Archive for the ‘Reviews’ CategoryCrew Review: Izzo Alex Duetto II
February 3rd, 2012
One of the more popular double boiler espresso machines on the market, the Alex Duetto II has a lot to love about it. The functionality is awesome — PID interface to set the coffee and steam boiler temperatures, easy access to switching between 15 or 20 amp, convertible water source so you can use either [...]  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 [...] Shot Compare: Baratza Virtuoso vs. Breville Smart Grinder
January 31st, 2012
In yet another grudge match (!!), Gail dialed in the new Baratza Virtuoso and the new Breville Smart Grinder for use with the Rocket Giotto, pulled several shots and then we did a side by side taste comparison. Does either of them have the edge, taste-wise? Watch to find out. Crew Review: Compak K10 Conic Fresh
January 30th, 2012
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 [...] 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 [...] SCG’s Most Popular Coffee Gear – 2011
January 24th, 2012
Not that we’re encouraging you to keep up with the Joneses, but if you’re in the market for a new espresso machine, we thought it might be helpful to share which models sold the best over the last year. Broken down by budget, here is what other folks have chosen for their home espresso setup, [...] Baratza Grinder Line-Up
January 20th, 2012
Since our last look at Baratza’s offerings, they’ve added some new options and changed their line-up, so we asked Gail to provide us with an update. Watch as she talks us through the different features of the Maestro Plus, Virtuoso, Preciso, Vario, Vario-W and the Esatto retrofit accessory. Then we demonstrate grind differences between the [...] Crew Review: Rancilio Egro Commercial Superautomatic – Redux!
January 18th, 2012
When Gail first met this sophisticated robot about 18 months ago, they had a brief and fleeting affair, enabling her to get just a minor taste of its capabilities. We brought in a demo model a few months ago and Gail has now had the time to get up close and personal with Rancilio’s commercial [...] Crew Review: La Spaziale Mini Vivaldi – Redux!
January 17th, 2012
Recently revamped to offer a more streamlined case, different portafilter handle and the 4 .9mm hole steam tip as standard, the La Spaziale Mini Vivaldi is hands down our favorite double boiler on the market. And we do not say that lightly! We love it’s size, its function (built in PID controls brew temp in [...] Crew Review: Breville Smart Grinder Redux
January 13th, 2012
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 [...] |
