# How did you get where you are.



## silvester667 (Feb 18, 2014)

Looking at some of your set ups many of you guys and gals have invested a lot of time, effort and money over the years.

how did you start and how did you progress to where you are now?

Me, I had a basic esspresso machine in the nineties when it died I ended up on instant. Couple years back I got at a tassimo. After thinking about the limited coffee choice and cost I have now upgraded, via a birthday present, to a esam4200. Now looking forward to trying different blends.


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## glevum (Apr 4, 2013)

Drank instant upto meeting my wifes Italian parents in 1995, they introduced me to the Moka pot and was hooked to espresso. That went to buying 1st espreso machine in 2004, a chrome Bugatti Diva and kitchenaid grinder. From there to a Silvia and rocky combo for nearly 4 years. Now have a HX machine and looking for a commercial grinder.

Ditching supermarket beans to fresh 6 or so years ago was my biggst upgrade.


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## Soll (Nov 10, 2013)

Well my journey began in the early 90's and started with a 3 cup Bialetti stovetop, I was taught the Italian way of home brewing by my boss at the time Vittorio or as I called him "Don Vito". His favourite coffee from Italy was cafe Kimbo and was my choice for quite sometime to until I started looking into grinding beans and experimenting with other brands, so I bought a second hand Dualit grinder and began grinding at home. I bought beans from the supermarket but I never really enjoyed many, except for one which stood out which was Sainsbury's a Taste the Difference from Lombardy Italy, so I looked for alternatives to the supermarkets which wasn't many at that time, but a company called Whitards was around then and they did coffee beans and it was there that I first tried Monsoon malabar.

So Whitards was my main choice for some time until the online roasting slowly began to make an appearance, I think the first ever company I used Roast and post ? I don't know if there still around but I remember them being quite expensive oh but what a difference from Whitards !

So that coffee set up kept me going until I found this place CFUK ! After a lot of reading I began to realise I should be getting more from my coffee, After watching so many you tube vids I found myself warming to lever machines, so the Bazzera Strega became my first ever espresso maker which was partnered with the Mazzer SJ and this is where I'm still at now....for the moment anyway


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## aodstratford (Sep 18, 2012)

A Morphy richards and a marks and spencers grinder (chopper really). Upgraded to a dualit espresso maker paired with a krups burr grinder. Now have a la spaziale vivaldi and a fiorenzato f5 grinder. Best step up was the fiorenzato grinder and freshly roasted beans. Oh and a one day coffee making course which made all the difference !


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## Nimble Motionists (Oct 22, 2012)

Never been able to drink instant coffee. Got a french press and a blade grinder for my 20th birthday. Used Supermarket beans and thought Taylor's Lazy Sunday was the ultimate coffee experience. Got a Krups drip machine a couple of years later, moved from supermarket to fresh roast beans (mainly hasbean at first) and was kindly donated a Krups espresso machine. Unfortunately espresso machine had pressurised baskets and was ridden with limescale. Got my first burr grinder (Hario Slim) at the same time as the Krups. Next up was a Vario and the Expobar (both second-hand). Swapped Vario for a Caimano about six months later and then a couple of months later swapped the Caimano for a Pharos.

At the end of the day you could take all the fancy kit away and I'd be very happy with some fresh-roast beans, my hario slim and the little Kalita caffee uno I take camping. Like Glevum said it's the beans that have made the biggest difference.


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## 4515 (Jan 30, 2013)

Started for me when I was about 21 and I'd buy ground coffee from Pollards in Sheffield when they had a shop. I'd use this in a french press. Later I progressed to a blade grinder which is still in the cupboard somewhere.

I then lost touch with coffee until just over a year ago when I had the best espresso I'd tasted at a local restaurant and this got me interested again. I thought I could budget a couple of hundred quid for a decent setup.

I went out and bought a used Francis Francis X1 and quickly realised that it wasnt for me I had an MC2 grinder at the time but that was sold soon after the X1 went. Bought a Cherub and have now ended up with a Mythos to go with it.

Along the way Ive also acquired two Aeropress (one stays at our apartment), a Hario drip kettle, V60 and hario jug and thats about it, apart from the two Hausgrind grinders that should arrive soon. Ive not used the Aeropress and V60 that much as yet. I'm planning to use them more when the grinders arrive.


