filthynines

That is a very hefty discount indeed! It's a shame they feel the need to - their coffee is excellent and speaks for itself. Black Friday puts pressure on our businesses for sure. We're resisting any special discounts - but we can hardly blame other companies for doing so, and we definitely can't blame consumers for taking advantage!

They’re not bad, they are huge. They appear to be generally more expensive than CI or Falcon, but can’t compare apples to apples for obvious reasons. Communication has been average - sometimes fully engaged, and sometimes they miss an email so you miss a sack you wanted.

Ok, so 96 degs and the highest temp I've ever brewed espresso. It definite brings something else to the fore. There is an orangey note there, though it is a little muted. I'm still using my low-flow (2.5ml) profile, so I think I'm going to tighten the grind a little more.

Olams is another one. If all stock from CI is being moved back to Antwerp, I'm assuming they ship to Antwerp in the first place and then move from Antwerp to the UK. Alternatively, they always did the other way round, and the potential impact on business is too great to serve the UK best and then mainland Europe as an afterthought. I doubt it's an excuse. They could have justified it on operational grounds anyway and not even mentioned Brexit.

I didn't know I needed a filter holder until I bought one. Much, much nicer than slinging them in a cupboard!

Hi @vaga paul - my question is "where in Peru are these beans from?"

Very interesting, this one. It is a moreish espresso. A lot more body and mouthfeel than a lot of previous LSOLs. I agree with @mcrmfc that it tastes more developed on the palate and less acidic. I've slowed this shot right down. I'm using a 2.5ml per second flow profile, and it just about nudges 4 bar and then declines. I get a roughly 29 sec shot that way. Tasty. I'm going washed Peruvian.

Change Please is a reasonably large undertaking operated by the Big Issue I believe

Hi Alex - thanks for coming to add to the discussion. Without trying to be too blunt: How do you reconcile taking millions of pounds of VC money with status as an independent coffee shop? Where is the line between 200Degs and, for example, Starbucks? You both have external investors; it’s just that one has a share capital more liquid than the other. I’ll give your coffee another go in that basis - but I’m not sure you’ll persuade me you’re still in independent territory.

Hey @JTNC! Was just scrolling through and saw your initials and thought - I know those letters... You will find some excellent second-hand equipment on here as I mentioned. There will be plenty who'll give you the benefit of their advice and experience Welcome to the rabbit hole! Gareth

Thank you all for the generosity of your input. I'm going to start implementing these features from today. Not everything will make it immediately, and some won't make it at all, but there will be improvements. Thanks again! Gareth from @Coffee by the Casuals

I’ve been pulling espresso for years, and I’ve had one of the best machines on the market for the last six months. My brother gave me a two-shot sample of our prototype blend consisting of three of our single origin coffees and I wasn’t happy with either of them. It usually takes me five shots to dial in to a point where I’m happy. If I get there in fewer than five then I’ve had a lucky punt.

Good question. I still love it as filter, and it’s excellent. I also know that a few members really enjoyed it as espresso, including with milk. But I can’t vouch for it as an Americano with milk because I simply haven’t tried it and I’d hate to mislead you! The big downside of having an LSOL sub is I spend so much of my time drinking that 😁

A reminder that we roast in the morning, so get your orders in by midnight tonight. The Kenyan is still an absolute beauty, so get some for those cold, cold mornings!

I'm going with short shots at the moment. 1:1.7 (16g > 27g) and it's making things much tastier for me.