Green Coffee Buying Club
Vendor Discussion Boards => old Traveling road shows => Topic started by: BoldJava on April 29, 2011, 04:20:43 PM
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Jump in! Lottery Opportunity for a newly designed 58mm basket. VST is introducing a newly designed basket at the SCAA Expo this weekend. Join in and have the basket for a weeK. (Interesting read on the theory of basket redesign). La Marzocco is impressed -- it will be shipping new machines with the baskets.
I have pre-ordered a 58mm - tamper size, double basket, 17/18 grams. $25.00 plus $8.82 shipping plus PayPal fees results in these costs, based on number of players. Merely post your interest below. Once we have 10 folks, I will send out reminders. We will pass it around, each having it for a week. Winner will be selected via and that winner will be repositioned to receive it last and keep it. Ten reviews pending.
4 $9.10
5 $7.35
6 $6.15
7 $5.30
8 $4.70
9 $4.25
10 $3.85
"...And the shots? On the Extract Mojo I started noticing something: I could use the same amount of coffee, same grind, same dose, level and tamp. I'd vary how long I pulled the shots - sometimes pulling 28g brew volume (ristretto); sometimes pulling 35-38g volume (normale as Fedele calls that) and sometimes pulling up to 45g (a luongo). All these shots were still within good extraction ratios Brewing Control Chart! But more importantly, all the shots maintained a decent amount of sweetness in the taste, throughout the size differences. For me, the normales tasted the best, but the luongo was definitely drinkable, and the ristretto even more so....
Then, we pulled shots with the VST 17/18g basket, using the new dosing, leveling and tamping technique. Found that every single shot tasted better, but even more impressive, varying the shot output (going from 30 to 40g brewed) still resulted in shots that tasted better than our "best" Synesso basket shot.
This isn't me claiming these taste results. This is three seasoned local baristas and two consumers over three testing sessions. It was a lock for the VST / La Marzocco baskets and a serious eye-opener on how important the filter basket is to the brewing process."
(Note: The basket itself is a 61-mm and fits Marzocco. I stopped at Alterra's (3-group Zoccos) and asked what tamper size fits their baskets -- all were 58s).
Venturists
2. TheJavaMan
3. CFSheridan, the Commodore
4. JSpain
5. StevieBoy9
6. ReddyK
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7. BoldJava
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8. Dante
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I wonder how much he was paid for that review?
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Count me in if for nothing else than sheer curiosity. If "The Prince" says they're good, they must be really good then, right??? ::) :-X :P
P.S. - B|LovesToTryNewThingsAndPassThemAround, I'm going to be moving over the next week or two, so please shoot me an email or PM when you need my payment and/or to advise me on the process. Thanks.
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Count me in ...
Gotcha. Send me your new address offline. I need to update in USPS.com and FedEx.
B|Java
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Count me in, Pops. <g>
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I wonder how much he was paid for that review?
I don't know.
Good article though ... thanks to B|NewGizmoFinder.
:)
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Dave,
Count me in! Jim
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Dave,
Count me in! Jim
Silly me. Should of had you down Jim.
B|Java
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Pretty sure I'll just be buying some of these since my luck at winning in the traveling lottery never seems to pan out. :D
Wish they were ridgeless though, makes for cleaner puck removal.
-Stubbie
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Pretty sure I'll just be buying some of these since my luck at winning in the traveling lottery never seems to pan out. :D
You don't really think I enter the Jayhawks numbers into http://random.org (http://random.org), do you <grins>?
Pls post your review to this thread, thx.
B|Java
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Bump. Room for 6 more entrants. Take a chance. No ticket, no winner. Step right up. Pick a winner, sonny.
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mpjbXhcFrIA/TE9FaIG3yeI/AAAAAAAAEpg/tx09N3vgLd8/s1600/TwoFlamingYouths-27.jpg)
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I'll give it a try. Count me in, please.
Steve, in Ft. Worth.
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Can you start one of the merry-go-rounds w/ a 53mm, please? ;D
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I'm in!
Thanks,
Steve
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Order
2. TheJavaMan
3. CFSheridan, the Commodore
4. JSpain
5. StevieBoy9
6. ReddyK
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1. BoldJava
I am not up to testing this bad boy right about now. I am going to get this off in the mail to Kevin (TheJavaMan) so that we can keep this evaluation on schedule. With only 5 involved, the price seems high to me. Just test it out and kindly post your evaluation. If someone enjoys it, we can work out a purchase price. If you feel a need to send money, send it to http://groundsforhealth.org (http://groundsforhealth.org). Thanks.
Let the good 'presso roll. On its way, Kevin.
B|Java
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Did you just miss me or was I too late to play?
Thanks,
Steve
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Did you just miss me or was I too late to play?
Thanks,
Steve
A-ooops! I haven't been too shiny lately Steve. You are in.
B|Java
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...Let the good 'presso roll. On its way, Kevin...
I'll keep an eye out for the mailman. Hopefully he can wade through my moving mess. Looking forward to trying this sucker out.
