Airbrushing Mazzer Major

Airbrushing Mazzer Major

I always wanted to make a blog about my little grinder do, but its been too long since I’ve done it so I didn’t have the motivation to blog it up. Its about time I get it out of the way, I guess I need to thank Tim Wendelboe for a tiny bit of encouragement. This one is for you Tim .. haha

Ok so here is the story … I bought a Mazzer Major grinder on e-bay, it was cheap so it turned out a good deal overall. When this grinder got to me; it was in a pretty bad shape. You could tell straight away that it has been used an abused on so many different levels. The guy that actually sold it to me hasn’t even cleared out the left over grounds of coffee. The grinder mechanism was in good comdition but the blades were worn out. So here I am cleaning it with a compressor and everything. I decided to restore the grinder completely, this is what I did to it:

Airbrush designs:

I wanted to do something special on the grinder, something simple. Many people recommended patterns such as flames or tribal art, but I wanted it unique. After all its not a car. So it came down to two conclusions: pink panther or pac-man. Both were pretty easy to sketch in illustrator and very original. I decided to go with pac-man as I had more flexibility to come up with my own design and really make it complicated and interesting all the way around. But then still why pac-man?!?! Well every one knows it and has played it on Atari so why not …? Here you can see my illustrator sketches of the mock maze which was later lightly modified by my airbrush artist.


Taking the beast apart:

As you see the grinder body has lots of chips and dents and its not the prettiest thing to look at either.

First steps first … I stripped the grinder completely and unwired everything. Taking the coil way a pain in the ass, I didn’t follow any internet instructions but someone recommended putting it in the over for the metal to expand and that way the could slips out with slight force. So if you ever get around to taking it out, you might wanna do that …


Laying coats:

I needed to sand little chips and imperfections over for the paint to be nice and even. So I put 3 coats of undercoat and sanded all the imperfections, on the last photo you can see that everything is smooth and ready to be painted black! Be sure to air spray everything, you will get a nice even result through out the project. I did 3 coats of black paint, I actually used a matt car paint to give it a more sexy appeal. The whole thing will be clear-coated at the end so plenty of smoothness … just wait and see.


The airbrushing:

From here I took it over to my airbrush artist. I have given him all my illustrator vector designs so he was able to cut out stencil and get the job done, he has personally told me that it’s the craziest smallest project he has ever seen. He even requested photos which I believe are on his website. This guy has never heard or seen a coffee grinder in his life so for him it was a challenge to paint around the sides and making it look shmick! As you can see everything turned out according to plan. On one of the photos you can see my new-bodied beast sucking up 80kg of coffee to season the new blades.



I hope you had fun browsing through photos and if you have any further questions please let me know … I am always open to tips and help so shoot …


I guess I will take this opportunity to thank a few people, it is indeed an impossible task getting this done on your own so here it goes.

Dan thanks for helping me take everything apart and then putting it back together, your shed is indeed a goldmind haha and don’t worry about the clicker wheel, I got a new one :)

Sammy, my best buddy – we sprayed and we sprayed … got it all done in the end, cheers for your help mate

Guys at the airbrushing studio … you guys rocked did an awesome job!

Tony D’Angelo thanks for providing me with a ton of robusta to season my blades

And last but not least Tim Wendelboe for poking my motivation with a stick

Comments anyone??

Toronto

Visited: 08/06/07

After spending over a week in Seattle I made my way to Toronto. Having done my crafty research on places to visit I had a pretty slim list. Actually only two places that conducted my list; Dark Horse espresso bar and Bulldog coffee but there were more you just have to know people.

I made it to Bulldog Espresso Bar (88 Granby Street) first, they have an old La San Marco machine there which is running way too hot … the extraction was way too inconsistent but the coffee was drinkable but not so great. There in the shop I met Amber Fox … a very passionate barista with a natural latte art skills. Amber organised a little coffee people gathering at Matt Lee’s house but that’s a whole another blog … so for my “must to visit place” will have to go to Bulldog in first place. Ever since I’ve been there, they actually re-decorated the front bar, they have a website and you can find some photos on there, look much nicer than it did before. http://www.bulldogtoronto.com/

Mercury Organic Espresso Bar (915 Queen St) would have to come 2nd for me … the coffee that I got was surprisingly good .. although running an Elektra machine the extraction was decent.













