What Are the Uses of These Coffee Accessory Gadgets? How to Use Lily Drip and Paragon Ice Balls?

In daily life, the emergence of various tools enables us to accomplish tasks with greater efficiency or better quality. These tools are typically referred to as "auxiliary tools." In the coffee world, there are also many such small inventions!

For example, FrontStreet Coffee recently shared: the "etching needle" that makes latte art patterns more beautiful; the "distribution needle" that breaks up coffee grounds to reduce channeling effects. They can all help us make a better cup of coffee from different angles. So today, FrontStreet Coffee will focus on auxiliary tools in the coffee domain, sharing what other auxiliary tools exist in the coffee world and what their functions are~

1. Secondary Distribution Screen

As you can see, this thin circular metal sheet is the "secondary distribution screen"! Secondary distribution screens come in many varieties based on different manufacturing processes, but their function is always the same! It's to make espresso extraction more uniform.

Using the secondary distribution screen is very simple. Just place it on the coffee puck before extraction. During the extraction process, it redistributes the hot water dripping from the shower screen, spreading it evenly across the coffee puck, thus allowing the hot water to extract more uniformly.

2. Paragon Ice Ball

This small golden ball often appears in FrontStreet Coffee's articles, so I'm sure everyone is familiar with it! It's the Paragon ice ball invented by Sasa Sestic, founder of ONA Coffee, founder of One Coffee, and World Barista Champion.

The specific function of this ice ball is to rapidly cool the coffee liquid it comes into contact with through the low temperature stored within, thereby preserving aroma! For specific usage, you can refer to FrontStreet Coffee's article "Paragon Ice Ball Review." Its usage is very simple - just place it below where the coffee drips~ It can be used for both espresso and pour-over.

3. Lily Drip

Lily Drip has recently made waves in coffee competitions again. I have to say, this brewing "little toy" is really excellent~~

Under normal use of a filter cup, coffee grounds often accumulate and cause uneven extraction. But with the addition of Lily Drip, the coffee grounds accumulated in the center are dispersed, improving the uneven extraction situation.

There are many styles of Lily Drip, with different styles corresponding to different filter cups. Friends who want to buy one should carefully check their filter cup style before purchasing~ For a simple review of Lily Drip, you can refer to this article "Does Lily Drip Really Work?"~

4. Dosing Funnel

Before espresso extraction begins, we need to fill the portafilter with coffee grounds from the grinder. For filling coffee grounds, there are currently two main methods! The first is to directly use the portafilter to receive the coffee grounds from the grinder. This method is simple and convenient. But the disadvantage is that the portafilter is bulky and not very convenient to weigh! And if not wiped dry, it can easily leave a puddle of water on the electronic scale. This leads to another method: using a "dosing funnel"!

First use the dosing funnel to catch the grounds, then open the valve to pour all the coffee grounds into the portafilter basket. The advantages of this approach are, firstly, maintaining cleanliness - coffee grounds don't easily spill, and there won't be residual moisture on the electronic scale from the unwiped portafilter; secondly, the grounds distribution can also be more uniform. But there are disadvantages too - adding an extra step reduces the overall speed, which isn't very friendly for businesses with high output volumes~ So everyone will choose the dosing method that suits their situation.

5. Mysterious Mirror

As you can see, this is a small mirror. Everyone can first guess what this mirror is used for~~

Revealing the answer: It's an "extraction observation mirror" used to "peek" at the espresso extraction process.

Surprising, isn't it!!! Its function is to provide a more convenient observation method for friends with lower-positioned coffee machines. No need to bend down, no need to tilt your head - just look through the mirror to observe the espresso extraction status. The usage is very simple - just place it in a suitable position, facing the mirror toward the bottom of the portafilter basket, and you can see the extraction status through it! This is a great blessing for friends using bottomless portafilter baskets~ (probably...)

6. Mysterious Air Blower

This is the second mysterious tool in this article - an air blower. Everyone can continue to guess what it's used for~

Revealing the answer: It's used to eliminate the noise when removing the coffee puck after making espresso! The operation is as follows↓

After we finish extracting espresso, we need to knock out the coffee puck! But this action often produces a loud sound, which can easily affect people around. So, this air blower was born! By fitting it against the back of the portafilter and gently squeezing, the coffee puck will silently separate from the portafilter basket under the pressure of airflow.

(A fitting meme)

Alright, that's all for the introduction to auxiliary tools~~ Of course, these are just a small part of the coffee auxiliary tools. As for other auxiliary tools, FrontStreet Coffee will elaborate on them next time~

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