Prototype! Hey, a prototype. I love prototypes!

Whua? Oh come on. It's a bell shaped pitcher (usually panned), with a very cool spout design. Nifty!

Lotsa Love Kyle Anderson from Baratza gives Jane, formerly of Espresso Supply (now) a huge hug at her farewell party.

Just finished a nice visit with Laura and Jane (last time Jane will be at these shows! More on that below) from Espresso Supply, where Jane gave me a new prototype frothing pitcher that she'd like some feedback on. What is it with these prototype frothing pitchers!!! (kidding, I love it! Development into any nuance of prepping better espresso and milk-based espresso drinks is stuff I drool over).

More on that later too. Some changes were in store at the Espresso Supply booth. This place is home to my favourite all time pitcher - the Europa design (I know others carry it, but I bought mine from Espresso Supply), and just about every doodad and gizmo you can think of for using to make great coffee and espresso.

The online shop and catalog is more geared towards commercial cafes than to the home user, but that hasn't stopped the home user from ordering from them in droves! So much so that at times, Espresso Supply has been overwhelmed, so they had to make the (very) tough decision of going to $50 minimum orders on their website. Still, I can't imagine a CoffeeGeek not finding at least that much, if not more, to order and buy.

Last year, Bodum and consumer items were more in evidence in the booth - this year, the focus was more towards the commercial side of things, and stuff like syrup stands and the like were in evidence. And I think it helped their sales a bit - after all, this is a professional trade show, not a consumer love fest.

Espresso Supply is always looking for new and interesting products to bring to the fore in the world of Espresso, and this year, they're concentrating a bit on pitchers and other barista tools. Laura gave me this prototype pitcher; at first maybe not much to look at, but here's the deal. It's a bell shape, which many believe aid in the "whirlpool" effect of frothing and texturizing milk. Second, it's got a very interesting spout, reminiscent of the Alessi and Europa designs. Third, it's 16oz, which for me is the near ideal size for a frothing pitcher (but still kinda rare). Can't wait to try it out!

Laura is always awesome. They threw an "afterparty" on Sunday night, which Beata and I stopped by, and I got some great Prosceco for my visit. There was also a very expensive bottle of Dom Perignon on display, and everyone was signing it. Why? Because longtime business partner Jane is leaving Espresso Supply to go back to school to study viniculture and wine making. Huge Kudos to Jane for that, but you'll be missed. The pic to the right is the only picture I have of Jane from the entire show - and it's of the back of her head. Damnit!!!

Oh well, pPick a nice bottle for me, Jane!