Very close third is Dark Horse (682 Queen Street East) a very communist like decorations give it a very interesting vibe. The coffee was nothing special, they have an Elektra machine also.














Another place might be worth visiting is Cherry Bomb (67 Roncesvalles Avenue), it’s a very small shop with no toilet and Toronto has a rule, if you don’t have a toilet you cant have ceramic cups. So your poorly extracted espresso shot will swim in a paper cup. But don’t worry there is a track bike on the wall to keep you company, you can feel very safe under it!


The main reason these shops don’t use better coffee machine is because there is noone to service them. The local roasters are good to an extent but will not go out of their way to make specialized roasts. The only option might be to import intelligentsia but it will be a very costly process, however there is a distributor in Toronto and his name is Matt Lee, did I mention he has a 2 group synesso at his house??? The main reason that I didn’t spend more time on the Toronto blog is because there is a very good article in the june/july 2007 issue of the barista magazine that basically thumbs it all up … get the magazine I strongly recommend reading the article.

Seattle Coffee Run

Visited: 31/05/07

SEATTLE

Zoka (2200 North 56th Street)

I would have to say that ZOKA Coffee is a definite step above the rest and not just in Seattle. I believe that they set a very high benchmark for great espresso in North America. Their house roast is on a lighter side producing an end product that is like no other.

WORTH THE TRIP. Bus number 13 thatThe shop is located deep in the suburbs among little food joints. It was a bit of a trek to get there, but take my word for it, IT IS stops on 3rd street will take you straight to the doorstep outside ZOKA on 56th. The coffee shop very much employs the whole laptop people culture and overall the shop itself didn’t appeal to me as it wasn’t very social. Too many people isolated by their MACs. Despite that fact ZOKA come up with a superb end product EVERY TIME. I’ve gone twice during my Seattle stay and both times had an amazing experience; friendly staff are always willing to have a chat.

They run a 4 group LaMarzocco FB 70 with a bunch of mazzer grinders. The menu is pretty straightforward without crazy signature drinks. Its good to see a coffee shop like ZOKA educating general public about traditional espresso. They also have a clover, which gets heavily used. Being a green bean buyer they push through a few single origins and always experiment. A real credit would have to go to Tracey, Jeff and Trish for doing what they do.

Ok lets get to the espresso end, as soon as you walk into the shop you get the general impression that the coffee is going to be good. Equipment and a wonderfull aroma really give it away. \ My double shot espresso was served in a ZOKA branded tulip espresso cup. This shot was relatively short with rich dark crema. It smelt amazing. Light toasty nut smelt and tropical, berry fruit like smell was very captivating. The smell very much reflected the taste – sweet, rich full of body with light acidity. The first sip was very flavoursome; distinct caramel notes with light white chocolate profile adding on to that overall sweetness. The mouthfeel was silky smooth resemblant to warm melted chocolate running down your pallet with an explosion of berry sweetness right on the last drop. This espresso blend was truly amazing and well structured with premium grade coffee - complimented by a great extraction pulled with real passion and great knowledge by the barista. ZOKA experience is really something special, an absolute treat!

Sitka and Spruce (2238 eastlake ave)

This is a very small café, not really an espresso bar but more of a fancy lunch with great coffee. Very well established with great equipment, mazorco mazzer combo. It is located opposite ex Hines Public Market espresso brand location in a little shopping mall. I went at the right time when Bronwen was working. The coffee was great. They offer Vashon coffee, which is roasted locally in Seattle, I have very much fallen in love with Vashon there and then.
I recommend checking it out and even better checking it out when Bronwen is there. I was there on Saturday morning so possibly that would be a good time. She is very knowledgeable and has a US barista title under her belt. She also roasts in Vancouver for Origins Coffee and works at Sitka only few times a week.

