DPABLO19
Baltimore, Maryland
About me:I have spent the last 9 months perfecting the espresso craft. In that time, I have gone from a Delonghi BAR32 to a Francis!Francis! X1 to a Rancilio Silvia to a Nuova Simonelli Oscar to an Iberital L'Anna 1 Group (w/ a Nuova Simonelli MDX). Given the terrible espresso in the area, I'm pretty sure that the brew I make at home trounces any nearby commercial establishment. I pull a daily ristretto using beans roasted locally (usually Caffe Pronto or Counter Culture, even though the latter is in NC).
My Equipment:
Espresso machine & grinder
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RATTLEWARE TAMPER
dpablo19 | Thu, 05/03/2012 - 03:23This was my first tamper ever. It is rock solid and has a pretty decent amount of weight to it. From my experience, I'd say these tampers fit a bit snug, so certain tamping techniques may be out of the question. Anyway, this is a perfectly functional tamper without the aesthetic frills, perfect for a beginner.
CAFIZA
dpablo19 | Thu, 05/03/2012 - 03:19This is probably the best known coffee detergent out there. It is perfect for backflushing your espresso machine. I use it every week and it really clears out the crusted-on coffee oils and solids. You can see in the backflush water.
CARAMEL
dpablo19 | Thu, 05/03/2012 - 03:16The Torani caramel syrup tastes a lot like butterscotch. To me, this is great, but I'm a huge fan of butterscotch. I take a little bit of issue with the sugar burn I get if a bit too much syrup is added to a drink, but it's on me to figure out how much to use. Anyway, this syrup holds up really well in milk and in coffee. I definitely recommend it to butterscotch fans.
REUSABLE K-CUP
dpablo19 | Thu, 05/03/2012 - 03:12I recently started using these at work. They're perfect for the coffee enthusiast amongst coffee agnostics. I grind my own beans and fill up the baskets at home. My only gripe with this process is finding the ideal grind without a K-Cup device at home. It does do a great job, though.
SWEET SUSSEX
dpablo19 | Thu, 05/03/2012 - 02:42I've had this at home a few times. As espresso, it is relatively sweet, although somewhat basic in flavor. I think that it is probably perfect for milk-based drinks where its sweetness and chocolate accents can shine.