sat Mar 27, 2004 6:35 pm

Neku wrote:Thanks for all the info, zix. Anyway, consider yourself lucky to have that "EspressoHouse" thing. In Belgium, nobody has a clue how to make a decent espresso (except maybe me, and Phil would probably even disagree with that ;) ).

You are quite right, of course (about us being lucky). EH are a sign of the times too, expanding in the same tempo as the new coffee attitude.

Espresso House is a comparatively well-run establishment at the time being. Alike starbucks, they have a well thought-out concept, here with a tightly controlled, modern scandinavian "arty", a little sparse interior design. They serve acceptable but not great espresso, and quite good pastry + sandwiches. Really, there´s nothing at all wrong with them - apart from this running-smaller-cafés-out-of-business part of the concept, which - viewed from another angle than I choose to take - isn´t really their fault. If they are good enough, can provide a richer customer experience and are inexpensive enough to make people go to them instead of to other cafés, is that really Espresso House´s problem?

My hope is that the new swedish fab for lattes, cappas and espressos also would mean people start looking at the coffee grower part of the coffee business, and generally get more well-informed about that, and that they realize that this latte thingy is not necessarily another "concept" or "lifestyle" they must embrace - to me, all that is needed is to start tasting and getting to like the taste of... well, real coffee, again. Like our grandparents did. The freshly roasted, ground and extracted coffee bean, not the post-processed industrial, sometimes artificial product. That is what the coffee revolution should be about if you ask me. If some of those people, alike me and many of you fellow TMC members, choose at some point to combine that "real" coffee with a good grinder and an espresso machine, all the better.

Neku wrote:I'd love to see this evolve into some sort of article, a bit like what I wrote about Brussels. Do you feel up to that?

Yes, sure I do, if I can have two weeks respite before I start writing, and then two-three more weeks to write it. I would need to check things out in Stockholm and in the smaller cities, a little time to take some pictures and also time to iron it out a bit.
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Postby michel » Sat Mar 27, 2004 11:08 pm

Welcome Zix, nice to have you around.
Liked your post about HG roasting... and I'm definately sure to try it myselve this week, as you made it sound so simple... Is there a special maximum amount of beans which can be roasted..? (I roast in a HWP-roaster now and am limited to only 80, sometimes 100 gram... but I really do feel the urge to roast 200 grams in one roast... Is that possible..?)

Michel
A kitchen without espresso-gear is like a body without a soul.
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Postby michel » Sun Mar 28, 2004 6:01 pm

Oke. I've tried this afternoon to roast with a Heat-Gun... and what I hold in my hands right now, is the result of this first (and probably last) try.
I took 230 grams of beans (my favourite blend of excellent Sumatra Mandheling, a good Harrar and some Mexico Maragogype Superior, Liquidambar), tried to roast it outside (6 degrees) in our stone-cheese-fondue-bowl. I brunt some beans right in the beginning and although I preheated the bowl (as Moccafaux wrote in his excellent article) I burnt most of the beans in the end...
So what I hold in my hands is quite dissappointing: It's black, carbonized (at least 90% is), and I'm definately not going to give it a try...

Michel
(Who has a lot of more faith in / and respect for his HWP roaster after this experience...)
A kitchen without espresso-gear is like a body without a soul.
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Postby zix » Sun Mar 28, 2004 8:58 pm

michel wrote:I burnt most of the beans in the end...
So what I hold in my hands is quite dissappointing: It's black, carbonized (at least 90% is), and I'm definately not going to give it a try...


Ouch. I would like to give you a tip or two, but since this seems to belong more in the coffee roasting subforum, I take the liberty of writing my answer there in a thread I will call "michels HG roast". So as to keep things structured and nice. Alrightie?
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