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Originally Posted by Hehe
I went to Artigiano twice and wasn't impressed. They don't have a very good temperature control on both the espresso shot and milk, giving inconsistent cups.
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As I mentioned in an earlier post, I haven't been to Artigiano in a while but I find it interesting that you weren't impressed. What's interesting is that they (used to anyway) pride their reputation in serious barista training. I am no professional, but temperature control on both the espresso shot and milk are serious grounds on becoming a good barista. Not only that, they pride themselves on the basis of using "the best" machines which is a La Marzocco.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hehe
I'm gonna try Gene Coffee because I miss all the good coffee I had when I was living in Italy (where I learned how to appreciate coffee). Making a good cup of coffee is a science...
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You may or may not enjoy their espersso at Gene Coffee Bar. The roast is the Espresso Gran Bar from Casa Del Caffe, roasted by Vincent Gentile. Not sure if you know about his background but he apprenticed in coffee roasting in Italy for 7 years and has been in the business for 25 years in Vancouver.
The roast is a lot more darker for most North American paletes but the shots pulled at Gene Coffee Bar instantly reminded me of the same tastes and quality from what I had in Prague, Dresden and Vienna. I personally love their Wega machine used, a true E61 grouphead so the consistancy is there. Their baristas can be quizzed if you want to.
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Originally Posted by Hehe
You can tell whether a barista is doing a good job by checking the crema that's on top of their espresso shot. Forget any machine made (ala Starbucks) ones.
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Not many baristas do that anymore. They should occassionally pull a blank shot to taste to determine whether adjustments need to be made at the grinder. Superautomatic machines suck.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hehe
The crema should naturally just fill the top section of the shot glass without much depth or uneven-ness through the layer. Too much means either too hot or the bean isn't properly ground (usually too chunky) and too little means the opposite but ground bean being too dense.
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The latest hot topic amongst baristas is that crema is not always a sure-fire indication of the final product, which eventually is taste. I've personally found that when sticking to the general guidelines of pulling a shot is that a 2oz. double shot should typically be complete at around 30 seconds. It's the under and overextraction that can really ruin the taste of the shot, nevermind just the crema alone especially if its blonding too early or too late. Of course, temperature control, grind quality, dosing and tamping and the beans are crucial to the final product.
Hehe, you seem to have a good understanding of espresso. Let me know where you like going and how you find Gene Coffee Bar. I'm always there, it's like my 2nd home!
Just to throw it out there, this is my coffee rig at home. I have some beans coming in from Stumptown Coffee Hair Bender roast by the end of this week and an El Salvador single origin for the pourover next week.
(Not pictured: Hario V60 ceramic pourover dripper & Hario stainless steel kettle.)