Zen Again

My espresso machine and I have always had a rocky relationship. It was hard to refill and hard to clean but still I mourn its passing. Several days ago I got up to make my morning latte - my version of a tea ceremony. All the steps in my morning process give me time to ponder the day; plan new creations I can make in my studio; chores I must complete. Then there is the joy of actually sipping my scrumptious beverage. So imagine my horror when I wander into the kitchen in the chilly air to start my machine heating while I go back to snuggle under the covers and wait when suddenly I hear "POP!" And then a huge puddle of water appeared on the countertop ...and it was expanding rapidly.

My husband hauled it over to the fabulous people at Seattle Coffee Gear in Lynnwood, Washington while I moped in my studio. And nothing was going well...I had lost my Zen!

The next day I got the email that gave me the dreaded news...my Oscar was severely wounded. I could have them do surgery on it and get it back but they could not guarantee how long surgery would extend its life...and it would cost $650. Ugh.

I am sitting in my studio right now but after three long days without my morning brew I knew I had to act. Quickly! Nothing was going right! Entire days have gone by with me feeling off kilter. So late afternoon on the third day off we went...down the island and over the water on the ferry to Lynwood to find a solution.

I am in Love! I have a new machine!!! This is a machine I dreamed of even though I didn't know it was out there waiting for me. No more straining to fill the water jug in back. This new machine has a lovely wide open bucket in back which would be easy enough to fill but the coffee gods directed the creators to also include a filling port right in front! No more getting up hours before I want to brew to insure the machine is hot and ready...this machine is ready in 15 minutes...AND it has a clock so I can set it to come on automatically. Plus it has two boilers so now I can brew espresso and steam milk at the same time! I say goodbye Oscar, hello "Bart Breville".  I hope this is a long beautiful affair. This morning I made my first latte with Bart.  Smooth! Yum! And now I have my Zen again. I'm working on a new vessel. It's gonna be kinda prickly with spikes like my last few days have been.


Enjoy your Zen,
Janet


Comments

  1. sooo I am afraid to ask how many mucho bucks will I have to put out for this wonderful new machine? I have long wanted one but price and space have always stopped me. My brother long ago got a wonderful machine from starbucks back when their machines were still made in europe. I also did not know if I was enough of a coffee snob (lol!) to warrant this whole routine in the morning for a cup of joe.but now I am craving a better cup each morning and curious if I could do this everyday.what is your sage and Zen advise to me? and will it help me get back into my studio to create? signed : in a slump for sure! Sheryl

    ReplyDelete
  2. I would consider the $1300 a good solid investment. I figured out how much I spent on lattes from my local coffee stands and shops and paid for my first machine in the first year. There are models for much less. In fact, I started with a thrift shop Mr. Coffee that made espresso and had a wand for steaming. Cost me $15 and I used it for a year. Then I moved on to my Oscar which was A-mazing in comparison when it came to flavor. I also used Oscar to do flavored steamed milk before bed and to dispense hot water for making my Mom's tea. But as you saw in my post, Oscar though praised more highly by the coffee aficionados, was not as user friendly as my new double boiler Breville. Hopefully Bart Breville, will run the long course and prove himself worthy in the aficionados' eyes. This brand provides lots of nice touches that make it a dream to have around...worth the cost and counter space. (refilling port, charcoal water filter, dedicated hot water dispenser, pop up reminder when drip tray is full, reminder on LCD for changing water filter, ability to descale yourself instead of taking it in for this service, retractable cord to keep excess of counter, larger warming tray area, pressure gauge so you know when you are in that sweet spot, fast heat up cycle, ability to get espresso and steam at same time and I could go on...) For me a fine cup of joe in the morning sets the day up right. With that feeling I can create. Good luck finding your Zen Sheryl!
    Janet

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment