La Valentina Classic Beauty

Posted By: Mark Jackson
Posted At: Sep 1, 2010 at 7:08 PM
Related Categories: Semi Automatic Espresso Machines

The Grimac La Valentina a Classic Beauty

The La Valentina is a well built machine that should be considered for any small commercial application. In many people’s opinions it is a classic beauty. Its beauty is only enhanced by its performance. It has a compact design and looks impressive from any angle, is all stainless steel and has an easy to see pressure gauge. It also comes with taller legs than most of our home machines so it makes it easier to clean. The drip tray is large and stainless as well. This means less time emptying and the stainless helps keep it from becoming rusted or unsightly.

Powerfully Designed Boiler

The Grimac is a very efficient steamer. It has a 1.3 Liter boiler powered by a 1200 watt heating element. The boiler design, the size and shape of the heating element as well as the position of the auto fill probe have all been engineered for performance. It has worked very well for many of our customers that don’t have high volume but would like to serve quality drinks.

The boiler is copper and is coated with nickel. This helps with heat retention as well as preventing boiler damage from scale. It is amazing when you look inside the machine how easy it is to notice how well made it is.

Commercial Pressure Stat

The machine has a Sirai pressure stat. This is used typically on high end machines because of its ability to last a long time as well as its ability to precisely control the boiler temperature. Again, a high quality component in this reasonably priced machine.

Temperature Stability

In tests performed by different reviewers the Grimac La Valentina has shown very stable temperatures when it has had testing performed on the machine. The machine is still a heat exchange machine but the engineering has been done in such a way that a great shot is easy to brew and replicate by a semi skilled operator.

Copper and Nickel Tubing inside the Grimac

All the copper boilers, copper heat exchangers, copper tubing and water carrying components used in making drinks are nickel plated in order to maintain temperature and water quality. The same can be said for the steam valves: they are made of high grade commercial components are non-corrosive and will last for years.

Meets all commercial codes

The Grimac La Valentina is really a well engineered machine that was made for the person that does not want to sacrifice quality. It definitely gives you the ability to make an improvement to your espresso program.

Super-Automatics – The Convenience of a One Button Brew

Posted By: Mike R
Posted At: Aug 31, 2010 at 5:05 PM
Related Categories: Super Automatic Espresso Machines

Welcome back for the third and tentatively final blog on the different types of espresso machines. Hopefully, this blog series has given you a bit of an insight on the types of machines available to you, and can act as a great starting point for when you call in to us here at Whole Latte Love. This time around we’ll be discussing the made-for-convenience Super-Automatic espresso machine. The super-auto is ideal for the busy espresso drinker, or someone who doesn’t want to fumble around in the morning for that first infusion of caffeine.

The Machine Does It All

The super-auto literally does everything from the beginning to the end of the coffee brewing process. You put whole beans in the hopper on top, water into a reservoir, and once it’s up to temp, press the brew button. The machine will grind, tamp and brew directly into your cup. It is the ultimate in convenience.

Now to the hard core coffee enthusiast, this will sound sacrilegious and might make a strict enthusiast think: “Don’t be too proud of this technological brewer you’ve purchased. The ability to press a button and brew a shot is insignificant to the power of the barista.” Of course, not all of us are hard core coffee enthusiasts, and you do have a lot of control over the brew process, just in a broad sense. Depending on the machine and features involved, you tell it how much coffee to use, how fine to grind it, and how much water to put through in a shot. Those are basic features actually, and just with those three, the best part of a super-auto shines. Every day, you press the button, and it does the same shot every day every time you press the button. Just set it and forget.

Super-Automatic Features

Obviously since the price range runs from $549 up to $3299, there are a number of other features that get added on as your price increases. They all give you options for greater control over the variables of the espresso brewing process. The common ones are: • Bypass Doser – The ability to take a different preground coffee, like a decaf, and brew that directly, not using the beans in the hopper. • Temperature Control – Some mid-level to high end machines have temperature control over the brew. Most have general levels, a normal and one or two above or below that. • Programmability – The ability to program the volume of water that is sent through a shot. Between one and four buttons on most machines that have that feature. • LCD screen – Instead of little LEDs that light or blink, mid to high level super-autos sport a screen that will tell you in plain English what is going on with it. If needs water it says ‘Fill Water Reservoir’. • Active Cup Warmer – The number one place you lose coffee temperature is in the cup. This handy feature on super-autos has a heating element in the top on a tray that will heat the cups for you, cutting down the degrees lost in the cup.

