Los Angeles/OC/San Diego 🌈

[placid cradle]

Good choice

[tight gorge]

naturally it would be a loud coffee

[placid cradle]

I would have bought if I didn’t have 4 bags at home of other coffee

[bitter kestrel]

Wasn’t in LA 🤷🏻‍♂️ . Until I joined this thread, I knew very few LA coffee people

You’re as close to me in Lake Balboa as I am to most of LA, so hey neighbor 👋🏻 . In the new server there are regional roles, and a special one just for you Venturian candidates

[dull adder]

There's one, maybe two, others from Ventura in this chat

[eternal birch]

cruiser, but I just need the rear lateral arms. might just replace shocks & struts to something nicer at the same time

[tough locust]

This place any good?

[cedar otter]

Yah

[tough locust]

Mandarin Korea

I told them you sent me to give ondo extra clout

[lunar fjord]

Man wild Sey pic today

Someone took their Sey to Mecca lol

[tall frigate]

It is as god wills it.

[cedar otter]

Surprised Jack was at Sey House

[glossy sail]

I didn't even know he went to WoC

[mellow sonnet]

Too bad didn't get to talk shit and get him to post about me

I saw iron and kin owners at roaster village

[boreal solar]

They’re nice. I used to visit with them when they were doing the small popup in a bar in downtown Pomona

At that time I sort of disliked their roasts. They’ve gotten a lot better though

[cedar otter]

They roast on a loring now

[prime scarab]

Dang it I missed him

[distant terrace]

Visited SD today, tried out Necessity Coffee in Encinitas. Tried the Risaralda by flash brew, pretty good imo. Super clean tasting

[devout atlas]

Necessity is nice! Steady State too! Good pour overs :))

[distant terrace]

Yea! I was choosing between those two and ending up passing by steady state before I realized it lol. Always tend to zone out on that long stretch of freeway lol. Necessity was real cool, it’ll be one of my go-to’s whenever I visit.

[fallen gulch]

Feels like people here would find this store sign entertaining

(this is not in LA)

[surreal pivot]

Yakitori (O)Ando

[bitter kestrel]

This was just posted, not that it means anything. Good for heated debate

[devout atlas]

Lies! I have thoughts! Lol

[devout atlas]

Curious to try Acento tho!

Never heard of it

[bitter kestrel]

These coffee shop ranking accounts seem to pop up all the time. Normally ignore, but it was relevant

[devout atlas]

WHERE ARE ALL THE O’SIDE GEMS

THEY MISSING OUT

[neon scaffold]

Coffee is special bc even casual drinkers have very strong opinions about the best shops very often

You never see casual wine/beer drinkers do the same imo

[shadow torrent]

it's not the worst list. surprised jaunt is underrated.

[worthy fox]

Hey, I’m visiting the Irvine area for a couple days, any can’t miss spots? Forgive me if this has been answered upstream ☺️

[worthy fox]

For coffee, I mean. I got Cassel Earth

And Play in Laguna Beach, I’m staying in Aliso Viejo

Redshift?

[boreal solar]

I've never had Jaunt and its never listed when I ask for suggestions. So maybe it is.

[lunar fjord]

Yea not an awful list

[bitter kestrel]

Re Ca Phe in FV perhaps? Ondo Artesia is a mere 30 min from Irvine (traffic depending)

[mellow sonnet]

Cassel Earth, Recaphe, Play is a good list. i would visit multiple play locations because the interior design is top notch. leon is a big whale

[placid cradle]

I feel like such a snob, but whenever I see this kinda stuff I squint and wonder who wrote it

Like, I saw a YouTube vid about home brewers recently, pitched as whether pricey brewers like Aiden are worth it

… but the Wired staff had no clue what they were doing
Never used the machines before
Threw a random amount of pre ground coffee into Aiden on random settings

🤷 like bro I can’t take your ratings seriously

[placid cradle]

Hiro nori ramen 😅

[boreal solar]

Their target market generally does the same. So it’s accurate in a sense. Most people who take coffee seriously don’t use them.

[distant terrace]

While they might not “can’t miss” spots, here are some that I had good experiences at nearby Irvine/aliso:

• Cassel Earth Irvine
• General Store by the Pour Kids Costa Mesa
• Grid Coffee (Costa Mesa)
• Dex Coffee fountain valley
• Stereoscope (Newport Beach)
• Long Black Coffee fountain valley

There’s a handful of other places I have saved but can attest to since I haven’t tried yet

[mellow sonnet]

Long black is the same owner as Cortado coffee and both are underwhelming

They serve onyx coffee

Last time I was there some girl was doing her nails and all I could smell was the acetone

[distant terrace]

Yeah they’re definitely not a must try, I wasn’t a fan of it after seeing onyx either. Just listing out places I’ve tried

Play coffee is a must though. I’m a Stereoscope shill so I think it’s a must try but I’m not sure what others think here.

[mellow sonnet]

I'm friends w Cassel earth owner and have had a few conversations w Play owner so I'm biased

[distant terrace]

Also I’m a bit biased, anything I go to will usually be either something really worth trying (as in they’re a roaster) or it’ll be a cream top place. Only because I personally think I can make better espresso and PO at home, but I can’t make cream top drinks for my life lol

I’m kinda a sucker for a lil sweet treat I can’t lie lmao

[glossy sail]

go to recaphe if you want coffee.

[mellow sonnet]

Play made me like the April brewer and Quat made me hate the April brewer

[distant terrace]

Nice, only thing that sucks about cassel earth is they’re not open on weekends that’s my only gripe

[mellow sonnet]

Q said he's planning to open a second location and will push for that to be 7/week

Downtown Santa Ana

[distant terrace]

Oooh that would be nice

I’ll still probably go to their Irvine spot since that’s in the neighborhood anyways, just gotta go during the week

https://www.instagram.com/p/DXSTTqDAclp/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
I’ll probably be checking out the soft opening of this place in Irvine this coming weekend since I know a guy who knows the owner. Their offerings are interesting with Glitch from Tokyo will be served

[weary chasm]

Walnuts

[misty marlin]

Pretty sure Long Black serves different roasters now, they haven’t really sold anything for Onyx for a while. Always see Fritz, Hydrangea, and occasionally a rotation of other roasters on their retail area and pour over. I think they have been slowly changing their coffee program, but love some of their drinks for a sweet treat.

[cedar otter]

We have glitch lol

Well not currently

[desert stirrup]

Ok I’m going to mostly talk in this chat

LACN discord is too discombobulating and fragmented

[desert stirrup]

Dang where is that get set from?

The cup is moon like

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1629679761/large-dark-side-moon-cup-black-clay?ref=elp_anchor_listing&pro=1&frs=1

Reminds me of this cup oddly enough

[fiery crypt]

Rip this thread

[tight gorge]

We should leave a memory box that someone can unearth in two years

With a message of where to find us

Prometheus style

[bitter kestrel]

lol. Y’all are so dramatic. @desert stirrup you are accepted and loved no matter what channel you’re in.

[desert stirrup]

Nah this thread ain't dead

You guys are just being hella convulted for no reason

[desert stirrup]

Ugh ok

I simply enjoy catching up on one thread, not multiple unnecessary threads

Yo @tight gorge have you been to Tacos Arabes De Puebla?

https://www.instagram.com/tacosarabes/

Shit seems like an LA institution

[tight gorge]

no but allegedly has

tacos arabes themselves are coo, I like em

[desert stirrup]

@short condor how it be?^^

[desert stirrup]

I've just learned about them

A piece of mexican history!

how cool!

[cedar otter]

Did u watch ugly delicious

[short condor]

I don’t think I’ve had them actually

[desert stirrup]

No I just some them on insta!

[drowsy knot]

I feel like I missed something here. Prob bc I am older than whatever an unc is. Did some people dip in to declare this amazing, years-long thread dead?

[dull adder]

A new socal focused discord has been made. And people feel different ways about it

[drowsy knot]

Got it, thanks. Will be interesting to see if diffusion = improvement

[dull adder]

I'm hopeful people can see events happening and not miss them. It's hard to track in this chat unless you stay on top of pins

[distant terrace]

Wait there’s a socal discord?

[vivid violet]

we're all still chatting here still too, but there are more channels to separate the topics on the other one 😅

[bitter kestrel]

Ambassador @dull adder couldn’t have explained it more diplomatically ☮️

[drowsy knot]

indeed

[dull adder]

As the avatar, I'm the bridge between the spirit world the uncs and the zoomers

And the coal and the UL

[boreal solar]

One of the indicators that I’m probably an unc/boomer is that I still don’t like the term unc 😂

[weary chasm]

But you're now an unc

[boreal solar]

My partner was also making fun of me yesterday for my slightly more frequent old man rants about road construction.

[weary chasm]

Or would you want to be called grandpa

https://tenor.com/view/how-do-you-do-fellow-kids-steve-buscemi-30rock-fellow-kids-one-of-us-gif-21904018

[boreal solar]

Well I’m technically an uncle. I have two nephews on my side and five nieces/nephews on my partners.

So I guess it makes sense

[bitter kestrel]

🧘 Wise Omniroast, we come seeking the meaning of perpetual online discourse …

[desert stirrup]

I want to make it very apparent that I'm staunchly against this "solution" however I care about the community so I will follow where ever that is

[weary chasm]

Rip this thread

[dull adder]

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2026/04/21/stone-brewing-san-diegos-largest-craft-brewer-is-changing-hands-again/

Not that I was a fan of Stone, even before they first were sold. But this is sad to see they're going to begin producing outside SD

[weary chasm]

Drinking habits changed right?

[neon scaffold]

Where did the new disc announcement get made I missed the info

[boreal solar]

Check your dms.

