I went out of state and hit this coffee shop on the way back...

 

Does anyone else use a espresso machine that does everything automatically? He didn't use a grinder, no tamping, no portafilter...nothing. He just hit a button. Then to top it off, the steaming wand had a kind of automatic shut off thing.

 

He just set his pitcher on the tray, stuck the wand in....pressed a button....and walked away. The wand shut off on it's own.

 

There was no foam on top...I don't see how he could have gotten any stretch without actually holding the pitcher.

 

I could tell the espresso wasn't fresh, it kind of had this bitter metallic taste to it.

 

I don't know what bothered me more... that he didn't touch anything but the cup and a button, or that the technique is wayyy not what I'm used to.

 

We do everything manually. Pulling the shot, the tamp, steaming the milk just so.... I don't get it.

 

Made me wonder how they would make a capp if there is no rotation (of the milk in the pitcher and stretching.

 

Anyone use a machine like this???

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Yeah, I was shocked. I've only ever gone to two other coffee shops other than where I work. One of them did everything manually (at a mall suprisingly), and the other was the one that I mentioned in the post.

I'm going to have to search beforehand for a coffee shop that does it manually before I leave town, lol.

I just don't understand why people would even bother getting espresso drinks that are basically machine made. Things are naturally better if man-made. Of course no one really cares if the supers is all they experience, but I dare anyone who has lived off of espresso like that to try it manually made and say they don't like it. Lol.

Oscar Nyman said:
Thanks Joe, I am fully aware of and appreciate the great specialty/quality/artisan/craft/3rd wave/4th wave coffee scene in US, many of my best coffee experiences have been in the US, and you guys took the WBC trophy in London so no one can question the quality of the American baristas. :-) I was just surprised that Nicole could have missed how the reality looks like in what you call the corporate world, where most of your coffee is consumed.
Nicole said:
...I just don't understand why people would even bother getting espresso drinks that are basically machine made. Things are naturally better if man-made. Of course no one really cares if the supers is all they experience, but I dare anyone who has lived off of espresso like that to try it manually made and say they don't like it. Lol.

I have to disagree with that. Many of the worst shots I've had were pulled by the hand of a poorly trained barista on a semi-auto machine. I'd almost rather see places that weren't going to bother hiring or training baristas to put in superautos.

An untrained "barista" (or bartender or waiter) just doesn't get the job done.
Brady,
I'm on board with this. I would take a super auto drink any day to one pulled by a barista with little or no training. No brainer.
Joe

Brady said:
Nicole said:
...I just don't understand why people would even bother getting espresso drinks that are basically machine made. Things are naturally better if man-made. Of course no one really cares if the supers is all they experience, but I dare anyone who has lived off of espresso like that to try it manually made and say they don't like it. Lol.

I have to disagree with that. Many of the worst shots I've had were pulled by the hand of a poorly trained barista on a semi-auto machine. I'd almost rather see places that weren't going to bother hiring or training baristas to put in superautos.

An untrained "barista" (or bartender or waiter) just doesn't get the job done.
Yeah, untrained baristas can pull some pretty rancid shots... I just can't get over drinking something that is practically manufactured.... if I wanted something like that I would buy a "Starbucks Frappe'" out of the soda fridge at the grocery store. *shudder*

I'm so glad that I was trained the way I was.
yeah unfortunately I have worked on one of these machines a long time ago and do some contracting with a few shops that use them. The biggest manufacturer is called Franke. Starbucks uses superautomatics like this. They are also pretty common in drive thrus under the guise that "they are more consistent when you consider the air pressure constantly changing with the window opening and closing." I think its total BS.

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