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Coffee Catcha

edited January 1970 in Accessories
I was very dubious about this product.
Expensive for what it is ($80rrp), another invention to find a hole that may not exist.

But you don't know until you have a go so I bought one.

It is a nice looking, very well made thing. Sits very nicely on the filter basket and feels good.

I tried it at home and wasn't really impressed at all.
I can, with care, not spill any grinds. Position the group handle, sweep the doser level at right speed and Bob's your uncle. The Coffee Catcha simply added a few more steps and time.

I had an event the next and thought of persevering. This would be a good or different test.
Tried different ways of using it and settled on one.

Put to much coffee into the basket. Sweep the extra grinds back into the doser using the Catcha. Tap the Catcha on the doser (some grinds are left on the Catcha). Put the Catcha down and then tamp.

Worked a treat.... but only in the situation that I was in.
I was using a K10 and the grinds fall to the left. Also when you fill up the doser for any more then two shots the grinds go EVERYWHERE when dosing.
So when there wasn't a queue I would take care sweep in from left to right to distribute the grinds properly.
When the line was long or lots of orders just grind up and there wasn't any mess. This is where it rocked.

I fell in love with this thing. Not because it saves on coffee wastage but because there was little or no mess.
Over the 6Kgs I went through it probably only saved about 50g, if that.
Having to clean while under the pump is a pain and once I had a procedure down it would take less time then what I normally did.
I also didn't have to think as much, just dump the coffee in a sweep. No mess. No concentrating on the dose to make sure I got it right. No positioning the group handle to limit wastage/mess. Easy.
Really glad I persevered with it, and glad I was wrong.

So, good product?
For the right situation, yes it is an awesome product.
But I wouldn't use this at home. It is staying the box that I use for events.
I had to try different methods and search for where the Catcha is useful.
It took time and effort. At least two hours after I found the best way I could use it, then speed "me" up to where it was the same or quicker.

Would an average barista be bothered pushing though the learning process?
Probably less useful on a doserless grinder.
Also the thumb tag thingy needs to be bent to fit parallel the the group handle. If your handles are different then you need to bend to each (not really feasible) or buy more Catchas.

Comments

  • Ive seen them used  in coffee competitions to great effect but I wonder how practical they are in a busy cafe? Im pretty sure that I end up with close to half a kg on the floor after a busy shift! Acg
  • I've used both the Coffee Catcha and the Orphan Espresso dosing funnel. http://www.orphanespresso.com/OE-Aluminum-Portafilter-Dosing-Funnel_p_2415.html Of the two the dosing funnel is much easier to use, lighter less cumbersome and much cheaper. I cant see either being used in a commercial situation, too much stuffing around. Entirely different situation at home when a few extra seconds is of no consequence. :)
  • on 1393681235:
    Ive seen them used  in coffee competitions to great effect but I wonder how practical they are in a busy cafe?
    Had another event over the weekend. When it slow it didn't bother using it. When busy it was very useful. Quicker and a lot cleaner. Wasted less over a kilo then in two shot without the Catcha. Why? You think it should be slower. But it isn't. Normally I turn on the grinder, dose, watch what is being ground into the doser and guess when to stop the grinder. When dosing into the group handle I am watching and estimating how much is going in to dose to the correct amount. I get feedback from how low the the tamper drops into the basket. In this method I push the grinds around to get good distribution. When busy I over grind as I know I am going to use the coffee in the next minute. With the Catcha you simply put way to much in and the sweep off using the Catcha. No need to distribute as the coffee is even up to the top of the basket and you are sweeping off the mound. If you need to dose more in just collapse the coffee by bouncing the group handle on the grinder fork.
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