The above are the most common features looked for and contained in mid to high level machines. Use these as a checklist for what you want the machine to do, or like to do.

Removable vs Sealed Brew Groups

One major dividing line in the super-auto category is the removable versus sealed brew group. Of the major manufacturers, Jura Capresso has a sealed brew group, while Gaggia, Saeco have all opted for the removable brew groups. What does this mean to you?

With removable brew groups, you have the ability to remove the brew group from the machine. You can then clean and lubricate the brew group yourself. However, because of the size of removable brew groups, you are limited to an 8 gram ground coffee capacity in most brands. This means a double shot is really two consecutive single shots.

Since they don’t need to be compact, sealed brew groups, like in the Jura machines, have the ability to hold up to 16 grams of coffee to brew a true double shot. For cleaning and lubrication, you should use the Jura Cleaning Tabs that clean the brew group and also add a lubricant as well.

‘Ultra-Automatics’ – One Touch Machines

Lastly, in the last few years, there has been an emergence of the One Touch super-automatic that will brew, froth your milk and place everything in the cup for you. The One Touch is the natural progression of the ‘machine-does-it-all concept’, these are really well built machines, with varying levels of control over frothing, steaming and volume of milk to each drink, depending on the machine you choose.

These machines are all high end units, ranging between $1499 and $3299. The premier units were the Jura Capresso Z5 and Delonghi Magnifica 3500. The most recent addition to the one touch machines, is the Gaggia Accademia.

What Does It All Add Up To?

What does this mean to your choice of machine? Well, much like semi-autos, it comes down to how much control you want over the shot that comes out. But with the twist that you would set up the variables at the beginning and then they are kept the same every time you brew. No worries about changing variables due to your not being fully awake. Just remember which button to hit, and caffeination is in your cup shortly thereafter.

Mike
Sales Department

High Speed vs Low Speed Grinders

Posted By: Mike R
Posted At: Aug 31, 2010 at 1:55 PM
Related Categories: Grinders

First, RPM, if you didn’t know, stands for Revolutions Per Minute. Basically, it’s how many times in a minute that the burrs rotate. This can be good and bad, as there are pros and cons of each.

The Low Speed Grinder

Low speed or high RPM grinders are usually lower cost grinders in the $200 or less range. They have lower RPMs for a couple of reasons. Usually they have smaller motors, and use gear reduction to step down to the smaller RPM. They also usually have smaller burrs and most are conical shaped. The lower RPM grinders usually have less heat buildup. With the gear reduction system, there is likely more of a chance of static buildup. And with the smaller burr set, consistency is not usually ideal for espresso machines. Examples of these would be the Baratza Maestro, Virtuoso, and Capresso Infinity.

These machines work well with pressurized baskets, or for brew processes that don’t require consistent grinds, like French press, drip, etc.

The High Speed Grinder

Usually high speed grinders are also high end in price and performance. They usually have flat burr sets, and beefier motors. The flat burrs provide a more consistent grind with more surface area to grind with, and the higher RPMs grind the beans faster and give it less time for heat to be transferred: it’s processed through the grinder before it gets affected by any grind friction.

Also, hi-speed grinders are direct drive, and that means less gears to wear or break, and gives a quieter grind. Examples would be the Rancilio Rocky, Mazzer Mini, and Compak grinders.

So Which Grinder Are You Using?

Already have a grinder? What do you have and is it high speed or low speed? Was that a determining factor when you bought your grinder?

Mike
Sales Department

Starting a Small to Medium Sized Cafe Blog 3

Posted By: Randy Orlando
Posted At: Aug 31, 2010 at 12:27 PM
Related Categories: Coffee and Espresso, Coffee Makers

Coffee makers are tricky, in my experience it’s best to purchase a brewing system based on the type of business you’re trying to open.

