So I was trying to come up with a good topic for my latest blog when it hit me, not only should I tie it into something I love, movies, but make it interactive, so everyone can chime in and add to it.

So, here’s the question: Have you ever noticed an espresso machine in a movie or TV show?
And I don’t mean the couple is out for the night and they stop into a café and there’s a La Marzoco or some multi group machine turning out shots for them. Or a Starbucks gets ‘featured’ at some point and there’s a machine in it.

What I’m talking about is in the movie, there is a home based espresso machine in it. Either in the background, or outright used in a scene.

I’ll start you off with 7 that spring to mind, and let’s see a bunch more posted after this.
Are you ready to wow everyone with your keen eyes?

1. Iron Man – In Tony Stark’s garage/lab in the background is a Jura Capresso Z Series machine. (Can’t specify if it’s Z5 or Z6, as it’s not shown up close) And he does drink a shot of espresso, although it is brewed off screen.
2. The Sopranos - in the first season, there is an episode with a shower, and one gift given a Jura Capresso machine. The ladies all rave about it in the scene.
3. Ransom – this is a bit more obscure, and the machine is never featured. But in the Mel Gibson thriller, there is a La Pavoni EPG8 or 16. The Gold manual beauty is on their kitchen counter in the background.
4. House – I don’t remember the season or episode, but there was one when the cantankerous doctor we love actually breaks into one of the hospital coffee nooks to have a cup of coffee to finish the case he’s working on. Being a small setting, they actually had a Jura Capresso machine in the coffee spot. Looked to be an F Series machine, it wasn’t on long enough for me to discern.
5. Will & Grace – this is the easy one, that I want to make sure I cover, before everyone else jumps in with it. They had a Francis Francis X1 in their kitchen, and I’m certain at some point it was used and likely involved somehow in some scheme of Jack & Karen, or Grace & Karen.
6. Running Scared – In this very dark movie starring Paul Walker (with a solid twist in it) there is a Gaggia Syncrony in the apartment of some extremely bad people. Hey, even villains like coffee. Bad taste in morals doesn’t mean bad taste buds.
   (Advisory: unless you enjoy this genre of movie, don’t scour it for the machine. If you like gritty crime flicks, dig in, it got onto a weird tangent storyline in the middle, but delivered solid at the end.)
7. Kicking and Screaming – this entry from Will Ferrell is basically Little Giants or Bad News Bears for soccer. But featured in the middle of the movie is an Expobar Athenea Control. The machine actually is downright abused, in one of the funnier parts of the movie. Well, if you can forgive the abuse of a beautiful espresso machine for comedy.

So, who has more? Screenshots aren’t necessary, but keep it to espresso machines. We don’t need to show off knowing that Ben offered Kate some coffee from a Bonjour French Press in an episode of Lost.

Mike
Whole Latte Love Sales

What is it about creating a great latte that make me feel so good? Is it not a simple act? You brew some coffee, you steam some milk and that’s kind of it.

Well it ain't that easy. The espresso alone has enough talk or advice and experts to theorize everything; even stirring the espresso with a paper clip has a name. I can't picture my dad making an espresso proudly using the greatest tool in espresso history the paper clip without muttering a few choice words as to why the hell this is necessary. I get a laugh just picturing that happening. Well I do know how to pull a great shot thank goodness, or as some people say a God shot. I can't see my Mom, a religious woman at the church sitting around while all the ladies in the hand bell choir get the paper clip working with the latest greatest espresso and each one expressing the jubilation that only comes with a God shot. It can be fun though knowing what you have created cannot be had to often out in the real world- a truly fine espresso.

The milk steaming is an art. We will discuss latte art in another post. When we trained at the coffee shop we even had a sexy name by Freudian standards for when the tip of the steam wand was properly positioned in the pitcher to get the milk to steam in a whirlpool fashion. We called it the W spot and we expected each employee to know the W spot and how to make sure they hit it each time they steamed milk.

So the joy I get out of making a great drink is it is fun, sexy and when made right is truly a feast for the eyes and the taste buds. I guess between God shots, paper clips, and the W spot ( sounds like a bad title for an even worse movie) it is not all that easy, and why so many practice and make lattes at home and create that drink that sometimes is so elusive in the outside world.

Have you ever heard these terms or have a different name for them? Post them here.

Mark
Whole Latte Love Commercial Sales

Hard water, Descaling & Decalcifying - A Semi Scientific Explanation

What is hard water?
Hard water is water with a lot of minerals (calcium, magnesium, etc) dissolved in it. The minerals are ions, that is a charged (+/-) particle. They stick to the insides of your machine in a thin layer at first, but over time can form larger mineral deposits. Hard water is common in water that is exposed to limestone, chalk or dolomite. You can safely assume that well water is usually very hard. Hard water is NOT bad for you and can actually provide a very, very small amount of your daily recommended mineral intake. (We are not recommending that you drink hard water as a substitute for eating right and taking supplements) If you do not have a test strip to test your water to see if it is hard, you can do a soap or toothpaste test. Soap and toothpaste will foam up very easily in softer water, in hard water it will not. This is not the most accurate way to tell you if you have hard water but it is a good place to start. You can also contact your local water authority to find out if you have hard water.

How hard is my water?
If you call your water authority they will probably give you some scientific answer. The response will be in parts per million, or ppm. How many ppm will make my water hard? There are different degrees of hardness. According to the US Geological Survey, (http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/qw) 88.3% of homes in the US have what is considered hard water. Hard water begins at about 100 ppm. For most homes this does not cause major problems but can slowly build up in appliances use and heat water. Anything over 180ppm is considered extremely hard.

