La Marzocco Espresso Machine

At the shop that I have been working at we use a La Marzocco espresso machine. I have been so happy using this machine that I felt it was time to do a post of espresso machines and talk a bit about the machine that I have been using and what I think of it. First off for those that don’t know the differences in espresso machines I will do a simple explanation of the different kinds out there.

Though there are many different types of espresso machines ranging from stove top mocha pots to big commercial machine, which I will be focusing on because that’s what I use mostly. For the commercial realm there are four main types of espresso machines.

• The first is the manual espresso machine or the piston espresso machine. These machines have an old antique feel about them because this is the way espresso was made before the advent of the pump systems used in most machines today. These machines give much more room for error as the operator has to control the pressure throughout the whole pour. Though they are harder to use a good barista can pour shots out of them that will be better then most other machines you can find because of the extra amount of control given. (I personally have never used one but really want to learn to.)
• Second is the semi automatic espresso machine or the electric pump system. This machine is much easier to use. The pressure is controlled by the pump and the barista chooses when to start and end the extraction. The dosing, tamping, and removing of the grounds are still done by hand. More advanced machines will let you adjust the pressure put into the grounds by the pump.
• Third is the fully automatic espresso machine or the one-touch system is very similar to the semi-automatic machine, with a small difference. You decide before hand the amount of time for the brewing to take and with the press of a button the machine starts and stops itself. This machine and the semi-automatic are the most common machines that you will find in most coffee shops.
• Fourth is the super automatic espresso machine. This machine does almost everthing for you, from grinding to dosing, tamping, and brewing. Superautomatics allow you to do whatever you like while the coffee is being prepared. The other side of the coin is that you don’t get the experiament much, and it removes a large amount of control from the barista. (These are the machines that Starbucks uses)

Now that we have gone over the basic times of espresso machines I will now nerd out over the one we have at work. The La Marzocco company got its start out of  Florence, Italy in 1927. They claim to be the progenitors of espresso machines in production today. It is true that patented a few of the methods that are considered standard in espresso machines today; such as the horizontal boiler, and a semiautomatic mechanism that simplified movements by the barista, and released pressure from the portafilter. The symbol of the Marzocco which is a seated lion with the crest of the Florentine Lily is what they get their namesake from and the branding for their machines.

The type of La Marzocco we use is a semi-automatic. It is part if the GB/5 model of machines. It is a two group meaning that it can pour from two group heads at a time. The model series goes up to a four group. It has adjustable steam flow so we have one steam wand at a different pressure then the other for perfect steaming of different amounts of milk and what-nots. The machine uses a dual boiler system which means there is one boiler for the steam wands which is 7 liters and a second for the espresso which is 3.4 liters. The espresso brew boiler uses a preheated infusion intake from the steam boiler, which means you will never run out of perfect temperature water for your espresso. This machine is a work horse you can make espressos back to back as fast as you want and not have to worry about pouring a bad shot due to cool water.

This machine is a big upgrade from what I was working with before and I can see the improvement in my drink quality from it. I knew I was  good barista before, but now with a good machine it’s hard to make a bad drink.

A new home

So after my second week working now for Xpression Coffeehouse I thought it was about time to write a blog about my some of my experiences there. The shop is in southwest Portland and has an interesting group of regulars that come in. I really enjoy all the people that come in which is a good thing. I already feel like I am starting some good friendships with some of the people that come in. And that is one of the main reasons I love working in coffee is that feeling of family without subgroups. It’s one of the few places that people of all kinds of backgrounds can meet in one common place and share some good times together. We have many people that come in from the different businesses around us as well as a few work from home people. There’s some nice housing in the area and the condos across the street from us are really pricey. So there are a lot of people with income to spend on coffee, for the ones that realize we are there anyway. I was worried that this was going to bring in some rude, “greater then thou” customers, but they do not have as much the superior vibe that many upper class people on the east coast give off. Which is refreshing to see some people here be successful and still down to earth at the same time.

