'Twas brillig and the slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe...
No, it was early this morning and my sleepy Lab partner was constructing his 
normal morning 'wake-up' drink of 3oz of Malibar Gold blend, extracted from 
a triple basket into a 9oz Bodum 'Pavina' double-walled thermo-cup - he 
topped off the shot with 4oz of micro-foam, dropped in about a teaspoon of 
Turbonado sugar (ugh!), began stirring vigorously with a glass stirring rod, 
when KERSNAP! he broke through the bottom, inside glass layer.
Sigh! one cup gets to take the long ride to the dumpster - I have been 
pleasantly surprised by how well the Pavina cups were standing up to daily 
usage, since they feel impossible fragile in the hand, like a glass and air 
confection - which would collapse with a strong squeeze - but it looks like 
we've discovered the Achilles' heel of these wonderful little glasses.
From now on, the process here will be to put the sugar in the cup  
pulling the shot, letting the hot espresso disolve the sugar, and then stir 
gently with a flat soft-wood scraper after the shot is constructed to mix 
things up a bit.
Hopefully, this will protect the apparently very fragile inner cup from 
getting savaged by rapidly whirling objects wielded by crazed and 
caffine-deprived folks trying to displace their morning tremors.
Cheers
Dr Jim
(also posted to alt.coffee.abuse.of.appliances)

I have broken two 11-oz. Pavinas simply by keeping them atop my cup  
warmer--when the machine vibrates, or even when I whomp the PF on my  
knockbox, they fall off. (My son says it's the ghost of my kitty  
MishMosh, who died suddenly of cardiomyopathy in Sept., knocking them  
over because he wanted to stick around and play instead of "crossing  
over").  And I broke a 9-ouncer by pressing a little too hard when  
scrubbing it in the sink. So my rule is--nothing gets stirred in  
them, and they are to be used for hot or pre-chilled beverages only,  
since even ice cubes can potentially cause damage.
Elsewhere on the Bodum front, my 12-oz (3 tasse) Columbia bit the  
dust. The glass carafe developed a fissure on the bottom (looks like  
a chip) and will no longer hold liquid; and it won't separate from  
the plastic framework for replacement. So I have been reduced to  
using my stainless steel thermal travel presses at home (2-12  
ouncers, a Planetary Designs "Boot Cut" 24-ouncer, or a Starbucks/ 
Nissan 8-tasse). I think I will get a  3-cup and 8-cup Chambord--I  
like the built in filter in the spout, and the fact that the carafe  
is easily replaceable and inspectable. (I would then decant into a  
thermal press or bottle).   Bought a 3-cupper in Whole Foods in FL  
for $15; left it with my Mom so she has something neater and more  
elegant for brewing a couple of cups than her current 1-cup Melitta  
cone and oversized filters that must be cut or folded.
On Jan 12, 2006, at 1:41 AM, Jim Mitchell wrote:
<Snip>
Sandy
www.sandyandina.com

Ever tried a cubano?
The sugar is actually in the pf basket with the espresso.  It makes it
pull faster, so you have to grind finer.