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McStephenson posted:I'm looking to finally break into espresso: Gaggia Classic or Rancilio Silvia? I would love to do the Rocket Appartamento but it’s probably just too out of my price range. Mu Zeta posted:I had a Gaggia Classic and it's a nightmare to use if you don't install the PID thing. Only buy it if you plan on adding one. The temperature can vary wildly without one. The Classic is a good starter machine for the money, then when you're ready for an upgrade I'd go to a Silvia w/PID unless you can afford better at that time.
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Oct 17, 2018 21:56
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bizwank posted:Temperature swing is present on all home machines without a PID (aka. most of them) and it's far from a "nightmare"; your average espresso drinker won't notice the difference. That’s the exact progression I went through. Well I had the Silvia for a little bit and temp surfed before putting in the PID. The real question is do you have a capable grinder already?
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Oct 18, 2018 16:10
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Looking to finally get my own Espresso machine. Realistically, what are the cheapest models I can look for that will still give me coffee I enjoy? I mainly drink long blacks, though I sometimes have milk based coffees as well. I'm used to drinking really nice coffee from a local cafe, or using my friends really nice espresso machine when I'm over there. I just don't drink at home unless I'm willing to bust out the aeropress (and I'm honestly too lazy for it often) because I'd rather have no coffee than bad coffee. Was looking at maybe this one here, but I dunno. Testicle Masochist fucked around with this message at 16:27 on Oct 18, 2018 |
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Oct 18, 2018 16:23
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rockcity posted:That’s the exact progression I went through. Well I had the Silvia for a little bit and temp surfed before putting in the PID. I have the encore right now but I’m willing to get the rocky for this new setup. Or upgrade the encore, which I’ve heard people do
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Oct 18, 2018 16:39
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McStephenson posted:I have the encore right now but I’m willing to get the rocky for this new setup. Or upgrade the encore, which I’ve heard people do Get the Rocky and use the encore for everything else. I really wish I had a dedicated espresso grinder so I don’t have to dial mine back in when I go between brewing methods.
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Oct 18, 2018 18:59
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Ammonsa posted:Looking to finally get my own Espresso machine. Realistically, what are the cheapest models I can look for that will still give me coffee I enjoy? I mainly drink long blacks, though I sometimes have milk based coffees as well. I'm used to drinking really nice coffee from a local cafe, or using my friends really nice espresso machine when I'm over there. I just don't drink at home unless I'm willing to bust out the aeropress (and I'm honestly too lazy for it often) because I'd rather have no coffee than bad coffee.
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Oct 19, 2018 21:48
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bizwank posted:The Dedica is a surprisingly solid machine, unlike a good portion of Delonghi's other semi-autos. You can even get aftermarket non-pressurized baskets for it off of Amazon, if you long for greater control over extraction. You will need a good burr grinder with it, the recommendations in the first post of this thread are still valid. I like mine a year and a half in. I took a drill press and de-pressurized the basket on it. 
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Oct 19, 2018 22:04
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Which nespresso machine should I get my dad for his birthday? He mostly drinks coffee but occasionally wants a cappuccino or espresso.
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Oct 20, 2018 00:23
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They pretty much all work the same. Buy the cheap one, essenza mini or something. You can get a generic milk frother separately for cheaper than what they charge.
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Oct 20, 2018 00:31
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Local shop just acquired some Yemeni beans and the roastmaster was doing an informal taste test of different roasts before selling to the public today. He gave me a tour of the roasting gear and sent me home with maybe a pound of green beans. It was so very cool as a completely amateur roaster who has never been in the industry. Hope I can make good use of thos beans
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Oct 20, 2018 22:04
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Apparently Flair is selling "blemished" (cosmetic damage but mechanically sound) versions of their manual espresso makers for 25% off normal price. I have no espresso capability at home at the moment and only have a Capresso Infinity/Hario Skerton as my grinders, but these things looks dope. Thoughts? https://www.flairespresso.com/blemished?utm_campaign=e9f47d7d-3bb2-43ac-8d67-b618964252c2&utm_source=so
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Oct 27, 2018 16:18
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A few months ago I replaced my manual espresso machine with a delonghi super automatic. How do I clean this thing properly? I’m used to dumping cafiza in the grouphead and backflushing manically. But the manual suggests to not use cleaning chemicals as it may damage the system... plus, no accessible grouphead. I’ve been taking the brew unit out and scrubbing that down with a brush, but there’s still a bunch of pipes with coffee oils that could do with a clean. And I feel fondling the spouts holes with damp q-tip isn’t going to get it all.
