The Grind – March 2010

March 2010’s version of Seattle Coffee Gear’s monthly newsletter, The Grind, is live and direct in someone you love’s inbox. Is that someone you? Well, it should be. We should all love ourselves — truly, madly, deeply.

So give yourself some sugar and, while you’re checking out this month’s newsletter — which features a yummy mint & Irish cream latte recipe, tips on the Baratza Vario display panel upgrade, a blog showcase and info on some of the new products we’ve got — sign up to receive next month’s missive. What you won’t find online is our Grind Special, available only via the email version of the newsletter, and we know how much you love a good deal, baby.

Cappuccino Sighting!

In the fall of 2008, we adopted a whale named Cappuccino, a member of the Southern Resident Killer Whale Community’s K Pod. These whales hang out in the Puget Sound during the warmer months of the year, and spend a lot of their time during the rest of the year traveling either to or fro the warmer waters off of Mexico.

Of course, we chose Cappuccino for his fetching name, but we had no idea that he was such a player! He’s rarely seen with his native K Pod when they come to town, favoring the L Pod community instead and — perhaps — its lady population.

Sightings of him lately have been few and far between and, we must admit, we were  a little bit concerned that something may have happened to him. But our little renegade was actually spotted off the coast of Florence, OR, by a fisherman at the end of January — in the company of a few K Pod rowdies and, of course, some ladies from L Pod. We can’t hate the player, just the game.

Want to learn more about these whales and how to adopt one? Check out the Whale Museum of Friday Harbor.

The Grind: February 2010

Seattle Coffee Gear’s monthly newsletter, The Grind, landed in an email box near you today — and if it wasn’t near enough for you to actually read it, you can do so here on the site or make sure you get up close and personal next month by signing up for future editions.

This month, we talk about the different functional types of espresso machines, include a recipe for Indochine Lemon, point you to our manufacturer manual resource on Brown Bean and introduce you to a few new products we have in the store. What you won’t see, however, is The Grind Special, which is for subscriber-eyes-only. Sign up to get that little bit o’ goodness every month.

New! Limited Edition Rancilio Silvia Bordeaux

If just making really great espresso isn’t enough for you and you’re a bit of a show pony (it’s okay, we still love you), then Rancilio’s saucy lil’ limited edition minx may be the lady for you.

Wrapped in faux burgundy leather (completely synthetic and animal-friendly), this special model has all the awesome features of the regular Silvia Version 3, just in a prettier package. Durable stainless steel casing, brass components and copper tubing for excellent temperature consistency and a commercial-grade steam wand that produces silky microfoam for your lattes and cappuccinos are just a few of the Silvia’s lovable features.

We only have 9 of these available, so if it melds with your style and you’ve had your eye on a Silvia for awhile, now’s your chance!

The Grind: January 2010

The first edition of the new decade has hit the bricks! Check out this month’s copy of The Grind, which features a Strawberry Mocha recipe, a collection of our YouTube greatest hits over the past month, information on descaling with lemon juice or vinegar, details on the sexy, limited edition Rancilio Silvia and some great new products that you really probably should have. Just sayin’.

But the best part of The Grind is the monthly special, available only to subscribers. So sign up to get next month’s missive sent directly to your inbox!

Supplemental Gaggia Warranty by SCG

Gaggia changed the game decades ago by introducing consumer-level espresso machines to the marketplace — it made it possible for people to make great espresso at home without requiring that they purchase a high end machine. Over the years, their name and reputation has kept the brand alive and strong here in the US, and they still make some of the best valued machines available on the market.

One thing we have not loved about them, however, is the warranty that is offered by the primary US importer, acting in the role of a manufacturer. While many manufacturer warranties will cover parts and labors for 1 – 2 years and will also provide return shipping back to you, Gaggia’s standard 2 year warranty covers parts & labor in the first year and parts only in the second year. Additionally, they do not pay for shipping either to or from a repair center. Before we were an authorized repair center, it was difficult for us to recommend the machines because of the poor warranty when compared to other machines that have similar functionality, build quality and reliability that are also backed by a better warranty.

In the fall of 2009, we became an authorized repair center for all Gaggia machines, so we’re now offering a supplemental warranty service on all Gaggia espresso machines purchased from Seattle Coffee Gear. For $29 on manual, semi-automatic or automatic espresso machines and $59 on superautomatic espresso machines, we’ll cover parts and labor for both years, as well as return shipping to any address in the continental US. Since this is directly through us, however, supplemental benefits are only available if you call and work with us directly for your warranty services — not the US importer or any of the other authorized repair centers that they have around the US. This service can be added during new machine purchases, so is an option on any Gaggia machine purchase from Seattle Coffee Gear.

=> What’s Covered?

• Phone tech support & troubleshooting
• Parts & labor for issues that arise from normal use of the machine
• Return shipping to any continental US address from our repair center

=> What’s Not Covered?

• Basic maintenance (backflushing, descaling, etc.)
• Issues that arise from not performing basic maintenance
• Normal wear items such as gaskets or surface nicks/scratches
• Issues that arise from using the machine in a use for which it was not intended (such as using it in a commercial setting if it’s not a commercial-class machine)

An Oldie but Goodie: The Saeco Incanto Classic

Would it be glib to say it’s called Classic for a reason? Probably, but we’re going to go with it anyway! The Incanto Classic is basically the newest, freshest version of the old Saeco Incanto SBS machines that we were refurbishing during much of 2009. They were so popular that we worked with Saeco USA to import a batch of the new Classics and we have them up for sale.

More reviews and a video to come, but definitely worth checking out. The steel construction is an anomaly in the superautomatic world, so that merits a second look in and of itself. With the same programming features/interface as the SBS and the Saeco Brewing System functionality, it gives you a lot of flexibility, but doesn’t require you to be a computer programmer to get a cup of coffee in the morning. And if you are a computer programmer, they do provide a great instruction manual that’s easy to follow.

So, watch this space for more reviews/videos on the recently revamped Incanto Classic!

The Grind – December 2009

It’s that time of the month again! The December issue of The Grind was sent out today, featuring a yummy recipe called the Jack Frost, information on single boilers and temperature, a full archive of all the videos we did in November (there were a lot!) and a Grind-only special. Check it out online — and sign up to get next month’s!

Home Barista Wish List Giveaway 2009

One of our favorite online stomping grounds, Home-Barista, is running a holiday Wish List Giveaway contest to promote awareness of their website and others in the online coffee and espresso community. If you’ve got some time to kill or are looking to pick-up some brand new toys, check out the full details of the contest on their site. They are also a rich information source for more technically-minded home espresso enthusiasts.

We’re participating as sponsors this year and so will be offering three different levels of prizes:

• Gift: 1 free Baratza Vario burr grinder
• Delight: 10 coupons for 10% off any Rocket espresso machine
• Surprise+: 50 coupons for a free bag of Velton’s Bonsai Blend for espresso

Have fun while increasing your espresso knowledge and maybe winning a little somethin’ somethin’!

The Grind: November 2009

This month’s issue of Seattle Coffee Gear’s newsletter, The Grind, has hit an inbox near you! If it didn’t hit yours directly, you may want to sign up for it.

We promise we don’t rent or sell email addresses and only send our monthly missive, which includes a special recipe (this month: Sapphire Nectar), an Ask the Experts tip, a full directory of the previous month’s YouTube videos, an update on Brown Bean and some featured products.

Oh, yeah — and it also includes a Grind Special not published anywhere else! To check out this month’s edition and to sign up for future mailings, head over here.