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Captain_Person
Apr 7, 2013

WHAT CAN THE HARVEST HOPE FOR, IF NOT FOR THE CARE OF THE REAPER MAN?

rockcity posted:

Yep, love mine. My only real gripe is that they made it so that it definitely grinds on the finer side of things all around. It's coarsest setting is really borderline on being able to do french press and for espresso I'm at like 6 settings off the finest setting. Apparently the early models had trouble doing a fine enough grind for espresso and now they're almost too fine. I make espresso based things about half the time so I'm completely fine with it. I've converted mostly to my V60 for brewed coffee anyway. Aside from that, it's a great grinder for $200, especially if you want something that can handle just about anything but french press and also has a portafilter holder. The dosing settings are also pretty drat accurate.

Cheers. The smart grinder is one if the models they have so I'll look into picking that up at some point. I don't often have French press myself so that isn't too much of an issue.

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sellouts
Apr 23, 2003

I'm tired of buying the little cartons of Stumptown cold brew and should just brew the stuff at home.

It seems like a pretty basic process but any cold brew setups that are constructed to make things easy/convenient over other setups?

Dr Cheeto
Mar 2, 2013
Wretched Harp

sellouts posted:

I'm tired of buying the little cartons of Stumptown cold brew and should just brew the stuff at home.

It seems like a pretty basic process but any cold brew setups that are constructed to make things easy/convenient over other setups?

It's super easy to do at home. I don't know of any premade kits, but if you already own literally any pour-over you've already got an easy way to filter the grounds out and all you need is a big jar or two to brew in. Failing that, a small, fine-mesh strainer with some filters works great too.

Here's becoming's effortpost about his method. I have used his 1:4 method extensively and it's fantastic.

sellouts
Apr 23, 2003

Thanks, I don't have a pourover unfortunately. My wife has a drip machine and a baratzo virtuoso grinder. She had an aeropress but I feel like that would be a bit too small?

Gonna go try Mason jars, thanks!

sellouts fucked around with this message at 20:13 on May 26, 2015

becoming
Aug 25, 2004

sellouts posted:

Thanks, I don't have a pourover unfortunately. My wife has a drip machine and a baratzo virtuoso grinder. She had an aeropress but I feel like that would be a bit too small?

Gonna go try Mason jars, thanks!

I use this for filtering: http://amzn.com/B000MIT2OK It's cheap, filters are cheap, and in a pinch, you can actually make hot coffee in it.

You can also use nut milk bags. I use them for being able to squeeze more concentrate out of the grounds. These are the ones I bought: http://amzn.com/B00KI2RQHU

Ask any questions you have and let us know how it goes. If anything in the linked cold brew post is unclear, let me know and I'll update it.

Big Bad Beetleborg
Apr 8, 2007

Things may come to those who wait...but only the things left by those who hustle.

Captain_Person posted:

Does anybody have any thoughts on the Sunbeam or Breville grinders? It's hard to find any grinders down here in New Zealand without paying ridiculous amounts on shipping, but an electronics/hardware store has recently started selling a few and I'm considering picking one up.

I have the Breville Bararoma. It's OK, but pretty low end. I guess if you got that SmartGrinder you could expect a lot more consistency - my french press can end up with a bit of sludge in it.

Depending on where you are, check out what Briscoes and the local roasters/restaurant supply stores have. I'm in Wellington, and I know that Moore Wilsons sold that BarAroma model for a lot less than Briscoes "sale" price (as of about a year ago), and since Briscoes will pricematch you can save even more.

sellouts
Apr 23, 2003

becoming posted:

I use this for filtering: http://amzn.com/B000MIT2OK It's cheap, filters are cheap, and in a pinch, you can actually make hot coffee in it.

You can also use nut milk bags. I use them for being able to squeeze more concentrate out of the grounds. These are the ones I bought: http://amzn.com/B00KI2RQHU

Ask any questions you have and let us know how it goes. If anything in the linked cold brew post is unclear, let me know and I'll update it.

It's super clear, thank you. I'll adjust the grind on my grinder to a higher number to make it a little more coarse and experiment from there.

I felt like most people started cold brewing with a variety of other tools -- I just wasn't sure what would be advised if you had to start over and had nothing to use already. The links above really help!

Nanigans
Aug 31, 2005

~Waku Waku~
So I just started grinding my own beans for use in my moka pot, and after having a couple of cups, I've noticed that the coffee is not coming out as rich as I'd like it to. It's more watery than when I used store-bought ground coffee. Now, seeing as I was going to be using my new, awesome coffee, I also decided it was the right time to switch the gasket? I think it's the gasket, anyway. The rubber part of the moka pot.

Could the new gasket be the cause of the watery coffee, or do freshly ground beans just naturally produce less "thick" coffee?

