Archive for the ‘Q&A’ CategoryCompare: Airscape vs. Coffee Bean Vac
March 2nd, 2012
In the world of coffee bean storage, do either of these devices do a better job of keeping your beans fresher, longer? We asked Gail to throw a bag of Velton’s Bonsai Blend into an Airscape and a Coffee Bean Vac, then we pulled shots a week later and two weeks later to see how [...]  Compare: Double Boiler Espresso Shots – Izzo, La Spaziale & Breville
February 27th, 2012
For folks that dig precision, a dual boiler espresso machine with PID temperature control of the brew boiler is hard to beat. While we tend to shoot from the hip in general around here, that doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate a shot pulled from one of these beauties! We asked Gail to pull shots from [...] SCG Crew Views: What is your favorite non-espresso prep?
February 24th, 2012
While we have over 100 different espresso machines at our jittery little fingertips each day, our crew sometimes opts to brew a batch o’ java using a different method. We asked Gail, Bunny, Allie, Brandi and Rade to share which non-espresso coffee preparations they dig the most, then filmed how they do it. We shot [...] Blind Taste Test: Technivorm vs. Bonavita Coffee Makers
February 20th, 2012
Things were getting a little bit docile around these parts, so it was clearly time for another grudge match! We asked Gail to brew a pot of coffee in the Technivorm Moccamaster KB741 and in the Bonavita Coffee Maker, then line ‘em up and see which our trusty crew members preferred. Watch as Rade, Allison, [...] SCG’s Packing Tips: Espresso Machines over 35 lbs
February 17th, 2012
Earlier this week, our trusty compatriot Tristan showed us his tips on how to pack up a machine that weighs less than 35 lbs. This covers all of those little single boilers and most superautomatics, but the big bad boys — heat exchangers and double boilers — need a little extra lovin’ to ensure they [...] SCG’s Packing Tips: Espresso Machines under 35 lbs
February 13th, 2012
Who wants to receive a call that their espresso machine sent in for repair now requires significant bodywork due to shipping damage? No one! In general, we see pretty good packing practices out there, but it pains us when we receive a machine that has a hole punched in the side because it didn’t have [...] Compare: Chemex Filters vs. Hario 02 Filters
February 1st, 2012
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 [...] How To: Dialing in a Coffee Grinder
January 27th, 2012
A little bit of the ol’ science behind the magic! Dialing in a grinder is one of the most fearsome tasks for new home espresso enthusiasts, and we’re often asked for advice on how to get the hang of it. While we produced a video a couple of years ago that covers this topic, we [...] Compare: Baratza Virtuoso vs. Breville Smart Grinder
January 25th, 2012
For entry level espresso-grade grinders, the Baratza Virtuoso and the Breville Smart Grinder have a lot of features one might want to cuddle and caress (with the finger guards in place, of course!). At similar price points, how do their features and grind performance compare? We asked Gail to take these out for a stroll [...] Experimenting with Cold Brew Coffee
January 23rd, 2012
Do you really need a fancy, specially-designed gadget to brew up a batch of cold coffee? Or can you just use your trusty ol’ press pot? While we carry a couple of different cold brew options (from Hario and Sowden), we wanted to see if using one of them (namely, the Sowden) produced a better, [...] |
