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Podcast Episode #21 - Burundi Conversation with Alistair Sequeira - Part 1
Part 1 of 2 - Talking about the coffee supply chain among other topics
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Sweet Maria's New Hats
Our new hats! Two soft, comfy, cool 'n funky ways to keep the sun off your face.
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Our New Postcards
Placing an order with us soon? Look in your box for a basic guide to some of the new features on our website
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Talk About Roastng - Andrew Bowman, Tony's Coffee
It was incredibly generous of my dear friend Andrew Bowman at Tony's Coffee in Bellingham, WA to send me their roast of the Rwanda Gitesi.
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Product Placement/Electric Wizard
Take a glance right up there at that menu bar at the top, right there above that thing that is not a cherry or a bean or is somewhat important.
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A Week Removed
Back from the SCAA Expo and the Anaheim Wizard World ComicCon, a few final thoughts:
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WRESTLEMANIA
Hey Folks, the El Salvador Los Luchadores will have its last bout in the ring on Wednesday January 20th.
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Back from Peru
I spent the last part of the week catching up after a week off the beaten path in Peru (which should yield a nice micro for shrub).
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Latest Posts
Discontinued, No-Longer-Available Products Once Offered at Sweet Maria's
We want to maintain a page of product information for items that are discontinued (either by the manufacturer or by us)
just for information purposes. Since moving to our new shopping cart - obsolete items are now listed here. So check it out for more stuff you can not buy! : ) Older items are listed below:
 We think it is nice looking... |
Nissan Easy Sip Travel Tumbler, Model JMT-401
Light bulb? Ice cream cone? This Nissan travel tumbler has a really neat shape, but better than that it has an innovative 360 degree lid design. This means you don't have to look down to figure out where the hole is before you drink ... you can sip from any position. It has a very simple twisting open-close control (you can see the marks in the pictures). It easily fits most car cup holders. The lid is highly recessed, making it more splatter-proof... and in fact this cup will give you a moment to set it upright if you happen to tip it. The lid design might seem a little awkward the first couple times you sip from it, but it is easy to adjust to. Holds 14 ounces. And this cup has very good heat retention: 209 f water was 164 after one hour, 135 after 2 hours. Height 7.5", widest Diameter about 3.25" $23.50 (+ 2.0 Lbs Shipping)
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#1 Size Black or Red Cone Filter Holder
$3.50 (ship wt .5 Lb) Please note - our supplier has been changing the color of these cones seemingly at random - so we have black and red - same filter, two different colors. Our choice based on availability. |
#2 Size Black or Red Cone Filter Holder
$4.75 (ship wt .5 Lb) Please note - our supplier has been changing the color of these cones seemingly at random - so we have black and red - same filter, two different colors. Our choice based on availability. |
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Basket Filters: (see below for dimensions) Filter model and type top diameter bottom diameter height KF-6 basket 3.5 2.875 2 KF-10 basket
Discontinued4.375 3.675 2.375 KF-20 basket*
Discontinued5.125* 3.25 3 - *this filter flares from about 4.5 inches at 3/4 inch below the top to 5.125 inches. It is made for the BunnOmatic Discontinued
#6 Basket KF-6 fits small Mr.Coffee,
Mrs. Tea, small Bunn, etc.:
$17 (.35 lb ship wt.)#10 Basket KF-10 fits Mr. Coffee
and other 8-12 cup
$20 (.35 lb ship wt.)
The Open Hopper model is a version of the box mill where beans are deposited in the uncovered brass hopper and are introduced into the same high-quality, fully adjustable conical burrs. The difference between the Open Hopper and the other models is the handle and hardware that secure the shaft are a tempered carbon steel, not chromed. The drawer will hold enough grind for a six cup pot. Like the other Zassenhaus grinders, they are 100% solid hardwood: no plywood or laminates. A Zassenhaus grinder makes a world of difference in the quality of your coffee, resulting in a much more thorough extraction than a blade-type grinder. Use less coffee, buy a great mill! 4.5" w x 4.5"l x 8.5" h.
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Picture Coming Soon
Beech Open Hopper Mill, Model 161 BU $77.50(+ 2.2 lbs shipping)Walnut Open Hopper Mill, Model 161 DG $77.50(+ 2.2 lbs shipping)Mahogany Open Hopper Mill, Model 161 MA- $77.50 (+ 2.2 lbs shipping)
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 Click here for picture of cupping forms |
We no longer stock the SCAA Cupping Forms but you may view and print (on legal-size paper: 8.5" x 14") a scan of the SCAA Cupping Form (96k GIF image) or the one I use; my own Sweet Maria's Cupping Form (96k GIF image)The Universal Coffee Cupping Form will help you evaluate 6 different coffees or blends in an impartial manner. Produced by the SCAA, it is a standard professional tool in evaluating all aspects of a coffee, and an important aid for the home roaster to describe single-origin coffee tastes or to experiment in blending. Each 8.5 x 14 pad contains 50 sheets. Sorry, we don't have the pamphlet in the picture -just the forms themselves | ||||||
 The Bodum Cona Brewer |
Bodum Kona Drip Coffee Brewer
Don't get this confused with the Cona Vacuum brewer ... the Bodum Kona is a drip coffee maker. Strictly speaking, the Bodum Kona Drip Coffee Brewer is much more like the Chemex than their other model, the Bistro. It is a single-walled heat-safe borosilicate glass construction, and it is one piece of glass, like the Chemex. It comes with the same gold filter that the Bistro does too, so no need to use a paper filter. After you remove the filter, you serve right from the elegant spout, and it comes with a stopper to help keep the coffee warm a bit longer. It's an easy-to-use, straight-forward way to brew coffee, period. Since it is single-walled construction, it is lower cost than the Bistro, while it can actually brew 2 ounces more (34 ounce capacity). The gold filter is identical to the Bistro. Since it is the same brew method, check out my pictorial for the Bistro |
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 The gold filter is identical to the Bistro |
 A view without the filter in place. |
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The Coffee Taster's Flavor Wheel poster is a must-have as a quick reference for cupping and evaluating coffees. This poster will certainly extend and refine your ability to describe coffee tastes, and expand your vocabulary too! It is much more than a glossary of terms though: by tracing a flavor term toward the interior of the flavor wheel, you will learn to pinpoint the source of the sensation in the processing, roasting or brewing. 20" x 30"
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 The Bistro in action, with the bottom rubber footer removed (I think it looks better!) |
Bodum Bistro Drip Coffee Brewer
The Bodum Bistro Drip Coffee Brewer offers a new way to make coffee the old way - manually pouring hot water over ground coffee. The Bistro bears resemblence to the Chemex at first glance, but with a couple big differences. First off, it's a double-walled heat-resistant borosilicate glass carafe (the bottom part), which helps insulate the coffee to retain more heat, and to avoid scorching your hands! It also makes for a visually appealing serving carafe to bring to the table after dinner, and impress the heck out of your guests. The top separates from the bottom (again, unlike Chemex), and it comes with a special gold filter ... so no need to buy any paper filters. It comes with stopper to help keep the brewed coffee warm for a bit longer. My favorite modification is to simply remove the bottom rubber footer from the carafe - then the coffee appears to be "floating" in the translucent double walled interior - very nice! Although this method is so easy, I made a Bodum Bistro Pictorial of the process anyway. The capacity is 30 ounces (.9 liters) and hand washing is recommended. $71.70 (ship wt.= 5.2 Lbs) Discontinued by Bodum |
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 The single-wall glass filter cone (top) |
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Bodum Santos Vacuum Brewer
The Bodum Santos will allow you to use the vacuum brew method on the stovetop. Capacity is 1 Liter or 32 ounces. The Santos makes great coffee and is 1/2 the price of the Hario and almost 1/4 the price of the Cona, but a bit more than the Yama. We think the Santos has great aesthetics, with nice rounded top funnel and bowl (the bottom carafe part). Perhaps it's weak point is the plastic filter-disc which can get funky over time, so attention must be paid to keeping this clean. The Cona glass filter rod will not work as a replacement in the Santos. Considering the investment in a brewer like the expensive Cona, and that all these units have delicate glass components, the Santos is a great everyday vacuum-brewer! It can work directly on the stovetop, but please take care to use low heat and make sure the outside of the glass is dry before putting it on the heat. If you have an electric stovetop range you may be interested in a protective wire grid too. You can preview the instructions that come with the unit on the Bodum web site. Here is an image of the Santos filter disc. We have put Bodum's Santos Brewing Instructions online too. Also see our review of the Bodum Electric Santos at the bottom of this page. Check out our new vacuum brewing pictorial (it shows a Yama brewer but intrusctions are the same for the Bodum Santos). $59.00 (+ 5 lbs. ship wt.)* |
| The Orginal '50s French Press:8 Tasse Chromed Brass
MeliorFrench Press
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$54.00 |
2.2 lb. |
Melior is the original 1950s French Press design and is a notch above the Bodum standard presses in the quality of the lid and chromed stainless steel cage, and slightly different styling (most notable in the knob). The metal parts are all heavily chromed solid brass! The plastics are all bakelite, and the handle has a Santoprene grip coating. If you are familiar with coffee in Europe, you know the name Melior, and you probably know how expensive these are... Bodum owns Melior (and in fact they also own the name "French Press"!) but have maintained the high manufacturing standards associated with the name. Does it make better press coffee than a standard model? No. But I use a press daily, and I definitely appreciate the differences. It uses the same 8 Tasse replacement glass as the Standard Bodum. Here is a really neat original Melior Cafetiere (French: coffeemaker) advertisement.
