Presenting the Baratza Virtuoso grinder blog · Friday June 30, 2006 by colin newell
That is right folks – there is nothing else like this on the Planet.
At least – we are pretty sure.
I have asked Ottawa Dave to participate with me on this one.
We will talk about the Virtuoso Grinder.
A lot.
Enjoy!
The Baratza Virtuoso grinder · Wednesday June 28, 2006 by colin newell
I have had one for a couple of monthes now.
I received the latest version about a week ago.
Yesterday I shipped off my original Virtuoso Grinder to Dave Anderson in Ottawa. Dave, as you may know, is our Ottawa bureau-chief for the CoffeeCrew.Com website.
We are going to take a slightly different approach on the Virtuoso review. We are going to mash them up at the same time and come out with a he said – he said double-header review of the grinder.
I do not know if it will be more or less interesting than the typical one head reviews you see out there on the net – but what the heck. We aim to be different.
Stay tuned!
The friday from left field... · Friday February 24, 2006 by colin newell
This has been one of those (beg your pardon) I didn’t see this coming kind of weeks.
One of those weeks when there is more going on (or falling into your lap) than you would normally get in your average month.
My life is normally pretty routine. Like anyone else. Get up, shower, eat, work, come home, cook, read, write, floss, sleep, repeat.
Sound familiar?
Except this week (and parts of week previous) were, somehow, different.
Dharma.
Huh? Yea. Dharma. Explanation later.
Someone wants to put my name on a billboard – visible by 50,000 people a day. Okay. Why?
A high-end prototype coffee grinder arrived on my door-step this week. Fine.
A swiss made coffee maker arrived today (for testing and yes it is going back in 7 days or less). Have to write a review.
I received an Aeropress coffee maker in the mail a couple of weeks ago from one of the rock stars of the coffee-biz: Reg James at EspressoTec.Com
Okay – that is old news.
Today the inventor phoned me… on the telephone. Sort of out of the blue. More on this later…
Dharma – yea, I’m getting to this.
I have had a flurry of e-mail from the lovely and talented baroness of the New York coffee-scene: Fortune Elkins
I sort of saw this one coming – I e-mailed her first. Still, I wasn’t expecting an enthusiastic reply – I mean, this is Fortune after all. Her work on Bread-Coffee-Chocolate-Yoga is legendary. Anyway – more chatter on the merits of the Aeropress coffee maker, coffee, life, universe, etc. I expect to have a continuing dialogue. There is a lot for me to learn here.
Alan Adler of Aerobie.Com called today – the inventor of the Aeropress coffee maker. Right. One of those days. Note to self: Call him back when I have some half intelligent questions for him. Alan is a smart guy. 40 patents under his belt. That is 40 more than me. Visit his website.
Dharma – I do not entirely understand what this means. Spiritually, I am not that deep. What I do get is sometimes clusters of things happen for reasons beyond human comprehension. Sometimes coincidence is just that – a random series of events seemingly unrelated unravelling as they will. At this moment in time, I am not entirely sure.
Buy in haste, repent at leisure... · Friday December 9, 2005 by colin newell
This time of year, people are spending money, lots of money. Some of it goes online. Some of that hard earned dough is going to be spent on an espresso machine, coffee brewer or a pricey accessory like a burr grinder.
In a perfect World, it would be no more difficult that filling in the online order form or making a phone call or two and waiting the 5 days for your order to arrive.
In the World that you and I live in, it is a bit more complex. By and large, every sidewalk bricks and mortar business or online enterprise that sells coffee stuff is pretty much on the level.
Truth be told, the internet (and most physical storefronts) are pretty competitive places and noone would be in business very long if they weren’t straight with their customers.
Still, a few rules for the consumer go a long way. Here are some to keep in mind:
- buying online? Ask about warranty and the type of warranty
- ask about the return policy
- ask about after-sales service – everyone has questions
99 times out of 100 you are going to have a good experience.
For a more detailed look at buying coffee stuff online, read my full article over at coffeecrew.com
