HERE’S HOW:

For two cups (14 ounces or 500 ml) of cold brew we used a fairly high dose of 48 grams coffee (4 tablespoons, 1.7 ounces) set to a medium/fine grind. Heat your water to (195-205) degrees F as you would a traditional pour over, and make sure to allow a 30 second bloom time, then pour slowly and evenly until you reach 400 grams total weight (14 ounces). Remove the V60 cone and filter after 3-4 minutes. Stir the ice chamber to integrate and melt any remaining ice. Tasting the cold brew before adding any additional ice at this point gives you a clear, rich flavor. We used two different coffees: our Brazil Minas Gerais roast which had a great mouthfeel and full body, and Coavas’ Las Capucas which had more distinct fruity notes as well as hints of dark chocolate.

THE PROS

This brewing process is extremely fast, taking 3-4 minutes rather than other cold brew methods which can take 2-24 hours. Also compared to a traditional cold brew method, the Hario V60 Fretta Ice Coffee Maker gives you the benefits of heat extraction with lovely aromatics. The fact that you do not need to use an abundance of coffee for this method as in cold brew methods is another benefit. Unlike cold brew concentrates, this technique produces coffee that is best served promptly and does not need to be cut with additional water or cream.

THE CONS

This brewing process can be finicky, as it requires careful attention to detail. Traditional cold brew methods allow you to set up your brewing equipment and walk away, while proper temperature and pouring techniques are required with the V60 Fretta. Much like a hot pour over, the iced version contains the same amount of acidity.

These panels are treated with a semi-gloss high density paint. These custom panels are available with Vivaldi purchase for $175. This is a limited time offer exclusively through Clive.

(Please note: due to limited supply these are only available when purchased with machines. If you’ve already purchased a Vivaldi from Clive, please contact us if you’re interested in these panels).

The Oracle has arrived.

Over the past two weeks the team here at Clive has been testing out Breville’s new double boiler espresso machine, neatly dubbed the “Oracle.”  The Oracle debuted at the SCAA last year, and Breville has finally released the machine to a few select markets in the US. We even had the opportunity to be given a demonstration by Breville’s own Phil McKnight, who helped design the machine. The Oracle shares many features of their earlier Dual Boiler (BES920) machine, with three independent heating elements and an elegant, programmable interface. The main departure stems from the addition of a built in burr grinder and an automatic steam wand that generates consistent, integrated, micro-textured foam.  Due to its simplicity and ease of design, the Oracle has quickly become our go-to machine to pull a shot of espresso or make a cappuccino when we’re running off to a meeting or getting ready to ship out a ton of deliveries. Now that I’ve extolled the virtues of the beast, it’s time to look under the “hood” and take a closer look.

The Oracle’s temperature stability is generated by two stainless steel boilers, three independent heating elements, and controlled by a programmable PID. While the coffee boiler has its own heating element, it is unique in that it acts like a heat exchange by drawing pre-heated water from the steam boiler. There is also an independent heating element in the group head that insures minimal temperature fluctuations as the water moves from the boiler to the bed of coffee in the portafilter.

The most noticeable feature of the Oracle that alludes to its grinding capability is the large hopper (which can hold up to a 1/2 pound of coffee) that sits atop the machine. Breville designed a proprietary auger system that enables you to insert your portafilter and the coffee will be automatically dosed, ground, tamped, and polished. The grind setting can be adjusted and viewed via an LCD display on the front by a simple twist of the knob on the side of the machine. The result is a well-groomed, solid, puck that extracts evenly and helps to prevent channeling. Theoretically, you can adjust the dose, but we’re still working on that one. An interesting aspect of the automated tamp is that both the pressure and duration can be programmed. We’ve also just started to test how the gradation of this feature impacts the quality in the cup. We’ll report back in a future post.

Outside of locking the portafilter in the group head, all features involved with pulling shots can be both programmed or done manually. Pre-infusion time, shot yield (timed or volumetric), and temperature (coffee boiler temp) can all be programmed. They’ve even included a nifty timer on the main LCD screen while you pull your shots. We spent quite a few days pulling shots and so far they have been very consistent. For the seasoned barista who’s accustomed to pulling shots manually, there are plenty of variables you can adjust and experiment with.

For the americano enthusiast, there is a dedicated knob that enables you to pull a shot and fill your cup all with a single push of a button. This is achieved by a hot water spout that sits directly behind the group head and fills your cup with water directly after the shot has completed. You can also twist the knob to adjust the volume of water to be dispensed. If you choose to be traditional, you can of course pull your shot manually and use the hot water button (or if you want tea instead of espresso) to fill your cup.

Probably the most remarkable innovation is the ability to steam consistently beautiful, integrated, micro-textured foam. A combination of steam and pumped air ensure a silky texture that most novice baristas would lust after. It is as simple as filling your pitcher, inserting the steam wand, and pushing a lever. Both the temperature (aided by a smiley face icon when the proper temperature is selected) and foam density can be programmed. Again, you can choose to steam your milk manually, but it does such a beautiful job you would be hard pressed not to let it do the work for you. In a few tests we did get a few larger bubbles that we had to knock out, otherwise the foam is super consistent.