[glossy sail]

we need to pin the new discord to this thread for future lurkers

[dull adder]

Mine or the public's?
I think the public's taste and habits changed a bit and Stone seemed stuck in the bitterness wars that took place a decade ago

I'm pretty disconnected from beer but it feels like there's still a big segment like me that sticks to independently owned and Stone isn't since Sapporo bought them

[neon scaffold]

I don’t know anything about the internal disc drama but I’m really grateful I was able to find out about this community via public info. So whatever the solution ends up being I’d love for it to be easy to find other people in the community who love coffee

I went from 6m to 3m brew times bc of this channel lol

[glossy sail]

https://discord.gg/Z89dZQ5J

[earnest robin]

I agree, I like one thread

I don't care if I miss anything

It's like walking into a bar with friends and asking them what they already discussed

[crude citrus]

There’s no drama (not that I know of). I think it’s to solidify the group and be taken more seriously in the coffee scene rather than saying oh we’re from EAF, which is global group.

[boreal solar]

I didn’t see it as dramatic either rather than forming our own group in order to obtain potential partnerships and expand to another audience.

We’re also basically rambling off topic half the time in a thread designed for coffee events which is somewhat unrelated to the threads initial purpose and could be seen as a violation of rules etc. moderators have been patient and accepting but it might be nice to have our own space to discuss said things separate from the meetup itself.

[drowsy knot]

It’s 100% the people for me as well - less concerned about the where just don’t want to miss a steady stream of restaurant recs for the few times I actually eat out 😂

[drowsy knot]

don’t disagree at all though we are approaching 70k posts and there’s something quaint and cool about that at the same time - it’s worth a little nostalgia 🥲

Just noticed a number of the channels/threads (i am clueless about naming conventions for discord) are locked for me on LACN is that normal?

[tight gorge]

yeah, we have age limits

jk jk

they are depracated channels

main = this thread

[drowsy knot]

Like “if you have to ask” gating, lol

Just main and food available everything else locked including welcome

[vivid violet]

i'm also confused, no worries 😅

it's evolving.. and maybe we need to utter a few Gen Alpha phrases, not sure

[desert stirrup]

Dawgg there is no drama

For an arbritary reason Marc wanted to have different channels for different topics that is usually spoken about in this thread. I'm unsure why everyone jumped on over but they did

Now I find it even more taxing to catch up on the LA Coffee shiii and I'm sure newcomers will be confused af

also also also, I want to keep the legacy of this chat going.

The LA/OC/SD thread is the only one continuously active in the EAF discord

I think that's cool and should be preserved

[desert stirrup]

dawgg precisely this! This thread is like our little booth in the pub

[drowsy knot]

Haha, so funny because I have 2 GenZ kids who are like “these Gen Alpha kids are so weird”

[desert stirrup]

well the other discord has its most popular channel named "_main"

cue the intense confusion

[drowsy knot]

It’ll all sort after a while and I do like having hyper local channels for buy/sell, irl, etc.

[tight gorge]

I will direct you to these two takes which I align with

[desert stirrup]

Well why don't we just delete the other channels in the LACN discord. Simply have "Whatever" then "Food". It seems our conversations continue to deviate mostly into two branches

1. Miscellaneous shit
2. Restaurant recs

[tight gorge]

thats more or less what we have right?

anyways, just my (borrowed) two cents.

[vivid violet]

yeah, separate the rambling a bit 🤣

but I do know that others on EAF love the chaotic energy of this thread

🤌🤌🤌

[buoyant marlin]

I don't chime in much but I do enjoy following along. I already have Discord fatigue so won't be joining another one and hope this doesn't die out. ☕

[boreal solar]

I for one think it’s totally tubular to learn new slang and find the concept of using it pretty rad. Don’t you boss?

Side note, I sort of hate the slang boss as well. I never heard it so much in my life before moving to SoCal 😂

[drowsy knot]

I’m pretty sure boss is passive/aggressive for “f-u”

[boreal solar]

I usually get it when I order food or something. I wonder if I’m doing something wrong then. 😂

I try to be nice

[drowsy knot]

It’s not a you thing - it’s an “f-u” for not being the one behind the counter thing (this is a theory - I don’t have proof)

but I’m embarrased to admit how much thought I’ve given to this 🤣

[desert stirrup]

It's my fucking fav man

[desert stirrup]

I don't think so!

I think it's slang that got picked up from the Latin community

In Texas only my Mexican friends would say that

So maybe it was from that and the hardworking Latin community

[drowsy knot]

That’s super interesting! I love learning stuff like that. I’ve only ever heard it from young men who look like me and in the specific counter-service environment. I wonder if it moved from the Latin community and became something different? Language is wild

[desert stirrup]

I bet it just became a zoomer thing

[bitter kestrel]

Not arbitrary. Was my impression that’s why people wanted their own server. Didn’t get any input otherwise till it was done. The old channels are up there just to give people a chance to carry over conversations. I’m only involved cuz Camille asked for help setting up a the myriad settings on Discord. I claim no ownership or agenda. I’m the newbie, here to serve a great community.

[desert stirrup]

Something I found out about my generation is how quickly language dissapates and adapts

[desert stirrup]

Nah nah nah

you're donezo

crucify him

Give me Barabbas

https://giphy.com/gifs/fail-failing-what-teachers-think-1BQdjXovIqSLS

See you on the hill sinner

[drowsy knot]

we might get to 70k messages just talking about this change, lol! Seriously though want to say that every single person I’ve met here has been awesome and well intentioned and I’m glad this exists in whatever form 🙏

[desert stirrup]

I'm gunning for the 100k my man

[drowsy knot]

My kids are 23 & 20 and this is so true with them and their friends. Language feels much more fluid and adaptable. Nothing like my Gen X experience. Weirdly their boomer grandparents have an easier time with it

[desert stirrup]

Damn dawgg

I'm your kid

Wild you are in this chat while your kiddos are my age

Hopefully they aren't searching for jobs

shit is ass rn

[weary chasm]

Are you still searching?

Maybe ondo Coffee work while you search. 🤔

[desert stirrup]

I literally DMed him about this a few hours ago

[desert stirrup]

I have gotten to the point where I may have to just start applying to the startup jobs

[short condor]

These day I’d agree with but some of got it from Shawshank but took the meaning back to try and a bit more curious but leave them wondering.
Stupid Son Ofa Bitch 🪞 Boss

[desert stirrup]

When that happens and I land a job, consider me dead

no more discord or anything

my heart and soul is for the cause then

[drowsy knot]

Youngest is still in college - oldest just finished their fourth job in 8 months cause they’re all 1-2 month gigs. Had a long convo with them last night. They’ve been really smart and saving $ since they were 10 so have a runway but it’s hard out there for sure

[desert stirrup]

until the company fails or goes IPO and I walk away with bookoo bucks from my stock options

[desert stirrup]

Dawgg I'm running out of money reaaaaaaaaaal quick! I've been out since mid Nov and my savings is thinning to dust.

My jobs have not lasted longer than 2 years

I hate how companies just lay people off when they need to get back in the green again

two times in a row!

[drowsy knot]

I’m sorry that sucks. I’ve always avoided that by making my own work but it’s not for everyone

[desert stirrup]

I'm trying!

I'm trying to engineer for myself

It is harder than expected

and costs money

[drowsy knot]

It’s not easy for sure. Lot of risk and so hard to bootstrap anything with high startup costs. Sweat equity is real. First business I did was a screen printing shop with crap equipment that I financed in a sketch way and there were times where I was so sick I would literally pass out on the shirts, wake up and start printing again. 36 hour shifts etc

[drowsy knot]

Anyone with $$ you can partner with? There’s cash out there looking for ideas

or you can build a killer business plan and get an SBA loan. And SCORE can be a great resource (it was for me in my 20’s - hopefully still is) https://www.score.org/losangeles

[shadow torrent]

i, er, always got a douchebag vibe from the owners. but maybe I'm projecting

[dull adder]

Wouldn't surprise me

[bitter kestrel]

I did a call with a SCORE mentor recently and it was terrible. And then it’s hard to complain because they’re volunteers. I had heard good things, though, so I guess I should probably try a different one.

[surreal pivot]

Your first thought was correct 😂😂😂

[drowsy knot]

ugh, yeah that’s awful I’m sorry. No doubt hit or miss based on who you get. I had a good experience and have friends who did as well. Thankfully free!

[surreal pivot]

It’s passive aggressive af and I only get called that in a very specific scenario

[bitter kestrel]

You’ll be my mentor next time 😏. Guy had only worked non-food retail and certainly didn’t understand specialty coffee.

[drowsy knot]

I have a particular set of skills…. 🤣

truthfully I don’t consider myself to be a good business person - just know how to hustle and read people which has served me well. I’m good at assessing how people approach the world but I find business theory dull as dirt

[bitter kestrel]

I think those skills are what is necessary for the coffee type businesses, at least if you wanna keep your soul. That’s the part that this guy didn’t really get.

[drowsy knot]

certainly some of the skills but I think there are some sharp coffee shop owners here who have a better idea of the full set of skills for the business. One positive SCORE story related to coffee - my friends John & Lynelle started Mudhouse Coffee Roasters over 30 years ago working closely with Joe Gellar (RIP 😢) from SCORE who helped them turn it into what it is today. Opening their 6th or 7th location in Virginia with a gesha farm in Panama (co-owned with Willem Boot) and some other things (not currently public) coming soon. They couldn’t have done it without Joe. I really hope the next person you talk to is better 🤞

[weary chasm]

The meta always seems to be changing

I do think of the Ai startups that were just chatgpt wrappers

Now probably some form of Claude code wrapping

[desert stirrup]

Damn I’ve never heard of this

Thanks for linking it!

