Like a lot of you, I wasn’t from this coffee generation. I grew up during the 80’s when the majority of American households’ morning cup of joe consisted of Maxwell House or Folgers. Period. That was it and it was either served black or with some milk and sugar. No big damn deal. Think about it, the only time that ‘coffee’ made the news back then was when McDonald’s was being sued by some poor sap who poured scorching coffee on their lap. So, it’s really no surprise that I didn’t start drinking coffee until my sophomore year in college. I do not find this odd in the least. After all, black coffee to the palette of a teenager is just slightly better than liver pate. Likewise, this was before there were ‘gourmet’ coffee shops littering every street corner advertising tasty “Carmel Macchiatos” and “Vanilla Ice Blended” coffee drinks. In fact, Dinkytown, the main retail hub at the University of MN, where I received my degree, got their first gourmet coffee shop sometime around 1990. It was called Espresso Royale and it’s where I first got educated on the art of coffee brewing and how certain geographical micro-climates produce beans with unique flavor profiles.

While all of this is great, I am still not exactly sure why it bothers me to see pre-teens drinking a fully ‘jacked’ Starbucks Grande but it does. I wonder if all the tenured teachers noticed that their pupils were more jumpy after the specialty coffee marketing blitz got into full gear.

Enough of that……I thought I would share a glimpse of what my AM routine looks like and a few great buys that I have found.

My personal coffee delivery system is the Atomic Brevetti Robbiati stove top espresso maker from Milano, Italy. First patented in 1947 by Luiciano Robbiati (Brevitti means patented) these machines have had a cult following for quite sometime and on any given day a very nice example will go for $500 on Ebay. Coffee Crew has a number of useful Atomic write-ups by Frederic Nakos, one of the foremost collectors of these mid century works of art. I fully endorse the Atomic.

The images below are of my Atomic in action over the weekend. I lucked into mine at the Jewish Council Thrift Store on Santa Monica Blvd in 1997 and has served me faithfully for all of these years. It even came with the original instructions. The old gal there thought it was some sort of sink plumbing. I knew otherwise and gladly handed her a fiver. I have had to replace the rubber seals and gaskets but that is it.

Frothing the (2%) milk.

Bon Trading Co. of Sydney, Australia is the exclusive importer of Atomic Coffee Machines. You can contact them directly to buy a new one. Bon Trading Co. also sells all the parts needed for the Atomic on Ebay.

Obviously, taking its cues from the original above, the OTTO Espresso maker is expected to arrive in Australia in January 2009. CLICK HERE to register. $595

Another fine deal right now – The Illy Francis Francis X7, designed by renowned Italian architect Luca Trazzi is recession priced at the very reasonable cost of $395.00 (reg. $595)

Nice price on the Peugeot Bresil Coffee Mill at Kitchen U. $84.96

I noticed Illy collaborated with Julian Schnabel for their “Artist Series.” This is for you Mr. Williams…..

Oliver Hemming has some superbly designed stove top espresso makers and tea pots. The Nio 6 Cup Espresso Maker is $103 at Unica Home.

Looking very much like something churned out of a metal workshop at the Bauhaus School in Weimar, the .05 litre Oliver Hemming Nio teapot is looking quite fetching at $67.00

Last but certainly not least I bring you the Sorapot Teapot. Not only pleasing to the eye but the ‘fish tank’ exterior is like your own mini science experiment. Starting at $200.

Tips for better espresso:

Always use cold, filtered water, don’t pack in the grounds, be sure to lubricate all the gaskets with olive oil from time to time and remember, used coffee grounds make a great soil additive for your plants.

Roasters I fully endorse:

Kobricks on the Jersey City/Hoboken border sells their blends to some of the best coffee shops and restaurants around. Nobu, Tribeca Grill, Manhattan Espresso, Via Quadronno, Atlas Cafe and Oslo Coffee Co. to name few.

Porto Rico Importing Co. on Bleeker Street in the West Village is a must destination. The history, the old worn wooden shelves, barrels of coffee beans….It’s a real eye opener! The aromas alone, as you stand in line, is worth the visit. Their French Sumatra is hard to beat.  They also have a very nice selection of teas. Try the green tea, Gyokuru.

Here is a nice compilation of biking accessories. In no particular order.

#1 Trophy Bikes in Philly is a no nonsense outfitter. They sell Walz cycling caps, Brooks accessories, Carradice saddlebags and these very cool Pearl Uzumi winter cycling glove/mittens to name a few.

#2 Cinelli mouse pads and some decent retro cycling t-shirts can be found at the Velo Store. Altru Apparel has some very cool vintage Olympic Games style t-shirts.

