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dhrusis posted:Coffee guys.. I'm going to be purchasing a few different types of methods to try them out and decide which is best for me. I currently have a french press which I like, but want to go to something without oil (and the cholesterol effects, because I have a problem with that and don't want to futz around with it).. The difference between a CCD (on a cup) and a pour-over cone is the diameter of the coffee-out hole(s) in the bottom. A pour over brewer has two (or more) little holes for the coffee to come out, a CCD has a massive one. Later in the brew this should make no difference (coffee speed through filter is limited by static pressure of water in the filter and the coarseness of the grounds - later on the pressure is lower than when the cone is full). However, when there is a lot of water in the cone this larger hole lets coffee pour out faster due to pressure than the little holes. This will lead to an under-extracted brew (although grind size might be able to accommodate for this - I've never checked). I have no experience of the AeroPress, but for availability of filters, laziness of prep and deliciousness of coffee I adore my CCD. Which I'm going to go and fill with coffee now, it's brew time again.
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Feb 23, 2012 13:56
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Get the Clever and use chemex filters.
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Feb 23, 2012 16:48
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Whisker Biscuit posted:Get the Clever and use chemex filters. Sorry for the ignorance, but which chemex filters fit the CCD? Its the conical ones, right? http://www.amazon.com/Chemex-Coffee-Filter-Conical-Coffeemakers/dp/B000N4W2SG/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1330037449&sr=1-2
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Feb 24, 2012 00:10
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So in one of the previous coffee threads I posted about the components of my morning ritual. I'll speak to that first. People who want to get in on espresso on the super, and I mean super cheap, listen up. First off, do not buy non-pump espresso makers. These are the ones that usually have a massive screw on cap on the back of the chassis to cover the boiler opening. Open boiler, pour in water, seal boiler, turn machine on. Boiling water then drips through the ground coffee and makes... really bitter nasty tasting stuff. It's over-extracted every single time and will taste like it's cooked... because it is. You can "fix" this to a degree by running a coarser grind through them, but really it's kind of pointless. Full disclosure though, I used to have one of these and drank off of it for probably 5 years. What should you buy then? Pump machines. Why? Espresso relies on pressure. Specifically it relies on water between 190-196F being pushed through a packed puck of ground coffee in such a way that in approximately 20-25 seconds you have your "shot". Espesso is specificity. Now, real deal espresso machines can be pricey. Way pricey. But, there's a way to eeeeeeeaaase into the espresso end of the pool at home. All you need is a machine: http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Coffee-ECMP50-Espresso-Cappuccino/dp/B001EU9UTM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1330040014&sr=8-2 and a grinder http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-DBM-8-Supreme-Automatic-CCM-16PC1/dp/B00018RRRK/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1330040406&sr=1-1 Depending on if you have a Bed Bath and Beyond local, prices, your stock of OMG 20% COUPONS OMG OMG OMG, etc... this pair of stuff can be had for 100 bucks net. Why go this route? 1. Burr grinders grind far, far more evenly than blades. Uniformity (specificity) of grind means that every little grain is saying the exact same thing from a flavor standpoint. The more unifirm the grind, the more uniform the flavor. This is hands down the cheapest burr grinder on the market that I've seen (given sales, coupons, etc). 2. That espresso machine does indeed say Mr. Coffee on it. Yep. Put the crucifix down. It's a 15 bar vibration pump machine, just like numerous others on the market from the low, low end up into the crazy silly end. There's more to it than that though. Let's talk about portafilters. That little basket the espresso goes into? There's two main types of those. Pressurized, and non-pressurized. I said before that espresso relies on pressure. In a non-pressurized, real-deal, no-safety-net portafilter like the nutjobs and the pros use, the backpressure that generates the correct extraction and glorious crema is 100% dependent on grind and tamp pressure (how tight the puck is packed). If either of these things is off, under or over extraction is the result and assy espresso ahoy. A pressurized portafilter is different. It's got a second chamber built into the bottom of it that generates pressure itself. This makes the espresso machine's process far, far less intolerant of grind or tamp quality. That Mr. Coffee right there is the cheapest 15-bar pump espresso machine utilizing a pressurized portafilter. So those two things together are not top-tier espresso... but they will get you pretty drat close. I'd say unless you have a pretty skilled coffee shop near you, you can be pulling things to beat the pants off of the chains and more than a few independent shops I've been to within a few practice pulls. Just set the grinder to its finest setting and away you go. I ran on that setup for about 4 years, and am doing so until next Wednesday. Why's that? I've joined