Amer Ajami, Ken Tanaka, and Osamu Hironaga
My partner and I teamed up with Ken Tanaka Studio to remodel our Manhattan Beach flat over four years ago. Being huge fans of espresso and the daily, almost zen-like process of puck prep and pulling the perfect shot, we wanted the espresso bar to be the star of the show. We placed the bar front and center, in between the dining room and kitchen, and modeled the rest of the home around it using the same simple combination of American White Oak, pure white quartz, and brushed aluminum that Ken’s designs are known for.
Our machine is a La Marzocco Linea Mini that has received some thoughtful visual touches from Specht Design in Australia, as well as a smattering of functional improvements like an upgraded shower screen and dispersion screw, the Performance Touch steam wand, competition baskets, and liftoff legs. Most recently, we added the La Marzocco brew-by-weight scale, developed in conjunction with Acaia, in order to give the machine commercial quality brew-by-weight functionality. As a finishing touch, the scale is integrated into a custom drip tray for added cup clearance.
We’ve paired our Mini with a Weber Workshops Key Mk. II grinder, which makes it possible for my partner and I to easily switch between espresso and pour over grind settings, depending on who is brewing what any given morning.
The machine is plumbed in with filtered tap water from under the counter, and drains out to the main line as well, so we never have to fill up its tank or empty the drip tray. The bar also houses a built-in sink and sunken jug rinser to streamline the workflow further and make cleanup even easier. Underneath, cabinets and a trio of pullout drawers keep our coffee gear within easy reach when we’re pulling shots, and the counter clutter-free when we’re not.
I’m always looking for incremental improvements in my process, so we’re never quite done fiddling with and modifying our setup, but we’re very happy with it, and love starting our day pulling a pair of shots in front of our bar.
Best Home Coffee Design of the Year Semi-Finalists
Amer Ajami, Ken Tanaka, and Osamu Hironaga
Andrew Coe
Ben Lytle & Haley Lytle
Darren David
Drago Tomianovic
Giosue Josh D’Esposito
Manuel Huder
Pino Di Ioia & Tina Serrao