Seattle Coffee Works (111 Pike Street)

A very interesting place, an absolute must on your list. They employ a new idea of having multiple local micro-roasts for their customers to try. As you can see on the picture there is a wall full of mini mazzer grinders holding a different coffee blend in each one. The house blend is in a mazzer lugi. All the coffee is designed for espresso and as far as I know is blended. Sebastian the owner of the shop employed this idea to support the micro-roasters in seattle and also to be different from every other shop in the area. In theory it is a brilliant idea but the key is freshness and knowing how each coffee extracts and what temperature is best for extraction. They have calibrated their 3 group synesso so all 3 groups are running at a different temperatures. It creates a little chaos as you can only use the middle group for the house blend. I know this first hand because I worked a little rush gap there when they first opened up. I find it so fascinating for a coffee shop to even employ this idea, it just shows how advanced coffee is in Seattle and this idea actually works! I think this shop is one of the first espresso bars in the world to carry that many espresso blends.

The house roast is very dark and overoasted so it was simply not that good. They carry Vashon coffee and I have had some amazing shots pulled at 93.5C. It is a medium roast that is just amazing to work with, it is very sweet smooth and more or less rewarding each time. I was fortunate to try it at Sitka & Spruce as well.

When you go there be sure to order the Vashon and nothing else is worthy as almost all the beans are overoasted and are very dark. The other blend that might come close is the Lighthouse, it is still on the darker side but does pull a good shot.


Lighthouse (400 North 43rd Street)

Lighthouse is a quiet neighborhood, a really appealing shop both inside and outside. Equipped with a roaster this coffee shop means serious business! La Marzocco, mazzer combination add nicely to the overall picture. The guys behind the counter were very excited and in a way playful among each other. This shop is a perfect place to hang out with your mates and just kick back and enjoy suburban life.

The espresso itself wasn’t very good, very much on a longer side and slight bitterness was coming through due to overextraction. I’ve heard from few people that their roasting is not very consistent, but I cannot claim that, as I haven’t worked with it. They are well established among the coffee community but don’t stand out above the rest.


Zoka uni (2901 NE Blakeley Street)

I had very high expectations for this store as they are still ZOKA and for me that means best in Seattle. The store itself was amazingly big with lots of students punching away on their laptops. Once again not very social at all. A 4 group FB70 was getting a heavy work out and baristi were very rushed. My double espresso was clearly not the same as that on 56th street. It was overextracted and possibly overdosed so the really fine delicate features of this coffee were not at all apparent. Despite inconsistency in coffee I really liked their store design overall. It is a high volume shop for people in and around the university. Once again ZOKA set the education commitment out to younger crowds.

Café d’Arte (1625 2nd Ave.)

They are located in an awesome location and have a true feel of a quality coffee shop. They choose to use Simonelli machine and grinder and it works pretty well for them. I’ve been there twice and both times had a very different experience. The very first time that I went it didn’t really impress me. Their house blend is a very dark side and is designed to be drunk with milk. As espresso it was too harsh me. The 2nd time around the girl that made the coffee knew the right extraction to get the best sweetness out of it. I actually thoroughly enjoyed it as it had a very distinct dark chocolate coco dusty feel and taste. It was more in a form of a ristretto with only the sweetest drops, I very much liked that, a very traditional Italian shot of espresso. No real complexity and flavoursome aftertaste due to its roast profile.

Espresso Vivace (901 East Denny Way)

There are few locations that Vivace have. This particular might not be there for very much longer. I heard that city council is planing to break it down as there is going to be a new monorail terminal or something like that on that spot. This shop is the original Vivache store and it really feels that way too. With a huge bar holding two 3 group synesso’s with a back room that looks like a roasting facility. The walls are decorated with latte art photos and beautiful boutique coffee gear. Among the decorations are David Schomer’s books.