A few other cool features include: A reservoir that you can fill from a top panel or from back of the machine.  The boilers are super easy to drain through two screws on the front of the machine. You will also receive a suite of accessories, ranging from cleaning gear to a pitcher and a knock box.

Before Breville released the Oracle, they took enormous pains to ensure that the machine would meet the expectations of their customers and withstand regular daily use. They performed nearly 15,000 use cycle tests, which if you do the math, is equivalent to ten years of making four (and a little bit more) drinks a day. They have also extended their warranty to two years, and all service inquiries go through Breville themselves.

So, is the Oracle prophetic in the delivery of exquisite espresso? We’ll report back with a more detailed analysis in a future post.

At Clive we are devoted to high quality, traditional espresso. This means you won’t find superautomatic machines in our lineup that are convenient and easy to use, but end up cutting corners on the quality of the shot and the steamed milk. These machines also tend to be built of about 2,000 plastic parts of middling quality. We’re not willing to make this trade off, and thus our lineup has been devoted to Italian espresso machines that are well built and designed to make espresso the traditional way.

My perspective shifted a bit at the SCAA (Specialty Coffee Association of America) convention in 2013. I had a chance to try out the Breville Oracle machine along with Zachary from Sprudge. We were both floored at the quality of the espresso and the texture of the automatic frother. Breville has really thought about the engineering behind a tough challenge – automating the grinding, dosing, and tamping of shot pulling along with the texturing of milk. The smartest move was to separate the grinding chamber from the brewing chamber, asking the user to physically move the portafilter between these two tasks. Most superautomatic machines don’t do this, relying on a mechanical action inside the machine to move the ground espresso from the grinding chamber into the portafilter for shot pulling. This results in all kinds of nasty problems, like hidden areas for ground espresso to accumulate, inviting the coffee oils to be become rancid. This happens very quickly in most superautomatic machines, even if the user does the regularly scheduled cleaning cycle.

We’ve tested two top of the line superautomatic machines at Clive, hoping to find a good quality machine for an office environment when traditional espresso routines are not practical. They were both big disappointments.

The Breville Oracle has a lot of promise. I’ve only tested it on the convention floor, so a true review will have to wait until we get our demo unit. For now, I can say that Breville has developed a compelling option for those that are looking for fast, good quality espresso drinks.

We have been told by Breville that we’ll start receiving Oracle units around February 25th.The Oracle is still in early production, meaning it will only be offered through a select list of retailers. Clive has been selected as one of the only retailers in the Portland area to  sell the Oracle at this early stage. We aren’t allowed to sell it online, so you’ll have to visit us in our Portland showroom or give us a call to learn more.

Today only (12/14/13), receive $30 off your order of a Bonavita Thermal or Bonavita Glass. This promotion is valid on purchases made on 12/14/13 and cannot be applied to prior purchases.

Unlike most retailers, we will be closed Black Friday. We wanted to be sure our entire team had a chance to slow down and enjoy this time to gather with friends and family. Plus, we’re a little averse to all the games most stores play. If you’re like us, you get turned off with all the commercialization, forced hurriedness, and general tackiness surrounding holiday shopping.

For now, we’ve set up some flexible package deals on espresso machines that you can take advantage of whenever the time suits you. Over the coming weeks we’ll showcase some of our favorite gift bundles. As always, we’re here to help you discover and enjoy amazing coffee equipment. Let us know how we can help.

What are your plans for the holiday? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter!

First and foremost, we would like to say thank you to all of the coffee aficionados we have had the pleasure of meeting over the years. To celebrate these relationships, we would like to try something new.

Over the coming weeks, we will be answering common questions via short, informative videos on our website and Facebook. If you have a specific question you would like to see answered or would just like to say hello, let us know via Twitter at #askclive. We hope to hear from you soon!

And now for the first in the series: The Baratza Encore vs. Virtuoso

For the past 2 years here at Clive I’ve been helping to develop and teach a well regarded little 2 hour class on barista basics.  We call it our Barista 101.  This class has proven to be a wonderful ‘head’s up’ experience for those with zero espresso background, but also is a good resource for those who’ve been doing home espresso for years, but had never gotten a personal lesson.  And we love teaching these classes!  It’s so very rewarding to see folks’ eyes light up with the simple techniques and ideas we’re able to demonstrate, and then know that they can go home and immediately enjoy better espresso!

And yet, what about the rest of the ways people make coffee?  It seems like there are more brewing options available to the home market than ever before.  Some are old school, some are new…lots of how-to questions on each…so…

After much thought and preparation, we would like to announce a new educational endeavor here at Clive, our first ever Brewing Methods class!  This class focuses exclusively on everything besides espresso, such as French Press, Aeropress, Chemex… Our goal is to de-mystify these brewing methods: to explain the how’s and why’s, during which we’ll discuss the importance of the grind and the different type’s of filters that are available. This class is participation heavy, so we are asking all the participants to be ready to talk, think, have fun, and drink a ton of coffee.

All participants in the class will receive a letterpress 12×17″ poster of our Brew Factors Infographic.

Also see the 2014 Chinook Book for a 50% off coupon for this class!

Note: This offer is only valid through 9/2/13 and may not be applied to previous purchases.