bodum cappucino
Originally uploaded by minhi.

sigh, i’ve really been struggling with my cappucino’s lately. the foam is just too hard, right after i foam the milk the foam is pretty good in the pitcher but a few minutes after the pour it definately ‘hardens.’ It does look nice in the bodum pavinas though, and this is a nice depth of view shot. Even though my foam still needs work the drink itself is quite good, this Daterra blend really pops with the chocolate and vanilla when you add milk, a little bit of sugar also brings those flavors forward. I strongly believe that just a little bit of competence pulling the shot and fresh beans are all you need to make a decent espresso drink.

And talking about ‘competence’ in making an espresso drink. This morning I was in baltimore md for a business meeting and bought a latte at a coffe shop (for those wondering it’s near the domino sugar factor in the inner harbor). Things looked great when i walked in, nice shop, looked like a two group Faema based machine.

Drink was 3.25 for a medium which is a little expensive for a single espressor latte–my first mistake. Second i see him dose without grinding–this is note a huge problem to me, I gave them the benefit of the doubt. If a cafe has good turnaround pregrinding is not neccessarily a bad thing. However the worse infraction was yet to come, no tamp (i forgive this after the next one) and finally i start timing the shot. He brewed into a steel pitcher but the volume looked ok for a 20-25 second single. However he kept pulling until the pitcher was full! I think it was a 4-5oz pitcher, the stream was yellow by that point. He poured about 1/3 of the pitcher into my milk which he already poured into the cup.

How’d it taste, very weak and the milk was burned. I discovered this after leaving, but i wouldn’t have said anything. I don’t know what I could’ve said tactfully that would help them improve. I think the biggest single thing is to pull the correct volume per drink. I should’ve asked for that or switched to a regular coffee.

Sigh, i’ve become spoiled now that i understand how to make an espresso drink. It’s curious to me that people will accept ill prepared coffee drinks, but if you were at a bar and asked for a martini and they made it with rum or they add too much vermouth, would we accept it? I guess i’ve had pretty bad mixed drinks so maybe we do…