Martin's Photos

Post by **Martin** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 3:22 pm

I've uploaded some Viv pics to my ages-old roasting photos

www.pbase.com/mnl/dog_bowl_heat_gun_coffee_roasting

Possibly the most useful piece to share is the idea of raising your machine above the typical counter level. Here, it's 44" above floor level. IMO, it's easier to see the pour and meter, and I like the extra counter space. My arrangement (deep into the garden window) might not work for someone with shorter arms, but the extra height shouldn't be a problem for anyone.

I've shown the Chris Coffee double canister with my mixer bypass arrangement. This gets me to about 4+ grains: an acceptable compromise between 0-1 with the straight softener (IMO, too flat), and 9-10g without the softener.

Note the flat, heavy duty replacement plug. Much tidier, can be set to an angle. I have a 20 amp circuit breaker that I decided not to use; I'll let you all know if something frys.

The WDT tool tapes two very thin florist wires to my smaller brush that I use for cleaning the Mazzer grinder chute.

Martin

Post by **Niko** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 12:05 am

NICE!
I love your dog bowl set up and Betty looks serious, kind of like "you're doing THAT with my bowls".

I like the elevated and way back setting idea for the machine, it's perfect for gaining counter space but it wouldn't work for me since I like my steam valve right against the body almost. I steam milk for almost every drink I make and almost lean into the machine it when I roll the milk.

I was wondering about your filter setup when you mentioned it on another post, brilliant, I like how you completely got the filters out of the house!
Nice job on all the pics, I really enjoyed them and thanks for posting.

Post by **Martin** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 2:02 pm

Niko wrote: I like my steam valve right against the body almost. I steam milk for almost every drink I make and almost lean into the machine it when I roll the milk.

Awkward getting used to the new position, but started to work well after a few days. Just keep elbow tucked into my hip. Biggest problem has been leaning into and activating the dishwasher controls. Of course, I've been paying attention to the height of every machine I've seen, and most seem to be higher than conventional counters. If cabinets are not restricting top space, it's something to consider---especially for those who are designing space from scratch. Don't believe I've ever seen anything written on the "correct" height.

BTW, halfway through my first attempt to post, I realized that I was posting on the "Original S1" pride page. Thought I deleted, but it got posted. How do I dump that inexplicable half post?
Martin

Post by **Niko** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 2:09 pm

If you write Chas, I'm sure he can delete it for you if you can't hit the delete "X" button on the webpage once you're logged in.

I saw the extra post also and thought, wow, he's got two S1's like me - see I'm not the only nut!

Post by **woodchuck** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 7:56 pm

Martin, great shots of your new machine. I have been knocking around the idea of some home roasting for awhile now. Maybe you pics will get me motivated to go the next step. Having Counter Culture Coffee just down the road does make me wonder whether it is worth it or not though.

Cheers

Ian

Post by **Weska** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 11:01 am

Nice setup, Martin. I would love to have my machine higher, but I never thought of a way to do it--much less a way that would open up more counter space.

Post by **Martin** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 9:38 pm

woodchuck wrote:Martin, great shots of your new machine. I have been knocking around the idea of some home roasting for awhile now. Maybe you pics will get me motivated to go the next step. Having Counter Culture Coffee just down the road does make me wonder whether it is worth it or not though.

Cheers

Ian

You've heard all the reasons for home roasting, and they are all true enough for me. I'd never give it up, but I'd sure do a lot less if I lived "down the road" from CC. In a sense, it's like taking on a whole new hobby. I'm glad I've developed my roasting sensibilities along with my shot pulling (and machines) over the last 4+ years. If you do homeroast, expect a few months of lesser quality until you get the hang of it. After that, well ?? Maybe a few more months.

Maybe the biggest reason for me is how much easier I find it to control my roasted stash, rest times, etc. I do live a short drive from Cafe Luxxe, a very high quality cafe. They sell their own roasts, but choices are limited and not all to my liking. About a quarter of my consumption is decaf, which has a narrower rest band, and really degrades if it sits around. It's fun to order lots of different varieties and get into blending. However, unless you are a freak about record keeping (and a really excellent cupper), this "advantage" can entice one into a fairly undisciplined approach. It all works out, just takes a while.

The fact that homeroasting is cheaper is probably the poorest (pun intended) reason, unless there's a real economic pinch (in which case, what is one doing with a Vivaldi?).
Martin

Post by **woodchuck** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 7:53 pm

Martin, thank you for the insights. I think the thing that would drive me most to home roasting is my DIY gene. Can't seem to turn it off sometimes.

Cheers

Ian

Post by **Niko** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 8:50 pm

That's a very good gene to have.

You'll also find that home roasting not only saves you money in the long run; you can store green coffee for much longer than roasted batches so you don't need to be constantly buying coffee like you do with commercial roasters to have fresh.