Check with the closest
distributor, coffee roaster, and or repair company,
see what they sell, know how to fix and have parts in stock.

mivanitsky wrote:They do. The current version has 63mm ceramic conical burrs. It is called the Vulcano Swift.

http://www.lamarzoccousa.com/portfolio/ ... o-vulcano/

- Mike

Nice, I had seen the Vulcano, but must have missed they have a Swift version.

But I still also question the viability of espresso. It should be able to be done, but it's a pretty big commitment.

Thanks everyone for the feedback. Lots to think about and consider.

JB

Re: Linea PB or Aurelia for a busy restaurant??

Looking for some pros and cons for these machines in a restaurant setting. I.e. Flushing routines, temp stability, durability, etc, as I know they both are capable of pulling great shots. It comes down to which pulls more constantly good shots with multiple people using it and it staying calibrated and operational longer.

Planning on pairing it with a Swift or a pair of Mythos Plus grinders.

Not looking at the Aurelia T3, just the Digit Volumetric. The T3 is currently not available in a volumetric.

Thanks,

JB

Between those 2 it's about a coin toss IMO. Neither should require any flush routine, both should be temp stable and durable.

Hi Jon,

I trained on a Linea and an NS Competizione (immediate forerunner of the Digit) four years ago, tasting dozens of cups from each. They're both great. I liked the Linea for its slightly livelier cup, but liked the NS more for its fantastic preinfusion which takes a lot of the onus off prep. It's a lot easier to learn and use than a Linea. And since your customers aren't going to be tasting them back to back... the NS is the better choice IMO.

You don't need a killer grinder for decaf, because decaf is never killer. You're talking about a spending a lot of money which your customers will never see in the cup.

Rich

boar_d_laze wrote: You don't need a killer grinder for decaf, because decaf is never killer. You're talking about a spending a lot of money which your customers will never see in the cup.
Rich

Gong wrong. Decafs can approach 80 to even 90% of the flavor of non-decafs IMO. Both Royal and Cafe Imports are doing some awesome lots Mountain Water Processed decafs. Had a Sidama decaf from Royal last year that blew me away with it's distinct blueberry.

+1. I've been getting very nice results out of some of Sweet Maria's better SWP decaf offerings lately. Plenty of people have a bias against decaf because there is tons of nasty decaf on the market (whether bad beans, bad processing, careless roasting, or a combination of all three). But when all the steps in the chain are done right, it can be pretty good.

[creative nickname] wrote:When all the steps in the chain are done right, [decaf] can be pretty good.

"Pretty good" is a pretty good thing. But you have to remember the context. Jon is a partner in a fine dining restaurant. He's not talking about a decaf grinder for the home, for a roastery, for a coffee shop, or for a cafe.

Eating very well includes excellent coffee service, but there's a question of whether a $2500 grinder will make enough difference in the cup for decaf relative to a $1000 grinder to make the extra expense worthwhile.

Jon's restaurant doesn't do the volume where the huge production of a Mythos is necessary. Is the Mythos Barista enough better in other respects to justify its price? What about the Mythos Plus? Maybe, just maybe, as the primary grinder, but certainly not for decaf.

An LM Swift is, at bottom, a 65mm flat burr grinder with two hoppers. Does auto-tamping make it $2K better than a K30 Twin?

Although he's never come out and said so, it seems like Jon has decided on a grinder which will take care of distribution and tamping as a way of insuring that staff won't screw it up, and is willing to spend a lot on the feature. Worth it?

Before answering, consider that stand-alone auto-tampers, with perfectly consistent force and leveling, run ~$300 (e.g., Macap CPS); and that -- if force is your fetish -- Coffee Complements will put together any of their handles with a base with an Espro "engine," in any shape, and in any size (including VST) for a ~$20 upcharge.

We don't know where he's going to buy his beans. Maybe he can get the world's best decaf, maybe not.

Which leads to the question of whether there's a good roasting operation in or close enough to Cleveland to set Jon's business up with discounted equipment, maintenance and training in exchange for an exclusive bean supply contract. That may be a "threshold" question; i.e., one which should be answered before making any purchase.

Commerce is not an ideal world. Priorities must be set and compromises made.

Rich

I appreciate the input.

I did talk to Nuova Simonelli about any HX flushing needs for the Aurelia, they reassured me that none was needed. It sounds like a good choice. I've reached out the couple of espresso service companies in Cleveland to see what they service/prefer. A lot of the longevity will come down to getting and maintaining good service.

Thanks,

JB