La Marzocco Strada I-PAD Application Wow!

[Warrior372]

I wanted to get everyone's take on the new La Marzocco I-Pad coffee application.

It will work with the new Marzocco Strada espresso machine. The application monitors total shot pull time, temperature at which it was pulled, total bars of pressure, the body thickness of the shot, spot TDS <I have no clue what that stands for>, gives you an origin analysis of the coffee / coffees in the shot and scores your shot on a 'God Shot' scale of 1 to 10. It also give you a cup profile analysis (spider web style) and allows you to adjust or replicate shots based on time, temp and pressure. All I have to say is WoW!

Apparently it uses DNA sequencing system installed in the grouphead of the espresso machine to identify the coffee origin. Sounds expensive, but looks very cool. Here is a shot of it. Apparently it will be at the upcoming SCAA show.

[peter]

TDS = Total Dissolved Solids.

That app is doing some voodoo.  If you can put some stuff in the portafilter and the machine can not only tell you it's Ethiopian, but from the Gedeo region, it's either truly a kickass machine or just voodoo.

[Tex]

Total POS! The dang thing can't tell you if it tastes good.

Curious - does it save the data log so you can download it to a spreadsheet for graphing?

[milowebailey]

You guys are not really buying this are you?  That sort of development would take years and millions of $$ not only that the ipad has been out less than 2 weeks....

Note the post date on the La Marzocco blog..... sheeesh :BangHead:

 1  04  2010  (April 1st)

The La Marzocco app is also built to be on the bleeding edge of Apple technology. When future versions of the iPad comes out with a built-in camera, the app’s AI is already configured to immediately take advantage of that and it will know the barista via facial recognition and automatically brew up the barista’s favorite cup profile. Connect it to an additional external camera facing the cafe, and the AI will do the same with frequent customers.

[Tex]

Bleepin' hell - I fell for it! Damn gullible idiot! :violent5:

[Warrior372]

Correct me if I am wrong, but the I-Pad is essentially a touch-screen Mac computer right?!? If that is the case, and the I-Pad does not have any hidden talent that a standard issue MacBook would not also have, La Marzocco could have been pursuing this technology to simply use in conjunction with a Mac laptop. Upon hearing of the release of the I-Pad couldn't they have simply synced their release date with this new Apple technology? Seems like a great tag along marketing plan to me! In my opinion this would have been a very strategic marketing maneuver on La Marzocco's part. What interest would any well-known of company have in a fake marketing campaign that has to do with the release of a product, the I-Pad, that they have no stake in what-so-ever?

Automated DNA sequencing machine have been around since the mid 80s. It is not a new technology to science. Modern day DNA sequencing machines, that function through standard computers, can be bought for as little as $3,000 dollars. A company called SOLiD 4 System sells a DNA Sequencer that can sequence the entire human genome for $3,000. All you have to do is program a surface standard into these machines. They then can scan the surface of something and match it to DNA Code that is already in it's database, i.e. identify something like a coffee based on country and growing region. If a machine like this can tell me whether I am genetically inclined to a certain disease, it should then certainly be able to identify a coffee. I do not think it is that far fetched for a company that has always tried to push the pace and set trends and standards in their industry to try and integrate something like this into their machines. Especially when that technology is that cheap. There is actually a race between companies to produce the first $1,000 DNA sequencer.

[sontondaman]

What is the advantage of a machine identifying the origin of the coffee anyway? Don't you already know that information if you already is a good barista? Also, the roasting temperature for coffee can be up to 500F, at which combustion of many chemicals in the bean occur, I wonder if any of the original DNA is left intact.

[Warrior372]

Actually both roasted and un-roasted coffee beans contain many of the same proteins and acids. The actual chemical reaction taking place during roasting is called a Maillard reaction. This is a browning reaction that is usually caused by heat. The actual browning is taking place because of reactions between amino acids and reducing sugars, fructose, glucose, lactose, etc., in the coffee bean. As a result is these reactions the bean changes pigment or melanoidins. Something that can also change the color of the bean, but is a totally different chemical reaction is caramelization. That happens when primarily sucrose, which is not a reducing sugar, is heated and as a result oxidizes.