#3 Freeman Transport Double Leather Pedal Straps with dull nickel hardware – Handmade in the USA.

#4 Something I use regularly is the gmappedomiter. If you are a runner or cyclist this is a great tool. Once you are on the site, input your address where it says, ‘Jump To’ then plot your route. You can save them for reference later.

#5 Stocking stuffer idea – Leave it up to Pedal ID of Japan to make some very cool miniature 1/9 scale track bike models. Brand new!

#6 As many of you know, the London based company Rapha makes superior cycling gear. I hear rumblings that they may soon stock merch at their Portland, Oregon location. Until then we will have to pay the shipping costs to get thier great gear. I have had this fixed backpack on my radar….Also look into Endura of England for some decent winter riding jackets.

I would also encourage anyone looking for quality made Cordura messenger bags, totes or back packs to check out the Portsmouth, NH company Bailyworks. Jon Baily was originally inspired some 20 years ago when he picked up a hitchhiker who was shouldering a vintage DeMartini messenger bag (DeMartini, aka Globe Canvas Co., was the 1st company making messenger bags in NYC. They sold to Manhattan Portage years ago and then things get murky from there.)

#7 There are a ton of cool cycling caps on the market but the ones Shaun Deller makes by hand in Portland, OR are excellent. “All salvaged fabrics are washed using earth friendly detergents. Tags are printed on 100% recycled paper. I am interested in creating a new vision for cycling/outdoor apparel. His blog is great too.

#8 Made from a recycled bike chain, it’s the perfect place to display that photo of you cycling through the Rhone-Alpes.

#9 I am sort of digging these Chuck Tayor inspired Hi-Tops over at Terra Plana. Made by the brand Worn Again. They are constructed from recycled canvas, motor-bike tires and a recycled rubber sole. Sure they are a bit pricey at $130 but they are still $170 bucks cheaper than the Margiela ones and a shit load tougher. Black and Olive available.

#10 Made out of a small garage in Bend, Oregon Woody’s Fenders are the perfect compliment to your road bike. Quality made using recycled wood, stainless and brass hardware and four coats of a high quality Marine grade clear gloss. They are offering 20% off their “built and ready to ship” models. The only issue I have with Woody’s is that they offer too many choices.

#11 If you know anything about bikes then you certainly know and can respect the Campagnola brand. But did you now they make one helluva nice corkscrew? Available at cbike. Note that the pivot bolts for the arms are actually the same bolts that Campagnolo used to hold the chainrings to the crankarms on their legendary Record model cranksets. For $100 bucks more you can opt for the Bronze model.

#12 The Italian Cycle shoe maker, Marresi is known for their high end, modern cycling shoes but their vintage version has me sold.

If you are into authentic vintage cycling shoes you may get lucky and find your size at Yellow Jersey.

#13 New Old Stock Eddy Merckx heandband and Merckx/Cinelli stem over at Cafe de Velo.

#14 Campagnola Heritage Sweater at cbike.

#15 Another beautiful winter merino wool trainer can be found at Vintage Velos. First time offered. Saddle stitched, raglan sleeves and full embroidered on front and back.

#16 Portland Cyclewear will make your very own custom wool jersey and sells some pretty cool 3/4 length messenger knicks . Their ‘PC’ logo hi-visability wind jacket is on sale for $25.

#17 The HID bike light company, Light & Motion of Monterey, CA gets my nod. Exceptional product and exceptional company. In June of this year they were honored with the “California Small Business of the Year” award.

“Light and Motion exists because of its staff. They are a remarkable group that has pushed the company forward with relentless energy and enthusiasm. Together we have vertically integrated the business to allow better quality control when the trend is to go “offshore.” We have pushed our local suppliers to be best in class to allow us to build here, keep our carbon footprint small, and keep our team close to our product. We believe these things matter. ” If that is not enough, these guys even have showers on the premise to encourage cycling to work. If I was looking for a job these guys would get my resume…..here are a few things they offer:

• 401K Retirement Plan
• Health Insurance
• Company Funded Health Savings Account
• Pretax Cafeteria Medical Plan
• Paid Vacation Days
• Paid Sick Days
• Subsidized SCUBA Diving Instruction

#18 Vintage Bicycle Press is selling the book, “The Golden Age of Handbuilt Bicycles.” A nice coffee-table book at $60.

#19 Give a subscription of Cog Magazine. Their 1st photo annual hard cover edition is now available for $30.

#20 Cambria Bicycle Outfitters carries the full line of Torelli gear. The Torelli Tipo Uno leather bike saddle is a close second to Brooks. Not bad at $72 smackers.