@ Marko- the espresso machine in the pic background is a La Marzocco Linea Mini...it's a double boiler with PID. Group boiler is 12 ounce, steam boiler is 2.5 litres. PID is an electro mechanical dial rather than an LED readout. I've had it 3 months maybe...I've lost track of time with it. the espresso machine I used before it, and I still have though it needs the boiler element replaced (OEM element burned out), and I have the new element, is an HX machine which I've had 4 or 5 years and is my 3rd HX machine. My first espresso machine (2008) was a Gaggia Classic bought from a friend who modded it with PID, so this Linea is my 2nd PID machine
this LM Linea pulls a nice shot but if you're on the ball pulling shots with an HX machine, it would be hard to differentiate which shot came from which machine. the one thing that's taken a lot of time for me to get used to on the Linea is the steam wand is on the right instead of the left, and it's been a bit confusing using a different hand to raise and lower the milk pitcher, and I drink mostly cappuccino
you mentioned you've been home roasting for 20 years. I started home roasting in 2008 when I wanted to learn how to make espresso at home, and came to the realization quickly that I could only make good espresso with fresh roasted coffee, and no where to get fresh roast, so I went down that road too. I learned to crave espresso based milk drinks while living and working in the lower Fla. Keys. Lots of Cuban sandwich shops down there selling café con leche and that's where it all started for me yet when we left the Keys in 98', it wasn't until 2008 that I took up making espresso at home. When I first started pulling shots at home I made café con leche, but that quickly morphed into cappuccinos and I've been stuck in a rut drinking caps for the last 7 years. I like to pull a double shot into two cappuccino cups, and I pull ristretto so .75 ounce of espresso in a 5.5 ounce cup with the rest half frothed half steamed milk
@ Freddy- I sometimes long for a shorter hair style, so much easier to maintain. I remember that my hair was long in the late 70's when I met my wife but for one reason or another, I started wearing shorter hair styles and sported a buzz cut when we married in 82'. I wore my hair reasonably short right up through the late 90's
All this talk of barber shops reminds me of the barber shop my father took me to and where I went for hair cuts for a very long time, back in Detroit, my hometown. This shop had two barbers and 3 charis and a ladies salon in the back. No girlie mags in that shop but the scent of Pinaud Clubman filled the air, and the barber (Bill Lahti) always dusted your neck (after trimming it) with Clubman talcum powder. I love that scent and keep a shaker bottle of Clubman talc in the garage, mostly to dust my hands before donning nitrile gloves, for working around solvents in the garage but I'll also admit to using Clubman talc to keep monkey butt at bay=:-)
this LM Linea pulls a nice shot but if you're on the ball pulling shots with an HX machine, it would be hard to differentiate which shot came from which machine. the one thing that's taken a lot of time for me to get used to on the Linea is the steam wand is on the right instead of the left, and it's been a bit confusing using a different hand to raise and lower the milk pitcher, and I drink mostly cappuccino
you mentioned you've been home roasting for 20 years. I started home roasting in 2008 when I wanted to learn how to make espresso at home, and came to the realization quickly that I could only make good espresso with fresh roasted coffee, and no where to get fresh roast, so I went down that road too. I learned to crave espresso based milk drinks while living and working in the lower Fla. Keys. Lots of Cuban sandwich shops down there selling café con leche and that's where it all started for me yet when we left the Keys in 98', it wasn't until 2008 that I took up making espresso at home. When I first started pulling shots at home I made café con leche, but that quickly morphed into cappuccinos and I've been stuck in a rut drinking caps for the last 7 years. I like to pull a double shot into two cappuccino cups, and I pull ristretto so .75 ounce of espresso in a 5.5 ounce cup with the rest half frothed half steamed milk
@ Freddy- I sometimes long for a shorter hair style, so much easier to maintain. I remember that my hair was long in the late 70's when I met my wife but for one reason or another, I started wearing shorter hair styles and sported a buzz cut when we married in 82'. I wore my hair reasonably short right up through the late 90's
All this talk of barber shops reminds me of the barber shop my father took me to and where I went for hair cuts for a very long time, back in Detroit, my hometown. This shop had two barbers and 3 charis and a ladies salon in the back. No girlie mags in that shop but the scent of Pinaud Clubman filled the air, and the barber (Bill Lahti) always dusted your neck (after trimming it) with Clubman talcum powder. I love that scent and keep a shaker bottle of Clubman talc in the garage, mostly to dust my hands before donning nitrile gloves, for working around solvents in the garage but I'll also admit to using Clubman talc to keep monkey butt at bay=:-)