漸覺今是而昨非
問了不少說不喝咖啡的朋友, 大多的投訴是 酸和苦
發覺是最基本的基本弄錯了, 完全無關咖啡粉/豆的質素
(也很大可能是買錯了 Espresso 的咖啡粉)
在 Taobao 買了一堆工具
就開始了 “惡魔的飲料” 探索之旅…

咖啡理論 101

取決沖咖啡的最根本是要先掌握兩樣東西 (不計冰滴那種異類)
1. 咖啡粉和水的比例
2. 咖啡粉的粗幼
3. 熱水接觸咖啡粉的時間

其 1. 咖啡粉和水的比例, 決定咖啡的濃度
2. 3. 決定咖啡的萃取程度 “Extraction”

咖啡的濃度決定清和淡和味道 (Taste)無間
咖啡的萃取程度則和味道有最大關係, 簡單來說,
太少的話沒有咖啡味, 太多的話會酸和苦

先說 1. 大部份人說大概每杯咖啡要 2 teaspoon, 嘗試一下就好.
2 和 3,
溫度最好是 98度攝氏
咖啡粉磨得越幼 萃取速度城快, (所以買一個手動咖啡磨和用咖啡豆對學習很重要, 大概每樣 $60-80 HKD)
簡單來說,

越幼的咖啡粉, 接觸熱水的時間要越短 (否則連酸和苦味未抽了出來)
越粗的咖啡粉, 接觸熱水的時間要越久 (否則抽不了咖啡味)
沖好的咖啡不宜繼續加熱 (否則咖啡油會變酸)

接觸熱水的時間其實和沖調方法很有關 (所以改變 咖啡粉粗幼是最好的選擇, 再說一次 買一個手動咖啡磨!)
一般來說

法式壓力壺 大約三分鐘, 咖啡粉要粗一點 (超方便, 建議 Office 用, 新手適用)
虹吸壺 大約一至兩分鐘, 咖啡粉中等 (這個 UCC 和 Pokka Cafe 也在用)
Moka 大約一至兩分鐘, 咖啡粉中等 (這個很難用, 也不方便)
冷滴咖啡機 大約三至四小時, 咖啡粉中等 (台北峰大在用, 這是異數)
Espresso 大約10-20 秒, 咖啡粉超幼 (新手不宜, 全自動, 價錢貴 都是致命傷)

推薦 法式壓力壺, 虹吸壺 作新手上路裝備…

價格計算

先算算價格…
咖啡豆 $75 (Taobao 賣 200g x 2, Hong Kong 賣 200g x 1)
手動咖啡磨 $60-70 國貨
法式壓力壺/虹吸壺 $60-70
總數 < $300 HKD

有機會再寫下一篇筆記

For this reason, I have had a chance to blog about life recently.
Life is good, as in Lots of works at office and lots of stuff is running around, but still nothing to complain about…

I had been reviewing things, thinking about career plans, and what to learn and Let’s say having an early mid-life crisis.

To be honest, I had nothing to complain, having a not-bad job, ladder to climb, having a cute wife, not much worrying about housing, and no health problem yet. But as any guy would prefer some bigger achievement, but I have none to offer.
(Or probably I have a problem for it, since I never get satisfy over most of the “big thing” in my life either)

One of the thing I am proud of myself, is the influence I bring to people, which start ripple around, Thoughts and Ideas spreads out, to make the world a better place. (And some idea for the industry as well)

As for the career, I am planning to continue pursuit the PM line, it may not be the best path to choose, and may not suit my characteristic , But I guess it’s more fun than dealing with restless changes on the industry, and having others to tell me the secrets among different part of the technology is good and efficient enough for me….
(I like to see/get things done, with or without my direct intervention is irrelevant)

I guess for getting the thing I would like to accomplish, I would rather hire some guns and organize them, than to get my hands dirty. As a result, I’ll need someway to make cash fast and continuously…

That’s enough rumbling for the night….

Other than the idea about Totalitarianism (http://goo.gl/hOhF)
It had a strong theme around the topic of words and ideas

From the very beginning of the play

We are told to remember the idea, not the man, because a man can fail. He can be caught, he can be killed and forgotten, but 400 years later, an idea can still change the world.

Symbols, Words, Perspectives are essential for a society and for this very reason, media control are always the first place revolution / resistance or government take control of.

Beneath this mask there is more than flesh. Beneath this mask there is an idea and ideas are bulletproof.

And that’s why many scientist and technologists putting effort to create some totally uncontrollable with single entity/organization. the Dark Internet, I2P, Tor, WikiLeaks are all products to preserve that thought, ensure the channel and allows freedom of speech and spread of ideas is that most important thing to keep any tyrant in line.

…A building is a symbol, as is the act of destroying it. Symbols are given power by people. Alone, a symbol is meaningless, but with enough people, blowing up a building can change the world.

Anonymous promote power to those people, good or bad, as a double edged sword, but the option is important for people to voice out thoughts and coordinate their efforts…

I guess that’s one of the reason why I’ve got so fascinated about the related technologies.

This happens when thing are easily done with automation and getting thing done without any knowledge about it. e.g. Email and iPhone Apps.
We too get used to the fact that the only thing we do is paying, for a miracle service/product and then get our life changed.

While this is true for lots of thing, it’s hardly true for many areas, e.g. Habits, Skills.
Take an example of
1. “If you drink this product A everyday, you’ll be slim in two weeks, without any effort on exercise, take on a diet”
2. “With this new camera and lens, you can takes amazing photo with a click. And everyone will think you as a Pro Photographer.” (link)
3. “Taking this course will improve your English so fast that you’ll have a merry career lie ahead with in Three Months.”

Empty promises and yet people fall for it, or are those applications of the rule?

“Wizard’s First Rule: people are stupid.” Richard and Kahlan frowned even more. “People are stupid; given proper motivation, almost anyone will believe almost anything. Because people are stupid, they will believe a lie because they want to believe it’s true, or because they are afraid it might be true. People’s heads are full of knowledge, facts, and beliefs, and most of it is false, yet they think it all true. People are stupid; they can only rarely tell the difference between a lie and the truth, and yet they are confident they can, and so are all the easier to fool.”
Because of Wizards First Rule, the old wizards created Confessors, and Seekers, as a means of helping find the truth, when the truth is important enough. Darken Rahl knows the Wizard’s Rules. He is using the first one. People need an enemy to feel a sense of purpose. It’s easy to lead people when they have a sense of purpose. Sense of purpose is more important by far than the truth. In fact, truth has no bearing in this. Darken Rahl is providing them with an enemy, other than himself, a sense of purpose. People are stupid; they want to believe, so they do.”
—Chapter 36, p.560, U.S. paperback edition