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

Plunge pot + bodum blade grinder

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Classic MC2

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Brewtus Mini-e

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Brewtus Royal

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Sage DB Royal

The future might be EKxx'd


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## GS11 (Feb 20, 2013)

Aeropress /Zass > join CFUK > Classic/ MC2/Mignon > CFUK forum [email protected] Barista > Brewtus/ SJ / Gene Cafe

Lavazza Rossa> Hasbean > Rave >Home Roasted


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Jan 2012 - Nescafe Azera

March 2012 - Bodum french press and Illy -> french press and fresh beans within a matter of days

May 2012 - Gaggia Classic and Mignon

Sept 2012 - Oscar and Mignon

Dec 2012 - Brewtus and Mignon

Jan 2013 - Brewtus and Royal


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## michaelg (Jul 25, 2013)

Started off on instant obviously but tried to buy the better brands where possible and was gradually upping the number of spoons to cope with studying when I discovered cafetiere around about 2003 I think. After Starbucks and Costa became the norm, I got a Classic with Dualit burr grinder when I graduated in 2005 which I used on and off (sometimes still cafetiere, sometimes stovetop) doing the Silvia wand mod early in the year and then later on last year when I bought the Cherub and the Quamar M80E off shrink and been hooked ever since! My mother-in-law has the Dualit now but the Classic went to a former barista via Gumtree. Next step would ideally be the Brewtus I think unless my luck comes up in this or a future raffle!


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## Daren (Jan 16, 2012)

> Instant

> Plunge pot and supermarket pre- ground

> Krupp's espresso machine (awful) with blade grinder and supermarket beans

> Rancilio Silvia and Rocky with fresh beans

> Aeropress and Hario for work

> Silvia and Superjolly

> Rocket Giotto Evo and Superjolly

> Plumbed in Rocket

*** Stay tuned for imminent purchase







***


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Grinder presumably Daz?


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## rodabod (Dec 4, 2011)

Used a flatmate's Morphy Richards espresso machine when I was about seventeen. We used to get Arabic coffee with Cardamom in it sometimes (Turkish maybe? It was from a place on Great Western Road in Glasgow).

Anyway, about three years ago I bought a Gaggia Classic and a Porlex grinder. Amazing!

Then I broke my wrist in a bike crash and bought a Cunill grinder as I couldn't hand grind at the time.

Upgraded the Cunill to a Mazzer Mini, mainly for aesthetic reasons.

Recently rebuilt an Expobar Office E61 from scratch and still use it.

Also bought a Gaggia Achille lever machine just out of curiosity.

... I'll still argue that the beans are more important than all of this equipment though.


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## Daren (Jan 16, 2012)

jeebsy said:


> Grinder presumably Daz?


I've a couple of things to sort out first before I say what I'm planning. Until then I'm gonna keep you in suspense - X factor style.


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## silvester667 (Feb 18, 2014)

These answers just show you can start little and build up.

MOO: Sorry posted this in the wrong forum can you move as you see fit. Slapped wrist won't happen again.


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## Mike mc (Apr 10, 2012)

I started on a cafetiere using pre ground from hasbean.then purchased a delonghi burr grinder.then purchased a gaggia classic which didnt get much use as I continued using the cafetiere as the grinder wouldn't grind fine enough for the gaggia.ended up purchasing a new rancilio rocky doserless and a technivorm moccamaster which I used exclusively for a while.purchased a super jolly to pair with the classic recently and the moccamaster hasn't had much use since.


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## Milanski (Oct 10, 2013)

- French press, blade grinder and Velluto Nero from the Algerian Coffee Stores in covt garden for years (just looked up Velluto Nero on google images, may have to track that film down!).

- Dualit toaster obsession which led me to wanting to pair it with a:

- Dualit coffee machine and preground (shhh - Lavazza).

- CFUK

- Superjolly and fresh roasted beans from Camden Coffe Shop (Est. 1978 and not changed since).

- Gaggia Classic and roast n' post

- Fracino Classic (but was a behemoth in my kitchenette) so:

- Silivia with PID and here I stay until I move


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

Daren said:


> Until then I'm gonna keep you in suspense - X factor style.


A huge predictable anti-climax then, followed by a sense of emptiness?


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Old enough to remember the Kardomah chain which started out in Liverpool. Recall being mesmerised by the smell of the coffee in our local Chester Kardomah as a child. Guess, that's where I got hooked.

In the '70s coffee desert - this was the hight of sophistication for the aspiring dinner party host and hostess. Think Demis Roussos (forever, forever..aghhhhhhh) and Abigail's Party. Can still hear the plip, plip as it percolated up a cup of vile, stewed bitter coffee.

View attachment 5569


Have had a series of automatic dripper machines, Moka pot and cafetiere before buying a Classic which served me well for many years. Then, briefly on to a Silvia before being seduced by the lever process of making espresso.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

This forum is entirely to blame for my depleted bank balance and wonderful coffee that I now make .

I still class myself as a noob and and am always learning from everyone on here , but it's fun ! Most of the advice I attempt to give is borne form making loads of mistakes myself rather than any expertise on my part.

After joining and looking at machines , and several conversations later with Coffeechap and then a visit to the Systemic Kids, I quickly moved on my silvia to something bigger and better in the shape of a londinium.

Currently I enjoy trying out different grinders to see what they do and what they deliver in the cup ( magnum , k30 , mythos , where next ....)

Prior to that I've always enjoyed what I thought was good coffee, through filter and brew or mokka pots over the years.


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## CoffeeJohnny (Feb 28, 2011)

I started becoming selective with instant

2001 - Found Higgins coffee in London

Bought Cafetiere and was using ground coffee from local shop as well as whittards

As such was using stale coffee so still drank instant. Also was drinking buckets in Costa.

2005 Hand grinder. Stove top added Still stale coffee as was buying beans from whittards but began noticing the difference using higgins beans.

2007 Fresh beans from Pumphreys coffee still hand grinder & Cafetiere

2008 Krups grinder and Cafetiere

2009 La Pavoni Europiccola and Ascaso I-mini. Pumphreys, Hasbean also my last Chain coffee was drank with one exception.

2010 Sanremo Verona TCS and Anfim super Caimano Barista (I took over a coffee bar) James Gourmet, Square Mile, Monmouth, Hasbean

2010 Home, Hario Slim, V60.

2011 Mahlkonig Home Vario, V60, Eva Solo, Kalita Wavedripper, Chemex

2012 La Cimbali Single group (I got this working) and super caimano at home. (drank a service station macc with syrup in during a 300+ mile drive as moving house)

2014 Mahlkonig K30 Barista and Nuova Simonelli Oscar (soon upgraded) Eureka Mythos and Nuova Simonelli Musica Lux.

2015.........?


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## Charliej (Feb 25, 2012)

I guess in many ways "real coffee" has been around in my life ever since I was 1st allowed to drink coffee at very early age, I think the 1st coffee I ever had was in 1972 on holiday on the Italian side of Mont Blanc in Courmayeur as my Dad was climbing Mont Blanc with his climbing club so my 1st coffee would have been with breakfast and a group of climbers and a moka pot, we then travelled slowly home through France camping in various places where I discovered Croissants and cafe au lait, this turned out to be my last holiday ever taken with both parents at the same time.

After this I remember there always being some form of decent coffee at my Dad and Stepmum's it went from a percolator like Mr Systemic pictured to various electric drip machines and cafetieres, but sadly only instant at my Mum's. Dad would always have some form of pot of coffee going at breakfast time either drip or FP and at my Mum's I meandered between the various "premium" instants, until I bought myself a cheap drip machine for there.

Then in 1988 after going back down to Canterbury with my brother on his 1st long drive in his own car for the new uni term I found a shop that had just opened there and ended up with a bodum pourover device like the Swissgold one cup and some Monsoon Malabar - because I liked the sound of it but knew nothing about it and some Kenyan Peaberry and for the next couple of years used that with beans bought from a local Italian run deli and ground for me there.

My 1st really huge eye opener with coffee was my 1st trip to Australia in 1990 not long after my Dad had emigrated (also the 1st time I ever heard the term flat white and was told this was what to ask for to get a coffee that wasn't a cappuccino and wasn't served in a glass). The difference between the coffee that was available in every local cafe and coffee shop and back here was astounding everywhere had an espresso machine. I came home from that trip with my eyes well and truly opened to the benefits of decent beans and freshly ground, I found an old hand grinder in our local flea market, looking back I think it was a PeDe or a Zassenhaus long before they became sought after and that with the Bodum pourover and a cafetiere was my staple for years.