Be sure to buy for your volume. Automatics are best as they are plumbed to a water line. Pour over units will you need to fill manually! The air pot brewers are the better fits because they brew the coffee directly into the air pots. There are single unit models and double unit models. You will save a lot of time especially in a rush, with a double brew unit.

Over the years of roasting coffee and setting up wholesale accounts I installed a lot of coffee equipment. Here are some of the brewing systems I installed and how I feel they best fit the application being used.

You can either purchase a pour over brewer like the Bunn 12 Cup Coffee Brewer or a Bunn Airpot Brewer. Both of these brewers would be able to keep up in a heavy rush. When things are slow you can scale down the amount of coffee being brewed, so that you’re not throwing any away.

It’s important that you choose a brewer that’s based on the volume. In my experience with owing a small café I’d look at the following brewers. Make sure that you purchase extra airpots. With a small café I had two pots of regular, one for decaf and one for flavored. I always had a back up airpot just in case one started leaking and I needed to repair it. I always choose either Fetco brewers or Bunn brewers for my stores. Here are links to the ones I used.

Large Cafes

When choosing a brewing system for a large café you’ll want to keep in mind the same principles. It will be based on the volume of cups you’re planning on selling. In my experience with owing a large café selling about 300 cups a day I’d say the bigger brewers are what you should be looking at. I’d also look into purchasing some back up airpots. I had three pots for regular coffee, two for decaf and three for flavored. The two large cafes I owned I used the Bunn BrewWISE Dual ThermoFresh Brewer. I purchased extra airpots to support me when I got busy. I’d also keep in mind to have extra pots in case one breaks down.

Let me know if you need any assistance with picking out a brewer. I set up a lot of different coffee brewers over the years and have a lot of knowledge on what type of brewers would best fit different applications.

Randy
Sales Department

Starting a Small to Medium Sized Cafe Blog 2

Posted By: Randy Orlando
Posted At: Aug 30, 2010 at 11:19 AM
Related Categories: Coffee and Espresso, Coffee Talk

In my first blog I talked about purchasing an espresso machine and grinder for a start-up café. I’ll continue on with the topic and elaborate on with the equipment needed to open a café.

•The GR2 is currently available in models with 2 or 3 batch-size buttons per side to let you grind small, medium or large portions.

•A digital timer control makes the GR2 fully automatic, enabling it to grind a full batch from start to finish using a single button.

•Each of the grinder’s clear plastic bean hoppers hold up to 5 lbs of coffee, and can be removed for quick cleaning, refilling or to swap in other bean hoppers.

•A powerful 0.67HP motor ensures the GR2 is ready for continuous use, and a built-in thermal breaker ensures that the motor won’t overheat.

•The GR2's grind settings can be adjusted easily and precisely as needed, so you can grind at almost any level of fineness.

•This Fetco Grinder features an adjustable brew basket that will accommodate 7” to 9” filter baskets.

•NSF and UL approvals ensure compliance with health code regulations.

•The dimensions are: 29"H x 9”W x 16”D

I would also take a look at the Bunn BrewWISE Multi-Hopper Coffee Grinder. Here are some of the features that make this grinder really great for a café.

•The Multi-Hopper Grinder is available in a black or stainless steel finish.

•Each Smart Hopper has a programmable built-in microchip, to remember the type of beans in the container and automatically communicate specific grind settings to the grinder.

•With 6 adjustable batch sizes and programmable coffee recipes, this Bunn grinder can automatically grind any amount of coffee from start to finish at the press of a button.

•Using a microchip in the Smart Funnel coffee filter basket, the Multi-Hopper Grinder can transfer your preferred settings to any BrewWISE component, including the ThermoFresh brewers.

•With a 0.75HP motor and high-grade precision burr, the Multi-Hopper Grinder is one of the most powerful grinders available.

