New arrivals and related thoughts

Well, look what we have here! Yesterday was a good day for coffee-related mail. First, a fresh batch of AJ’s Finca Santa Clara arrived. It smelled great even before I cracked the bag (took a hit from the one-way valve), and my cup this morning did not disappoint. I checked with the roaster, who confirmed that this lot of Finca Santa Clara is not the one that just won 6th place in the 2012 Guatemala COE competition. Consider buying now before everyone realizes (remembers?) what a great farm this is and drives the price up.

A few hours later, UPS delivered my Trifecta MB. It was easy as pie to set up, and the first few cups out of it impressed me. I’ll be posting more detailed thoughts next week once I've become familiar with the machine and its settings, but I’m already a fan. This thing might temporarily squash my Aeropress enthusiasm for obvious reasons. Speaking of, sediment in the cup is inconsequential, on par with what I get when using the Aeropress + DISK Fine combo. Little touches impress me, too: the beaker’s geek appeal, the brew guide, the small digital scale with 0.1-g. resolution and flip cover that’s included.

I’ve been using the LIDO to grind for the Trifecta, which is an amusing juxtaposition of manual and automatic. An electric grinder like my Preciso might pair more naturally with the Trifecta. Maybe the new machine’s arrival is what it will take for me to start feeling the Preciso love again. Recently I’d been favoring the LIDO for all but espresso grinding duties, and then my desire for espresso fell off (happens periodically). In fact, the Gaggia Classic is now downstairs on a storage shelf; Trifecta has taken its place on the counter. I’m an exclusively brewed dude coffeewise, at least at home, for the foreseeable future.

Anyway, may the days to come be filled with exciting new arrivals for you all, too!