Espresso Enthusiasts

[Kurwenal]

I don't think I would know a God Shot if I drank it. I had a couple of super terrific shots with my old machine...perfect timing, wonderful aroma, superb taste and aftertaste. I've had a few of those with all the blends I use.

Aside from the subjective "Ahhh, that is REALLY a good one", are there any other criteria for a God Shot?

Like so many other phrases, it means whatever you want to put into it. The term gets thrown around a lot on blogs and in coffee forums, but to me it is this: a shot that is so perfect that I will never forget it. Years later, I remember everything about the shot. Where I was. Who pulled it. Who I was with. What music was playing. I read this once on a blog somewhere and saved it:

I've had some precious espresso shots in my lifetime that are so memorable, if I close my eyes, I can not only remember the taste, mouthfeel and sensations from the shot, but I can also picture the surroundings, the atmosphere, and, where applicable, the people I was with or the people who made it for me.

I rate every shot I drink, 1 to 10. Eight and above get a picture, with annotations (my folder on this subject includes several hundred shots). Ten is not a God Shot. Ten is awesome, but a God Shot is a God Shot. And, of course, the scale changes over time, going up.

Purists argue the God Shot has to be a Ristretto. For me, I agree, but I disagree with those who argue there cannot be non-Ristretto God Shots for a drinker. If you will remember the coffee forever, with all of the pleasant memories of who you were with, the landscape, how much you loved that taste, that is a God Shot no matter what you are drinking or how it was prepared. In my humble opinion.

It is the search for the God Shot that keeps me trying new things, oddly enough. This is why I reserve a spot in my rotation for beans I did not roast, and it is why I drink with my Chemex, vac brewer, etc. I have never had a "God Shot" from the vac brewer, but I know it is possible and that some day I will.

Sometimes I think, after the first taste, that a batch I roasted turned out good enough to try for a God Shot. The first step, then, is to hand sort the beans and pull out only the most perfectly roasted beans. From a 227g batch, I might end up with enough to try for two God Shots. And it gets even stranger after that......

I think Liquid Amber is more likely to produce a God Shot than Monkey or New Classic.

But, all of this said, I enjoy almost every espresso I drink.

 

[Shrink]

Like so many other phrases, it means whatever you want to put into it. The term gets thrown around a lot on blogs and in coffee forums, but to me it is this: a shot that is so perfect that I will never forget it. Years later, I remember everything about the shot. Where I was. Who pulled it. Who I was with. What music was playing. I read this once on a blog somewhere and saved it:



I rate every shot I drink, 1 to 10. Eight and above get a picture, with annotations (my folder on this subject includes several hundred shots). Ten is not a God Shot. Ten is awesome, but a God Shot is a God Shot. And, of course, the scale changes over time, going up.

Purists argue the God Shot has to be a Ristretto. For me, I agree, but I disagree with those who argue there cannot be non-Ristretto God Shots for a drinker. If you will remember the coffee forever, with all of the pleasant memories of who you were with, the landscape, how much you loved that taste, that is a God Shot no matter what you are drinking or how it was prepared. In my humble opinion.

It is the search for the God Shot that keeps me trying new things, oddly enough. This is why I reserve a spot in my rotation for beans I did not roast, and it is why I drink with my Chemex, vac brewer, etc. I have never had a "God Shot" from the vac brewer, but I know it is possible and that some day I will.

Sometimes I think, after the first taste, that a batch I roasted turned out good enough to try for a God Shot. The first step, then, is to hand sort the beans and pull out only the most perfectly roasted beans. From a 227g batch, I might end up with enough to try for two God Shots. And it gets even stranger after that......

I think Liquid Amber is more likely to produce a God Shot than Monkey or New Classic.

But, all of this said, I enjoy almost every espresso I drink.

I enjoyed reading the post, and learned a bit about what is a God Shot.

But to be honest, it is the last line with which I resonate most!

 

[mobilehaathi]

I just want to point out that we've officially crested the 2k post mark. Bravo coffee nerds!

 

[Shrink]

I just want to point out that we've officially crested the 2k post mark. Bravo coffee nerds!

Hey...that is neat! (When was the last time you heard that word!)

Pretty amazing that the thread is active and remains a place of good fellowship and wonderful conversation.

My personal thanks to all the contributors...you have made it fun, interesting,
informative and a delightful place to visit daily.


BTW: We are two days past the one year anniversary of this thread...1/23/13.

That's one hell of a lot of coffee talk!

 

[Kurwenal]

I just want to point out that we've officially crested the 2k post mark. Bravo coffee nerds!

Mazel tov!

This calls for a celebration (even if it is a repeat).

(Warning: do not click that link unless you want to go drink a shot or twelve.)