•Bunn’s interchangeable, front-loading Smart Hoppers holds up to 6 lbs of coffee each, and their lock-tight lids makes them ideal for coffee storage when not being used.

•NSF and ETL approved for health department compliance.

•Dimensions of this grinder are: 29.1”H x 9.36”W x 17.5”D

It’s very important that you purchase a grinder so that you can grind and brew for every order. I would never grind out coffee ahead of brewing. Doing so will spoil the coffee, by removing the moisture, and give your beverage a bad taste. So if you go into a coffee shop and you see that they are grinding the coffee ahead of brewing, turn around and walk out and find a place that is brewing to order. By grinding to order you’ll be giving the customer the best tasting coffee.

After running four cafes and setting up multiple wholesale accounts I have found Bunn and Fetco equipment to be very dependable. They are also user friendly to allow you to train, your employees with ease. The grinders were reliable and performed with no issues for many years. You can check out our Website for additional grinder options; we have a nice selection that you can choose from.

Let me know your thoughts on the Fetco or Bunn Grinders.

Randy

Essential Tools To Create Latte Art

Posted By: Tracy Schafer
Posted At: Aug 27, 2010 at 4:58 PM
Related Categories: Coffee and Espresso, Semi Automatic Espresso Machines, Super Automatic Espresso Machines

Do you want to take your espresso experience to another level? Have you ever been served a latte that contained Latte Art? Most people are intrigued by this unique art form and are surprised to learn that this “art” can be performed right at home.

Latte Art refers to the patterns, made in the foam, atop an espresso drink. In order to create these images, a trained barista uses an assortment of tools. These tools are readily available and can be purchased by the average coffee lover for home use. Here is quick list of tools needed:

• Milk
• Frothing Pitcher
• Thermometer
• Latte Art Steam Tip
• Cup

Before you start creating your foamed milk, you need to create a good shot of espresso to pour your froth into. Here is a link to the “Golden Rule" , which will outline how to create a perfect shot of espresso.

What is the best type of milk to create the perfect foam necessary to make Latte Art? This is a question that we get quite often. Milk does play a role in the type of foam that can be created. The first step is to start with very cold milk, which will lengthen the time you have to work with the milk to create foam. Milk with a high fat content will take less time to froth than low-fat or fat-free milk. The low-fat milk lacks butter fat and will create bubbles when you’re trying to achieve the micro foam necessary for latte art.

Frothing your milk in the right pitcher can make a difference. It is best to use a stainless steel frothing pitcher. Depending on the type of machine you are using, steam pressure may play a roll in the pitcher size you choose. You want to make sure that the pitcher you choose has enough room to allow the milk to roll inside the pitcher. Latte Art has become so popular that Rattlewear offers a frothing pitcher specifically for latte art. It comes complete with a tapered spout that helps with the “pour” process of latte art.

Temperature plays a very important role in the process of creating foam. Micro-foam is best created below 100?F, at this temperature; the bubbles are small and easier to break down than at higher temperatures. There are several thermometers available on the market today. The digital frothing thermometer delivers immediate results and works on a battery, or a tradition thermometer may be more your speed. Some thermometers may even come complete with a clip to hang on the side of your frothing pitcher.

The Gaggia espresso machines come with a Pannarello wand. This wand is perfect for achieving foamed milk with ease. Gaggia also offers a Latte art wand that can be placed on Gaggia machines as well as the Saeco Royal Professional and Saeco Coffee bar. The wand’s simple one-hole design, allows the users to create micro foam.

Now that the final product has been achieved, it is time to showcase your art. Cups are available in many shapes and sizes. The cup size can be a factor in the final product and the “pour.” The most popular cups used in the industry are the ones with round bottoms, shallow bowl shapes and capacities between 6 to 12 ounces. We have a large assortment of cups available to allow you to showcase your art in style; here are some of my favorites:

What better way to showcase your latte art than in an art-inspired, limited-edition cups from illy? Each cup is numbered and hand signed. They were created by Academy-Award winning film director Pedro Almodóvar and hold 8.8 ounces. Classic Coffee & Tea Cappuccino cups

These cups look great and come complete in a great hat box. The colors are light and airy and each cup holds 7 ounces.

