BY DAVID SCHOMER SPECIAL TO BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE After Synesso introduced PID in 2005, I focused entirely on grinding as the next frontier of improvement, and it became clear that two principal challenges emerged. Particle Control One challenge the old dosers presented was the ability to maintain the exact distribution of fine particles within the […]

SPECIAL TO BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE BY DAVID SCHOMER Earlier this year, my longtime dream of pushing espresso into a consistent, repeatable culinary art form came true with the little Pico grinder from La Marzocco. After 37 years of frustration, for the first time in my life, the available equipment is not blocking me completely—or making […]

Dear Constant Reader, Roasted coffee is changing constantly after roasting.  The noble aromatics are fragile and need proper storage to survive into the cup. As I have said so often “no chef can rise above their raw materials”.  Expert marination cannot save spoiled fish…Here is an overview of the situation starting at bagging fresh coffee, […]

Dear Reader, When we opened in 1988 I toured Italy twice to study extraction techniques and equipment.  One of the takeaways was the hand  position and tool for espresso packing. We trained on scales for years and I thought the straight arm and wrist position I has seen in Italy , combined with 40 pounds […]

Dear Reader, For years different organizations have approached us to distribute our Northern Italian roast.  I say “great but the coffee must be in the customers hands within three days of roasting”. They become strangely quiet at that point.  But finally,  I have found one that truly respects our bean! I am excited to announce […]

Vivace 34th anniversary espresso tasting   This year David will personally prepare one of the rarest coffee cultivars in the world: Mexican Bourbon Pointu   Bourbon Pointu, like most coffee varietals, was a natural mutation in the coffea arabica plant. Pointu features a natural sweetness and 40% less caffeine than other arabica typicas. For the […]

  Dear Patient Reader, With Ethiopia experiencing civil war and extended drought conditions, I began to search for coffees that might be able to match the quality I have enjoyed for years at Vivace. Coffees from the Sidamo, Yirgacheffe, Harrar, and Guji regions of Ethiopia have been unmatched for flavor intensity, body, notes of blueberry, […]

Hello Espresso Lovers, I’m ready to teach your company how to create the most flavorful and beautiful caffe espresso and latte art. Three days with me and I guarantee you will be making the finest espresso in your city. In this intensive format I will be: -Evaluating and tuning equipment for perfection. -Training baristi on […]

Dear Espresso Lovers, ESPRESSO PERFECTION Preparing caffe espresso as a culinary art By David C. Schomer Available Friday March 19th in our stores and online at amxix.site Caffe espresso has revealed so many new secrets since I released “ESPRESSO COFFEE 2013” I felt compelled to revisit and greatly expand the information in the book. I […]

Hello Coffee Lovers, For the past three days I have enjoyed our Vita blend that was roasted on February 8th! (It is March 9th today) The coffee was very good. I have tested several refrigerated samples in the last two weeks and I’m ready to state that with proper handling our roasted coffee stays perfect […]