If I had a Synesso, I’d experiment with dedicating one of the groups to straight shots. I’d knock the temperature way down, and start playing with 7, and 14 gram shots. I would of course use a dedicated grinder for the dedicated group, and I would continue to use the other group(s) to continue up dosing and pulling approximately 20 grams at 198 degrees for milk based drinks.
But I’d like to experiment more with 7 and 14 gram straight shots. If I had a Synesso.
The Gimme! Coffee website has been updated to include information about the Northeast Regional Barista Competition. If you’re looking for info on participation, sponsorship, dates, or directions, this is place to find it.
Below is a 4 minute documentary about the historic venue for the 2008 NERBC.
Forbes Traveler has published an article naming the “10 hottest” coffeeshops in the country. The article includes a nice slide show highlighting each one.
Zoka, Seattle
Ritual, San Francisco
Stumptown, Portland
Blue Bottle, San Francisco
Gimme! New York
Grumpy, NYC
Alterra, Milwaukee
Intelligentsia, Chicago/LA
Victrola, Seattle
Albina, Portland
It’s always nice to be included in a list with company’s we respect. And of course there are a lot of great shops out there that are not on this list, both in NY and beyond.
Yesterday our newest toys arrived in the form of a pair of Anfim Super Caimano’s.
While the subject of some discussion on various forums and blogs, these grinders are not common here in the States (at least not on the East Coast) due mostly to their limited availability. Imported from Vince up at 49th Parallel, they just arrived for service at our forthcoming Nolita espresso bar. The first thing I noticed about them is how much lighter the packages were than I expected. Weighing in at just under 40lbs, they’re about 20lbs lighter than the Robur.
The second thing I noticed is that the titanium (coated?) burrs are flat and not conical (which I admit is something I should have already known).
Although flat, they do however provide a large amount of surface area to grind with at 75mm, compared to the Robur’s conical 71mm (single phase). Along with an increased burr size, the Anfim’s are rated to spin at 800rpm, also an increase over the Robur (420rpm).
The dosing however, seems to be an area in which the Anfim really gains significant advantage. They dose so well that distribution is rendered practically unnecessary. They also eliminate almost all waste typically caused by the doser sending errant grounds all over the bar.
The built in timers are cool, although long term fans of modifying our Mazzer’s to operate on Waring timers have rendered this feature mandatory. This timer is definitely a bit trickier to adjust, as there are no indicators on the knob and adjustment is necessary each time you change the grind.
Most importantly (to me) is that the grinders should produce less heat than the Roburs, an issue that has plagued us for a while in our Brooklyn store.
We shall see…
UPDATE: I should also mention that there’s no way to “pulse” just a few more grinds through the chamber. If you come up short on your dosing, you must start the cycle over entirely. That means another several seconds of grinding even if you need just a gram or two more. The only remedy is to start the grinding and then cut the power entirely to stop it when you’ve topped off your portafilter. When you’re in the zone this shouldn’t be an issue, but who never needs another second or two of grinding once in a while?
Coffee Labs Roaster in Tarrytown, NY is operating on 100% renewable energy! Although long time friends with the amazing crew up north of us in Westchester, this information came as a surprise to me during our most recent visit last Saturday. Almost all of us do our share for sustainability, whether it’s from building personal relationships with our farmers, buying COE, or using recyclable materials in our cafes. But how many roaster/retailers out there are actually carbon neutral? Sure, we may have radiant heat flooring, soy based insulation, and salvaged windows at our roasting facility, but carbon neutral? Amazing. Who else is doing this that I don’t know about?
Gabe sent me some samples from his new roasting project out at Ritual in San Fransisco. His “Red Flag” espresso blend is a bit different then what we’re used to here in NY, be it our own Gimme! Coffee Leftist Blend, or the ubiquitous Toscano from Counter Culture, available at many other fine purveyors of specialty coffee in New York. Lots of citrus up front, balanced nicely by some chocolate undertones in the rear. Think “chocolate orange” and smash it on the counter before serving.
Remember our End of Summer Blowout? If not, you should know that it was a great success. We had baristas representing several different cafes from all over the greater NYC metro area all converge on unsuspecting patrons and staff of Spuyten Duyvil. People who didn’t know each other met, and people who did know each other reconnected. Basically, we blew it out. Good times. Anyway, Ed from Cafe Grumpy and I think we should do it again. That’s why we’re cordially inviting you to the (soon to be) latest addition to the NYC coffee scene, at 228 Mott Street between Prince and Spring, on New Years Eve. Come one, come all.
Yesterday we had our first cupping, led by the mostly independent Daniel Humphries;
Dan brought us some tasty treats from Ethiopia. All the sheet rock dust and wood chips inhaled over the last week and a half left me slightly less than willing to participate. I didn’t want to contaminate anyone else with my slight fever and cough, but I managed to slurp my way through after everyone else was done. Thanks Dan!
Today we were in for a different treat. The Nolita Civic Association welcomed Gimme! Coffee to the neighborhood by throwing us a parade!
17 Comments | 
Coffee | 
Permalink
Posted by Mike White