I have been just learning as much as I can on my own where I can

I plan to do kickstarter for my production. Prototyping in stainless steel is what is expensive

[desert stirrup]

Do you think the SCORE guys will be good at social media?

I think I need to start an insta and TikTok to garner followers so that on day 1 my kickstarter is fulfilled

I’ve read a lot that if within the first 24-48 hours if the kickstarter isn’t fulfilled it most likely is going to fail

@short condor can attest. Molomill is dead in the water rn because they had zero exposure prior to launching

Oh wait I take that back

They just crossed the halfway point

[drowsy knot]

no idea - it’s been a long time since I worked with them (pre social media and dawn of internet). And this is the only quasi-social media I’m on so pretty clueless. SCORE stands for service core of retired executives so older people… good structure, planning and growth strategy but maybe not modern tech marketing

[desert stirrup]

Damn so I’m gonna get advice from boomers?

Great

They’re going to tell me to save 20% of my income and get a job with a pension 💀

[boreal solar]

Meh. I have 11 years of experience in my field in high ranking positions and my job search has also been “ass”. It’s sort of terrible for everyone right now.

[nimble blaze]

anyone try the Quick Mill Pippa Espresso Machine - I was about to pull the trigger on a gaggia but a friend recomended me Idrinkcoffee and they have alot of quick mill products on sale right now. I love the concept of the machine but I havnt seen anyone review it or know anyone who has used it.

[left kite]

I only started working 4 years ago in corpo and its still ass

More so lately tho compared to when I was in Deloitte so that says something I think 💀

[drowsy knot]

prob x’rs, lol we gettin’ old. pensions been gone for a long time. i did tell my daughter to save whenever possible but early on you have to eat

[weary chasm]

you mean early on, its more ROI to use that money to get a vehicle to get more income, whether that be a skill / business / etc...

[weary chasm]

mainly that i read that Alcohol is bad for the body.

which, i guess was a Duh. but seems like the reading is that its just bad overall, as in no amount of alcohol is good for you.

and i guess maybe its also expensive to go out and drink now, so drinking habits changed.

but i guess knowing junk food is bad. doesnt' mean i'm not going to not eat it.

[drowsy knot]

for sure “eat” was doing heavy lifting there

[dull adder]

Yeah no amount is good, it's a neurotoxin and causes cancer on basically everything it touches. The whole "antioxidants" thing was always stupid you could just eat the fruit and get way more

[weary chasm]

but i guess my tastes were craft beer... then hazy ipas.

but now, i guess it went full circle back to the normal beer

like a bud light / heinekin / - light beers

[vivid violet]

haven't tried it yet..

GCP is not recommended by the admins for several reasons..

but I don't know how Quick Mill compares..

might be good to ask in #general-equipment

[drowsy knot]

As a dad I’ve struggled to know how to help and how to advise because everything is changing so rapidly. I also have no experience working for other people so sometimes I’m just like “create your own job!” cause it’s all I know. But I think right now that’s serving me so I feel lucky

My wife and I are in the planning stages for new businesses and we are seriously having discussions about how to create jobs for our kids in case it gets worse. But I’m hopeful things will even out for everyone - just very unusual times right now

[weary chasm]

Family business

[nimble blaze]

Whats the recommended starting machine then. Im not impoverished I have a budget and I already have a good grinder

[tall frigate]

Whatever is trending on social media at the time. Really important you get that one.

[glossy sail]

friend of mine just did a gaggiamate and really likes it

[boreal solar]

For sure. If I didn’t have a child and two properties I probably would invest more in myself. Your kids are in prime space to take a risk on themselves as well. That said I probably could have something for now for wasn’t for having a four year old as well. There’s something to be said for having the option to be a stay at home dad and still be comfortable due to a successful which is something I don’t mind doing if the right opportunity doesn’t come along.

[boreal solar]

I’m rebuilding à la Pavoni right now. It’s a fun project and I think they’re great starter machines personally. I might be selling it when I finish if you’re interested. 🤷‍♂️

If not they’re always available on marketplace and such. And do a great job as an entry point imo

[rough crypt]

LP was my first machine, taught me a whole lot

[vivid violet]

there's a good guide in the bot / s shortcut:suggestmachine

[ocean obsidian]

1. What is your total budget for a machine and espresso-capable grinder?

2. Is used equipment OK? If you want others to help find used gear, put your closest metro area.

3. Which of these do you value most?
   a. Convenience. As few steps as possible.
   b. A few extra steps, but those steps give better results.
   c. Artistry. Crafting a coffee with the most amount of control.
   d. Somewhere in between, please elaborate.

4. Would you open up gear to modify it? Can you do this safely?
   a. I'm technically proficient and am comfortable working with mains powered equipment.
   b. I'm comfortable unscrewing parts and replacing them, but not much more than that.
   c. I'm not comfortable modifying equipment.

5. Are you looking to buy and be done, or experiment?

6. What balance of milk drinks like lattes to straight espresso do you anticipate?

7. What kind of espresso do you enjoy or imagine having?
   a. Dark roasts from a traditional cafe. Textured and a mix of sweet & bitter.
   b. Medium roasts. Chocolate and dried fruit predominate.
   c. Light roasts. Fruity profiles with acidity.
   d. I don't know yet.

8. Do you have constraints on space, noise, or aesthetics?

9. What do you want out of coffee?
   a. Less Money. I want to save money making coffee at home.
   b. Better Coffee. I want to make coffee that is tailored to my tastes, and better than my local cafe.
   c. A Hobby. I want to go down the rabbit hole and understand coffee in depth.

@rory used /s suggestmachine

[vivid violet]

and on the website guides too:
https://espressoaf.com/

I think typically they suggest the Bambino (Plus)

more temp stable than GCP

[elder vector]

yeah I think bambino (plus or otherwise tbh) is generally better than GCP out of the box

[weary chasm]

If you have money to spend, you can also try the fellow es1

[drowsy knot]

Being a dad is a beautiful thing ❤️

[weary chasm]

I have a little one still in the cute stages.

Wonder when that will wear out.

[nimble blaze]

I’ve never looked a the la Pavonis. Which model are you talking about.

[boreal solar]

Europiccola in my case

[nimble blaze]

Maybe I’m too far down the rabbit hole but it was mostly advice I’ve seen. But yes I saw that thanks

[boreal solar]

Most of their levers are pretty similar though.

[nimble blaze]

1k is a little outside of my budget but I’ll think about it. I havnt done any research on the lever machines.

[boreal solar]

I’d go used if you do.

You can usually get one for $500 in decent shape

Or $300 or $400 if it’s rough

I paid $200 for this one in Pasadena. But she’s like a beat up house and I’m putting a lot into her.

[drowsy knot]

you’ll always see them that way a little - it really never goes away

[lone pier]

i also recommend a gaggimate if you’re willing to spend time tinkering

i want to say i got a new e24 from wll for like $400 during black friday, and the GM was 300ish?

if that’s out of budget then i’d just do the breville bambino express. it’s the most recommended entry level machine

[boreal solar]

I think it was $449 on Black Friday. And that’s a pretty rare deal. Also worth noting the mods necessary for a gaggia to reach that level aren’t for everyone.

They can be sort of daunting if you’re not handy and/or tech literate.

[lone pier]

ah looks like i got it refurbed and was also wrong on price lol

[boreal solar]

I guess there’s always the legato if you want some of those features out of box. But then you’re dealing with a white labeled Chinese machine

[lone pier]

yeah agree with this. my gf had to come help me 😅😂

i actually went bambino, legato, rocket app, then GM. legato was good actually i kinda miss it

[boreal solar]

It’s ok, when I have stripped screws or stuck bolts my wife tends to do better than I. She tends to be persistent without breaking things while I have not enough pressure or too much half the time

[nimble blaze]

that's within budget for me, pushing 900 would be a bit a lift for me but doable since I already have an good grinder and expierence with espresso machines

The reason this discussion got started with this was I was recommended as an alternative to the mid level upgradable machine was quick mill series either the Pippa or the pop up on sale at idrinkcoffee. I've never seen anyone review or recomend the Pippa which for a 650 machine seem like a good deal

[boreal solar]

I might need to ask her for help again later today. This pavoni’s boiler retaining ring is stuck and since it’s a newer model it’s plastic instead of brass and my usual hacks won’t work. 😂

I saw online to hold it with my feet and rotate but my toes are broken so yeah

Quick milk is a weird one for me. They’re historically good but I’ve seen a few people with issues when it comes to the non e61 machines with QC on SCE.

You could gamble on this thing coming back in stock. https://espressooutlet.com/products/turin-mc3-espresso-machine to be honest I don’t know much about it though.

[glossy sail]

https://discord.gg/PSKmn3SSu

[desert stirrup]

@nimble blaze do you need a grinder too?

If this is your first espresso machine consider the Fellow ES1. It's a bit out of your budget however I will say the temperature regulation and profiling is very worth it

I would advise against purely analog machines unless that is what you want.

If you want to try all these different profiles and styles of spro plus be able to dial a bean in very well, you'll need the technology

[nimble blaze]

I have a barzata encore esp pro, for a grinder. I know its not considered the BEST grinder but I got it for free.

[weary chasm]

Good enough

[desert stirrup]

@nimble blaze be wary to take azeo's advice

He drinks coal

It really depends on what you want and where you are in your coffee journey

Do you drink pour over? If so your preferences and gear surrounding that can help us help you

[nimble blaze]

I make 80% pour over/hario switches 19% areopress and 1% moka pots. When I go to a cafe I love straight espresso, cortados and flat white

My partner likes lattes and black coffee

I have the core pour over kit minus a goose neck kettle

[desert stirrup]

Do you use the encore esp for PO?

