GROSCHE Milano Stovetop Espresso Maker Moka Pot 6 Cup - 9.3 oz, White

Overall,this is a good beautiful percolator that makes good coffee, but it has a design issue and it's the messiest coffee maker I own.

THE GOOD STUFF
> Beautiful, trendy and elegant, this caffettiera looks great anywhere.
> Plenty of capacity. I don't use it for espresso but for my daily milk coffee, yet it gets me three generous cups.
> Despite the size, this percolator is quite light.
> The handle is comfortable and has a comfy grip. Also, as the handle is off the percolator body of the, it doesn't heat up as much as other stove coffee makers.
> The silicone seal is quite tight and allows perfect percolation. I've found that this is really important, as I own other stove coffee makers, and the seal is the culprit for the bad quality of the coffee as the water doesn't go through the coffee properly.
> The spout pours beautifully.
> The upper body rolls on the lower body without difficulty, without getting stuck and without having to force it.
> Easy to clean, just wash it out with clean water; that's it. Despite the dripping, the white coating is not stained.
> The ethical/charitable scope of the company is something important to me. I've spent my money on a caffettiera that funds Grosche's Safe Water Project. Also, the company is carbon neutral, environmentally friendly, it's managed by women, and ticks all the ticks you want companies with a social conscience to tick on.

NOT SO GOOD.
> Aluminum, not stainless steel, which I would expect for the price I paid for this coffee maker.
> If you put the stove burner a bit high, the coffee will spit out profusely. That happened to me the first time I used it and, it dripped over the caffettiera itself, and all over my stove and bench even though the upper container wasn't even super full. I learned the lesson, now I put it on a medium heat and no problem.
> If the container is full of water, like below the screwing ridge and on or over the valve, the coffee will still spit out and drip all over the stove and kitchen bench. No inner line mark to indicate maximum height of water allowable. You have to learn the lesson by trial and error.
> You have to wait for the percolator to cool down so the spitting inside has finished; otherwise, you'll get a mess in your kitchen as the inner spout is too big and, as it keeps spitting coffee not only inside but also outside. This is a design problem. I don't have this problem with other similar percolators, as I prepare the coffee and pour it immediately without a mess. So, this one is quite annoying.
> You can call it Milano, you can point to the made-in-Italy vale and mention Italy many times, but except for the valve this is a made-in-China product as per the box (see my photo).

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Kilimazart Coffee Tamper Press Chromed (49 mm / 1.9")

This is a good solid tamper, quite heavy for the size. The base and handle can be unscrewed, so I can replace the handle for something different in the future if I feel like it; like a metallic colored handle or a wooden handle. The size is a bit odd for the two stove coffee makers I have, as it's a cm large for one, and a cm short for the other. However, I use it no problem with the latter, while I use the handle flat top as press with my small cafetiere.

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Dolce Gusto Au (Online Store)

 

Website

Dolce Gusto Australia is the official website for this branch of the Nestle pod coffee family.

The website is very easy to navigate and to shop from. Their basket info is very clear regarding pricing of the products, shipping fees and discount you get from promotional codes or coupons, so no surprise afterwards. 

Why buying from Dolce Gusto directly? Well, they deliver to your door, that is always an incentive.  

Shopping from their website works as usual: you add products to your basket, check out, introduce your payment details, and press send. You will get an email about the order being received and other about the order being shipped. 
  
My parcel took no time to get to my place, a couple of working days, and it was well packed.

Herewith a wrap-up of my shopping experience with Dolce Gusto:

THE GOOD THINGS
+ Free shipping for orders over 75$. Otherwise, a 9$ flat fee applies.
+ The pricing for the pods boxes is the same as those in major supermarkets, but they have all the varieties available in the country, which rarely happens in the supermarkets as they tend to stock those varieties  that sell best in their area. 
+ You can find all the DG machines in the market, from the simplest to the latest release, something that you cannot find in department stores. 
+ They offer great discounts and freebies from time to time.
+ They give a 10$ voucher if you register your machine in their website. 
+ Fast dispatch.
+ Great tracking system. Australia Post directly sends you a tracking link to your posted order as soon as appears in their system, and they send emails when the item is at destination and out for delivery. 
+ Parcels are very packed really well.
+ Customer service is very friendly and diligent, and they will reply to any query you have or solve any problem with the best attitude possible and fast. 

