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September 01, 2023

the coffee pulse newsletter

Issue 010

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Hello Mark, and welcome to the first day of September! I really don't know where August went!

My sincere apologies for the delay in this newsletter issue. It’s been a busy summer in the CoffeeGeek testing lab and the website; that curtailed the mid-month Coffee Pulse. Please read through this issue, as I have some exciting news at the end of today’s topic.

Speaking of our test lab, it’s also been a great summer for gear! So many interesting machines arrived for us to test and review as part of CoffeeGeek’s late summer and fall content. Two machines in particular stand out because of how opposite their approach is to producing the same outcome: a great tasting shot of espresso.

I’m talking about the Superkop Ratchet Lever espresso machine, and Breville’s latest, the Barista Touch Impress. 

Assisted Espresso

Let’s start with the latter. The Breville Barista Touch Impress (the BBTI for short) is truly a marvel of modern espresso engineering. All the benefits of a “bean to cup” machine (what the cool kids call super automatics these days), but built around a traditional espresso machine.

The amount of science and engineering in this machine is staggering. 

In the hands of an espresso neophyte, the BBTI can easily deliver high end cafe calibre lattes and cappuccinos. It has just enough hands-on ability to make you feel like you’re part of the drink build process. The BBTI can steam and froth milk to exacting temperatures with lovely microfoam. The machine also coaches owners on making better espresso, analysing shot pulls and providing recommendations for improvements.

Initially in my testing of the Barista Touch Impress, I was getting annoyed because some of the traditional barista actions I wanted to do weren't possible with this machine. Then I started working the BBTI as one of its intended owners, and I found “letting go” and letting the machine handle the heavy lifting resulted in very pleasing results. It’s hard to admit, but mostly hands off, this machine produces some great coffee, from short espressos all the way up to 12oz lattes.

The BBTI isn’t cheap: $1500 list price, though you can expect sale prices throughout the year. Keep in mind, this is $1,000 cheaper than the only other touch screen, “bean to cup” brewer built around a traditional espresso machine: the $2,500 Breville Oracle Touch. If you think about amortization, the BBTI pays for itself in a year if you are otherwise buying 1 cappuccino a day at a local cafe.

Our proper First Look for Breville Barista Touch Impress is coming in early October. 

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Intimate Espresso

I like the term “intimate” when describing a hands-on culinary activity, where you, the home cook, cocktailian, or barista is fully part of the crafting process. The Superkop, another espresso maker we’re reviewing on CoffeeGeek, is definitely an intimate espresso machine.

The $800 Superkop is a unique beast. 58mm portafilter, lever based, and very much unpowered by anything other than your hands. Capable of 5 star espresso shots with a skilled hand, it is simple enough to use that a child can do it.

The machine is unique in two particular ways. First, it is the only current 58mm portafilter espresso machine that can be wall mounted. Quite literally a highly functional work of art on your wall. Second, it is a direct lever ratchet based system, allowing up to six pulls on the lever for a double shot.

There are several direct-lever unpowered espresso machines on the market: the excellent Flair 58 and Cafelat Robot are just two examples. One full pull on the levers on those machines deliver your shot of espresso. Press faster, more pressure. Slower, lower pressure.

The Superkop’s ratchet lever system works a bit like a car jack, in reverse. This means very little applied pressure by the operator translates into high pressures for the water hitting the bed of ground coffee. You also get six lever pulls to play with for the shot pull. Pull the lever harder, and more pressure is applied more quickly. Pull it slower, and… well, you get the picture. 

The amount of experimentation and fine tuning the Superkop provides the tinkering home barista is a treat and a joy. One of the best benefits is the fully controlled preinfusion at various pressure levels. Another is in the last of six lever pulls, where you can really ramp down the shot pressure.

My experience with this machine has been one of my better times playing and experimenting with espresso in several years. I’m over 200 shot pulls in on the Superkop, and still learning. On top of everything else, this small batch, “cottage industry” machine is exceptionally well built, made from absolutely top shelf materials that should keep the machine usable for decades to come. It definitely feels like $800 well spent on design and materials.

I have put the machine in the hands of a few local professional baristas, and they absolutely love it. With their help, I’m working on our full First Look for the Superkop, coming in September, followed by a Full Review in the fall. 

It always fascinates me the staggering amount of choices we have today for crafting excellent espresso in the home. The above two machines represent the opposite spectrums in approach and hands on ability, and there’s literally hundreds of machines and appliances in between the two, at every possible price point.

It really is an exciting time to be an espresso nerd at home these days. And don’t get me started on grinders! (that’s for the next issue).

Some Newsletter and CoffeeGeek Website News

I have some happy news to share with you: starting this fall, a new sister publication to this newsletter will be launched, called The Espresso Pulse. Its focus will be 100% on espresso only, and I'm pleased to announce that Lelit, the espresso machine manufacturer, is the exclusive sponsor for our launch editions. The initial issues will be a subset of this newsletter, but Espresso Pulse will eventually branch out to its own edition, which can be subscribed to on its own.

This doesn’t mean espresso won’t be an occasional topic in The Coffee Pulse going forward. Think of Espresso Pulse as the new place for more advanced and detailed discussions on espresso, including some controversial and experimental discussions. Look for the first issue in September!

Also, we are completely re-designing the backbone of the CoffeeGeek website. This work has been ongoing since June, and we should be ready to launch it in early fall. Cosmetic updates along with a restructuring of both our Reviews and Guides sections are also coming. The result should be a much faster website with better structure and tools to find the content you want, quickly. I’ll have more on this in a later newsletter issue.

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