La Marzocco is the most iconic espresso-machine maker in the world, and last month, Jonathan went to the La Marzocco Accademia to talk with their head product designer, Stefano Della Pietra, about the history and core principles of the company; how he became the head of product design there; and the task of taking La Marzocco into the future while staying true to the brand’s storied past.

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TOPICS & TIMES:

Accademia del Caffe Espresso

Innovation (5:39)

Avoiding Fads (14:12)

How Did You Get Your Position? (16:43)

Lina Micra & Mini (20:28)

Other Areas of Design Inspiration (25:12)

Espresso Machines & Watches (27:48)

Officine Fratelli Bambi (30:08)

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Blister Cinematic

Bikes & Big Ideas

GEAR:30

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Off The Couch

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After much deliberation, we’re revealing the machine that Jonathan ended up going with on his quest to create daily doses of “hero espresso” — a phrase coined at the end of this conversation. Simon Stewart joins Jonathan for all the glorious, dorky details, and they also discuss decaf coffee & N/A beer; the price of a thing vs. the amount of joy it brings; mtn bikes vs. espresso machines; & more.

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TOPICS & TIMES:

Tea?? (4:36)

PSA: Great Coffee can be Cheap (6:15)

Origins of JE's Obsession (9:57)

E61 vs. Saturated Group Head (15:37)

JE's La Marzocco Linea Micra (26:38)

Beans (31:45)

Other Machines JE Considered (36:38)

Microfoam, Cortados, & Macchiatos (39:33)

Decaf Coffee & N/A Beer (45:16)

Manual Machines & Simon’s Quest (52:37)

Weighing Beans (1:03:52)

Cost & the Economics of this Setup (1:08:39)

Florence, Italy (1:15:31)

Hero Espresso (1:20:51)

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Blister Cinematic

Bikes & Big Ideas

GEAR:30

Blister Podcast

Off The Couch

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Jonathan Ellsworth was recently at JING Tea headquarters in London for another CRAFTED conversation with JING founder, Ed Eisler. After a proper tea tasting, they sat down to discuss all things tea (and skis); agriculture as art; and the qualities of a great tea.

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CRAFTED ep. 23 w/ JING’s Ed Eisler

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TOPICS & TIMES:

Coffee, Tea, & Skis (5:12)

Curiosity (12:41)

Standards (21:47)

Buying Local (25:49)

Principles & Sourcing Tea (30:26)

Going Forward (32:13)

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Blister Cinematic

Bikes & Big Ideas

GEAR:30

Blister Podcast

Off The Couch

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.