+++++++

Back to add a link I found on tonight's run through the coffee blogs: basically, an automated Chemex. Is the price worth not having to use a kettle to heat up your own water? No. But, still, intriguing, especially, I think, to those who appreciate Macs.

 

[mobilehaathi]

Mazel tov!

This calls for a celebration (even if it is a repeat).

(Warning: do not click that link unless you want to go drink a shot or twelve.)

+++++++

Back to add a link I found on tonight's run through the coffee blogs: basically, an automated Chemex. Is the price worth not having to use a kettle to heat up your own water? No. But, still, intriguing, especially, I think, to those who appreciate Macs.

That auto-Chemex is pretty nifty! Although good god $480?

 

[Shrink]

That auto-Chemex is pretty nifty! Although good god $480?

I'll see your auto-Chemex (at $480) and raise you an auto-Aeropress....at $550!

Here's the link.

 

[Kurwenal]

That auto-Chemex is pretty nifty! Although good god $480?

I'll see your auto-Chemex (at $480) and raise you an auto-Aeropress....at $550!

Here's the link.

So you can buy either auto machine for $500-$600.

Or, you can buy this and this for ~$140 and have something better and more flexible than the auto-Chemex.

Or, this and this for ~$130 and have something better and more flexible than the auto-Aeropress (and have plenty left over to put $5 to the upgraded filter).

And, with either option, end up with the kettle that is useful in so many ways (and may be the best non-espresso coffee gadget I have ever purchased). Plus save up some shekels for this.

Shrug.

Gotta say, non-espresso bang-for-the-buck, hard to beat the plain ol Aeropress or just a plain french press.

 

[Shrink]

So you can buy either auto machine for $500-$600.

Or, you can buy this and this for ~$140 and have something better and more flexible than the auto-Chemex.

Or, this and this for ~$130 and have something better and more flexible than the auto-Aeropress (and have plenty left over to put $5 to the upgraded filter).

And, with either option, end up with the kettle that is useful in so many ways (and may be the best non-espresso coffee gadget I have ever purchased). Plus save up some shekels for this.

Shrug.

Gotta say, non-espresso bang-for-the-buck, hard to beat the plain ol Aeropress or just a plain french press.

Agree the the "auto-Aeropress" was a bit over the top...OK, way over the top.

And saving a couple of hundred dollars toward that lever machine is a...well...small step! But, as the Chinese saying has it...A journey of one thousand miles starts with one step.

Boy...my machine was a bargain compared to that one! That's a direct lever machine, if I read the blurb correctly. That requires much more talent than I possess, and an extremely long learning period...really long. But, to me, that is the plus non ultra of refined "barista" skill.

 

[mobilehaathi]

So you can buy either auto machine for $500-$600.

Or, you can buy this and this for ~$140 and have something better and more flexible than the auto-Chemex.

Or, this and this for ~$130 and have something better and more flexible than the auto-Aeropress (and have plenty left over to put $5 to the upgraded filter).

And, with either option, end up with the kettle that is useful in so many ways (and may be the best non-espresso coffee gadget I have ever purchased). Plus save up some shekels for this.

Shrug.

Gotta say, non-espresso bang-for-the-buck, hard to beat the plain ol Aeropress or just a plain french press.

Indeed, if I'm going to spend that kind of money, I'd rather get an espresso machine!

 

[Kurwenal]

Boy...my machine was a bargain compared to that one! That's a direct lever machine, if I read the blurb correctly. That requires much more talent than I possess, and an extremely long learning period...really long. But, to me, that is the plus non ultra of refined "barista" skill.

Yes. If one of us ever buys one of those, the rest will have to stage an intervention. Or a coffee party, if the shots are really good.

I have a friend who sends me that link at least once a month. Not sure why he is still a friend.

 

[Shrink]

Yes. If one of us ever buys one of those, the rest will have to stage an intervention. Or a coffee party, if the shots are really good.

I have a friend who sends me that link at least once a month. Not sure why he is still a friend.

Aside from the red sides (which, for me, is not aesthetically pleasing), it one nice looking machine. The lever group is beautiful! Although, for that kind of money, they could have done better than plastic handles and knobs.

I am now a connoisseur of lever groups...having seen two.

 

[Kurwenal]

I am now a connoisseur of lever groups...having seen two.

Ah, but look at it this way: you actually have pulled one, and that gives you an arm up on 99% of the so-called Baristas in this country......

 

[Shrink]

Ah, but look at it this way: you actually have pulled one, and that gives you an arm up on 99% of the so-called Baristas in this country......

I'm sure everybody is getting (or already is) bored with my talking about the new machine...but I never let that stop me!

I'm juggling so many variable now, and trying to hold as many constant requires a lot of attention. I think I'm just getting the dose right. Since lever machines only give you one shot per pull, the Uaser Manual suggests a 14-16 gram dose. I tried that and the taste was thin. I've come to the conclusion that my usual 17 gram dose (which is what I used in my last pull) works best...the taste was much better.

