I decided to create my little web site to share some of my passion for coffee. Even more importantly I now realise what that sharing needs to be, for me anyway. I have read many coffee sites on the web, some have very good information, some have very technical information, some have information written by what can only be described as "people who are fanatical about coffee".

 

I am mindful of the fact that people reading this may not be as passionate as me and I am certainly not as obsessed as some about my coffee. So I want to keep things simple where possible, this means simple explanations, simple diagrams, simple techniques. I am assuming you want to make good coffee on good equipment, consistently and be able to offer your friends a beverage that is superior to anything they are likely to get on the high street. I am in the process of planning a beginners guide to coffee, I am not sure yet about the structure, but if your starting out, be sure to read it.

 

I have been drinking real coffee (I don’t count Instant) for around 28 years. In my previous career in IT and telecommunications I drank a lot of coffee, most of it bad.

 

Over the years I searched for every possible coffee making device I would find to get a better and better coffee. These included, percolators, drip machines, presspots, and various espresso machines. I think I am just about where I want to be with the equipment and am fortunate enough to own a rotary pumped Izzo Alex (internal tank so no plumbing required) and a Mazzer Mini E grinder (simply perfect) and a Toper Cafemino 1kg Coffee Roaster...so the most important ingredient of all, the coffee, can be fresh and wonderful.

 

I do some coffee related work now and again with various companies and I am also lucky enough to review a variety of domestic prosumer machines. This gave me a completely new perspective on the various machines available in the market and the  things I now find important in a machine. I hope to be able to share some of that on the site in the future. I am not a coffee machine engineer by trade, but have a good general engineering background. In fact my previous job was totally unrelated to my hobby. I am now semi retired, thank goodness, and spend a lot more time doing things I enjoy, such as coffee.

 

Regarding coffee, there are lots of opinions about what’s right and what’s wrong and over the years many different views have been expressed and the beliefs have changed. In a way this is what makes it fascinating….there is almost always someone waiting to offer an alternative point of view. I have opinions as well...who doesn’t. Wherever possible mine have been based around personal experience, but that doesn’t make them right. It’s all a matter of whether I have correctly interpreted the experience and reasons for an event. So I have a perspective, some of it right, some of it I am sure wrong, but all of it designed to help you whenever possible.