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Oct 28, 2018 09:19
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So the heating element in our vintage La Cimbali Jr just bit the dust. I replaced it shortly after we acquired the machine for the same reason about 2 years ago. I've already ordered a replacement element but I got thinking today what is the difference between the element like this: https://www.espressoparts.com/la-cimbali-1300w-110v-heating-element And something like this: https://m.alibaba.com/amp/product/60111404256.html Besides the obvious mounting flange. Would it be possible to press the old copper heating element out of the flange and press in a stainless steel one with similar specs?
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Oct 28, 2018 16:10
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Moka Pots may be a thing of the past soon. http://www.grubstreet.com/2018/10/moka-pot-maker-could-go-out-of-business.html
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Oct 30, 2018 20:52
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quote:So what went so wrong? Quite.
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Oct 30, 2018 21:07
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You can pry my moka pot from my cold dead hands. Add another thing to the list of why coffee pods suck. I keep my coffee snobbery to myself, but every time I see a coworker load one of those things, I die a little inside.
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Oct 30, 2018 21:11
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Bialetti is just one of many great Italian moka manufacturers. It really sucks that the original manufacturer might be going out of business but IMO Bialetti doesn't even make the best pots. Also, steel moka pots last forever (no matter how often you forget them on the stove before going to work) and those already manufactured will probably outlive humanity itself.
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Oct 30, 2018 21:50
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Horse Clocks posted:A few months ago I replaced my manual espresso machine with a delonghi super automatic. Nanigans posted:You can pry my moka pot from my cold dead hands. Anyway capsules didn't come along and steal $70M from Bialetti overnight, somebody mis-managed that company into the ground. Nespresso has been pushing pods in Europe for 30+ years.
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Oct 30, 2018 22:04
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The way the article words it (pods vs "ground coffee") I wonder what "ground coffee" includes. I don't recall having seen a "millennials are killing Folgers" article yet but I wonder if local roasters are taking a bite out of the grocery store coffee business. I'm still one of only 3 people I know in personal life who bother buying local beans.
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Oct 31, 2018 14:58
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I'm in Seattle and my customers run the full range of home users, and of those who mention it at least 50% are using Kirkland/Starbucks beans, or they don't even know because they just grab whatever's on sale at the grocery store. Those who use a small and/or local roaster are definitely in the minority.
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Oct 31, 2018 22:19
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Good. It keeps the good stuff cheaper for us.
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Nov 1, 2018 00:24
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I used to buy the good stuff for $9/bag but it has kept going up and now it's $15-18 per bag.
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Nov 1, 2018 16:00
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I'll drink less alcohol before I switch to worse coffee.
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Nov 1, 2018 16:22
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bizwank posted:I'll drink less alcohol before I switch to worse coffee. Amen to that, at $20 a bag it's still cheaper for me to make pourovers at home than to go out and buy coffee
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Nov 1, 2018 16:29
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bizwank posted:I'll drink less alcohol before I switch to worse coffee. 
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Nov 1, 2018 16:31
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So, a friend of my family has offered to let me and my fiance take over the retail side of his roastery with us taking over the actual roasting/wholesale side in 3-4 years. It does have a built in customer base, and having gone over the financials with a CPA it looks to be a really good deal. I know basics about coffee, more than the average person, but what should I know/what research should I do coffeewise before I take over.
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Nov 1, 2018 20:35
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Get used to waking up at 5am
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Nov 2, 2018 00:00
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Tippecanoe posted:Amen to that, at $20 a bag it's still cheaper for me to make pourovers at home than to go out and buy coffee Same but caps/flat whites. bunnyofdoom posted:So, a friend of my family has offered to let me and my fiance take over the retail side of his roastery with us taking over the actual roasting/wholesale side in 3-4 years. It does have a built in customer base, and having gone over the financials with a CPA it looks to be a really good deal. I know basics about coffee, more than the average person, but what should I know/what research should I do coffeewise before I take over. I’d be more interested in the rest of the business/market than the financials. Macro trends are good, but the hyper local market trends are what could really bite you. Like the other poster said, get used to early mornings, but maybe spend a week at the place during the first two hours they are open and talk to the customers a bit. Find and go to all the local competitors, and follow them all on social media. Figure out what people love and hate about not just your business but all the local ones. Listen to or read some John Jantsch and figure out your local market and marketing strategy and go crush it. Would help if you had or could get a good manager and reliable staff, but that’s fixable over time if not in place today. Also realize specialty coffee is booming but there are some longer term threats on the supply side. Who knows, some mysterious Arabica fungus could wipe out most of the global crops and leave us with Robusto as the only choice!
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Nov 2, 2018 00:23
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Ultimate Mango posted:Same but caps/flat whites. Shoulda specified. I'm a dreaded business major guy, so I have done market research ETC. What I was more asking of what research should I do about coffee itself, so that I can talk to the customers who come in. Like I know difference between Arabica and Robusto, mostly the difference between countries, between dark, medium, light, italian roast etc, and what kind of grind size works best for what method of prep (Keruig delenda est). Any research resources people recommend?
