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like this is that we know that it works. We're not reinventing how to brew coffee. Even the tag-line of this brewer is, 'Batch brew re- imagined,' not 'Batch-brew reinvented.' It takes a lot of complexity out of the brewing system, it's tried and true. When we developed this brewer, we did not add any components that we don't already use in all of our other equipment, aside from the aesthetics." Part of that tried-and-true benefit, Brant continues, is the fact that every part of the Seraphim is standard to Wilbur Curtis's other brewers, like the industry-approved Gold Cup. "There's not going to be a unique component on it, so if it breaks down, your service department already has all the parts to fix it," he says. "We're not in the business of selling parts, we're in the business of selling cof- fee brewers. That's not what we want to be known for. We want to known as the company whose machines are around forever." With all these awesome new machines on the market, how's any- body supposed to choose among them? Of course, any time a busi- ness owner is faced with a decision that costs a chunk of change— and in the case of some of these innovative tools, we're talking about quite a chunk—he wants to see, and certainly taste, proof that the investment is worth it. Trade shows like the SCAA's annual gath- ering and the regional Coffee Fest events offer good one-stop op- portunities to take brewing equipment for a test drive, learn more about the machines from the people who built them, and compare pricing and service policies more or less side-by-side. Coffee professionals looking to make a purchase can also seek out early adopters—cafés that have beta or first-generation ver- sions of certain new technology—and ask for the staff 's opinion and perspectives after having the chance to work with the equip- ment for a spell. Some manufacturers will also hit the road with a new product, demoing it for inspection by interested parties—like La Marzocco does with its traveling Out of the Box series, for in- stance. Bkon and Steampunk both trot out their designs for public display and demonstration; other companies post videos and tes- timonials that clearly explain how the technology works. Reviews in reputable sources like trade magazines, industry blogs, and roasters' websites are other great resources, and certainly honest and open constructive criticism of equipment isn't hard to come by in specialty coffee. (Anybody who's on Twitter probably knows that already.) In the end—and we can debate about this all day on the aforementioned Twitter, I'm sure—baristas and shop owners alike should always remember that a top-notch and innovative coffee-brewing machine can only make the most of what it's given: A great brewer will not make bad or stale coffee taste good, no matter how precise, beautiful, or efficient it is. Nor will it turn a careless barista into a champion-level profession- al at the push of a button. What it can do, however, is open up the conversation in a café, offer a level of repeatability and customizability that meets customers' expectations, and, most importantly of all, help a skilled barista make top-notch coffee taste as great as it possibly can. 69 www.baristamagazine.com B o o k 4 7 - 9 2 . i n d d 6 9 Book 47-92.indd 69 5 / 1 5 / 1 4 1 0 : 4 5 P M 5/15/14 10:45 PM