The roast on these beans is also much lighter than what I'm accustomed to, and as such, to my palette anyway, it seems almost slightly acidic. Is this normal, or did I done hosed up here too?

becoming
Aug 25, 2004

Reinanigans posted:

So I just started grinding my own beans for use in my moka pot, and after having a couple of cups, I've noticed that the coffee is not coming out as rich as I'd like it to. It's more watery than when I used store-bought ground coffee. Now, seeing as I was going to be using my new, awesome coffee, I also decided it was the right time to switch the gasket? I think it's the gasket, anyway. The rubber part of the moka pot.

Could the new gasket be the cause of the watery coffee, or do freshly ground beans just naturally produce less "thick" coffee?

The roast on these beans is also much lighter than what I'm accustomed to, and as such, to my palette anyway, it seems almost slightly acidic. Is this normal, or did I done hosed up here too?

Could be that you're not grinding fine enough. Is your grind similar to the pre-ground that you had been using?

Nanigans
Aug 31, 2005

~Waku Waku~

becoming posted:

Could be that you're not grinding fine enough. Is your grind similar to the pre-ground that you had been using?

I have it set on my Capresso to "fine," but there's also "extre fine."



The instructions say "fine" is good for moka pots, but I'm open to suggestions.

nm
Jan 28, 2008

"I saw Minos the Space Judge holding a golden sceptre and passing sentence upon the Martians. There he presided, and around him the noble Space Prosecutors sought the firm justice of space law."
How fresh are the roasted beans? they need to off-gas for 24 hours or so.

rockcity
Jan 16, 2004

Reinanigans posted:

I have it set on my Capresso to "fine," but there's also "extre fine."



The instructions say "fine" is good for moka pots, but I'm open to suggestions.

You could try a finer grind, but if you said the coffee is a lighter roast than you're used to, you could just be used to darker coffees and something that isn't dark tastes weak.

What region are the beans from? Some regions are notable for their acidity, Kenya for example is a big one.

Edit: I'm assuming these are from Panther, yes? I went there on Friday during a Miami business trip on my lunch break to grab a latte...then went to Wynwood Brewery and had a flight. Liquid lunch indeed.

rockcity fucked around with this message at 05:41 on May 27, 2015

Sextro
Aug 23, 2014

rockcity posted:

Liquid lunch indeed.

Drink coffees until you're silly on caffeine. Mediate with beer. Repeat daily.

Nanigans
Aug 31, 2005

~Waku Waku~

rockcity posted:

You could try a finer grind, but if you said the coffee is a lighter roast than you're used to, you could just be used to darker coffees and something that isn't dark tastes weak.

What region are the beans from? Some regions are notable for their acidity, Kenya for example is a big one.

Edit: I'm assuming these are from Panther, yes? I went there on Friday during a Miami business trip on my lunch break to grab a latte...then went to Wynwood Brewery and had a flight. Liquid lunch indeed.



That's what I bought. Not sure where the beans are from.

I ground more beans today for use in a drip machine. It was pretty great! I think I just need to get used to my moka pot coffee being lighter, like you guys said.

I received a milk frother for my birthday too, and I was wondering what you guys thought about them, and any advice you could offer. Are there any guides you could point to?

What do you guys think about drip machines? If you're going to use one, what's the consensus on a good machine? Moka pots aren't conducive for morning coffee as they require more babysitting, so I'd like a good drip machine.

becoming
Aug 25, 2004

Reinanigans posted:

What do you guys think about drip machines? If you're going to use one, what's the consensus on a good machine? Moka pots aren't conducive for morning coffee as they require more babysitting, so I'd like a good drip machine.

I've got a Technivorm MoccaMaster with thermal carafe (not the hot plate) and it's awesome, but $$$. For only about $$, you can get a Bonavita BV1900TS, which is probably what I would have gotten if I hadn't found a great deal on the Technivorm. One of those two will serve you well.

taqueso
Mar 8, 2004


:911:
:wookie: :thermidor: :wookie:
:dehumanize:

:pirate::hf::tinfoil:

Reinanigans posted:

I have it set on my Capresso to "fine," but there's also "extre fine."



The instructions say "fine" is good for moka pots, but I'm open to suggestions.

Don't trust the manual suggestions, markings on the grinder, and actual grind sizes to match up super great. Judge by what comes out.

ExcessBLarg!
Sep 1, 2001

Reinanigans posted:

What do you guys think about drip machines?
They're useful for making a pot of coffee that can sit around for a while and stay warm, for non-discriminating guests who puts lots of cream and sugar in their coffee anyways.

If you're just making coffee for yourself get an electric kettle and a french press, CCD, or Aeropress. There's really not that much additional effort with any of those over a drip machine.

Sextro
Aug 23, 2014

Reinanigans posted:


What do you guys think about drip machines?