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Nov 2, 2018 16:27
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The Sweet Maria's library is a really good resource that I regularly go back to
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Nov 2, 2018 17:12
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Treated myself to an affogato today because it was so hot. God drat espresso + ice cream is the invention of the gods. It makes me want to get another espresso machine.
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Nov 2, 2018 23:15
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Keret posted:Apparently Flair is selling "blemished" (cosmetic damage but mechanically sound) versions of their manual espresso makers for 25% off normal price. I have no espresso capability at home at the moment and only have a Capresso Infinity/Hario Skerton as my grinders, but these things looks dope. Thoughts? Check out page 290 I have a few responses to questions. It's mostly a positive experience. I still use an Infinity and it barely works well enough, and you have to find beans that will work because you cannot finely adjust the grind. I've also lately had the paint start flaking off of the unit and need to be careful to not get paint flakes in my espresso. That said, I'm probably going to end up getting a real espresso machine once I'm able to fit one in my kitchen.
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Nov 4, 2018 04:07
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Props go to the Behmor support team for helping me sort out the weird shorting out issue I was getting on my roaster. They couldn't figure out exactly what was causing my issue, but they shipped me out a new front panel, new circuit board and a new transformer to test out to see if one of those was the issue. It ended up being the circuit board and the new one has it back up and running again.
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Nov 5, 2018 15:56
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Is there anything that can be done about grinder retention with a capresso infinity? It's not that big a deal, but it's annoying to try to grind 16 grams of coffee and then have to brush 2 grams out of the grinder every single time I make a cup of coffee. I can't tell if it's static or just a badly designed chute--a fair amount of it sticks to the top burr, and then I find some sitting in the chute as well.
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Nov 5, 2018 20:57
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RichterIX posted:Is there anything that can be done about grinder retention with a capresso infinity? It's not that big a deal, but it's annoying to try to grind 16 grams of coffee and then have to brush 2 grams out of the grinder every single time I make a cup of coffee. I can't tell if it's static or just a badly designed chute--a fair amount of it sticks to the top burr, and then I find some sitting in the chute as well. My parents got rid of their Capresso for this reason, it'd become impacted with grounds and it would make coffee with a distinct burnt oil taste (and eventually just become too clogged to do anything). They gave it to me and I tried cleaning and disassembling it a couple times, but it always had the same problem. My entry-level Baratza has proved much more reliable even though I also have to periodically disassemble and clean the hopper.
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Nov 5, 2018 21:16
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Tippecanoe posted:My parents got rid of their Capresso for this reason, it'd become impacted with grounds and it would make coffee with a distinct burnt oil taste (and eventually just become too clogged to do anything). They gave it to me and I tried cleaning and disassembling it a couple times, but it always had the same problem. My entry-level Baratza has proved much more reliable even though I also have to periodically disassemble and clean the hopper. Yeah I wonder if my Capresso has this issue as well, it definitely retains at least about a half gram each time (not that big of a deal) but it drives me a bit crazy trying to figure out if I'm just imagining an off taste or if I'm doing something wrong in making the coffee itself (ratio/grind/heat/etc), or if it's just the grinder imparting the flavor. I still have my old Skerton lying around somewhere, so maybe I'll try making a cup using that and see if it differs in flavor. Related, has anyone used the Handground manual grinder? I was thinking of getting a new handheld grinder to travel with that is better than the old Skertons, and I don't have $$$ to drop on a Lido but was hoping I could still crank out the occasional espresso if I pick up a Flair sometime.
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Nov 5, 2018 22:33
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I haven't had mine clog so far really, and I don't really mind cleaning it every time, but I'd rather clean it after I'm done than "clean" it to get the 2 grams of coffee it ate into my aeropress and then clean it again to keep what little is left from sitting in there and going rancid. I kind of wish I'd gone with the Encore now, but I used a Bed Bath and Beyond gift card and they don't carry the Encore.
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Nov 6, 2018 00:11
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My solution for my Capresso so far has been to make coffee often enough to keep anything from getting rancid.
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Nov 6, 2018 07:14
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Back when I had the Capresso I just just sort of rocked it back and forth against the counter for maybe 10 seconds then whacked the side a couple of times. Seemed to knock almost all of it loose into the grind container.
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Nov 6, 2018 14:33
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rockcity posted:Back when I had the Capresso I just just sort of rocked it back and forth against the counter for maybe 10 seconds then whacked the side a couple of times. Seemed to knock almost all of it loose into the grind container. This is what I do with my Baratza. Let the static die down and then a few whacks gets most of it out.
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Nov 6, 2018 16:39
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