Discontinued by Bodum (for some reason) |
| Stainless Steel Stovetop Popper
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Our Stainless Steel Stovetop Popper has a number of improvements over the WhirleyPop - all Stainless Steel, a heat diffusing bottom, metal gears for durability. And in fact it is stronger, heavier, and more durable than the Whirley Pop. The metal gears can be a bit more "sticky" than the Whirley Pop plastic ones, but they won't melt if you forget about your popper while using it! The paddle type agitator can give more resistance than the simple wire agitator of the Whirley-Pop but it will stir more coffee, and when adjusted right it works just great. The heat diffusing bottom is a big plus, and if you keep the heat low you can get very even, drum-roast quality results. And the big benefit: you can roast 3/4 to 1 Lb. easily. In fact I found that 1 lb. roasts better than 1/2 Lb. in this model because it spreads the coffee more even across the bottom. 1 Lb. is a bit harder to stir though. The down side? Since early 2008, the quality on these poppers seems to have sunk to a new low. Even though the price we pay went up! The top can be hard to make sit right (it takes more fiddling than before) and there can be some sharp edges. Is it still worth it? Yes, but this is a fairly crude item, and ought to be taken as raw material for a custom home roast set up, more than a finished kit. To reflect this, I have dropped the price. We will inspect the next shipment carefully before we purchase more in late summer '08. Tom has a separate detail image page for this popper instead of crowding this layout with pictures. Also, remember you really need a thermometer to get repeatable results in a stovetop popper. Please read the instructions for stovetop roasting here.
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 Technivorm KB-741 Clubline in Chrome |
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 Replacement Carafe for KB-741 BLACK $30(1.2 lbs ship wgt) |
Replacement Carafe for Moccamaster CD |
| I recommend that anyone starting out on a new espresso machine (or just learning to produce espresso on any other machine) use good pre-ground espresso. Why? Because grind is such a huge variable in good espresso extraction. While you are learning the mechanics of the machine, eliminate this unknown factor by using a top quality pre-ground coffee. Illy espresso is probably the most respected Italian espresso brand in the world, a reputation earned by Ernesto Illy and sons for their work at the forefront of defining coffee quality. 8.8 oz can, pre-ground fine for electric espresso machines. And now we also stock Illy Normale in whole bean!(PS: Scuro is not available from Illy as whole bean) | |
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Normale Whole Bean Northern Italian Roast (Lighter), |
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| The ANFIM Haus Mill ... for espresso and all other coffee brewing methods. OUT OF STOCK! Review is FYI only | ||
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The ANFIM Mill is out of stock and is not being imported into the U.S. anymore! You can still buy it with the Pasquini tags on it, and you will pay a lot more. Luckily, the Rocky SS Mill without a doser is a really, really fine replacement - read the Rancilio Rocky review! Some people are just not happy with consumer-model coffee mills, and that's understandable. It amazes me that nobody has invented the burr mill equivalent of the ubiquitous "whirling blade" grinder: inexpensive, rugged, reliable. Alas, the whirling blade produces grind like rubble from a landslide. For those who want a near-professional quality mill, not specifically for espresso, we offer the doser-less Italian-made ANFIM Haus Mill. ANFIM is a behind-the-scenes manufacturer, hence no bold badge on the mill. In fact, ANFIM makes high-end home and commercial mills for several Italian makers, most noticeably in the US home market, Pasquini. This is the same chassis and internals as the Pasquini Moka mill, without the doser. This mill performs well throughout the grind range, with the only drawback being that in the fine espresso settings (ristretto grind) it takes 30 seconds to produce 15 grams for a double shot. That's not a big complaint, considering that the quality of the grind from the 50 mm machined burrs is very respectable! From extremely coarse to Turkish fine, and you have 360 degrees and 25 numbers and 50 stops on the setting dial to play with. This is one solid chunk of metal, weighing in at 14 Lbs. The motor is powerful and grinding is quiet. It is a 100 watt motor, but I have no exact rating for the RPM -compared to Mazzer and Ditting, I would guesstimate it at 1300 RPM. It is 15.5" high, 6.5 inches wide, and 8" deep with the apron. A problem: It does hold back a small amount of grind in the chute, a problem with every coffee mill including professional ones. It's a complaint people have with dosers on espresso mills too. In cupping, the standard is to toss a few beans into the mill and grind them to clear the last coffee. I keep a little rubber mallet by the mills, and tap the chute a couple times as the burrs spins. The chute comes off with one screw -I thought that I might see if I can dispense coffee without the chute, but haven't tried it yet. The coffee dispenses without static and without scattering. As someone who wants a versatile grinder that can do perfect espresso too, but doesn't want a doser, the ANFIM is a perfect match. ANFIM Haus Mill, Nero (Black) $269 (+ 15 Lbs. Shipping) Out of stock forever! This review is for reference only ... |
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 Setting ring, machined aluminum housing. |
 The numbered setting dial and stainless steel dispensing chute. |
 There is a pin stop (tab above arrows) to keep grind setting from straying. |
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To operate the mill you turn on the lighted power switch (1), then put an espresso coffee handle, filter, or small container under the chute and hold down the spring-loaded grind button (2). Your espresso coffee handle will do this, but with another container, it is easy to push it down with your finger too. Either way, you might want to remove the coffee handle holder -held in place by one nut (3). The mill comes with a plastic apron to catch stray grinds (4). You can see the switch pictured again below. |
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 You can easily remove the chute to clean it in 2 minutes, or in case it clogs. Unscrew the top burr, and remove the one Phillips screw. (arrows) Before screwing burr back in, clean brass threads (red arrow)with a brush! |
 Top Burr: As you would expect, the 50 mm burrs in the ANFIM are machined high-carbon tool steel, and the top burr is mounted in a machined aluminum housing. |
 Bottom Burr: The bottom burr is mounted in a brass and steel housing, with brass "fins" that push the grinds out the chute. |
| The Moccamaster CD is a newer design and, like the KB-741, has a 1.25 liter (42 oz. = 10 4 oz. cups) capacity. It has an updated appearance by Clementdesign studio, definitely the most handsome of the Technivorms. See my note on the Moccamaster under the drip stop switch photo below... Height 15", Width 10", Depth 6.5"
Technivorm Moccamaster CD |
 Moccamaster CD |
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Occassionally you need to get a bit more aggressive with compacted grinds and residue in the group head. The you need this Espresso Machine Stainless Steel Group Head Brush. This needs to be used sparingly, but is a must for the channel that the coffee handle fits into in the head, and should be used on portafilters occasionally. This brush is similar to small, fine bristle stainless brushes found in some paint stores. I find it VERY useful for cleaning the metal chaff collection screens on my air roasters too. Removes built-up residue that clogs the airflow through the roaster... Group Head Brush-S/S Bristles: $4.75 (+ .25 lb ship wgt) |