Multiple specialty shops/roasters that have sold majority ownership to investment firms after expanding to many locations promote it as being "just as good" as single cup brewing.

Death of Rats
Oct 2, 2005

SQUEAK

nervana posted:

While we are on the topic can anybody make a few sub-100$ grinder recommendations? I am in Korea without access to Amazon et al. so I will have to stick with the "bigger" manufacturers.

It's pretty big and it's loving loud, but I have the De'Longhi KG79, and I absolutely love that big black box. It probably doesn't grind fine enough for espresso (I've never checked -- no espresso maker, no space for one (and no interest in starting down the espresso road, either)), but it seems to give an even enough grind (french press and pourover come out great, anyway). And it only cost me about Ł35 (roughly $50) when I bought it. So, thumbs up from me. And since De'Longhi are a subsidiary of Kenwood, you should be able to find one in Korea (with a bit of luck).

Democratic Pirate
Feb 17, 2010

What's a generally recommended scale? I have $60 of amazon gift cards built up that I can use.

Google Butt
Oct 4, 2005

Xenology is an unnatural mixture of science fiction and formal logic. At its core is a flawed assumption...

that an alien race would be psychologically human.

http://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-Scales-AMW-SC-2KG-Digital/dp/B001RF3XJ2

KettleWL
Dec 28, 2010
Looking to get into pour overs and the like after having done a lot of french press in the past, does anyone make a bottle or attachment or the like that has the long spout so I'mnot buying a separate kettle just to make coffee? If I could boil water in my tea kettle and then just pour it through the straw or whatever, that'd be preferable.

Also I bought a single cup pour over with permanent filter on the strength of a friend's word, am I going to hate this thing or should it be good enough? Keep in mind up to this point it's been french press or drip, so I'm new to this whole coffee thing.

One last question - in the past my cold brews have just been french press in the fridge, is there something else I could/should be doing?

Obligatory Toast
Mar 19, 2007

What am I reading here??
Joke answer: don't trust anyone that capitalizes every loving word. Serious answer: I'm actually a little worried about the slot size and the overall quality of the plastic. If it's 'recyclable' then the plastic is going to wear quicker than like, a ceramic pour over. Also a Melitta is still cheaper.

KettleWL
Dec 28, 2010
The melitta requires filters for every batch I thought, which seems both wasteful, expensive, and unnecessary?

dik-dik
Feb 21, 2009

You can get permanent gold filters for those if you want. But:

GrAviTy84 posted:

Gold tone filters negate the biggest strength of drip coffee and that is the clean cup. They also get gross over time because the holes get clogged with the fines and eventually start getting stale coffee taste going into the cup. Stick to paper.


Also paper filters aren't that expensive in the grand scheme of things when you factor in the fact that you're also buying coffee beans.

Google Butt
Oct 4, 2005

Xenology is an unnatural mixture of science fiction and formal logic. At its core is a flawed assumption...

that an alien race would be psychologically human.

Buy a pack of bleached filters and decide for yourself, they're like $5.

Sextro
Aug 23, 2014

If you really want to cut down on filter waste go for a flannel/polyester filter for an Aeropress or a stainless kone for chemex.

Don't buy a melitta for pour overs. Their design is terrible for lighter roasted coffees. Endless clogs, not as easy as a kalita, nowhere near as clean as a V60.

Mu Zeta
Oct 17, 2002

Me crush ass to dust

Buy a V60 and the Able Kone. It's like they are made for each other.

Jean-Paul Shartre
Jan 16, 2015

this sentence no verb


Democratic Pirate posted:

What's a generally recommended scale? I have $60 of amazon gift cards built up that I can use.

I really like my hario drip scale: http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-...ario+drip+scale

The American Weighing one posted earlier is also nice, but I really favor having the timer in the hario. It's super simple and available, which is nice before your first cup.

First 7 hour shift at the café down - I'd forgotten what NOT sitting down for a day does to you. OTOH my latte art muscle memory is returning.

nm
Jan 28, 2008

"I saw Minos the Space Judge holding a golden sceptre and passing sentence upon the Martians. There he presided, and around him the noble Space Prosecutors sought the firm justice of space law."

KettleWL posted:

Looking to get into pour overs and the like after having done a lot of french press in the past, does anyone make a bottle or attachment or the like that has the long spout so I'mnot buying a separate kettle just to make coffee? If I could boil water in my tea kettle and then just pour it through the straw or whatever, that'd be preferable.

Also I bought a single cup pour over with permanent filter on the strength of a friend's word, am I going to hate this thing or should it be good enough? Keep in mind up to this point it's been french press or drip, so I'm new to this whole coffee thing.

One last question - in the past my cold brews have just been french press in the fridge, is there something else I could/should be doing?

How do you feel about sludgy cups?

Obligatory Toast
Mar 19, 2007

What am I reading here??

