Speedster Porn

[JohnB]

Here's a couple shots of the new Coffee Bar I built to house the Speedster while I rehab the kitchen. Since this is an unfinished area of the house I had to run power(110 & 220v), drains, water lines, clean up some old cupboards, ect. Always fun in a 250 year old house so it took about 10 days longer then I originally planned.

Coffee Bar.jpg (71.62 KiB) Viewed 1786 times

116-1670_IMG.JPG (122.12 KiB) Viewed 1786 times

Still a work in progress as I want to try out a few ideas. Whatever I like will move to the new area in the kitchen which will have another 4'-5' of counter space so that the grinders are in a separate area & the MCaL can sit next to the Speedster. Eventually that green wall is coming out so we can turn the area into a large dining room/cafe which will have a stand behind coffee bar/wet bar with a raised counter section to properly display the Speedster.

[Endo]

Just beautiful ! Thanks for posting John.

Of course now you have a problem. The Mazzer looks like the "ugly sister" next to that gorgeous Speedster.

I'm thinking custom polished finish Compak K30 (with yellow and red speedster trim of course).

Only change I would make to the Speedster is to replace the bakelite handle with something cool and "car like' to match the theme. Knurled handle or maybe leather (like a stick shift)? That would be sweet.

Just stay away from the Cocobolo!!

[JohnB]

I have been thinking about one of the Elektra Ninos but its probably a little too soon after the Speedster purchase to bring up a $2000 grinder to the wife! The Speedster no longer looks like that as I swapped the bodywork to the engine turned panels a few days ago. The mirror polished set was beautiful but a cleaning nightmare. It showed every spec of dust, I didn't dare put my cups on top & every time I wiped it off I had to worry about scratches. The E/T panels are much more user friendly.

Wooden handles are on the list if I can manage to get the stock ones loose. I think Kees put them on with red loctite!

[Richard]

John, reassure me that's a 220v on-off timer on the wall and not a punch clock.

[JohnB]

That's my $3.50 Ebay 110v photo enlargement timer for the Major. Not exactly state of the art but it will do for now.

[JmanEspresso]

DOOOOOOOOOOOOOD....

That is so superawesomecrazycoolstupendoussuperblyterrific! (yes, its a word...)


Congratulations Man, you must be lovin the Espresso Chiffon huh? :)

[Dodger1]

Now that is some very serious espresso porn, that should have any respectable espresso aficionado experiencing a major onset of pure unadulterated lust.

[Weska]

That is nice enough to keep, JohnB. I can only bear to look in short blinks.

[JohnB]

Here's the latest version with the Speedster wearing Engine Turned bodywork & the new K10WBC:

Latest Set Up.jpg (91.97 KiB) Viewed 1550 times

What's that growing out of the new grinder? Could it be Cocobolo??

New Handle.JPG (99.16 KiB) Viewed 1550 times

This handle required a 4" threaded rod & spacer to work but it makes adjustments much easier.

K10 Handle.JPG (59.82 KiB) Viewed 1550 times

[Endo]

Upgrade complete! (green with envy).

So where do you go from here?

I always thought it would be great to have the black plastic knobs on the Speedster custom machined to look like mags.

[JmanEspresso]

Man, that is such a nice match to the Speedster! Congratulations!

If everything happens as it should, I may also get to post a new picture in a week or so.. We'll see!

[Endo]

Love the black version.....it's so S1!

http://www.youtube.com/user/777speedste ... uGUJTBwn-0

[BrewHaHa]

Maybe the black version should be named "Hipster"!

[JohnB]

I don't know, painting over all that nice stainless seems criminal. I would hope it costs less as it has got to be cheaper then mirrored or engine turned panels to produce. Those screwed on strips running down the side are evidently just to brighten it up a bit as they aren't used on the other covers unless of course he uses aluminum instead of stainless for the painted version??. Seems like you would be limited to the small cup rail only unless he offers two versions of the painted cover. Nothing up on his site yet as far as being able to order that option.

I had originally thought about painting the yellow inserts on the side covers black but they have grown on me so I'll leave it as is for now.

[JmanEspresso]

Between the Polished, Engine Turned, and Black panels... The Engine Turned Panels are BY FAR, the best looking. The Polished looks OK.. But doesn't match the "Speedster-esque". And, I dont like the Black very much.

However.. I would like if you could choose a custom color for the side panel indents to be painted. i like the Yellow and Red.. But If I was buying a Speedster, Id like to be able to pick a custom color scheme. Probably Baby Blue, with "Speedster" in Pink or Brown. BUT.. Id have to also have the Yellow and Red.. To switch them back and forth.