Caramelization has a huge impact on the end flavors of your coffee, and if you want to be have better control over the flavors in your coffee this is an area to dive into head first. Different compounds are released at different stages in the caramelization process, which starts at 320 degrees F for sucrose. Diacetyl is the first, and it has a buttery / butterscotch flavor. Esters and lactones are next, and present with a sweet rummy flavor. Furans follow and show a nutty flavor. Maltol is next with a Toasty flavor. The process goes on and on, but if continue for too long the original food product gradually becomes less and less sweet and more and more bitter.

These two processes are totally different with one being a reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars and the other being a reaction involving just the breakdown of sugar with heat.

Sorry for the rant. I have an Organic Chemistry Final on Monday and need to utilize the information I learned wherever I can ! You really do not get to many opportunities to use it in daily life. Quite frankly, one of the only things that kept me interested / studying in that class was my ability to apply what I learned to roasting itself.

Anyway, structurally a bean should be identifiable with a DNA sequencer until you reduce it to ash / carbon and it is completely burned.

You make a good point though. . . . If I roasted the beans I should probably know what is in the portafilter. Why do I need a machine to tell me . . . . Very good point. . . . That is a very expensive way to convey this information from an uninformed barista to an inquisitive customer. Also what happens if a blend in introduced into the portafilter. . . does it think it is a new DNA strain or can it ID all of them individually?!?

[mp]

Warrior ... great information.

Gladly be the recipient of your chemical knowledge on this.

 

[Tex]

Actually both roasted and un-roasted coffee beans contain many of the same proteins and acids. The actual chemical reaction taking place during roasting is called a Maillard reaction. This is a browning reaction that is usually caused by heat. The actual browning is taking place because of reactions between amino acids and reducing sugars, fructose, glucose, lactose, etc., in the coffee bean. As a result is these reactions the bean changes pigment or melanoidins. Something that can also change the color of the bean, but is a totally different chemical reaction is caramelization. That happens when primarily sucrose, which is not a reducing sugar, is heated and as a result oxidizes.

Caramelization has a huge impact on the end flavors of your coffee, and if you want to be have better control over the flavors in your coffee this is an area to dive into head first. Different compounds are released at different stages in the caramelization process, which starts at 320 degrees F for sucrose. Diacetyl is the first, and it has a buttery / butterscotch flavor. Esters and lactones are next, and present with a sweet rummy flavor. Furans follow and show a nutty flavor. Maltol is next with a Toasty flavor. The process goes on and on, but if continue for too long the original food product gradually becomes less and less sweet and more and more bitter.

These two processes are totally different with one being a reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars and the other being a reaction involving just the breakdown of sugar with heat.

Sorry for the rant. I have an Organic Chemistry Final on Monday and need to utilize the information I learned wherever I can ! You really do not get to many opportunities to use it in daily life. Quite frankly, one of the only things that kept me interested / studying in that class was my ability to apply what I learned to roasting itself.

Anyway, structurally a bean should be identifiable with a DNA sequencer until you reduce it to ash / carbon and it is completely burned.

You make a good point though. . . . If I roasted the beans I should probably know what is in the portafilter. Why do I need a machine to tell me . . . . Very good point. . . . That is a very expensive way to convey this information from an uninformed barista to an inquisitive customer. Also what happens if a blend in introduced into the portafilter. . . does it think it is a new DNA strain or can it ID all of them individually?!?

Dude, prepping for the final has overstressed your brain - you need some down-time! Chill!

[rasqual]

Correct me if I am wrong, but the I-Pad is essentially a touch-screen Mac computer right?!?

No. It's a big Touch.