FotonDrv wrote:Now for the shocker, all the beans came from the same roast and all were ground 1 week prior to testing, and brewed in the Bonavita Drip machines. No wonder they all tasted pretty funky and something I would throw out!

Ground a week ahead?

Yes, their logic in doing that was to simulate what the average person does with coffee! Looking around the room I could tell that nobody attending would ever do that.

I was pretty curious why they used a new EK43 and did not try a Mazzer grinder with a real coarse setting and they did not think anybody would do that; probably right.

You could taste stale but the EK43 was the most clear/less stale.

FotonDrv wrote:The grinder used were a Baratza Preciso (I think), a whirly blade style grinder, an EK43, and some coffee ground on an EK43)a different EK43) in a vacuum, don't ask me how they did it but they had to ship the beans off to a special lab to do it. I hope someone could explain this to me since I was so shocked when I heard vacuum that my mind went to the space station

I assume that the vacuumed coffee you are referring to is from Perfect Coffee (see article below). They sell preground coffee ground on an EK43 and packaged using a proprietary method.

http://sprudge.com/perfect-coffee-startup.html

Yes, that was it, thanks for the memory jog.

The women HATED the EK-43 and loved the whirly blade. Most women tasted the EK43 as bitter and harsh. That was the most curious bit of data to come out of the experience.

FotonDrv wrote: ... and some coffee ground on an EK43)a different EK43) in a vacuum, don't ask me how they did it but they had to ship the beans off to a special lab to do it. I hope someone could explain this to me since I was so shocked when I heard vacuum that my mind went to the space station

I remember that all the men in the test agreed that the regular EK43 tasted the best, over and above that EK43 on the space station!

You got me laughing here at my desk thinking of the ISS crew running the EK43 for scientific research, that is a branch of NASA I could really support.

Thanks for that clarification Moshe, more proof that men and women are different for more than the obvious reasons

Jeremy, that was my reaction when I heard "vacuum" mentioned. Here LaMarzocco was trying to represent the "Average person" by grinding beans a week prior to testing and yet they were getting beans ground in a special lab of some sort with the word vacuum attached. It all seemed rather humorous and my mind went into orbit

Sounds like a waste of time..... Thank you for sharing!

The stuff happening all around the periphery of the "Tasting" was what made the trip worthwhile. Seeing old friends and meeting new ones, plus, the behind the scenes tour of the LM Shop and checking out the new PID that is going into their new multigroup machines. A USA made device that is user friendly and NOT like the PID on the GS/3!

Cool... I'm going to be in Seattle this Sept, for the first time. Looking forward to visit this venue amongst others. Did you guys happen to take any pics of the machinery?