# setup



## Garry (May 16, 2013)

This is my current shop setup im afraid i dont know much about the grinder other than the name on it im hoping to start looking into getting a home setup next month so i can get my fix 24/7 haha









the espresso machine is a sab jolly and the grinder (i think ) is a fiorenzato doge

it'd be nice to hear you think of it and what you'd change about/get to supplement it with


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## shrink (Nov 12, 2012)

Welcome to the forum. I'm based in Edinburgh too? where is your shop?

The only thing I can see here that I'd want to change would be the beans. Assuming your technique and rest of the kit is in good working order, then you're doing yourself a disservice by using beans that are almost certainly quite stale. lavazza ship those bags out in their thousands and many sit for months in warehouses.

for the same kind of money you're spending on that, you could look at the likes of Rave Signature, Extract Original or Allpress redchurch. All of which will arrive to you a day after they have been roasted freshly and will reward you and your customers with a much nicer cup of coffee.

I'm afraid to say that as a coffee enthusiast, seeing a bag of lavazza next to the machine is the first thing that would make me turn around and walk back out. That and the large amount of pre-ground coffee sitting in the grinders dosing chamber. I know that people like me (and probably a lot of us on the forum) are in the minority in a city like Edinburgh, but it wouldn't take much for you to make coffee to be really proud of.

Sneak yourself into castello, wellington, brew lab, project coffee, razzo, or freemans sometime and taste the coffee's they are brewing. They are some of the very best in Edinburgh.


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## Garry (May 16, 2013)

I'm just outside Edinburgh in South Queensferry on the off ramp at Dalmeny train station. What about yourself?

i suppose thats it i'd love to proof my technique and kit have someone to pass ideas between

back when i started up i thought lavazza was a good bean and accessable but i'm learning now haha i can understand why you may run once i'v got rid of the current lot of lavazza im hoping to start trying to order every few weeks

I am proud to say that i do only grind on demand now which brings me to announce i'm dissapointed in myself to tell you that was some hard to remove residue stuck on the glass and now you've pointed out how easily it could put people off spent a good 20 minutes putting my back into removing it

and yeah i'v been into all of them accepet project coffee and razzo thats what's been really pushing me to try improve i love the idea of being able to open up a coffee house in edinburgh giving people there daily cup of relief but im sure thats quite a few years (and much information) off yet


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

shrink said:


> Lavazza ship those bags out in their thousands and many sit for months in warehouses.


Stone me Shrink - you're observant - had to look at the pics several times to spot the offending bag and that's after I'd read your post. You don't check £50.00 notes at the Bank of England for printing errors for a day job, do you??


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## shrink (Nov 12, 2012)

hahaha, no mate. But I am employed in a segment of IT that demands a great eye for detail. I tend to notice the little things! It's also why ive never kept a single car more than a year. Too many niggles just annoy me









and you mean offending bagS theres two. One in the hopper and one on the bench haha.

It's terrible though, whenever I go into unknown coffee shops, I do the scan and try to work out how good a product I'm likely to receive. Yesterday I was in Edinburghs City Arts Centre.

Large Fracino Grinder. Fracino two group machine. The girl knew what a flat white was, it was all looking good...... until......

-single dose from an already full doser

-pours out of the machine in about 12 seconds

-I then looked at hopper, beans were dark and oily.

the milk was not bad, but no clean pitcher, just topped up whatever was in there. Which gives me the heave!

What did it taste like? Ash mostly. Burnt grey ash


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

I am in my own words a total noob to coffee making but I also look more closely at what goes on when I get a coffee from somewhere . What kind of grinder are they using , is it fresh ground,is it a clean jug being used. Is the milk clearly scalding and too hot , does my foam look like a bubble machine has made it.....

And this is even though I amat the stage I cannot do any better myself !


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## shrink (Nov 12, 2012)

michael at funinacup may not agree







but i'm at a level where I can make a coffee that tastes a heck of a lot better than anything starbucks etc come out with, and some of my drinks come out on par with some of the higher end coffee shops. This has made me very fussy about what i drink when out and about though. In the same way i wouldnt want to eat food that clearly looked like i'd made it


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

shrink said:


> michael at funinacup may not agree
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Couldn't agree more. My wife gets exasperated with me for turning up my nose at most places she is prepared to drink coffee. When out for a meal, I always decline the after dinner coffee unless I know for sure it's been well made. Invariably when I ask my wife what the after dinner coffee has been like, she screws up her face - 'nuff said.


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Mrboots2u said:


> I am in my own words a total noob to coffee making but I also look more closely at what goes on when I get a coffee from somewhere . What kind of grinder are they using , is it fresh ground,is it a clean jug being used. Is the milk clearly scalding and too hot , does my foam look like a bubble machine has made it.....
> 
> And this is even though I amat the stage I cannot do any better myself !


But the important point is you are asking the right questions. This way, your skill and technique will certainly improve and, as a consequence, your coffee and your appreciation of it.


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

Thank you for sharing photos of your setup.

Do you find that the Monin syrups start to crystalise with repeated heating and cooling?

Have you considered storing them away from the machine (vs on top of the machine)?

Nice to see a cloth control system in place too.


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## Charliej (Feb 25, 2012)

The Systemic Kid said:


> Couldn't agree more. My wife gets exasperated with me for turning up my nose at most places she is prepared to drink coffee. When out for a meal, I always decline the after dinner coffee unless I know for sure it's been well made. Invariably when I ask my wife what the after dinner coffee has been like, she screws up her face - 'nuff said.


Whereabouts in the Preston/Chorley/Leyland area have you even managed to find that does a decent coffee? I keep looking and haven't really found anywhere yet


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Charliej said:


> Whereabouts in the Preston/Chorley/Leyland area have you even managed to find that does a decent coffee? I keep looking and haven't really found anywhere yet


Our area is a desert decent coffee-wise. Go to Madchester quite a lot and always pop into Northern Tea Power where the coffee is consistently good. Have you been over to Atkinson's in Lancaster. Old established coffee shop now being run by a group of young people with passion. They've opened a coffee shop next door - recommend a visit - try a syphon - expertly made. Have you been to Brucciani's in Preston? Beautiful inside but no longer an Italian set up. Last time I went in, was served a 'cap that was as lousy as the attitude of the person who served it - never been back. Hey ho, at least I get decent coffee at home.


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## ronsil (Mar 8, 2012)

On your way into Manchester be sure not to miss 'Coffeefix' in Gatley on the main street near the co-op.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

The Systemic Kid said:


> Our area is a desert decent coffee-wise. Go to Madchester quite a lot and always pop into Northern Tea Power where the coffee is consistently good. Have you been over to Atkinson's in Lancaster. Old established coffee shop now being run by a group of young people with passion. They've opened a coffee shop next door - recommend a visit - try a syphon - expertly made. Have you been to Brucciani's in Preston? Beautiful inside but no longer an Italian set up. Last time I went in, was served a 'cap that was as lousy as the attitude of the person who served it - never been back. Hey ho, at least I get decent coffee at home.


Agree mr kid the priory hall, their new cafe next to the roasters is great, it now has the added attraction of a bakery on site with some delightful cakes adding even more temptation .

Most Brucciani's seem to be like that now though. As you say great buildings , but not much else.


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## Garry (May 16, 2013)

I'v never had any crysatlisation problems can it tend to happen? If i could put them elsewhere i would but space is kinda a premium in my "hole in the wall"

yeah nothing worse than spotting somewhere with dirty steamwands


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## Charliej (Feb 25, 2012)

The Systemic Kid said:


> Our area is a desert decent coffee-wise. Go to Madchester quite a lot and always pop into Northern Tea Power where the coffee is consistently good. Have you been over to Atkinson's in Lancaster. Old established coffee shop now being run by a group of young people with passion. They've opened a coffee shop next door - recommend a visit - try a syphon - expertly made. Have you been to Brucciani's in Preston? Beautiful inside but no longer an Italian set up. Last time I went in, was served a 'cap that was as lousy as the attitude of the person who served it - never been back. Hey ho, at least I get decent coffee at home.


I've been into NTP quite a few times now and always been impressed with them, particularly when my girlfriend who is disabled was using a hand propelled wheelchair that day, they got everyone together and lifted her in the chair up the steps, that to me is going above and beyond. There's a woman who runs a mobile coffee van called The Coffee Cow who parks outside Chorley railway station in the mornings until about 10.30 and then later on in the afternoon, she uses Limini beans and certainly makes a passable flat white, and apparently there's somewhere in Leyland using Has Bean coffee, but not been there yet. I haven't been to Atkinsons since late last year while xmas shopping and next door wasn't open then but did buy some beans and checked out the Music Room café across the road. I guess the only other place is the Roberts roasters café over at Cedar Farm craft gallery near Mawdsley which is again ok but not great and some of the beans were ok too and others were like charcoal. I've not been in Bruccianis in a very long time and its a real shame that there's no decent coffee shop in Preston. I guess I'm in the same boat as you I know that the best coffee in Chorley is available in my own kitchen.


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