Brian Fantana

At 30k I think something like the Wega Mininova could be an option. Craig Charity calls Wega the hilux of the coffee industry. I saw one in Melbourne for 2400AUD last year. Not sure what the local price will be.

You don't need to be a prof for that. I upgraded my Caravel to PID temperature control by sourcing all parts locally: Single channel temperature controller with alarm output Type K thermocouple Solid state relay for supply to heating element 16A 220V AC relay that supplies electricity to ssr, energised by alarm output on temp controller 16A circuit breaker Panel mount isolator All the above built into a 200x120x100 weatherproof enclosure In addition to the above parts you require some panelflex cable(preferably in a few colours) and bootlace ferrules with a crimping tool. The above parts were about R500 from a local industrial electrical supplier from the ACDC catalogue. If you buy a Shinko or Toho temperature controller it will be a lot more expensive.

Lately I have started buying single origins and proven blends at the same time. Some single origins deliver great espresso, but I struggle with others (I am pretty sure it's my own fault) . So when I struggle to get good espresso from a Single Origin I just mix it with the blend which balances it somewhat (half the bag is usually gone by the time I give up). I am sure that I will master more and more Single Origins as I learn. When I travel I also take single origin and use an Aeropress for brewing. On my last trip I took fresh Malawi and Costa Rica beans with me, and both were great. I currently have Guatemala beans, and the espresso I make with it tastes great, very different from the blend but still very good.

One of my friends purchased an automatic from that crowd last year, and it looks very cheap in my opinion. You can clearly see that they are trying extremely hard to make their cheap watches look expensive, but when you take a closer look you can see the poor workmanship. In that price range I will rather look for a minimalist quartz from a reputable brand. Citizen, Seiko, Orient Swatch, Timex etc.

Here is a photo:

This Casio diver might fit the bill, not sure about a local supplier though. I saw one of these in Istanbul a few weeks ago and it looks very solid. http://www.amazon.com/Casio-MDV106-1A-Stainless-Steel-Watch/dp/B009KYJAJY

Plitviče Lakes, Croatia, Iphone 6:

After four weeks of working away followed by a two week vacation, we were reunited with our two bundles of energy last night. It looks like they had a great time on the farm.

I was in Rome until Tuesday, and picked up two sets of seals and two filter baskets for my Caravel from Francesco Ceccarelli (a famous collector of lever machines). My machine pulls incredibly smooth now. I also purchased fresh beans from Tazza D'Oro and Sant Eustacchio. The results are very good, but Mastertons and Origin Roasters are just as good in my opinion.

Seiko skx007, my everyday beater watch. I am really happy with it so far.

Your watch will look awesome if you fit a black NATO strap.

Have to agree. The following is very true when it comes to espresso equipment:

That looks like a British & Irish Lions jersey. Last year we stayed at Bergville the evening before Berg and Bush 3 day, and the B&B had two Great Danes and a Jack Russel. Awesome dogs:

My condolences. It is amazing how dogs can sense sadness.

It is a great way to make coffee, and my two Stainless Steel Bialetti moka pots are valued possessions. But when I am at home, espresso from my lever espresso machine is my drink of choice, much more flavour and less bitterness. (In my opinion of course). For travelling and staying in hotels and B&B's an Aeropress is a great option, easy to use, quick and easy to clean. So at the end of the day, depending on your activities, there will be a time and a place for several different brewing methods.

A good cup of moka pot is absolutely awesome on a hike or camping trip. I have a 12 cup one (below) which we use for camping and a 6 cup which does hiking duties. I use a porlex mini grinder on hiking trips. When we hiked the Otter I carried the Moka Pot, grinder and 500g beans.

Good morning:

Asian Pacific- Indonesia. Single origin can be a bit of a hit and miss with espresso in my experience, but this specific one was awesome!

Anything between R2600 and R3800. The models with stainless steel straps are the more expensive ones. I will probably go for a rubber strap and fit a NATO strap afterwards.

I am about to pull the trigger on this one for an everyday beater watch(I work on industrial gas plants). This used to be a one of the Royal Navy Military issued watches, so I figure it will be pretty rugged. The bezel that stands proud and the thick mineral glass will work as well. I had a look at one at Dubai duty free on Saturday, but they only had the orange dial version. Seiko skx007:

So I have been away for work for two weeks, and we are going on vacation from Friday until 1 July. My wife left our two kids on the farm last week. This means that I will not see them for about 6 weeks. I miss them so much already. Being coastal dogs they are already suffering in the Karoo winter. My mother in law gives them a lot of love, so at least we're not worried about them.

Serious ear cleaning in progress:

I picked up some nice and fresh beans at Origin Roasters, in Cape Town yesterday. The results taste very good.

So, during the three weeks that I was in Denmark recently, I stayed 40km from Legoland for most of the time. However my free time was taken up by mountain biking, beer drinking and running the Lillebælt Halvmarathon. So I never made it to Legoland, I did take a few photos of the Lego exhibition at Billund Airport: And the Lego play area in the departures terminal: