Prior to SCAA, I had anticipated that we would be somewhat busy with everyone wanting to actually see & play with this machine that they’ve read about. However there is no way that I could have dreamt that things would be as insane as they were. We arrived at 10:00 each moring to set up and would immedieatly have people coming by and when the show floor opend at noon things went mental until well after 6:00.

To say that I was overwhelmed with the number of people who took me up on the offer to bring their coffee is an understatement. I had such a great time pulling shots with all you guys – and tasted some of the best espressos in my life! I can’t imagine that there will be another espresso ‘perfect storm’ with the SCAA & the WBC & the launching of a cool new barista espresso machine all happening at the same time. This resulted in our 10×20 foot booth being packed with easily 50 people. Several people said that they had to come back 3 or 4 times just to get close enough to the machine to take pictures & pull shots…and this was the first time (since 1993) that I have not walked the SCAA floor, I just didn’t have time.

Thank you everyone, who came to hang out at our booth!!  If you didn’t make it to SCAA, check out the video that Chris took with his little camera. It was shot opening day between 12:00 and 2:30.

Cheers

Jason

Coming to terms–finding the right words!

Espresso machine manufacturers like to lay claim to a tradition of hand-made espresso machine manufacturing.  Maybe you’ve noticed this too.

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Does anything provoke stronger feelings and louder opinions right now than the mere mention of pressure profiling?  In specialty coffee, I don’t think so.   For this reason alone the topic merits some discussion here.  It also merits discussion as Slayer is on the verge of introducing a machine that takes full advantage of brew pressure deltas, by which I mean the ability to brew coffee with more than a flat pressure profile, to enhance coffee quality.

Since this is a blog about the broader aspects of our industry, and not simply an advertisement for Slayer, I want to reflect on my own relationship with brew pressure profiling first, then relate it to Slayer.  So here goes. . .

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Dear Reader, 

When you share your thoughts on this blog, we sit up and take notice. We love hearing your musings, answering your questions, and listening to your wise words of advice.  

In fact when I think about it, there is really only one thing that makes us happier. This is your Art. . . 

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Slayer deploys a magazine of multiple tanks in a cylindrical cluster, similar to the barrel configuration of a Gatling gun.

Slayer’s tanks are mounted to ribs which are attached to a central spar.  This happens to be the way the wings of almost all fixed-wing aircraft are made.

However, our inspiration was not Boeing, though aircraft design and construction did play into our thoughts. Nor was it guns.

Nor was our inspiration the human anatomy, where a highly specialized skeleton is enclosed by the body, while the body provides higher level functionality and sensory support, but not raw structural strength (for this kind of thing see, insects and arthropods).

However, analogies from nature that dovetailed with our thinking were validating.

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Third Wave Coffee: Direct & Specific

Why would you even think of building the Apple in a market where IBM is effortlessly kicking out products designed by the world’s leading IT experts and most capable computer scientists on the planet – not to mention a time when Atari and Commodore are already well on their way to delivering everything that the home user could ever want?

The answer to that question is the same for Apple as it is for Slayer.

It’s because our needs and aspirations as individuals are not defined by the power of an established brand or the influence of gurus and seers telling us where our boundaries are. Our needs and aspirations are the province of our imaginations alone. And in seeing if we can do something better and more artfully than it’s ever been done before, we are apt to surprise ourselves at what we can accomplish. Even out of a modest start something great could happen.

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X versus the NSF leg– Cleanliness need not be sacrificed for Beauty and Functionality

Slayer’s vertical-plane X form factor provides loads of extra space low down where conditions are cooler and drier, and ideal for electronics and sensitive components. This means Slayer does not need additional height to gain this precious real estate, allowing a lower, sleeker profile and the logical layout of components. With lower height comes other benefits. The barista can make eye contact with the customer while working behind the low-slung machine. Read the rest of this entry »

Around a month ago, we were experimenting with the new Slayer espresso machine in our studio. The video shows our off the cuff reactions to what we were tasting.

Let me start with some history. I’ve been in the coffee business for 18 years importing, selling & servicing Italian espresso machines, and roasting coffee for 11 years (with my two brothers at Fratello Coffee Roasters in Calgary). Eric started with Starbucks in the early 90’s, moved to ESI, then started Treuh Italia (now called Synesso) with Dan in 2003. Dan started with ESI in the 90’s as well. Eric & Dan began working with us in 2006.

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In this video, Eric and Chris visit with Evert Sodergren’s in his wood working studio. They were delivering the polished stainless brew actuators, where Evert would attach the Peruvian Walnut and carve it in a style resembling his famous chair.

Here is the YouTube version in Low-Fi

Pix:

Check out the latest video. If you recall – on our last road trip we were investment casting the brew actuators and group covers. Well now we complete the polishing of the stainless parts then travel to Evert Sodergren’s studio to pick up the finished actuators which he’s wrapped in Peruvian Walnut and hand shaped for us.

Check it in low-fi if you have a slower internet connection on YouTube here.