the nutjob club. Grinding multiple shots every day on that Cuisinart for that long... wore the burrs out. So in January I got one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Capresso-560-01-Infinity-Grinder-Black/dp/B0000AR7SY/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1330041133&sr=1-1 Again, not top tier equipment here. Consider it budget...plus. Ceramic (AND SERVICABLE) burrs, very consistent grind, and I can grind stuff down to dust if I want to. That's caused a bit of a problem though, and that takes us back to the portafilter. I can now grind down so fine that the puck pressure + portafilter pressure can stop the machine. It's not the machine's fault. The grind I want to get the flavor I want is just too much for a pressurized portafilter to handle. I'm down to pulling ristrettos with half puck volume because anything more will stop the machine. Doubles are flat out out of the question. So this morning I did something about it. http://www.wholelattelove.com/Gaggia/espresso_pure.cfm Gaggia's entry machine. Commercialish standard guts and brew group. No more saftey net. Straight single, double, pod filters. That site was recently running a sale on that rig for 90 dollars off. I called them this morning and they honored it for me. Even if they didn't... their refurb section is selling them for 174. Relatively speaking... that's a good price to get into a real rig. Beans beans beans. You don't need espresso roast to make espresso. I repeat. YOU DON'T NEED ESPRESSO ROAST TO MAKE ESPRESSO. Some of the best pulls I've had in my life have come off of beans roasted nowhere near dark. Espresso is a brewing process, not a roast (yes, yes I KNOW people call certain roasts espresso roast). You can pull any bean. The goal is to find the specific essence of its flavor... or as close as you can.  I have access to a small-batch single-origin roaster here in town. Their stuff is way good, especially the Brazilian beans (just not digging on African beans at the moment). It's spendy though. If you have the means, get the best beans you can that you dig. Here's what I run on a budget though: Beater bean: http://www.worldmarket.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4351038 Pound and a half for 10 bucks. Whole bean. Solid body, good sweetness, pairs well with milk. You're not going to pull a ton of nuance out of these, but they will absolutely give you, again, something that's often-times better than the chains. That is my daily drinker on a dime. Prolly lasts me a month. Recent find upgrade bean: http://www.worldmarket.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12429685 So last time I was in looking for a bag of amalfi... they were out. I really didn't feel like driving down to the roaster to drop 18 bucks on a lb of their stuff that day. I noticed some new bags on the shelf. Maybe this stuff's been around for a while, I dunno. I never really noticed it before. I gave these a try. Bloody hell they're good. Bright. Not citrus, just bright. Darkly sweet as well. Definite nose of chocolate, almost-burned caramel and just pure sweet. Drinks straight beautifully, or shines even more with lemon peel. Making a macchiato or a cappucino with it is just sweetness overkill (but still drat tasty). My current halo bean: http://fontecoffee.com/ Call them. Ask for the F2. Or just get it off the site there under specialty coffee. It used to only be available in their brew presence down the street from Pike Place in Seattle. I found them this past July when I was in town on vacation. The manager there and I talked for a while and she floated me her card and said they'd ship it to me if I wanted. I guess enough other people asked as well. Price plus shipping though and you're looking mid 20's per lb. I get it like every 3 months or so. Ho. Lee. poo poo. Bright. Acidic. You don't need lemon. ROCKS straight or with milk. I'll shut up now. More than happy to answer any questions I can. So somehow I totally missed the section on portafilters in the OP. My apologies. Alleric fucked around with this message at 02:02 on Feb 24, 2012 |
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Feb 24, 2012 01:20
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Did you even read the OP?Alleric posted:Now, real deal espresso machines can be pricey. Way pricey. But, there's a way to eeeeeeeaaase into the espresso end of the pool at home. All you need is a machine: That grinder is absolute rubbish. The grinder is the most important part for espresso. The minimum grinder you should be getting is either a Baratza Vario or a Rancilio Rocky, preferably the former. While something like your "nutjob" Capresso will work fine for press pot and pourover, its consistency isn't nearly good enough for proper espresso. You can probably get by with a Virtuoso Preciso but in the long run, if you plan to make the upgrade to non pressurized portafilters, the Vario is the way to go. quote:http://www.wholelattelove.com/Gaggia/espresso_pure.cfm This espresso machine still has a pressurized portafilter, they rename it as "crema enhancer" but it's the same thing. This is the bare minimum type of machine someone should have if they want to get real espresso. For those paying full price, you can get a similar machine in the Saeco Aroma, refurb at SCG for $200. Again, you should at least be using a Vario or a Rocky as your grinder. quote:Costplus beans Really? Surely this is a troll. GrAviTy84 fucked around with this message at 01:59 on Feb 24, 2012 |
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Feb 24, 2012 01:55