Let your drink be the showstopper. This double-walled glass will help your beverage retain its temperature, while keeping the outside of the glass cool. Be amazed, as the drink floats inside the double-walled glass. These mugs are available in 3 sizes: 10, 16 or 18 ounces.

Our signature Whole Latte Love cup says it all. These are the perfect 12-ounce cups for latte art.

With these simple tools, you can be creating Latte Art from home in no time at all. We also have an Latte Art instructional video and a complete latte art package available for purchase. If you would like additional assistance, you can read Randy’s blog, titled “Frothing and Steaming Milk.” I hope this quick guide, helps you create great micro foam at home. Happy Frothing!

Espresso Machines Programmability

Posted By: Darren Ruffell
Posted At: Aug 27, 2010 at 1:03 PM
Related Categories: Coffee Talk, Gadgets, Super Automatic Espresso Machines

As you can see by our web site, Whole Latte Love offers a very extensive selection of espresso machines and coffee equipment. Each machine has its own unique characteristics and features. You will often read that machines come with features such as bypass doser, rapid steam, and programmable buttons. In this blog I will focus on the programmability of espresso machines as it pertains to coffee controls, and describe the various level of programmability that are offered.

Semi-Automatics

Some of the home semi-automatic espresso machines that we offer have programmable brew buttons. With the semi-automatic line, programmability generally applies to the amount of coffee that can be set to brew. Some machines, such as the Gaggia Baby Twin also offer the ability to turn features such as pre-infusion on or off. Programming a semi-automatic espresso machine is a relatively easy thing to do. In most machines, the feature is simply activated by pressing and holding the brew button until the set amount of coffee is brewed. The machine will remember this setting and will brew for the same amount of time every time the button is activated. To reset the programming simply press and hold the brew button again. With programmable semi-automatic espresso machines, once you have your grinding and tamping dialed in, brewing becomes easy because you do not have to worry about your brew time being variable. Varying brew times can change your coffee extraction even with the same tamp and grind. In the home line, popular programmable machines are the Gaggia Baby Twin , Gaggia Espresso Dose , Breville 830XL , and Cuisinart EM-200. Popular programmable prosumer machines are the Expobar Office Control , Pasquini Livia 90 Auto , and the La Valentina Auto .

Super-Automatics

Aside from programmable coffee volumes, super-automatic espresso machines offer a whole other level of programmability. With super automatic machines coffee controls such as the amount of coffee that is used, the temperature of the coffee, the coffee brewing flow rate, your grinder settings, and on/off pre-infusion settings are available. Other programming features such as automatic on/off times, cup-warmer settings, sleep modes, rinse cycles, and steamed or frothed milk volumes are available as well.

Most super-automatic espresso machines offer some level of programmability. Some simply use a dial to control programmable features, others have LED displays with push buttons or ring technology similar to those found with an Ipod. There are even high-end machines with touch screen displays. I won’t get in the individual programmability of each machine we offer: but I would like to touch upon some of the machines that feature great programmability options.

Programmable Coffee Flow Rates

Previously, I mentioned that there is a level of programmability for coffee flow rates. In the Gaggia line this is known as the E-Plus system. With a machine that uses the E-Plus system there is a dial located in the front of the machine that can be turned at any time to adjust the water flow rate, or strength of your espresso- even while brewing. Turning the dial counterclockwise will decrease the strength, and turning it clockwise will increase the strength. I find this feature valuable when brewing a large cup of coffee or Café Crema. When attempting to brew a larger cup of coffee with a machine that does not have this feature you run the risk of over-extracting your coffee. Quarter of the way through the brew cycle you will have very weak coffee going in to your cup. This weak coffee can result in a bitter taste. Increasing the flow with the E-Plus system helps eliminate this problem by decreasing the extraction time and filling your cup more quickly. The Gaggia Titanium Plus , Gaggia Platinum Vogue , Gaggia Platinum Swing , Gaggia Platinum Swing Up , and Gaggia Platinum Vision all have the E-Plus system. Saeco offers a similar feature called the SBS.