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Well, the VST basket showed up yesterday and I've been pulling several shots with it ever since. It took me a little while to get my grind/tamp dialed in (I had to use a touch coarser grind & a touch harder tamp than I normally do), but about the fourth shot I pulled came out just about perfect. I used ~17.5 grams of El Salvador "Molino de Santa Rita"[/url] roasted to Full City & rested ~5 days, which yielded a 2 oz. double shot in ~28 seconds. Comparing my "regular" Gaggia filter basket to this VST basket, I can definitely tell the VST basket has a few more holes and they are more precisely placed (especially near the edges). How did the shots taste? Very, very good. So far, after about a day and a half of testing, I'll be the first to admit that all things being equal and all other variables being strictly controlled, I'd be hard pressed to identify which shot was made using the VST basket versus a "regular" Gaggia filter basket in a blind taste test. If anything, the shots pulled with the VST basket are a tad more "refined" and a tad "cleaner" due to a slight reduction in sediment (that could also be attributed to the "placebo effect" though too). I'm going to continue using the VST basket through the remainder of the weekend and I'll report back if anything mind blowing happens, then it will be off to Chad early next week....
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Dante has jumped in there and will be last on the last. He bought the portafilter from me and he will be the poster child for the product in the Philippines.
2. TheJavaMan
3. CFSheridan, the Commodore
4. JSpain
5. StevieBoy9
6. ReddyK
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7. BoldJava
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8. Dante
B|Java
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Thanks Dave! This way is certainly cheaper than me flying to Wisconsin to try the basket in your house. And at Peter's! ;D
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Thanks Dave! This way is certainly cheaper than me flying to Wisconsin to try the basket in your house. And at Peter's! ;D
At Peter's you get better coffee but ugly waiter. Toss up.
B|Java
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Thanks Dave! This way is certainly cheaper than me flying to Wisconsin to try the basket in your house. And at Peter's! ;D
At Peter's you get better coffee but ugly waiter. Toss up.
B|Java
(http://www.build-a-beard.com/storage/woman_beard.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1264622935319)
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Thanks Dave! This way is certainly cheaper than me flying to Wisconsin to try the basket in your house. And at Peter's! ;D
At Peter's you get better coffee but ugly waiter. Toss up.
B|Java
([url]http://www.build-a-beard.com/storage/woman_beard.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1264622935319[/url])
:o :o :o
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...and that is Peter on a good day.
B|Java
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It has arrived. I'll start pulling shots in the next few days...may have to grab some CC Apollo Blend to pull through here along with the Ardi and other SOs
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H-B reading - seems by general consensus that a finer grind works better in the VST.
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H-B reading - seems by general consensus that a finer grind works better in the VST.
Maybe I didn't have the time to test it out as thoroughly as I could have, but I found that I had to grind just a touch coarser than I normally do, but I did have to tamp a little harder too. I'm curious to see how Chad makes out with it with his supreme set up.
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I believe I'm next on the list after the commador has completed his test drive. I'll try several grind options with the super jolly with several of my best origins and blends. I'm interested to see if I can tell a difference in the shot quality? Ms. Silvia is not the best machine, but she has done me well over these last couple years.
From rain soaked east central OHIO
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Jim,
Chad indicates that this is headed your way.
B|Java
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Jim,
Chad indicates that this is headed your way.
B|Java
YaHOOOO!
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Jim,
Chad indicates that this is headed your way.
B|Java
YaHOOOO!
It will go in the mail Monday--I got sidetracked this week, and didn't get it packed up.
As for the results--bottom line for me was that I found the VST to improve the consistency and the sweet spot for pulling shots. In other words, I could dial in the dose and grind more quickly, and so more of my shots tasted better. It wasn't clear that the best from the VST was any better than the standard basket on the Vibiemme. I thought there was a bit more clarity with the VST, but it was not a night and day thing.
I'll likely pick one up at some point--the ability to pull a better shot with more forgiveness on the dose and grind is worth the trip, even if the top end shot is not better than the top end with another basket.
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The basket was in the mail yesterday. I really missed the grind on the first trial this morning. Not much creama..... The adjustment to the grind twice and on the third double shot..... I hit the mark. Panama Elida natural with a touch of vanilla creamer and 6oz of steamed milk with the toroid and "life is good!" The stream is faster and denser with this basket, but once zeroed in, nice.
I'm sure I will travel deeper into the "rabbit hole" and grab one of these! I'll keep it through the weekend and send it on next week. Jim
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StevieBoy9 is next on the list! I'll mail as soon as I have a mailing address. I'll PM him today!
Enjoyed the basket. It did take me a bit to dial her in. I don't know if I could find a taste difference? Definetly a flow difference as discribed before.
Jim
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StevieBoy, might we have a report on the VST and when it moves to the next member?
B|Java
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Hi folks. Sorry about the late report. :-[ I tried the VST with my Sirena but it didn't work any better for me than the standard filter. The Sirena doesn't have an adjustable OPV so I may not have enough machine to take full advantage of the VST. I appologize for the delay.
Steve, in Ft. Worth.
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... I appologize for the delay.
Steve, in Ft. Worth.
Not a problem. Reddy, get ready.
B|Java
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The VST is back in Lake Cheddar. Dante wanted a second size. Both will be in the post to him next week.
Thanks for playing "Spin 'n Win," brought to you by Cheddar Lake, the best cheese heaven ever created.