Matt, I appreciate your comments and the dedication to excellence you suggest. I look forward to trialing your coffee (whenever I can get off my backside and get across the Bridge). My comments were basically threefold: 1. If you are improving your process, then, like I said, by definition this implies change. If you trial a new process, new form of roasting, new portafilter, or anything, I seriously doubt you can know with 100% certainty what the end product will be. Granted, you may trial this amongst staff until you 'get it right'. Furthermore, I question whether you can control aspects of humidity, different odours in the air (which may not be perceptible to one's nose) which may affect different areas of the process. All I am saying is that, and only said as a consumer, not a barista, I would expect that there are elements outside of your control that may impact on the final product no matter how rigidly the PROCESS is maintained. 2. The only person who judges the final product is the consumer. Again, I doubt that you can know whether one shot will taste exactly like another unless you taste it yourself. Even if they look the same. 3. The attitude....if I told John Duvall that his Grange tasted slightly off, different or whatever, what right would he have to say that my opinion or comment was petty. Similarly, if I told a barista the shot tasted different to this morning's or yesterday's or last week's, I would expect he/she would take that on board and not demean my opinion as worthless. I was simply suggesting that he lose the arrogant, patronising and conceited attitude. Happy brewing Patrick