Milk Systems

Many super-automatic machines now include a “one touch” milk frothing system that will steam or froth the milk for you. The machine will also add the espresso to your milk to complete your latte or cappuccino. The one-touch feature by itself is nice to have, but there are some machines that take it a step further and allow for adjustments to be to the espresso and steamed or frothed milk. For instance, I like my cappuccinos with a long shot of espresso and more steamed milk than frothed milk. Machines like the DeLonghi Gran Dama 6700 or Gaggia Academia allow the user to make micro-adjustments to both the espresso and milk with their one touch system.

There are many programmability options that can be considered when purchasing super-automatic machines. At the very least you will want a machine that has controls for coffee volumes, coffee dosage (the amount of coffee in grams that are ground), and grinder adjustments. Most super-automatic machines offer at least this basic level of programmability: I would stay away from machines that do not. There are many people that are die-hard traditional style espresso machine users: they prefer to only use a manual or semi-automatic machine. They argue that you cannot get the level of adjustability to your coffee controls with a super-automatic machine as you can with a traditional machine. While this may have been the case in the past, super-automatics have really progressed with their level of adjustability in recent years and that argument does not hold as much weight anymore. With features such as temperature adjustments, E-Plus, and pre-infusion the programmability in today’s super-automatic espresso machines really allow the user to dial the machine in to suit their preference.

Darren Ruffell

Sales Manager

Coffee Growing Regions – Africa

Posted By: Darren Ruffell
Posted At: Aug 27, 2010 at 11:40 AM
Related Categories: Coffee and Espresso, Coffee Talk

The earliest credible evidence of coffee drinking originated in Africa in the middle of the fifteenth century. The energizing effect of the coffee bean was first discovered by natives of Ethiopia. Today, there are four major regions in Africa known for growing coffee: Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia and, to a lesser, extent Yemen. Each region has its own altitude, soil type, climate, and method of harvesting which produces coffee that has its own unique flavor. In general, a good coffee growing climate offers moderate sunshine and rain, as well as a steady temperature around 70° F.

Known as the birth place of coffee, Ethiopia is Africa’s leading exporter of Arabica beans. The Harrar bean is the most widely produced bean and comes from small farms in the Eastern part of the country. The first-known wild Arabica coffee tree was discovered in Ethiopia and even today, many coffee drinkers describe Ethiopian coffee as having a wild potency and strong aroma. Ethiopian coffee can have a heavy body, winey or fruit-like acidity, and a wild or earthy taste in the cup. I would recommend anybody that wants to have a natural coffee tasting experience to try Ethiopian coffee. The J Martinez Ethiopian Harrar Horse is a great example of a good coffee produced from this region.

Most coffee drinkers are familiar with Kenyan coffee. The high plateaus throughout Kenya, plus the stable climate and acidic soil, provide excellent coffee growing conditions that produce very intriguing flavor characteristics. Although there are some variance in the flavor characteristics of Kenyan coffee, most will agree that coffee coming from this region has bright acidity with a distinctive dry, winey aftertaste. Some Kenyan coffee also has detectable citrus tones to it. For a good Kenyan coffee, try Kenya AA by J Martinez .

An up-and-coming coffee, Tanzania beans are starting to rival Kenyan coffee in popularity. Tanzania coffee displays many of the same qualities as its Kenyan counterpart. Most of the Tanzanian Arabica coffee, such as the prized Tanzania Peaberry coffee is grown on Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Meru. In general, a good Tanzania coffee will have bright acidity and strong flavors. Most Tanzanian coffee share the characteristically sharp, winey acidity typical of Kenyan coffee. It also tends to be medium to full-bodied and fairly rich in flavor. A great example of a quality Tanzanian coffee is J Martinez Tanzania Kilimanjaro Peaberry . This coffee has a fruity taste and heavy body.