 

Xpression itself has only been here for six months. The current owners bought out the space from the previous coffee shop. The shop that had been there before was called MUD coffee roasters. I don’t know much about the old shop except what the old regulars have told me about them. From what I heard about them I think I glad to be working for the Slavovs. The shop is run by Milen and Jeanie Slavov both of them are amazing musician from Bulgaria. Jeanie was a singer and Milen is an amazing composer mixing world music, and smooth jazz together. All of the music in the shop was made by him just for the coffee house. This gives the place a very unique feel and something that makes its stand out next to all the other shops here in town. Thing is lots of shops here in town serve amazing coffee and have talented baristas like we do. But here is being created an atmosphere for people that is different then anywhere else starting with good music and coffee, but moving on into an overall welcoming enriching experience. I believe people don’t just good to coffee shops regularly for the coffee. The coffee is the catalyst for getting people there, but it is the experiences they have while there and with each other that keeps coming back. In the end its all about how you feel when you walk out of the shop, not just how caffeinated you are.

 

The shop itself is on the smaller side, but still has a home feel to it which is good. We are implementing a few ideas I came up with when I first started. Added some style to the  menu sign and talking about taking music sheets and decorating each table with a different kind of music. I’m always trying to come up with something new to help the place do better. Trying to improve their inside image and online prescience. The music is such a strong draw and selling point for the shop, which is why I think we need to increase the amount of music theme inside the shop. We already have some great painting in the shop with lends for the high art gallery feel which is great. Also good to support other local artist as well. Online we just got the place on Yelp so now all those happy customers can let everyone else know how awesome our place is. Still trying to get Yelp to take down the MUD listing, but even if we don’t they only had 5 reviews for their store so it wont be hard to get more reviews then that. I am making a little sign for them to put up to remind people to check our online resources and to give us reviews.

Yes, though this is my first blog post about the shop there will be many more as it is an ever increasing part of my life. I can tell that I am already falling in love with the place. Its so nice to finally have a coffeehouse to call home.

First time judging a Barista competition.

Last Monday at the Iron Tamper event I was asked to join one of the baristas I met there, Josh at his shop to judge their in house barista competition. So Saturday I got in my car and made my path through the frustrating traffic out to Sherwood a little while outside of Portland. The shop is called Coffee Central and sits in the corner of the one of the main strip malls in Sherwood. Though the shop is unimpressive from the outside and seems set up inside is very basic, but the moment that you see what is going on behind the counter you can tell there is something special going on. The baristas here are very talented and their product is amazing. The owners put a lot of effort into getting the best products they can. They let me try their chai and I have to say that it is the best I have ever had. They get a chai called ‘Mychai’ and it is sold only in very select shops. The owner of Mychai comes and tries out every shop with his family before he lets them use his chai. He also makes every batch to order so there is no warehouse where it is sitting getting stale. They use Kettleman’s Bagels and also bake their own gluten-free pastries. Enough about the shop this post is about the competition.

The reason that they were doing this in house barista competition was because they had just hired a new barista. This is a great idea for training of new baristas. It gives them the feel of what it is to be a professional barista as well an idea what it is like to compete professionally in larger events. As well it works as a good tool for them to gain feedback on their own ideas and drinks so that they can improve their style. Judging was me and Marcus from Batdorf and Bronson, also we picked one judge from the group of regulars that were there to watch the competition. This was a great idea because really the point of an event like this is to improve the skills of the barista for the benefit for the regular customers of the shop. So, because we were doing it in a professional style we used the 0 through 6 scale scoring system. For those that don’t know each number goes to descriptor. The scores are; 0= unacceptable, 1= acceptable, 2 = average, 3 = good, 4 = very good, 5 = excellent, 6 = extraordinary. We tested on professionalism, coffee knowledge, taste balance, presentation, and Marcus watched over them while their were making drinks to score their cleanliness and waste. The last category was not a normal one but added because the in-house focus of the event it is something that is very important to the running of  a good shop.
Here we see both of the oldest barsita Josh and their newest Chrystie working on making their drinks. Josh made a wine grape coffee and cream drink using the coffee and grapes at the same time pushed through an aeropress which was an amazing idea. The grapes were from a regulars own garden which added a touch of specialness. The end product was presented a bit plainly and over ice. But after a few sips I saw it has a lot of potential with a little bit of improvement which over all was a tasty drink. Chrystie created for us a blueberry honey macchiato drink also with local ingredients. It was presented very well with a small spoon over the tiny cup with honey and two blue berries sitting in it. It wasn’t overly sweet which was good because I was worried about that with the small amount of espresso and cream, I worried about the amount of honey it looked like she was using. Over all it was a good drink though I could tell this was still her first time doing something like this. That being said for a newby she did an amazing job. Josh won the competition but only by two points it was a close one. They have a third barista but she came down with a nasty flu so she was not able to attend, but I was told what she was going to make, and I have to say I will be making it back out to Sherwood to give it a try. It was a great experience judging and giving feedback, it was fun to be on the other side of the table for a change. I have to hand it to everyone in Sherwood’s Coffee Central they know how to make their coffee.

