Geek corner

All the stats on my coffee gear, for the curious (updated November 2022).

Grinders: Baratza Vario (only for espresso), Baratza Virtuoso (for all other coffee methods)

Espresso Machine: Quick Mill Silvano paired with a Rancilio bottomless portafilter, 58 mm VST precision baskets, ridged (18 g and 20 g sizes).

Tamper: Cafelat VST Tamper

Manual methods: Chemex, Hario V60 (ceramic), Clever Dripper, Bodum Eileen and Chambord french presses. I use bleached filters in the filtered methods.

Automatic drip: None

Kettles: Paris Rhône 1.7 L electric kettle with 6 temperature presets; for jobs requiring a gooseneck, I transfer the water into my Chemex-branded Chettle (now discontinued).

Scale: Smart Weigh Digital Pro Pocket Scale (for weighing espresso), Hario V60 Drip Coffee Scale and Timer (for all other coffee brewing)

Brewing parameters: Generally 1:16 coffee:water ratio, brewed with water at 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

Water: For my espresso machine, I use bottled spring water which tests to 3 grams hardness or less. For my other preparations, I use tap water filtered through my Brita pitcher.

Bean storage: Since I typically have at least a few different varieties of coffee in the house at all times, I generally keep the coffee in its original packaging, but I will store “leftover” coffee in an Airscape container for later cold brew use.

5 Replies to “Geek corner”

  1. Love your setup! Reminds me of mine, but I still don’t have enough room to fit everything on my counter 🙁

  2. Hi, Margaret! I was just in Albuquerque this past December. I wish I had talked to you first about where to buy coffee!
    Quick question: are the expensive pour over coffee tools any better than the old fashioned, old school plastic Melitta funnels? Just curious.
    How are you? Hope you are well and having a great time with coffee, and, of course, music!
    Best,
    Rosalyn

    1. Hi Rosalyn! Since I’ve never tried the plastic Melitta funnels, I can’t really voice an opinion on if they are “better” or “worse” than the pourover tools available now — maybe a topic for a future post? My preference though is to brew in glass or ceramic when possible as I choose not to use plastic if I can avoid it, Hope you’re well too! 🙂

  3. Where’s your Toddy gear?

    1. Not a big fan of cold brew, personally… but when I do make it, I use my French press!

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