Not to be confused with mocha flavored coffee, the Yemen Mocha coffee is one of the oldest beans in the world. Yemen coffee does indeed have its own natural “mocha” characteristics and the stronger you make the coffee, the more clearly you will taste the "chocolate" flavors. I often use Yemen Mocha Java by Supreme Bean as an espresso base for lattes. Yemen Mattari is another great alternative and along with the chocolate overtones this coffee offers a wine-like brightness.

Since the coffee tree originated in Africa, many people consider coffee from this region to be true coffee tasting experience. Whether it is the wild flavor of a true Ethiopian coffee or the natural chocolate tones of a good Yemen coffee you should try an African coffee in your morning cup of Joe. Please feel free to share your experiences with African coffee by commenting on this blog. Also please feel free to comment on my blog about the South American coffee region .

Darren Ruffell

Sales Manager

Starting a Small to Medium Sized Cafe

Posted By: Randy Orlando
Posted At: Aug 27, 2010 at 10:53 AM
Related Categories: Coffee and Espresso, Coffee Talk, Semi Automatic Espresso Machines, Super Automatic Espresso Machines, The Double Boiler

So, you have decided to start a coffee shop! Congratulations! First of all, do yourself a favor and do not buy any used equipment unless it is from a factory-authorized outlet. I am only referring to anything with a motor or compressor. Used sinks, tables, counters, etc are fine as long as they are in decent shape. All other refurbished equipment, should be purchased through a reputable retailer.

We have a stringent inspection and repair process in place, at Whole Latte Love, to ensure that you won’t be buying someone else’s headache.

You should purchase different types of equipment based on the size of your café. When choosing equipment, you’ll want to base your decision on your drink volume. I owned four cafes for over ten years and would like to offer my candid advice on the equipment selection process.

Equipment Needs

Espresso Machine

This is the core of the whole business; do not skimp on it. However, having said that going overboard isn’t necessary either. Two-group machines are adequate for many moderately sized coffee shops. Three or four group machines are nice to have if you get a big rush or people during peak periods. With a busy coffee shop you’ll want a three-group machine one person to pull shots and another to steam milk. Most often, you do not need more than one person pulling shots and making the espresso drinks anyway. Two of the four stores I owned had two-group machines and they were producing about 25 cups an hour at peak times. You’ll have no problem keeping up with a two-group espresso machine, as long as you’re doing fewer than 50 drinks an hour. In my experience using a four-group machine is only needed if you’re expecting to do a 100 cups or more an hour.

There are two basic types of espresso machines: semi-automatic and super automatic units. Most commercial semi-automatic machines are programed to always dispense the same amount of water when pulling espresso shots. My choice is always the semi-automatic because you can program the shots to shut off at 25 to 28 seconds, or whatever you choose but still be able to do it manually. The semi-automatic, require manual shut off by the operator. A super automatic machine will grind the beans, tamp, pull the shot, shut it off and even discard the used grounds. I would recommend for a small café that’s doing about a 100 drinks or so a day, that you look at a semi automatic two group espresso machine.

The boiler capacity should be large enough for a big rush, 9-14 liters should be sufficient. With a smaller boiler you could run out of steam or hot water in a rush. Trust me, you don’t want that to happen!

Buy a machine based on availability to get parts and service. Do not buy based on price alone. Features will not mean anything if you cannot get quality service on your machine. We offer technical support and service here, at Whole Latte Love. That was one of the hardest things as an owner, to have your equipment go down and have no one there to help you with service.

The coffee your espresso machine produces is only as good as the water that goes into it. Having top quality beverages is critical to any business serving high-end coffee. As far as water softeners, go, the choice to get a water softener system is going to depend on how hard the water is where you are located. You’ll need a filtering system wherever you are. Adding a softener and filtering system will also increase the life of your espresso machine.

Espresso Grinders

You will need one grinder for decaf and another for regular espresso. There are several manufacturers and models out there to choose from. I would choose a grinder based on the ease of training your staff. We have both doser and doserless grinders, available.

The doser grinder will grind espresso into a hoper and dose out of the hopper. This is good when you have a rush of people in line and you need to pull a lot of shots quickly. When it’s slow you should only grind your espresso to order. Most commercial grinders will work for either a small or busy café. Here is a link to a doser grinder I would recommend.

