Fiorenzato-Pietro hand grinder

The Pietro hand grinder, made by the Italian company Fiorenzato, is a premium manual grinder featuring 58mm vertical flat burrs, designed for single dosing to produce a clean and subtle cup of coffee. 

It's known for its innovative design, including a unique ergonomic and retractable lever system and magnetic dosing chamber, which allows for precision, zero retention, and ease of cleaning. 

The grinder is available with 2 different burr sets for multipurpose or filter.

 

Key Features

Vertical Flat Burrs:

The Pietro is unique as the only hand grinder with vertical 58mm flat burrs, a design that promotes consistent performance and precise extraction. 

Zero Retention:

The design ensures that no coffee grounds are retained in the grinder, leading to a cleaner cup and more efficient use of beans. 

Ergonomic Design:

It features an innovative, ergonomic design with a retractable lever for comfortable and precise use. 

Magnetic Dosing Chamber:

A grounds container with strong magnetic buttons collects the coffee, making it easy to detach and use. 

Premium Build Quality:

Manufactured in Venice, Italy, the grinder is built with premium materials and a robust design. 

Specialized Burr Sets:

You can choose between the "MultiPurpose" burrs for a full range of brewing, or the "ProBrew" burrs, optimized for filter extractions. 

Benefits

Exceptional Clarity:

Produces a noticeably cleaner and more subtle cup of coffee, allowing for subtle tasting notes to become more apparent. 

Precision Grinding:

The vertical flat burr geometry provides perfect extraction for a superior coffee experience. 

Ease of Cleaning:

The grinder is designed to be easy to take apart, clean, and set up. 

Stylish and High-Quality:

Its aesthetic and craftsmanship make it a beautiful and durable addition to a countertop. 

Who is it for?

The Pietro is designed for discerning coffee enthusiasts who are looking for a high-performance, specialized hand grinder for single-dosing, and who appreciate a blend of innovative engineering and premium aesthetics. 

3D printed stand and funnel

The Pietro hand grinder has approximately 15 microns of burr distance adjustment per click of its numbered dial. This adjustment is consistent across different burr sets, including the standard M-Modal and the Pro Brewing burrs, providing users with precise control over their grind size for espresso, filter coffee, and other brew methods.

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Key Details

15 Microns per Click:

Each click on the Pietro's intuitive adjustment dial corresponds to a 15-micron change in the distance between the burrs. 

Burr Distance:

This micron value represents the actual physical change in the setting, ensuring a precise and repeatable adjustment for your grind. 

Intuitive Dial:

The numbered dial allows for easy and accurate identification of grind levels for various brewing methods, from espresso to filter coffee. 

Versatile Burr Sets:

This 15-micron increment holds true for both the standard M-Modal burrs and the Pro Brewing burrs (designed with Lance Hedrick), offering consistent precision regardless of your chosen burr set. 

There is a hack for making this stepless however I haven't felt the need to do this so far.

Peru HB Caijsa Organic

Upcoming roast...  using a "Peru HB Caijsa Organic" .

This is a specific type of Peruvian organic coffee, often wet-processed, known for its clean cup, bright acidity, and flavor notes of fruit (like papaya), florals, citrus, and rich cocoa.

These beans are frequently sourced from cooperatives like Valleinca or through programs like Café Femenino.This batch comes from The 

Cooperative Agroecologica Industrial Juan Santos Atahualpa (CAIJSA).

https://www.coop-atahualpa.com/

Juan Santos Atahualpa Cooperative

was founded on October 16, 2011 with 20 partners; currently with 586 producers distributed between Pichanaki, Perené, Río Negro, Pangoa, Río Tambo and Puerto Bermúdez.

These beans are ethical sourced in high Andean regions. 

It's a popular choice for single-origin roasts, offering a balanced, smooth, and rich taste profile. 

Key Characteristics:

Origin: High Andean highlands of Peru.

Processing: Typically wet-processed (washed).

Certifications: Often certified Fairtrade and Organic.

Flavor Profile: Clean, bright, with hints of papaya, citrus, nuts, chocolate (milk/dark), stone fruit, and floral notes.