KettleWL posted:

The melitta requires filters for every batch I thought, which seems both wasteful, expensive, and unnecessary?

Most grocers carry hugeass packs of no 4 coffee filters for 4 bucks, so no? And filters are actually necessary to a good cup of coffee.

Sextro posted:

If you really want to cut down on filter waste go for a flannel/polyester filter for an Aeropress or a stainless kone for chemex.

Don't buy a melitta for pour overs. Their design is terrible for lighter roasted coffees. Endless clogs, not as easy as a kalita, nowhere near as clean as a V60.

I only said it because it was literally 5 bucks on amazon. I own a clever coffee dripper myself, and that's a little more pricey, but the worst thing that's ever happened to it was some hard water build up on the inside.

KettleWL
Dec 28, 2010
Cancelled the knock-off and grabbed the V60, now what about my other question - is there anyway to get the controlled pour spout without having to buy a whole new kettle? Should I just be careful, maybe pour through a kitchen funnel? Trying to minimize cost of entry to fancy coffee.

Mu Zeta
Oct 17, 2002

Me crush ass to dust

You can get by without a pouring spout. Just try our your regular kettle for a while and test it out. I used to just use a measuring cup as the pouring spout.

The V60 is the hardest to use without a pouring kettle though.

dik-dik
Feb 21, 2009

KettleWL posted:

Cancelled the knock-off and grabbed the V60, now what about my other question - is there anyway to get the controlled pour spout without having to buy a whole new kettle? Should I just be careful, maybe pour through a kitchen funnel? Trying to minimize cost of entry to fancy coffee.

I've never tried using a V60 without a gooseneck. If you want a cheap, decent, one though, look for the Fino kettle. I scored mine for about $18.

KettleWL
Dec 28, 2010
Target has the 340z Bodum Pour Over maker on sale for $30, is that a decent option? I think I'm going to pick it up anyways, since if I don't like it I can always return it, but if anyone sees this before like 2pm est you might save me that hassle.

Thanks for the help guys, I'll look to grab a Fino too!

Google Butt
Oct 4, 2005

Xenology is an unnatural mixture of science fiction and formal logic. At its core is a flawed assumption...

that an alien race would be psychologically human.

KettleWL posted:

Target has the 340z Bodum Pour Over maker on sale for $30, is that a decent option? I think I'm going to pick it up anyways, since if I don't like it I can always return it, but if anyone sees this before like 2pm est you might save me that hassle.

Thanks for the help guys, I'll look to grab a Fino too!

Put that money towards a capresso infinity or a digital scale

KettleWL
Dec 28, 2010

Google Butt posted:

Put that money towards a capresso infinity or a digital scale

I've got a pretty good kitchen digi and the amazon #1 seller coffee grinder that's like $15 or whatever (two actually, one for spices, one for coffee). Am I wasting my money on the pour over? I'd have a hard time putting $80 into a grinder unless its some truly life changing stuff

Google Butt
Oct 4, 2005

Xenology is an unnatural mixture of science fiction and formal logic. At its core is a flawed assumption...

that an alien race would be psychologically human.

KettleWL posted:

I've got a pretty good kitchen digi and the amazon #1 seller coffee grinder that's like $15 or whatever (two actually, one for spices, one for coffee). Am I wasting my money on the pour over? I'd have a hard time putting $80 into a grinder unless its some truly life changing stuff

You said you ordered a v60? That's pretty much the best pour over you can get. If $80 won't put you in the red, it's the biggest improvement you can make to your coffee.. along with using beans that have a roasted ON date (no older than 2 weeks), ratios, and the right water temperature.

This sounds crazy, but I can make a cup with all this in mind in under 5 minutes, heating up water included.

KettleWL
Dec 28, 2010

Google Butt posted:

You said you ordered a v60? That's pretty much the best pour over you can get. If $80 won't put you in the red, it's the biggest improvement you can make to your coffee.. along with using beans that have a roasted ON date (no older than 2 weeks), ratios, and the right water temperature.

This sounds crazy, but I can make a cup with all this in mind in under 5 minutes, heating up water included.

My beans for french press have been coming form SA's very own Royal Mille coffee, and the amazing flavor really has me wanting to step up my game to improve the brewing process, if the v60 is as good as it gets (I ordered this combo pack from amazon so I could make 2 at once or whatever, since it's only like $5 more for 2), then I'll cancel/return the bigger one to Target and just wait for this to arrive.

I suppose I just have to do my research on ratios, temperature, and weights, then!

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porktree
Mar 23, 2002

You just fucked with the wrong Mexican.

Democratic Pirate posted:

What's a generally recommended scale? I have $60 of amazon gift cards built up that I can use.

Stamps.com - a scale comes free with your trial, and yours to keep if you cancel the free trial.

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