I happened to be walking along 8th Avenue when I realised that Turks from the drive had opened a Turks on the West Side. The Co-Hosts decided to try it on for size and I have to say it was a nice fit. The cafe could easily be missed from the street as it is tucked in from the sidewalk and on a second floor. However, when you walk in you realise that you have stumbled upon a great little cafe that has floor to ceiling windows that look on to a nice little deck over looking the park, mountian views and a nice little section of the city. The place is quite cozy with its wall sofa style seating and its little tables. Strangely the majority of the people we saw in there were men who either work in the area or are just passing through to get their caffeine fix. You can get your little baked goods from the cafe but nothing more. They sell their classy coffee travel mugs and bags of Milano beans but for the most part the cafe is just that. A cafe. The purpose is clear. They are there to serve coffee and you are there to drink and enjoy it.
Out of 5 Travel Mugs
Scene 4 - The place actually doesn't feel like there is any kind of "scene" per se, but rather a great unobstructed view of scenery that highlights some of Vancouver's best features. Aside from that the staff seem very friendly and the place is comfrtable enough to talk in and hang out.
Grub 3 - It has your standard baked goods that go well with coffee. You pretty much couldn't go wrong with your choices. They even have yogurt and granola if you really wanted it.
Coffee 4 - It was actually quite yummy and it looked good. I thought the espresso was pulled a bit too long evident by the white crema on top, but for the most part, the barista wanted to make sure that the coffee was made to your liking. They use Milano beans which you can purchase straight from them.
Showing posts with label Barrista. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Barrista. Show all posts
Friday, October 10, 2008
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Coffee@home with the Saeco Barrista from Starbucks
Over the Christmas I was given two huge bags of coffee from an Ultimate Frisbee team that I mentor appropriately named the Icecaps. I have been using these beans for the past two months making my own espresso on a Saeco Barrista or Rio Profi - yes, the espresso machine found on the shelves of every local Starschmucks. I have been experimenting with the long and short espresso, the milk steamer, the facility of machine use and, naturally, the beans.
Overall the machine has been consistent in pressure and ease operation. The downsides to the machine are the cheap accessories: the wimpy little coffee scoop, the absence of a tamper, the wimpy drip tray and this faux drawer that they think you will store stuff in. If you can accept the cheap periferrals because you will are planning to buy more quality accessories from Starschmucks, then you'll be fine. I actually take the whole tray set out to make room for a proper cup when pressing the espresso to minimize the loss of any crema. It means that my coffee won't necessarily look pretty, but the taste is preserved.
The mlk frother is adequate but the steam pressure doesn't always keep its strength for very long. If you don't clear the steamer well in the beginning, you may fill your milk with an extra shot of water that will dilute the flavour in your drink. I actually picked up the 'cheating' trick from my wife who throws the milk in the microwave to help warm up the milk (she likes her coffee hot) to alow the frother to froth and not just to warm the milk up. The draw back is the little milk skin that forms with higher fat content milk and that ever precarious point of scalding the milk. When frothing, choose a container that allows for the milk to swirl around to avoid splashing, and start the frother deep for even heating. If you are trying to froth the milk slowly pull the conatiner lower until you hear that sound created when you are hocking a loogey while clenching your teeth - an unappetising description but an accurate one.
When dealing with the pressure when pressing the espresso, the machine is able to draw out decent flavour. You just can't over pack the grounds in the filter holder, nor can the grounds be ultra fine. Either one can throw off the water pressure leaving you with lifeless watery espresso with no crema and a mediochre taste, not to mention 10 minutes of your life you will not get back. When the pressure is turned on and the water is making its way through the grounds, a smooth darth caramel coloured stream should flow steadily in two thin lines. The trick is to pay attention to when the colour starts to fade which indicates when to shut off the water pressure. You can try to milk the crema but the flavour starts to deteriorate when the crema turns from caramel to a vanilla white. The white just means that you are pulling water through dead grounds. Unlike higher end models of Saeco Machines, this one leaves it up to the "barrista" to measure the length and the quality of the pull.
I guess my overall impression of this machine is a good one. People love to come over and have a coffee and talk about the minutia of the espresso machine.
