CoffeeForums Coffee Facts

Q: I just picked up a Cuisinart Iced Cappuccino maker, thinking that I might enjoy a nice Iced Cappa when the warm weather returns (okay, I bought early). I notice that it also claims to make 8 one-ounce servings of hot Espresso at one time. You put the ground coffee into a somewhat funnel-shaped plastic basket, and then it spins around at a fairly high speed, and the hot water is forced through the grounds. No pump needed. Seems like it would be handy for a party situation - steam up a pitcher of milk with the Gaggia while brewing 4 double shots at once - it might speed things up considerably. I have my doubts on the quality of straight Espresso made with it, but in the spirit of scientific inquiry I am undertaking an experiment to see how it compares with my pump machine. I will let you know what I find.

A: SCENE_ at the newsdesk: "We go out to Tasha for a field report." TASHA in a kitchen: "This is Tasha Brewmore at a home in Cafe Park, an upscale neighborhood in suburban Cappa outside Chino. I was met with a terrible scene when I entered the home on Overroast Boulevard this evening at half past ten. A Mr. Fulcity met his death when a centrifugal Espresso machine evidently failed and a funnel shaped portafilter was thrown through the side of his machine at an estimated 475 miles per hours, impaling itself in Mr. Fulcity's forehead, killing him instantly. Neighbors said Mr. Fulcity was a 'tinkerer.' He could be found most evenings in his garage building this or modifying that. This was apparently true, as this centrifugal Espresso device, which was at one time a Cuisinart iced cappuccino maker, was equipped with a 125cc two stroke Yamaha dirt bike engine, which was set up with its exhaust pipe out Mr. Fulcity's living room wall. Services for Mr. Fulcity are scheduled for the downtown Starbucks next Wednesday at 3:00 P.M. Back to you in the studio." On a whim after reading this thread, I borrowed a sit-n-spin from a friend with a 3-year-old and used it to drink my Espresso this afternoon. Very messy and I got nauseated pretty fast. The Espresso that didn't get splattered on the walls did taste pretty good, though.