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For such a small and innocuous bean, coffee is one of those things that has the potential to strike a chord with so many varying personality types from all walks of life and cultural backgrounds.

At 2Paths, we have our very own espresso machine which has allowed those of us with a penchant for coffee to engage the barrister within. In learning to master this gleaming, shiny device, I have come to appreciate the intricacies in drawing liquid life from the humble coffee bean, It is no easy task.

The variables are seemingly endless:- bean roast, bean lineage, granularity of the grind, grind time, water pressure, water temperature, tamping factor, timing of shot pull, design of porta-filter; to name but a few! In playing, refining and adapting all these variables, it is easy to get lost in the infinite possibilities abounding.

Ultimately, it comes down to preference and in some ways care factor. As with many crafts, it is easy to get caught up in the never ending quest for perfection and satisfaction. For me, I think it has come down to reaching a steady state balance between mediocrity, consistency and reproducability. The ritual of pulling a shot of espresso plays an integral part in appreciating the outcome.

Tags: coffee, Synesso

This entry was posted on Monday, March 16th, 2009 at 09:56:47 and is filed under Blog, Culture. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.