Seattle Coffee Gear Blog » New Products

Compare: Chemex Filters vs. Hario 02 Filters

Kat — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:23:59 +0000

Our first time out, Allison used a Hario 02 paper filter for her brew test with the Chemex. And we didn’t hear the end of it from our YouTube fans!

So once we received our first shipment of signature Chemex filters, we decided to do a side by side brew comparison to practically determine if you could tell a difference in the cup. Watch as Allison brews up two batches on the Chemex and we taste them to find out.

Crew Review: Compak K10 Conic Fresh

Kat — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:55:30 +0000

Look, you know we don’t judge. In general, we are open minded, supportive and care about you finding the right equipment for you. We often say that we don’t have a horse in that race — the most important thing to us is that you end up with equipment that helps you make coffee that you love at home.

But if we’re going to throw that all to the wayside and pressure you into anything, it’s going to be the ridiculously awesome Compak K10 Conic Fresh grinder. You know that the grinder is the thing and this grinder is the serious thing.

Watch Gail take us through the features and specs, then demonstrate how this big bad grinder performs. Yow!!

Crew Review: Breville Smart Grinder Redux

Kat — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 18:01:53 +0000

After we tested the original Smart Grinder last year and found that it just didn’t grind fine enough for espresso, we talked with Breville and learned they had 2 solutions in the works: First, they offered a shim kit upgrade that could be added after the fact, allowing the customer to modify the grinder’s functionality in order to work well with espresso. Second, they were in the process of manufacturing new burrs with improved tolerances, with the ultimate goal of producing burrs that would grind at an espresso level of fineness without modification.

Now that we have a demo model with the upgraded burrs, we decided it was time for an update to our review of the Smart Grinder. Watch Gail take us through features and specs, then demonstrate different grind levels and see how it performs when paired with the La Spaziale Mini Vivaldi.

Crew Review: Baratza Virtuoso Model 586

Kat — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:13:57 +0000

Leave it to Baratza to take a good thing and make it better, right? Their well-loved Virtuoso has just been souped up with burrs that previously were included with the Preciso model. Why did they do this? Because they love you — of course! And also because it improves the overall consistency in the grind.

Watch Gail compare the older 585 model with the new 586.

Crew Review: Chemex

Kat — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:43:58 +0000

The Chemex is easily one of the most long-loved piece of coffee brewing equipment — it’s simple, easy to use and creates an excellent cup of coffee. Also, who can’t love it’s cool 70′s-era design?!

Watch Allison take our 6-cup Chemex out for a test drive, providing some tips from what she’s learned in her research and experiments and brewing up a couple lovely cups of coffee.

Crew Review: DeLonghi kMix Drip Coffee Maker

Kat — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 18:42:31 +0000

As part of their colorful and compact series of new appliances, DeLonghi has introduced 5- and 10-cup drip coffee makers that are a definite upgrade in their aesthetic design.

Watch Gail talk about the features of the kMix coffee maker and brew a couple pots o’ coffee to test out how it performs.

Compare: Breville Dual Boiler v. Nuova Simonelli Oscar

Kat — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 19:28:22 +0000

Yet another comparison match! Watch Gail walk us through the features on the Breville Dual Boiler and Nuova Simonelli Oscar, then pull shots and make lattes to show how they perform.

Crew Review: Bottomless Portafilter for the Crossland CC1

Kat — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 17:38:40 +0000

You know we dig the CC1 — for the price and features, it’s a tough machine to beat! But one thing it has been missing is a bottomless portafilter, so we were very happy when Bill Crossland introduced one.

Watch Gail demonstrate the new bottomless on the CC1 – available now (and currently included on all new purchases of the CC1).

New! Non-Pressurized & Bottomless Portafilters for Saeco & Starbucks Machines

Kat — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 19:05:19 +0000

The most popular mod/upgrade to Saeco and Starbucks semi-automatic machines is the non-pressurized portafilter, which turns a pretty basic machine into one that can produce shots that rival gear several hundred dollars up the food chain. When the last of them that Saeco had produced were gone, we knew we had to do something to fill the gap.

So we had them produced ourselves! And since we could do anything we wanted, we made them chrome-plated brass and also requested a bottomless model be manufactured. The new model of the non-pressurized portafilter is significantly upgraded in terms of temp stability and design, and we’re really digging it!

Watch Gail talk about these new toys and demonstrate a shot using the bottomless model — which will be available in January. If you’re interested in picking one up, you can sign up to receive an email notice as soon as they are in our warehouse.

Coffee Tasting: Middle Fork Roasters

Kat — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:35:58 +0000

Another new roaster in SCG town! These guys are a small outfit located in Seattle’s Sodo neighborhood, founded by Matt Parish in 2009.

While we haven’t had a long history of love for dark roast coffee, we do appreciate their approach and have selected their Full City Espresso, Tough as Nails and Back Pedal Brew blends.

Watch Gail & Allison pull shots and whip up pour overs to taste these delicious new (to us!) beans. Enjoy!