This espresso was very qnique in its own style. At first glance it was very appealing with dark rich crema and slightly gassy. On the smell it was fantastic very rich dark toasty notes; roast nuts and coco. On the taste however it was very different from its present smell. I found it to be very harsh and gripping at the start with distinct liquorice and dried plums coming through creating this really strange mouthfeel that I wasn’t a big fan of. Towards the end the coffee sweetened and quickly changed to rich dark chocolate on last few sips. The finish was far from clean. You can definitely sense a heavy portion of rabusta in the blend. The coffee itself is very unique and people do like Vivace, but for me it was a little overkill on the flavour although the shot was as good as it could have been extraction wise.

I definitely recommend going there to try it out, they offer a very unique experience.


Zeitgeist (171 S. Jackson St)

This one is right next to china town in a strange neighbourhood, you will know what I mean when you get there. It’s a designer coffee shop with real weird but in a way cool atmosphere. A massive space - with high sealing, amazing teapots and kettles all along the walls. Great shop from a design point of view but unfortunately they don’t keep up with the better espresso bars. Go and see it it’s a real eye candy!

Ladro (801 Pine St)

This shop had nothing going for it. That particular location is in a busy lunchtime spot. I think they hold their business on regular customers. They did however have a marzocco in there, which was working overtime. Coffee was terrible, I don’t recommend it but if you run out of things to do, might be a place to go.

Visited: May 2007

After graduating from Purdue we hit the road to Seattle .. here is a map of my rout. I kept a little dairy of my coffee shop visits so here it is ... enjoy!

St. Louis

There were 2 coffee shops that I was going to check out Kaldi’s and Northwest. We tried to find the Northwest store in central west end but failed, as the maps weren’t clear, so we went to Kaldi’s the next morning.

Kaldi’s – Coffee Roasting Company

Located in the suburbs of St. Louis it’s a pretty long drive out of down town. The company roast their own coffee and have a large selection of both single origins and blended coffee in open jars. Among those, a good amount of Sumatran peabery and even some harah.

The equipment set up looked very promising a brand new GB5 with bottomless portafilters and mazzer majors. The house roast itself was very dark. My expectations didn’t really live up to the cup I got. A clearly overextracted shot with bitter notes, very watery with pale crema. Anyways, it didn’t leave a good impression. The café itself was pretty big with lots of people inside. A large outside area with fancy umbrellas and of course don’t forget the laptop culture, with people that isolate themselves from everyone. The neighbourhood was very fancy, with mostly older crowds that don’t drink espresso.

I think that Northwest would have been a better place as it was my first choice but still … never the less there is still nothing coming out of St Louis apart from the terrible taste of Budweiser, and Busch which is even worse.

Kansas City

To be perfectly honest I wasn’t expecting such quality out of Kansas City, after doing my crafty coffee shop research I ended up with two espresso bars on my list. One of which was about a six-minute drive from where we were staying, and the other south of downtown Kansas City.

Espresso Dell’Anatra – really really nice, hands down the best out of the two shops we went to. Outside a shopping mall complex, this modern “clean cut interior” espresso bar offered much more than I had expected. Working on a Linea Marzocco and Mazzer major grinder, our barista produced one of the best shots I have tried in America. Coffee was made with precision, excellent technique and REAL passion for good espresso. Not a high volume shop, every cup is ground fresh. The barista we had used a very strange technique for pulling a double shot. He pulled a single shot into a cup and than pulled another shot into the cup on the other group, never the less the coffee was outstanding. Extractions for both shots were roughly the same so it didn’t make a difference, still I’ve never seen anyone do that nor do I know why he did it.

The coffee was great in both smell and taste. Distinct smell of toast, cocoa and dark smooth chocolate and on the palate a strong nutty profile with distinct sweet melted milk chocolate. This coffee was full of body and certainly wasn’t lacking crema. The smooth mouth feel really added to the overall picture, just picturing that shot slowly rolling down my tongue makes my mouth water. Long lasting aftertaste, just great!

Their blend was 100% arabica and had 3 brazils.

