Alan’s accumulation of wisdom…
Well. A major Australian appliance company has finally done it; they've produced a "Category Killer" grinder. I don't know of any other grinder in this price range worldwide that produces as good a grind and is as well constructed.
Why grind coffee at all? Couldn't you just boil the whole beans until you've extracted all the flavour from them? Well, the answer is you can…
The coffee from a syphon can best be described as "crystal clear", with great purity of flavour and aroma and no bitterness added by the brewing process…
The fundamental principle of filter coffee is simple: a basket, usually conical, lined with a porous filter…
These all work on the same basic principle, which can be stretched a bit to steamer type "espresso" machines as well…
In the beginning, coffee was a shrub or tree growing in the mountainous forests of Ethiopia…
The botany of the coffee plant.
"Middle Eastern" Coffee is the oldest of the established brewing processes, although these days the rest of the world tends to call it Turkish Coffee
Originally "FAST" or "EXPRESSLY FOR YOU" coffee, brewed using hot water and steam forced through the grounds, and therefore somewhat scorched in taste. Half a century of modification and invention led to the first modern style espresso machine…
This is NOT a grinder review. It is an overview of the most common domestic grinders available to the Australian market as of January 2007…
The background to this article is simple; in early November I received a long awaited shipment of Rancilio Silvia espresso machines at the same time that I ran out of stock of Quaha machines. In the following 6 weeks I set up and tested over 80 Silvias, in batches of 6 at a time.
The taste of the coffee is ultimately what it’s all about. Everything which goes before the moment you savour the first sip of your cup should be designed to give you the best possible flavour experience.
If there is any area of the "coffee culture" filled with as many myths, superstitions, half truths and holy grail searches as espresso perfection, it's got to be coffee roasting.
Everything you need to know about coffee shelf life & storage
Clean brewing equipment is an absolute necessity for the best coffee flavour, so it's surprising how often I see various brewers layered with old coffee gunk.
An in-depth guide (with photos!) to servicing & repairing a Rancilio Silvia domestic espresso machine
This is both a "how-to" and a "why you should" article. The "why you should" is easy: it took a trained technician an hour (at $120.00 per hour) simply to clean up the group and showerscreen!
A photo guide to replacing the boiler element in the Lelit PL series Espresso Machines.
There’s a very good reason that plunger brewing has stood the test of time as a fantastic way to make yourself coffee at home. You can find plungers in most big box stores for less than you’d pay for a 6-pack of beer…