[nimble blaze]

yes

all the time

[desert stirrup]

Also what kind of beans are you buying for PO? Any roasters that specifically?

[nimble blaze]

local speciality roasters, I have some DAK from day glow right now in the cup Im drinking, my current favorite local is from goodpeople

[desert stirrup]

If you want to stay below 4 digits and want to steam milk check out the Miicoffee Apex V2 or Rancilio Silvia

If you can stretch your budget but still want analog, Lelit Mara, Rancilio Silvia Pro, or maybe Fellow ES1 if you want technology and if the reviews continue to be favorable as it is pretty new

outside of those recommendations, I don't really know. Argos maybe?

My first and maybe only espresso machine for quite some time will be the Decent because I was already serious in PO and knew I was willing to spend more money and time in this hobby

That's why I ask those questions earlier and to self reflect

If you know this hobby is something you really enjoy and want to continue to dive into, then I reckon you just go big outright. I went through the upgrade gauntlet for PO and it sucked. I wanted to ensure I skipped all of that with spro. You can consider that option too given you buy pretty good beans

[nimble blaze]

my debate: quick mill pippa is 643, rancilio v6 is 764 and quick mill pop up is 840 all open box from Idrinkcoffee: https://idrinkcoffee.com/en-us/collections/open-box-returns

[nimble blaze]

I guess a refurb is only 1.2k

[weary chasm]

Baratza encore is also a perfectly fine pourover grinder

Fellow should really support you on this since it's new and they want it to succeed

[nimble blaze]

I used it a friends' place and it ground for espresso better than his niche based on our "blind" testing

[nimble blaze]

What does coal mean?

[nimble blaze]

You think they'll give it to me free if i promise to hype it up on the discord lol

I suppose I could spend the money or wait another few months, 1k feels like alot

[weary chasm]

Free only if you're like a coffee influencer

But probably not

[weary chasm]

I think it's a joke. Or not

But coal refers to dark roasts

[nimble blaze]

@weary chasm espresso or pour over dark roast?

[nimble blaze]

Hmm I wonder.....

[eternal birch]

either

[bitter kestrel]

And hot tip: use InKind app to save $$ on bags from Dayglow. That's how I get Dak, Tanat, etc. for the price of grocery store beans.

[eternal birch]

diner coffee or starbucks espresso

pick ur poison

[weary chasm]

Diner coffee is a vibe

[bitter kestrel]

Standing offer to people considering ES1: you're welcome to come over and play with mine. Otherwise you gotta go to Venice to demo.

[weary chasm]

But yeah. Some people can get kind of snobby on the coffee they drink

[nimble blaze]

I live near abbott kenny went over and tried it, machine was interesting they just had really really bad coffee

[weary chasm]

Probably because there's a caffeine limit

[nimble blaze]

like it was artisinal but it taste like wood

[weary chasm]

So coal is referring to darker roasts. But the line of what is dark keeps shifting

If everything is light. And there's super light, your lights are now "coal"

but anyhow.

you can pick a lane in what kind of coffee you want to brew

or you can do both, but its a bit harder at the start.

variety is the point of life

there's "commodity" coffee. which is the coffee tasting coffee

tastes like coffee, the way coffee tastes like

and then theres' specialty coffee. that is supposedly right now "light" and bright.

and maybe coferments, etc whatever

as for Encore vs Niche, i guess if you prefer it then thats good too

niche is mainly EZ mode, makes a kind of traditional espresso shot really well.

Thick and Syrup

if you want value,

bambino / bambino Plus gets you going

if you want to play with profiles,

fellow ES1 seems pretty promising.

i've used es1 too, and its pretty push button and go as far as out of the box

and then probably more functionality coming soon.

[weary chasm]

should def grind some Costco / Starbucks beans and brew Ultra High Clarity style pourover. hahahaha

[boreal solar]

I hate it. But we’re old.

[weary chasm]

Coal terminology?

[boreal solar]

Indeed.

I don’t know. I think it comes from the term bent derogatory when I entered the scene. And the ever moving goal post where even lighter roasts are called “coal” when they’re just more developed than someone prefers is meh to me

Like calling a roast with under 10% dev time ratio coal is wild.

[desert stirrup]

Can you share a link? My curiosity has been piqued

[desert stirrup]

Given you don’t know the hyper specific and hyper niche EAF coffee lingo, go for whichever you fancy and is in your budget

My prediction is you’ll either stick with the machine you buy for a looooooong time or you’ll get super niche EAF coffee pill-ed and want something more advanced

You’re also making coffee for a partner which invokes a whole load of other variables to consider

Go for the cross roads of cheapest and best quality then go from there.

You’re at the level where there’s not really a wrong decision

[bitter kestrel]

Yep. My referral link: https://app.inkind.com/refer/EZNOQ8JL

They do pre-load sales fairly often (like 40% bonuses). And Costco sells $100 gift cards for $65-75. So, that’s already a decent discount. But you can also just pay with CC and get the cash back.

[weary chasm]

Hm. How does inkind make money

Sell your data?

Oh. I see.

Seems like they give money for restaurant gift card

And there's some kind of arbitrage

[weary chasm]

Do you have to be there physically?

Or are you able to order online

[weary chasm]

Actually. Hm. With Dayglow mark ups, I'm not sure if the math rings true for normal grocery bag beans.

Maybe if it's wholefoods specialty beans

Unless you do get it to like $9-10

Lol

[civic crest]

inKind will just eliminate the dayglow tax its usually like 20% back or you can get gift cards that go on sale from Costco like $100 for $65

[civic crest]

Oh I didn’t read the whole thread lol

you just said that

[civic crest]

You have to pay in person for most places including dayglow

[bitter kestrel]

It's up to the restaurant. Some take orders through the app (not many), but you can always call and order and then pay through app over phone or on arrival. I do it all the time. The business model is that they give small loans to businesses and then they are paid off by people paying through InKind. No comment on them as a company, but the offerings have expanded and a lot of them are good. Dayglow and GGET are the best coffee options on there.

I've pre-loaded the app when they had big 45% bonus sales, so a $30 bag at Dayglow becomes like $17.

[weary chasm]

What does 45% mean? Like if you pay $100 you get $145?

If that's the case then a $30 bag becomes $20.7

[lucid rivet]

It means you get 45$ in credit/cashback

[weary chasm]

So if you pay $100, you get an additional $45. For a total of $145.

Paying $100 for $145 is 31% off. ($45/145 = 0.31)

So $30 * 69% = $20.7...

Probably

[bitter kestrel]

Yeah, this, I believe. But I actually bought a lot of my credits as Costco gift cards when they were on sale for $65 (for $100), which is slightly better math than a bonus amount. Anyway, food options aside, it's been a nice way to justify Dayglow beans. And you get that free drip with it. GGET gives you any drink free with a bag (and I really like their decaf espresso beans)

[nimble blaze]

they basically run a pay day loan service for restaurants where they get paid in giftcards they resell to users.

[tough locust]

took a peek back in here and this is one of my favs fo sho. especially if you want to mix it up with something a little different. also very good quesadillas de flor de calabaza and huitlacoche

[desert stirrup]

Wait they have a huitlacoche quesadilla at tacos Arabs de Puebla?

I’ve heard of this mushroom dish but never came across it

So that is exciting to hear they may have it to try!

[tough locust]

yuh

[tall frigate]

It's tasty

[boreal solar]

Looks like they have saucy chick too. I’ve been morbidly curious about that place. I drive past it constantly when leaving Pasadena 😂

[bitter kestrel]

Now you have same excuse. Use up that signup coupon. The VC money will surely run out soon.

[boreal solar]

Anyone here try it before?

Indian Mexican fusion is just intriguing.

[merry pebble]

Anyone have good recs for cafes in seoul. I'll be staying in the seongsu area. I'm also looking for places to buy coffee gear (drippers, filters, etc)

[lucid rivet]

https://maps.app.goo.gl/6Lo3tVwCyMteAV1C9?g_st=ic

It’s in a tiny alley so tricky to find but really cool place

[merry pebble]

Crazy someone posted about it on Reddit today
https://www.reddit.com/r/seoul/s/QHSHMEFHTw

[vivid violet]

fyi for those wanting to do the food meetup -- Mon 4/27 rescheduled to:

• this Sun 4/26 @ 6pm @ Frontera Taqueria (location in Silver Lake)

[woven axle]

any downsides with ownership? tried it out a few times at world of coffee. i was 10000% impressed, that being said i took a pause on keeping up with coffee trends for like 8 years so dont really know how it compares vs other new stuff.

[bitter kestrel]

Not really … just the waiting for them to get the app and firmware more functional. Volumetrics are a bit broken but should be fixed with app updates soon. But for everyday espresso, it’s great.

[woven axle]

man that refurb sure is looking tempting then. it has been between that and the wendougee lita

[weary chasm]

You can nerd out a bit more with Fellow

Nick of fellow occasionally hangs out here in thus discord

Especially in the fellow es1 thread. Maybe less after launch

But Def more active right now since it just launched and they're making it stable

But as for push button get coffee, the fellow es1 gets the job done.

https://discord.com/channels/726985544038612993/1365081711607808090

[glossy sail]

reminder that a socal coffee discord was started recently https://discord.gg/Z89dZQ5J

[desert stirrup]

Gross

[vivid violet]

@tight gorge , is this what you mean when you say BRU

[left kite]

Bru moment

[desert stirrup]

Fuckin love Bru

Bru + Parle G

Oh oh oh

Bru + Bourbons

Fuuuuuuuuu

[earnest robin]

Chicory? Is it for people from 80s?

