I need a commercial espresso machine for my business. But more than that, right now, I want an opinion on what brand I should get. At the moment I can’t decide between an Astoria, a Rancilio, or a La Pavoni. I intended to get an Astoria at first, but when I found out that there were local distributors for Rancilio and La Pavoni, now I’m all confused. I’ve read various reviews on all three brands, and all three of them sound great. Both the distributors of La Pavoni and Astoria are roasters and they can supply coffee as well. The difference is that I get free service if I get my machine AND my coffee from the La Pavoni supplier, while the Astoria supplier can give me the most freshly roasted beans and could probably, probably offer me free service as well. As for the Rancilio supplier, they also happen to be the official distributor of Torani syrups, and well…they carry Rancilios. I see a lot of successful cafes in Manila use Rancilios, so they probably provide great service, too.

And in case you’re curious, the machine pictured above is an Astoria Gloria Semiautomatic (Two-Group Head).

Belgium Royal 4C Cafe Siphon Vacuum Brewer

This very pretty device is a 4C Cafe Siphon Vacuum Brewer. While the process of making coffee with these babies is time consuming (plus these babies are rather fragile), the result is a smooth, syrupy, and utterly delicious brew. You put coffee in the glass chamber, and water in the metal chamber. You boil the water with the alcohol burner. The boiled water will be forced into the other chamber, and the water chamber will get lighter until it rises high enough for the lid of the burner to close. This creates a vacuum, and the brewed coffee will get sucked back in the water chamber, ready to be served through a tap. The brewing process is amusing to watch, and the coffee it makes is divine. And I’m always a fan of devices that can make great coffee without the use of electricity. I’m seriously considering getting one of these (or a traditional siphon brewer, even) for my business.

I have yet to find a local distributor of these babies, but in the event they CAN be shipped to the Philippines, I’ll be getting them from Sorrentina Coffee.

Zoka Coffee

I so want a cup of Zoka Coffee right now. Hell, I want an entire bag of their beans. While I love the coffee I make myself, I will have to admit that I’m a hopeless fangirl of Zoka’s brew. I experienced the bliss that is Zoka when I visited Seattle a few months ago. Being the geek climber and coffee freak that I am, I checked Zoka out just to see what the home of Delicious Monster was like. Not surprisingly, the place was packed with students, most of who were from UW which sat nearby. I ordered a regular latte (pictured). SWEET CHRIST. It was done flawlessly. The milk was perfectly velvety, the temperature was just right, and the full-bodied, caramel-undertoned, and very smooth coffee was just plain awesome. I didn’t even need to add sugar. There are still some Seattle coffee shops I have yet to check out, but among the ones that I did check out, Zoka has my favorite brew.