Body & Acidity: Moderate body, bright acidity, smooth finish.

Varietals: Caturra, Typica are common. 

What "HB" might mean:

It could stand for "High Grown" or "High Altitude," common in Peruvian coffee descriptions.

It might also refer to a specific cooperative or estate, like "Peru Grace Estate". 

In Summary:

You're looking at a high-quality, ethical, single-origin Peruvian coffee that delivers a complex but clean and sweet cup, often with chocolatey and fruity undertones, perfect for various brewing methods. 

Spring lever pressure profile.

 A spring lever espresso machine's inherent pressure profile is a natural curve, 

starting with a gentle pre-infusion and quickly ramping up to a peak pressure before tapering off

as the spring expands. 

Skilled baristas can manipulate this profile by "pulling back" or "pushing through" the lever to control flow, enhance specific flavors, and achieve greater extraction uniformity compared to conventional, fixed-pressure machines.  

The Basic Spring Lever Profile

1. Pre-infusion:

The process begins with a gentle pre-infusion, using lower pressure (around 1.5-5 bar) to saturate the coffee grounds. 

2. Pressure Ramp:

Releasing the lever allows the compressed spring to expand, creating a quick spike in pressure (around 9-12 bar). 

3. Pressure Taper:

As the spring continues to expand throughout the shot, it exerts less force, causing the pressure to gradually decline. 

Note, there is a variation of this spring lever profile called "Londinium profile".

It is a adapted version of the spring lever profile that uses

a higher initial pre infusion pressure. For more info:

 + Londinium profile

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There are two types of spring lever machines:

Single vs Dual.

Single spring.

This is a Elektra La Casa.

The spring produces about 8 bar pressure 

This pic is from the Decent app

https://decentespresso.com/downloads

The Elektra is a really simple single spring machine, but it gives me some of the best tasting coffee I've ever had. The temp is closer to 90C, and I think the pressure lives somewhere between 7-8 bar.

Dual spring
Examples of dual spring lever espresso machines are the ACS Vostok and the Nurri Leva. They feature a double spring system for a consistent and repeatable extraction pressure. 

These machines incorporate a lever system with an inner and outer spring to provide a controlled and gradual pressure release, offering users precise control over the brewing process.  

How it works: 

Double Spring System:

Unlike single spring designs, a dual spring system in a lever machine uses two springs—an outer and an inner—to create a more stable and controllable pressure profile during the extraction.

Lever Operation:

When the user pulls the lever, it compresses the springs, which then provide a consistent, descending pressure to the coffee puck.

Consistency:

The dual spring setup helps to minimize pressure fluctuations, leading to a more repeatable and high-quality extraction.

Examples of machines:

ACS Vostok:

This machine is known for its use of a double spring system in its Lost Marco-clone group head, allowing for a repeatable style of extraction. 

Nurri Leva SA:

Another example of a modern dual spring lever machine, the Nurri Leva is praised for its beautiful design and innovative features, including the dual spring mechanism

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These are some graphs using the Smart espresso pressure profiler app

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=hu.kavekalmar.sep&hl=en_AU

Profitec single spring

Pressure reaches 0.5 bar at 1 secs.

Stays there till 11sec. then steep ramp up.

Pressure hits 6.5 bar at about 17 secs followed with a gradual decline in pressure over 45 secs

Profitec dual spring

Pressure reaches 0.75 bar at 1 secs.

Stays there till 11sec. then steep ramp up.

Pressure hits 9 bar at about 18 secs followed with a gradual decline in pressure over 35 secs

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Faemia Faemia 1964

Its  a pretty old machine .

The highest pressure is I think about 5 bar. The coffee isn't perfect, but this machine is more sculpture and work of art.

Really long 20 sec preinfusion that initially rises to 1-2 bar then settles down to 1 bar.

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For fun I though I'd add a La Marzocco Leva x (graph below)

The X is a springless machine.

It utilizes a sophisticated electro-pneumatic system for brewing and pressure control rather than mechanical springs. 

Pressure reaches 2.5 bar at 3 secs.

Stays there till 10sec. then steep ramp up.