Broadway Cafe – this coffee shop was recommended to me by the barista from Dell’Anatra he said that they are the closest thing to a quality espresso in all of Kansas city. Conveniently located close to Starbucks, this coffee shop is very popular amongst lots of people. I couldn’t help but notice a very large gay community that really set the theme for this coffee shop. A very social, busy café with long benches against the outside windows of the shop made it look like Melbourne’s St. Kilda area. The coffee itself was very Melbourne-like, with a long extraction with over roasted coffee and slight bitterness, as well as a lack of crema and general lack of flavour.

Hippy looking guys full of tats and piercing run the show behind the bar. The 4 group LaMarzocco Linea was at total rest, and whilst there were lots of people getting various drinks none of them were espresso based. The wall full of flavouring syrups didn’t impress me at all. The cup was ground on demand and the coffee was not brewed immediately and sat in the group for at least a good 5 seconds, whilst the barista reached over to grab the cup and feel its warmth.

Overall wasn’t as smooth as Dell’Anatra, but still a more than drinkable espresso.

I was very fortunate to find outstanding coffee in Kansas City, as I didn’t expect it.

Dodge City

This “one horse town” doesn’t have any coffee. The closest thing to it was the percolator coffee offered at the motel. If you are ever in dodge city I recommend a very nice steakhouse we went to - Casey’s Cow House on trail street.




Montana - Missoula

Butterfly - My next coffee shop worthy of mentioning would have to be a very long way away from Dodge City in a small town in Montana called Missoula. We spent few days there and I found myself in a very interesting place called butterfly, this shop was deep within a bizarre bookstore and very much added on to the overall atmosphere of the shop. Those guys don’t roast their own; but buy from 16 different roasters from all over the world. Their house espresso blend was absolute garbage a definite overextraction, so I couldn’t pick out any characteristics out of my shot. On the other hand they had all the right equipment. They were running 3 group Marzocco Linea along side automatic Marzocco Swift grinder. I have never actually seen a Swift in action but it looked indeed swift and very quick on grinding and tamping.

I was staying with a good friend of mine and she had a little starbucks espresso machine at home. So I decided to buy the house blend and play around with it at her house. The beans that I got were well over a month old and have been sitting in an open container so they were stale. I couldn’t wrap my finger around a decent shot after many attempts and different extraction methods. On top of things this poor espresso machine had a 10g filter basket with me packing 14g hitting the shower screen and trying to fit as much as possible. Anyways I was disappointed with the coffee. Overall the coffee shop ambience is outstanding but espresso is lacking.

Coeur d’Alene

This trip is almost over but we still have few more spots to visit. I heard some nice things about this one coffee shop in small town in Idaho, Coeur d'Alene. This is a very small town with few cool pubs and even an award winning local microbrewery that serves great beer. Café DOMA is located on main street among the pubs. A trendy looking, very modern place has an absolute eye candy at the bar, MIRAGE Classic by Kees van der Westen. I very much adore this machine both inside and outside in it’s unique design aspects. In my opinion one of the most beautiful coffee machines ever designed. I was in total love with the Mirage, unfortunately my love was cut short by a very mediocre espresso shot.

I really like the way they set the shop with a very eye catching, beautiful machine, so I visited them later that day once again and had my 2nd shot of the day. This time a different barista has made my coffee but it was still very average. DOMA roast their coffee just outside Coeur d’Alene and sell to surrounding coffee shops.

I really enjoyed driving across the staes, it has definitely given me an amazing experience that I will never forget. Going through all the national parks and seeing small towns has been a blast. Coffee wise I can clearly say that Kansas City impressed me the most. Hope you enjoyed reading my blog … I will post a whole separate blog on Seattle so check back soon!

Kiril

New York (downtown) Good Espresso guide

Visited: 15/03/07

New York (downtown) Good Espresso guide

There is not much choice here in NY but the choice that you do have is really worth your while and is definitely worth visiting. The shops are really spread apart but once again, make that trip it will be worth your while. I walked everywhere to see the city but if you are on a time budget take the underground metro it will take you anywhere you want to go.

