Usually I stick to my plumbed in machine, but every once in a while I find coffees that feel like they’re meant to be pulled as ristrettos. That calls for the 1960 Arrarex Caravel, IMO the greatest ristretto machine ever made. It’s tiny and has an oddball 43mm basket. It’s an open boiler direct lever. The espresso is incredible.
It’s funny to pair this 67 year old machine with my 2018 Kafatek Flat.
direct levers make the best espresso! That thing is awesome
The new FreshRoast 900 is launched (discounted for now). I’ve been stalling on getting a roaster, waiting for this one… ordered today.
Why were you waiting - why did you choose this roaster?
This brand is mid-range price-wise (in the low range anyway). This is their new model. I like that it’s programmable, so have been waiting for it to be released.
Let us know how much smoke it generates.
Okay, will do. It’s supposed to be here at the end of the week. We’ll probably try it the first of September. Planning to use it out on the back deck either way.
Answer = none! We used it outside (box says only to be used indoors, not sure why). We didn’t see any smoke at all, but there was a bit of chaff floating around. Not a big mess, but some.
It’s the smoke that would be a problem in a high rise.
Was this a light or dark roast?
We saw no smoke whatsoever. It was a medium roast.
I’ve learned that roasting outdoors is really the only way. I have done it inside under a vent a hood with a roaster with “smoke suppression” and still was smokey. Not awful, but still a pain. I don’t roast in the winter as a result unfortunately.
Enjoy roasting!
No smoke whatsoever is impressive and I have no clue how they would’ve achieved that. I took the idea of a fresh roast for my very first roaster and used a bread maker and a heat gun. Made some Incredible coffee with that combo. I had a Guatemala Huehuetenango that I roasted just shy of second crack to a medium + roast that tasted like dark chocolate when pulled as an espresso shot. A little whole milk and it tasted like a mocha latte - was absolutely one of the best coffee I had for espresso but once I ran out of those beans I could never replicate that flavor profile. I wish I had bought a whole bag instead of only 3 pounds of those beans.
Went to Colombia a couple of years ago and visited a coffee plantation. They said coffee is similar to wine grapes in that they will pick up characteristics of nearby plants. Their coffee trees were intermixed with cacao trees. Indeed, the coffee had a very chocolate flavor. I should have brought a barrel.
I’ll use it indoors this week and verify, but there’s was no visible smoke. It was a clear day, not even a breeze, so I’m pretty sure there was nothing to report.
Looking forward to trying the coffee on Friday! That will be the fourth day after roasting.
Try Saka Dek (decaf) from CantinaCoffee.com, big-time cocoa bomb.
I assume you do get the lovely aroma of roasting coffee, though?
I have childhood memories of visits to nearby town /Bromley) where there was a coffee importer on the high street and you could smell the roasting coffee all down the night street.
