it does the job very well...but.. it needs to be a little more rigid to keep from having to use two hands
Click Here to see more reviews about: Half Moon Espresso Group Head Cleaning Brush
Product Description:
These specially designed brushes are just the item for removing coffee grinds from the groups of your espresso machine. This Half Moon brush fits right into the group head of any 58mm espresso machine. Stiff plastic bristles provide just the right amount of pressure for cleaning without scratching the surface or your group gaskets or screens. Long handle keeps hands away from scalding hot water. A must for any cleaning and maintenance kit.
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Baratza PortaHolder for Portafilters Review
I felt this was a little expensive and isn't a perfect design, but it does allow you to fill the portafilter without having to hold it in place and it does solve some of those cleanup issues that occur if you don't have it. I'm glad I bought it.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Baratza PortaHolder for Portafilters
Product Description:
When using a Baratza Maestro, Maestro Plus or Virtuoso to grind for espresso, our innovative, new PortaHolder saves time and makes the job a little easier. Simply insert the PortaHolder in the grounds bin slot, insert a portafilter, set the grind time, and you're free to walk away.
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Click Here to see more reviews about: Baratza PortaHolder for Portafilters
Product Description:
When using a Baratza Maestro, Maestro Plus or Virtuoso to grind for espresso, our innovative, new PortaHolder saves time and makes the job a little easier. Simply insert the PortaHolder in the grounds bin slot, insert a portafilter, set the grind time, and you're free to walk away.
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Vaneli's Aluminum Tamper 57.5mm - 2.25 inches (2 1/4") Review
I purchased this tamper for my Francis!Francis! X5 which has a 57mm portafilter, and it fits it perfectly. It's also a joy to use, fitting the hand comfortably and allowing you to tamp to the appropriate 35 lbs or so with a low level of applied force. If you need a 57mm tamper look no further!
Click Here to see more reviews about: Vaneli's Aluminum Tamper 57.5mm - 2.25 inches (2 1/4")
Product Description:
This high quality aluminum tamper will greatly improve the quality of your espresso compared to the plastic units that are shipped with most machines. Upgrade today and start enjoying better tasting espresso. PLEASE MEASURE INSIDE DIAMETER OF PORTAFILTER BASKET TO ENSURE A PROPER FIT!
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Click Here to see more reviews about: Vaneli's Aluminum Tamper 57.5mm - 2.25 inches (2 1/4")
Product Description:
This high quality aluminum tamper will greatly improve the quality of your espresso compared to the plastic units that are shipped with most machines. Upgrade today and start enjoying better tasting espresso. PLEASE MEASURE INSIDE DIAMETER OF PORTAFILTER BASKET TO ENSURE A PROPER FIT!
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Miracle Electric Grain and Flour Mill - ME300 Review
I was searching for a flour mill that could grind all types of grain, not just dry wheat and other easy to grind grains. I wanted a mill that could deal with the toughest of the tough. This was very hard to find. Most affordable electric flour mills can only mill dry hard grain and are damaged by other types of grain. My search ended with this mill. I was a little nervous to buy it because of the lack of customer reviews for it. After using it everyday for quite a while now, I have to say that I'm very satisfied so far. This mill has been able to handle everything I've tried with it. It will even handle moist and oily grain which would damage most other flour mills in this price range.
Moist or oily grain takes a little longer to grind than dry grain, and you can't fill the hopper up like you can with dry grain, because it will clog if filled too high. If it ever clogs, it won't damage the mill. You just disassemble the flour mill attachment and clean it, so it's no big deal. To grind highly moist or highly oily grain, you slowly add the grain to the hopper one tablespoon at a time while it's running, keeping the hopper and feed tube mostly empty. This way it can grind continuously without clogging. The wetter or oilier the grain is, the slower you should feed the hopper. Normally, if I have wet grain, I dry it prior to grinding it. This way it grinds faster, and I can fill the hopper completely and let it run unattended until done.
This mill can grind continuously, hours on end. If it ever overheats it automatically shuts off, preventing damage to the mill's internal parts. If this ever happens, you simply wait a few minutes for it to cool down, and then press the reset button on the bottom of the mill and you're good to go.
This grain mill uses a heavy duty conical burr to grind the grain. It has 16 grind settings from super fine to super coarse. Setting 16 is so course that most grain just falls right through unground, while setting 1 produces dust. It's a fantastic range, far better than most of the other mills available.