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The Bistro in action, with the bottom rubber footer removed (I think it looks better!) |
Bodum Bistro Drip Coffee Brewer
The Bodum Bistro Drip Coffee Brewer offers a new way to make coffee the old way - manually pouring hot water over ground coffee. The Bistro bears resemblence to the Chemex at first glance, but with a couple big differences. First off, it's a double-walled heat-resistant borosilicate glass carafe (the bottom part), which helps insulate the coffee to retain more heat, and to avoid scorching your hands! It also makes for a visually appealing serving carafe to bring to the table after dinner, and impress the heck out of your guests. The top separates from the bottom (again, unlike Chemex), and it comes with a special gold filter ... so no need to buy any paper filters. It comes with stopper to help keep the brewed coffee warm for a bit longer. My favorite modification is to simply remove the bottom rubber footer from the carafe - then the coffee appears to be "floating" in the translucent double walled interior - very nice! Although this method is so easy, I made a Bodum Bistro Pictorial of the process anyway. The capacity is 30 ounces (.9 liters) and hand washing is recommended. $71.70 (ship wt.= 5.2 Lbs) Discontinued by Bodum |
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The single-wall glass filter cone (top) |
| Variac T-Shirt (!?!) Back in Stock
So you think the cupping spoon t-shirt is obtuse? How about the new Variac T-Shirt? And why? Well, because we, the people who work in the SM warehouse, think the Variac box design is really, really cool. It's just great line art. And a Variacis a pretty odd thing. And the hipsters who print our shirts thought it was so cool they made one for themselves, so there! Anyway, this is light yellow ink on olive, and is the same super soft American Apparel brand (US-made in LA, no sweat-shop labor, etc) as the spoon shirt. It means they cost more than your average t-shirt too ...we pay almost double for the unprinted shirt. So fans of the Variac unite! No need to hide in the shadows! Show your Variac Pride! Or something like that.
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Sizing on American Apparel shirts: |
Men's Sizes Only
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| The MokaBrown Milano Espresso Cup A very handsome design, these are the same bar-ware quality as the Sorrento (just a bit thinner in the side walls). Actually, the taller Milano is more typical of what you would find in a street-level espresso bar in Italy than the Sorrento. They call this a "tulip style" espresso cup too. Also see our new colors of Milano cups below! Technical Image. 60 ML., 2.25 oz capacity. They have a 2" inside diameter at the top and a narrow 1.25" outside diameter at the bottom. They stand 2.25" tall without the saucer. Please note that these are sturdy street-level espresso cups, not thin dainty cups. We find some tiny surface scratches in the saucer sometimes... but these are functional drinkware, not show pieces! Sorry, no international shipping on these. |
The Matching Milano Moka Brown Cappuccino This is the same design as the Milano Espresso, but for the single-cappuccino drinker (true 150 ML continental cappuccino). This is also referred to as a "tulip style" cup. Technical Image.Capacity 150 ML. Measurements: 2-7/8" Inside Diameter at top, 2" OD bottom, 2-3/8 " tall w/o saucer. Please note that these are sturdy street-level cappuccino cups, not thin dainty cups. We find some tiny surface scratches in the saucer sometimes... but these are functional drinkware, not show pieces! Sorry, no international shipping on these. |
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Moka Brown Milano Espresso Cups - Set of 6 cups and saucers: Moka Brown Milano Espresso Cup - Each (1 cup, 1 saucer) |
 Click on picture to see without saucer Moka Brown Milano Cappuccino Cups Set of 6 cups and 6 saucers Moka Brown Milano Cappuccino Cup -Each (1 cup, 1 saucer) |
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| Sweet Maria's Logo T-Shirt: We just re-printed up these basic logo t-shirts, and they are available in some fairly bright colors that Maria picked out. If you like color, or know someone named Maria, you might want one of these. The front has the logo with Home Coffee Roasting on it, the back has nothing. These are all printed in brown ink, and the shirt colors are Light Blue and Pink. Available in Medium, Large and Extra Large; and they are pre-shrunk 100% cotton like all our shirts |
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Pink - Brown Ink
 $9.00 (+ 1.5 lbs shipping) |
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Normale -Northern Italian Roast (Lighter), Espresso Grind
$9 (ship wt. .8 lbs) |
Normale
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Scuro -Southern Italian Roast (Darker), Espresso Grind
$9 (ship wt. .8 lbs) |
Scuro
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The Box Mill is the traditional Zassenhaus design. Beans are filled through a small door into the hopper and then enter the patented Zassenhaus conical burrs. It's immediately apparent when you handle a Zassenhaus how remarkably functional and simplified they are: these are precision instruments built sturdy for everyday use and made of fine materials ... not an antique reproduction to decorate a kitchen shelf. The handle is designed for good leverage and, like most of the mechanism, is a heavy gauge chromed stainless steel. The Box Mill's drawer holds enough for 6 cups. Like all Zassenhaus grinders featured here, there is a 10 year guarantee on the grinding mechanism. 4.5" w x 4.5"l x 8" h.
Walnut Box Mill, Model 151 DG
$62.50 (+ 2.2 lbs shipping)
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The Open Hopper model is a version of the box mill where beans are deposited in the uncovered brass hopper and are introduced into the same high-quality, fully adjustable conical burrs. The difference between the Open Hopper and the other models is the handle and hardware that secure the shaft are a tempered carbon steel, not chromed. The drawer will hold enough grind for a six cup pot. Like the other Zassenhaus grinders, they are 100% solid hardwood: no plywood or laminates. A Zassenhaus grinder makes a world of difference in the quality of your coffee, resulting in a much more thorough extraction than a blade-type grinder. Use less coffee, buy a great mill! 4.5" w x 4.5"l x 8.5" h.
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Walnut Open Hopper Mill, Model 161 DG - $62.50 (+ 2.2 lbs shipping)
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The Closed Hopper Mill model comes in three color schemes, light unfinished Beech, Mahogany finish with gold hardware, and the antique "white badge design" in Walnut finish. The closed hopper is very easy to load with beans; half of the dome swings out on hinges, traditional mill design. 4.5" w x 4.5"l x 8" h. The Unfinished Beech can be lightly oiled or left as is, and has the traditional German "Kaffee" stenciled directly on the wood.
Unfinished Beech Closed Hopper Mill, Model 154BU- $62.50 (+ 2.2 lbs shipping) Mahogany Closed Hopper Mill (gold hardware), Model 154MA - $69.50 (+ 2.2 lbs shipping) Out Out
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The Orginal '50s French Press:8 Tasse Chromed Brass MeliorFrench Press
- 32 oz.
$54.00
2.2 lb.
