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Local Shops: New Java on Brownsboro
Written by Peter Sieg on May 27th, 2010
In addition to our coffee review blog series, we have decided to add another. When we have a pleasant experience at a coffee shop, we want to share it with you all in hopes that it will encourage people to check out the good things that are happening in the Louisville coffee community. We hope to write a post about as many local shops as we can and possibly some in neighboring cities. Hope you enjoy!
Since we are beginning this series the day after the grand opening of the Java at 4901 Brownsboro Rd, it seemed only natural that it should be the first we write about. My wife and I paid a visit to the new shop yesterday evening. As we walked up we were greeted by Chris Lavenson, the owner of the shop, and Mike Safai of Safai Enterprises, who roasts and supplies coffee to many shops in town. Upon entering the shop, I was immediately struck by how spacious it was. With a massively long bar and ample seating both inside and out, they shouldn't have any problem accommodating the crowds. The bright, colorful decor lends itself to a pleasant and cheery atmosphere. Perfect, I imagine, for mornings where you need a good boost in both energy and spirits. Approaching the order counter we were greeted by a friendly barista who directed us to the free coffee where Mike Safai, set up with a melitta pourover station, poured us a couple cups; my favorite was the lighter roast Mexican. After receiving our coffee we headed outside to sip and listen to some live tunes. To top off the night we headed back inside for a small mocha to go. Overall a pleasant experience and an impressive shop. Nicely done Java!
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Hario's stainless steel water kettle, the V60 Buono, has been spotted popping up in coffee houses and the kitchens of baristas for some time now. A detailed search on the web will reveal, for the moment at least, that the Buono seems to be widely accepted as the most useful pouring kettle available. What makes this kettle so popular amongst pour-over enthusiasts? Several reasons stand out.
First, the thin pouring spout enables greater pouring precision as well as a slower, more consistent and controlled rate of pour, both of which are very helpful in achieving a precise, prolonged extraction.
Second, the stainless steel construction and large 1 liter capacity contribute toward keeping up the brew temperature for the duration of the entire brew cycle.
Third, the ergonomics involved in the design of the kettle help to make using it much easier. This may not seem like much, but if you're brewing large batches of coffee and pouring for three or more minutes per batch, doing several batches of coffee will quickly become a chore if your kettle doesn't cooperate with you.
Combine all of these facets with the fact that the Buono is manufactured by Hario, a very popular name in the coffee-brewing community, and the kettle's popularity is easily understood. For best results, combine the Buono with a V60 Dripper or Chemex to get a truly exceptional cup of coffee. -
The Baratza Vario looks much like Baratza's other offerings (i.e., the Encore, Virtuoso, and Preciso) in regard to silhouette, footprint, and general design. Those who've used them extensively, however, know that there's far more than mere nomenclature that separates the Vario from its brethren. Practically speaking, it has shown to give a consistently uniform and desirable grind for the full grind spectrum, all the way from espresso to press pot, something no other non-commercial grinder currently out on the market can boast. It is a highly efficient machine, wasting very little in the way of coffee grounds, but it shines in its ability to produce excellent espresso, shot after shot after shot, a feature aided by the three timed dosing presets it allows the user to store and recall at the push of a button.
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Compak is a company dedicated to quality and craft. Their newest endeavor is a line of espresso grinders that raises the bar on control and efficiency. Aptly named "Fresh" for its innovative design and functionality, these grinders were created from conversations with baristas around the world and from the experience of a company that has been around for over 50 years. The K-10 Fresh offers a number of innovative features including: the ability to pre-set the the dosing time for a single and double shot to within a tenth of a second, manual push-button doser that keeps time of amount dosed on the digital display, and a completely new dosing system, electronics and control system. Also, the electronic display shows the selected grinding point, a configurable warning to change the burrs, promotional message with your logo, shot counter, and multi-language display.