The next major step on my coffee journey was again in Australia, I was living there at the time and we had a complete family reunion for my Dad's 60th in November 2000. My Dad has been thinking of an espresso machine for home for a while, as he had one that was provided for him in his outer office at work, so me and all of my brothers clubbed together and bought him a $700 espresso machine, which was most likely a Sunbeam dual thermoblock model, and some of his friends from the local Rotary club who knew what we were getting him gave him a voucher for a 1 day barista course for 2 people, and as my Stepmum didn't want to go, she just wanted to drink coffee not learn about it, I went with him.

I had the use of this machine while I was living there but eventually when I came back to the UK I bought myself a Krups Vivo 880 pump machine off ebay for £20 and a cheapo blade grinder from Argos which lasted until I bought a Gaggia Cubika for taking on tour with me as most catering made shitty over stewed drip pot coffee I bought my 1940s Zassenhaus around the same time and used whatever beans I could get hold of.

In 2006 I ended up going back to Australia to work with a Brisbane based band and was given a my Gaggia Classic for Xmas 2006, I still had the Zassenhaus then.

After coming back to the UK due to my Mum getting ill in 2009 I stuck with the Classic and the Zassenhaus until I joined the forum, looking for grinder info and ended up with a new MC2 shortly afterwards and discovered all these UK based roasters I knew nothing about and got a Rancilio steam wand for the Classic . The next big step was June 2013 when I bought the Brasilia RR55-OD and then late last year came the Sage to review which I then ended up buying.


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## Daren (Jan 16, 2012)

When beans change lives - who'd a thought!


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## mym (Sep 15, 2009)

Started using cafetieres at some point in the 1980s when I was first at uni in Lancaster, getting my beans from Atkinson's (est 1837) who I'm glad to see are still going strong (https://www.thecoffeehopper.com/), and on visits to London, the Algerian in Soho. Going to visit friends in Italy a lot in the later 1990s rendered me completely incapable of tolerating the burnt crap served in Costa etc, so I got a Gaggia Classic sometime in the early 2000s, along with cafetieres still at the office and subsequently an Aeropress. That sufficed until last month, when I went for an Expobar Dual Leva...


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

I was going to try and out write Charlie but failed after one paragraph so prefer the gary **** approach

Gaggia classic and MDF grinder

Kitchenaid artisan

Rancilio silvia

Gaggia e90 la cimbali magnum

La pavoni europiccola professional

Bosco and mythos

L1 k10 fresh

Hg1 and robur

It certainly has been a journey that I have enjoyed, I do agree that the moment I started using uk roasters beans was the point when my coffee became amazing.


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## drude (Apr 22, 2013)

I had a drip machine when at uni back in the early 90s, then a moka pot and cafetiere intermittently until about 2003, when I bought a retro-styled espresso machine - think it was a Kenwood - and fed it pre-ground Illy.

Next came a Gaggia Cubika and a Krups burr grinder, which got upgraded to a KitchenAid Artisan machine and grinder. The great warranty and unreliable machines meant that I had those replaced several times just before the warranty ran out, but the last one finally died April 2013.

I bought a Silvia that month, then found this place trying to decide on a grinder as the KitchenAid one was not a good pairing with the Rancilio - would not go fine enough. While I waited for decisions then delivery I made heavy use of my Aeropress.

Clearly the significant part of the previous paragraph is 'found this place'. After advice here I bought a Mignon, which I kept for all of 6 weeks until the grind off, when I came home with my RR55OD. The Silvia lasted a little longer but by September I'd taken delivery of an L1. Never before has a forum cost me so much money









Since getting the L1 I've mostly been buying Londinium beans for it. Prior to that I was drinking a lot of the Workhouse Coffee espresso blends, Super Dry and Ned Kelly 1576. For cafetiere at work I keep going back to Rave's Rwandan, a firm favourite since charliej drew my attention to it.

At some point I will no doubt upgrade my grinder, but I am currently limited by space - it would be a struggle to get a big machine in next to the L1, and I'm not sure I have the PR skills to encroach further on the food preparation space. I would love an HG-One though...


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## drude (Apr 22, 2013)

coffeechap said:


> I was going to try and out write Charlie but failed after one paragraph so prefer the gary **** approach
> 
> Gaggia classic and MDF grinder
> 
> ...


All the best people move from Gaggia to KitchenAid to Silvia to L1, so I'm told


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## MrShades (Jul 29, 2009)

Mine's relatively brief:

Instant -for years... I grew up in a family of tea drinkers, as the only coffee drinker. God knows how...