My mom used to drink coffee and chicory but because pure coffee was expensive

[shadow torrent]

it's still a staple in southern india (so like 300 million folks plus diaspora in the northern half)

[vivid violet]

I love chicory, carob, cinnamon, honey, and 50/50 hot water and soy milk. such a nice evening drink.

[sullen cobalt]

Bru-h

[earnest robin]

I didn't know about it

[boreal solar]

Blue Bottle stills uses it for New Orleans cold brew

[earnest robin]

Does chicory taste like ultralight?

[boreal solar]

Chicory tastes like chicory to me as weird as that sounds. It’s not coffee. It’s earthy and sort of like a bitter, nutty, slightly chocolatey with a hint of cinnamon thing.

There’s a few blue bottles in Los Angeles. Could be worth a try if you’re curious. Although nestle is pretty evil 😂

[shadow torrent]

chicory is all things good about my teenage 🤌

[boreal solar]

Although I guess they’re luckin now?

I don’t even know

[lucid rivet]

Document has chicory coffee

[bitter kestrel]

Same! Teeccino makes great blends from all of these.

[bitter kestrel]

Private equity now. Secretly evil, prolly

[left kite]

PE (private equity) slowly making america not great anymore

[boreal solar]

I was never a huge fan of gym either. But that’s harsh.

[glossy sail]

@alpine night wtf in hell on earth was this shit lmfao. Like drinking Chinese bitter herbal medicine.

[glossy sail]

Everyone had a wild trip with it that's for sure

[compact hound]

1:00 tbt or what

[solid ferry]

Me and the crew had like a whole 30min IRL convo after brewing it 😳😮‍💨😁

[glossy sail]

1:30 was too much

[crude citrus]

We forgot to follow the directions on it that’s why

[desert stirrup]

And in NOLA!

Plus in France where adding chicory to coffee was first a concept!

[desert stirrup]

where do you buy your carob powder?

I've never heard of this nor heard of this drink but now I'm very interested!

[vivid violet]

i've gotten it at Whole Foods, and also on Amazon..

i'm amazed you haven't heard of it, you're a chef extraordinaire !

MISSY JS Organic Sweet Aussie Carob Powder, 8 OZ
https://a.co/d/0dBEigpk

[desert stirrup]

Where did you even get this?

[desert stirrup]

no chef

Just a man who likes food and cooking

Though I have been heavily contemplating changing that to "an ex-chef who still likes food and cooking"

Bavel has an opening 👀

[vivid violet]

the combo of chicory (high in fiber) and carob (many benefits), with cinnamon and a bit of honey is amazing.

i particularly like this instant chicory:

Leroux Instant Chicory Coffee
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G3L1HQ9R?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

[desert stirrup]

ayo why did it get cold all of a sudden

[vivid violet]

yeah, 55 to 72 for the next 20 days..

FRIGID

[weary chasm]

What about the classic

Cafe du monde

https://shop.cafedumonde.com/

[desert stirrup]

Yeah that's what I said here! #1228081171649400912 message

Any place where France, under Napleonic Rule and a bit after, was there was a high likelihood that coffee + chicory became a thing

[desert stirrup]

That makes tomorrow night a perfect night for Mrs Knafeh!

[vivid violet]

if y'all have space, i can text her to see if she'll be open.

she usually replies quite quickly.

i don't think i'll have enough stomach space

[desert stirrup]

It says on google maps she will!

your boy is brown

I'll put away food

[vivid violet]

where do you put it ?

away

[desert stirrup]

black hole-esque stomach

[short condor]

What in the god damn 51 degrees is this…
It is April 😭

[desert stirrup]

idk man

also El Nino has yet to hit

so I'm sure this won't the last cold day we'll see

[boreal solar]

Meh, I like it. Beats last year when it was 90 in April.

[short condor]

True

[short condor]

Also true

The mid 60s that it is right now feels absolutely wonderful but 51° at 7 o’clock while standing outside was not the most pleasant

[boreal solar]

Wear a sweater. 😂

They’re more fashionable anyway

[tall frigate]

It was nice being out in the garden with sun but cool air this morning. I agree.

[boreal solar]

It’s nice to be able to go for a bike ride without waking up at 5am to do it.

[boreal solar]

Oh, I ordered from wild fork this morning so hopefully you get your referral bonus.

[desert stirrup]

don't you mean last month

[boreal solar]

Last month was March silly. It wasn’t April last month

[tall frigate]

I did. I hope you like what you get.

[desert stirrup]

no but last month we had a heat way and in WLA it was like 95F

[boreal solar]

Meh 🫤 welcome to my IE hellscape.

[tall frigate]

Poor IE

[dull adder]

I legit think the ES1 is a better machine. Should be better temperature, flow, and control

[desert stirrup]

@woven axle I'mma be completely honest with you. Avatar and I just fucking hate Wendougee

idk why

Wendougee is like Wario and Waluigi while I and Avatar and Mario and Luigi

When either party sees each other, there ain't no ducking of the fades

hidden leaf type shit

saiyan type shit

pirates type shit

ya feel?

[boreal solar]

Wendougee is pretty though. And made of more durable components I guess.

[cedar otter]

I just hate the name

what does it even mean

[boreal solar]

It makes me think of a weird dance performed by a wendigo

[dull adder]

The experience at their booth at expo was not great

Also Hoffmann is using one in his new video

[trail tiger]

no lie thought the name of the machine was related to tim wendelboe

[boreal solar]

I haven’t used one. They didn’t super appeal to me. The EAF group forms a worship circle every-time one is mentioned there.

[shadow torrent]

i wish i spent more time with the machine at sey house

just going by taste, i did feel like I'd need to tweak either grind or puck depth for a similar-ish shot that's my goto on a decent. my hunch is it's because of differences in peak fill flow rate but hard to say without messing around longer

super interesting machine though

[bitter kestrel]

I far prefer my cheap stepdown basket over stock on ES1.

[shadow torrent]

i didn't use their stock basket unfortunately. used weber unibasket instead to have 1:1 comparison against the de1 on that day

[boreal solar]

Sounds like it might be fortunately. I’d assume the unibasket is higher quality

Is there anything special about the basket? I’d assumed it would be standard IMS or VST fair.

[shadow torrent]

i have no idea. I don't think i even saw the basket.

[boreal solar]

I didn’t even realize they had a grinder 😂

https://wendougeeusa.com/products/wendougee-milo-play-coffee-grinder

We have an eg1 at home…

[dull adder]

I wasn't aware of that one but another grinder they make can sync with Bluetooth

[boreal solar]

Oh, yeah I remember that one.

The Milo Play is one of those grinders that looks like a titan grinder but packs 64mm burrs

[dull adder]

It gives this is Kafatek monolith

[rough crypt]

strange featureset

"9 customizable time-based grinding presets"

[desert stirrup]

New review upcoming!

Also I tried steaming my water and used a turbo shot that was actually a soup shot cuz this was a new bean but it’s ok, the soup still tasted good and had no crema to scoop

Yo

He’s right

Shits tasty and smooth

Silky

Hoffmann strikes again!

He’s af in character. I bet he’s such a cool guy to shoot the shit with

[nimble blaze]

Is the meet up tonight still on Google Maps says heavy hands is closed

[dull adder]

Oo it was last night 😭

[nimble blaze]

🙁

oops

[vivid violet]

I'm so sorry. date/time got updated for food meetup, and I tried to keep folks updated here too, but I think I only sent notes in #1228081171649400912 message

we have that separate smaller SoCal server so we can track Events better, and separate topics a bit more..

altho I do like this single chat to rule them all too 😅

good news is there is interest in doing a "Secret Pizza" meetup soon.

please join that other server to get the Event updates..

and we'll also announce here

cookiemonster also was so busy, he didn't know it was yesterday.. 😭

[nimble blaze]

Well back to the existential about which espresso machine

I wish the cheaper machines had the standard portafilter. I think I would pull the trigger on the bambino plus if it was more mod able

[vivid violet]

what are the other machines, besides the Bambino Plus, which you are considering ?

[nimble blaze]

#1228081171649400912 message

TLDR: my debate: quick mill pippa is 643, rancilio v6 is 764 and quick mill pop up is 840 all open box from Idrinkcoffee:

[vivid violet]

ah shoot, yeah. i don't know any of those machines well..

is there a leading contender, from those open box ones ?

[nimble blaze]

the quick mill pop up is the most expensive with largest discount with most features, the one Im curious aobut is the pippa because Ive never seen a real review of it

[boreal solar]

The Pippa is more or less the same machine without the adjustable pid and pressure profiling.

[vivid violet]

hey Evan, does a lack of PID mean that it would be more temp unstable ?

if so, i would think it would be a bit frustrating to brew on..

the interesting thing is the product details page says it has temp control, but i'm not sure what that means without PID.

[boreal solar]

Thermostats. So there’s some control but you’d probably have to temp surf and won’t have control for specific extraction. You can’t just set a temp and forget about it.

[vivid violet]

i guess that sounds oookay (coming from my HX), but it definitely is a bit more frustrating and inconsistent than just getting what you set with a PID machine..

[boreal solar]

Yeah pretty much. I mean, I guess you maybe able to install a pid or whatnot. Most traditional boilers can be gagguino’d

[short condor]

The benefit that you’re gonna get from buying from any of these sites right now versus online or the buy and sell here if you have access is just going to be the warranty there is one main consistent thing that you can see through and through with espresso as a whole special overtime and that’s about 95% of people will tell you the grinder is far more important than the machine If you’re limited on budget, I’d still spend more on the grinder machine for now you’ll find most machines can do better shots with a better grinder than you can expect them to be able to that’s why the baby plus is often a good starter package for machine because you can get them affordable, especially secondhand very small mods that help out a whole lot And afford to spend more on a grinder.

[nimble blaze]

I have a baratza encore esp pro. I got it as a gift. Beyond it throwing a lot of coffee inside itself it’s fine so far. Should I upgrade it before even buying my first espresso machine?

[short condor]

The baratza esp actually does decent job for espresso. Finding out what you want from your coffee is what is most important imho. The reason I say that is, you could spend a good amount of money on an espresso machine and just as much on a grinder just to come and find out that you don’t care for milk drinks that much or that you really only like traditional, stylus, espresso shots, something a bit darker or Biscus or thick That Italian style shot versus a modern espresso shot. That’s really complex has a lot of clarity. You can get every flavor note out of it and is usually gonna be a lot thinner.

I personally found that I’m a pretty split mix myself. I drink a lot of cold drinks that don’t require me to steam milk I just add cold milk and make my own tops for something like that. I want be more traditional shot, sweeter and more forgiving, especially if it’s going in milk and a cold drink at that.

But I also really enjoy some complex shots where I can taste 34 different types of fruits and different florals that I might have in Americana or just by itself so knowing what you want out of your coffee in my opinion, should help determine what type of machine you.

If you do find yourself in a spot, you don’t care about the drinks that much something like the ECM purist or any of the flare 50 eights or new 49 model will definitely do the job for you and last quite some time the news LELIT machines Can really pack a punch for their price tag and do a lot of for as well. I knew people that are pulling better shots on modified gaggias then I am on the $4000 machine. A lot of people lately also have been leading into the fellow ES one that’s pretty mid tear machine for everything that I can do as well as size form function because of some of it features you could probably inform to have a not so expensive grinder quite a bit so think about what type of espresso and drinks I wanna be having then assess your budget and see whether you should be looking at a nicer grinder and a more with machine to get what you want there or vice versa more OK as grinder in a higher machine if it’s functions can mitigate the grinder issues

[boreal solar]

Honestly the ESP Pro is a good entry point. I’d grab a machine from there if you’re fine with traditional ratios and like a fuller body.

You can upgrade the grinder if you find yourself wanting more clarity

Given you’re looking at sub 1000 spending… I don’t think you’re going to fall into the classic encore and Linea Mini trap.

[weary chasm]

I think you can always opt for bambino

Then when you want to upgrade, you just get a new machine and 58mm or whatever the hot thing is

Maybe you can get a breville dual boiler for cheap from a member on here.

Still sub $1000

[nimble blaze]

Is the bambino really the best out of the box? Theyre on sale right now on amz. What’s the obvious accessories?

alternative I could wait till Xmas sale and just get a fellow Aiden.

[weary chasm]

Probably define best

Its probably best for the $ bang

If you want a steamer

[nimble blaze]

YEah I guess 400 of any color straight from the breville store plus free coffee is probably the best bang for buck, What's the bottomless portafilter or tamper recomendation or other accessory?

[weary chasm]

Here's my rec. Probably hasn't changed too much

https://azeocoffee.com/posts/the-ultimate-entry-level-espresso-setup/

[nimble blaze]

I'll check it out

[weary chasm]

Disregard grinder

Scale, lots of options now.

Bottomless Portafilter, not necessary but fun

But get a cheap one.

Then you can get a fancy basket.

Or nice basket.

They have like ims big bang 54mm.

Or a bunch of other styles

Wdt tool

But most the thoughts still hold

[nimble blaze]

My partner got me the little subminimal scale and its nice for work flow

[boreal solar]

You’re pretty much set then. Get the bambino if you want a cheap entry point. Maybe spend a bit more and get something more capable if you’re making back to back milk drinks or like ultralight espresso and/or soup.

Will say the bambino isn’t the best choice if you plan on pulling super light roasts at longer ratios.

[weary chasm]

Can use oxo rapid brewer in the meanwhile

In any case. Just depends on how much you want to spend.

Fellow es1 is promising

I think there were other options you were considering

Oh. They're used. And bought online

[topaz zenith]

Maybe baratza encore esp over niche? It is around $400-500 cheaper in the US, for a pretty similar brew, so it's more "entry" level.

[nimble blaze]

Not used, open box from a trusted seller to be clear

this machine was my primary alternative consideration: https://idrinkcoffee.com/en-us/products/quick-mill-pop-up-espresso-machine-black-964-return

[topaz zenith]

Anyone try this new brewer yet? https://origami-kai.com/en/blogs/special-feature/origami-leaves-coffee-roasters

[weary chasm]

You buying?

[weary chasm]

Looks like it's used...

[topaz zenith]

I think I'm interested in getting one, but not sure where it's in stock

[topaz zenith]

I think the invite link from earlier expired, maybe repost a permanent invite link?

[boreal solar]

Closer to “open box” generally tested by the seller and carrying warranty. I’d push for details though.

It’s a return/open box product which I weigh differently from use since it can be returned. Generally someone bought it and returned it for one reason or another. Could be the paint chip. Then you’re lucky as that sort of minor damage is common during shipping. But it could also be something else... in which case you’re not.

[ocean obsidian]

Whoops! Unable to find a Coffee Setup profile for sprobot.

1. What is your total budget for a machine and espresso-capable grinder?

2. Is used equipment OK? If you want others to help find used gear, put your closest metro area.

3. Which of these do you value most?
   a. Convenience. As few steps as possible.
   b. A few extra steps, but those steps give better results.
   c. Artistry. Crafting a coffee with the most amount of control.
   d. Somewhere in between, please elaborate.

4. Would you open up gear to modify it? Can you do this safely?
   a. I'm technically proficient and am comfortable working with mains powered equipment.
   b. I'm comfortable unscrewing parts and replacing them, but not much more than that.
   c. I'm not comfortable modifying equipment.

5. Are you looking to buy and be done, or experiment?

6. What balance of milk drinks like lattes to straight espresso do you anticipate?

7. What kind of espresso do you enjoy or imagine having?
   a. Dark roasts from a traditional cafe. Textured and a mix of sweet & bitter.
   b. Medium roasts. Chocolate and dried fruit predominate.
   c. Light roasts. Fruity profiles with acidity.
   d. I don't know yet.

8. Do you have constraints on space, noise, or aesthetics?

9. What do you want out of coffee?
   a. Less Money. I want to save money making coffee at home.
   b. Better Coffee. I want to make coffee that is tailored to my tastes, and better than my local cafe.
   c. A Hobby. I want to go down the rabbit hole and understand coffee in depth.

@localghost used /s suggestmachine

[vivid violet]

I hesitate to have an evergreen link, due to bot spam.. but here's a refreshed link for the SoCal discord, valid for 7 days:

https://discord.gg/bHA5SZee

[shadow torrent]

temp stability overrated. a single pid just gives a single datapoint along the water path

[dull adder]

But these machines max out at a single PID. Otherwise it's just a pressure stat with wild temperature swings

[faint sandal]

I am uhhh gonna be in berkley to uhh have uhhh lunch

[dull adder]

Sounds fun! But that's like 5 hours from us 😅😭

[faint sandal]

Oh shi I thought this was the bay area chat mb

[vivid violet]

these were bookmarked by a friend:

1. https://maps.app.goo.gl/k7E2GXBpPnqWZGTu8?g_st=ic
2. https://maps.app.goo.gl/RSV2PoXEaxcwSdYh9?g_st=ic
3. https://maps.app.goo.gl/MvwxHMp1c8QjUKjw5?g_st=ic
4. https://maps.app.goo.gl/hNr8TiaJV6NtL5nf9?g_st=ic

[faint sandal]

GAHDAMN THANKS

[vivid violet]

Berkeley Bowl (grocery store) also always has tasty stuff around

and the Thai Temple is fantastic, if it's open

welcome ! hope you find some good eats 🎉

and this coffee shop was recommended in BANA, at some point:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/NpmUyJgYqNJd2VmS8?g_st=ic

[neon scaffold]

Stonehenge oatmeal raisin cookie is out of this world good

[tight gorge]

Mezzo salad and sandos very lit

Cheeseboard pizza good too!

[civic crest]

cheeseboard OG

close to 18 years since i've been there

[bitter kestrel]

Speaking of, @desert stirrup I was waiting for a report on the Secret Pizza cookie.

[vivid violet]

sadly it was closed when we tried to go there..

we met the folks who were working there, and they apologized..

Camille was right 😅😭

[shadow torrent]

so the worst part of California

[tall frigate]

tell me you've never been to bakersfield without telling me you've never been to bakersfield

[shadow torrent]

honestly Bakersfield had a better vibe than most of the bay. (yes I'll die on that hill)

[tall frigate]

The people of bakersfield are largely pretty good, salt of the earth people

Just with a little meth sprinkled in

There's definitely a lot of bay area fuckheads

But I like the bay. I'd gladly live in SF if it wasn't disastrously expensive.

[boreal solar]

On the positive side, the nicest parts of bakersfield are pretty affordable. I almost moved there when my partner was up for a university job. We ultimately decided the air quality wasn't for us. for 100k you can live like a king there though. So I've often debated whether the trade off was worth it.

That said... the majority of the city isnt great

but yeah, there's some good neighborhoods like anywhere.

[tall frigate]

One of my residents took a job up there.

He bought 10x the house that I have for about 1/2 the price

[boreal solar]

yeah, thats the tradeoff.

[tall frigate]

Great mexican food

[woven axle]

its provocative, it gets the people GOIN

goin to bay area for the first time in 2 weeks these recs coming in clutch

[bitter kestrel]

Moo Creamery! That’s all I know and love of Bakersfield.