I will do top 4 shops here in NY, unfortunately that’s all they have worth mentioning. I am not being bias or lean towards any shop, I judge my shops by taste of espresso and overall ambience, maybe 90% taste 10% ambience, so here it goes …

Oh one more thing … the top 3 shops that I will list all use 21 gram baskets, so you get a ton of bricks drop on your head, the espresso is very concentrated so to more accurately break it down it might be wise to dilute it as a form of a Long Black (Americano). The enzymatic and sensory characteristics will be more clear and enjoyable.

1.
Real winner for me was Café Grumpy (224 W 20th St.) Very small, specialized espresso shop PUMPED with the best equipment possible. They have a 3 group Synesso along side TWO 2 phase Mazzer Robur’s and a Mazzer Major got their house decaf. They push through lots of “Clover” coffee and offer 6 different single origins that they vary all the time. Ok back to the espresso. I had their house blend, which is 100% Arabica blend of 2 brazils; Daterra Estate Reserve and Fazenda Cachoiera screen dried Yellow Bourbon. It is roasted at Ecco Caffé in California. Full bodied cup, very fruity like complexity with strong dark chocolate notes and syrupy like sweetness. Not very acidic, overall well balanced with clean finish, making your palate begging for more well after 20 minutes. I loved this shop as they are constantly experimenting with different coffees through different extraction methods, they even run a free cupping session for regular customers for absolutely free. They don’t go through a large volume of espresso so baristas have time to grind on demand and consistently concentrate on every shot they pull!

When I was there they had 100% Arabica, Australian single origin coffee from Mountain Top Estate, located close to Nimbin. It is rare for anyone to get their hands on this so called “Bin 35 Espresso Blend”. The blend consists or ripe and over ripened cherries that Andrew Ford and his team carefully sort in small batches. I used this blend in my last barista competition; which was roasted by Tony D’Angelo at RIO coffee in Adelaide. Tim Wendelboe has won the barista competition in 2005 using it for his cappuccino, so this coffee has already placed itself on the world map. I guess it was good timing for me to be there as I was able to advise the baristas on best possible extraction to produce best results. The coffee was 4 days old from its roast with light oils starting to show, producing amazingly sweet, lightly acidic, full bodies coffee.

Inside the shop is very small and narrow, like I said they don’t get too busy so that might not be an issue, considering that over 50% of their customers drink “Clover” coffee, giving the espresso machine some what of a break. There are a few tables where you could sit down and enjoy your latte, they even have a small pastry section, although the selection is not great few simple cakes are on display.

2.
In close 2nd place my rating goes to 9th Street Espresso (136 E 19th St.) Once again a very well established specialized espresso bar with best possible equipment. 3 group LaMarzocco GB-5 with a 2 phase Mazzer Robur. Their menu is very espresso specific with no fancy flavoured coffee, so no messing around there! They have 21 gram baskets with all 3 groups fitted with naked portafilters, so your single shot is a triple shot! Once again ton of bricks on your head weather you like it or not. The espresso was outstanding what seemed to be 100% Arabica roasted by Counter Culture. Sweet aromas with distinct toasty notes on the nose. Light chocolaty notes were also distinct. The palate very much reflected the smells, light chocolate, candied toasty nuts and very crisp fruity finish. Overall great complexity, great balance making a definite impression.

Inside the shop it feels really spacey and home like, there is plenty of room to sit down, the selection of pastries is not great but you could certainly get a biscotti. I was there during lunch-time and it was not very busy at all, the barista told me that they do get busy in the mornings. They clearly don’t go through a large volume or coffee, allowing the baristas to concentrate on every shot and obviously grind on demand. The selection is very straightforward, only traditional Italian espresso drinks. Unlike Café Grumpy they don’t have the “Clover” machine and don’t play around with coffee as much.


3.
Blue Spoon (76 Chambers St.) is one of the recently opened espresso bars in NY. They use an unknown brand coffee machine and possibly a Mazzer Super Jolly, I don’t remember. The only thing they stress is their coffee beans. They use Intelligentsia’s “Black Cat espresso blend” and for many that’s a big thing. I’ve had the best of this blend in Chicago and wasn’t all that impressed by it due to its weakish, dusty profile. I had two coffees at this store, first an espresso and than a long macchiato. The espresso was pretty good a nicely extracted shot, dark in colour distinct toast and chocolate smells. On the palate coco stood out, with a dusty finish. The blend is very full bodies and might have a good portion of Kenyan AA judging by its character. I wanted to try the espresso with milk so I ordered a long macchiato. It was noticeably overextracted and not consistent as the first shot of espresso, so I was disappointed by the inconsistency. The coffee was ground on demand and made with proper techniques both times so I figured they do care and concentrate on their shots.

From memory the shop is extremely small with few tables, some snacks on display. I think they have everything going for them in the future they possibly need some better equipment, I hope they build themselves up to a high standard and compete with other espresso bars.


4.

Joe Art of Coffee (9 E 13th St.) located few blocks down from 9th Street Espresso is worth a trip just to experience the vast difference between the two shops. They have a 3 group LaMarzocco linea with 2 Mazzer Majors. I must say I wasn’t very impressed with the espresso, it was overextracted absolutely butchered through the extraction process with pale crema. All I was tasting is rancid orange sensation and unpleasant bitter aftertaste. The shop
itself is really busy, they also struggle for space … as I walked into the shop the first thing that I saw was the tree house (pictures on the right), from what I am told it is their office and is for staff use only. The baristas were making elementary mistakes such as burning the milk, not wiping the steam wand. I think for Joe’s it’s more about quantity rather than quality. I’ve been told that in one of the other stores they make a better cup running a Synesso and Robur combination, unfortunately I didn’t make it there. I couldn't understand why they put a flat blade Major grinder in such a busy shop; I can only imagine how hot it gets. The doser was filled with coffee, for the volume of shots they were pulling the coffee would have still been reasonably fresh. I hope they don't let the coffee sit in the doser when it's not busy.

Kiril

West Lafayette Coffee Run (Purdue University)

Visited: Feb 2007

As some of you already know, I am studying at Purdue University over the fall semester of 2007. It is located in the middle of nowhere about 2 hours from Indianapolis and 3 hours from Chicago. I’ve been here half a term already since early Jan 2007 and have struggled with good coffee. I can suggest a few places around the campus and general Lafayette area I will list them in order of my choice:

Cap N' Ginos - Located near McDonalds cross intersection with state st. (not sure of the road name)
OK ... First of all they use intelligentsia coffee. The name really speaks for itself, however I have never seen anyone HACK into their coffee quiet like they do. They have a Rancilio Epoca along side Mazzer Major, even a Reg Barber tamper making the combination more than possible to produce Lafayette's best coffee by a long shot. I was shocked to discover that because of their drive through window they choose not to use the manual machine but instead press a button on their automatic machine. I talk to the barista and he even admitted that they don’t even touch the Rancilio, I was so angry but I didn’t say anything to him somehow I think he knew that I was thoroughly disappointed. Mind you, my espresso was terrible no crema no flavour closely described to "dish water". Still better then anything around Lafayette area.

Starbucks at Union - Starbucks is sturbucks unfortunately i cannot elaborate on that, I drink their coffee almost every day and ashamed of myself. If you end up going there, have them make you dolpio latte in an 8oz cup ... its their smallest cup and its hiding behind the counter so make sure you tell them.. they get confused. It is indeed funny. I guess the more confused you get them the better, its funny watching armatures at work, especially those who call them selves baristas. The reason i get double shot lattes there is because ... noone in their right mind could bare the taste of dolpio espresso from starbucks, so I dilute it with milk .. but not too much so some flavour remains still.

My last place and THE VERY LEAST would have to go to 2 places ... one is Vienna coffee opposite chase bank on state st ... and JR Huffords in the Tikapenue mall forgive the spelling I don’t pay attention to things like that. By far the worst coffee if I were you wouldn’t step my foot inside.

Its a shame that this school that is in top 10 schools in the USA doesn’t have a decent coffee shop. If you got any more question feel free to ask.

Kiril