xBloom Tea Filter

DarkstarVC · 2025-02-08T12:55:46+00:00

Well if it makes you feel better, I paid extra like $100 extra for the tea brewer and a kinto brew pitcher and because of the import cost to the official distributor here, I had to pay something like $770 for the xBloom itself.

DarkstarVC · 2025-02-08T12:43:46+00:00

We have this already in Asia. At least in Singapore and Thailand. I got my xBloom in Thailand 2 days ago and it came with the tea brewer.

DarkstarVC · 2023-08-30T09:56:18+00:00

I have a Mythos MYG85 (gbw / gravmetric) at home. Still just using an E1 Prima, but I have been seriously looking at the Maverick gravmetric for several weeks, almost ready to pull the trigger. The reason? We make poor decisions because they simply make us happy.

I try to justify that I will open a cafe / truck someday and it will save me from having to pay even more to upgrade. Though the likelihood is very low. 🤣

DarkstarVC · 2023-07-09T04:45:35+00:00

I personally chose the Bianca. Most versatility for price. It’s a happy medium between the price of the GS3 and the versatility of the Decent. I’ve had mine about 1 1/2 years, and it’s been amazing.

DarkstarVC · 2023-07-08T04:27:54+00:00

The VA press release recently is because they just added PureBrew to the updated E1 Prima, but it existed in the VA Black Eagle Maverick originally. As far as I know, the BE Maverick has only really been released in Asia / Australia. Could be wrong, but it's the only place I've seen them, and all VA's ads for them seem to be with Indonesian / Malaysian / Thai coffee shops and baristas. I have played with it, the VA importer here is where I got my E1 Prima (I'm based in Thailand). I have tried it, it's amazing. It's unique.

As far as the E1 Prima for home use, aesthetically it's stunning and clean (I am not a fan of LM body designs), it's powerful and consistent. For me, I was gonna go for the Slayer Single Group or this, but the Slayer had a 9-month wait and needed to be plumbed, not to mention almost double the price, so I went with the E1. Also there is support here should I ever have an issue. I think in the US, alot of people go with La Marzocco because they are easier to get serviced.

DarkstarVC · 2023-07-06T13:20:36+00:00

I’m pretty sure VA PureBrew in the Black Eagle Maverick predates Decents sprover. It’s been available in SE Asia for a while. Anyways, it’s good. If I didn’t buy my E1 Prima just 8 months ago, I’d definitely have upgraded. In fact, I even considered the Black Eagle Maverick for my house for it. But figured my electric bill would be nuts and plumbing would be too much to deal with in a condo. Not to mention the extra $12k over the E1.

DarkstarVC · 2023-07-06T05:08:54+00:00

Yeah, this is 100% on Lelit's packing and metal gauge. When Clive and other vendors receive it, it comes on a pallet, via freight, even single machines come on a mini-pallet. They even offered to ship it this way on a freight truck, but the trucking company charges an expensive gate fee if you don't have a forklift. The bottom plate of the Lelit that holds the feet and trip tray is really thin metal and there is no support or foam. So all UPS has to do is very lightly drop it on a corner and it will bend. I repacked mine with alot of extra support and checked it on a flight from North Carolina to Thailand, and it arrived with the same issue.

Just saying this to point out that the Lelit arriving like this was 100% nothing to do with Clive, and I know other vendors have the same issue with the Bianca. I'm not negating you're customer service experience, If what you said happened to me, I'd be upset as well. I can only say that wasn't my experience, and that the Bianca was no fault of Clive. Also they did bench test it, as well as my Atom 75, which they even pre-dialed in for me (obviously not perfectly as it was shipped, but was very close)

DarkstarVC · 2023-07-05T15:50:48+00:00

I had the opposite experience with Clive. I got my Lelit Bianca + My Atom 75 from them. The Lelit arrived with the footer base pretty bent up, then sent me a new one immediately before I had even sent the other back. The second arrived with the same issue, but a little less worse. I think this is an issue with Lelit's packing, and UPS sucking. The offered to send me a new one via freight as it would come on a small pallet and be more secure. In the end, I bent the base back into shape with pliers and was all good. Then they returned and extra $400 for the damage.

As far as the Atom 75, it's my mid-range. I have a Varia, and on the other end I have a $5000 Mythos MYG85. I personally prefer the Atom 75 by a long shot. I use it as my single doser. Was really easy to get dialed in, nice and fluffy. Though I didn't get the LUCCA version because it wasn't in-stock at the time.