Pressure hits 9bar at about 13 secs followed with a gradual decline in pressure over 50 secs

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Coffee index. Click here :

https://djjondent.blogspot.com/2024/03/coffee.html

Digitakt Jam with MIDI Triggered WS2812 Neon Strips

 This is out on Kickstrter

for more info:Back KOLOR on Kickstarter now!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...

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R50 hand grinder - 34.5mm conical burr hand grinder

I received this unknown brand 34.5mm hand grinder.

The burr has 7 cores

I tracked it down to Aliexpress as a R50 hand grinder.

Chinese ? Some of the listings identify it as from a company called 9am.

Because of the 7 cores it will probably feed slower that a pentagonal or heptagonal burr set (but produce less fines).

It might be good for lighter roasts. ?

Heptagonal burrs require more force but potentially fewer rotations for grinding, potentially creating a faster grind with more effort, while hexagonal burrs require less force but more rotations for the same amount of grinding. Heptagonal burrs are known to perform well for lighter roasts and higher extraction brewing methods like pour-over and can also produce excellent espresso, whereas hexagonal burrs offer a more traditional and balanced flavour profile. 

The build quality was quite good.

I really like the magnetic catch cup.

It stays fixed when grinding much better than many of my other magnetically held grinders.

These are the steel burrs

It's fixed to the axel which I love as alignment is done in the factory.

It's two bearings which enhance alignment even more.

With the external click system I think this is great value.

about 100AUD

Two bearings on the shaft

34.5mm ??

This is how to open it up.

Go to the coarsest setting

Press this down 

then unscrew the nut

I still haven't seasoned the grinder, but so far, the espresso is Ok

It's all metal inside.

settings:

36 for V60/pourover

turn clockwise to go coarser

24 for espresso

turn

anticlockwise to go finer

Sweetness in Single origin Coffees

 what is the sweetest single origin coffee?

“Sweetest” in coffee terms usually means the cup has natural sugar-like flavors (think honey, caramel, fruit, or chocolate), low bitterness, and balanced acidity. Sweetness depends on the origin, varietal, processing method, and roast.

Here are some of the sweetest single-origin coffees, known for their naturally sugary, dessert-like flavor profiles:

🌺 Ethiopia – Natural (Dry) Process Coffees

Regions: Sidamo, Yirgacheffe, Guji

Tasting notes: Blueberry, strawberry, honey, jasmine, chocolate

Why sweet: The natural (sun-dried) process concentrates sugars and fruit flavors in the bean.

Example: Ethiopian Guji Natural — famous for its berry jam sweetness and floral aroma.

    - Ethiopia

    - Ethiopian Sidamo & Guji

🍯 Panama – Geisha (Gesha) Variety

Regions: Boquete, Volcán, Baru

Tasting notes: Honey, peach, jasmine, bergamot

Why sweet: The Geisha varietal is low in bitterness and high in natural sugars and aromatics.

🍫 El Salvador – Pacamara or Bourbon Varietals

Regions: Santa Ana, Chalatenango

Tasting notes: Milk chocolate, caramel, brown sugar, red apple

Why sweet: Grown at high altitudes, these varietals develop syrupy sweetness and a smooth body.

Example: El Salvador Santa Ana Pacamara — buttery caramel sweetness and a silky finish.

🍓Colombia – Honey or Natural Process

Regions: Huila, Nariño, Tolima

Tasting notes: Red fruit, panela (raw sugar), chocolate

Why sweet: The honey or natural process retains mucilage sugars, enhancing sweetness.

Example: Huila Honey Process — balanced sweetness with a clean aftertaste.

   - Colombian coffee

🍊 Costa Rica – Honey Process

Regions: Tarrazú, West Valley

Tasting notes: Citrus, brown sugar, toffee, apricot

Why sweet: The honey process is famous for boosting fruit and sugar notes without fermenty flavors.

Example: Costa Rica Tarrazú Yellow Honey — caramel sweetness with bright orange-like acidity.