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As said in the edit, I missed some sections of the OP. Multitasking. All I can say. So, I was curious if this was going to happen, though. Apparently it is. Nothing I posted is rubbish. Nothing I posted is elite. Folks, I invite you to check various sites to find reviews on various espresso machines. You will find them quite schitzophrenic. Everything rocks. Everything sucks. The simple fact of the matter is that there has been for decades a polar echelon differential surrounding espresso. There are people who flat-out don't understand it. There are people who make it their life. The former furrow their brows, the latter do that... and thumb their noses. I grant you totally that the grind is the most important thing. We agree on that. Let's move on. The Vario and the Rocky are far more expensive machines. I'm not saying that a person couldn't start on them. I'm saying that I can present, from experience and ownership, a way to start down the path that doesn't have a price tag that starts at 500 bucks just for the grinder. As for the Pure... I dunno, man. I just spoke with them this morning about this. They flat out told me they weren't pressurized. There's even a pressurized portafilter option you can buy separately. I won't know though until I open the box next week. If you're indeed correct then they and I will have to have a little talk. As for the beans. Have you tried them? Do you have my palate? If the answer to either of those questions is no, then calling my suggestions a troll is mighty petty of you. I dunno, man. I started drinking coffee at the age of 3. Is that a certification of something? Nope. But niether is your elitism. What I presented was options if people wanted to come in at a more approachable price point. If you want to say those are dismissable without discussion, then we'll just have to call this a nomenclature issue. I grant you there are quality levels of espresso. I just choose to look at it as a path. Quality is quality, but a dollar is still a dollar. If you say a person isn't drinking espresso until they've spent a grand, you can say that. If you want to say that anything brewed with lesser equipment isn't "real", you can say that. If thumbing your nose at these things gets you through your day, so be it. You sound about as bad as most of the threads over on coffeegeek. P.S. Just for giggles I hit Gaggia's site and checked on the crema enhancer. 1. It's optional. 2. It's included in every domestic manual espresso maker they make, from the Pure all the way through the Baby Twin. Alleric fucked around with this message at 02:48 on Feb 24, 2012 |
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Feb 24, 2012 02:22
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I dunno, if he likes it and has tried a lot of different places, I think there's room for a budget espresso setup. Will it be as good as the expensive stuff? No, but not many people are going to spend upwards of $300 (even that is way low for people who are serious) for home espresso equipment.
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Feb 24, 2012 02:30
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Alleric I think your post was a breath of fresh air in an otherwise totally elitist espresso circlejerk. Thank you for posting it. At $6.66 bucks a pound, I'd say that stuff is probably worth testing out before I go ballistic about how much it sucks, but maybe that is just me.
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Feb 24, 2012 03:30
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GrAviTy84 posted:That grinder is absolute rubbish. The grinder is the most important part for espresso. The minimum grinder you should be getting is either a Baratza Vario or a Rancilio Rocky, preferably the former. While something like your "nutjob" Capresso will work fine for press pot and pourover, its consistency isn't nearly good enough for proper espresso. You can probably get by with a Virtuoso Preciso but in the long run, if you plan to make the upgrade to non pressurized portafilters, the Vario is the way to go. The Capresso does a decent job grinding coffee fine enough for espresso. I've been using one for about 4 years now for mine and using a Gaggia Baby with it and I can get pretty decent results for the $400 investment. If I had more money I'd have sprung for a better grinder, but unless you're seriously looking for perfection, the Capresso works fine. The one thing I wish it had was the anti-static bin.
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Feb 24, 2012 03:56
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Corla Plankun posted:Alleric I think your post was a breath of fresh air in an otherwise totally elitist espresso circlejerk. Thank you for posting it. At $6.66 bucks a pound, I'd say that stuff is probably worth testing out before I go ballistic about how much it sucks, but maybe that is just me. Not a problem. I find that kind of attitude headache-inducing. Doing research on espresso equipment can be flat out maddening because of this. Doing research on beans can be flat out maddening because of this. The local micro roaster here in town I can barely stand to be in for more than 10 minutes unless the owner is there. All of his employees are complete elitists, as are most of the clientele. Time after time after time I have to stand there and listen to them talk poo poo about anything that's not the perfection-of-the-week. The owner? Turkish. His family has been roasting coffee and selling it since the mid 1500's. He'll talk to you about anything. He's inclusive. He's all about getting the best out of what you have available. Again, if I can be of any help to anyone on getting going at this on a budget, let me know. PM's if it needs to come to that.
