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Ho ho ho coffee fans!

We've had some off and on weeks this holiday season because of all of the shopping! This week we did want to round up our week of video content for you, so let's take a look!

First up, Gail took a look at the Philips Carina and Philips 3200!

Next, we got a commercial crew review of the Bunn MHG from John:

And finally, we're sad to see her go. It's Clementine's final coffee collaboration. :(

We wish Clementine all of the best for her future endeavors!

We'll be here next week to dish out some more coffee videos...

P.S., Stay tuned to the channel later tonight for a special holiday treat!

It's the holiday season and Seattle Coffee Gear is here with some great deals for you!

Rather than make you hunt through old blog posts and videos to get info about each of our exclusive deals, we've assembled this guide. It should give you an idea of why we're excited about each of the things we're putting on sale! You can find all of these deals and more right over here. Let's dive in!

Philips Carina

The Philips Carina is our exclusive machine from Philips' new line of superautomatics. It's a great machine that offers incredible value between its coffee and milk quality. We love the fact that the panarello steam wand gives you control over the temperature and texture of your milk. With Philips' delicious espresso and coffee brewing, it all gives you a really delicious package even at its regular price. We're knocking off $150, bringing the price down to $349.99 this holiday!

Eurekea Mignon Filtro Grinder

This year Eureka put out an excellent line of brew grinders with the form factor of their Mignon line. While they released a few of them, the Filtro offers the most simple, go to option to get just the grind you want. This grinder features simple push-button operation and a stepless grind adjust. This grind adjustment is the sort of thing you'd typically find on more expensive espresso grinders. It allows you to get the exact grind you need for your coffee, rather than clicking through preset grind levels. The Filtro is one of the best brew grinders you can get, and we've got it for just $199 this holiday!

Rocket Espresso Pro Upgrade Kit + No Tax

Rocket Espresso is one of our favorite semi-auto machine producers. These classic Italian espresso machines are built to last and perform incredible well. What's more, with a range of price options we are sure there's a Rocket Espresso machine for every "prosumer" user out there. This year we've brewed up a special upgrade kit for purchasers of a Rocket Espresso machine. This kit includes a bottomless portafilter, tamper, milk pitcher, and gasket upgrade. With all of this you'll just need to add ground coffee, milk, and water to get some exquisite home espresso. We're also paying your sales tax on these machines!

Izzo Espresso

Izzo espresso machines also represent some of out very favorite Italian machine offerings. Our Izzo Pro models upgrade the standard machines to stainless steel boilers. This means you'll get a lifetime of espresso from one of these wonderful machines. We're excited to offer Izzo machines for $200 off. This is an especially great deal considering how rarely Izzos go on sale!

Miele CM5500

The Miele CM5500 is our stylish exclusive from Miele. Featuring the compact, but powerful design of the 5300 plus extra programmable user profiles and a hot water spout, this machine is already a great value. We're doing even more though, and taking $200 off! This makes this fantastic machine that already punches well above its price point just $1,099. Get this deal while it lasts!

Breville Precision Brewer Tribute Edition

Our SCG exclusive Breville Precision Brewer is also on sale, available for just $239.95. We love the original Precision Brewer, and this exclusive includes a pour over adapter that lets you mount your favorite dripper above the carafe. With this addition, the Precision Brewer becomes your one stop shop for drip brews, cold brew, iced coffee AND pour over. It's the best deal in drip brewers right now if you're looking for a gift or an upgrade!

Crossland CC1 V2 Espresso Machine

A dream machine for hobbyists, the Crossland CC1 is a standby for us. Perfect for tinkering and tweaking your recipes, this machine was already one of our favorites in its price bracket. With excellent support from Crossland and great performance on par with more expensive machines, this deal just makes the CC1 all the sweeter. Get this stalwart machine for $150 off this holiday only at Seattle Coffee Gear!

SCG Pour Over Starter Set

Getting into pour over brewing can seem like a chore. you need a dripper, grinder, filters, a kettle, a scale, not to mention coffee and your mug! This holiday we're handling most of the above with our $99 pour over kit. This kit includes a Hario Skerton hand grinder, V60 dripper, filters, a Brewista Smart Brew Coffee Scale, and a Bonavita Electric Gooseneck Kettle. With all of this, you'll just need to add some cups and coffee and you'll be ready to get into the wide world of pour over!

And for those two things, check out our CREMA15 and STOCKINGS coupon codes! The former saves you 15% on all LavAzza coffee, and the later knocks 10% off accessories like mugs, scales, and more!

We hope our SCG deals will help you give the perfect gift or upgrade your own coffee game. All of these deals are limited time, so get them as soon as you can!

Holidays are right around the corner and we're in high gear!

If you haven't seen Gail's awesome picks videos, make sure you check those out. Today we'll take a look at all of the other stuff we've got going on over on YouTube.

First up, it's John with a review of a commercial grinder:

Next, Allie, Nicole and I tasted some amazing Smith Teas:

Finally, Clementine tried a tasty chilled treat on this week's Coffee Collaboration!

That's all for this week! We'll be back next week with more videos to share!

Welcome back to our Gail's Picks series for 2019!

Today it's time to take a look at our picks for the best high-end superuatomatic espresso machines in 2019. These machines have so much programmability and tech in them that it's almost like having a personal barista. But what sets these three apart from other expensive superautos? Read on to find out!

Miele CM6350

The Miele CM6350 is a powerful brewer that offers a pipe based system that connects to a carafe for milk steaming, and four customizable profiles. This machine set a standard for high-end superautos and still is one of the best you can buy. The menus can take some getting used to, but there's no denying the quality of coffee and milk that comes out of a miele superauto. Add to that a hot water spout, large hopper, and a removable reservoir and you've got a compelling option at its price point. Those four profiles allow you to set elements of drink creation for multiple users, so that the whole family can dial in their perfect latte.

Miele is also the only superauto maker to offer carafe based coffee brewing. While the "coffee" from a Miele isn't truly drip coffee, it's about as close as you can get from this style of machine. With carafe brewing, you can brew a whole pot of this lungo pulled espresso at once to serve multiple guests. It all combines to make the CM6350 one of the best machines you can buy for families.

Saeco Xelsis

Last year the Xelsis got a major re-launch and totally blew us away. We declared it one of the best machines of 2018, and it maintains that this year. The new Xelsis redefines programmability, user interface, and milk quality for superautos. The touchscreen on the face of the machine gives you full control over multiple pages of drink parameters. Things like volume and strength are standard, but being able to adjust temperature, milk foam, and specific ingredient volumes is a great addition. All of it is extremely easy to understand and read as well. This extends to the AquaClean filtration and HygieSteam system as well. Both of these components are easy to understand and manage, and make maintenance of the machine a breeze.

The front access water tank, general look and feel of the machine, and sturdy construction drive home the premium nature of this machine. Then there's the milk quality. Xelsis' HygieSteam system really nails one of the hardest aspects of drink creation. Professional baristas spend hours learning techniques to get just the right amount of foam for lattes and cappuccinos. The Xelsis still can't quite match a real, human pro, but it gets as close as we've seen. All of that makes it one of the best superautos you can get!

Jura Z8

Reaching for the highest of the high end machines, the Jura Z8 is like an espresso supercomputer. Its massive 4.3-inch touchscreen delivers a glorious user experience that offers programmability and simple one touch recipes. 21 of these recipes are built in, and brewing them is as easy as can be. Adjustable milk temperature and texture provide an exquisite set of options for lattes and cappuccinos as well, really living up to that "cafe in your kitchen" concept. Plus, this machine makes some of the best espresso available in the superauto category. This is achieved with Jura's exclusive P.E.P. brewing system, which teases out more of the depth in the brew method that you can normally only get by manually pulling shots.

On top of being one of the best in the business in terms of drink quality, the Z8 offers looks and easy maintenance as well. CLEARYL smart filtration keeps you informed on when you need to change the filter and clean the machine. On the case side, thick plating and solid construction provide a visually appealing and high quality feel to the machine. While this is one of the more expensive machines on the market, it justifies this with its high performance.

Conclusion

And there you have it, our three favorites in the high-end market for superautos. We love these machines, and feel they represent some of the best options available for your kitchen. We're pretty sure you'll love them too. We're not done yet though, check back for more of Gail's Picks in the next week!

Welcome back to Gail's picks for the best machines of 2019!

Today we're taking a look at the very best higher end semi-automatics on the market, starting with the Rocket Espresso R58.

Rocket Espresso R58

The Rocket Espresso R58 is a hand built, perfectly tuned machine. Practically a cafe for your countertop, this machine uses commercial grade components alongside Rocket Espresso's signature style, and it really wows. Every machine this manufacturer produces is powerful, but the R58 takes it to another level. The steel frame houses two boilers. The steam boiler clocks in at 1.7 liters, with the brew boiler is about half a liter. Having both of these boilers allows you to easily steam and brew at the same time. Having this ability puts your drink output on the level with your local cafe. The R58 also features tactile controls and an easy to use PID controller interface to give you loads of power without tons of work.

Beyond all of these major features, the R58 is plumbable and offers some of the best pre-infusion available. A working piston and a static chamber combine to perfect infuse water into the grounds before brewing. This creates an incomparable shot of espresso. Even better, you can plumb this machine for maximum ease of use, perfect for the serious home coffee enthusiast.

La Marzocco Linea Mini

The Linea is one of La Marzocco's, and espresso in general's, absolute classic machines. Powering cafe's for decades, its a machine that offers legendary performance without putting anything between you and the brewing process. The Linea Mini is the home version of this machine, and its historic heritage is apparent in every part of its design. Simple, industrial design elements house elements like PID-controlled dual boilers, La Marzocco's signature saturated group, and the iconic brew paddle. This is a serious brewer that will last many years, can be plumbed for maximum convenience, and is fun to use. That brew paddle mentioned above allows you to initiate brew cycles confidently, and 1 second pre-infusion will ensure quality shots again and again.

In fact, this machine is even NSF certified. That means you could use it to brew espresso in a small cafe or coffee cart. While we'll always direct commercial customers to machines specifically designed for cafes, it speaks to the Linea Mini's reputation. Commercial grade steaming and that saturated group head help that rep, creating consistent temperatures for crafting the perfect latte or cappuccino. We loved this machine, and it even comes in several colors!

Rocket Espresso R Nine One

At the highest of the high end, we couldn't help but squeeze the R Nine One onto our list. This machine is practically a spaceship that brew coffee, and it's evident as soon as you lay eye on it. Eschewing Rocket Espresso's more standard Italian design tropes, the R Nine One is really a next level machine. Like the other machines on our list, this one features two boilers, one for steaming, and one for brewing. This gives you consistent power to prepare milk and espresso at once. That's standard on prosumer machines like this though, what really makes this machine different is its programmability. The R Nine One's screen provides helpful feedback, and allows for some wild programming options. Pressure profiling is the concept of applying difference degrees of pressure with the pump through pulling the shot. Difference pressure profiles can create small differences in flavor. In the case of the R Nine One, this is something you can control.

This means that you can use the R Nine One to recreate the brewing process of dozens of different brewers. This is done by mimicking the way they apply pressure to the grounds. You can, of course, also just use this technology to dial in your favorite profile for your beans. This system is in addition to all of the other bells and whistles you'd expect. That means a stainless steel frame and case, a saturated E-61 group, Pid controller, and plumbability. You really can't go wrong with this machine. That's why it's on our list of favorite high-end semi-autos for 2019!

Conclusion

Semi-autos aren't the end of the story! We'll be back with more of Gail's favorites, including best high-end superautos, very soon!

Happy Friday Coffee Fans!

We've had a load of fun filming this week and have a few videos to share. Make sure you check out Gail's Picks for 2019, which we've been sharing in separate posts here on the blog! Today we're going to dig in to our regularly scheduled content.

Fist up, we got a look at the La Marzocco Swift Espresso Grinder from John.

Next, Clementine brewed up some apple cider coffee!

Last but not least, Allie, Nicole and I had a taste of our newest roast, Onyx Coffee Lab:

That's all for this week! Join us next week for more fun video content!

Hello friends!

It's time yet again for another weekly video roundup here at SCG! We've got 4 videos hot off the press for you this week, let's get started!

First, we've got John with a review of the Rocket Espresso Boxer Timer One Group:

Next is a much requested comparison between the Philips Carina and the Saeco Vienna, should you think about upgrading?

Then Clementine offered up a tasty treat for this magical season:

Last but not least, Allie provided some helpful tips and tricks for the Izzo Vivi PID Pro:

And that's all for now! We'll be back next week with loads more to share.

Hey friends!

If you follow us on social media you know this week we launched a giveaway for 3 fantastic new Philips espresso machines. The machines up for grabs are the Philips Carina, 3200, and 3200 LatteGo. Each of these machines is super easy to use and makes great coffee and milk drinks!

We've partnered with Gleam to make this giveaway simple to enter. All you need to do is head over to this page and click each item in the list. To get every entry opportunity you'll need a Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram account, and an email to use for our newsletter! Each list item will ask you to log into your accounts to complete the action, or it will ask for your email address in the case of the newsletter signup. We have tried to make this process as useable as possible, but if you run into issues feel free to contact us. We can't wait to announce the winners after the giveaway wraps up!

Happy Friday coffee fans!

We've got a few videos for you to check out this weekend, so lets jump right in!

First up, Gail took a look at the new Philips 2200 superautomatic espresso machine:

Next, Jamie from DeLonghi took a look at their Dinamica superauto with Gail!

Last, but as always, not least, Clementine continued her spooky recipes with one so haunted that it scared up some technical difficulties:

We hope you enjoy!

It's another Friday and we have LOADS of videos to share this week!

Let's dive in:

First up, Gail took a look at the new 3200 LatteGo from Philips.

Next, we tasted our Roast of the Month!

Then we got another crew review, this time of the NON LatteGo 3200:

Allie dropped by the studio to offer some Izzo tips and tricks:

And last but not least, another terrifying Coffee Collaboration with Clementine!

That's all for now, get to watching!