onocoffee Senior Member Joined: 5 Sep 2002 Posts: 733 Location: Towson, Maryland Expertise: Just starting
Espresso: La Marzocco Linea 2AV, 3AV &... Grinder: 4 Mazzer Major Autos, Compak... Vac Pot: That crazy Bodum eSantos Drip: Bunn CWT Twin, Bunn Water... Roaster: Petroncini The Crumb
Posted Mon Feb 13, 2012, 7:00am Subject: Re: Building a new custom house: help me design the espresso/coffee area!
Save yourself the trouble by having the water line run directly to where you plan on having the espresso machine. It's much more of a PITA to do it after the fact.
And go with 220v 30A - better to err on larger power than less - because it will cost you even more to run thicker gauge wire later. And if 30A is too much, you can always swap out the breaker with 20A and no problems!
Half a step to the sink, within a step of the refrigerator, allow for plumbing, power, and drain. You are good to go. That's prime real estate in a kitchen, but the coffee appliance is essential!
adamgoldberg Senior Member Joined: 10 Mar 2004 Posts: 51 Location: Virginia Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Expobar Control Grinder: Mazzer Mini Drip: Technivorm KBT741
Posted Tue Feb 14, 2012, 12:53pm Subject: Re: Building a new custom house: help me design the espresso/coffee area!
Attached, a tentative layout. The tip of the pen is pointing at what's described as a "WET BAR", but would (in fact) be the coffee bar. There's a sink shown, but the refrigerator is all the way around in the kitchen.
IMAWriter Senior Member Joined: 4 Jul 2002 Posts: 5,475 Location: Brentwood, TN Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Nothing at the moment Grinder: Vario-W,Preciso-Esatto/KyM... Vac Pot: Adcraft SS, Yama 8 cup Drip: Brazen.Chemex, Hario, Clever... Roaster: Behmor 1600, CO/UFO combo
Posted Thu Feb 16, 2012, 11:51pm Subject: Re: Building a new custom house: help me design the espresso/coffee area!
CoffeeRoastersClub Said:
I said before that I would have no cabinets above the area. I say this because the machines give off alot of steam and heat, and having cabinets above such where you keep other food can cause issues.
AND.....so you can have a nice Spring lever machine, lever proudly waving WAY up in the air, above it all! Seriously, I wish I had what Len described, but the wife would eviscerate me.
JasonBrandtLewis Senior Member Joined: 9 Dec 2005 Posts: 6,100 Location: Berkeley, CA Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Elektra T1 - La Valentina -... Grinder: Mahlkönig K30 Vario -... Vac Pot: Yama 5-cup Drip: CCD, Chemex Roaster: No, no, not another...
Posted Fri Feb 17, 2012, 8:30am Subject: Re: Building a new custom house: help me design the espresso/coffee area!
Adam, don't worry about the refrigerator in the kitchen. I have an L-shaped counter/island (peninsula?) with the kitchen counter making a 90-degree turn to separate the kitchen from the breakfast area. The operator side of the espresso machine is on the breakfast side, with the back of the machine facing the kitchen; sink is right behind it, making plumbing in and out quite easy. The refrigerator is in the kitchen, so I have to walk around the L to get to both it and the sink. Not ideal, of course, and if I were able to design from scratch, it would have been different, but it's quickly evolved into a no big deal routine.
VolatileBeans Senior Member Joined: 20 Feb 2012 Posts: 11 Location: Pensacola, Florida Expertise: Just starting
Posted Tue Feb 21, 2012, 10:31pm Subject: Re: Building a new custom house: help me design the espresso/coffee area!
Topics like this give me a rush of blood to the head. I'd have the espresso machine on a slightly lower countertop with two higher ones just to the side at 135 degree angles from the lowered counter. On the right side higher countertop would be a knockbox built into the countertop with a sink just to the right to rinse the just knocked PF. Further up on the countertop (from the knockbox) would be a small box holding thermometers, timers, and some cappuccino spoons. Back down the espresso machine, I'd have both grinders to the right of the machine one holding an espresso blend, the other holding a single origin bean. The left side would have a gas burner built into the countertop for vacuum, moka pot, and some Turkish. Also over there are a few pour over devices and the French press and aero press. An electric kettle is in the back there. Below the main espresso counter is a mini fridge containing ice trays and milk. The left side counter has cabinets with no doors that hold cafiza, extra portafilters, maybe some cream chargers if you wanna make some whip cream. Right side has the trash can for the pucks and some plumbing for the sink :)
billyjoseph Senior Member Joined: 7 Sep 2012 Posts: 1 Location: 6888 Zero Rd, Meridian, MS 39301 Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Sat Sep 8, 2012, 12:02am Subject: Re: Building a new custom house: help me design the espresso/coffee area!
For designing the espresso/coffee area our back door probably will have to serve as an emergency fire exit. After the many features have been designed in the back on the town , you will then be ready to start your design work which will probably include a pastry condition, cash register, drip coffee maker and grinder, cappuccino machine and grinders, some sort of dipper well, possibly a granita machine, blenders, winter snow storms holding bin, blender off sink, hand washing Kitchen Faucets, under counter refrigeration and a microwave oven.
adamgoldberg Senior Member Joined: 10 Mar 2004 Posts: 51 Location: Virginia Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Expobar Control Grinder: Mazzer Mini Drip: Technivorm KBT741
Posted Mon Sep 10, 2012, 6:38am Subject: Re: Building a new custom house: help me design the espresso/coffee area!
I don't think the poster before last was seriously thinking I was building a business ... I certainly took it tongue-in-cheek...
But anyway, I should've updated with the final result...
What was the sort of 45* angled section was straightened out, and is open to the room on the other side (labeled "Morning Room"), without upper cabinets. So, the espresso gear will go on that section of the counter (with both a 220/30a and a 110/20a dedicated circuit).
After long consideration, I sort of gave up on water & drain. They're nearby (see pic ... dishwasher isn't far away) and could be added, but it would cause a problem for the base cabinet (essentially, we'd have to have a sink base instead of the drawers shown).
So, without upper cabinets, there's plenty of room for lever machines, etc., and plenty of power (with the 220/30a), but if I was going to acquire anything really crazy that needed plumbing in/out, I'd have to hack up the lower cab ... which seems unlikely. Given that, the 220/30a circuit is probably a waste, too, but the cost of that was minor (to compare, the base cabinet alone was 2-3x the cost of the 220a circuit).
Symbols: = New Posts since your last visit = No New Posts since last visit = Newest post
Forum Rules: No profanity, illegal acts or personal attacks will be tolerated in these discussion boards. No commercial posting of any nature will be tolerated; only private sales by private individuals, in the "Buy and Sell" forum. No cross posting allowed - do not post your topic to more than one forum, nor repost a topic to the same forum. Who Can Read The Forum? Anyone can read posts in these discussion boards. Who Can Post New Topics? Any registered CoffeeGeek member can post new topics. Who Can Post Replies? Any registered CoffeeGeek member can post replies. Can Photos be posted? Anyone can post photos in their new topics or replies. Who can change or delete posts? Any CoffeeGeek member can edit their own posts. Only moderators can delete posts. Probationary Period: If you are a new signup for CoffeeGeek, you cannot promote, endorse, criticise or otherwise post an unsolicited endorsement for any company, product or service in your first five postings.
![adamgoldberg: IMG_0448.jpg](javascript:ImagePopup("/images/56522/IMG_0448.jpg", 653, 490, "adamgoldberg: IMG_0448.jpg");)
![adamgoldberg: cofbar.jpg](javascript:ImagePopup("/images/58553/cofbar.jpg", 517, 193, "adamgoldberg: cofbar.jpg");)
= No New Posts since last visit 