The paradox of modern coffee: We want third wave quality, but with push button convenience. Breville’s new Barista Touch Impress tries to bridge that gap. It features Baratza burrs, an intelligent dosing system, and automated milk frothing for alternative milks. It’s a stunning piece of tech on paper. But how does it work in practice for someone who knows their way around a portafilter? Our detailed First Look is now live on CoffeeGeek (remove the extra slash) https://coffeegeek/.com/reviews/firstlooks/breville-bes881-barista-touch-impress-first-look-review/

NCP I guess I'm finally a "car guy". I got coilovers installed in my JDM Mazda MX-5 Roadster (Miata over here), two weeks ago. Did their followup adjustment today. The 20 year old suspension in the sports car was tired, lots of bouncy bouncy, corner roll etc. No more. These are tuned for dampening, ride height, and camber. The car dropped about 2.5" and looks way, way better now (what do you think - see the before and after photos). Ride comfort is surprisingly good, and the car now feels like it is on rails, glued to the pavement, even on the twisty back road / farm roads of the Saanich Peninsula of Vancouver Island. Cost about $2300 (CAD, parts, labour, alignment), and well worth it. MX-5s, especially the NA-NC models, look like they're on stilts with the factory shocks and coils (see the second pic for my "before" photo). First pic is how the car looks today.

The original Lagom mini carved out a space between manual grinders and bulky electric ones. The new Option-O Lagom mini 2 keeps the same minimalist design but improves everything that matters: burrs, power, workflow, reliability. You get a travel-friendly grinder with filter-first focus, a smarter motor, and wildly capable USB-C portability. CoffeeGeek has the full story. Here's the link (remove the ./ to visit) https://coffeegeek./com/blog/new-products/option-o-lagom-mini-2-first-look/

Speaking of the Lagom Casa, and the Mini, here's how they compare in size. Front view - not too much different in terms of "counter space", but side view tells a radically different story. And keep in mind, the Lagom Casa (the black grinder) is SMALL, compared to what else is out there. But the Mini is TINY.

Been really putting the new grinders from Option-O -- the Lagom mini 2, and the Lagom Casa -- through paces this week. Also discovering every single difference between the original mini and the mini 2. Some big ones (USB-c powered, different burr, auto-off, very usable power brick), some very subtle: - etched Option-O logo not on mini 2 base - etched Option-O brand name not on the side of the mini 2 base - zero point indicator not on mini 2 (the smaller hollow dot). (second photo) - Grind setting marker (the drilled dot on the main grinder body) smaller on the mini 2 compared to original mini. (2nd photo) I actually loved the subtle branding on the original mini, sad to see it gone on the mini 2. #coffee #espresso