Do you remember the Handpresso?  It’s on sale.  It’s cheap.  Really cheap.

Do you remember the Mypressi Twist?  I wonder if the Handpresso suffered at the hand of the Mypressi Twist like HD-DVD did at the hands of Blu-Ray.  I have mixed feelings about this. (sound familiar?)

The Handpresso came first, being released to the market in 2007.  It had its benefits and quirks, just like any product in existence.  It was definitely the first truly convenient on-the-go espresso machine.  Unfortunately, it was designed for E.S.E. pods.  Fortunately, the folks at Handpresso took notice of demand and offered a version that could take fresh ground coffee.  Hurray!  The pressure was supplied by air via a pump built into the handle.  Free energy!  (well, it requires your own energy, but still.. it doesn’t cost you any more than the cost of the calories that you would spend on pumping it.  Here in the US, most folks would see that as a net gain rather than as a net loss.)  They even built a manometer into it so you could see just how many bar of pressure you were brewing at.  Naturally, the pressure tapers off at the end.

Fast forward to 2009.  Mypressi Twist was released in November, and it was named the Best New Product of 2009/2010 at the SCAA Conference and Exhibition.  This is a brilliant machine.  The guts are revealed:

The Specialty Coffee industry has no doubt been abuzz with the Mypressi Twist after its recognition by the SCAA.  I have not tried either, but the cup result is not the primary purpose of this post.  Both are portable.  Both are convenient in that they bring espresso to where it would be otherwise inaccessible.  They require no electricity.  You can grind the coffee by hand, heat your water on a camp fire, and enjoy one of life’s finer luxuries away from a life full of convenient luxuries.  That is the primary benefit of both of these tools.

There’s just one nagging little difference between them that keeps me cheering for the Handpresso.  In a world, more specifically, in an industry where sustainability and “green” seem to be promoted, why is it that the Mypressi cannot use pumped air pressure?  They make you buy (and throw away) CO2 cartridges.  I have a hard time understanding why they can’t utilize a similar trash-free energy source for pressurized brewing other than the fact that it simply isn’t as convenient.

The Handpresso is French.  The Mypressi Twist is American.  Ah, America.. the land of oppor.. er.. convenience.

Frankly, I don’t really care where they come from.  What I do care about is quality of espresso, and maximizing the benefit that they both have in common: reducing the environmental impact of brewing an espresso.

There’s also the Presso, but since it isn’t a considered a portable espresso machine, I didn’t include it in the discussion.  Even if I had, there is nothing to throw away, and coffee (as everyone knows) is compost-able.

Have you tried either the Handpresso or the Mypressi Twist?  Both?  What was your impression?

Brown is hosting a workshop focusing on manual brewing by the cup, which continues to find an ever-wider audience. This is a free and open workshop for serious home consumers as well as coffee professionals.

The goals for this gathering are simple:

-To continue growing the coffee community in Texas

Hope you can make it out for a fun evening with great coffee, great coffee people and some of the latest and greatest coffee equipment around.

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I’m not saying this is the ideal way to make a cup of coffee, but you can’t deny how cool it is.

It roasts.

It grinds. It brews.

Three operations. Three tools.

A 5 minute video showing the process. From green bean, to cup of coffee. All from one table-top design set.

COFFEE MAKER from tommetcalfe on Vimeo.

(via)

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I was looking through some Flickr updates, when I come across this interesting looking machine that reminds me of a Clover, and some experiments I’d seen done over at Jim Seven regarding water measurment by weight, rather than volume.

Well, here it is.  The Marco Uber Boiler.  It’s been situated to deliver water at temperatures of .2C precision by weight into whatever vessel of your choice.  Precise temperature, precise measurement, both in a neat in-counter package.  This does what Clover couldn’t.(just my opinion)

It’s not in production yet, and James says, “For those interested I’d recommend e-mailing Marco, and they will keep those interested up to date on the boiler.”(via) Click Here for the full report from James Hoffmann.

–

The next bit of tech for the coffee industry is an espresso machine project that I’ve been following for awhile, but was just recently finished into a functional prototype.  It has since made quite a splash, and it has gotten more attention.  It is the Slayer Espresso machine.

It’s low, it’s sleek, it has exposed group heads, it has steam wands and levers that remind one of Synesso, it boasts temperature control/stability, exposed paddle group heads, and… pressure profiling control?

I know that La Marzocco has released their paddle machine (which, btw, Cuvee was one of the first to have acquired), and it has made a splash, but not in the same way as this one.  Maybe it’s because it is from an independent, rather than from a prestigious manufacturer with a long history.  Maybe it’s because they’ve been blogging about its progress since it began.  Or, maybe it’s because it was developed from the same folks who started Treuh, except for Mark Barnett, who went on to found Synesso.

Either way, this piece of espresso tech holds a lot of promising potential.  Also not in production yet, I’ll be keeping an eye on this one for updates on its progress.

That’s all the news for today!  I’m sure that’s more than enough to hold you over for awhile.

There s a new roaster in Austin called Owl Tree Roasting.  Thanks to Dan Streetman for the heads up.

A collaboration between Travis of Austin Java and Joshua of Progress Coffee, Owl Tree is another quality-focused roaster fresh on the scene.  Having not tasted it, I cannot give a full report, but I expect good things from OTR, all things considered.

You can find them at their website, or on Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/owltreeroastingaustin

Owl Tree Roasting has been added to our List of Roasters.

If you read the last article where I questioned my previous advice about stressing the importance of fresh-ground coffee over evenly ground coffee (in an hierarchy of importance), I am afraid I have to report an exception to the general rule.

It turned out that evenly ground coffee just a few days off roast, ground 24 hours before brewing yielded a better cup than coffee fresh-ground from a blade grinder just seconds to a minute before brewing.

Why?  Well, while the result was still fairly under-extracted, it was evenly under-extracted.  So, despite the fact that it was under-extracted, it was at least an even extraction, which is the most anyone can hope for.  Even extraction simly isn’t possible from a blade grinder, and while I have had some coffees where I enjoyed the unevenly extracted cup more than the evenly extracted version, I think it would be safe to say that this curious occurance is specific to that one coffee and its roast profile.

In this particular case, where an even extraction is desirable, if you are going to be brewing with less than ideal thermal energy, then it is probably best to get an evenly underextracted semi-stale cup rather than an unevenly extracted very fresh cup.

That having been said, if your options are to either have your pound of coffee ground at the shop before taking it home, or grinding with a blade grinder fresh every day, I will still say that the blade grinder is preferable over pre-ground coffee.  (remember, the experiment was run using coffee that was ground one day in advance, and it was degassing the entire time until brewing, which implies that it was not fully stale by the time it was hit with hot water.) It should be noted that I used a #2 Melitta pour over brew method.

Conclusion:  There are always exceptions to a general rule, but the general rule will still apply in most cases.  “Grinder First”

If you’ve been into this whole Specialty Coffee thing for very long, you’ve undoubtedly heard of, and witnessed the cult-like following of the very famous Zassenhaus hand coffee mills. The reason for its fame? Quality of build, and quality of the burr mechanism. It’s actually meant to be USED, and not just as decoration.

The company has all but disappeared, and distribution to North America came to a hault some time ago, so people have been driven to look for previously used units on e-bay or in Buy and Sell boards on various coffee forums.

I am extremely pleased (and quite proud, as a Texan) to have found and to now introduce a company IN TEXAS building hand-grinders that are built to be used, and used for years to come.

It is the

Texas Coffee Grinder Company

“Old fashioned coffee grinders custom made by hand”.
“The boxes are made from select 3/4 inch thick, 100 % hardwood and weigh about 8-10 lbs!”
“The mill is a premium grade cast iron mill. It is a strong hand crank, fully adjustable burr type grinder.”

Texas Coffee Grinder Company

Prices are fairly consistent at around $150. Don’t let the price tag scare you. That’s a bargain for a “real deal” wood box hand coffee mill. There is a catch: It is NOT espresso capable. Not a big deal if it allows you to travel with a French Press or pour-over more easily without having to worry about pre-grinding and praying to the volatile aromatic gods that the coffee doesn’t go stale before it’s used.

