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Left handed latte art

Postby Gus on Wed Feb 03, 2010 9:02 am

I have wanted to ask this for some time but it always seems like a silly question.

When you prepare a drink for a guest, do you ask if they are right or left handed?
I always ask and I always get a funny look, and a why does it matter question.

Does anyone else ask this or am I the only one?
Gus

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Postby portamento on Wed Feb 03, 2010 1:43 pm

Once people start handling the cup and drinking the coffee, they probably pay less attention to whether their latte art is "upside down."

Maybe you should get some cups without handles to alleviate the problem entirely. Gibraltars, anyone?
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Postby brokemusician77 on Wed Feb 03, 2010 1:52 pm

I've been tempted to ask, but I never do. I'm still pretty inconsistent with my pours. I figure I'll ask, botch the pour, and then have my guest ask me, "Why did you ask if I was right or left-handed?". Which will add further insult to injury. Leaving me to shrug and say, "Just curious." :(
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Postby Deferio on Thu Feb 04, 2010 12:47 pm

We tell our baristas here at Vecinos Coffee Gallery to notice those things about the customer. It is nice to be able to look at the design straight on. It is our job to think of the little things like that. Lots of little things make a big difference.
-Chris Deferio
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Postby espressoed on Fri Feb 05, 2010 4:40 am

Though I'm strictly in the straight-shot espresso camp, hearty huzzahs for the left handed latte art movement!

While we're at it....

Logo cups have discriminated against lefties since time immemorial. Until Gimme! came out with their current line I'd never seen a logo cup that respected those of us who like their espresso on the sinister side. :twisted:
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Postby HB on Fri Feb 05, 2010 10:34 pm

Deferio wrote:Lots of little things make a big difference.

Talk about a blast from the past! So many years ago I was among a group of home espresso enthusiasts you trained at Counter Culture's EspressoFest. It was a break through moment for me. Unfortunately my skills have not improved significantly since that day. Below is an example of one of my better pours:

Image
From Latte Art Rumble in Raleigh-Durham, NC!
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Postby cannonfodder on Sat Feb 06, 2010 2:13 am

I never thought about that, but then I do not let those undesirable lefties in my home. You have to have standards. :lol:

Group levers are on the right, doser handles are on the right, grind adjustment handles/knobs are on the right (or front). Even Mazzer dosers have the shutoff gate placed on the right. HotTop controls and display are on the right as well. Guess espresso is just not geared around the southpaw way of working.
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Postby iantrevor on Sat Feb 06, 2010 12:53 pm

Is the assumption that people hold their cups w/ their dominant hand? I'd never thought of it before, but I'm a lefty (one of the undesirables) who does everything left-handed except dose, natch, and I've always held my coffee w/ the right hand. Perhaps the right-handed Man has struck me in insidious ways.

That being said, it appears that Scott Rao pours lefty so I'm going to hold out hope that I have a chance in the coffee world dominated by right-handed hegemony. :wink:
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Postby JmanEspresso on Sat Feb 06, 2010 1:34 pm

cannonfodder wrote:... doser handles are on the right....


Seems like as good a time as any to ask a question that's bugged me for some time now...

Does the Rossi RR45 have doser handles on both sides of the doser? Ive seen pictures where it looks like that might be the case.

Forgive me if this is ridiculously ridiculous.

(Dave, not directed directly at you, it was just your post that made me think to ask)
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