When I have a free moment, I'll review the pre-announcement discussion for questions that apply to the review and add them here. In the meantime, if you have comments, requests, or even your own review of the La Marzocco Linea Micra .
La Marzocco is best known for their commercial espresso equipment, but since the introduction of the home-friendly GS/3, they've had a special place in the hearts and minds of this site's members. Built on the feedback from owners of the GS/3, they later introduced the La...
IKAWA sample roasters have been a staple of coffee professionals starting with their introduction in 2013. In the same year, IKAWA launched a Kickstarter campaign for its home roaster. The IKAWA name and its elegant design suggest that it's a Japanese product. But the company is...
I know, I know! You may be wondering, Why yet another E61 espresso machine review? It's a valid question, given the plethora of previous reviews on this site (yes, more than 16 of them!). So this particular review will focus on what's unique about the Torre La Peppina Evo,...
The market for home-friendly espresso grinders has improved immensely over the years.
In the past, major grinder manufacturers focused almost exclusively on their commercial grinders destined for cafes, but now home baristas have many espresso grinder choices specifically...
Espresso machines with the E61 group design are ubiquitous!
They're popular for good reason: E61 espresso machines are easy to use, easy to repair, and they look great. Not surprisingly, they are featured in no fewer than 10 HB reviews . Over time, the original design has...
1st shot: 17g -> 30g in 33s. 8bar descending to 6bar. 8s PI. 194F This hit a very balanced shot with chocolates, caramel, and a slight nuttiness that read praline to me due to the hint of sweetness. Turtle came to mind. A very clean chocolate shot...
Classic. Forgiving. Attractive. Ubiquitous. These are just a small sample of the descriptions that fans of the E61 espresso machine have used in the more than 60 years since its introduction. One word that is rarely suggested? Diminutive. And that's not a surprise, since its...
I miss the before times when we had regular group taste tests at Counter Culture Coffee's training center in Durham, NC. I also miss serving a crowd to test an espresso machine/grinder combo under load as I regularly did at a local car dealership and occasionally at my regular...