Solid State Relays
by Arno Holschuh I distinctly remember the first time I saw a solidstate relay. It was the early 2000s, and my employer had just had their machine converted to digital temperature control. At the time, this was extremely cutting edge, sort of in the same ballpark as clones and flying cars. We gazed into the […]
The Gospels of Sam Kanenwisher
By Arno Holschuh Sam Kanenwisher didn’t grow up thinking he’d repair home espresso machines for a living. “I went to the Berkeley Graduate Theological Union and got a Masters in Divinity,” he said. “But I didn’t want to be a Lutheran Pastor, and that’s where that track ends.” He had the basic ingredients of a […]
Pressure and Flow
By Arno Holschuh of Bellwether Coffee Any time you are called out to work on an espresso machine because “it’s not making coffee,” you are likely to enter into the world of fluid dynamics. Of course, there’s no need to get a degree in engineering to degunk a clogged group or replace a pump, but […]
Electrical Connectors
By Arno Holschuh In the world of negative workplace emotional experiences, few compare to buttoning up a job and ruining it by breaking an electrical connector. It takes a second for your brain to understand that a tiny little plastic connector has crumbled between your fingertips, the machine is not running without it, and the […]