Pu’er Coffee

 After talking with plenty of coffee enthusiasts, I’ve noticed that this seems to be one of the biggest curiosities people have about grinders: If it can grind coffee beans, can’t it grind other things too? And that’s usually when a few “mad experimenters” begin a series of questionable trials—only to fall into complete silence afterward… Let me put it plainly: please don’t use your coffee grinder to grind anything other than coffee beans , especially if you actually care about it. Seriously. 😄 To be honest, no matter which stage of my coffee journey I’ve been in, I’ve never even considered this question. To me, a grinder is a tool with a very clear, single purpose. Trying to repurpose it for other kinds of grinding just doesn’t make much sense. Sure, in theory , anything softer than the burrs might get crushed—but from a practical and safety standpoint, it’s a very bad idea. First, let’s be clear about one thing: the heart of any grinder is the burr set. Whether it’s flat burrs...

 Have you ever noticed this? When a barista first powers on the espresso machine in the morning, the very first shot of espresso isn’t served — it’s poured straight down the drain. Then they immediately pull another one. Curious customers often ask, “Why throw it away?” And if you make espresso at home, you might wonder — should you do the same? Why the First Espresso Shot Gets Tossed At our café, before serving the first cup of the day, baristas always go through an essential calibration process. This includes pulling one shot and discarding it, then tasting a straight espresso and a latte to fine-tune the day’s brewing parameters. The reason the first espresso gets tossed? Simply put — it’s not up to standard . 1. Cleaning Residue Espresso machines aren’t cheap, and with proper maintenance, they can last for many years. Regular cleaning is key to keeping them in good condition. Every night after closing, baristas perform a deep clean using a specialized cleaning powder ...