The motor base is completely separate from the flour mill parts. The motor base is never exposed to any flour. The flour mill is actually just an attachment to the motor base. This makes cleaning really easy. You can completely remove the flour mill parts, easily disassemble them, and clean every part exposed to the flour in just a few minutes.
The noise level is very minimal. You can easily talk over the noise without raising your voice. It's much quieter than my coffee mill, my blender, and my vacuum cleaner. My blender is easily about 4 times as loud. Most other mills in this price range are about as loud as a small vacuum cleaner or blender.
The speed of this mill is the only downside that I could see. It's a little slower than some of the other mills in its price range. However, nearly all the other mills are designed only for wheat flour and similar grain and cannot grind many herbs, spices, moist grains or oily grains without being damaged, so this slightly slower performance is offset by the fact that it can grind a wide variety of items and the fact that it's not nearly as loud as the other mills. Pretty much anything that can fit into this mill can be ground, even things like coffee beans, herbs and spices, you name it, it can do it. Pretty much none of the other mills are that versatile.
This is an open system mill. Some of the other mills are closed systems, and need to be for a good reason. They operate at extremely high speed and would send flour dust all over the place if they were not closed systems. This mill is different. It operates at a low 100 RPM using a geared down motor, meaning it grinds with power rather than speed. This has two benefits. One is that flour is not blown all over the place. It falls directly into the bowl below. The other benefit is that the conical burr used to grind the grain doesn't get nearly as hot, and this better preserves the nutritional content of the grain.
The motor base can be used for other optional attachments. There's a wheatgrass juicer attachment, a salad maker attachment, and a meat grinder/mincer attachment available. I don't own any of these yet, but it's nice knowing they are available if I want to expand the use of the motor base. The motor base is also available from some retailers as a separate product without the attachments, so if it ever fails and its beyond warrantee, it's nice to know you can purchase just the motor base.
I highly recommend this flour mill to anyone wanting an all purpose mill. If you just want to make wheat flour, there are other flour mills with a little faster performance, but if you're like me and you need an all purpose mill that can grind pretty much anything, this is clearly the best buy for the money. It's not too noisy, the price is good, it's very easy to clean, plus with the other attachments available for the base, it can be used for other purposes as well.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Miracle Electric Grain and Flour Mill - ME300
Product Description:
Miracle Electric Grain and Flour Mill ME300 is ideal for making your own fresh flour. Just fill the hopper, select the desired texture and push the button. What could be easier? The Miracle Grain Mill makes about 1 cup of fine flour per minute and about 2 cups on the course setting per minute. The Miracle Grain Mill grinds Wheat, Corn, Rice, Oats, Barley, Soybeans, Seeds, Nuts, Shells, Peppercorns ,Peanuts, Herbs, Spices and more. It is easy to use and cleaning, has an all nylon housing, stainless steel burrs, 100 RPM / 175 Watts motor and a 3 Year warranty.
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Moist or oily grain takes a little longer to grind than dry grain, and you can't fill the hopper up like you can with dry grain, because it will clog if filled too high. If it ever clogs, it won't damage the mill. You just disassemble the flour mill attachment and clean it, so it's no big deal. To grind highly moist or highly oily grain, you slowly add the grain to the hopper one tablespoon at a time while it's running, keeping the hopper and feed tube mostly empty. This way it can grind continuously without clogging. The wetter or oilier the grain is, the slower you should feed the hopper. Normally, if I have wet grain, I dry it prior to grinding it. This way it grinds faster, and I can fill the hopper completely and let it run unattended until done.
This mill can grind continuously, hours on end. If it ever overheats it automatically shuts off, preventing damage to the mill's internal parts. If this ever happens, you simply wait a few minutes for it to cool down, and then press the reset button on the bottom of the mill and you're good to go.
This grain mill uses a heavy duty conical burr to grind the grain. It has 16 grind settings from super fine to super coarse. Setting 16 is so course that most grain just falls right through unground, while setting 1 produces dust. It's a fantastic range, far better than most of the other mills available.
The motor base is completely separate from the flour mill parts. The motor base is never exposed to any flour. The flour mill is actually just an attachment to the motor base. This makes cleaning really easy. You can completely remove the flour mill parts, easily disassemble them, and clean every part exposed to the flour in just a few minutes.
The noise level is very minimal. You can easily talk over the noise without raising your voice. It's much quieter than my coffee mill, my blender, and my vacuum cleaner. My blender is easily about 4 times as loud. Most other mills in this price range are about as loud as a small vacuum cleaner or blender.