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Feb 24, 2012 04:24
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Corla Plankun posted:Alleric I think your post was a breath of fresh air in an otherwise totally elitist espresso circlejerk. Thank you for posting it. At $6.66 bucks a pound, I'd say that stuff is probably worth testing out before I go ballistic about how much it sucks, but maybe that is just me. A $6.66/lb I can get top quality beans that I know are ethically sourced and I can roast myself to get coffee that is miles better than any Cost Plus coffee I've ever had and yes I've had a few. Why would I waste my money on something I know went stale weeks ago? What espresso circlejerk are you talking about? We've not talked of espresso in over 5 pages itt. This thread has been largely pourover discussion which does not need a ton of money to get into, quite the opposite. If you want a machine on a budget, the Delonghi EC155 is an espresso machine with a pump and a boiler not a thermoblock like that Mr Coffee. The EC155 is the same price and has been modded to have a naked portafilter by a few people.
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Feb 24, 2012 05:44
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Pour over is coffee for the people. Get a clever coffee dripper, some conical Chemex filters, a solid burr grinder and some freshly roasted coffee and it is almost impossible to mess up. I like espresso best as a treat when I'm out anyway. Now that it isn't work fuel. Edit: 6.66 is a pretty rock and roll price though. Whisker Biscuit fucked around with this message at 06:25 on Feb 24, 2012 |
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Feb 24, 2012 06:09
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The Capresso Infinity is a moderate level, easily obtainable, budget friendly alternative at $90* and light years better than the whirly grinders and a logical next step on the upgrade path. Is it perfect? No. Does it have static probs? Yep. Is it loud? The dog that ran out of the room when I used it says yes. Does it do a pretty drat good job and not break down or anything? Yes. I used mine for several years before joining the arms race and upgrading to a Vario a few months ago. Budget was important and spending $450 for a grinder was a lot for me but jesus christ the thing works fantastically and is nice and quiet as a bonus. I hope it lasts many years. *if you can get a refurb Baratza get it instead but it could take months to source one. I have been greatly enjoying the Verve and Temple coffees I have been getting but I am burning through at least $50-$60 per month for three 12 oz. bags of beans. At this burn rate, I could break even on a Behmor roaster and $6 lbs of Sweet Maria's green beans in six months. Oh and the $149 Bonavita coffee maker is definitely getting over 200 degrees. I will get around to doing the 2, 4, 6, 8 styrofoam cup tests this weekend. I am wondering if the thing took a few batches to get going as the first 3 or 4 runs it wasn't getting past 180 until the 4th cup (and now using the same unscientific method it hits 200 every time right off the bat). Keyser_Soze fucked around with this message at 06:56 on Feb 24, 2012 |
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Feb 24, 2012 06:51
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GrAviTy84 posted:A $6.66/lb I can get top quality beans that I know are ethically sourced and I can roast myself to get coffee that is miles better than any Cost Plus coffee I've ever had and yes I've had a few. Why would I waste my money on something I know went stale weeks ago? Yes. You can get those beans. Yes. You can roast them. Yes. You can feel they taste better than anything. Your tastes, your wallet. I don't even think the price is bad (and I, too, know how to get hold of said top quality beans). The difference? Roasting. That's even more time and money. You call it a waste. It's not. It's a trade-off. Again, man. I'm not knocking your knowledge. I'm not knocking your opinions, even. What I'm knocking is your attitude. Would you rather people just not even participate in the espresso experience at all if they can't meet your time and cash outlay standards? Or would you rather they get started, learn, and the hunger begin to progress to that next level if they feel they need to? As for the Delonghi machine vs. the Mr. Coffee. It's a fine recommendation, and I thank you. I just happen to know that Mr. Coffee can be found at other big box and mass merchant locations for even cheaper than what Amazon had there. I just used the link because it was convenient. Either way, that rig you mention is accessible. As to it's function and longevity, I cannot speak to. The Mr. Coffee I can.
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Feb 24, 2012 07:08
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How does the hario manual grinder compare to the electrical burr grinders?
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Feb 24, 2012 07:09
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My apologies if you think it's dickish but from my POV you came into the thread with words blazing, most of which was already said in the op. I didnt know why you were saying it if not to splice in what I would consider to be things I disagreed with so I replied. Anyway, yes there is room for budget stuff, but I think you should be open to criticism and not bitch about people saying something contrary to what fits your taste. This is a food sub forum on something awful, snide dickishness comes with the territory. Steve Yun posted:How does the hario manual grinder compare to the electrical burr grinders? They don't. I use one for making coffee when when I'm traveling but I don't think they are a good everyday grinder. Get an infinity or a maestro.
