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An unpaid commercial

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  • robusto
    replied
    Re: An unpaid commercial

    Dennis, methinks there is an ulterior motive for your plan to open a cafe.

    Sure you want to serve good coffee etc....but admit it, the real motive is to
    ENTERTAIN the customers.
    ;D

    Keep it up. I for one, love the levity
    --Robusto

    Leave a comment:


  • gregpullman
    replied
    Re: An unpaid commercial

    Originally posted by Dennis link=1174104836/15#19 date=1174116184
    Greg - what have you got up your sleeve - should I have waited for the mark II ? ;D
    No; as I suggested previously Im often looking for ways to improve things and there are numerous options available to me at the moment, but that doesnt mean anythings going to change necessarily, so I really dont want to say much about any suggestion of a Mk II until I know what may or may not happen myself. What I CAN say is that the tamper design youve got is appreciated by hundreds of users so it would be silly to, as Chris suggested and you distilled, mess with success.

    - Greg
    The Hon. member for Caffeinated Affairs - speaking while saying nothing

    Leave a comment:


  • Dennis
    replied
    Re: An unpaid commercial

    ps. btw Greg - in my book, youre already a success!

    Leave a comment:


  • Dennis
    replied
    Re: An unpaid commercial

    Some comments on the last few posts:

    Robusto - thankyou! I hope I make people laugh and never said I was sensible :P

    Chris - I agree...never mess with success

    Greg - what have you got up your sleeve - should I have waited for the mark II ? ;D

    Leave a comment:


  • Dennis
    replied
    Re: An unpaid commercial

    I thought that would be your response Greg, and not really surprised - my impression, albeit veiled by the internet, is that youre one of the good guys.

    For what its worth, if it were me, I wouldnt do it either!

    Leave a comment:


  • gregpullman
    replied
    Re: An unpaid commercial

    ... and hitting the shelves for <$100.

    Yep I checked some strain gauge prices at Farnell (admittedly an expensive supplier but OK for ballpark figures) and there was nothing below $400. Im sure theres other stuff out there but not for the figures were after I wouldnt think.

    2mcm: Without saying too much, any improvements will be made within the context of whats already proven to be successful, and I think no-one will be disadvantaged by such improvements

    Leave a comment:


  • TC
    replied
    Re: An unpaid commercial

    The more and more I experiment with things, the more that I think that the tamp just leads to an evening out of distribution.

    I can do a Giancarlo and not tamp at all or I can tamp at absolute maximum (30+kg) force. The nett result is the effect of say perhaps 1/2 notch on a good, stepped grinder. The important element is dose IMHO.

    Many people start out on this journey and 15kg gets ingrained. I tend to think that the answer is simply be consistent, get a good dose, nice pucks without chanelling or sloppy underdoses and then simply adjust grind if required to suit the way you work. I suspect that anywhere between 5 and 50 kilos with the correct dose and grind and youre on the way to a god shot.

    Greg, your tampers are an art form as they are...dont mess too much with them

    Leave a comment:


  • robusto
    replied
    Re: An unpaid commercial

    Dennis, youre a scream.

    You want a 10cent LED, and a $268 sensor. Wth 5 years of R&D to get it there!

    --Robusto

    Leave a comment:


  • gregpullman
    replied
    Re: An unpaid commercial

    Admittedly its pretty hard to get to know people well when only discussing the topic of coffee, but if you really knew me youd already know the answer to that question. Ive got no problems with looking to alternative ways of doing things, even radical things, but I have to stay true to my principles. You commented at the start of this thread on the service you received, and thats the reason for it being so. My tampers fit in a comfortable niche in the tamper industry and its one Im not keen to depart from.

    Leave a comment:


  • Dennis
    replied
    Re: An unpaid commercial

    Greg, isnt this nice - people like Vivianne and Robusto respect your craftsmanship.

    Vivianne doesnt want you to prostitute your art - while I want to make you a millionaire.

    Do you want the money to live comfortably, have everything you ever dreamed of? Or do you want to keep your integrity? Can you have both?

    Its just a little led Greg.

    Whats it gonna be Greg?

    Yes or no Greg...yes or no?

    ;D ;D ;D

    Leave a comment:


  • gregpullman
    replied
    Re: An unpaid commercial

    1. Thankyou

    2. Correct and I dont think it ever will. Its set up as a hobby at present not a business so prices, manufacturing chains and my margins reflect that

    3. I dont dispute the relevance of a 15kg tamp; its just that many people think theres something magic about 15kg as opposed to say, 14kg or 16kg. Consistency is probably more important than the actual number (within reason, which is the context of my comments), and most people serious about their product / industry / passion will challenge popular paradigms and properly educate the misinformed if theres a good reason to do so. A paradigm often has accurate foundations but sometimes gets taken to an unrealistic extreme by those who dont understand its context.

    4. A button cell could do the job but it still has to be changed eventually

    5. A beep eliminates the LED placement issue but could be an issue in a noisy environment as some commercial environments are. What about a translucent plastic handle with an internal LED so the whole handle glows when you hit 15kg? Certainly something a bit different.


    The fact that tampers is a little sideline hobby for me does cripple my capacity to go right out there with engineering somewhat. Ive got some other designs in the pipeline and theyre taking a fair bit of my time without going into electronic versions (not that that makes them irrelevant though).

    What youve suggested certainly has some merit; its just a matter of determining the best way of achieving those merits and whether it could be done at a marketable cost while remaining true to whats made my tampers appreciated by their users, as Viviane mentioned.

    Leave a comment:


  • robusto
    replied
    Re: An unpaid commercial

    I dont want to weigh in on the merits of 10kg or 15 kg with my 2 cents worth ... But I recall an article by David Schomer once where he was exerting something like 60 lbs, from memory -- almost 30 kg.

    And the only reason he scaled down was because the repeated effort was becoming too painful.

    At the other extreme, have a look at the (almost) universal tamping technique in cafes --- offer up the loaded portafilter momentarily up to the grinders inbuilt "tamper" without any force whatsoever.

    --Robusto

    Leave a comment:


  • Viviane
    replied
    Re: An unpaid commercial

    Originally posted by Greg Pullman link=1174104836/0#8 date=1174110288
    Originally posted by Dennis link=1174104836/0#6 date=1174108925
    dont know any tamper craftsmen who have been able to take up early retirement - you need to take the beautiful product you make to the next level with an innovative idea, like the one I am going to give you right here and now for free...

    Incorporate a sensor that measures pressure with an led that lets the user know when they hit the magic 15k

    What do you think?
    Interesting and novel, but I see a few problems with it.

    1. Theres nothing magical about 15kg; as I mentioned in a basket-related thread I think theres probably little variation in compression once you get over, say, 10kg.
    2. Youd have to have batteries to power the LED which would have to be changed every so often, as well as having the battery sealed against dust and moisture and not interfering with the ergonomics of the tamper, all of which would be a problem particularly in a kitchen / cafe environment.
    3. Tamper grip varies from person to person, and since youd have to look at the tamper to see the light coming on you may find your hand concealing the LED.

    Point 1 makes the 15kg less critical, and if it was still seen as desirable then an Espro would achieve the same but operationally quicker and without the problems of points 2 and 3.

    Just my 2c

    Nooooooo, Greg, dont do it! You make an artisan tamper, and I dont see how you can change it the way Dennis has suggested and still have it look so beautiful.

    Leave a comment:


  • Dennis
    replied
    Re: An unpaid commercial

    Youre the expert Greg - with respect, can I just make this suggestion to you:
    1. You have an excellent product that is unique
    2. Judging by the number youve produced and comments in vairous threads, it hasnt made you a millionaire (yet)
    3. Given your expertise re making tampers why is it that you still get challenged re this comment? Im guessing more punters would agree with my 15kg remark than your 10kg remark. Right or wrong, the 15kg is generally accepted as the holy grail, and while your ethics are admirable, customer perception is incredibly powerful. In a round about way what Im saying is that selling is about giving customers what they want.
    4. Battery - a little mercury
    5. Visible - yep agree, either on top of the s/s unit or maybe a beep?

    Please - I know you know more than I know. I just think you deserve to make your first mil - why not poll it and see what reaction you get?

    Leave a comment:


  • gregpullman
    replied
    Re: An unpaid commercial

    Originally posted by Dennis link=1174104836/0#6 date=1174108925
    dont know any tamper craftsmen who have been able to take up early retirement - you need to take the beautiful product you make to the next level with an innovative idea, like the one I am going to give you right here and now for free...

    Incorporate a sensor that measures pressure with an led that lets the user know when they hit the magic 15k

    What do you think?
    Interesting and novel, but I see a few problems with it.

    1. Theres nothing magical about 15kg; as I mentioned in a basket-related thread I think theres probably little variation in compression once you get over, say, 10kg.
    2. Youd have to have batteries to power the LED which would have to be changed every so often, as well as having the battery sealed against dust and moisture and not interfering with the ergonomics of the tamper, all of which would be a problem particularly in a kitchen / cafe environment.
    3. Tamper grip varies from person to person, and since youd have to look at the tamper to see the light coming on you may find your hand concealing the LED.

    Point 1 makes the 15kg less critical, and if it was still seen as desirable then an Espro would achieve the same but operationally quicker and without the problems of points 2 and 3.

    Just my 2c

    Leave a comment:

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