Synesso Baskets - group buy!! - Page 4

[cannonfodder]

My standard LM would not fit my 58mm Reg. Apparently the standard LM tends to run small. The ridgeless LM fits just fine.

[luca]

Plus, I just got off the phone with Synesso and they're sending me a T-shirt!
How cool is THAT!!!!!

Hahaha ... yeah, Mark, Sandy and Caleb are great. I think that they know that half of the success of their operation is due to them being uber-nice people! No shotglasses, though?

Cheers,

Luca

[lennoncs]

Hahaha ... yeah, Mark, Sandy and Caleb are great. I think that they know that half of the success of their operation is due to them being uber-nice people! No shotglasses, though?

Cheers,

Luca

I will second those thoughts.

I can't think of a better bunch.


Sean

[Worldman]

Man,

I never saw this until thread this morning. I would have ordered a basket or two...18g is kinda' intriguing.

Len

[JonR10]

I never saw this until thread this morning. I would have ordered a basket or two...18g is kinda' intriguing.

Oh gosh - sorry Len! I would love to have included you!!
But even the extra baskets are already spoken for.....

Anyway, here's the latest update


I have the invoice and UPS tracking information.
If you'd like to see the invoice please email me and I'll send it to you.
Suffice to say that you people all get a bargain

Here's the tracking information:


Tracking Number:.............1Z 3A0 96Y 03 9895 368 4
Type:...............................Package
Status:.............................In Transit - On Time
Scheduled Delivery:..........10/27/2006
Shipped to:.......................HOUSTON, TX, US
Shipped or Billed on:.........10/20/2006
Service Type:...................GROUND
Weight:............................9.00 Lbs

[Psyd]

Suffice to say that you people all get a bargain
Weight:............................9.00 Lbs

In that Jon has done all the work. Nevermind how much it cost, that's only money. I'da spent that much on booze...
OTOH, NINE POUNDS!

[mteahan]

I find a few things interesting:

A group buy to pay the same price (about) as you would online from just about anyone/anywhere for baskets bought from a company that buys them from another company that buys them from another company in maybe Spain or Italy who then buys them from a manufacturer.

No one seems to be asking about material composition and type of stainless steel used (carbon steel content and the like).

Chris is correct, that no machine manufacturer produces their own basket--damned expensive equipment and VERY specialized. Every basket is, in a sense, an aftermarket basket.

Any producer that doesn't buy directly from the manufacturer or can at least have a broker that can guarantee specs seems a little odd. We occasional backfill baskets for a State-side manufacturer of machines, but only because we source the same product from the same manufacturer.

I know where Terry Z gets baskets and I know they are of the highest quality available. Though 430 stainless is available, we have always specified 300 series for our production and I am sure Terry does the same.

Now, some VERY important things to consider:

When you buy from an established online supplier, you support the work they do to bring products to market, innovate and pay the ad dollars that keep these sites alive.

I am not against anyone joining the fray and jumping into the market, but there are people who spend 10 and 12 hours a day making a living out of supporting this community.

If you ever have a problem with a part, you have recourse and can return it.

You have to ask yourself if saving a couple of dollars on a basket--perhaps--is worthwhile. There have been ample discussions regarding the willingness of the community to support vendors. Supporting vendors who do the work and support this community is in your own interest.

In a free market world, we are free to do anything we wish. Just be aware of the implication of those things for which you wish.

[HB]

Thanks for joining in Michael, but this group buy had nothing to do with saving money or failure to seek out community supporters. It started innocently on CG with Mark expressing his appreciation of "Synesso baskets." The rest is what you read here. It's an interesting group phenomena, one that prompted me to write "A fool and his money" (a self-deprecating tale of how easily I jump into online buying frenzies).

No doubt they'll be an epilogue as people try out these baskets. Ironically, I unknowingly already had two in my drawer, so there's no surprise in store for me, other than confirming they're indeed the same. They're good baskets, though I haven't used them enough to develop a preference one way or another over other baskets.

[JonR10]

I appreciate Michael's words and experience and advice in this (and any) matter regarding espresso equipment. Also, I wish Michael would post more information about his business ESPECIALLY if he still sells ridgeless 21g baskets!!

I have never seen the 18g basket before, and I notice it isn't listed for sale on your site either.

But let's not forget that the 18g basket is the majority product included in this group buy. It was not (known to be) available at any of our usual dealers or online vendors at the time the buy was organized. In fact I have referred several individuals to EPNW to buy these baskets (people who have contacted me after-the-fact) and all have come back and said that the 18g basket is not in stock at EPNW at this time.

When you buy from an established online supplier, you support the work they do to bring products to market, innovate and pay the ad dollars that keep these sites alive.

Michael,
I support our vendors in a big way. I refer people every day to our sponsors and I have personally purchased thousands of dollars (literally, thousands!) worth of equipment from TerryZ and ChrisCoffee who are my personal favorites for major machinery at this time. The simple truth of this matter is that we got a line on some product that was not otherwise available and bunch of folks jumped in and expanded the scope of the buy. This was/is in no way malicious or intended to subvert the free enterprise of our faithful and hardworking vendors.


Peace out,
Jon

[Marshall]

Man,

I never saw this until thread this morning. I would have ordered a basket or two...18g is kinda' intriguing.

Len

Just out of curiousity, how is the weight capacity of a basket measured? I was with someone in the business today, and we were filling different grinds into a basket at different levels and weighing them. (We never got to different density beans.) We soon realized we didn't know what we were supposed to be weighing. I guess the obvious historic question is, "Why aren't baskets measured by volume?"

[RapidCoffee]

... the obvious historic question is, "Why aren't baskets measured by volume?"

Excellent point, Marshall. I've been using the weight labels ("14g", "18g", etc.) as a relative indication of basket size. Volume makes much more sense, and would allow a quantitative comparison of basket capacities.
________
John

[Worldman]

Just out of curiousity, how is the weight capacity of a basket measured? I was with someone in the business today, and we were filling different grinds into a basket at different levels and weighing them. (We never got to different density beans.) We soon realized we didn't know what we were supposed to be weighing. I guess the obvious historic question is, "Why aren't baskets measured by volume?"

Marshall,

As John (Rapidcoffee) wrote the gram size of the basket is really only an indication of volume. I don't suppose that anyone in here thinks that they are putting any specific weight of ground coffee in any of their baskets UNLESS they weigh that coffee first. The common size descriptions for baskets are 7, 14 & 21 grams and we all know that means single, double and triple size.


I mostly pull doubles using a basket "tagged" as 14 grams and since I overload the basket quite a bit, it would seem that 18 gram size basket will mo' betta' hold that which I use for a double...whether it is actually 10 grams or 14 grams or 18 grams or 22 grams weight.

Len

[Psyd]

We soon realized we didn't know what we were supposed to be weighing. I guess the obvious historic question is, "Why aren't baskets measured by volume?"

Well, espresso is a bit of a european thing, and the europeans tend to measure in grams and kilos instead of ounces and cups. If you look at a european recipe, they'll ask you to get 500g of flour, 1.5 g salt, mix in 200g of butter and 35g of grated cheese, etc. Liquid measurements would be in litres, but grains and other solids tend to be measured by weight. Same reason that espresso in the shotglass gets measured in mL.

[JonR10]

OK everyone (NOTE - most of this is cross posted at CG)
http://www.coffeegeek.com/forums/...ions/262839#262839


The baskets are here!

And almost all have been packaged

And for those who are interested, here are some pictures to show the differences between these and the baskets most commonly found in the marketpalce...



Please note that the 18g basket is substantially larger than the SYN 14g or the "standard" 14g basket.

Left-to-right is the 18g basket, the 14g "SYN basket and the 14g "any other" basket






Also note that the "SYN" basket has a straighter profile and so it has slightly more volume than the "standard" 14g style.

FWIW, I think the SYN hole pattern seems to be a better-quality stamping.
(SYN is on the right in this image, and the usual "standard" is on the left)

By the way, before this event I owned about a dozen baskets in various sizes. I already had one of the "SYN" style 14g baskets but have never seen these 18g baskets before. The "SYN" 14g basket was already my favorite double basket because of the profile and hole pattern and the 18g basket has the advantage that it fits in a standard SPOUTED portafilter. That's right y'all - you can use the 18g basket with spouts - but the bottom of the basket will be VERY close to the PF body (this may or may not affect anything though)


For those that asked, the 7g and 21g baskets are just like any other I've seen and there were very few requested and I packed them all before taking the pics. Those pictured above are my own.

[JonR10]

Oh yes- one more thing.....
My scale indicates that I get 20g of grounds packed into the 18g basket



Synesso sent me a nifty shot glass and here is one of my first 18g basket shots into that glass.

[Psyd]

Synesso sent me a nifty shot glass and here is one of my first 18g basket shots into that glass.
image: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a24/JonR10/IMG_6490.jpg

...ours is definitely starting to become one of those 'love/hate' relationships...

I think it's the jealousy. Nice pic. I'm going to the kitchen now. Yes, I checked my mailbox twice today. Yes, I realize that it's Sunday...

[JonR10]

OK everyone, your envelopes are in the mail as of 3PM central time today.


Those inside the domestic USA can expect delivery on Thursday or Friday.
If you don't have it by Monday please let me know.
If there are any mistakes, please let me know.


Those in Canada - I don't know how long it takes.

In OZ - anybody's guess is as good as mine!

[iiifrank]

Synesso sent me a nifty shot glass and here is one of my first 18g basket shots into that glass.

Goodness, Jon...incredible photo. I don't really know what else I can say.

[OkcEspresso]

OK everyone, your envelopes are in the mail as of 3PM central time today.


Those inside the domestic USA can expect delivery on Thursday or Friday.
If you don't have it by Monday please let me know.
If there are any mistakes, please let me know.


Those in Canada - I don't know how long it takes.

In OZ - anybody's guess is as good as mine!

How bout some tracking numbers?

[cannonfodder]

The baskets are here!

So does this mean you are a basket case? HA, could not pass that one up!