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Prototype La Marzocco GS3 - A Pro's Perspective - Page 5

Behind the scenes of the site's upcoming equipment reviews.

Link to "Prototype La Marzocco GS3 - A Pro's Perspective"by malachi on Thu Nov 17, 2005 1:27 pm

MOSFET wrote:Perfect solution if you mean that you spend a lot of time in your car: Bring it with you! Use an inverter. The battery power will be no problem. This is a 10-15 amp machine. My headlights alone draw 16 amps.


Now that is a sick idea!!! GS3 in your car!
"Taste is the only morality." -- John Ruskin
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Link to "Prototype La Marzocco GS3 - A Pro's Perspective"by espressoDOM on Thu Nov 17, 2005 2:32 pm

aaaah Yeahh... I could write off the cost of a MiniCooper... put that sucker in the trunk... facing out... pop the trunk... INSTANT VENUE... wouldn't you buy coffee out the back of my car... it's the same as a CART...

ps... malachi... how do you get your pours so thin and and uninterrupted...

I am close but no cigar....

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Link to "Prototype La Marzocco GS3 - A Pro's Perspective"by barry on Thu Nov 17, 2005 3:41 pm

MOSFET wrote:This is a 10-15 amp machine. My headlights alone draw 16 amps.


just that pesky voltage issue.
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Link to "Prototype La Marzocco GS3 - A Pro's Perspective"by barry on Thu Nov 17, 2005 3:42 pm

malachi wrote:Now that is a sick idea!!! GS3 in your car!



one of the original ideas regarding the rebuilding of my landcruiser was to incorporate an espresso machine into the dash. the idea is still kicking around; i just haven't had time to do much on the rebuild.


--barry "maddie"
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Link to "Prototype La Marzocco GS3 - A Pro's Perspective"by malachi on Thu Nov 17, 2005 6:05 pm

Day 7:

Wow.
Yikes.

Today was a kind of insane day - and it's only 2pm.

I started off the day with some additional measurements (yeah - I know that it's kind of irrelevant and that the machine is going to go through some serious, expensive equipment testing soon enough but it's kind of habit now) and then (about the point where I was dying for coffee) with some shots of the Olympia Coffee Peru.

Triple basket, down-dosed, 201F, 2.25oz in 28 seconds.

Really nice. Fruity and chocolatey and oh-so-sweet. Sugar bomb!!

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After a quick cappuccino as well I did some cleaning (oh how I love the stainless block!). And then welcomed some friends from Albina Press. And the geekiness began!!

Tons of shots of Hairbender. Different doses, different temps - just going crazy. 197.8F, 20gram, LM ridged double, 1.75oz in 28seconds was the winner. All the fruit, all the floral, all the chocolate... but so smooth and sweet and rich!!! Incredibly coating on the palate - the aftertaste lingered forever. Wow.

They both described the shots as being both heavier and more coating - while at the same time tasting cleaner than what they were used to. It's the "density" and "clarity" that I've been describing and that I think might be related to the combination of the temp stability, the isolation from any water intake variance and the stainless.

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Both Billy and Dan pulled some lovely shots.

You should have seen the big old smiles on their faces!!

And let me explain... these are jaded, tattooed PDX pro baristas.... getting excited about a 110v, reservoir single group espresso machine.

The cool-touch wands, the stainless block, the controls... and when we threw the Scace on there the jaws dropped. A quick climb to the setpoint and then it just sits there... sometimes it bumps up 1F for a few seconds... and it sits there. Shot after shot - the same pattern is repeated. Scary.

So we started whipping out the milk drinks.

Image

At this point we'd been at it for a couple of hours and had burned through a pound of Hairbender as well as some of the Peru. And the machine wasn't even breaking a sweat. I'd refilled the reservoir 3 or 4 times and had dumped the draintray probably a couple dozen times but there was no indication that the machine couldn't keep this pace up all day. In the end, we wore out before it did.

I think Billy said it best when he said, "why isn't there a cafe version of this machine?"

So now I'm trying to relax, to stop smiling, to chill out a bit.
I guess I'm not crazy - I guess this machine really is that good.

Image
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Link to "Prototype La Marzocco GS3 - A Pro's Perspective"by espressoDOM on Thu Nov 17, 2005 7:02 pm

4500 dollars....

ok I just typed that because it keeps the FEVER at bay...

looks great.... I am glad you are having fun testing... take a crap load of pictures tomorrow... I want to feel like I was there....
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Link to "Prototype La Marzocco GS3 - A Pro's Perspective"by terryz on Thu Nov 17, 2005 8:57 pm

espressoDOM wrote:4500 dollars....

ok I just typed that because it keeps the FEVER at bay...

looks great.... I am glad you are having fun testing... take a crap load of pictures tomorrow... I want to feel like I was there....


Sissy ;-)

I already added your name to the "List'. You will own one by next summer......................

