tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7955600895835595289Wed, 06 Nov 2024 02:43:12 +0000reviewElemental CoffeeEspresso 228OKCTopecaTulsacrazy lifefamilylife changesmovingAndy SchechterEl SalvadorEspresso ClassicoHartfordJim HoffmanKenyaNicarauguaRaleighSeed-to-CupSo G CoffeeUlkaamericanoauditionsbarrington coffeebatdorf and bronsonblue state coffeebrazilchocolatecommunity standardsconsistencycorrosiondancing goatsdaterradeathdescalingdiagnosticsespresso #9espresso partsextraction ratiosfastinggaggiagram scalesguideskoffeelatte artlocal treasuresneed to revisitnew beginningspendingprayerprioritiesrioscott raoservicesolenoid valvetrip logtriple ristrettotroubleshootingvibration pumpwater qualityhttp://sethspresso.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Seth)Blogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7955600895835595289.post-1309563236798635602Fri, 28 Jun 2013 16:56:00 +00002013-06-28T12:05:18.170-05:00familyHartfordlife changesmovingnew beginningsRaleighSo G CoffeeIt's been a long 2 years of "fasting" specialty coffee (SC).  If you weren't aware of what has been going on in our lives, my wife and I moved back to New England following the death of my stepdad.  I knew moving up here would necessarily involve a significant change in lifestyle and priorities, but I did not know how wide-reaching those changes would affect us.  In two years, we http://sethspresso.blogspot.com/2013/06/leave-of-absence.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Seth)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7955600895835595289.post-6296394026005096903Tue, 02 Aug 2011 20:52:00 +00002011-08-03T08:57:28.604-05:00deathfamilyfastinglife changesmovingprayerprioritiesUpdate: I apologize to my readership in advance for editing this post, but I felt it is expedient in the interest of propriety.  A friend of mine pointed out my error.  My regrets go out to my Shop.   Right now, however, I am laying off coffee altogether.  I am focusing my life's priorities on preparing to move and taking my coffee time to the park instead.  Coffee has http://sethspresso.blogspot.com/2011/08/fasting-coffee.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Seth)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7955600895835595289.post-3082234850598108073Wed, 13 Apr 2011 03:03:00 +00002011-04-12T22:11:33.088-05:00corrosiondescalingespresso partsguidesservicesolenoid valvetroubleshootingUlkavibration pumpwater qualityLet me say first that a regular maintenance schedule is a great way to avoid little things from sneaking up on you.  The past several weeks have been quite an adventure into the mechanical world of my espresso machine, one in which many probably would have given up.  My original purpose for this saga was simply to perform regular maintenance, but, as many mechanics will tell you, http://sethspresso.blogspot.com/2011/04/service-refurbishing-miss-silvia.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Seth)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7955600895835595289.post-7076760379602596340Thu, 17 Mar 2011 02:18:00 +00002011-03-16T21:18:06.498-05:00americanocrazy lifeEl SalvadorElemental CoffeeEspresso 228Espresso Classiconeed to revisitOKCreviewSeed-to-CupTopecaTulsa The makeshift bar... just for now! Before my life suddenly became a whirl of activity, I paid a visit to two of the best coffee spots in Oklahoma this February: Elemental Coffee's Alley Bar (OKC, OK) and Cafe Topeca (Tulsa, OK).  I had a bit of free time in the midst of audition season to taste of the Dark Nectar of Sweetness for review purposes. At the time of this writing, Elemental http://sethspresso.blogspot.com/2011/03/reviews-elemental-coffee-cafe-topeca.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Seth)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7955600895835595289.post-8529991980075217066Mon, 21 Feb 2011 02:06:00 +00002011-02-20T20:06:11.225-06:00auditionscrazy lifeElemental CoffeeOKCpendingTopecaTulsaDear 'Presso Fanatics, This past month has a been a crazy free-for-all!  To fill you in, I prepared for and traveled to two auditions during late January and early February.  I have one review post simmering in the 'ole noggin, and pictures are waiting to be downloaded from my camera.  I visited Tulsa late last month as part of my last-minute preparation for these auditions and http://sethspresso.blogspot.com/2011/02/on-deck-trip-to-okc-and-tulsa.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Seth)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7955600895835595289.post-7989509384576670744Sun, 23 Jan 2011 12:56:00 +00002011-01-23T06:56:51.082-06:00Andy Schechtercommunity standardsconsistencydiagnosticsElemental CoffeeEspresso 228extraction ratiosgram scalesJim HoffmanThanks to some birthday money, I purchased a gram scale for preparing espresso.  