 - Costa Rica

| Origin                 | Process        | Flavor Profile        | Sweetness Level |

| ---------------------- | -------------- | --------------------- | --------------- |

| Ethiopia (Guji)        | Natural        | Blueberry, honey      | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐           |

| Panama (Geisha)        | Washed/Natural | Peach, jasmine, honey | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐           |

| El Salvador (Pacamara) | Washed         | Caramel, chocolate    | ⭐⭐⭐⭐            |

| Colombia (Huila)       | Honey          | Panela, red fruit     | ⭐⭐⭐⭐            |

| Costa Rica (Tarrazú)   | Honey          | Toffee, citrus        | ⭐⭐⭐⭐            |

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Coffee index. Click here :

https://djjondent.blogspot.com/2024/03/coffee.html

Coffee bean roasting - general guide for temperature & time profiles

When roasting coffee beans, the temperature & time profile is one of the most critical factors that determines flavor, body, and aroma. The exact temperatures and times depend on roast level (light, medium, or dark) and equipment type (drum roaster, fluid bed, etc.) the beans, bean density, and batch size their processing, etc .

Assuming you’re using a drum roaster and aiming for a total roast time of about 9–12 minutes

(a common sweet spot for balanced flavor and good development control),

these are typical averages and should give you a solid baseline. :

☘️ 1. Drying Phase (Green → Yellow)

Time: ~4–6 minutes

Temperature range: ~150–170 °C (302–338 °F)

Goal: Reduce bean moisture (usually ~10–12% down to ~2%).

Cues: Color shifts from green to pale yellow; hay or bread dough aroma develops.

Tips: Avoid heating too fast — scorching can occur if the drum is too hot early on.

🍞 2. Maillard Phase - Browning Phase (Yellow → Light Brown)

Time: ~3–4 minutes

Temperature range: ~170–200 °C (338–392 °F)

Goal: Caramelization, sugar browning, and Develop sweetness, body, and complexity.

Cues: Aroma shifts to sweet/caramel, Color changes to light brown.

Tips: This is the “flavor-building” phase. Control the rate of rise (RoR) carefully — steady but slowing.

Control here affects the eventual flavor depth and acidity balance.

🔊 3. First Crack (Development Begins)

Time of first crack start: ~7–9 minutes into the roast

Temperature: ~195–205 °C (383–401 °F)

Goal: Beans expand and release steam/CO₂; start of development stage.

Cues: Audible cracking (like popcorn); surface lightens slightly due to expansion.

Notes: This audible “crack” signals the start of development and the end of “drying.” Lighter roasts often end shortly after this point.

☕ 4. Development Phase (After First Crack → End of Roast)

| **Roast Level**       | **Development Time** | **Typical End Temp**    | **Notes**                                                                       (after 1st crack)

| **Light Roast**       | 30–90 seconds            | 205–210 °C (401–410 °F) | Bright, acidic, origin-                                                                                                                                          forward.                  

| **Medium Roast**          | 1.5–2.5 minutes    | 210–220 °C (410–428 °F) | Balanced flavor;                                                                                                                            sweet & round.   

              

| **Medium-Dark Roast** | 2.5–3.5 minutes   | 220–225 °C (428–437 °F) | More body and chocolate   notes                                                                                                                                                        

| **Dark Roast**                   | 3–4 minutes          | 225–235 °C (437–455 °F) | Begins around or after  second crack; smoky, oily.                                                                                                                                 

❄️ 5. Cooling Phase

Time: 2–4 minutes (rapid cooling is key)

Goal: Stop roast progression immediately to lock in the desired profile.

Tips: Air or drum cooling systems should drop bean temp below 50 °C (122 °F) within a few minutes.

⏱️ Typical Total Roast Duration

Roast Type Total Time

Light         8–10 minutes

Medium        10–12 minutes

Dark        12–14 minutes

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here’s a typical medium roast curve for a Colombian washed arabica coffee (moderate density, ~10–11% moisture). Colombian beans generally do well with a balanced, steady heat ramp that brings out caramel sweetness, nutty tones, and a touch of fruit acidity.