How does it affect your machine?
Minerals will line your machine, especially in the boiler. They make crusty deposits which, over time, can create blockages. It can also adversely affect the heating element of your machine causing inefficient heating. As well as break the heating element if you have an internal heating element that is directly exposed to the water. The scale is like ice and can get into every part of your coffee maker or espresso machine and break it apart. Especially the tiny o'rings and seals that are soft. This can cause leaking in your machine which can lead to its total failure. Repairs that are caused by scale buildup are usually very costly and almost always are not covered by your warranty.

How to prevent build up - regular maintenance!
It is critical that you descale or decalcify (these terms are interchangeable in the espresso world) on a regular basis. Even if you do not have very hard water, you should still descale on a regular basis to clean out the coffee brewing components of your machine. Coffee can also build up in your machine and cause clogs. You can also use water with a lower mineral content. Some machines (Expobar, Pasquini, Rocket Espresso, HX or heat exchange machine, etc) need at least some minerals in their water for their auto-fill feature to operate properly. Consult your manual or call tech support if you are not sure if your machine requires some minerals in the water. Most machines do not require any sort of special water. But by avoiding water with high ppm counts, you will extend the life of your machine and keep your coffee tasting great.

How do descalers work?
Descalers are acids and release Hydrogen ions when dissolved in water. The H+ ions eat away at the scale by using the charge (+) to pull at the deposited minerals. A mild acid based descaler should be sufficient to get your machine cleaned safely and effectively. Make sure to follow the directions in your manual for your specific machine as well as the directions on the descaling product itself.

Happy Brewing!

Kathy
Tech Support

I really don't have time in the morning to grind and tamp and clean up grounds from my doserless grinder. When I think I do, I usually end up running late. All I really need in the morning is one espresso shot in the morning after I wake up. No time for a god shot, just something to get me through the hustle and bustle of my morning. Anyway, I'm lucky enough to work in coffee heaven, so I can brew my god shots for the day there!

When I think back, I can clearly remember getting my Gaggia Baby Twin. I opened the box and pull out 3 filter baskets. One is for pods. When was I going to use that? I promised myself I would forever brew only the most gorgeous espresso shots from here on out. My Rancillio Rocky would be my best friend. He will grind on command and work with my Twin to create that heaven in a cup full of thick caramel colored crema. Yum!

When I acquired some Illy pods one day, I was kind of excited that I was going to use my pod basket. It's the little things that make me happy. I change the basket in my portafilter, place the pod in, attach the portafilter to the brew head and let it brew. I was surprised. How is this happening? I am enjoying coffee made from a pod? My future flashed before my eyes, as if I was looking in a crystal ball. I smiled with realization. My mornings were going to be so much easier......

I was on time this morning. I went downstairs, started up my machine changed the basket and popped in a pod. I was thankful as I sipped my coffee. Not only was my espresso decent and easy, I had more time to do my hair.

Check out all the different Pods Whole Latte Love offers and find one that's right for you!

Maria
Whole Latte Love Sales

Bitter, weak, bland, no crème, over extracted, terrible smelling, just plain awful tasting espresso! Sound familiar? All too often I talk with people about the brew that they are getting and how it doesn't live up to standards. Nine times out of ten the first reaction is that the espresso machine is not working correctly. We hear all the time that "My machine is overheating", "it is brewing with too much pressure", "I'm not doing anything differently so it has to be the machine". But let's take a small step back......to the grinder.

Ever wonder what's in your grinder? Yes, yes I know... coffee beans. But what kind of beans? How long has it been since you've cleaned it? Have you ever cleaned it? These are all very important questions. They can also lead to all of the horrible smelling and tasting espressos that we are all too familiar with. Recently in our break room most of our staff had the pleasure (or displeasure) of tasting what could arguably be the worst tasting coffee on the planet. Someone had refilled the bean hopper after noticing that it was getting low. Unfortunately, the bag of beans that was next to the grinder was not the same as the beans that were in the hopper. Of course it wasn't really any persons fault in particular, but the grind that came from the machine, I can assure you, was not good, not good at all. While the freshly ground beans smelt great and the aroma and crème on the espresso was fantastic, the taste was terrible. It was so bitter and almost taste burnt. In some cases mixing beans can give a fantastic brew, but in this case, it did not.

Had we known what was in the grinder, and properly cleaned it before switching the beans, we would not have had this experience. Most people assume that the grinder just simply grinds and can in no way effect the taste of their brew. This is a very big misconception. Whether it be mistakenly mixing beans, or not cleaning the grinder regularly, it can lead to a huge headache, and not just from caffeine withdrawal. Experimentation in mixing beans can be fun, but be sure to use caution and try to stick to beans of similar roasts and origin. Cleaning your grinder is also essential to ensuring that you get the best brew. A company, Urnex, makes a cleaning product specifically for grinders (not recommended for super automatic machines) called Grindz. The product is designed to remove any coffee oils and residue from your grinders burrs. Over time coffee oils and grounds can become lodged between the burrs. The grounds can become stale and the oils can begin to change the taste of your brews. The cleaner is food safe and made form cereals and grains. All you need to do is simply remove any coffee from the machine and place the Grindz cleaner in the grinder. Set the grinder to a medium setting and grind away. The cleaning product will rid the machine of these terrible tastes and you'll be back on the road to making great espressos, lattes and cappuccinos in no time at all!

Kris
Sales Department