Look at it this way.........45 Tommy Bahama shirts or 1 GS3, your choice.............
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Link to "Prototype La Marzocco GS3 - A Pro's Perspective"by malachi on Thu Nov 17, 2005 9:01 pm

Don't think $4500.
Think Cost = $4500 - $X where $X is what you can sell the MegaWega for...
"Taste is the only morality." -- John Ruskin
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Link to "Prototype La Marzocco GS3 - A Pro's Perspective"by MOSFET on Thu Nov 17, 2005 10:58 pm

barry wrote:
just that pesky voltage issue.




MOSFET wrote: Use an inverter.



An inverter converts DC power to AC.

Of course the laughing smiley should have tipped off those who thought I was serious, though there is no technical issue, especially with the pourover feature.

Maybe for the traveling salesman...

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Link to "Prototype La Marzocco GS3 - A Pro's Perspective"by MOSFET on Thu Nov 17, 2005 11:01 pm

malachi wrote:Don't think $4500.
Thing $4500 - $X where $X is what you can sell the MegaWega for...


This is a good point. I sold my Six Million Dollar Expobar for $750 and bought a four group Linea for $800. I'll bet you could scrape up a bunch of junk to sell on Ebay. Put it in the upgrade fund.

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Link to "Prototype La Marzocco GS3 - A Pro's Perspective"by AndyS on Thu Nov 17, 2005 11:12 pm

MOSFET wrote:An inverter converts DC power to AC.


10-15 amps@120volts = 100-150 amps@12volts. You've got a big alternator, right? It sure is gonna cut down on your gas mileage. 8)
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Link to "Prototype La Marzocco GS3 - A Pro's Perspective"by skyryders90 on Thu Nov 17, 2005 11:15 pm

terryz wrote:Sissy ;-)

I already added your name to the "List'. You will own one by next summer......................

Look at it this way.........45 Tommy Bahama shirts or 1 GS3, your choice.............


That's it - put me on the list, too.
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Link to "Prototype La Marzocco GS3 - A Pro's Perspective"by malachi on Thu Nov 17, 2005 11:26 pm

espressoDOM wrote:ps... malachi... how do you get your pours so thin and and uninterrupted...


I moved to the mountains to hone my ninja barista craft, carrying full bags of green coffee through waist deep snow, learning to feel coffee until finally the day came where I no longer needed the machine or the coffee to know if the shot was good.

Grin.
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Link to "Prototype La Marzocco GS3 - A Pro's Perspective"by cannonfodder on Thu Nov 17, 2005 11:53 pm

HB wrote:It's certainly interesting to hear the feedback from professionals crowded around the GS3, but the majority of this site's visitors are likely home enthusiasts. So I think it's about time that Chris turns the portafilter over to someone who doesn't have Mistral steam wand scars, hmm-m? :roll:


EW, EW, EW, Teacher, I will do it!!! I even named my son after you, Christopher James Stephens. :wink:
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Link to "Prototype La Marzocco GS3 - A Pro's Perspective"by cannonfodder on Fri Nov 18, 2005 12:01 am

espressoDOM wrote:aaaah Yeahh... I could write off the cost of a MiniCooper... put that sucker in the trunk... facing out... pop the trunk... INSTANT VENUE... wouldn't you buy coffee out the back of my car... it's the same as a CART...



It would look much better in the back of my truck. Hook up the generator to power the machine and Mazzer. Plenty of room for a water supply tank.
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Link to "Prototype La Marzocco GS3 - A Pro's Perspective"by malachi on Fri Nov 18, 2005 12:02 am

Tomorrow's cast of characters includes at least two serious and passionate home baristas, at least two self-proclaimed "noobies" and a couple coffee pros (including the current US Barista Champion).

Should yield interesting results.

Coffees to be used include:

Stumptown Hairbender
Caffe Fresco Daterra Reserve
Artigiano Espresso
Olympia Coffee Roasting Peru Pinachi
"Taste is the only morality." -- John Ruskin
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Link to "Prototype La Marzocco GS3 - A Pro's Perspective"by AndyS on Fri Nov 18, 2005 12:13 am

malachi wrote:Personal favorites are as follows.


Nice, but here's my new personal favorite:

Image


Tricked-out Silvia's got a new big brother!
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Link to "Prototype La Marzocco GS3 - A Pro's Perspective"by Abe Carmeli on Fri Nov 18, 2005 12:14 am

Gee wiz, you all should get a room! My shameless drooling all over the Versalab grinder Bench is a dry understatement in comparison.

Now you all close your eyes, take a deep breath, empty your brain of all thoughts, and think of Star Jones as a Playboy centerfold. There, there, we are all calm now.
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Link to "Prototype La Marzocco GS3 - A Pro's Perspective"by Abe Carmeli on Fri Nov 18, 2005 12:19 am

AndyS wrote:Tricked-out Silvia's got a new big brother!


What the?
Is there anyone out there who doesn't have the GS3 already?

NB: The above is a rhetorical question.
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Link to "Prototype La Marzocco GS3 - A Pro's Perspective"by malachi on Fri Nov 18, 2005 12:26 am

AndyS wrote:Tricked-out Silvia's got a new big brother!



SWEET!!!
"Taste is the only morality." -- John Ruskin
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