I held a very staunch position against having espresso equipment at home, mainly because of:

  • The footprint of a large metal machine and grinder taking up a lot of counter space,
  • The staggering amount of energy used to bring water boilers up to temperature and keep them running,
  • The constant need to dial in shots on the grinder, and
  • Towels. Needing to wash or replace so many towels, especially when compared to the frequency at which I do my laundry.

The above points are by no means exhaustive, but those were what pushed me away from the home espresso world for the longest time. It’s also interesting to note that all three of the above points are sufficiently justified when making espresso in a cafe setting (at least financially): The cost of buying and maintaining equipment as well as the resources spent on operating the equipment will eventually be balanced out by the sale of drinks.

Maybe it was the realization that the potential for profit should not be the sole concern when picking up hobbies. Or maybe I was just getting antsy to try something new while sheltering at home in the midst of a pandemic. Probably some mix of the two.

Enter Brewtus.

Brewtus is a E61 dual-boiler. Brew capacity of 1.7 liters. Steam capacity of 1.7 liters.

I had already replaced the insulation material in this picture, as the old stuff was falling apart. Imagine cotton candy held together by disintegrating zip-ties.

Brewtus was born in Spain, lived a (presumably) busy life at an Italian restaurant in San Diego, and spent the last few years with a family in Orange County.

Anyway, I will be giving updates of my journey with Brewtus – I’m still deciding on whether or not I should depart from this form of slightly-uncomfortable personification. Stay tuned!