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Feb 24, 2012 08:19
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Hmm. Is a manual burr grinder at least better than a blade grinder?
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Feb 24, 2012 09:30
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Steve Yun posted:Hmm. Is a manual burr grinder at least better than a blade grinder? Yeah, but I'd still hold out few weeks to save the money for an electric. Think about it this way, you won't need to buy a new grinder for at least a few years, where as there have been a few people in this thread already that decided to settle for a hario manual and ended up getting an electric because they were fed up with it, you don't wanna be cranking at a manual first thing in the morning anyway.
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Feb 24, 2012 09:38
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GrAviTy84 posted:My apologies if you think it's dickish but from my POV you came into the thread with words blazing, most of which was already said in the op. I didnt know why you were saying it if not to splice in what I would consider to be things I disagreed with so I replied. Anyway, yes there is room for budget stuff, but I think you should be open to criticism and not bitch about people saying something contrary to what fits your taste. This is a food sub forum on something awful, snide dickishness comes with the territory. I think some of the posters here with very expensive setups can be unnecessarily snobbish/elitist and it puts a lot of people off. Don't get me wrong, people have been great about saying get yourself a cheap grinder and a pour over system for a cheap tasty coffee setup but as soon as espresso is mentioned it becomes bit of a circlejerk. How many people here with very expensive machines started off with the $100 low pressure espresso machines? As long as people know what they're getting into, then I don't see the problem, and if they find they are enjoying their espresso machine then they can make the decision to start seriously investing in better equipment. There seems to be bit of a 'You can use a aeropress or pourover, but trying to do anything else for less than $1000?....HEH' attitude in the thread, whether intended or not.
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Feb 24, 2012 10:56
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Lord Dekks posted:There seems to be bit of a 'You can use a aeropress or pourover, but trying to do anything else for less than $1000?....HEH' attitude in the thread, whether intended or not. I read this thread over the last few days (while making coffee) and.. No, I don't think that's true at all. The vast majority of comments regarding any expensive espresso equipment in this thread were in response to people asking about machines after they were already in a top tier of prices or people describing their own setups. Both of which are perfectly valid, neither of which are elitist. Every time a completely new person has wandered into the thread they've either gotten good advice about making good coffee cheaply or gotten advice about where to go to try good coffee. The accusations of elitism here are ridiculous. For content, I am a relatively poor student so I drink french press every morning. I've been trying a bunch of Kaldi beans (St Louis roaster), but I may order some Klatch, Verve, or Counter Culture next time I need some beans. I need to buy a burr grinder but I haven't been able to pull the trigger yet.
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Feb 24, 2012 14:22
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dhrusis posted:Sorry for the ignorance, but which chemex filters fit the CCD? hey sorry dudes, but can someone just confirm to me the proper Chemex filters to use for a CCD, ugh, I just need some coffee over here :-D
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Feb 24, 2012 14:40
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GrAviTy84 posted:My apologies if you think it's dickish but from my POV you came into the thread with words blazing, most of which was already said in the op. I didnt know why you were saying it if not to splice in what I would consider to be things I disagreed with so I replied. Anyway, yes there is room for budget stuff, but I think you should be open to criticism and not bitch about people saying something contrary to what fits your taste. This is a food sub forum on something awful, snide dickishness comes with the territory. I am always open to criticism. I missed a huge chunk of the OP due to some page-up, page-down and alt-tab issues. I admit it, and I apologize. As for not bitching about people saying something that doesn't fit my taste, keep in mind you're the one who walked in, crapped on my grinder and my beans and walked out. I don't recall seeing any reasoning behind your dislike, any comparison or explanation of why those things may not be the best option, etc... Anyway. Yeah, man, it's SA. These threads are usually meant to inform and help though, and I've just seen enough "that's crap, get the rocky/silvia u noob" around the web lately to last me a lifetime. So truce? I can regurgitate reviews and recommendations for the varous darlings of the grinder and espresso machine world, but I can't actually speak about them from use. Are there chassis on the path to perfection that can be recommended? Is there a better way to get people going at 100 bucks than what I laid out? 250 bucks? etcetera08 posted:For content, I am a relatively poor student so I drink french press every morning. I've been trying a bunch of Kaldi beans (St Louis roaster), but I may order some Klatch, Verve, or Counter Culture next time I need some beans. I need to buy a burr grinder but I haven't been able to pull the trigger yet. I miss Kaldi. I never tried their espresso roasts, but several of their blends did make good press and drip pots. My espresso beans used to come from Shaw down on the Hill. If you're at Wash U that shouldn't be too far of a run if you wanted to try some of their stuff as well. I recently also read a blog that I can't now find where some folks did a coffee crawl through the city proper. Goshen beans were mentioned favorably, but I've not had them. http://www.goshencoffee.com/ Of course now I'm wanting a Schlafly Kolsch and some slices from that salumeria down on south Hampton, but there's other threads for that. Oh, and a donut. Lord, Saint Louis donuts... Alleric fucked around with this message at 16:33 on Feb 24, 2012 |