Iron Tamper Competition

Last Night I was graciously invited to take part of the Iron Tamper competition. It was hosted and put on by the good people over at Batdorf and Bronson, The American Barista & Coffee School, and imbibe magazine. It took baristas from all over Portland together to compete in creating their own unique drink using one or more of the three secret ingredients. The competition was rough one of the pairs were winners of last years USA barista competition. The contestants where encouraged to bring their own supplies to work with the secret ingredients. The competition was held over at The American Barista & Coffee School which has an amazing setup with every kind of machine you could think of  for making coffee every style of espresso machine even a Trifecta which is a very advanced one cup coffee brewer. There were lots of amazing baristas from all around town. Lots of amazing people.

I was paired up with Heather Ringwood from Batdorf & Bronson. I was lucky we both had ideas that worked really well together. The there secret ingredients were elderberries, baby kiwi fruit, and black sea salt. For our drink I had brought some of my home made liqueur based off a Scotchish recipe called Altholl Brose. We then took a champagne glass poured one shot of espresso of Batdorf and Bronson’s Dancing Goats blend. Then taking a spoon dripped an oz. of the brose slowly into it filling up the bottom for nice layer effect. Around the top we dribbled cherry vanilla bitters that Heather brought. We just put it along the back of the glass as an aromatic, which we sprinkled the salt onto. We lastly put a few pinches of the salt into the top of the drink itself to bring out parts of the espresso flavor. Turned out amazing I forgot to get pictures but I will be bothering people to see if anyone else did so I can post them up.

And the best news. We got first place! I was blown away. It was my first event like this so I was not expecting to win as well it was the first time that I had used the Atholl Brose with espresso. I had always known it would work well which is why I brought it but I was blown away by the results. Anyway check back again later friends and I’ll post my recipe for the Atholl Brose.

Event Poster for the Iron Tamper

Quick Update

Hey guys I would have been posting a lot more lately but its hard with out reliable internet. I’ll finally have comcast coming by Tuesday to put it into my apartment. Also some news I will be going to Coffee fest up in Seattle this next weekend. So there will be lots of posts and pictures from that.

Saint Charles Coffee House

Live has been off kilter since moving out to Portland. Still working on finding a perminate place to stay and work. Things are looking up though. I kept putting off writing a post being overwhelmed by the newness of the city here. Seems like time to get back into the swing of things even if everything else isn’t running at 100 percent.

Looking back at my drive cross country I had the plesure of popping into this amazing coffee house in Saint Peters, MO. The outside of the shop had the feel of an old Scottish pub. Walking in I was greeted by a cozy feeling room with a fireplace in the corner. Groups of older men sat around tables sipping coffee and talking about politics. The whole place had a very homey feel while still being impressively professional.

They boasted a large choice of coffee roasts that were in large glass jars. The coffee I had my self was rich and flavorful. It was my best starts for a morning on the trip. The atmosphere was that of a small town I felt at home among strangers. It was a large building which boasted a great outside patio area and space for a band to come and play. I noticed on the event wall that they were having an Elvis impersonator coming into town to play a show. This is definitely a place I have to stop back by if I ever am going through the area again.

Latte Art

So the guy that trained me at Batdorf and Bronson also worked at Aurora Coffee in Little Five Atlanta, GA. Here is a couple of the videos he gave me as a reference for latte art. They are very well made for any baristas out there you should check them out. It’s helpful to see it in slow motion to see the small details of the process.

Hello coffee lovers.

Hello my peoples of the bean. In this blog I hope to share with people my love for coffee culture and all that goes with it. I will share recipes that I have come up with or that have been shared with me. Also I’d like to point out some of the many different shops around that have created amazing atmospheres or drinks. Its a big world out there and I aim to see it one cup at a time.