All “Texas Coffee People” get a generous discount of over 10%!
(Click Here.)

Humidity and Espresso.

 +

Frustrating hindrance to consistent work flow, or a natural aid to beautiful extractions?

Leaving the doors of a cafe open can lead to some issues with grind consistency and production waste due to a constantly changing grind particle size requirement for optimum extraction. On the other hand, a slightly more humid environment can help aid in the fullness and richness of an even extraction.

So, where’s the balance?

Generally, an espresso bar will stay more humid than not, especially in a busy cafe. The constant running of hot water, hot espresso, hot coffee, the steaming of milk, purging the steam wand, flushing the group-head, rinsing the portafilters, and so on will all contribute to a higher than average humidity level in the area around the espresso bar. The downside to this, is that this can have a tendency to lead to a rather warm working environment. The espresso machine is already emitting quite a bit of heat, even before the introduction of all of this moisture to the ambient air. Grinders are no slouches either when it comes to heat production. This is not necessarily a good thing, and in fact, can be quite detrimental to the quality of your espresso. (has anyone else ever had issues with an overheating grinder? You can never seem to grind fine enough for a good extraction when this happens.)

Battling these humidity factors is the Texas cafe’s beloved air conditioning unit. Cooler air makes the room more comfortable, and more often than not, will cause the customers to freeze when the barista is comfortable. What it also does it condense some of the moisture in the air a bit, so the heavier humid air will sink towards the floor.

Are there any tricks to maintaining a constant humidity around the espresso station? Well, no, but preventative maintenance does help. Keeping all doors and windows that lead to the outdoors will help to at least equalize the humidity level so that the adjustment necessary is minimal, and the shot extraction is as consistent as possible. Keeping a consistent air conditioner temperature, and situating vents to NOT point directly towards the espresso station during build-out, or situating the espresso station so that it is not being directly hit by an air vent if the HVAC is already existing beforehand.

How much of a difference does this really make? I challenge you to leave your front doors open for an entire shift, and watch the extractions like a hawk. I would be very surprised if you avoided the frustrations of constant grind adjustment and the unnecessary number of sink shots (read: money) that go down the drain as a result of something that is easy to harbor some control over.

The bigger question in mind is whether or not we have the capabilities to control ambient interior humidity so precisely, that we can actually chalk it up as another controllable parameter for espresso extraction profiling. Tobacco retailers have been doing just that for years with their walk-in humidors. The trick, however, is that these humidors are closely guarded. The door is never left open for more than about three seconds at a time.

Another aspect to consider is cost. What is the average mark-up for such a retail situation when compared to specialty coffee? I personally believe that we are in a position where we are undercharging as it is. It’s sad when a CoE coffee can be sold for $10/lb. green, and this is considered expensive! Sure, there are some great bargains to be had.. just like wine. But those of us who are absolutely adamant about quality are willing to pay more.. much more. It has been said that “people will pay a premium price for a premium product”, but how much truth is there really in that? What is a “premium price”? It’s all subjective, and this may mean that the operating costs necessary for running a commercial humidifier and hygrometer might just be out of our reach. It would be interesting to see happen, though.

In short, Humidity has an enormous impact on the quality and nature of your espresso’s extraction, and should be considered through all phases of production, from build-out, to a/c control, to weatherstripping and insulation. I’d like to see a measurable graph correlating a hygrometer reading and taste scoring for a specific dose weight and extraction time, with the only change being the humidity and grind particle size to compensate for it. Any takers?

Any comments or thoughts should be posted in the forums here:

Read : Write

‘Tis the season.  The end of summer is coming, and soon, the idea of a home espresso station will become more and more appealing.

From my experiences, Summer time is the best time to upgrade, because prices are low, and one day without espresso can be a little less painful if that’s what it takes to move on to bigger or better things in the world of home espresso.

There are three machines, and two grinders currently available in the buying and selling forum here.

All are worth checking out.

I just thought I’d pass this along to help both sellers and buyers.

In the words of Jon Lewis:  Let it flow.

Click Here!