godshots

If you ever wanted to know the exact constitution of any espresso based drink, here is your one stop diagram!

via twoeyes on flickr.

see also here for source files for printing and whatnot.

Coffee in spain is enjoyed in a couple of different ways. This picture explains the different ways coffee is to be ordered here. Milk is implied in the order, and is served hot on the table similar to the way it is served in Veracruz.

I guess i haven’t posted about my new coffee machine since I got it in september at the coffee expo. I have been using it as my main machine since it was delivered a couple of weeks later.

I’m still struggling with getting great shots on a consistent basis. But I can regularly pull off good tasty shots now and an occassional awesome one.

All in all it’s a good buy, and worlds apart from the europiccola. I had to relearn practically all my technique. And I’m still working out kinks in the system.

What has had the most impact on the saturday reunions is the speed with which I can serve up shots one after the other.

Anyways, loads of fun!

kenya, rwanda, panama and heartbreaker

alas… all gone now

Finally! It was about time too! Here are some pics from Saturday.

Zulu and me.

Sabina.

This week there was no get-together. Yoshi left the city on a mini-break. I just realized that it has been about a year and a half since we started this blog. It has been great. I have learned a lot about coffee, and I have had some very real epiphanies along the way. Not all of them about coffee, either. Anyway, this weekend wasn’t great. Let’s hope that the next one is better. At least we’ll have the weekly coffee-drinking gathering for sure.

And here it is in all its grandeur! It took about a week and a half but Kiyoshi’s BZ02 finally arrived and in time for Godshots.

I have to say that this machine is quite beautiful and even though Kiyoshi has only played with it for like a day, he managed to pull one or two drinkable shots off of it yesterday. It has some nice features that make Silvia seem quite small in comparison. For instance, it has a sturdy steam wand, unlike Silvia’s. It is, in fact, the same wand as on its commercial cousin. I also feel it is stronger just in general. Anyway, I am sure Kiyoshi will post some real observations. I haven’t had my coffee this morning, so I am sure this post is gonna blow.

Congrats Yoshi!

people filing in to register for expo cafe 2008

Lots of people came out for the annual Expo cafe here in Mexico City. I had a blast looking through all the stands and wares. Found lots of interesting tidbits, like the folks at Excel, who are starting to import Quick Mill products (My grinder is a quickmill), and the folks at The Barista Shop, who have a very interesting collection of vintage and used espresso machines!

I also ended up buying a new machine, something about which I’ll be posting soon!

back! after a month and a half hiatus! finally we got together again for a few shots and good ole’ yappin’.

Those of you familiar with Mexican coffee lore will no doubt have heard about the Cafe de la Parroquia in the city of Veracruz. This place has been serving coffee since 1909. Their machines, which are very early examples of italian espresso machines, are supposed to have been in service since at least 1913.

The coffee served here is very far from a traditional italian style espresso, though. A blend of local beans is used, and brewed to produce a syrupy concentrate with none of the crema we are used to seeing today. This concentrate is served in a regular glass and gallantly topped with milk to taste.

A family dispute split the business into two locales, and the original name and machines moved a few blocks away. While the original cafe changed it’s name to Cafe Portales and acquired new Victoria Arduino machines which are sadly now only used for steaming milk.

Regardless of these feuds, both are delightful places to stop for coffee during a visit to Veracruz, and each one has a distinctive characteristic to their coffee preparation. Check out the flickr set of my visit to both places to see the more pics of both places.