Melior is the original 1950s French Press design and is a notch above the Bodum standard presses in the quality of the lid and chromed stainless steel cage, and slightly different styling (most notable in the knob). The metal parts are all heavily chromed solid brass! The plastics are all bakelite, and the handle has a Santoprene grip coating. If you are familiar with coffee in Europe, you know the name Melior, and you probably know how expensive these are... Bodum owns Melior (and in fact they also own the name "French Press"!) but have maintained the high manufacturing standards associated with the name. Does it make better press coffee than a standard model? No. But I use a press daily, and I definitely appreciate the differences. It uses the same 8 Tasse replacement glass as the Standard Bodum. Here is a really neat original Melior Cafetiere (French: coffeemaker) advertisement. Discontinued
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Illy 7 Gram Coffee Scoop
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Temp. Out of Stock
We also stock the Illy 7 gram coffee scoop. 7 grams is the correct amount of coffee for a single shot of espresso, or to produce the correct ratio for almost all filter/infusion/percolation techniques: 7 grams (1 rounded tablespoon) ground coffee per 150 ml (about 5 oz.) of water at 195 to 203 degrees. (In truth, I find a level scoop to about 8 oz better for my tastes). Anyway, the Illy 7 gram scoop is obviously not weighing your coffee to 7 grams but I feel it is the best volume-estimate of 7 g in any scoop I have found. Not for measuring whole bean coffee. $5.00 (+ .35 lb. shipping) As an alternative, we also have the low cost SCAA Coffee Measure Scoop below
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Espresso Machine Group Head Brush, specifically designed for this purpose with and angled shaft for better access to the group head. This brush has thick plastic bristles that look like monofilament, very strong and coarse. These will not cause any abrasions in the metal, and is safe for use on plastic too. This is the brush you use after each shot, or daily. We recently switched to a more durable model of this brush which we think is the best quality. Group Head Brush-Plastic Bristles: $5.75 (+ .25 lb ship wgt) No Longer Stocked - See the Pallo Coffee Tool Brush
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Sweet Maria's Sure, you think this t-shirt has nothing to do with coffee. But if you look very very carefully, there is a tiny espresso cup suspended in the air above our careless dog-walking friend on the right. Yes, that is a dog on the left. Okay, we just wanted a t-shirt with a dog on it, and we like shirt ideas that are a bit obtuse and esoteric. And we aren't above blatant idea theft: Here is where the "falling dog" graphic comes from; warning signs at San Francisco's Fort Funston dog/nature park. It's at the south end of Ocean Beach on the Pacific, and the cliffs are fairly crumbly. Anyway, we think it's a nice shirt and it is another super-soft American Apparel cotton model (made in US, sweatshop-free, more expensive than others).
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| Sale on our Our "Good Greens" Beanface Shirt This is the t-shirt made from the image on our front page, which around the shop is called the "beanface." I was trying to take the closest close-ups I could of 3 Kona seeds, and realized only later that I was looking at a smiling face! Good luck, I suppose... These are on your choice of 100% cotton white shirts or 100% unbleached cotton "natural" shirts. The "beanface" is on the front with the caption "good greens" under it, and there is a tiny Sweet Maria's logo on the back, just under the neck. The image isn't as photo-realistic as the online one ... we wanted it to look more like a graphic on the t-shirt. We have small sizes of these shirts, since "medium" has become the new "large." |
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Nissan Compact Vacuum Bottle, Model FDI-1000
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All Stainless Steel AirPotThis is Zojirushi's all-Stainless Steel Air Pot (Beverage Dispenser) with a stainless (not glass) inside liner... that's the reason these two models are nearly a hundred dollars! Replacing a glass liner is so difficult that most people end up throwing the whole airpot away ... I know, I've tried to replace them and it is a nightmare. Here's one that will last a lifetime. It's perfect for coffee and other hot or cold beverages, has a nifty lid lock and collapsible handle and removable pump for easy cleaning. The vacuum insulation ensures excellent temperature retention.
PLEASE NOTE: Zojirushi has discontinued both the 2.2L and the 3.0 L airpot - so we can not get more of these - sorry.
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 A note: these come with the CA Prop. 65 warning on them ... kind of startling if you haven't seen it before, but here in California it's on everything from Christmas lights to electrical tape - many plastics from Asia basically. It is because the electric cord wrapper is a non-certified plastic, that's all... |
Keeping Track of Voltage: Some roasters are very watt-intensive (think of them as big hair dryers!) and sensitive to the line voltage of the circuit you plug them into. They also don't like "voltage drop" that occurs when the roaster is on, or other appliances on the same circuit start to suck up too much electricity. The way to raise, lower, and condition your line voltage is to use a Variac. These are not cheap ... a couple years ago you would pay $200-$300 or more! So I feel lucky to find a quality Variac at this price. They are heavy, sturdy, come with 2 spare fuses (20 Amp). There are a few cheaper models out there but many are not 20 Amp. Don't use a low amp Variac to roast coffee! This one has an adjustable range of 0 to 130 volts. Yes, it is hard to believe but you can increase the volts. Say you have 108 at the outlet ... you can get 127 with a variac! In my experience, a popper that struggles to get to 2nd crack can roast beyond French with a Variac. It is simple - you plug it into the wall, you plug your roaster into one of the 2 Variac plugs, set the dial on top for desired output (measured on the indicator gauge, and voila! Thanks to the Homeroast list for this correction: these are rated 0-130v output @ 110v input so if you have normal 120v input you'll get 0 to 141v output with this Variac. It is rated for 2000 watts which covers you for all the coffee roasters and popcorn poppers out there. A variac will allow you to roast dark on a roaster that has trouble getting to full French. It allows you to turn up or down the voltage during the roast to control a roast "profile" on an air roaster. It is compatible with simple roasters that don't have fancy computer controls, like the Caffe Rosto and the Freshroast. It also seems to work great with the HotTop despite the fact it has digital controls. But be warned, tweaking a roaster with a Variac is going to void your warranty! These are sturdy suckers, a bit over 25 Lbs. in a metal housing, and features 2 outlet plugs and a volt indicator gauge. They can also be used in hobby, film/video lighting, science lab and audiophile applications.
Important: a Variac can trip your circuit breaker! The correct way to use it is to turn the output voltage dial to zero (the big nob on top) and the red power switch off. Then, plug it in the wall, turn the red power switch on, and dial up the voltage. If you plug it in with the voltage turned up and the power switch on, it draws a large load and can trip the circuit breaker. We recommend Variacs for people falmiliar with their breaker box, and comfortable with tripping a breaker. Not recommended for houses with old wiring and breakers. Variac - 110v, 2000 watt, 0-130v range $123.00 (+ 26 lbs shipping!) |
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We have Illy demitasse Espresso Spoons in stock for those who add sugar to espresso beverages, or those who just like to stir. They are stainless steel with a very unique, modern design (picture coming), elegant, and if your pet hamster is ill, you can spoon-feed it with this! 3.5" long. I felt the picture did not capture the shape of the spoon, so here is another image that may give you a better idea of the design.
$3.50 each (+ .1 lbs shipping) Limit 6 Discontinued |
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Another Handy Item discontinued by Zojirushi Tuff Wide Vacuum BottleAdvanced design provides lightweight and superior temperature retention in one ally nice package .this is like the holy grail of s/s vacuum bottles!; extra wide mouth will accommodate soups, ice cubes and ensures easy cleaning ...you can literally fit your hand through the mouth and scrub it out!; nonstick Teflon interior lining; non-roll, easy-to-grip, non-slip collapsible handle; one-touch pour-through stopper; all stainless steel construction. Click here for images of TuffWide features and click here for more! You can brew directly into it using the #2 size filterholder! This is a great item for outings, and serving a few people! Also comes with a nylon webbed carry strap. (Please note: We do not carry the 1.0 liter model that was $38.00 ...sorry!)