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Feb 24, 2012 16:15
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Tastes are subjective, quality is not. People accuse "elitism". No. People who know what the gently caress they're talking about are trying to prevent you from throwing good money after poo poo equipment. The reason people tell others not to get a steam toy isn't because they're being "elitist you have to spend $1500 on a machine", it is because it's not espresso. It's $100-150 on a machine that produces oily, terrible, burnt-tasting dreck. For a $50 investment and some knowledge of where to purchase quality (read: primarily fresh) beans, you can make good coffee for very little money. Do you want good consistent "strong" coffee similar (but many degrees better) than your toy Mr Coffee machine and its ilk? Spend $25 on a moka pot. Full bodied coffee? Press pot. $25 Pourover coffee? CCD/Hario. $20-ish. The bottom line is, you cannot make consistent, good espresso for very little money. You CAN get a quality grinder suitable for espresso for less than $400 - people are chomping at the bit to tell others how and make recommendations. And then you waltz in and suggest authoritatively that your $100 Capresso is good enough. It is not. Good espresso is sweet. It's rich. It has nuance of flavour. It is never burnt tasting, bitter, or oily. It has crema you can float a dime on (ok that's maybe a bit much). The secret to achieving that result is consistency in pressure, temperature, and grind. You get those things by having quality equipment, and good technique. The problem with those lite espresso machines like the Gaggia (and to a good degree the Silvia) is that you need to use technique to compensate for the equipment's shortcomings - ie: you already need to know how to make good espresso in order to make good espresso. With a machine you're recommending to absolute beginners. Okay fine you want to spend hours of trial and error to figure that out go nuts that's your perogative; but you're going to spend a good chunk of what you could have spent blowing through beans. You cannot compensate for an inconsistent grind with technique however, which is why people who know what they're talking about shout from the treetops about grinders; and also why they get "elitist" when people like you suggest "oh hey ignore those years of experience and expertise this $100 poorly made piece of poo poo is good enough guys it's CERAMIC". I'm not mad, I'm not elitist, but I'd be equally vocal if someone asked how to make great macaroni and cheese and people got shot down for their recipes because hey spending money on all that real cheese and milk is elitist you can spend $0.99 on this awesome product by this Kraft company guys.
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Feb 24, 2012 18:43
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Anyone have experience making espresso with an aeropress?
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Feb 24, 2012 18:56
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lags posted:Tastes are subjective, quality is not. You know I agree with this, but god, do we ever seem like elitist audiophile nerds. I think I need a shower and some diner coffee. That said, I don't think expermentation is bad and I applaud his desire to hack and do more with less, paritcularly with his current setup. I don't think he should claim it is as easy as he says. Also, the bean selection was terrible. If you don't know when it was roasted, I wouldn't bother. Except diner coffee, I love me some diner coffee.
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Feb 24, 2012 19:14
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nm posted:You know I agree with this, but god, do we ever seem like elitist audiophile nerds. I think I need a shower and some diner coffee. lovely diner coffee is the best. It's never ending and always seems to hit the right spot.
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Feb 24, 2012 19:24
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Steve Yun posted:Anyone have experience making espresso with an aeropress?  ITS NOT ESPRESSO ITS COFFEE OH MY GOD I LITERALLY HATE YOU IRL. *spends $15 on a cup of coffee that a cat poo poo out* vv Edit: Pretty sure that it was a (lovely|funny) trolling attempt, in light of the alleged elitism. Editx2: Checking the user, he's been posting around here for a while, but seems to be a bit of a coffee newbie. Serious answer: You'll piss off the 'spegs by calling it espresso, but it makes pretty good coffee. It's what I use at work, because cleanup is so absurdly easy. You just remove the cap and kind of *pop* the coffee-grounds "puck" out the end and into a garbage can. You don't even really need any water to clean it up, you can just wipe it off with a paper towel. Gravity Pike fucked around with this message at 21:14 on Feb 24, 2012 |
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Feb 24, 2012 20:04
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Steve Yun posted:Anyone have experience making espresso with an aeropress? As Gravity Pike noted, it doesn't actually make espresso, it just makes strong coffee. That being said aside from pour-over it's probably one of the more popular brewing methods in this thread. I have one, but I haven't been using it much as of late so I'll let one of the regular users give you some tips.