☕ Medium Roast Profile — Colombian Coffee

Roaster type: Drum roaster

Batch size: Medium (e.g., 1–5 kg)

Total time: ~11 minutes

Target end temperature: ~218 °C (425 °F)

🔥 Temperature vs. Time Table

| **Phase**                                 | **Time (min)** | **Bean Temp (°C)**   | **Notes**                                                                               

| **Charge**                             | 0:00           | **195 °C**           | Add green beans. High enough to start                                                                                                          drying without scorching.                             

| **Turning Point**                      | 1:30           | **~110 °C**          | Bean temp drops as cold beans                                                                                                                         absorb heat.                                                   

| **Drying Phase**                       | 1:30–5:00      | 110 → 160 °C         | Moisture loss; grassy smell                                                                                                                             fades.                                                           

| **Maillard Phase**                     | 5:00–8:00      | 160 → 195 °C         | Caramelization begins; aroma                                                                                                                      becomes sweet/toasty. Rate of                                                                                                                       Rise (RoR) should slow slightly. 

 

| **First Crack (Start of Development)** | 8:00–9:00      | **~200 °C**          | Audible cracking starts.                                                                                                                                 Keep airflow high to                                                                                                                                       manage chaff and smoke.                        

| **Development Phase**                  | 9:00–11:00     | 200 → 218 °C         | Balance caramelization and                                                                                                                          acidity. End around 2                                                                                                                                       minutes after first crack for                                                                                                                                   medium roast. 

| **Drop**                               | 11:00          | **218 °C**           | End roast. Beans are medium-brown,                                                                                                                 matte (no oil).                                          

| **Cooling**                            | 11:00–14:00    | Rapid cool to <50 °C | Stop development quickly.                                                                   

📈 Roast Curve Overview

Imagine a smooth, slightly flattening curve:

Steep rise early on (0–4 min) → moisture evaporates quickly.

Gentle S-curve flattening (4–8 min) → Maillard reaction phase; color shift from yellow to brown.

Gradual taper after first crack (8–11 min) → RoR declines steadily until drop.

Approximate Rate of Rise (RoR):

Start: ~25 °C/min

Mid-roast: ~15 °C/min

End: ~5 °C/min

💡 Tuning Tips

If the cup tastes sour or sharp, extend Maillard by 30–45 seconds or slow the heat ramp slightly.

If the cup tastes flat or baked, increase heat earlier or shorten total roast time slightly.

For more sweetness, emphasize the Maillard phase (caramelization) by stretching 5:00–8:00 range.

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Coffee index. Click here :

https://djjondent.blogspot.com/2024/03/coffee.html

Roasting using a single temp probe (& sight,sound,smell)

Roasting with minimal equipment: Sight, sound, smell & a simple temp probe.

The 3 impt phases of coffee are the drying phase (the beans change colour from green to yellow), the browning phase, development phase

Roasting coffee with only drum temperature readings involves a manual process using a timer and notebook to track time, temperature, and color changes, which you can use to manually adjust heat settings and control the roast. 

This method requires careful observation to identify the turning point, monitor the rate of rise (ROR), and note when to make adjustments to hit key milestones like first crack and the final drop temperature. While challenging, it offers a deeper understanding of roasting principles and prepares you for situations where automated data is unavailable. 

Roasting steps 

1. Preheat and charge: 

 up the drum to a consistent temperature and preheat the roaster. Note this charge temperature when you add the beans.

2. Monitor the temperature drop: As the cold beans are added, the drum temperature will drop significantly. Use your notes to track the "turning point" where the temperature stops declining and begins to rise again.

3.Track the rate of rise (ROR): Use a timer to take temperature readings every 30 seconds. 

Manually calculate the ROR by doubling the difference between consecutive readings to gauge the speed of the roast.

4. 

During the drying phase observe bean color and adjust heat: 

Watch the beans change from green to yellow. 

You may smell "hay" -> "grass" -> "yeast or dough".

The bean will also start to swell in size. As the beans change size and shape they will

tumble differently.

Adjust your gas setting to control the ROR. For example, slow down the roast as you approach first crack by reducing the heat.

You should aim to get the dry phase to last 4 - 5 mins. No shorter.

Thus being able to control the temp is useful. not rushing this phase will minimise roast defects & allow the heat to penetrate to the centre of the seed.