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All About Coffee, Second Edition by William H. Ukers. Still known as the bible for the coffee trade, this 818 page, 4.5 LB, clothbound book is a necessity for the professional, or the information-starved coffee addict. There isn't an aspect of coffee not covered by this book, and the major sections are: Historical, Technical, Scientific, Commercial, Social and Artistic!!! Chapters range from Botany, to Factory Equipment, Early Roasters to Coffee-themed Music, Early History to Brewing Methods. No coffee bean was left unturned by Ukers. I was happy to discover that this new reprint of the 2nd edition (©1935) by the SCAA includes color plates, and it oversized (9 1/4 x 10 1/2) ...two features that my own 2nd edition doesn't have (it's 8 x 9, no color plates).
Sorry, we no longer carry this book. But we still recommend it... -Tom |
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Espresso; The Ultimate Coffee by Kenneth Davids is back in stock! This is one of the best books solely dedicated to espresso, without all the fluff like recipes for tutti-frutti iced slopaccino and such. It is both thorough and accessible. This is a must for the library of all espresso-hounds. This is the latest edition.
Sorry, we have sold out of this book! But we still recommend it... -Tom |
| We try to offer our items without aggressively hawking them, but if you have any interest in coffee, any at all,you will really benefit from owning a copy of this book! It is Coffee: A Celebration of Diversity by Italian biologist /photographer Fulvio Eccardi and Trieste-based green coffee trader Vincenzo Sandalj. The result of this relationship is a beautiful 228 page softcover book, almost all in full color, loaded with remarkable photographs that detail the world of coffee as it exists right now. Lots of books are pretty ... the difference here is the knowledge behind the images, the very readable text that portrays coffee production in every aspect, written from an informed insider perspective. The first chapter on Environment is a landmark, detailing the climate and topography of coffee production using NASA satellite imagery and 3-D modeled maps. The next chapter on History is the concise story of coffee from it's discovery and spread to the West. The Coffee Tree comes next, an up-close look at the plant structure, cultivars, hybrids, husbandry, and diseases. Next comes Cultivation, which starts with an overview of the small-scale of coffee production and then creates portraits of the major growing regions to compare and contrast.The chapters Harvesting and Processing give an intimate view of the options facing farmers in farm and mill techniques that have a huge bearing on the cup flavors. And finally there is Consumption which involves coffee quality analysis (cupping) and consumer preference. What impresses me is this is a sweeping overview of the coffee world that is, at every turn, near it's subject, passing from the macro to micro view effortlessly. It does not shy away from any issues (sustainable practices, organic production, social impacts, low market prices) without getting bogged down in them or having heavy-handed opinions. It is truly a book you will read too, from cover to cover, and go back through to show friends and family, and want to look at just because the pictures are fantastic. There is nobody I know, not a coffee insider with 20 years in the trade, nor a coffee drinker with mild interest, who will not be drawn in by the information here, and learn something new. For the old-timer, this is full of fresh information (how many Space Shuttle images of coffee lands have you seen?) And it involves just the right amount of hard facts to avoid being burdensome, while managing to be informative. For a few techies out there, it won't be exhaustively thorough and loaded with data. But you will be able to show this to your mate or friends and not bore them to tears! (Consider Illy's new version of "Espresso Coffee" as a perfect companion to this). We took the initiative and imported it from Italy, directly from the authors because we think the book is great.
This is the English edition of the original Italian version (beautifully written and translated), and is printed by a small press in Italy. It is a softcover (nicely done, not cheap) with an applied glossy color picture on the front. It is expensive, unfortunately. But it is worth it. I have made a separate web page with some snapshot views of pages inside the book. Sorry, we have sold out of this book! But we still recommend it... -Tom |
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Coffee: A Guide to Buying, Brewing and Enjoying (5th Edition) by Kenneth Davids. This is a great book on how to find and enjoy good coffee. It offers an overview from the crop to the cup, and detailed information on all aspects of preparation including home roasting. This is the latest edition with updated resource information and new content. 95% of the coffee books out there are low on information and loaded with espresso dessert recipes and such. My advice: Avoid that type of coffee book. Get the real thing. 279 pgs.
Sorry, we have sold out of this book! But we still recommend it... -Tom |
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Please note: We have decided to stop stocking the Swissgold KF-300 because we feel the Aeropress makes a better single cup of coffee. We have kept the review because it still works well and will be a good option for some folks - we just feel that the Aeropress is a bit better as a single cup brewer.Maria & Tom The SwissGold One Cup Coffee Brewer KF-300 This is a miniature brewing system to allow great results for those who want a single cup. It allows you to brew directly into your favorite mug, avoiding the pitfalls of single-cup filter brewing: paper taste and dramatic loss of heat. With this method, you place ground coffee into the filter, insert the special insert which regulates water flow, pour in hot water, and place the lid on to keep brewing temperature correct from start to finish. It's quick, simple and results is one great cup of joe! I use mine often and was originally given one as a gift ...hint, hint. Its best to use a grind that is just a tiny bit coarser than you use for a paper filter machine, and an even burr grind is always recommended. Click here for the instruction sheet. Color is black.$10.95(shipping wt.= .35 lbs) No Longer StockedAll SwissGold Filters for Cone and Basket type automatic drip coffeemakers are on another page. |
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 The 3 parts of the Swissgold KF-300. Also, when we can we include a SCAA coffee scoop with the brewer, at no charge. |
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Urnex has a special formula to clean glass coffee vessels of all kinds to remove coffee oils and mineral deposits. If it's something with liquid coffee in it, this will clean it ...from vacuum thermos bottles, to carafes, to airpots, to mugs. We use this to clean our French Press brewers twice a week. When you clean your Press, and the filter still smells like pungently bitter coffee, it is time to use Clearly Coffee Glass Bowl & Airpot Cleaner. It's designed to remove rancid oil buildup and other residues that impart hard, nasty tastes to brewed coffee. We formerly carried this as a 12 oz. blue liquid but the bottles were prone to break during shipping. Now we have convenient powder packets. You can simply add the powder to your Press/ carafe/airpot and then fill with hot water to steep, or you can mix your own bottle of clearly coffee liquid to use over time. Each packet can clean a vessel up to 1.5 gallons! We do not sell single packets, but rather, lots of 10 packets (each has 1/4 oz. of powder formula) ... which should last you a good while. Clearly Coffee powder: 10 packets for $2.50 +.2 lb shipping |
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The Basics of Cupping Coffee by Ted Lingle. This booklet that serves as an excellent companion to describing coffee tastes (over half the book is a detailed glossary of tasting terminology) and no-nonsense manual to the cupping process to evaluate coffees. A must for those who want to describe single-origin coffee flavors, or experiment in blending. Produced by the SCAA, and written by their Executive Director. 32 pages.
$11.95 (+.25 LB shipping) Also see the full edition of the Coffee Cupper's Handbook, above. Out of stock |
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Coffee Basics by Kevin Knox isa great introductory book. This book has all the basic, proven coffee tips for buying and preparing great coffee like all the other books. But it also has a healthy dose of informed opinion overlayed on these facts, and that is refreshing. Too many coffee books simply mime the conventional wisdom and try to do it with a bit of panache (Kummers etc). Tim Kastles book doesn't inspire me either. Then there's all the "recipe" books. What junk! I disagree with many opinions in this Knox book (his low opinion of Brazils, Perus and "simple" coffees, and somewhat wine-snobbish celebration of "Gran Cru" coffees And have we heard enough about *#!@ La Minita already!) but it only indicates that I am reading an author with something to say. $13.95 (+ 1 LB shipping)
Sorry, we have sold out of this book! This is a great overview on coffee. -Tom |
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Uncommon Grounds by Mark Pendergrast. Subtitled "The History of Coffee and How it Transformed Our World" this is a recent work that is extremely broad in its vision. It not only provides the colorful, illustrious history of our favorite beverage (and is loaded with neat trivia), it also seeks to provide context to the when, what and why of the coffee culture from past to present. It makes the information relevant both to current issues and to the history of cultural development in general. I think of it as the "poor man's modern day Uker's" and it is just about as all-encomapassing as that legendary coffee book, pound for pound! This is the new softcover version that was just published Jan. 2002. New York Times has a very interesting review of this book titled The World Before Starbucks!Sorry, we have sold out of this book! But we still recommend it... -Tom |
| The Skunk Shirt: I think we did it again. We now have another oddball t-shirt in stock; the Sweet Maria's Skunk ...well, everyone here thought it was funny in a sort of ineffable "New Yorker" cartoon sort of way. "Skunky" has always been my (Tom's) favorite cupping term on the flavor wheel, and it refers to poor aroma from badly roasted, scorched coffee. We also liked the absence of any "dot-com" or other commercial information. Hey, its more mysterious and low-key without it. Available in 100% cotton, black with white printing on the front - the back is plain.Large and Extra Large; they shrink since it is 100% cotton. (Medium is sold out).