The doserless grinder will dose directly into the portafilter. Although this is, an easier process, in a rush you’ll have a hard time keeping up with the customers needs. These machines are programmable and dose one shot at a time. The doserless grinder is great when training employees on how to pull shots. Here is a link to a doserless grinder I recommend.

In the set of blogs I’ll be talking about other commercial equipment needed to start up a small to mid-size Café.

Let me know if you need help with choosing a commercial espresso machine or grinder.

Coffee-Related Apps for the iPad

Posted By: Eric Black
Posted At: Aug 27, 2010 at 10:14 AM
Related Categories: Coffee Talk, Gadgets, Semi Automatic Espresso Machines

There is one thing other than coffee that my family is passionate about…technology. It is fair to say that we are a family of early adopters. Whether it was the first personal digital calculator or Apple’s first personal computer, we were there, ready to buy. Given this, it will be no surprise that the highlight of the year in the Black family was the ultimate in Mother’s Day gifts to Mom from my brother Tom of a shiny new iPad. Of course this was a shameless, and failed, attempt for my much older sibling to gain ‘favorite’ status with our dear mother. I will have to admit though, the iPad is by far one of the coolest pieces of technology I have ever seen. Of course, one of my first thoughts was, “What can the iPad do for the coffee world?”

Big Corporate Apps
Of course the big corporate giants stepped up to the plate first with their “where to find the nearest” apps because, after all, America is running on them, and how could people possibly get by without “my Starbucks” for a day. These apps have a full menu of the coffee shop’s drinks and allow coffee gophers the ability to create a checklist so that they don’t forget anyone’s order.

Where Is Coffee?
So, if corporate coffee houses are not your thing, then this is the app for you. Where Is Coffee? helps you find all of the unique, privately owned coffee shops in your area. The app even has a brief review of cafés, any special events they have going on, as well as their hours.

Coffee Talk
Ever have anxiety over embarrassing yourself in front of a barista? Worry no more! Coffee Talk is a complete dictionary of coffee house lingo. So the next time you order a grande double-mocha caramel soy latte with extra foam and whip, you can do it with confidence.

Coffee Buzz
The whole aim of Coffee Buzz is to bring the “coffee social” to the iPad and the iPhone. This app uses Google Maps to help you find local cafes and locate other users on the network having coffee nearby.

Barista
If you are trying to fine-tune your espresso and latte making skills at home, you should download Barista. It provides you with tutorials and videos to help teach you espresso-machine basics and also has two latte art demonstrations.

Make Coffee
If you encounter one of those people who happen to see the glass half empty and want to tell you what your iPad can not do, you can open this fun little app and point out to them that your iPad can even make coffee! Make Coffee is a virtual espresso maker that is very easy to use with graphics that are extremely realistic.

Star Trek Tech for the Strada
La Marzocco is known for being at the leading edge for quality and workmanship within the coffee industry. In collaboration with Stanford University and Apple, La Marzocco has developed the ultimate in iPad applications for their forthcoming Strada commercial espresso machine. This app will interface with the Strada and control functions and parameters such as time, temperature, pressure and cup profile. This amazing program even has analytical tools, using sensors in the grouphead, that will measure the body of a shot in viscosity measurements, spot TDS, and determine coffee origin. It even utilizes a pre-configured scoring of 0 to 10, termed the God Shot scale, that grades the quality of the shots produced from the Strada. With new generations of the iPad being released with built in cameras, the app is already configured to adapt facial recognition to recognize a barista and brew his or her favorite shot profile. When it becomes possible to connect an external camera to the iPad that faces out towards the café, it will be possible to do the same for regular patrons.

There is no telling what we can look forward to in the future of technology for the coffee world or for the iPad, but for now, we can enjoy all of the great programs that are out there. Developers are coming out with new apps on a constant basis, so make sure to keep watching for them as they come out.

Are there any other coffee-related apps for the iPad that you would like to share?

What kinds of coffee related apps would you like to see developed for the iPad?

Eric Black
Whole Latte Love Sales Team