[warped tide]

Anyone know of the best place to buy coffee beans in the SFV?

I've been going to Steves Coffee Roasters, but im looking for an alternative.

Their prices have jumped up quite a bit

[boreal solar]

I think House Roots is the favorite. @short condor is from that area iirc.

[lucid rivet]

House roots and Lynx

[warped tide]

House Roots looks dope, ill have to check it out

They're both roasters?

[lucid rivet]

Lynx might just be a multi?

It’s also def not cheap

[warped tide]

Whats the going rate now?

Steves has always been fair, so is $25/lbs where its at now?

[runic heath]

in SFV? or in general? new arrivals at Hacea still hover between $9-$15 for naturals and washed

[warped tide]

Looking for a spot in SFV

if not ill go online

but id rather support local

[bitter kestrel]

Boy & the Bear and Laidrey also solid options depending on where you’ll be.

Oh and if it doesn’t need to be a cafe, Gelson’s can have a surprisingly good bean selection.

[warped tide]

I've also found some good stuff at Costco, but ill check out Gelsons

[warped tide]

Good finds, these right down the street from me.

I added them to "The List"

[runic heath]

Oh whoops thought you were asking about greens. ignore my comment.

[bitter kestrel]

Gelson’s also sells green beans

[warped tide]

Not yet lol

[runic heath]

Trader Joe's has four small lot coffees in rotation at the moment. If you don't mind roast dates from Jan or older they are OK for medium profile espresso

[warped tide]

I've tried their's once, wasnt the biggest fan... I need that freshness crema.

also hitting local roasters gives me access to ask for recs, as im still a noob

[short condor]

lmost bags of specialty aren’t gonna be a lb. Usually 200-250 grams of most speciality coffees gonna be 19-24 depending on the bag and roaster. Theres a few misc shops but yeah lynx and house roots are pretty much the specialty in the area aside from boy and the bear but I just don’t like them as a company and coffee is a bit mid.

But everyone likes what they like and if you find it to your liking then definetely get what works for you.

[warped tide]

ohhhhh wow, i know this is a coffee server, but spill the tea 💅🏻

[bitter kestrel]

Yeah, I know nothing of them as a company. I want all the 🫖

[warped tide]

[short condor]

Poor roast poor pay talk down to customers a lot and most of the baristas aren’t baristas just employees shifting roles around

Don’t know if this is still the case but I haven’t gone back In years so shit can change. Not worth the mo way to find out imho

[weary chasm]

Is there a whole Foods

[warped tide]

yea we got whole foods

I havent been to Gelsons or WF yet, but most stores I visited didnt have any roast dates on the bags

[eternal birch]

Gelsons prolly has some, I know WF does

there's localish roasters at WF like canyon, counter culture, and verve

they all have dates

[bitter kestrel]

They are def overpriced for the valley and what it is, so no excuse for any of that.

[lone pier]

yo side note i went to visit my friend who lives near by and was really excited to go here but the spro i got was undrinkable lol

beans were beyond dark and came out hot enough to burn my tongue. i’d usually try to power through it but tossed it after a couple of sips

[warped tide]

Yeah the baristas there are hit or miss

Unfortunately, I think they've fallen prey to the whole old school shop, while everybody around you has been modernized.

They can def use a refresh

But they have a bean that I really like

Malkabar or something

[lone pier]

yeah i mean i for sure got this vibe which i was down for! but i didn’t expect it to be that bad lol. i just opt for lynx whenever i visit now and tbh it hasn’t missed

[warped tide]

Yeahhhh, they seem to be super dialed in over there

I just feel like I'm walking into an Apple store

[lone pier]

i accidentally ordered a matcha last time i went and it kinda hit

[lone pier]

yo actually you’re right hahaha. it’s funny people watching when i go there, for some reason every time i go there are some stand out characters

[warped tide]

You should check out coffee fix when you're in the area... Old school vibe, super cool spot

I haven't been in a while, but it was always good

I also kind of liked Civil at the sportsman's Lodge

[lone pier]

bet will do. just looked it up the lox bagel looks tasty

[warped tide]

Honestly there's like 20 shops in a 5 mi radius

Studio City/ Sherman oaks has been stacked with coffee shops lately

I just want beans at a reasonable price man 🥲

[left inlet]

To me, the only two coffees I would say I like are: #1 Lynx (pick up a bag of Flower Child coffee). Preston's coffee is really good. House Roots would be my second choice. The other choices are too dark for me in general.

Coffees – FLOWER CHILD COFFEE https://share.google/0tyYL4Wvm41C7khlH

[gusty pier]

It's th end of an era

Good bye furaibo

[weary chasm]

? Is it closing up shop?

Local café pruvia seems like it's closing

[boreal solar]

Eh, if the spro was that bad the time before I’d be intentionally ordering a matcha tbh

[civic crest]

what?!

I just was by Sawtelle yesterday is it just Gardena location

[lucid rivet]

Is crema Sherman oaks any good?

[warped tide]

Was there last week, i liked it

Also on the expensive side, but the spot itself is dope

I had a mixed drink though... So your mileage may vary

[gusty pier]

Maybe it's only Gardena

[gusty pier]

Waited in line for an hour yesterday

[gusty pier]

Sunday is the last night for tebasaki

And hanpen cheese :((((

[muted kindle]

Where do you guys locally buy beans from

[gusty pier]

I like the Yukon blend from starbucks

[short condor]

@lucid rivet It’s decent for brown and milk drinks but definetely over priced. Lots of kids making drinks not knowing what to do so take that with a grain of salt. But if you’re just looking for a cream top with a medium roast it does the job.

[bitter kestrel]

Civil is legit, just limited by being all Mexican coffees.

[elder vector]

does anyone have recs for specialty roasters (that do decaf) in the areas between (and including) covina to like, ontario?

[runic heath]

@muted kindle any beans? Or locally roasted?

[muted kindle]

Any storefront to buy decent beans

[left kite]

Ondo, dayglow in LA
Re Ca Phe, Commons in OC

[runic heath]

Penny coffee roasters in Glendora. Iron & Kin in Claremont.

[elder vector]

Thanks, I'll try and check these out

[runic heath]

Oh looks like Penny opened another location in Azusa. Closer to Covina.

Here’s a (huge) list that has a lot of good recs: SATURATE LA · Jaymie Lao
https://maps.app.goo.gl/KshDe1Gqh56wT9gW9?g_st=i

[elder vector]

oh wow thats a lot of shops

[muted kindle]

Thank you

In usually buy brands online but sometimes I get in a pinch and want to buy some immediately

[lone pier]

nah i meant i ordered matcha at lynx by mistake lol. wouldn’t go back to steve’s

[boreal solar]

Iron and Kin is probably the best option. Luckys and klatch both have decaf if you’re a fan of darker roasts.

If you don’t mind driving a little further east to Redlands, slowbloom has some nice decafs

[merry pebble]

Just got a bag of anaerobic natural liberica from Malaysia. Anyone tried it before? Any tips for brewing?

[desert stirrup]

I’ve never had a Liberica

Please do report back

I’m very interested

[elder vector]

noted

[merry pebble]

Will do. Going to let it rest for a couple more days

[glossy sail]

lol wouldnt be surprised if it is heavy in jackfruit/yellow fruit notes

[gusty pier]

I'm an honorary furaibo member

[compact hound]

Wait that shirt is sick

[vivid violet]

Secret Pizza + Sey coffee split on Sat May 23 @ 4pm

at Secret Pizza:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/BqZ52wUearkzP8o88?g_st=ac

ref #1494554638249361438 message for any updates

[bitter kestrel]

See my posts about InKind re: Dayglow

[bitter kestrel]

I know this isn’t exactly in this radius, but Go Get Em Tiger makes one of my all-time fav decafs, their decaf espresso is great brewed any way.

[elder vector]

went to iron and kin and had a shot of espresso and a cup of pourover, both were pleasant but damn is that place busy

bought some decaf beans as well which I'll brew tmrw morning

[runic heath]

Yeah if you come back you can check out Harvard & Yale. They don’t sell beans though.

[rough crypt]

have you had it recently? I've been looking for decaf and haven't had that one, but I felt like GGET's roasts had gone downhill in the last couple of years.

[boreal solar]

Never do iron and kin on a Sunday

The farmers market down the street is a religious stop for locals and they get unusually high traffic

[bitter kestrel]

Bought most recently like two months ago. Didn’t love the other coffees I got. But this one I’ve purchased twice and it is very complex, sweet and versatile compared to other specialty decafs I’ve had.

[weary chasm]

Will explore more. But this is commodity decaf

Pretty good. 2 pounds at $23

[warped tide]

Think I've seen that at Costco a few times

Right?

From what I remember, it was super oily.

[weary chasm]

Looked about the same level as peets

[warped tide]

They are starbucks/kirkland brand that I really like, but its also oily... cloggs up my whole grinder

[elder vector]

brewed with these this morning and my first thought is that ive been spoiled by SAKA

[merry pebble]

I've used Iron & Kin's espresso blend before. It was good, just needed to rest it longer than my normal espresso blend from superlost.

[vivid violet]

this looks really tasty.

how was it.. are the tasting notes accurate ?

often times I don't really like the strong cashew flavor, that feels like a mis-roast to me..

[elder vector]

to be entirely honest in the few shots i had time to pull they were I don't feel like i really dialed in at all. Maybe need to let the beans rest a little so I don't have any super strong thoughts rn about them.

[warped tide]

My buddy got this from Costco

Says medium, but one of the darkest I've tasted

super good though

[scarlet gale]

Any new shops worth visiting

[desert stirrup]

Have you tried Monolith?