THE SO-SO THINGS
> Some of the accessories sold in their website are pricey.
> The description of some of the accessories is missing. There are photos, but they don't reflect what you get, they are illustrative. This is misleading and a bit lazy, jeez, it doesn't cost a thing to describe a product properly. 
> They variety of coffee and tea flavours is limited if compared to those you find in the European sites. 
> The pricing of the coffee machines is higher than in stores and other other retailers. You can find a difference of 40+ bucks difference in the oldest models. 
> No PayPal payment available. 
> The use too large boxes to send your order. I mean, if you order a whole large box, great, but why sending a large box that is mostly full of... air? 

MIND
You can't order anything unless you spend at least 35 bucks.
 
SOME WISHES
I'd love to have a nicer selection of espresso cups, not the plain cups they sell now. They could easily expand the accessories section with beautiful coffety things.

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WTF Foodie Moment 9: Strong Coffee

I order my coffee, a regular size that has two shots of coffee.
The barista prepares it.
> Do you want sugar?
> It depends, how strong is it?
> It has two shots.
My eyes roll around my head like  a Saturn satellite.
> Yes, but the strength depends on the beans used and the roasting so two shots can be strong or weak. (not to mention the size of the regular cup, that is not always the same or regular.)
She looks at me as if I am talking in Chinese.
>  I don't know at all, I don't drink coffee.
WTF!
Where? Two Brews Cafe

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WTF Foodie Moment 3: Espresso

{I call the attention of the lovely young waitress}

< Can you bring me an espresso, please?

> Espresso? Uhmmm, what do you mean?

--> (Rolling my eyes anti-clockwise).

< Well, an e-s-p-r-e-s-s-o. A coffee, you know, an espresso coffee.

> Do you mean, that sort of coffee that is like a long black?

---> (Rolling my eyes clockwise. Perhaps I need to clean up my ears?).

< No, you know?, an espresso, just like a concentrated coffee, no milk,  in a small coffee cup.

> Ahhhhhhh, like a shot of coffee in those little tiny winy cups?

< That's right. That is an espresso.

--> (Really.... WTF!)

(WHERE? Kokoblack cafe, Northbridge)

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WTF Foodie Moment 1: Warm Coffee

{My turn at the coffee shop is up. First in the line. I order my coffee}

< A skinny flat white just warm, please.
> Not too hot, right? 
< No no, not hot, just waaaaarrrrrmmmmm. 
> OK...  not too hot.

--> (I get my coffee. It is hot. Not too hot means hot enough to be hot, not warm.).

< The coffee is a bit too hot, would you mind adding some cold milk? 

> Oh really? Sooooo sorryyyyy. No problem. 

--> (They add some milk, without stirring. The coffee is still hot, but less hot, still it is hot not warm. I am going to get my tongue burned - again.) 

< Thanks. 

--> (I am just being polite, it is not a thanks full of thanks. Mental note to myself: bring a chapter of Elmo's World in my bag to lend to baristas out there. Hot and Warm lesson. WTF!)

(WHERE? Most Cafés in Perth )

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Sweetening

Imagine this case scenario:

You go to a restaurant, get your dish and when you ask the waiter for salt, the waiter looks down at you and, in a tone of disdain, he tells you, "Sorry, Miss, we do not do salt here, salt is really bad for you".

Ridiculous, no?

Now, it is becoming trendy amongst certain cafes, bakeries and restaurants in Perth to reply to my "flat white with a sweetener" in a disdainful flipping tone "we do not do sweetener here" or "sweetener is cancerogenous and kills".

The funny thing is that some of the same people who preach about sweetener would drink huge amounts of fizzy or caffeine-concentrate drinks, smoke, drink alcohol, would not exercise or consume tons of natural products like, say, sugar. In fact, it sounds ridiculous to me that sugar (too much sugar) could be thought a very healthy food at all. But it is not trendy to say so because our culture is very much sugar-coated and we all love our candies, cakes and chocolates.  

I am not saying that sweetener is the most natural healthy wholehearted food on the Planet, or that you have to consume it in great quantities without worry. I am saying that there are different types of sweetening products to start with (chemical derived and plant derived), and that having a sweetener with my coffee or having a fizzy sugar-free drink now and then is OK - in moderation. Why? Because the scientific debate -which is the one that matters to me- has been long and inconclusive regarding the cancerogenous properties of sweetener unless consumed in huge quantities. A summary of the debate can be found at the Wikipedia in Aspartame or Stevia or just visit The Cancer Council of the USA.