Out of 5 Starschmuck accessories
Quality of Machine: 4 People I have spoken to who have this machine swear by it. It's a good one. You pay a bit more but if you make coffee from it consistently it wil pay itself back quickly. I've had mine for over a couple of years and it remains as good as when I got it. Watch the handle on the filter. If you try to tap out the grounds after pressing your espresso, the handle may come loose. You can't really do that big banging thing they do it cafe's. This is afterall the "home model".
User Friendliness: 3 It is easy to use but you have to do some experimentation to get good quality coffee out of it. Once you know how you like the espresso, the more likely you will be able to make better customed coffees for you and your loved ones. If people don't really pay attention, but they think they know what they are doing, you just get watered down espresso that doesn't really qualify as an espresso drink.
Overall design and look: 3 Like I said, the little drawer is cheesy, the accessories are lame, and the water resevoir is a little bit awkward to fill. The look is nice because you can get it in different colours, mine is black which is neutral enough to go with most decors.
Overall satisfaction: 4 Despite the quirks in the design the machine is decent. Good quality pressure is what you should care about, and getting to know the machine is half the battle. Although the machine is not prefect I love that little kitchen appliance just the same.
Overall the machine has been consistent in pressure and ease operation. The downsides to the machine are the cheap accessories: the wimpy little coffee scoop, the absence of a tamper, the wimpy drip tray and this faux drawer that they think you will store stuff in. If you can accept the cheap periferrals because you will are planning to buy more quality accessories from Starschmucks, then you'll be fine. I actually take the whole tray set out to make room for a proper cup when pressing the espresso to minimize the loss of any crema. It means that my coffee won't necessarily look pretty, but the taste is preserved.
The mlk frother is adequate but the steam pressure doesn't always keep its strength for very long. If you don't clear the steamer well in the beginning, you may fill your milk with an extra shot of water that will dilute the flavour in your drink. I actually picked up the 'cheating' trick from my wife who throws the milk in the microwave to help warm up the milk (she likes her coffee hot) to alow the frother to froth and not just to warm the milk up. The draw back is the little milk skin that forms with higher fat content milk and that ever precarious point of scalding the milk. When frothing, choose a container that allows for the milk to swirl around to avoid splashing, and start the frother deep for even heating. If you are trying to froth the milk slowly pull the conatiner lower until you hear that sound created when you are hocking a loogey while clenching your teeth - an unappetising description but an accurate one.
When dealing with the pressure when pressing the espresso, the machine is able to draw out decent flavour. You just can't over pack the grounds in the filter holder, nor can the grounds be ultra fine. Either one can throw off the water pressure leaving you with lifeless watery espresso with no crema and a mediochre taste, not to mention 10 minutes of your life you will not get back. When the pressure is turned on and the water is making its way through the grounds, a smooth darth caramel coloured stream should flow steadily in two thin lines. The trick is to pay attention to when the colour starts to fade which indicates when to shut off the water pressure. You can try to milk the crema but the flavour starts to deteriorate when the crema turns from caramel to a vanilla white. The white just means that you are pulling water through dead grounds. Unlike higher end models of Saeco Machines, this one leaves it up to the "barrista" to measure the length and the quality of the pull.
I guess my overall impression of this machine is a good one. People love to come over and have a coffee and talk about the minutia of the espresso machine.
Out of 5 Starschmuck accessories
Quality of Machine: 4 People I have spoken to who have this machine swear by it. It's a good one. You pay a bit more but if you make coffee from it consistently it wil pay itself back quickly. I've had mine for over a couple of years and it remains as good as when I got it. Watch the handle on the filter. If you try to tap out the grounds after pressing your espresso, the handle may come loose. You can't really do that big banging thing they do it cafe's. This is afterall the "home model".
User Friendliness: 3 It is easy to use but you have to do some experimentation to get good quality coffee out of it. Once you know how you like the espresso, the more likely you will be able to make better customed coffees for you and your loved ones. If people don't really pay attention, but they think they know what they are doing, you just get watered down espresso that doesn't really qualify as an espresso drink.
Overall design and look: 3 Like I said, the little drawer is cheesy, the accessories are lame, and the water resevoir is a little bit awkward to fill. The look is nice because you can get it in different colours, mine is black which is neutral enough to go with most decors.
Overall satisfaction: 4 Despite the quirks in the design the machine is decent. Good quality pressure is what you should care about, and getting to know the machine is half the battle. Although the machine is not prefect I love that little kitchen appliance just the same.
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