Background : Espresso is a small thick dose of coffee made by passing near boiling water through finely ground coffee under pressure. The flavors you find in the cup (or shot) are very concentrated. Some people like it; some people ruin it by creating Pumpkin Spice Lattes (just kidding). In case you are interested, a double shot of espresso in your latte typically has less caffeine than the average cup of coffee (2 ounce shot in 12 oz Latte ~ 100mg , 12 ounce coffee ~ 200mg <varies>).

So how do you know if the Espresso you make is “great” if you are diluting it with milk? You don’t – you drink it straight or diluted in several ounces of hot water (called an Americano). My first shots were light colored and bitter (not good bitter, spit-it-out-fast bitter). After practice, I got something that was decent and made espresso drinks for friends and family that were pretty good.

Several months later, I went to the National Coffee Association show in Chicago to see the latest coffee happenings and take some training. In the vendor hall checking out equipment a guy pours me an espresso with a new kind of  portafilter (the thing the coffee goes in) that has NO spout on the bottom (called a bottomless portafilter). See the difference?

I was mesmerized with the soft-serve ice-cream like flow of the coffee from this new device. The barista called it “naked extraction” because you can see the whole process. The spout hides important details about how even the tamp was and the thickness of the liquid.

Can you say Christmas gift?  Christmas morning I start with my new filter – waiting to see my new amazing espresso pour out. What do I get? I get coffee shooting out in different directions making a MESS. Maybe my espresso isn’t as great as I thought?

Remember, I’m not a detail guy so at this point I’m thinking, “too much work, put it in the trash”. Instead, I went back to my technique of grind, tamping, etc. and carefully taking notes on the results. I tried quite a few times (more than pride will allow me to mention) before I got it down. You can see the difference below, and boy could you taste it.

Now I was quite perplexed. Behind this little spout was hidden all information I needed to make “perfect” espresso. So for years I’d brushed off measurement and analysis and now through a very simple example I saw the beauty of improving through measured observations. I’ve since applied this new appreciation to my roasting of espresso beans – a longtime frustration, and achieved great results.

So I learned in some small things (but important to me) the value of measuring, tracking, and getting feedback. I’m still learning on how to apply that to my work. Unfortunately, I’m the type that has to see the value in something before I have any motivation to even entertain doing it. Going forward I’m going to tackle new things by simplifying them and trying them in a way more relevant to me.

I see a lot of crazy metrics to measure things in the workplace, I’m not always sure they are meaningful – as a matter of fact most of them make me cringe. I’ll try not to let that deter me in the future from finding that valuable raw data to improve.

What happens when Americano meets soda? Americola of course. I invented the name, I don’t think anyone else is dumb enough to try this – or at least admit they did.

My idea was that if iced coffee is great, carbonation could only make it better!

I started with 4 shots of espresso, iced it, and poured it into a fresh liter of seltzer (from my soda stream machine). That proved to be a problem since there was a lot of fizz reaction and not enough space.

I poured the leftover espresso in two cups and added the water over top. It was a foamy mess. I’m not sure, but I think the crema really reacted with the carbonation.

The really funny thing was it tasted more like beer than iced coffee. Maybe I’ll try again maybe with a cold brew.

There are quite a few different types of vac pots designs and they are designed to work with different heat sources (gas stove, electric based, or sterno powered). I wanted something inexpensive I could use on my gas burner and suggested the Yama vac pot idea to Mrs. G (it runs about $50).

How does the vac pot work? You heat water in the lower pot until water vapor forms, which creates a pressure and forces the hot water to the top pot (filled with ground coffee) via a tube that runs between the two pots. There is a filter between the chambers that keeps the coffee grounds in the top pot. Eventually almost all the water travels to the top and the coffee “steeps” for a couple minutes until you remove it from the heat source.  After removing the heat the water vapor decreases and creates a small vacuum that siphons the freshly brewed coffee through the filter back to the bottom pot. This picture shows the stage where the water is still travelling to the top pot. This is half-science experiment and half coffee preparation. It’s fun to watch but more work than drip or press.