$9.00 (+ 1.5 lbs shipping)
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| We were trying to think of a model for our ... unusual ... new T-Shirt. Someone suggested our UPS man, also known as "Mr. Emeryville", Felix.. Someone else said we should get a Heavy Metal band to wear it (hey, Oakland is the birthplace of Metallica!) or maybe Darth Vader... hmm...
The dogs wouldn't stay still for a picture and Metallica costs too much so... |
... here's Felix the UPS Man ..
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... and here's a guy in a homemade Darth Vader outfit!
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Coffee Makers: 300 Years of Art and Design by by Edward and Joan Bramah is a wonderful, large (10" x 12" format) hardcover coffee table book ...about coffee! There are lots of beautiful images to gawk over. 166 pages entirely in color. There are all types of brewers from fantastic balancing syphons to primitive folk coffeepots. And there's grinders and a bit on home roasters too. You'll find Cona brewers, presspots (cafetiere), percolators, espresso machines, and a mysterious British sock brewer called "the biggin". The quality of the photographs and the full-color printing are outstanding, and as a pictorial history of coffeemakers it is unmatched. This book is very low-priced considering the quality. $42.50 (+ 4 Lbs. shipping) |
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The Aluminum Italian Ergo Tamper
We have switched to offering the stainless steel tampers and are phasing out this line of aluminum tamps. They are nice - not are highly finished as the stainless steel, but still a good design and a nice solid feel. Purists might note that the bottom is flat, not convex. I say, it's more important to evenlycompress you puck with a tamper that has nice crisp edges (this does) than to get a slight convex shape. In fact, I see Barristas using tampers at an varied angles to shape the coffee, and this ruins even compression. But I digress ... We have these only in 53 mm and will not be stocking the 57.5 mm any longer- make sure you measure your current tamper so you get the right size!
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#20 Basket KF-20 fits BunnOmatic B-8
and A-10 models $21.50 (.5 lb ship wt.) Discontinued by Swissgold |
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Unfortunately - We have been informed that Zassenhaus no longer makes this mill - so they are gone forever! : ( You can probably find some on Ebay or flea markets at least..... The Wall-Mounted Zassenhaus Mill comes in 4 styles. The upper hopper will hold a half pound of roasted coffee (or a bit more), and has a neat wooden lid with an airtight rubber seal! That means you can store your roasted beans in the best way, and grind just the amount you need. The grinding mechanism is very sturdy; it has the same tool-grade steel burrs, but they sit sideways and the beans are forced into them with an auger-type mechanism. The bottom hopper for ground coffee pulls out for easy use, and is a very thick clear acrylic. The wall-mount grinders are highly functional, and avoid the typical manual grinder problem of having the box slip and slide around as you turn the crank. They are darn pretty too!
Cylindrical hopper designs have a total dimensions = 16"h x 7.5"w . The cylindrical hopper is slightly larger than squarish hopper, and the top has a nice ornamental metal knob on top of it.
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Zassenhaus All Grain Mill This mill is no longer made by Zassenhaus - sorry!This highly functional all grain hand cranking grinder is one big heavy chunk of beech with ABS plastic crank, nylon auger and those beautiful Zassenhaus high carbon steel burrs. A door slides upward to expose the burrs completely for cleaning. It is a wonderful coffee grinder, and clamps down to a table in seconds, although I wouldn't want to grind my coffee right after grinding something stinky! Versatile, cleanable, simple and elegant: this is nice for bread bakers, all-grain beer brewers, and coffee nuts like me. Caveat: I don't know why, but this is the only Zassenhaus that has a 1 year guarantee, not 10. (?) Maybe it's because they don't know what people will put inside this thing. Click here for more images and information. $85.00 (+ 8 lbs shipping) Discontinued |
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| Antique Style "White Badge" Closed Hopper Mill, Model 153DG - $67.40 (+ 2.2 lbs shipping) |
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Solis SL-90 Crema Espresso Machine - No longer offered
Review is kept here for information only. We feel that, over time, the SL-90 has lost a proverbial step with other espresso machines in it's price range. While it's a solid machine, the small filterbasket makes it anachronistic. We suggest the Silvia by Ranciliowhich has a true commercial-sized 58mm coffeehandle, a commercial filterbasket with no "pinhole" to enhance crema, and has a Stainless chasis. The SL-90 is a great semi-automatic home espresso machine. It has the benefit of digital controls, a computer that controls shot times and water temperatures, and other upscale niceties often found in $500 - $800 machines.With the Solis Crema SL 90, you get a solid all metal housing that ensures years of use (and abuse). The steam nozzle swivels to accommodate different vessel sizes and it dispenses hot water. The warming tray on top is actively heating, giving you cups heated to just the right temperature in a short time. The drip tray is adjustable for different sized cups.Inside the machine are digital controls and a computer that accurately controls the timing of your shots. Choose from preset times, or program in up to six shot times that suit your own "perfect shot".The computer control also keeps the brewing temperature to within 2 degrees (Fahrenheit) of what is the optimum brewing temperature, which is the significant major feature that makes this a better machine than the SL-70 model. The machine can create 19 bars of pressure -- that's professional-machine pressure! If you like to fiddle with your espresso, trying to achieve the perfect shot, this machine lets you experiment to no end, then set it to the parameters you are most happy with.Is this the most handsome espresso machine out there --honestly, I don't think so. Is it capable of making true shop-quality espresso? Yes! Can the "muy suave" Francis-Francis do this? No! Is a machine good because it has a stainless steel skin on it? No! How about the handsome and fickle Pavoni lever machines? Even you Pavoni-ites (and me) must admit, 1 in 3 shots on the Europiccola is ideal, at best. Choosing the SL-90 means buying cup after cup of great espresso, not designer chic ...and that is why you see it offered here. 1 year warranty against defect, repair or replacement, provided by the US importer. Dimensions are 10.5" x 12" x 9.5" (l x h x d) Color: Black/Silver $459 (Our Price includes free UPS Ground shipping in continental US , free nylon bristle espresso machine brush, and free can Illy Caffe espresso, and a free 1 Lb. of our own Roastmaster's Choice Espresso! The espresso machine ships from our shop in a separate box from the other items in the order.) |
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Solis provides several portafilter inserts for the machine. There is the single-shot, double-shot and pod-adapter (for pre-packaged espresso pods ...boo!) filters. The Solis is designed to filter through a pinhole opening in the bottom of the filter in order to provide pressure resistence. This helps to reduce the variable of tamping (packing the coffee in the portafilter). The pinhole is not like the aerator disc feature in other machines that produces "false-crema" in the espresso. The coffee handle is nice and big! We also offer the non-pressurized optional filterbaskets! |
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The entire back of the machine is used by the removable water tank. I can't tell you how nice it is to have the water (such an important ingredient in great coffee!) so visible. The tank has a spring-loaded valve in the bottom --you can remove it, take it to the sink, fill it and return it without spilling a drop. Okay, maybe one drop. Periodic cleaning of the SL-90 involves adding a descaler to the tank water and running it through the machine. (No backflushing necessary.) This tank design makes that task easy. |
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The built-in 53mm tamper in the body of the SL-90 is all the tamping you need to make perfect espresso shots! The portafilter design reduces the significance of exact tamping and the Solis prefers a lighter tamp to the standard 35-40 lb pressure needed to tamp on other machines --but fear not, you still have much autonomous control over the shot (or an opportunity to mess it up!) with the fineness of the grind!