Even with a spring lever, the speed of the down pull makes a difference. I read a post by Reiss, the machine designer, on the Londinium Forum saying that a more rapid down pull (which fills the brew chamber and cocks the spring) is best because it creates a slight suction and more effectively fills the chamber. I'm sticking with the 6 second pre-infusion, standard tamp, and stable grind in an effort to control at least a few variables.

And to complete the boring narrative...I'm loving every minute of using this baby!

I can't resist another picture...the inside of the machine. Not my shot, but some beautiful internals!

 

[mobilehaathi]

I'm sure everybody is getting (or already is) bored with my talking about the new machine...but I never let that stop me!

I'm juggling so many variable now, and trying to hold as many constant requires a lot of attention. I think I'm just getting the dose right. Since lever machines only give you one shot per pull, the Uaser Manual suggests a 14-16 gram dose. I tried that and the taste was thin. I've come to the conclusion that my usual 17 gram dose (which is what I used in my last pull) works best...the taste was much better.

Even with a spring lever, the speed of the down pull makes a difference. I read a post by Reiss, the machine designer, on the Londinium Forum saying that a more rapid down pull (which fills the brew chamber and cocks the spring) is best because it creates a slight suction and more effectively fills the chamber. I'm sticking with the 6 second pre-infusion, standard tamp, and stable grind in an effort to control at least a few variables.

And to complete the boring narrative...I'm loving every minute of using this baby!

I can't resist another picture...the inside of the machine. Not my shot, but some beautiful internals!

Image

Bored......jealous.....One of those two.

 

[Kurwenal]

I'm sure everybody is getting (or already is) bored with my talking about the new machine...but I never let that stop me!

Hey, it's cheaper than therapy!

 

[mobilehaathi]

Hey, it's cheaper than therapy!

He would know too...

 

[Kurwenal]

He would know too...

He is going to send us all a bill.

 

[S.B.G]

He is going to send us all a bill.

Yeah, he has to pay for the new machine somehow!

 

[Shrink]

He is going to send us all a bill.

Yeah, he has to pay for the new machine somehow!

Certified checks, money orders, or cash gladly accepted.

I don't work cheap, but as you are friends a slight reduction in fee is possible. Not much, mind you.

What your mailbox for further communications...

 

[mobilehaathi]

Certified checks, money orders, or cash gladly accepted.

I don't work cheap, but as you are friends a slight reduction in fee is possible. Not much, mind you.

What your mailbox for further communications...

Perhaps we can work out a payment plan or maybe I can pay in-kind?

I can pay in coffee beans!

 

[Shrink]

Perhaps we can work out a payment plan or maybe I can pay in-kind?

I can pay in coffee beans!

Unusual...I don't usually work on the barter system...but i'm OK with it!

 

[Kurwenal]

/Dr. Shrink's couch

Customer: "Doctor, I really need your help with my husband. He sits there all day staring at those stupid little doll house-size cups of coffee. He talks to them. He has this dumb stopwatch and times them, over and over and over and over. He shouts "27 bingo!" and "oh 35 seconds, come on." He sniffs his coffee, like he's a dog or something sniffing the neighbor dog's butt. And all night he is on the Internet, talking to someone named Sweet Maria. Just last night, he asked this Maria person if she liked his lever. This can't go on. I need your help."

Silence.

More silence.

Dr. Shrink: "He said bingo at 27? Really?"

 

[S.B.G]

/Dr. Shrink's couch

Customer: "Doctor, I really need your help with my husband. He sits there all day staring at those stupid little doll house-size cups of coffee. He talks to them. He has this dumb stopwatch and times them, over and over and over and over. He shouts "27 bingo!" and "oh 35 seconds, come on." He sniffs his coffee, like he's a dog or something sniffing the neighbor dog's butt. And all night he is on the Internet, talking to someone named Sweet Maria. Just last night, he asked this Maria person if she liked his lever. This can't go on. I need your help."

Silence.

More silence.

Dr. Shrink: "He said bingo at 27? Really?"

ROFL!

Oh that was rich! Bravo!

 

[Shrink]

/Dr. Shrink's couch

Customer: "Doctor, I really need your help with my husband. He sits there all day staring at those stupid little doll house-size cups of coffee. He talks to them. He has this dumb stopwatch and times them, over and over and over and over. He shouts "27 bingo!" and "oh 35 seconds, come on." He sniffs his coffee, like he's a dog or something sniffing the neighbor dog's butt. And all night he is on the Internet, talking to someone named Sweet Maria. Just last night, he asked this Maria person if she liked his lever. This can't go on. I need your help."

Silence.

More silence.

Dr. Shrink: "He said bingo at 27? Really?"

ROTFLMAO!

That's hysterical.

OK, now who's been bugging my office!