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The issue with going from pourover coarse to espresso fine grounds in a single browser is the range and the dial-in; if you have something with the small adjustments necessary for dialling in an espresso grind, getting to the range of coarseness required for pourover is going to take a while - and just as long getting back. It's simpler to just concentrate on one end or the other of the range than to try and chase two rabbits. That said, you can get acceptable espresso out of a more pourover-focused grinder like a Virtuoso+, but it won't be the best expression of the bean.
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Mar 13, 2022 17:44
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I gotta transport problem. I make my own coffee at home, I put it in a metal thermos, I drink it at work. I can definitely taste the metallic tinge on it. I have a glass sealed container, but I'd prefer not to have to re-heat it once I get in. Is there any magic, heat-trapping non-metallic coffee conveyance out there for me, or am I doomed to the horrible choice of slightly worse taste vs. slightly more effort?
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Mar 13, 2022 22:06
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Red Crown posted:I gotta transport problem. sounds like you need a work rig
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Mar 13, 2022 22:30
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Red Crown posted:I gotta transport problem. Contigo Glaze travel mug, but if you need more Thermos do make some glass-lined thermal vacuum liquid containers E: comedy option: https://shop.funraniumlabs.com/products/350ml-fmj-stein-of-science.html
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Mar 13, 2022 22:42
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Red Crown posted:I gotta transport problem. They aren’t cheap, but Zojirushi mugs with the non-stick coating (which is most of them) insulate insanely well and don’t leave any sort of taste if you clean it normally. https://www.zojirushi.com/app/product/smwre They insulate so well if I don’t open the top to cool it it’ll be too hot to drink 5 hours later, or ice will still be in the mug 1 or 2 days later.
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Mar 13, 2022 23:12
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Red Crown posted:I gotta transport problem. Fellow has the Carter mug series. It has a ceramic lining that doesn't leave behind a flavor.
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Mar 14, 2022 02:38
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The Carter looked great until I saw a bunch of people on Reddit complaining that the mugs smell like garlic.
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Mar 14, 2022 02:41
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Pilfered Pallbearers posted:They aren’t cheap, but Zojirushi mugs with the non-stick coating (which is most of them) insulate insanely well and don’t leave any sort of taste if you clean it normally. These are so much better than any Contigo I ever dealt with.
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Mar 14, 2022 03:00
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Main drawback to the Zojirushi mug is that you basically can’t drink directly from it because it keeps the coffee too hot. I use mine when I am taking coffee to the office where I can pour it into a regular mug. I have regular travel mugs for when I want to be able to drink from the thing I am carrying the coffee in.
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Mar 14, 2022 04:44
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Re: baratza grinders. There's a couple used Preciso's on the 'bay currently, one is BiN. They're kinda rare anymore, and totl of the Encore/Virtuoso line. They will definitely do any grind from Turkish to pourover to espresso, once you dial it in.
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Mar 14, 2022 16:36
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withak posted:Main drawback to the Zojirushi mug is that you basically can’t drink directly from it because it keeps the coffee too hot. I use mine when I am taking coffee to the office where I can pour it into a regular mug. I have regular travel mugs for when I want to be able to drink from the thing I am carrying the coffee in. Put it in the mug and leave the lid off for 5 minutes. Or open the lid for 5 minutes at the office/during your commute. Once it hits correct temp it’ll stay there forever.
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Mar 14, 2022 17:12
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Zojirushi thermoses are amazing and there's like 100 to choose from. "holds the temperature too well" is not a design flaw in a thermos for gently caress's sake
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Mar 14, 2022 18:35
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bizwank posted:Goons With Spoons > Coffee: "holds the temperature too well" is not a design flaw in a thermos for gently caress's sake
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Mar 14, 2022 20:25
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My Ember mug doesn’t have that problem. Sorry your giant metallic vessel doesn’t deliver coffee at precisely the temperature you need it to be. Sucks to suck 
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Mar 14, 2022 20:29
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Since I wasn't able to go out this week but was still desperately in need of coffee I decided to try and order some Blue Bottle. Got the Night Light decaf. Probably helps that I'm on the same coast but it came suuuuper fast and although the roast is darker than my usual taste it's pretty fuckin delicious.
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Mar 14, 2022 20:37
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I find after 10hrs my zoji is merely warm, which is upsetting. I do remember I somehow managed to pull off making coffee the night before, deliberately kept it outside in near freezing temperatures (was demoing it for a coworker), and brought it into work the next day and it was still steaming. Never been able to do that again.
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Mar 14, 2022 21:58
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Ok Comboomer posted:sounds like you need a work rig Not a bad solution, but too much of a to-do for me at this point. As an avid Zojirushi rice cooker consumer, I had to go with the product with the little elephant on it. I had no idea they made things besides robot rice cookers!
