Hi there,

I am total a newbie here and not a occupational barista either.

I'm just really into the coffee and start to make myself close to a real barista.

Now I am trying to hunting down a single group HX machine (2nd), any suggestion for best value?

I keep my eye on eBay for a while, but most of the bargain one locate at big city. >_/p>

Cheers JW. Pretty stoked about the result...even though not my own barista (we never enter these comps as I kind of think as roasters we should leave the jazz to the musicians). Might/Should be heading down to Sydney pretty soon...might try and do a detour to say hi.

Absolutely true. Saw your post about being surprised that not more hoopla around WBC. I'm surprised too!

Thanks for the invite! I love Taupo winter...lucky for me, coz I think it's guna be a freezer this year...I'm looking forward to using BX more & being involved with whats happening around the globe. Take care...Talk soon.

Hey John,
Australia is on my bucket list and coffee is the common denominator. When I get to your grand country as big as a Continent I have some folks I want to see. I meet three of your countrymen at coffee roasting school in Vermont on our east coast. They own Cafe's and Roasting businesses. That was 2007 and I have to look up there names and businesses but now your on the list of must see coffee businesses.
Linda my business partner got to visit the Gold coast and almost did not come home. They told her there was a Nursing shortage and she should stay.
I'm glad she didn't or this business of ours would never have come to pass.
Warm wishes John,
Joseph
--
Ambassador for Specialty Coffee and palate reform.

Hey John,
Very nice looking cafe. Can't wait to visit.
Joe

Yep JW, the teflon has long since peeled off. Slowly recovering, back to about 90% of where I should be at. Nice to be "home"- I am now so accustom to the 32 degree days, the humidity and the 5.45am/pm sunrise and sunsets. Had a trip to Batam last couple of days, somewhere new for me. Good luck with all your projects, sounds like you are pretty busy!

thanks John, wish I had read and taken your comments a bit more seriously than I did! Suffering for it now. Have been laid low with a very bad sinus infection and flu for a couple of weeks...believed picked up sitting on my parenst deck in the wind! Will be OK but suprised at just how sneakily nasty this infection is. Dr reckons could a reaction to pollens that this old nose has not encountered for a decade. Hope all is well for you?

Hi John,

I will be writing a report for Barista Magazine on my trip to Vanuatu for the Jan/Feb issue. The trip was a blast and it will be a fun expose.

Thanks John, appreciate the comments. I really enjoy writing down my experiences and it is even better when I know people take time to read what I have written. Cheers

Ran into a teacher at our cafe who lived next door to Neil Finn in Parnell...so you are right, that Te Awamutu connection is everywhere eh! You get up this way at all?

John,
You must be a scotch drinker with that name, (after a great coffee of course)?
Thanks for the comment, and yeah your about right with the larikin in me.
We too often run Barista comps, it great for lifting standards