Wait I think you have

If I'm correct it was in the last LA vlog with Ondo Man

[glossy sail]

https://discord.gg/PSKmn3SSu

[boreal solar]

If you have a car slowbloom out in Redlands is an exceptional coop with a cool backstory for a feature

[short condor]

Is that what became of augies?

[boreal solar]

It is.

[short condor]

Always wanted to try them some time, maybe one of these days I’ll day trip out that way. Are they multi roaster or they slinging their own beans ?

[warped tide]

Bring me back some beans lol

[boreal solar]

They’re slinging their own beans.

[merry pebble]

I tried the liberica. It's definitely not my cup of tea coffee. Strong herbal/medicinal taste. The jackfruit is in there somewhere but it's blown out by the herbal notes.

I brewed at 90c, medium coarse grind. I used an orea o1 and a melodrip.

Not sure what to do with the rest of the bag. I might give it another shot. But I can't imagine it will get much better.

[desert stirrup]

Try doing two more brews where you extract more on one cup and less in another cup

So 90C + same grind size + 4 60g pours bare kettle

For the lesser extracted cup try 85C + same grind size + 1 (3 • dose weight) pour + 1 long close to brewer center pour until target ratio

Honestly I might go buy this bean if it’s still available

I’m quite interested

[glossy sail]

The name for liberica in vietnamese translate to jackfruit coffee. I don't know how much of the funk can be offset. Feels like a lost cause to me

[granite lintel]

Heading to San Diego in a couple weeks for work. Staying in what Google Maps says is downtown or the gas lamp quarter?

Anything I need to hit while I’m there?

[vivid violet]

@devout atlas , any specific suggestions down there ?

[left inlet]

I would go to Rikka Fika and Mnemonic Coffee in Downtown San Diego. If you go to North County San Diego, check out Necessity Coffee in Encinitas and Steady State in Carlsbad.

[granite lintel]

Thank you!

[glossy sail]

my car got smashed while parked in gaslamp for dinner. take that how you will.

[devout atlas]

I recommend Midnight Animal in North Park, as well as Bound Coffee in Oceanside. There aren’t many speciality shops in San Diego. I wouldn’t go out of your way, tbh.

[low mantle]

Bound coffee has good bagels. I’d take my bagel and grab some coffee at steady state.

[granite lintel]

I’m from Atlanta so I’ll feel right at home

[elder vector]

I liked talitha coffee off of banker's hill. its right across the street from balboa as well, which can be a nice walk afterwards

[boreal solar]

Gaslamp is usually pretty safe. That feels like an outlier. Still sucks for you though.

Hard to separate an event like that from commonplace.

[vivid violet]

ahhh, Hotlanta 🔥

[granite lintel]

Or as we call it, Atlanna

[vivid violet]

yeah, less like Mylanta and more like Annacid Liquid

[granite lintel]

Exactly

[scarlet gale]

Whomst has an MC6

[proven anchor]

headed to ondo, what’s good here

[rough crypt]

everything

their spro is awesome

idk what beans they have in stock rn but their house roasts are good too

[proven anchor]

i see

[earnest robin]

Matcha latte with foam top

[prime scarab]

I like jackfruit and I like coffee, just probably not jackfruit coffee. Better than durian tho

[weary chasm]

maybe their butterscotch latte?

and gout

maybe if you order some gout. lol.

[warped tide]

they have a drink called gout?

thats odd

[weary chasm]

i was just joking.

they got a recent shipment of coffee from a Chinese Roaster named Gout and Co

pick up some bags for light roast coffee to brew at home

[warped tide]

oh, I guess Ive just been hyper sensitive since my last flareup lol

[weary chasm]

fun play on words.

"i got gout again"

"i meant the coffee beans company, not the actual thing"

[warped tide]

yea ... I love a good foreign naming mix-up

[boreal solar]

The butterscotch guineas latte is probably the most laborious drink on the menu according to the owner whom used to be active here. If you want something unique it’s made from scratch. Personally I’m partial to the rotating pour over menu though.

[nimble blaze]

What’s the best coffee shop open late in LA?

[boreal solar]

Probably stereoscope. I’d probably just get boba somewhere instead though tbh

[weary chasm]

Lol. Can try CHAGEE

Or Molly Tea if you're in the area

I think the Korean coffee shops open late

[faint sandal]

I am back in LA

Which farmer's markets y'all like

[civic crest]

Wednesday Santa Monica

[vivid violet]

Saturday Pasadena High School one is really good too.

i also liked the Sunday Alhambra one.

[tall frigate]

Love the Alhambra one

That's my shit

[glossy sail]

theres a coffee stand in the alhambra one that uses 2 decents

not sure if its still there

[boreal solar]

If you’re on the east side the Claremont market is walking distance to iron and kin along with a few bakeries.

[desert stirrup]

Hollywood Sunday is always a banger

[faint sandal]

Was there

Can confirm it was a banger

[manic helm]

What's up LA I am flying in Wednesday

[vivid violet]

heyooooo, nice !

will you be around on Sat too ?

we are getting together at Secret Pizza around 4pm to have pizza and do a coffee split

where will you be staying ?

#HoffnungIRL

[manic helm]

Staying at the Line in ktown. Unfortunately leaving Sat morning

[vivid violet]

cool, sounds good ! basically Thurs/Fri in K-town.

are you gonna visit Ondo, Mandarin 1/2, Be Bright, Quat LA, or any other shops around ?

[manic helm]

Definitely hitting up Ondo at least

[vivid violet]

would you like to try to meet up ? not sure how locked in your schedule is..

[manic helm]

Possibly

[vivid violet]

cool.. please do post, and I think some folks might be able to make it.

this Thurs I have about 10:30am thru 1:30pm open, then going to meet up with Evan (Ragdoll) for some pizzaaaaa

[boreal solar]

Business or pleasure?

Yeah, I’m showing Rory the ooni on Thursday evening since he’s been curious. I’m a ways from ktown. Shame you can’t try it out since I bothered you for pizza recs when I bought it 😂 . Let us know if you need recommendations for additives during your stay anyway.

[manic helm]

I was gonna tag verbal b where'd he go

[boreal solar]

He’s no longer on this discord. You can probably dm him though. He’s still active.

[lunar fjord]

oof

did something happen

[boreal solar]

I think he’s focusing more on the business and trying to separate more casual interactions and personal image more from
Discord so his personal life and professional life isn’t affected by online discussion. There were some events what occurred, but they’re probably best not to speculate about. He’s alright and Ondo is still kicking. I’m sure he’d love to chat should you visit.

[vale gazelle]

Hello from Ondo!

Always a really good retail shelf

[lunar fjord]

yea it's always tough

shame because I'm so far the only way I can really interact with him is on discord

[glossy sail]

https://discord.gg/VxTts8HS

[primal laurel]

found another cafe using xblooms in the wild

Covour in Palo Alto

[boreal solar]

I’m kind of curious what the adoption rate will be with the new commercial machine. And whether or not it’s cost effective

Honestly, my studio makes pretty comparable pour overs to the poursteadies I’ve seen in cafes so why not

[weary chasm]

Feels kind of dead on arrival.

Probably no commercial machine

[boreal solar]

Probably not inaccurate. Their support team has been sort of unresponsive since a few months after the studio.

I’m still optimistic though.

They were really involved during launch and tried really hard to blend into the coffee community. They even worked with us at SCE which is sort of ignored by most professionals due to the limited 5000 members.

Now they don’t even respond to outages or to support requests on their own discord

[weary chasm]

They seem responsive via email

I don't think there has been outages for a while

[boreal solar]

Yeah, they were pretty responsive via email when they sent me the two month old coffee. They sent me out another bag of my choice to their credit.

The app was down a few weeks ago for a whole day and no one answered information or made an announcement on their official discord. And I see a lot of support questions there go unanswered which makes me nervous. But maybe that’s folks whom should be emailing.

[tame sun]

Hey, thanks for the feedback. I'll let my team be more responsive on discord. [email protected] is monitored 24/7, and we guarantee a 2 business day response time.

Shihong, Viola, Brian and myself are always on our discord. DM us if you need xBloom's immediate attention.

Thanks, Richard

[desert stirrup]

oh shit he has Gout & Co?!

nice I gotta nab

[vale gazelle]

The little sweetness coffee lab bags are really cool

100g for $11 bucks so I can try a coffee on a whim and not commit

[muted kindle]

Any of you guys been to LA Brisket in Cerritos/Artesia?

[vivid violet]

never tried !

[warped tide]

No, but now I want to

[muted kindle]

Was going to head to Cerritos area today I think I’ll go ahead and check it out

[tall frigate]

All I can think of when I think of Cerritos is the Auto Square jingle from my youth

[warped tide]

Thats a classic. Only OGs remember that one

[weary chasm]

Touching grass

[warped tide]

Nice

[vivid violet]

that coffee looks under-roasted

[left kite]

Some like greens

[tiny mountain]

YES CERRITOS AUTO SQUARE !

🗣️🗣️🔥🔥

[junior bobcat]

I didn't think there was anything in Cerritos beyond Cerritos auto square, until I was 16 and drove there 😂

[junior bobcat]

Let me know how it goes. I've been able to sample a bunch of Texas BBQ so I'm uniquely qualified to call it "not up to Texas standards"

[muted kindle]

It was closed for Memorial Day lol so I went to Mian instead

[junior bobcat]

Any good?

[muted kindle]

I would say it’s okay. Didn’t blow me away. Felt over price for what I got. I rather go somewhere else for noodles

[junior bobcat]

Wait wtf both of those places were Chinese? 😂 I've been had!

[topaz zenith]

The spicy beef noodle soup is probably the best item at Mian, all of their other stuff is pretty meh.