Crew Review: Curtis G4 TP15T Twin ThermoPro Brewer
Designed for busy cafes, large office kitchens or just seriously addicted coffee lovers, Curtis’ G4 TP15T Twin ThermoPro Brewer is a serious piece of kit.
Featuring programmable brew options, an intuitive touchscreen interface and dual, large capacity thermal dispensers, this is the coffee maker you need if you’re looking to sling large amounts of java in a short period of time.
Watch Gail take us through the features and specs, then brew up up pot for us to sample the brew. Delish!
Introduction to the Curtis G4 CGC Single Cup Brewer
During Seattle’s edition of Coffee Fest, we were lucky enough to meet with Brant Curtis, who showed us the ins and outs of their new single cup brewer, the G4 CGC. Designed for gourmet brewing tailored to your roaster’s specifications, this coffee maker enables you to brew delicious drip coffee on demand — an excellent option for businesses that don’t want to brew up a full pot.
Watch as Brant leads us through the features and specs, then demonstrates functionality by brewing a cup for Gail to enjoy.
Compare: Breville YouBrew (Glass) vs. Technivorm
When Breville’s YouBrew was first released, we weren’t in love with the grinding functionality. Of course, we’re crazy when it comes to high concentrations of coffee particles suspended in our water, so a ton of people loved its grind and brew functionality without issue. With the recent release of their glass carafe version, Breville has tweaked the grinder and improved the consistency and dosage functionality to produce a stronger cup. So, of course, we had to put it to the taste test!
In this video, we brew up batches of java on the Technivorm and on the YouBrew, then ask our trusty crewmates to taste them and give us their opinion on which they prefer. Find out which coffee maker — if any — prevailed!
Crew Review: Durgol Descaling Solution
If espresso machines had a kryptonite, it would be scale build-up. This silent killer will degrade your machine’s performance over time — inhibiting steam performance, disabling valve functionality so that leaking begins and, eventually, contributing to boiler burn out. Your options in battling it are to use a filtration system, softener or a combination thereof … or to just plan on regularly descaling the machine.
One descaling solution on the market is the liquid formula produced by Durgol. Available in two different formats — one for coffee makers and one for espresso machines — these are very effective and easy to use solutions. Watch as Gail talks to us about their formulation and then demonstrates how to use it on the Saeco Aroma.
Compare: Saeco Poemia & Saeco Aroma
If your kitchen counter space is at a premium, an espresso machine with a small footprint is likely your first consideration. Saeco’s Poemia and Aroma models are great options to consider, as they pack a lot of simple functionality into a relatively small punch.
Watch Gail talk us through their features, how they compare and why you might choose one over the other. Then she demonstrates making a cappuccino on each so you can see them in action.
What it is!
Compare: Technivorm vs. Behmor Brazen Brew
We love innovations in the coffee makin’ world, so when Joe Behm talked to us about his new Brazen coffee maker, we were super excited to test this baby out against our tried and true: The Technivorm!
Watch as Gail brews up batches on these two coffee makers, then our trusty crew mates give us their opinion on which they prefer. One thing’s for sure: Yummy coffee was definitely had by all.
Bonavita Extravaganza!
In support of a bunch of fun new gear they’re releasing over the next few months, Bonavita‘s main engineer, Brian, visited with Gail to show ‘em off. Watch as they talk through a few different products aimed toward pour over coffee lovers. The Bonavoyage Travel Kettle has already hit the market and the other goodies will land during the winter of 2012.
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Bonavita Porcelain Immersion Brewer |
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Bonavita Pour Over Stand & Dripper |
Bonavita Pour Over Scale |
Crew Review: Dammann Teas
Sometimes, nothing can beat a nice cup o’ tea. And our Dammann Tea selection is really quite lovely! Watch as Gail and Brandi taste them and provide their feedback on flavor. Boo yah!
Compare: Grinder Sound Meter Readings
When discussing the sound differential between rotary and vibratory pumps, we’re often asked which one is more quiet; our answer is invariably: Does it matter? Your coffee grinder’s the loudest thing in the room!
But how loud is it? We devised a practical test to basically show the difference between the grinders, decibel-wise. What did we learn? The tone’s the thing! While the decibel levels are actually quite similar, there were models that ‘sounded’ louder than others, simply because of a difference in tone. So the moral is … they’re all loud. 
Watch Gail’s test in action!
Compare: Convenience of Superautos vs. Capsule vs. Pod Espresso Machines
If convenience is king in your household, your espresso machine selection will likely center on superautomatic, capsule or pod-friendly options such as those made by DeLonghi, Jura, Nespresso and Saeco.
But which of these three machine styles produces a better shot? Does it matter? Of course it does! Watch as Gail demonstrates making an Americano on a pod-friendly semi-automatic, a capsule machine and a superautomatic. We compare flavor and discuss the relative convenience and ease of use.