Let me tell you something. I love coffee. The smell of a bag of freshly roasted beans, the whir of the grinder, the aroma of freshly extracted espresso. Yum yum!
My love for coffee is growing stronger every day, trying different coffee's is a pleasure, but preparing good espresso is just as pleasurable as consuming the final product.
A while back I purchased some coffee equipment to begin my journey in to the coffee world. I bought a Sunbeam EM6910 espresso machine and matching EM0480 conical burr grinder. Together this equipment has allowed me to explore fresh coffee and put together a variety of coffee based drinks and treats. (I made some coffee-filled cream biscuits once!)
I made the decision to buy this specific equipment after much research on the internet (specifically the coffeesnobs.com.au web site) where I found like-minded coffee fanatics willing to help me get started. The equipment had to fit the following criteria:
Low start-up cost
Not take up too much kitchen space
Be able to make decent espresso and espresso-based drinks
Not need a phD to be able to operate the equipment
Over the period I've had this equipment, I'm now at a stage where I've mastered consistency in my coffee making and my passion for coffee is certainly here to stay. I didn't want to invest heavily, in case I decided that making my own coffee using this technique was just not for me.
Fast forward to today:
It's time to move to the next phase. The world of quality Italian made machinery. Heat-Exchanger's, multiple boilers, enough steam to blow your head off. I've come to realise how much I depend on and love my espresso each day, how it's become an essential part of my life.
Yesterday I upgraded my Sunbeam grinder to a Mazzer Mini. Mazzer make top-notch, world-class coffee grinders. This thing is epic. I reckon if it had wheels I could drive it to work. It's that good. Build quality, style, quietness, and the consistency of the grind. Outstanding! Without a doubt a great improvement to my coffee. (as they say, it's all in the grind)
Next, I'd like to upgrade my machine. I mean, I'm already getting better espresso since upgrading the grinder, but the machine has a few things which shit me off. These include:
Poor brew temp stability resulting in sometimes poor tasting espresso
Piss weak steam wand. Seriously, it's almost impossible to texture milk properly
Not hot enough (what's with the water temp?)
Awful water tap (it takes ten years to pre-heat a glass)
Noisey. Thermoblock systems are very loud. No coffee if the kids are in bed sleeping
Struggles to pull multiple shots or steam multiple milk jugs back to back
I've lived and learned through the pro's and con's of this machine. Most of the things in that list annoy me, except the last item, which isn't a big deal, as I usually make coffee just for me, not a party of coffee heads. But when the coffee heads are present, there's a queue before they get their brew. (that rhymes)
Don't get me wrong, for the $600'ish I paid for this machine, it's been good. To upgrade to another machine will cost $2,500+. It's going to have to wait!
So I guess I've become a coffee snob. I know the difference between good and bad coffee, and I'll stab anyone that asks for sugar in their coffee when I'm behind my machinery (sin). You could say that coffee has become my hobby. I've had hobbies in the past, including motorsport and radio controlled car racing, both extremely expensive.
Comparitively, coffee is a cheap hobby and one that I 'm sure my wife can put up with, even if she doesn't like or drink it, because she loves me so much.
This year I might make it to Coffee utopia (I'm sure there's such a place). I also plan to try my hand at roasting my own coffee at home which I've found can be done very cheaply with some common house-hold items. Just imagine the satisfaction! From green bean to the cup, all the way!
And now, I leave you with a video I took yesterday of one of the first brews prepped with the new Mazzer grinder:
