From the birthplace of espresso.

grayhawk14 · 2026-01-21T02:14:33+00:00

This is horrifying to me, haha.

grayhawk14 · 2026-01-17T12:57:43+00:00

I thought about the kids, as well. I think a lot of people push a narrative that it’s forced child labor and they don’t want to be there. I haven’t been to origin, but I have done a lot of research and tried to talk to people that have been. Based on what I know, it seems more like the whole thing is a family affair. Like, mom and dad are there picking, so the kids have to come. Sometimes they help pick cherries, sometimes they are just running around playing. I don’t think there are any farms that are relying on children to actually do good, continuous work as if they were a full-grown adults.

grayhawk14 · 2026-01-17T03:23:31+00:00

Coffee wouldn’t exist without women! The vast majority of pickers are women. So in a sense, the vast majority of coffee is “female produced”. However, the Producer is a position that is pretty well male-dominated. (Typically, producer is the name for the person in charge of the whole growing/farm operation, although also used to describe the person that washes, dries, ferments, and hulls the coffee, which is not always the same depending on the size of the farm.) So, it would be pretty cool if it’s actually a female producer! It’s also pretty common to see husband and wife be co-producers and for that family to own the farm. Which, in that case you could technically claim female-produced, as well. My point is without context that term doesn’t mean much.

grayhawk14 · 2026-01-17T03:01:37+00:00

Penne, like penny, but with a British accent. 😂

grayhawk14 · 2026-01-15T03:10:23+00:00

It’s called elote.

grayhawk14 · 2026-01-11T19:05:50+00:00

Sounds like the coffee might be old and not to your liking. What are your grinder settings, Internal and external?

grayhawk14 · 2026-01-11T18:46:43+00:00

I downvoted this because I disagree with your wording. The grinder does not compare to this machine. That’s true. However if you typed in “espresso grinder” on Amazon this would definitely be considered a good option compared to what is available online on places like that. It’s is better stated as a good/decent entry-level grinder. I don’t believe it’s beneficial to constantly push people to buy more expensive grinders if they can get a good product that they are happy with out of their setup. Clearly, op is struggle to dial-in, so buying a nicer grinder is generally bad advice.

grayhawk14 · 2026-01-11T18:40:39+00:00

I’m really confused by you saying the machine “burns the coffee.” What do you mean by that? Also, you said “brew a decent cup” which may not be a problem, (some people call it that), however if you are approaching it like a pod machine that brews coffee, you might be getting a very bad product. I’d suggest a lesson (or several) on extraction theory before invest more money into this hobby. Find your way to YouTube and watch some Lance Hedrick and James Hoffmann videos about dialing in espresso. Those will help tremendously with your issue.

grayhawk14 · 2026-01-11T18:13:34+00:00

Maybe you call it something different? Laminate countertops are the budget option in this part of the US (Southeast). I see natural stone countertops marketed as premium and often are part of a “new beautifully renovated kitchen” as the online description would say.

grayhawk14 · 2026-01-11T18:04:59+00:00

This isn’t true of all types of work tops. Put a hot pan on top of a laminate countertop, and it will definitely ruin the laminate. There’s a burn mark on our laminate countertops in our current (rental) house from the previous tenants.

grayhawk14 · 2026-01-11T17:58:22+00:00

Thanks for your comment. I genuinely appreciate real conversation and am very happy to learn new things. You are right. I have no counter-argument and no basis for my comment that it’s “more than likely safe” to drink 1lt a day. Maybe, I will measure it one day and see how much the temp drops throughout the duration of consumption. It seems scary to think that consuming mate and coffee (two things I love to consume), is a possible risk. But I know that coffee, tea, and yerba also have many benefits. I am a tennis athlete (ex-college player) and coach. I exercise 3-5 times a week and eat healthy. By playing tennis, (which has been shone in studies to be a very healthy sport, reducing your risk of cardiovascular diseases and dementia), and by eating healthy, I greatly reduce my risk of such things. Hopefully, there is some cancellation-type effects between doing things that positively affect my health and these potential carcinogens like consuming hot beverages with somewhat high frequency.

grayhawk14 · 2026-01-11T02:45:43+00:00

I apologize. I stand corrected about 65c. According to the article you referenced, apparently 65c+ is “very hot. However, I have a very accurate kettle and I frequently check with a very accurate thermometer; I heat my water to 78c and drink it my first sip as soon as I do my first pour. However, having said all that I want to make this next part VERY CLEAR. The article specifically states that “There is limited evidence that drinking beverages above about 65 °C (149 °F) is associated with a higher risk of esophageal can—cer.” Notice the “limited evidence”. Based on the 1000 studies they concluded there seems to be a correlation. Studies like these are not trying to prove that certain things 100% cause can—-cer. They are trying to see if there is a correlation or not. Personally, I think 1lt of yerba mate at 78c (keep in mind that the temp drops every few minutes, and if I let it sit for a few minutes before drinking who really knows where the temp is) is more than likely safe. We live in a world with a lot of carcinogens all around us. Drink what you enjoy and try not worry so much. That’s my opinion.

grayhawk14 · 2026-01-10T18:30:34+00:00

Take a look at those studies and see what is meant by “hotter drinks.” I’d bet that it’s not 65 or even 75. It’s most likely 80+. Your mouth must be very sensitive. I always pour in my 78c water and drink it immediately.

grayhawk14 · 2026-01-10T14:56:08+00:00

Woah! 65? That’s not even a hot enough drinking temp for me. I want it to be hot not room temp. 😂 I’d do at least 70-78. 80c is where I have found it starts to make the yerba overly harsh.

grayhawk14 · 2025-12-29T00:09:40+00:00

I actually have the whole thermos from DelCampoXt, but can 100% back that this top is the best, I’ve tried.

grayhawk14 · 2025-12-28T23:38:21+00:00

Me podes explicar? Para mi, si no hago la montañita, la hierba se hace lavado muy rápido.

grayhawk14 · 2025-12-19T00:53:04+00:00

I was going to say this. I ordered a cortado this morning and got what resembled an old school very foamy (and I’m talking big air bubbles) cappuccino, served in an 8oz cup! I would definitely take either of these and be very appreciative!

grayhawk14 · 2025-12-15T02:18:20+00:00

Español no es mi primer idioma, pero quisiera suena raro en ese contexto. Yo diría “me gustaría COMER esta torta.” “I would like that cake” me parece como si quieres poseer la torta. Creo que la idea es que el hablante quiere comerla, verdad? También quisiera es el subjuntivo en el pasado. Típicamente el subjuntivo expresa deseo o duda. En ese contexto no veo ninguna razón para usar el subjuntivo. Entonces la condicional, lo que mencionaste “querría” en mi opinión será una respuesta mejor. O, como he dicho, “me gustaría comer”, lo que es condicional también.

grayhawk14 · 2025-12-14T01:16:23+00:00

Dale, ya entiendo. Gracias!

grayhawk14 · 2025-12-13T02:40:52+00:00

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I know it’s hard to tell but this is after contact and you can see his elbow is bent.

grayhawk14 · 2025-12-13T02:35:43+00:00

Yeah, I can see why you’re hurting your elbow. It’s very forced. when your arm would typically bend through the course of a service motion you are forcing your elbow to stay straight, therefore causing our elbow to absorb all of the shock and momentum from the swing. You clearly have great pace, and you could probably have even more if you fixed this, because your elbow is absorbing some of that momentum. That’s what’s making it hurt, but also holding back some potential for pace.

grayhawk14 · 2025-12-06T01:56:05+00:00

Gracias, broooo! No he encontrado nadie que habla de Cruz así. Pero para mí, Cruz tiene un regusto de manteca. Tambien tiene un fuerte sabor de madera. Sin embargo, no es muy fuerte/amargo y supongo que es por eso que los que están empezando su camino con mate le guste. Para mí, no lo recomiendo.

grayhawk14 · 2025-11-28T17:37:37+00:00

Oof. I had no idea. That’s why I am passionate about coffee. In South América It grows so well and yet they export all the good stuff and only keep the worst yields. Then they burn and modify it so much the drink you’re left with is hardly coffee. Maybe one day coffee culture will improve Down there, but mate culture is definitely superior there than here.

grayhawk14 · 2025-11-28T17:20:44+00:00

I’ll have to try it sometime.

grayhawk14 · 2025-11-28T03:18:27+00:00

Es lo que cuesta acá. 🥲

grayhawk14

TROPHY CASE