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Baratza
Baratza is the company at the forefront of home coffee grinding innovation. Before Baratza entered the coffee manufacturing scene, one was hard pressed to find an affordable burr coffee grinder. Now, home baristas and cafes alike have multiple affordable burr grinders to choose from courtesy of the U.S. based company. Baratza currently offers five different burr grinders: Baratza Maestro Plus, Baratza Virtuoso, Baratza Virtuoso Preciso, Baratza Vario, and the weight based grinding Baratza Vario-W. In addition to this lineup, Baratza has also released a weight based grinding attachment for their grinders, the Baratza Esatto. One popular mantra from the coffee world is: the biggest investment a coffee fan can make is in a high quality grinder. Baratza has made the "investment" part of that coffee truism a lot more attainable.
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Few advancements in espresso machine technology over the past fifty years could be called revolutionary. The latest advancement featured in La Marzocco's Strada Electronic Paddle (EP) is one that has earned that title. Pressure profiling was first introduced into the mass market in 2009 by the Slayer Espresso Machine. The La Marzocco Strada takes this new technology to the next level by allowing the barista to save up to four pressure profiles at any given time. Along with the ability to save profiles, each group has a digital display that shows the temperature (±0.1°C), shot time, and current bars of pressure (±.1 Bar). The Strada perfectly combines the durability and workmanship of La Marzocco with the technology of the future.
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Tampers are as diverse as the baristas who use them. Our new tamper meets the needs of almost any barista, whether professionally trained or newly beginning. With its durable aluminum handle and wide, smooth top, the tamper is ergonomically designed to fit comfortably into the palm unlike other overly rounded handles which can press a little too tightly into the hand of the barista, or flat topped handles which can become uncomfortable after extended use.
The base of the Prima tamper is of a hefty 304 stainless steel design. This solid steel base combined with the light, detachable aluminum handle adds balanced weight to the tamper which helps aid the barista in providing an even tamp, shot after shot. -
(For a guest barista review, click here.) Anfim's Super Caimano espresso grinder, upon its initial release, was a solid addition to any high-end coffee house. It featured a 75mm flat burr set that helped to give a very consistent grind, allowing baristas to rely upon it for excellent shot-to-shot uniformity. When dialing in a coffee, the Super Caimano had 70 holes in its adjustment collar to allow for tinkering between shots. Now, however, Anfim has added an additional 20 spots for a total of 90 holes in the adjustment collar. The benefit of this? When dialing in and finding the sweet spot for any coffee being used to pull shots of espresso, a key factor the barista must take into consideration is the size of the grind particles. Yes, uniformity and consistency of those grind particles is also key, but the ability to make tiny, incremental adjustments is always helpful when striving to find the right balance of all a coffee's characteristics when pulled as espresso.
