Testing, Testing

The continued success and growth of speciality coffee in the U.K. has given rise to a plethora of new kit and equipment. Some of this equipment seems to be a genuine effort to improve a specific aspect related to coffee brewing, some are evidently rip-offs of existing kit and I can’t help feeling that some have no genuine benefit at all, and are more likely an effort to cash in on the industry.

We like getting our hands on new equipment at the Roastery and we’ll often use it ourselves over a number of weeks before deciding whether or not we think it has a genuine benefit to our customers. Often this kit will end up gathering dust at the back of a cupboard having failed the ‘Carvetii test’ but on some occasions we’ll like something enough to recommend it to our customers, or we might even begin selling it on our website.

There are a number of items on test at the moment including the following:

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Mahlkonig Peak Grinder

We picked up this grinder back in October and it took a while before we fully understood its potential. It’s currently on loan with one of our customers, being put through its paces in a busier environment.

Dripster Cold Coffee Brewer

With spring just around the corner, it was a good time to get our hands on this cold coffee brewer. We’ve used it a couple of times at the Roastery with really positive results and will continue to test it out in the coming weeks.

Brewista Scales

I picked up version 1 of these scales very soon after they were released and while my own
set have stood the test of time, we received numerous

complaints about sets we sold. As such we’ll be biding our time before deciding whether to recommend this updated version.

Push Tamper

When Mike our Technical Support, joined us back in August, he brought this Push Tamper with him and he uses it every day when making coffee. I’m a bit old school in this respect and enjoy using my traditional tamper. I’m hoping to test out the benefits of this tamper in the coming weeks.

Puq Press

Another tamper but this time electronic. I was slightly surprised at the cost of this piece of kit and was sceptical when it arrived at the Roastery. However it has grown
on me over the past few weeks and I really want to test it out against the Push and my traditional tamper.

Loveramics Egg Coffee Cups

I’m a bit fussy when it comes to coffee cups and over the years have tried out numerous types. Aside from coming in a range of colours, these cups have a lovely feel about them. A few more morning coffees will help me decide whether to invest in a set for our new training room.

Acaia Luna Scales

Another set of scales, and while not new on the market, I’ve delayed picking up a set due to the price tag. We’ve had these for a few months now and I am really impressed by them. This set belongs to Mike, our Technical Support, but I am tempted to buy a set for myself!

Bunn Grinder

Again nothing new about this grinder but a piece of equipment we haven’t tested out yet. This arrived at the Roastery earlier this week so we’ll be grinding batches through it in the coming months with a view to recommending it to our customers.

Rhino Hand Grinder

As a big Aeropress fan I was really keen to try out this grinder, which fits neatly into the Aeropress. We took it on holiday to Austria earlier in the year and use it most weekends at home. This is one product which has made it onto our website.

Keeping up with all the new developments in coffee requires more time than we have available to us so if you’ve come across a piece of equipment you think we’d enjoy looking at, please feel free to let us know in the comments below, or alternatively drop us an email.