Rock Star in the Warehouse

People in the specialty coffee industry are some of the most passionate people I've ever met. From farmers to baristas and all points between, these people tend to immerse themselves in knowledge and know-how. Like pitchers in baseball or quarterbacks in the NFL, baristas get the most attention in this business. But in reality, pitchers, quarterbacks and baristas are only as good as the support staff that is behind the scenes.

Larry Masso is one such behind-the-scenes kind of guy. For years, Larry was a Master Mechanic who I'm sure could disassemble and reassemble a car or truck blindfolded with mittens on his hands and make it run better than new. At some point in his life, Larry shifted his focus from cars to coffee. I met Larry about 1 year ago at Columbia Street Roastery in Champaign. His little shop in the back corner of the warehouse is strewn with parts and pieces of brewers, espresso machines, blenders, grinders and any other coffee related equipment.

Over the past year, Larry has proven time and again that he is the man behind the curtain that makes the barista look good. And like his former life with cars and trucks, I'm now convinced that Larry could disassemble and reassemble an espresso machine blindfolded with mittens on his hands and no tools. Larry is a Rock Star in this business and whenever I'm around him I feel like I'm getting smart just standing in his shadow. THANKS LARRY!

Lever Action

Few things in life are as exciting as a new, old machine. Such is the case with our Rancilio Leva Classe 6 Lever Action Espresso Machine which we were able to use Tuesday night. Most local coffee shops have either a semi or fully automatic machine. Starbucks uses Super-Automatic machines. In either case, the machines are designed with lots of electronic gadgetry. The Rancilio Lever Action has no electronics other than an on/off switch. This is the kind of machine that has been in use in Italy for nearly 100 years. Instead of push buttons, it has levers that are about 1 foot long. Instead of pushing a button, the barista pulls this huge lever down, holds it in place for 10 seconds, and then releases the lever. A giant sized spring provides the 140 psi. needed to press 198 degree water through a finely ground, tightly packed coffee puck in just 20 seconds. The result is a real, hand-made espresso that is simply wonderful.