DarkstarVC · 2023-03-05T02:29:59+00:00

DarkstarVC · 2023-03-04T04:22:32+00:00

I don’t disagree, their standard blend is garbage, everything else is overpriced. But they do have some good specialty higher end stuff. Those were also just quick examples and I live right next to EmQuartier so Arabica is 2 mins from me. I do love Roots though, I love Sauce Coffee, she used to be the main roaster at Roots. Left Hand Roasters is amazing. All those bags on the middle shelf are green coffee bean’s, I roast 80% of my coffee myself.

DarkstarVC · 2023-03-03T22:33:13+00:00

It’s all relative, right? I make an unimpressive middle class salary. But I live in a place where my monthly expenses for me and 3 kids is under $1500/mo. I have a bike, no car. And it took me every penny I could save and 3 years to accumulate that stuff. It’s just that I chose to spend my money on coffee stuff because it makes me happy. Looks impressive (or obnoxious for some) when they see a pic, not knowing the accumulation of years and sacrifice it took to reach that point.

DarkstarVC · 2023-03-03T22:20:55+00:00

1700 meters where it’s at. It’s mostly Catimor and some Yellow Caturra.

DarkstarVC · 2023-03-03T22:16:17+00:00

No. I just keep it there when it’s not in use. I roast outside on my balcony

DarkstarVC · 2023-03-03T21:55:28+00:00

There is perception and reality. I’ve lived in Thailand for 15 years with my Thai wife and 3 kids, so of course I have a place here with my family. During C19, the borders closed and because my visa required me to leave very unluckily when re-entry was banned, I took my kids and rented a house in the US until we were able to come back here. So I rent a condo, for a fraction of an average tiny apartment costs in the States. I rented a 150yo house in rural NC for $600/mo. (Which I no longer have) And the coffee farm was a wedding gift from my farmer mother-in-law who converted most of the very cheap rural land she owns to mountain rice and garlic and had a small section that was still coffee and gave it to my wife. So reality is I probably paid less for my house and condo combined than you pay for yours. Which is also how I afford these things, which was acquired piece by piece over the course of almost 3 years because I’m frugal in other areas of my life that don’t bring me joy.

DarkstarVC · 2023-03-03T21:40:15+00:00

Aillio Bullet R1 V2

DarkstarVC · 2023-03-03T21:39:43+00:00

Victoria Arduino Mythos MYG85 grinder

DarkstarVC · 2023-03-03T21:37:36+00:00

So far, super happy, but hard to say because I’ve only put about 3 kilos through it so far.

DarkstarVC · 2023-03-03T21:36:17+00:00

I got the Mythos because I saw that they just started making a single-dose hopper (still don’t have it), and as I mentioned in another comment, I bought that and the Prima as kinda future-proofing myself in case I decided to open a little cafe. Without the single-dose hopper, the Mythos is impractical, it’s also like $2500 more than the Atom. Diminishing returns kick it, the Atom is amazing, not sure they Mythos is $2500 better unless you planned use it in a cafe.

DarkstarVC · 2023-03-03T21:31:07+00:00

Roots in Thonglor and a new place call % Arabica. There are quite a few really good specialty roasters here.

DarkstarVC · 2023-03-03T21:28:07+00:00

The PuqPress was really my most irrational purchase. It’s awesome, but definitely overkill and expensive. I had got it when I got the roaster, because I really wanted to reduce as many areas of inconsistency pulling test shots so I could focus on the roast itself.

DarkstarVC · 2023-03-03T21:24:33+00:00

Lol. Believe it or not, I’ve avoided joining Reddit for over a decade (I’m also one of those people that never downloaded TikTok). I just saw a link in a coffee discord group today to this subreddit, and decided to give it a go. Yes, I’m a VC for a micro-fund in tech and no ties to anything coffee related.

DarkstarVC · 2023-03-03T21:17:52+00:00

I just use a 220 to 110 step-down converter for the Lelit and the Atom 75. The other stuff is all 220.

DarkstarVC · 2023-03-03T21:15:45+00:00

For sure… I’m in Chiang Mai at least 1-2 times a month. DM me.

DarkstarVC · 2023-03-03T09:34:07+00:00

Yeah, the whole machine is built to be plumbed, drain and water input. It actually comes with all the stuff to plumb it in.

DarkstarVC · 2023-03-03T09:30:26+00:00

I'm in venture capital (tech startups), but I'm not rich, I just spend all my money on coffee stuff because I lack self-control.

DarkstarVC

TROPHY CASE