Having a healthy lifestyle the whole year around does more for your health and for inhibiting your cancer risks than anything else. On the other hand, we do know that if you have a nasty gene, you are prone to develop any disease or cancer no matter how much you take care of yourself. Yes, it sucks, but that is science, not BS or mass hysteria.

The fact is:

Too much sugar do kill even if you do not consume sweetener.

Too much salt do kill ditto.

Too much water, yes water, do kill ditto.

Too much fatty food do kill, ditto.

Too much tobacco do kill, ditto.

Too much alcohol do kill, ditto.

Too much Love do Kill, ditto.

Anger do kill, ditto.

Obesity do kill, ditto.

Sedentarism do kill, ditto.

Depression do kill, ditto.

Religious fanatism do kill, ditto.


Political fanaticism do kill, ditto.

Bad traffic signs do kill, ditto.

Domestic violence do kill, ditto.

Poverty do kill, ditto.

Your inherited genes do kill.

I do no want to die before my time, and I do take care of my body and soul all the year around, but limiting my options is not cool or even sensible when it comes from a preaching patronising position. 

Unless the consumption of sweetener is forbidden by the health authorities and proven lethal in small quantities, I do want to have the option to consume sweetener, sugar or nothing when I fancy. I do not want to be treated as a retarded because I order my coffee with a sweetener, preached by people who make of their personal approach to life and food a pseudo-religion. I do not want food Messiahs or a nanny restaurant, just my coffee the way I order it....

On the other hand, if you are diabetic, just tell me what are you going to do without sweetener?

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Standing Room Only (Perth WA)

Shop 7, Piccadilly Arcade
Hay St
Perth 6000
Phone:  Ring Ring No Ring
Hours:
   Mon-Fri 7am-3.30pm
Facebook

I  discovered the SRO café in one of my visits to the Piccadilly Cinemas. I was instantly attracted to it by its Italian concept, the vintage super-stylish look of the place, and its location in the lovely Piccadilly Arcade. Then, I saw their blackboard (see the photo), stating very seriously what they do and what they stand for - Infatuation in five seconds. I told myself, this is the sort of café who cares and caters for coffeeholics of the world. Yet, here I am, a bit disappointed.

THE PLACE - I triple-love the place. It is the class of it, its vintage ambience and music, the coffee addict messages on the mirrors, the painted chalkboards, the wonderful flowers painted on the lamps, that awesome ice-dripping syphon for ice coffee and glass steamer that look so very artistic, the gorgeous coffee machines and coffee grinders... almost everything!  I say almost, because the coffee cups are plain and look out of place here.

THE SERVICE - The young staff are not only gorgeous looking, but friendly and smiley, especially the girl, who really pops up because of her genuine friendliness. All of them are courteous and operate the machine with the precision of a surgeon operating on a dangerous ill patient, but my coffee deserves their concentration. 

THE COFFEE - This should be the first thing to comment about a café, right? Especially this being a place that claims that steams the milk just once, roast beans to order and has very professional baristas who take very seriously anything coffee. Perhaps my expectations were too high after SRO's self-promotion and my fatal attraction towards style with capitals. 

Their coffee is well prepared, but OK in flavour. Sometimes, my three-shot flat white is weak and bland (how can that be possible?!), others it is stronger and nice, always better without sugar or sweetener. Never wow in flavour. It might be the "Five Senses" beans, which are not that sensual to me, the roasting of the beans, the age of the beans, the grinding of the beans, the milk, or the barista operating the "machinery". Dunno. My royal tongue wants a more creamy flavoursome coffee that is consistently prepared and has always the same flavour disregarding the day I visit. I cannot explain why their coffee does not taste better, SRO having all the paraphernalia they have and the enthusiasm they put into preparing our coffee.

***

SRO is perfect to grab a cup before heading to the cinema or your are in a hurry and want a takeaway right now. You will love their coffee if you like Five Sense beans and smooth/weak coffees that do not need of sugar or sweetener. However, if you like well-rounded creamy coffees consistently prepared and with a distinct flavour, you might need to wow yourself on your own. At SRO, the place is amazing, the staff are lovely, and the coffee is OK.