The speed of this mill is the only downside that I could see. It's a little slower than some of the other mills in its price range. However, nearly all the other mills are designed only for wheat flour and similar grain and cannot grind many herbs, spices, moist grains or oily grains without being damaged, so this slightly slower performance is offset by the fact that it can grind a wide variety of items and the fact that it's not nearly as loud as the other mills. Pretty much anything that can fit into this mill can be ground, even things like coffee beans, herbs and spices, you name it, it can do it. Pretty much none of the other mills are that versatile.
This is an open system mill. Some of the other mills are closed systems, and need to be for a good reason. They operate at extremely high speed and would send flour dust all over the place if they were not closed systems. This mill is different. It operates at a low 100 RPM using a geared down motor, meaning it grinds with power rather than speed. This has two benefits. One is that flour is not blown all over the place. It falls directly into the bowl below. The other benefit is that the conical burr used to grind the grain doesn't get nearly as hot, and this better preserves the nutritional content of the grain.
The motor base can be used for other optional attachments. There's a wheatgrass juicer attachment, a salad maker attachment, and a meat grinder/mincer attachment available. I don't own any of these yet, but it's nice knowing they are available if I want to expand the use of the motor base. The motor base is also available from some retailers as a separate product without the attachments, so if it ever fails and its beyond warrantee, it's nice to know you can purchase just the motor base.
I highly recommend this flour mill to anyone wanting an all purpose mill. If you just want to make wheat flour, there are other flour mills with a little faster performance, but if you're like me and you need an all purpose mill that can grind pretty much anything, this is clearly the best buy for the money. It's not too noisy, the price is good, it's very easy to clean, plus with the other attachments available for the base, it can be used for other purposes as well.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Miracle Electric Grain and Flour Mill - ME300
Product Description:
Miracle Electric Grain and Flour Mill ME300 is ideal for making your own fresh flour. Just fill the hopper, select the desired texture and push the button. What could be easier? The Miracle Grain Mill makes about 1 cup of fine flour per minute and about 2 cups on the course setting per minute. The Miracle Grain Mill grinds Wheat, Corn, Rice, Oats, Barley, Soybeans, Seeds, Nuts, Shells, Peppercorns ,Peanuts, Herbs, Spices and more. It is easy to use and cleaning, has an all nylon housing, stainless steel burrs, 100 RPM / 175 Watts motor and a 3 Year warranty.
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Vic Firth Pepper Mill Review
The consistency of the grind is very well.The top part is just big enough for me to hold and grind.I love the color and the product.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Vic Firth Pepper Mill
Product Description:
Exacting chefs want and need complete control over the seasoning of their dishes - and Vic Firth Gourmet mills give them precise control through a patented Lock and Grind grinding system.This unique mechanism ensures perfect consistency - whether fine grinds for fish, medium grinds for gravies or coarse grinds for meats.Grinding is performed in a two-step process:first the peppercorns are crushed to release their natural oils and flavors; next, they are ground to the chosen consistency for perfect results every time.And all mills feature pop-out mechanisms for easy cleaning. All Vic Firth wood products are handcrafted in Newport, Maine and carry a lifetime guarantee. Outstanding quality, unique design—the last mill that you'll ever need. 7" tall. Electric blue colored finish.
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Click Here to see more reviews about: Vic Firth Pepper Mill
Product Description:
Exacting chefs want and need complete control over the seasoning of their dishes - and Vic Firth Gourmet mills give them precise control through a patented Lock and Grind grinding system.This unique mechanism ensures perfect consistency - whether fine grinds for fish, medium grinds for gravies or coarse grinds for meats.Grinding is performed in a two-step process:first the peppercorns are crushed to release their natural oils and flavors; next, they are ground to the chosen consistency for perfect results every time.And all mills feature pop-out mechanisms for easy cleaning. All Vic Firth wood products are handcrafted in Newport, Maine and carry a lifetime guarantee. Outstanding quality, unique design—the last mill that you'll ever need. 7" tall. Electric blue colored finish.
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Vaneli's Solid Stainless Steel Tamper 53mm--2.09 inches (2 1/8") Review
Posted by
rollerblades
on 1/01/2011
/
Labels:
coffee accessories,
espresso accessories,
espresso tamper,
gadgets,
tamper
/
Comments: (0)
This tamper fits my Starbucks Barista's 53mm portofilter perfectly.Pretty much like it was machined specifically for my portofilter/basket.This tamper is heavier than my friend's Reg Barber (shockingly heavy actually), and in my opinion has nicer workmanship.For the price this HAS to be the best tamper on the market.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Vaneli's Solid Stainless Steel Tamper 53mm--2.09 inches (2 1/8")
Product Description:
The high quality stainless steel design ensures precise, careful hard packing of the coffee grounds to ensure even saturation of the coffee particles. It is this even saturation that gives you the most flavor from your coffee. PLEASE MEASURE INSIDE DIAMETER OF PORTAFILTER BASKET TO ENSURE A PROPER FIT!Check out our full line of handcrafted coffees on our website!
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Click Here to see more reviews about: Vaneli's Solid Stainless Steel Tamper 53mm--2.09 inches (2 1/8")
Product Description:
The high quality stainless steel design ensures precise, careful hard packing of the coffee grounds to ensure even saturation of the coffee particles. It is this even saturation that gives you the most flavor from your coffee. PLEASE MEASURE INSIDE DIAMETER OF PORTAFILTER BASKET TO ENSURE A PROPER FIT!Check out our full line of handcrafted coffees on our website!
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Cuisinart DCC-755BK 10-Cup Thermal Programmable Coffeemaker Plus 2 Coffee Cups Review
Started off with a Krups, after many years of great tasting coffee had to finally find a replacement. I tried Mr. Coffee and boy WHAT a let down that was, returned to local wholesale club.I have had a few bad experiences with this brands burr grinders so I was hesitant at buying the coffee maker. So far, it has made a pretty good cup of coffee, and the insulated steel pot keeps the coffee hot for many hours. The odd thing is filling it with water without getting it to spill, sort of a poor design there and it tends to spill onto the digital display too, which is not good. A little redesign on the water fill, change the location of the display and they might be on the right track with this one, but hey...for the price I paid with a great discount, it was a pretty cheap experiment. I am thinking after it gives out I will return to a Krups, maybe even a Braun.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Cuisinart DCC-755BK 10-Cup Thermal Programmable Coffeemaker Plus 2 Coffee Cups
Product Description:
Brew up to 10 cups of flavorful coffee with this sleek-looking countertop appliance. Its 10-cup (5 ounces each) double-wall insulated thermal carafe keeps the last cup as hot and fresh-tasting as the first for hours, plus it provides a generous stay-cool handle and a drip-free spout for graceful serving. Even more, the fully automatic appliance offers 24-hour programmability, which makes it possible to wake up to the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee or to have a pot ready and waiting to serve with dessert--no need to get up from the table half way through dinner. For those less than leisurely mornings or for those just a little less patient when it comes to enjoying that first sip, the coffeemaker's Brew Pause function suspends the brewing cycle to allow for pouring a quick cup midbrew. Other thoughtful details include a gold-tone filter and a charcoal water filter, self-clean and 1- to 4-cup settings, and a 60-second reset setting that "remembers" where it was in the brewing process in case the power source gets interrupted. The coffeemaker measures 10-1/2 by 6-2/3 by 12-1/2 inches and carries a three-year limited warranty. --Plus-- 2 White Coffee Mug's
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Click Here to see more reviews about: Cuisinart DCC-755BK 10-Cup Thermal Programmable Coffeemaker Plus 2 Coffee Cups
Product Description:
Brew up to 10 cups of flavorful coffee with this sleek-looking countertop appliance. Its 10-cup (5 ounces each) double-wall insulated thermal carafe keeps the last cup as hot and fresh-tasting as the first for hours, plus it provides a generous stay-cool handle and a drip-free spout for graceful serving. Even more, the fully automatic appliance offers 24-hour programmability, which makes it possible to wake up to the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee or to have a pot ready and waiting to serve with dessert--no need to get up from the table half way through dinner. For those less than leisurely mornings or for those just a little less patient when it comes to enjoying that first sip, the coffeemaker's Brew Pause function suspends the brewing cycle to allow for pouring a quick cup midbrew. Other thoughtful details include a gold-tone filter and a charcoal water filter, self-clean and 1- to 4-cup settings, and a 60-second reset setting that "remembers" where it was in the brewing process in case the power source gets interrupted. The coffeemaker measures 10-1/2 by 6-2/3 by 12-1/2 inches and carries a three-year limited warranty. --Plus-- 2 White Coffee Mug's
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