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Re:Why a spritz of water before grinding coffee yields bette... by quaddo on Saturday December 09, 2023 @02:25PM (#38585001)
As someone who is something of a coffee nerd (QM67 machine, Fiorenzato grinder w/ timer), I'll admit to balking at doing any of the more fiddly/fussy things.

But out of curiosity, how much time does the coffee nerd community spend pondering and tweaking environmental variables?

For example, ambient room temperature and relative humidity? Can't do a whole lot about pressure, short of tracking historical trends vs present air pressure and setting expectations, I suppose.

Other factors: tamping down physical, emotional irritants, such as screaming children, freshly burnt toast, headaches, etc.

And something that is adjustable but not quickly so: the (paint) colour(s) of the room. It's been something like 30 years, but ISTR hearing that different colours can affect us in subtle ways. For example, red can help stimulate the appetite. I imagine good lighting (eg, warm lighting, avoid fluorescent) is another variable.

All this to ask: do coffee nerds consider tweaking any of the above, or only those things that are in very close proximity to the grinder and espresso machine?

Re:Why a spritz of water before grinding coffee yields bette... by lostlogin on Saturday December 09, 2023 @03:06PM (#38585424)
> QM67 machine, Fiorenzato grinder w/ timer

Nice! I got a bit burnt by a Quick Mill Andreja and have always wondered if it related to the the conversion to 240v that was done on it for New Zealand. The reality never came close to the reviews.

I’m now on a Faema E-61 Legend and an orange Mazzer Robur - it’s like having a particular large traffic cone in the kitchen. Every so often I consider a more tuneable double boiler, but going back to your comment, appearances matter and and my ridiculous setup makes the coffee seem better.

Re:Why a spritz of water before grinding coffee yields bette... by bch on Saturday December 09, 2023 @09:45PM (#38588540)
> Faema E-61 Legend

I worked a bar with a 3-group. What a joy to work with.

Re:Why a spritz of water before grinding coffee yields bette... by BirdieNZ on Saturday December 09, 2023 @02:52PM (#38585285)
(Good) baristas dial in their grind size multiple times a day due to environmental changes like humidity, and I daresay the decor of a coffee shop is designed to motivate appetite. Not sure if that completely answers your questions but they've certainly been considered before.