The Ethiopian we've been eagerly awaiting has made its way across the ocean, through customs, and is now in the United States. We expect to have this in a couple weeks.
Also almost on its way is a new sample roaster that I won at auction during the guild retreat. The Diedrich SR-1 is a one pound electric sample roaster. It will make it much easier for me to evaluate coffee samples and may allow me develop new coffees with less waste. There are a few gotchas with that use. It should ship in a few days. You'll be able to see me roasting the first few batches outside while I figure out how I'm going to vent this machine.
The last new thing is one that you probably won't really see. I've ordered a bottomless portafilter for evaluation purposes. This might just turn out to be a training tool, but if I like it and if our baristas like it, we'll switch to these. There are some compelling reasons why such a portafilter might produce a better tasting espresso, but I'll want to taste it before committing to anything.
We'll be ordering new coffees again in the near future. I need to figure out what I want to do with Holiday Blend this year. We sell enough of that every year that it can affect ordering.