Left home and had various pour-over devices and french presses that usually produced fairly evil stuff. Continued drinking strong (3 spoons of coffee in a cup) instant...

Around 2001 I bought a Gaggia Classic and used pre-ground (Illy usually) coffee for years.... Amazing what you think is drinkable coffee when you know no different!

Then I found various internet coffee forums, including this one - and started reading... so the Gaggia was upgraded and tweaked (OP mod, Silvia wand, etc.)

Around 2008 I decided that a grinder purchase was long overdue and bought a used Super Jolly. Freshly ground made such a difference, from freshly roasted beans even more so!

In 2010 the Gaggia Classic was upgraded to an Izzo Alex Duetto (decided to skip the interim steps, and just dive in to an E61 dual boiler with rotary pump).

In early 2013 I bought a Hottop roaster and started roasting my own beans (mainly Jampit and Monsoon Malabar) - mainly driven by the desire to have fresh dark roasted beans on tap.

In 2013 the SJ was upgraded to a K10 Fresh (again, not a fan of wasting money with constant upgrades - just go for the best!)

So - Gaggia Classic + preground ===> Izzo Alex Duetto and K10F with Hottop roasted beans.


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## GS11 (Feb 20, 2013)

Daren said:


> > Instant
> 
> > Plunge pot and supermarket pre- ground
> 
> ...


Sounds interesting Daren...look forward to update:good:


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## Jonathan007 (Aug 15, 2012)

For years (prob since school) a Cafetiere supermarket beans.

After a holiday in Florence (honeymoon 2009) I've been interested in espresso, only really getting involed hands on in the last couple of years.

Just to reiterate this forum has been a hive of information for me.

Im currently using a Baratza Preciso for cafetiere and a major for espresso. I have a Gaggia Classic but hope to have a change sometime soon.


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

Gaggia Classic + MC2 (later Mahlkonig Vario)

Alex Duetto MkIV + Mahlkonig Vario + Anfim Caimano

I'd need a few pages to list all the machines I have used, trained people on, or had on my bench at some point


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## Dave The Rave (Nov 23, 2013)

My girlfriend would only give me lukewarm instant coffee. Searching for better i found this place and chose the Classic + MC2 combo which is perfectly adequate......... for now


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## andyt23 (Nov 24, 2013)

Well it's a very short journey...

I started working at home one day a week and wanted to make coffee.

I found an old Moka pot in a cupboard and came on here for advice on how to get the best out of it and within a couple of weeks I was wrestling with a Gaggia Classic!

Still wrestling.


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## IanP (Aug 4, 2011)

I became fascinated by the diverse tastes of continental espressos and similar short black coffees on holidays in the 80s and 90s. Couldn't stop drinking lots of it, but couldn't work out why cafetiere brewed supermarket pre-ground never tasted anything like it smelled/promised! Branched out into Costa/Nero type places when they launched, were OK for a bit, then became disillusioned after repeatedly sending back espressos which were scalding and rancid!

Bought a Gaggia Carezza [Yes, I DID] with pre-ground beans and it was ......... well you all know what it was







 When this died, I read up a bit and bought a Sylvia and a Dualit burr grinder.......[bIG mistake the latter] which, even after pimping, never got close enough to the Sylvia to produce anything really drinkable. Sold the Dualit, bought a non-doser Rocky....had two and a half years of fun and good coffees from that, even some fantastic shots. I discovered the Forum and Glenn, who did a home training session with me. Glenn brought proper small batch roasted beans to this session - it was the Eureka moment. Discovered I had Butterworth's roasters in my own town. Upgraded Rocky to a Home Vario, then the Sylvia to an Alex Duetto MkIV, then added a K30ES. No more kit now!!!!!!! well, apart from accessories, cups, jugs, new toys...........Got to work on skills instead.

Miles away from having been brought up as a kid on milky coffee made from Camp Coffee in a bottle [showing my age there!] and Instant coffee powder in tins, then came those new fangled freeze dried coffee granules and the true wonder that was Mellow Birds............









Technology and marketing don't necessarily make for progress..........

Never imagined that my quest would end up becoming the major passion nor as absorbing an interest that it has. Not least that such a brilliantly helpful and supportive forum like this would have been so crucial in getting me there.

(- here ends my Oscars acceptance speech!)

Great place, great people, great coffee.

Ian


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