***

I stand in the room only to tell you that I do want to love you more, honey, but you do not give me what I need. I hope you get fit for summer and wow me with your sexy syphon.

MIND
The place does not have EPFTOS. I asked one of the guys if it is temporarily, and I was told that no, that the place and location is not set properly for using EFTPOS. I wonder how the other shops in Piccadilly do have it, then.

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Musing About: Signs that you are a Coffeeholic

I would say, if you say yes to more than ten items in my list, you are also a hardcore coffeeist.

1. You think coffee addict is a too-strong definition for your liking of coffee. 
2. You need at least two cups of coffee for your brain fully functioning in the morning.
3. Ditto for you being able to talk properly.
4.  You ponder about how life was before coffee became a commodity. Think about it!
5.  You look in shock at people who confess they do not love coffee. Do they have a problem?
6. You read the word coffee and feel an inexplicable urge to drink coffee.
7. You think the word coffee is beautiful in any possible language.
8. You leave home in the morning excited because you are heading to your favourite café to get get a proper cup of coffee.
9. You drink more than two cups of coffee a day.
10.  You love tea and tisanes but mostly drink coffee.
11. You go out of your way to get your coffee or try a new cafe's coffee.
12. You sniff up for coffee smell at passing by an open café.
13. You take a takeway coffee to the cinema instead of other drinks.
14. You delight at smelling the empty cup of the coffee you had.
15. You almost cry when you find a Nescafè machine when travelling in remote parts of the world.
16. You think instant coffee is one of the best inventions in the world.
17. You think coffee in coffee bags is the second best thing in the world of coffee. 
18. You think decaf coffee is the third best thing in the world of coffee.
19. You get excited at seeing a beautiful coffee machine or traditional coffee grinders.
20. You have childhood memories associated with coffee.
21. You think barista is a brilliant profession.
22. You like coffee flavour in lollies, cakes, ice-cream and liquors.
23. You wish there was a perfume with a bit of coffee smell.
24. You get excited at being given coffee beans to clean up you smell while perfume testing.
25. You are fussy about the size of your cup and get cranky if it is small.
26. Your coffee experience is enhanced by the container in which it is served.
27. You have a list of beans brands that you love or hate with a passion.
28. You drink coffee after 4pm or before going to bed.
29. You consider a drama having to quit coffee for health or medical reasons.
30. You think that flavoured coffees are a coffee derivative not proper coffee.
31. Your iced coffee is generally a cold coffee prepared the usual way, without any ice added because ice is water, and too much water dilutes the coffee.
32. You get annoyed at cups with too much froth, because there is less coffee in then.
33. You know that you are expending too much money on coffee, but are happy  because you can afford it.
34. You worry what is going to happen when you cannot afford paying for all the coffees you want. 
35. You do not give four or five stars to any café unless the coffee is super-great. The most handsome barista will not make you forget how your coffee tastes like! Ha!

I am guilty of all...
How many did you score? Any other you feel it is missing and you'd like to add?

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Coffee Shot Missing. Help!

Most Perth cafés offering take-away options have tree sizes: Small, Regular and XL.

Here it is the sin spreading throughout our city. The small cup has one shot of coffee, the medium has two. And the large has... two and an a half shots instead of three. What?! What?! What?

They, of course, do not tell you, no written signs, they let you delude yourself. Delusion makes people happy. Placebo effect delivered to you with your cuppa and a big smile every day. Baristas are all so good-looking that you can't help it and smile back at them. Still, if you ask, they will tell you. 

These sort of policies are a bit of a cheat to consumers and coffee lovers who, like us, spend a little fortune on coffee, and expect their coffee to be perfect and wonderful every time every size. Moreover, the missing shot (or half a shot) makes a huge difference in the flavour of the coffee you drink, wherefore most XL takeaways taste bland and latte-ish.

If this was not enough sin, some cafés put one and a half shots in the regular, and two in the large, the small still having one. What the flack?!

I always ask them to add the missing shot or half shot; they smile and say "of course", but the coffee still tastes bland. I guess it is another dollop of delusional smile sweetened with an elusive shot.  

Many cafés have a great coffee indoors, but then it tastes watery and bland when prepared for takeaway. We pay a lot of money for our coffee, so please, deliver. Should we order two small coffee cups to get what we want?

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