[Niko]

Nice machine, John!
Very beautiful.
All you need now is some Illy Cups on it....the really nice ones

[JohnB]

Nice machine, John!
Very beautiful.
All you need now is some Illy Cups on it....the really nice ones

I guess those Illy 52. Esposizione cups don't count? Not nice enough I guess. How about the Crystals up on the shelf? For them to be considered "nice Illys" has the price got to be so obscene that you don't dare tell the wife or your friends what you paid for a Cup??

[Niko]

Sorry John
....missed those crystals up there.

My cup collection is worth over 2 Vivaldis, I should liquidate those and get a GS3 or something
I actually love my cups more than any machine out there and yes, I cannot drink from some of them because they are worth so damn much

[JohnB]

Nice to know the Crystals count as they've been nothing but window dressing so far as I'm afraid to break the damn things. I guess if you are going to have a collection cups are a good way to go from a space & time stand point. I had 19 classic British, Italian & German motorcycles at one time along with half a dozen old BMWs & Alfas. They took up way too much space & basically owned me with all the maintenance. Nowadays if I don't use something regularly it is soon gone or packed away in a box and forgotten. If I hadn't added that shelf to the coffee bar that would have soon been the fate of the Crystals.

[David23]

Just noticed this thread, WOW!!!!!! Congratulations on the Speedster John, that is perhaps the most beautiful machine I have ever seen. I look forward to hearing all about how it works, compares to the Vivaldi, etc. If you have already posted all that info, please send me the link.
Again, wow.

[sakurama]

Wow. Just wow. I've got serious envy.

G

[JmanEspresso]

Is it wrong that I envy the Hario V60Buono Kettle the most?

[JohnB]

Is it wrong that I envy the Hario V60Buono Kettle the most?

I love that little kettle!! I only heated water in it once as I bring the water for my pourover to a boil in our electric kettle & then transfer it to the Buono. It also sees daily duty fetching hot water from the Speedster for our vac pot & allows me to refill the MCaL without a funnel. The 240ml wooden neck dripper w/cloth filter & Buono kettle have earned a regular spot in my coffee prep rotation. Highly recommended.

[Endo]

I love that little kettle!! I only heated water in it once as I bring the water for my pourover to a boil in our electric kettle & then transfer it to the Buono. It also sees daily duty fetching hot water from the Speedster for our vac pot & allows me to refill the MCaL without a funnel. The 240ml wooden neck dripper w/cloth filter & Buono kettle have earned a regular spot in my coffee prep rotation. Highly recommended.

That's funny, I have the same kettle and dripper. I got mine here in Canada from 18th Avenue in BC.

They made some nice videos recently at Seattle Coffee where the Hario guy shows how to use them togther and do a proper pourover.

http://www.youtube.com/user/SeattleCoff ... B5Dpio3mmg

[JohnB]

All my Hario gear came from Raymond at Avenue 18. I could have gotten the kettle & dripper from Edwin @ Hario USA but Raymond has been very good to me on my vac pot/spares purchases so I gave him the order. Hario isn't allowing Edwin to sell the vac pot line so Raymond is the only option if you want more choices then Barrisimo offers. I can understand Hario's liability concerns in the U.S. market as those alcohol lamps are an accident waiting to happen. It's time they started offering the butane burners as part of the kit.

[oton]

What a sweet set up. Do you wear a flame leather jacket with a "Born To Be Wild" inscription when you are going to brew some shots?

Speaking about Hario... What's the difference beetwen a french press and a Hario Syphon? Taste? Texture? Thanks.

[JohnB]

What a sweet set up. Do you wear a flame leather jacket with a "Born To Be Wild" inscription when you are going to brew some shots?

Speaking about Hario... What's the difference beetwen a french press and a Hario Syphon? Taste? Texture? Thanks.

No leather jackets but I suppose I could wear my armoured textile motorcycle suit although it wouldn't have the same effect.

For me there is no comparison between the french press brew & what I get in my Hario V/Ps. All my Chambords(4) are gathering dust since I discovered cloth filtered V/P brewing. No bitterness as is often the case with F/P, much more clarity to the various flavors & it really brings out the sweetness in the coffee. As I've mentioned before if I had to chose only one coffee prep method & give up all others ( ) it would be my tabletop vac pots.

[oton]

Mmm.. I have no idea about this things... What's the difference between Hario NCA-3, Wood Neck Coffee Drip Pot and Hario Ceramic Coffee Dripper?

Isn't a syphon like the classics and cheap coffee drip machines?

[JohnB]

Mmm.. I have no idea about this things... What's the difference between Hario NCA-3, Wood Neck Coffee Drip Pot and Hario Ceramic Coffee Dripper?

Isn't a syphon like the classics and cheap coffee drip machines?

Its a classic brewing method but nothing like a drip machine. Watch a few vac pot brewing videos on UTube & the difference will be very clear.

[Endo]

I have the wood neck drip pot with cloth bag filter. It's a pourover so that's why I use the Buono kettle with the long neck. I like the vacpot more, but with kids around, I think a big glass and alcohol lamp setup is both a "kid magnet" and a disaster waiting to happen.

I've been interested in getting on of those simple Beehive or Hario cone shaped ceramic drippers. I wonder how it compares to my cloth bag drip pot? There are some interesting comments from Edwin on the video about how it seals around the sides, although I can't say I fully understand what exactly he's saying.

[JohnB]

I've been interested in getting on of those simple Beehive or Hario cone shaped ceramic drippers. I wonder how it compares to my cloth bag drip pot? There are some interesting comments from Edwin on the video about how it seals around the sides, although I can't say I fully understand what exactly he's saying.

I believe that what he was talking about was that you don't want the water going up & over the upper edge of the coffee or knocking the upper edge down into the hollow. If you do this your water will just quickly pass through the filter & into the pot bypassing your grounds. He struck me as someone new to pourover who was trying to remember everything that the folks at Barisimo had showed him. Off to a slow start like the Mr. Wizard guy but some good info in the video.

Just checked the Barisimo website & the vac pots are gone. They took on more of the official Hario U.S. profuct line such as pourovers, steep brewers, ect but dropped the v/ps. Looks like Raymond still has the N.A. Hario V/P market cornered.

[oton]

What a sweet set up. Do you wear a flame leather jacket with a "Born To Be Wild" inscription when you are going to brew some shots?

Speaking about Hario... What's the difference beetwen a french press and a Hario Syphon? Taste? Texture? Thanks.

No leather jackets but I suppose I could wear my armoured textile motorcycle suit although it wouldn't have the same effect.

For me there is no comparison between the french press brew & what I get in my Hario V/Ps. All my Chambords(4) are gathering dust since I discovered cloth filtered V/P brewing. No bitterness as is often the case with F/P, much more clarity to the various flavors & it really brings out the sweetness in the coffee. As I've mentioned before if I had to chose only one coffee prep method & give up all others ( ) it would be my tabletop vac pots.

Well, finally I get an Hario TCA 5. And you were completely right: no bitterness, S/O excels in this thing; this evening I drank the best quality cup of long coffee I've ever had. I think the word is: finesse. When you are drinking the coffee you have that feeling of "quality"... I'm not sure how to espress it.

The only thing that pulls me back are my concerns about how safe is this thing? I have the feeling that it could implode in front of my face throwing glasses and hot water everywhere! Not funny!

[JohnB]

I've been using my NCA5 for 15 months now & no shattered glass yet. I use a cold, wet cloth on the lower globe to accellerate the drawdown everyday & I've had no issues. Those globes are tempered glass & each piece has survived a couple drops over the last year+. Are you using a butane burner or the stock alcohol lamp?

[oton]

Butane



Any tips for brewing times, technique... please?

[MichaelN]

Any tips for brewing times, technique... please?

Check out this very well made and informative video from Intelligentsia Coffee:
http://vimeo.com/8977253

Michael

[JohnB]

That video pretty much covers how I make our V/P brew. I grind relatively fine & use 42g of coffee for 20-22 oz of water. He used a 45 second steep time, I use closer to 60 seconds. I stir the grounds in initially & do a quick stir to break the crust after removing the burner. Done right the final stir will leave a nice cone shaped mound of grounds at the bottom. As I mentioned previously I apply a cold wet cloth to the lower globe to speed up the draw down phase. Only use that method if your globes are tempered glass (Hario & a few others), I'm told the Yama pots will shatter as their glass is pretty fragile.

When I used the Major I was grinding 3 full numbers coarser then my espresso setting. With the B.Vario I'm still experimenting but I'm currently at 1 setting higher then Drip on the Macro side & 2 settings higher then the middle on Micro. I much prefer the Mazzers adjustment over the fiddly dual lever set up of the Vario but the Vario does seem to do a better job with a V/P grind then the Major.