Seattle Coffee Gear | The Grind
Seattle Coffee Gear
July 2010
Recipe: Sun Kissed Caramel Latte
Summer drinks abound this time of year: Anything iced, blended or chilled will do, thanks. We converted this drink from a straight up iced affair to a blended beverage with just a hint of sweet orange -- very lovely.

Ingredients
Directions (Watch Gail whip this up)
  1. Put milk and ice in a blender; add sauce and syrups.
  2. Pull 2 shots of espresso and pour over ice, milk, sauce and syrups.
  3. Blend until smooth, serve in a pint glass.


Where Espresso Machines go to Die
Since we launched our trade-in and recycling program last year, it has become one of our most popular services. The primary goal is to keep as many espresso machines in working order as long as possible -- but we aren't miracle workers and sometimes it's time to retire a machine.

That's where the recycling element comes in -- and our partner, Uesugi USA. They specialize in recycling industrial waste, breaking down the components and making sure they get back into the product supply chain as cleanly as possible. They were nice enough to give us a tour of their Seattle facility -- and, of course, we filmed it! Check it out.
Ask the Experts
Q. Which is better: A 2-hole or 4 hole steam wand tip?

A. We tested these two tips on the Rocket Giotto Evoluzione, which comes standard with a 2-hole tip but has a 4-hole tip upgrade option.

We found that the 2-hole tip gives you a little more control, but requires that you work the milk a bit more to produce a nice microfoam. The 4-hole tip required less 'stretching', and heated the milk faster, but it has a lot more power so you need to use at least a 20 oz. pitcher. It definitely rolls the milk smoothly.

But keep in mind that this applies only to machines with larger boilers; if you have a machine with a small single boiler, a 1-hole steam tip is your best bet. If your boiler isn't big enough, you won't have enough steam power to achieve good results. For example, the Rancilio Silvia V3 performs better with a 1-hole tip than the 3-hole tip that was originally included on the first iteration of the machines.
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The Grind Special
We don't care who you are: You're not carrying that Rancilio Silvia with you on your next jaunt to Mexico. But you could easily carry the MyPressi TWIST portable espresso maker -- and you can also (fairly) easily whip up a couple of shots that would rival your Silvia's back home. If you've got some summer vacation plans coming up and you want to be assured of excellent espresso at your destination, now's the time to pick up this sweet little number -- and we'll even take 10% off all TWISTs this month! To redeem, simply enter the code TWISTED during checkout.
Offer applies to purchases made between 07/01/2010 and 07/31/2010. Not valid with any other coupons or discounts.
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