In a café situation, it is not feasible to use precision measurement devices all the time, but they are useful for training the eye and the hand to become consistent.  Consistency is the key word in a shop: quickly producing good coffee, more times than not, with minimal waste of product.  At home, I http://sethspresso.blogspot.com/2011/01/note-on-espresso-extraction-ratios.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Seth)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7955600895835595289.post-6916225755012773575Sun, 09 Jan 2011 03:05:00 +00002011-08-02T15:55:18.660-05:00batdorf and bronsonchocolatedancing goatsgaggialocal treasuresreviewrio K.C. Lynn's Storefront Update: K.C. Lynn's has gone out of business.  They had a good run while it lasted! We all have times in our lives when we are forced to re-evaluate what it is we want to do with our lives, where we are no longer satisfied with the direction our choices are taking us.  What is that all-important something that will consumer our daily comings and goings—that http://sethspresso.blogspot.com/2011/01/local-treasures-kc-lynns-chocolates.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Seth)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7955600895835595289.post-2462764827213201360Sat, 01 Jan 2011 23:26:00 +00002011-01-03T22:23:53.042-06:00barrington coffeebrazildaterralatte artreviewscott raotriple ristrettoWednesday I about made myself ill on all the espresso I sampled!  Amherst Coffee came to me by recommendation; and, come to find out, the same company that owns Northampton Coffee and Greenfield Coffee owns this shop!  Consequently, all three shops buy their coffee from Barrington Coffee in Lee, MA. Outside Amherst Coffee On the corner of Amity St. and Pleasant St. sits Amherst http://sethspresso.blogspot.com/2011/01/trip-log-amherst-coffee-raos-coffee.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Seth)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7955600895835595289.post-6766244862233208017Tue, 28 Dec 2010 15:00:00 +00002010-12-29T01:31:58.074-06:00blue state coffeeespresso #9KenyakoffeeNicarauguareviewtrip log Outside the store on Wall St. We made our pilgrimage to Yale University in New Haven, CT today.  The blizzard made even our 'open floor plan' log cabin feel claustrophobic!  The snow-clogged road mocked us going down the mountain, but we finally arrived in New Haven at high noon.  Our first stop was Blue State Coffee, adjacent to the locally-famous Wall St. Pizza. Upon walking http://sethspresso.blogspot.com/2010/12/trip-log-blue-state-coffee-new-haven-ct.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Seth)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7955600895835595289.post-1759980646493498139Mon, 27 Dec 2010 21:23:00 +00002010-12-27T15:28:12.800-06:00Comic courtesy of SystemComic.com Good day, mates!  We are snowed in on the mountain—14 inches of snow are on the ground!  Tomorrow marks our first trip for black gold in New Haven.  We were hampered from making that trip today because of the BLIZZARD that accosted all of the East Coast.  Instead, we shoveled and went sledding down the side of our hill at breakneck speeds. On http://sethspresso.blogspot.com/2010/12/going-to-new-haven-tomorrow.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Seth)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7955600895835595289.post-3117047859053531231Wed, 22 Dec 2010 23:11:00 +00002010-12-22T18:38:55.315-06:00My wife and I will be in Connecticut/Massachusetts from December 24th until January 1st, and we are planning to tour the best of the area's coffee culture.  When I lived in CT,  I was pretty blind to the good stuff, largely sticking to the "Big S."  Below is my "Hit List" for places to visit while home in New England: 1) Blue State Coffee (Wall St. in New Haven, CT) / Reviews I'vehttp://sethspresso.blogspot.com/2010/12/coffee-in-connecticut-massachusetts.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Seth)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7955600895835595289.post-1864281279245177064Fri, 10 Dec 2010 17:57:00 +00002010-12-10T13:21:35.802-06:00I shall begin at the beginning.  Begin at the beginning...  (three cheers to the one who knows this quote!) This blog is about coffee, but more specifically espresso and my journey of appreciation.  Guess who gets to come along on the ride?  Yes, that's right... YOU!  You, my faithful and deft audience, can read—even participate—in my ramblings.  Primarily, this http://sethspresso.blogspot.com/2010/12/welcome-to-smorgasbord.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Seth)0