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Issue link: http://baristamagazine.epubxp.com/i/96027
Dan Williamson Co-owner/Roaster/Barista Trainer thirty-thirty Coffee Co. Peoria, Illinois Dan loves: Various espresso scales (www.gramscales.com) We have always used scales in a variety of ways for training and dialing in, but a few months ago we made the switch to using them with every shot, for every drink. Located right next to the grinders, we use a Citizen CT 2100 to weigh the mass of grounds in the portafilter. To weigh the shot beverage weight, we use an AWS SC-2KGA on the drain tray. We bought a Robur E to help keep our doses more consistent, but when we tested it, we found it had as much as a 2.5 gram swing shot to shot. This meant we were experiencing shot-time fluctuation as much as six seconds. We are now measuring the grounds to the tenth of a gram and, as a result, I am constantly amazed how it speeds up the training process and dialing in. When working on bar, troubleshooting is a breeze, and my confidence in the quality of our drinks has never been higher. Sarah Mykkanen Barista/Floor manager, Heart Coffee Roasters, Portland, Oregon Sarah loves: The TDS refractometer (www.vstapps.com) One of my favorite bar tools is the TDS refractometer and accompanying Mojo application from VST. After learning how to use these tools in conjunction with my palate, I understand my palate and extraction so much more. Before using the Mojo, I had a nebulous cloud of flavors floating around in my vocabulary. I would make adjustments while half guessing. The refractometer made this mess of flavors logical and linear. It applied meaning to them, and gave me a direction to go when dialing in coffees instead of just shooting in the dark. When you understand which TDS levels, ratios, and extraction percentages taste best with your specific coffee, grinders, and brew method, it is possible to make a great cup of coffee with math! A good barista never relies only on their tools, but instead uses them to make the best cup possible. The TDS refractometer and Mojo have brought my understanding of coffee to the next level, and helped me to represent the coffee to its fullest potential. www.baristamagazine.com 61