Crew Review: Espro Press – 10 Cup
There is a camp, in which Gail squarely resides, that doesn’t dig the silt often found with coffee press preparations. Others of us love the roughage (!), but if you’re one with Gail, then you’re one with Espro’s very popular coffee press, which features an additional micro filter that greatly reduces the sediment at the bottom of the cup.
The only complaint we ever received about these presses was that it was too small, so we were clearly excited to learn about the introduction of the 10 cup version! It produces roughly 40 oz. overall, so keep that in mind when measuring out your final brew capacity.
Watch as Gail takes on this bad boy for the first time.
Crew Review: DeLonghi EC860
As you know, it doesn’t take much to make us happy, but something we love more than anything is when a manufacturer gets a little bit crazy with its bad self and releases a piece of equipment unlike others we have tested. DeLonghi’s new EC860 is a sort of hybrid between traditional espresso machines and their robotic counterparts, featuring standard espresso extraction with the option to automatically froth the milk.
Watch as Gail talks to us about its features, then demonstrates shot extraction, frothing with the wand and making a one-touch (aside from all the touching involved with grinding and tamping, of course!) cappuccino with its automatic frothing option.
Crew Review & Comparisons: Kalita Wave Pour Over
It’s a big bad mama jamma of a Kalita-related blog entry!
So, we went a little Kalita wild last week — trying this popular pour over out for the first time, then comparing the different filter material types and how it measures up against other popular pour over preparations.
In this first video, Gail takes on a Kalita Wave #155 for the first time:
Next, she brews up three batches of Velton’s Twilight Blend in the glass, stainless steel and ceramic versions of the #185:
Finally, she takes on a comparison between the Kalita Wave #155, Hario V60 02 and 6-cup Chemex to see how they compare, taste-wise:
We’ll definitely be bringing these new pour overs in. We loved how easy they were to use and they produced a really great cup. If you’re a pour over fan (or want to be), the Kalitas are definitely a must-have.
Crew Review: Bonavita Variable Temp Kettle
Brian from Bonavita came by for a visit and shared with us his newest toy: The Variable Temperature version of their popular electric kettle.
Watch as he takes us through the development process and talks with Gail about the features of the new kettle. Then Gail uses it to make a batch of Velton’s Twilight Blend on the Chemex.
This new model is not yet available; the current ETA for the US is late August 2012.
Crew Review: Saeco Poemia
It’s the little espresso machine that could! Saeco’s newest small single boiler espresso machine takes design queues from their Xelsis-era of machines and functional queues from the tried-and-true Via Venezia and Aroma.
Watch Gail take us through features, show us how it works and then talk to us about how it compares to its predecessors.
Crew Review: DeLonghi EC702
No muss, no fuss! DeLonghi’s entry level semi-automatic espresso machines offer great features and good value. Sure, they’re not going to win any awards, but did you expect them to? Probably not.
Watch as Gail takes us through the features and functionality of the EC702, a single boiler with a simple interface and metal case.
Crew Review: Mahlkonig Pro M Espresso
Featuring programmable dosage timing and burrs geared more toward the finer edge of things, Mahlkonig’s Pro M Espresso coffee grinder is a bit less versatile than its All Around counterpart, yet still features excellent grind quality.
Watch Gail show it off and demonstrate how well it performs.
Crew Review: Technivorm CDGT
With its classy cylindrical lines now complemented with an industrial, corrugated metal look and a mid-brew interrupt feature, Technivorm’s new CDGT still offers some of the best drip coffee we’ve ever had the pleasure to sip.
Watch as Gail runs through the features and functionality, then brews up a pot on the CDGT.
Crew Review: Rocket Espresso R58 Dual Boiler
Our long love affair with Rocket Espresso has been taken to a higher level with their newest addition, the R58 dual boiler espresso machine. Featuring separate, insulated copper steam & brew boilers and a removable PID interface to control the steam boiler on/off, brew boiler temperature and the water source (either the internal water reservoir or plumbed-in), the R58 also has a dashing case design and a beautiful stainless steel cup surround.
Seriously, we’re not sure if it can get much better. We need a moment. While we collect ourselves, check out Gail’s from box-to-cappuccino introduction to the R58.