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Feb 24, 2012 20:16
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lags posted:Tastes are subjective, quality is not. We'll have to disagree on this. Quality is just as much of a subjective reasoning on any consumable, be it food, drink, music, whatever. lags posted:
The machine I recommended is not a steam toy. It's a pump driven espresso machine with a pressurized portafilter. And it's cheap. I seriously ask if you've brewed on one. Have you brewed on any pressurized portafilter machine? Have you made a passable espresso on one? Are you willing to slide out to the local big box, get one, try it and return it? The stuff I make every last morning on that thing is not oily, not burned. I make direct mental comparisons all the time to professional offerings I've had in town and across the world. Is it the best? Nope. Is it the absolute sludge you guys are making it out to be? Nope, and it has none of the taste trappings you're claiming. lags posted:Do you want good consistent "strong" coffee similar (but many degrees better) than your toy Mr Coffee machine and its ilk? Spend $25 on a moka pot. If I wanted cooked coffee I'd use my old perculator. I've had moka pot. I don't dig it. I also own two press pots and am aware of how to use them. I've no interest in a pour-over. lags posted:The bottom line is, you cannot make consistent, good espresso for very little money. Again, nomenclature. I sincerly wish you were local. I'd make you a drink, and if you still called it what you're calling it now I could accept that. lags posted:You CAN get a quality grinder suitable for espresso for less than $400 - people are chomping at the bit to tell others how and make recommendations. And then you waltz in and suggest authoritatively that your $100 Capresso is good enough. It is not. Opinion. Again, I really wish you were local so you could at least attempt to evaluate the product. lags posted:Good espresso is sweet. It's rich. It has nuance of flavour. It is never burnt tasting, bitter, or oily. It has crema you can float a dime on (ok that's maybe a bit much). The secret to achieving that result is consistency in pressure, temperature, and grind. You get those things by having quality equipment, and good technique. Again, you're describing what I drink every day. When I have better beans, the product is better, but it's never a situation where better means "oh hey I'm glad this disgusting burnt emulsion flavor is now gone". lags posted:The problem with those lite espresso machines like the Gaggia (and to a good degree the Silvia) is that you need to use technique to compensate for the equipment's shortcomings - ie: you already need to know how to make good espresso in order to make good espresso. With a machine you're recommending to absolute beginners. Okay fine you want to spend hours of trial and error to figure that out go nuts that's your perogative; but you're going to spend a good chunk of what you could have spent blowing through beans. Do I sincerely need to film my first pull on Friday morning. I'm not actually offering to do so, but regardless of reason you're presuming it still won't be espresso. lags posted:You cannot compensate for an inconsistent grind with technique however, which is why people who know what they're talking about shout from the treetops about grinders; and also why they get "elitist" when people like you suggest "oh hey ignore those years of experience and expertise this $100 poorly made piece of poo poo is good enough guys it's CERAMIC". I'm not ignoring anyone. There is better gear. There is. That gear has a price point of entry that can be prohibitive. By the way, I placed my emphasis on the servicable part. lags posted:I'm not mad, I'm not elitist, but I'd be equally vocal if someone asked how to make great macaroni and cheese and people got shot down for their recipes because hey spending money on all that real cheese and milk is elitist you can spend $0.99 on this awesome product by this Kraft company guys. Do I not drive a car because I donnot drive a BMW M5 Sedan? Do I not play guitar because I don't own a 67 Les Paul Custom sunburst? Or a Martin Dread? Do I not make proper pan sauces because my cladded pans don't say All-Clad on them? I'm not mad either. You guys are totally misreading my statements. It'd be more accurate to say that I am offering an option for the people who only CAN spend 99 cents on a block of Kraft. I am not saying what I use or what I propone is a 1:1 substitution for your recommendations. I am saying that people have an option at a type of coffee making they may otherwise think they don't. If you want to deem that "not espresso", go for it. Too much drama over this, not enough coffee. I'll bow out. Alleric fucked around with this message at 22:44 on Feb 24, 2012 |
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Feb 24, 2012 22:22
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I think all of you guys are right. Everyone has to start somewhere. I have a decent setup (Gaggia Classic + Baratza Vario) and it's not the end all but I regularly make great drinks, and infrequently exceptional ones. It's good enough for me to use at home, but I realize its limitations. It doesn't compare to the La Marzocco at work, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy it! I say use and enjoy what you have until you begin to notice what the next level up will get you, then get that when you can afford it. Other than that my biggest recommendation is to find an amazing roaster, and have them serve you an espresso at their shop. Then buy the beans they used, go home, and try to pull the same thing there. That will quickly show you the shortcomings in both your equipment and technique. I'm fortunate to live in Portland which has some of the best roasters in the country (Coava, Heart, Extracto, Stumptown), but I'm sure there are some good spots in most major cities. My other recommendation is to bypass espresso completely and get a Chemex + Coava Kone + Bonavita + best Baratza grinder you can afford. It's way cheaper and easier to make great coffee at home than espresso, and the results from that setup are exceptional.
