Espresso

Hand Pressed Espresso

There is a scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s “To Catch a Thief” where Grace Kelly, and Cary Grant stop for a picnic lunch of fried chicken and beers after eluding the police in the south of France. There is a romantic nostalgia about it that has always drawn me in. Not because of the picnic thing, although if Grace Kelly had asked me to go for a drive in her metallic blue 1953 Sunbeam Alpine Mk I and stop for a picnic, I wouldn’t have said no. I’m not sure where the feeling of nostalgia comes from, maybe it’s the idea of a leisurely way to spend time your best gal, and enjoy the countryside in the South of France. Ok I’m getting lost in my thoughts here. What got me going on this tangent was an email I got this morning for the Handpresso Complete Outdoor Kit. Seeing the machine in it’s carrying case along with cups, and napkins got me to thinking about two things. First the scene in “To Catch a Thief”. Second, wouldn’t it be awesome to have an espresso while

What got me going on this tangent was an email I got this morning for the Handpresso Complete Outdoor Kit. Seeing the machine in it’s carrying case along with cups, and napkins got me to thinking about two things. First the scene in “To Catch a Thief”. Second, wouldn’t it be awesome to have an espresso while hiking in the woods? OK the second thought is a lie. I’m not going to lug this up the mountain so I can have an espresso on the trail. I’m more likely to hike up and down the mountain and stop at the coffee place in town for a cup while I rest my feet and review the photos I took. I do like this thing though, and I kind of want it even though I have no practical reason for it.

From a design perspective, this is a thing of beauty. From the themo-molded EVA case to the cups, what is there not to like about the look of this? Even the Handpresso machine is a stylish little device capable of delivering a creamy espresso with 16 bars of pressure.

Handpresso was established in Fontainebleau, 55 km south of Paris which might be the reason it made me think of “To Catch a Thief”.

Advertisement

Have Your Coffee and Eat It Too.

20130112-101737.jpgFor the last couple of days I’ve been dealing with some sort of sinus/flu thing. The one thing it and my meds have done is take away any form of taste. I’m talking about physical taste, the kind you get from your tongue. This morning I made coffee and thanks to my medicine it has fabulous metallic quality to it. I can’t wait until I can taste a full body espresso, with a fabulous crema.

All this coffee talk leads me to this, the “Cookie Cup” from Venezuelan designer Enrique Luis is an edible Cookie Cup for Italian coffee company Lavazza. The cookie cup is made of pastry that is covered with a special icing sugar that works as an insulator making the cup waterproof and sweetening at the same time. Pretty ingenious design if you ask me.

20130112-101704.jpg

Espresso, Vertigo, Go.

Yesterday morning I suffered a massive vertigo attack. I’ve never had it before, and I hope I never have it again. Here it is 36 hours later, and I’m still dizzy with occasional waves of nausea. One of the side effects of vertigo comes from the meds they give you. That side effect is “drowsiness”, and like the dizziness it sucks.

What better way to overcome drowsiness than a fine cup of espresso, and what a better way to serve it up than with a fine espresso machine like this one designed by Arvid Hauser.

The espresso machine is wall mounted, and manufactured from porcelain and wood. The wall mount helps free up kitchen counter space, and the exposed components “make the coffee preparation process comprehensible for the user”.  I just like the sculptural quality of the espresso machine and the natural materials used to construct it.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Jura Signature Espresso Machines.

When it comes to home espresso machines, Jura is at the top of the list when it comes to quality, and execution, This morning I discovered that Jura has released the Signature line of espresso machines, and now I am lusting for one. (I need to make more money)

The limited edition Jura Signature line is handcrafted with high end materials like Colombian walnut, Northern Birch, Leather, Rhodium/Crystals. The materials match defined lines and are paired with features that Jura machines are known for. And if you are a tennis fan, there is a  Roger Federer Edition as well.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

“The uplands of Colombia are home to a rare variety of walnut which is renowned particularly for its even growth and the structure of its wood, which is very similar to that of the domestic birch. This is the reason why botanists often refer to the Colombian walnut as the night birch.

Only trees that have been felled after suffering unusual damage – through storms, for example – may be sold. Strict regulations make its sale highly complex and expensive.

In order to create and preserve the wood’s familiar black colouration, the Colombian walnut veneer is specially prepared. To achieve the desired effect, our specialists use natural sunlight and expose the wood to controlled doses of UV radiation. Only then can the wood be used to beautify the front panel of the coffee machine.

The last stage in the process is the hand polishing of the 15 coats of high-gloss lacquer“

From the Jura Site.