Another handy feature --you can adjust the drip-tray height (tip: keep it shorter, as on the right...) |
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The digital contols are entirely on the top-front of the machine. The are on a washable touch pad that cannot be permeated with water. Very smart. The body of the machine is metal and the heat is transfered to the cup-warmer --the top of the machine -- with the push of a button. Read the Solis Quick-Start page for the SL-90 ...this shows you how easy the machine is to use.
The shot contols are digital, but completely customizable. So true espresso fans --those who choose the abbreviated Ristretto (1-1.5 oz) over the overgrown Lungo (3 oz!) can meet their needs. Okay ...it does the Lungo too. |
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The machine produces an incredible amount of steam pressure. It makes steaming the old-fashioned way (the way a shop espresso machine does it), with a wand, quite easy. No "automatic frothers" here! There are handy grips (white arrow) on the wand to move it into the right position --not pretty but incredibly smart in terms of daily use! Also, please do not use ugly zebra cups (gray arrow) --they ruin your coffee. |
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The Solis produces the pressure levels found in professional machines. Shots are created at 10-12 bars according to my measures, and steam pressure builds up to 19 bars! |
| Solis Non-Pressurized Filterbaskets for SL-90 - Price Reduced
We have the unmodified filter baskets for the SL-90 (and SL-70) Solis espresso machines in stock now. These are the type used in a commercial espresso machine, without the crema-enhancing feature of the stock SL-90 filterbaskets. The fact is, you can get great crema from an SL-90 without an crema-enhancement: the machine is mechanically exacting in terms of both pressure and water temperature to produce tons of crema! Interestingly, these non-pressurized filters produce just a bit less crema, but it has a darker color, and more red-umber in color. Of course, these are for "advanced" users who want to take on the variables of correct grind and tamping to make great espresso. My experience is to tamp very hard (about 30-35 lbs pressure) and grind finer than the pressurized basket, but a little coarser then you might think: the finest grinds do not truly produce the best crema. |
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The single filter-basket works better than the ones on almost any espresso machine I have used recently, including my hand-pull Pavoni! But the double is recommended ...see below.
$6 (+ .3 lb. shipping) Sold Out |
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Most purists use only double filter-baskets. I get best results with the double too ...but the single does work suprisingly well! My advice: if you are getting one non-pressurized basket, get the double!
$6 (+ .3 lb. shipping) Sold Out |
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Pasquini Logo Espresso Cups Pasquini makes a fine demitasse espresso cup, a 65 ML (about 2.6 oz.) thick-walled tazzinamanufactured by the Italian firm IPA. It features the scripty Pasquini logo on one side and their motto on the other -molto italiano! It's a fine cup for a short shot, a short double, or even a single macchiatto. |
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For cleaning any coffee vessel that is not easily accessable, you can use this Air Pot Brush. Works great for thermos vacuum bottles too. This includes both the large Airpot Brush and the Gauge Glass Brush above. Airpot Brush Kit : $7.00 + .5 lb shipping
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If you have an espresso machine with a water tank gauge glass, or an airpot you need a Gauge Glass Brush to clean narrow tubing. It has a 5/8 inch diameter to fit narrow tubes. All Airpots MUST have the tube that draws coffee up from the bottom of the bowl cleaned weekly! Of course, this brush is designed for cleaning the glass gauge on a commercial coffee urn. Gauge Glass Brush: $4.00 + .25 lb shipping |
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All-In-One Replacement Filter by SwissGold Out of stock - forever! ---> |
 The SwissGold Filter Disc replaces the entire filtration screen assembly on your French Press. The advantage is clear: there is no longer a layering of screens and you will no longer face those annoying grinds that get trapped between the layers. The SwissGold Filter Disc fits standard French Presses of many makes with a 3.5" inside diameter, including the Bodum 6 or 8 Tasse press (24-32 oz sizes) AND the new 4 Tasse Bodum Press we stock. It will not fit the diameter of the 3 Tasse (12 oz), or 12 Tasse (48 oz). You would assume it is made from SwissGold material but in fact this would be too fine for a French Press and you would never be able to plunge it! It is fine stainless steel mesh screen. This will thread onto the shafts of most standard presses. PLEASE NOTE: The screens we have are no longer gold colored- they are silver. This has no effect on brewing. And these are the last of the screens available. Swissgold stopped making them - so when we run out they are gone - forever!$10.50 (+.25 LB shipping)Oh no ...SwissGold is not producing any French Press FilterDiscs any more! We actually bought all their remaining stock and now it is gone ... very unfortunate! We are keeping the picture and information here FYI, and looking for another manufacturer who can make a similar one-piece filter. -Tom 6/22/04 |
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Traditional Greek Coffee Mills - Discontinued ...Sorry! Review left here FYI - Maria 9/9/03Our Greek-made traditional mills are solid brass with cast burrs -they work great for pepper (I use it for this daily at home -the best pepper mill I have ever had!) and do quite well for coffee too (I use it for camping), creating a very fine grind for Turkish, Greek or Arabic coffee. They are adjustable from medium fine to very fine settings using the screw. The burrs are not machined like the more expensive Zassenhaus Turkish Mill we stock; they are cast burrs ... but they are adjustable to the very fine setting required for true Turkish/Greek/Arabic coffee, and the grind is even. They may require some use to break-in for coffee grinding. I found that the first couple times I used it, it took quite a lot of cranking to produce the required amount of ground coffee - but after that it became more rapid. It works best on smaller bean coffees such as Yemeni and most Ethiopian: a good match for making Arabic coffee! Available in Medium and Large size. The Medium is actually larger than the Zassenhaus Turkish mill, the large is about 75% over the capacity of the Zassenhaus Turkish mill. It's a great travel mill - you can even store a couple days of coffee beans in the top hopper and grind on demand -or you can store the handle inside the top hopper. These are handmade mills, so expect some "individual character" in each one! The Large size holds about 60 grams roasted coffee in the top, the Medium holds about 48 grams.
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Italian Cherrywood MillsThis mill is no longer made. TomThe Italian-made Trespade brand mill features high quality, machined conical burrs like the Zassenhaus mills. It also has a distinct advantage that makes it very easy to use: the grounds collect in an enclosed wooden hopper in the bottom. Put beans in the enclosed (and metal-lined) upper hopper, swing the lid shut, grind while walking around, holding comfortably in one hand (i.e. this is not a 3-handed mill, as one customer put it), tap the mill a couple times to settle the grinds, and unscrew the bottom. Grind adjustment locks in place, and a spare lock tab is provided. The Trespade Italian mill is 100% Cherrywood. It is available in a light, unstained cherry (top image) or darker, stained cherrywood (bottom image). Please specify light or dark when ordering! |
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This mill is no longer made. Tom
The Salter Mill is a throwback, a rugged cast iron grinder that could have been made in the last year ...or maybe they just made a bunch 50 years ago and hoarded them in some dank British warehouse. Either way, this heavy crude beast has nothing to break, and will last a lifetime. The adjustable burrs are extremely crude, but the grind it produces is excellent --it's more like a mortar and pestle that adjusts than the machined Zassenhaus burrs --but I can't argue with the results. Best of all, it can be wall-mounted or bench-mounted. We sell most of these to people who install them on yachts for long-haul outings. Somehow, the Salter mill has had some press in boating magazines and books as a durable, compact, ocean-ready piece of gear. Here's another front view, and here's a rear view. We were also just able to reduce the price from $71 to $61 this month.. |
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White Milano Espresso Cups - Set of 6 cups and saucers: White Milano Espresso Cup - Each (1 cup, 1 saucer) |
White Milano Cappuccino Cup -Each (1 cup, 1 saucer) |
| Espresso & Cappuccino Cup: Italian Inox Stainless Steel Cups | |||||
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They aren't cheap but they're real neat. These are double-wall, Frabosk Italian-madeStainless Steel Demitasse Espresso Cups. They are nice, Inox 18/8 grade stainless with welded-on single-wall handles. These retain heat very well when properly pre-warmed before pulling the shot (...hopefully you can keep cups pre-warmed on top of your espresso machine --or else you should be pre-warming them with hot water). The double walled vacuum design helps retain that heat. As for the saucer, that is single-walled 18/8 stainless. Ouch: expensive, but nice!
