The new Strada, in its late stage prototype form, has made three public appearances now (OUT OF THE BOX MILAN, SCAA Anaheim, OUT OF THE BOX NYC) and it has drawn a bit of attention. The latest is from the blogs at Gizmodo.com and New York Times:
RISTRETTO | Oliver Strand – Strada
GIZMODO.COM | Matt Buchanan – La Marzocco Strada is Your Barista’s New Wet Dream Machine
We greatly appreciate press coverage like this, not only in a self serving way, but also in that it’s always nice to see mainstream media pays attention to Third Wave coffee. Specialty coffee has been underserved in the mainstream media, when compared to microbrews and wine. And when it does get written up, it’s more often about overpriced drinks, Kopi Luwak, or features pictures of oily, over-roasted beans, rather than topics that truly encompass Third Wave coffee – farming communities/practices, micro-roasters, quality in the cup, art/science, and sustainability.
We also want to thank everybody who has made it out to OUT OF THE BOX and SCAA to check out the new Strada (especially for a product that is not even in production). You, the coffee community, have keen interests in having the best available tools to best showcase your coffees and we, as La Marzocco, always want to have the best of whatever available to you to help you to do so. As previously mentioned, pressure profiling may have varying effects on different coffees, and it requires a truly dedicated barista and an anxious palate to find out what works and what doesn’t. But when it does (more often than not, once you get the hang of it), you’ll be surprised at the vast degree of control you have over your espresso.