5. browning phase. Use your nose & eyes.

    This phase is where all the flavour development comes from. So don't rush it.

    Firstly make sure there is no green coloured beans left. Everything should be yellow.

    The colour now changes : Yellow -> brown

    The smell changes from a yeasty-doughy smell to sweetness. Also smell "baked goods" ... 

     like a berry or apple pie crust,  cinnamon, spice

    We are caramelizing the beans. Acidity gives off aromas of fruit.

6. First crack: Listen for the audible "first crack" and make a note of the time and temperature.

   This is the end of the browning phase. 

   You may want to aim for a lower ROR at this stage, such as \(10^{\circ }C\) per minute.

7. development phase: Continue monitoring the ROR and bean color. 

   Continue smelling the coffee after 1st crack (every 15 secs).

   Adjust heat as needed to control the roast and prevent it from moving too fast. 

8. Drop the roast: Decide on a final drum temperature to drop the coffee, 

   and activate the cooling fan at the same time. 

   The time you drop your beans is a individual decision ... could be a specific temp, 

   or a percentage of the total time.

Key considerations 

Consistency is crucial: For this manual method to be consistent, try to keep other variables like drum speed and airflow the same for each roast.

Match roasts: Knowing the pre-roast drum temperature can be vital for achieving consistency between batches, especially for the first roast of the day.

Be prepared for variation: Each roaster and thermocouple installation will have unique readings, so expect variation. The key is to develop a consistent process that works for your specific equipment.

Focus on the ROR: A smooth and controlled ROR is the most critical aspect of a balanced roast. Don't rely on the time to drop; use color and the ROR as your primary indicators

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Coffee index. Click here :

https://djjondent.blogspot.com/2024/03/coffee.html

Antigua (city) , Guatemala

 Antigua Guatemala is a stunning, historic city in Guatemala's highlands, famous for its well-preserved Spanish Baroque colonial architecture, cobblestone streets, and dramatic backdrop of three volcanoes, including the active Volcán de Fuego. 

Antigua was the capital of Central America for over 200 years

The pic below is of the Cathedral de San Jose. consecrated in 1547.

 The current facade was constructed after the earthquake of 1773.

Once the capital of the Captaincy-General of Guatemala, it's a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its charming grid layout, vibrant culture, excellent coffee, ruins of earthquake-damaged churches, and as a base for volcano hiking. 

Key Highlights:

Colonial Charm: Wander cobblestone streets, admire pastel buildings, and visit iconic spots like the Santa Catalina Arch, Central Park, La Merced Church, and the ruins of San Francisco Church.

History & Culture: Explore numerous museums, convents, and historic buildings that tell the story of Spanish colonial power and subsequent earthquakes.

Palacio de los Capitanes Generales.

constructed in 1558.

It serves as the headquarters of the Guatemala Institute of Tourism, the Antigua Tourism Association, National Police 

Coffee & Cuisine: Tour nearby coffee fincas (farms) or enjoy world-class coffee in the city's many cafes, alongside delicious local Guatemalan food.

Relax in the bustling Parque Central.

Volcano Views: The city offers incredible views of volcanoes like Agua, Acatenango, and Fuego, with hiking options for all levels, including overnight treks to see Fuego's eruptions.

UNESCO Site: Recognized for its outstanding universal value, preserving its colonial urban layout and architectural heritage. 

The church and Convent of the society of Jesus.

The original Jesuit monastery was built in 1626.

What to Expect:

Vibrant Atmosphere: A lively mix of tourists, students (Spanish schools are popular), locals, and tuk-tuks.

Cooler Climate: Cooler temperatures due to its high elevation (around 1,500m).

Must-Do Activities:

Visit the Santa Catalina Arch for iconic photos.

17th century. The clock tower was added in the 1830s

Located 5th Ave North

Antigua is very affordable for travel: Generally inexpensive for food and lodging, though it's considered pricier than other parts of Guatemala.

Generally safe in tourist areas, but always use common sense. 

Hike the Acatenango volcano for volcano views.

Explore the ruins of former convents like La Recolección.

Take a coffee or chocolate tour. 

View from my hotel