The Yama has only five parts and it’s very functional. I think the design is solid and seems to be well manufactured.  Particularly important with these devices, the gasket sealing the upper and lower pots is a pliable thick rubber material and provides a good positive seal. It’s also fairly easy to separate the upper and lower sections when brew is done.  The upper and lower pots are a nice thick tempered glass that you should not worry about breaking (but I store it back in the original box after cleaning).  There is also a lid  made of plastic that nicely doubles as a stand for the upper chamber (which is awkward to stand up due to the 5 inch glass tube at the bottom).  The filter is just a cloth-wrapped periforated stainless steel disc.  I’d highly recommend this pot to anyone who wants a n0-frill inexpensive vac pot.

So how does the coffee taste? The coffee is steeped, and so it shares some of taste you expect from a french press –  yet it’s a very clean taste. The coffee lacks the “sludge” of a french press which should be good, but I think it is almost too clean (disclaimer: I love the french press). I’ve tried several coffees with varied brew times and feel the vac pot does not produce the same lingering body as other brewing methods.  I still enjoy it and I am enjoying a cup right now!

Someone recent gave me a bag of this coffee, A Land of a Thousand Hills, which will be brewed tomorrow for me and the wife (and a carafe to take to work friends).  The thing that intrigues me is the work to build a message and niche branding behind the coffee.  I’ve often considered private labeling a local roaster and selling on the web, but haven’t found the right niche.

People love the coffee, but they also love the look of the bag and the story of the coffee.  In this case there is an Environmental, Christian, Help Rwanda Message.  Start helping by buying the coffee.  Most people don’t realize that coffee is what keeps many people in these countries fed.

These guys have a great niche and story… And we’ll see about the quality of the beans tomorrow.

We got in the car and my wife took one sip, which was followed by a “blaaah!”. Keep in mind, my wife is a well-trained coffee snob, so I figured I should try it. I opened the lid to find a few bubbles. Yes, bubbles not foam. It was near white in appearance, and had a faint coffee smell to it. Committed at this point, I take a sip. “Yuk.” Was it the lack of espresso, missing foam, or temperature? Nope, it was just gross. It tasted like someone warmed up some milk, blew a few bubbles in it with a straw, and mixed in a meagerly teaspoon of instant joe. Wow. McDonalds, you spent a lot of money on this product rollout, testing, and free samples. You’ve missed the boat by a mile – I suggest you stick with the burgers and keep your day job.

• Comes in fun cans
• Less than $8/lb average
• Quite a few varieties
• Quick and easy (minutes from home).

It just seems stale to me. I’ve tried a few cans over the last year. The aroma when opening a coffee container says a lot, and your coffee is pretty quiet. I suppose darker roasts have enough of a caramelized roast flavor to make up for the complete loss of varietal flavors for some people. To me it is just terribly boring – they all taste pretty much the same to me.

I can only guess the canister isn’t as good as the valve bag?

Update 4/22/08 : Tried a very dark roast (yeah, I’m punishing myself). I have only seen beans that crumbly and oily when I forgot to turn off the roaster. I threw them away. I always wondered what that would taste like, now I know. Don’t bother.

I’m not sure my wife would let me put this on the kitchen counter…

Read More … I just need a flatbed plotter and edible ink…

So I run over to CoffeeGeek to see what is new in the machines that are cheaper than Silvia (what I use). Here are some good looking machines in the $300 range

Francis X3
This one is a couple hundred less than Silvia. You have to love the looks. I’d still just save up for Silvia but… if $300-400 is your max it is worth a look. The detailed review is quite good.

Innova Arc
At $299 it has to be worth a look. It gets a good review for what it is and at half the price of Silvia… If you make mostly milk-based drinks take a look.

Solis SL-70
Clearly the ugliest of the bunch but gets great reviews. I have a Solis grinder I use for regular coffee and it just keeps going. Sounds like you need to pickup a new portafilter for good shots. Again – the price is about $300.

Of course I have to say – remember the grind. In reality getting one of these makes grind all the more important. On the cheap grinder front… Welll…

Gaggia MDF will get you the grind you need for $200

Solis Maestro might suffice – but spend the extra $60 on the Gaggia

So let’s see. We could grab a solis maestro and grinder and have a passable setup for about $430. That’s about 100 drinks at the local shop. I think I’d consider a Gaggia and the Innova if I was wanting to be cheap – still at the $500 range total. When you consider Silvia is $600 alone… Well it’s a good way to start and learn.