Individual Serving (1 cup, 1 saucer) $15.00 (+ .75 LB shipping) Out of stock - sorry - Maria 9/1/04 Set of 2 (2 cups, 2 saucers) $28.00 (+ 1.5 LB shipping) Out of stock - sorry - Maria 9/1/04 Measurements: 2-1/16" Inside Diameter at top, 1-5/8" OD bottom, 2-1/8 " tall w/o saucer. Note that all s/s cups should not be scrubbed abrasive pads, nor washed in a dishwasher. |
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Stainless Steel Cappuccino Cups
High-quality, Italian-made by Frabosk, Inox 18/8 grade stainless steel Cappuccino cups with a 6.5 oz. capacity. These retain heat very well when properly pre-warmed, because of the stainless steel and the fact there is a vacuum in between the double-walled structure or the cup. As for the saucer, it is single-walled 18/8 stainless with a beaded rim. Individual Serving (1 cup, 1 saucer) $17.00 (+ 1 LB shipping) Set of 2 (2 cups, 2 saucers) $32.00 (+ 2 LB shipping) Measurements: 2-7/8" Inside Diameter at top, 2" OD bottom, 2-3/8 " tall w/o saucer. Note that all s/s cups should not be scrubbed abrasive pads, nor washed in a dishwasher. |
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Stainless Steel Latte Cups
As I say with the above cups, these are the finest stainless steel double-wall cups I have ever seen in both the quality of manufacture and the style/shape. Italian-made by Frabosk, Inox 18/8 grade stainless steel Latte cups with a 12 oz. capacity. Okay, is a Latte supposed to be served in an opaque cup or in glass so you can see the espresso sandwiched between the milk and slightly separated foam. That's how we always served it at cafes I worked at ... but then again we didn't have the option of these beautiful and indestructible cups! Let's call it a double-cappuccino cup and leave it at that. These retain heat very well when properly pre-warmed, because of the stainless steel and the fact there is a vacuum in between the double-walled structure of the cup. Individual Serving (1 cup, with saucer) $29.50 (+ 1.5 LB shipping) Out of stock - sorry - Maria 8/6/04 Measurements: 3-1/2" Inside Diameter at top, 2-3/4" OD bottom, 3-3/8" tall w/o saucer. Note that all s/s cups should not be scrubbed abrasive pads, nor washed in a dishwasher.
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Dura Bottle - Sorry - no longer made by Zojirushi! (or so they say!) - MariaUnbreakable stainless construction; excellent temperature retention, the Dura Bottle is a really incredible design; extra wide mouth & nonstick interior ensures easy cleaning; nonstick Teflon interior lining; easy grip, anti-roll handle keeps it from bouncing around your car floor while you turn corners!; cap doubles as cup; one-touch pour-through stopper; 1.0 quart capacity. You can brew directly into it using a thermos filtercone too.
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La Pavoni Espresso Machines
I am sorry - we do not sell demo Pavoni hand-pull espresso machines and will not have them in stock again. Please look at our other Espresso Grinders Mazzer, Anfim, Solis Maestro) , the Solis SL-90 Espresso Machine! Also see: Gaggia Espresso Machines and the Pasquini Livia 90-S Espresso Machine: (one of the best home/light commercial machines available)
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Here is a link to our Pavoni Tip Sheet which includes exploded parts diagrams and corresponding parts lists: |
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Discontinued Roasters and Accessories The items below are no longer available, but we want to keep the information about them available: |
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 WE DON'T STOCK THIS MACHINE |
Follow this link for more information on Swissmar Alpenrost Home Coffee Roasters! |
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There is another stovetop popcorn popper available called The Perfect Popper. It features metal gears in the agitator assembly, a neat thumb-control to flip open the lid while you're cranking, and better fabrication (heavier gauge aluminum) all around. The base diameter is smaller, so batch sizes should be reduced to 6-8 oz. The lid can be removed for easy access, unlike our old friend the AromaPot. The Pelouze thermometer reaches 2" from the bottom since this popper is taller, but that's good enough to read internal roast chamber temps. Here's instructions for stovetop roasting.I prefer the Whirley Pop myself ...I think it works smoothly out of the box, and the PP requires some fiddling with the agitator, and tends to jam up some times. For 550 thermometer click here$26.80 (+ 3.1 lbs shipping). |
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We cannot sell West Bend Poppery II corn poppers anymore due to legal wrangling :-(, but I heard a birdie say they are popular as coffee roasters, as you may read about in Ken David's book Home Coffee Roasting, or on many web pages, and discussions on our Home Coffee Roasting email list. Instructions are simple too! PS: Scour the thrift stores for a West Bend original Popper I (it is labeled The Poppery) ...prized among the roasting underground... |
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The UEI Candy/Deep Fry Thermometer is a large 2.25" dial face behemoth. It features a 5.5" shaft and a big sturdy thermometer clip. It rivals the $40-$50 thermometers isn't quality except for one factor, it only reads to 400 degrees. Between 400 and 500 you needs to extrapolate your readings until it circles back to 0 d.(=500 d.). It cannot be re-callibrated. For these reasons, I urge you to get the Pelouze listed above, even though the dial face is smaller. Another option are Weber (or other) brand barbecue/grill thermometers, found in shops that sell outdoor barbecues. Discontinued |
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We are no longer carrying the AromaPot stovetop roaster. We had some trouble with these: the agitator was not close enough to the bottom of the pan and beans became hopelessly jammed. The agitator paddles bend, you can't remove the lid to repair anything, and I just can't recommend the AromaPot anymore. I am leaving this image here for a bit to keep you all informed of this. On the plus side, they are stainless steel, and had a heat-dispersing bottom. And they look very nice! I understand that James Vaugn has not had the trouble with these that I have, and he still sells fine, working units! So you might want to look at The Coffee Project web site for these if you are avidly interested in getting one... |
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Discontinued |
The Melitta AromaRoast Coffee Roaster We have a supply of the Melitta Aromarost Coffee Roasters distributed last in 1983! These are a fluid bed type coffee roaster like the FreshRoast, but with less features. They do not have a timer, or a cooling cycle. You cannot see the roast while it is operating. They tend to roast slow, although tricks can be done to speed them up. They do have air flow control. This is a fun machine to play around with (and what a low price) but not recommended as a "fire it up and have great coffee" type roaster out of the box. But for those of you who like these units, and want another ... here it is! Some of these boxes have old water stains but the roasters are fine. Some should have the 17 year old original coffee sample in them! They are all unused and unopened but they are sold without guarantee. Caveat emptor! We have 18 remaining... Check out our Melitta Tip Sheet on our Coffee Library page too
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