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Feb 25, 2012 02:48
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The most annoying thing about the CCD is how much pressure is needed to take the bottom off to clean and put it back on again. The first time I did it I ended up taking a (nonfunctional) chunk of plastic out of the bottom.
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Feb 25, 2012 07:18
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etcetera08 posted:I read this thread over the last few days (while making coffee) and.. Kaldi's has pretty decent beans. LatteLand in KC uses their beans, and I quite liked the espresso. If you're using their offerings, you're doing well on the bean front. As for Alleric's post... It's already been covered, but you have no idea what you're talking about, and I wish you wouldn't spread misinformation. You aren't making espresso with that rig. The comparison isn't a BMW M5 vs a Kia. It's a Kia vs a Cessna, when you can only reach your destination through the air.
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Feb 25, 2012 07:36
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Moved to Munich from Portland, OR for a year. The coffee here is really, really sad. Unfortunately, starting my day off with a Weißbier seems to just make me fall asleep. I'm counting down the days for a good cup.
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Feb 25, 2012 12:38
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Greatest Living Man posted:Moved to Munich from Portland, OR for a year. The coffee here is really, really sad. Unfortunately, starting my day off with a Weißbier seems to just make me fall asleep. I'm counting down the days for a good cup. You might have better luck finding decent coffee if you look around or ask on Kaffee-Netz.
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Feb 25, 2012 12:53
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I just ran a press pot batch, but instead of pressing the metal filter through straight away, I wrapped the metal filter with an additional pre-wet drip coffee filter. You have to be careful pushing it through but it went through without tearing or anything like that. I was aiming for a clean up. I'm not sure if I got it yet (not to the bottom of this one), but it looks promising. Has anyone ever done this? Kind of like a ghetto aeropress, I suppose. Looks like some of the oils came through, which is good for flavor, but my goal was to eliminate the LDL issues of the coffee.. so oil may be what I don't want. Flavor is good, except for that fact that I'm using lovely beans. Side question: Where in Houston can I get some top quality, super fresh beans? I contacted Amaya Roasting Company about local pick-up but haven't heard back yet. Update: Cup was not quite clean, but closer than before. I guess I'll pick up an aeropress.
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Feb 25, 2012 16:06
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Are there any Utah goons ITT? I need a recommendation for a good local roaster (Salt Lake City) as my timing with mail order is terrible.
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Feb 25, 2012 16:58
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The last time I was in Utah, for a wedding, I stumbled upon Jack Mormon Coffee Co, on like 2nd Ave & E St., right next to the temple. They roasted their own in-shop, and seemed to have a pretty knowledgeable barristas. Plus I got to offend like everybody as I stood in the temple gardens, sipping a coffee, waiting for my buddy and his bride to get out of the temple proper.
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Feb 25, 2012 22:40
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hotsauce posted:Are there any Utah goons ITT? I need a recommendation for a good local roaster (Salt Lake City) as my timing with mail order is terrible. caffe d'bolla
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Feb 25, 2012 23:42
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Just got myself a bottomless portafilter for my rancilio and am warming up the machine to test it out. However, the portafilter is designed to pump out 3oz shots instead of the standard 2oz. That present a problem as I amused to adjusting the machine to brew 2oz. at 20-25 seconds. Does the extraction time grow propotionally with the amount of espresso used in the protafilter or is there some other metric to follow?
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Feb 26, 2012 00:15
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G-III posted:Just got myself a bottomless portafilter for my rancilio and am warming up the machine to test it out. However, the portafilter is designed to pump out 3oz shots instead of the standard 2oz. I assume you mean you got it with a triple basket. You can just swap it out for your usual double basket.
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Feb 26, 2012 00:19
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