The Coffee Hound has upgraded its equipment in Normal and Bloomington in our never ending quest to deliver quality and consistency with each one of our espresso beverages. The newest additions are the Anfim Electonic Grinders in both stores, and the Nuova Simonelli Aurelia Compezione espresso machine, seen at the Normal location.
These new “toys” feature technological advances in the coffee world that help us to produce the highest quality product that we possibly can.
Specifically the new Anfim grinders allow us to minimize the waste, and inefficency of a normal espresso grinder by adding a digital timer. By setting this timer the grinder will grind a specific amount of coffee, allowing us to specifically dictate our dosing parameters.These grinders are often used by barista competitors the world over, taking their espresso shots to the next level, and helping to guarantee that the shots taste the same every time.
The Coffee Hound employees may be most excited however, about the new espresso machine gracing the Coffee Hound Normal location. The new 2011 World Barista Competition Nuova Simonelli Aurelia espresso machine is the same machine used at the actual WBC. What this means is that the we are now using the same machine used by the best baristas in the world. Jokingly nickmaed a “Spaceship” the new machine features a digital display showing boiler temperature, as well as an integrated timer, giving the barista the ability to accurately time shots independent of one another. The lights, giving the machine an ethereal glow when the lights are off visible from the street, are not purely for a luxe Vegas appearance, but actually let the barista accurately guage color in their espresso shots. By having a consistent light source, we can see the subtle changes in color in the espresso, giving us an early indidcation of whether or not the shot is pulling correctly so that we can guarantee that when we yell an order out, that drink will taste just as good as it looks.
Stop in to either of these stores to get a closer look at these machines, and if you have time to have your ear talked off about the greatness of these machines, ask the barista what they think about them.