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Mar 14, 2022 22:50
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You know you want a Pac-man themed Zoji: https://shop.zojirushi.com/collections/vacuum-insulated-mugs-bottles/products/smshe48pa Ugh, it tempts me. But I've already got a Zoji.
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Mar 14, 2022 23:01
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I’ve even got a little espresso elephant!
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Mar 14, 2022 23:34
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That’s a very unfortunate color and shape at a glance
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Mar 15, 2022 01:21
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Mr. Mambold posted:Re: baratza grinders. There's a couple used Preciso's on the 'bay currently, one is BiN. They're kinda rare anymore, and totl of the Encore/Virtuoso line. They will definitely do any grind from Turkish to pourover to espresso, once you dial it in. The Canadian market seems to be less successful in this regard, alas. I'm thinking of giving the Oxo grinder a whack - reviews are pretty favourable for the price point. Definitely going to up my bean game first, though. As far as drip machines go, are SCA machines worth the price or is it very much a case by case basis?
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Mar 15, 2022 14:21
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ChickenWing posted:The Canadian market seems to be less successful in this regard, alas. The SCA cert is pretty objective if I remember right, ie: reaches and maintains this temperature throughout, moves X amount of water through Y amount of beans in this time range, etc., so it's one of those cases where another machine might hit those standards and the SCA just never got around to certifying it, but you know with an SCA machine that those parameters are getting hit at least.
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Mar 15, 2022 20:11
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RichterIX posted:so it's one of those cases where another machine might hit those standards and the SCA just never got around to certifying it Also possible that the manufacturer doesn't want to jump through the hoops and/or pay what it costs to get it certified even if their machine happens to meet the temp/time requirements.
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Mar 15, 2022 21:13
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withak posted:Also possible that the manufacturer doesn't want to jump through the hoops and/or pay what it costs to get it certified even if their machine happens to meet the temp/time requirements. It's $2k to have the SCA test it. The barrier to entry is small for a company, but does defeat the purpose of the certification in some ways. Hope you don't change your model number or design either or you can just pay again. The standards are good, but it does feel pay-to-win.
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Mar 15, 2022 21:20
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That's pretty cheap for a certification.
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Mar 15, 2022 21:35
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I realise this is probably sacrilege but I really like the Dunkin Donuts (it whatever they're calling themselves these days) original blend coffee. I'm in the UK so it's not cheap and I figure I could get a much better quality coffee for less money. There's a coffee shop near me which sells a wide variety of beans but I'm not really sure what to ask for?... I know the beans I've tried all taste different but the tasting notes citrus, chocolate etc don't make much sense to me. And because Dunkin Donuts isn't available over here I can't exactly ask them for something similar. Does anyone know a good starting point?
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Mar 19, 2022 12:11
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Dunkin’s blend is going to be like a medium-to-dark roast, blended to taste as generic “coffee” as possible. To replicate that you’d want to find a blend with those characteristics, and in particular avoid the light-roast single-origin coffees that are currently the rage among coffee enthusiasts. Tasting notes would be more focused on chocolate/caramel/“brown” flavors but tbh it’s kind of weird to even think about tasting notes for a dunkin-type coffee since it’s created to just taste “like coffee” as much as possible. Def avoid tasting notes of berries, citrus, fruit, tea - I love those styles but it’s the specialty third-wave thing which won’t be what you’re looking for. If your cafe has a house blend that’s probably the place to start, but you could also try telling them you’re looking to replicate American drip coffee and see what they say.
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Mar 19, 2022 12:52
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The first thing to check is if they are an old school coffee shop (mostly Italian/French/Dutch influences) or a trendy new hipster third wave place. If they are more old school then that is what you are looking for as the traditional European style is more strong and black as opposed to the newer subtler flavours. Even if they are the newer style then as long as they are not dickheads it will be fine to ask them for a recommendation for a strong medium to dark roast as you like strong drip coffee. Most places that sell their own coffee beans will be really excited to match preferences to what they sell and if they are not then you know to steer well clear from them. There is a local tea and coffee retailer in my city that is old school and I have gone in and literally asked for a recommendation for something a bit more delicate than my normal Assam tea and they picked out a nice Sri Lankan tea that is on the robust end of Sri Lanka but more delicate than an Assam. They would do exactly the same for coffee if you asked. Of the three new wave roasters that are local then I am sure at least two of them would be more than happy to do that. If talking to people is a bit much then buying a bag of Costa beans from Tesco's or Sainburys' will do you alright.
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Mar 19, 2022 14:03
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Thanks guys. Yeah I'm happy to go in and talk to people, I just didn't want to go in and be like "what's to closest thing you have to [mass produced coffee I like] you've probably never had... No I don't know how to describe the flavour". I've tried a few off the shelf options from supermarkets and they're okay at best. I'll ask for their house blend and go from there.
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Mar 19, 2022 14:16
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I've just been to Prufrock in London (first time at a specialty cafe in years), and got a filter coffee. How is it that no matter what I do at home, my coffee always tastes of (nice) coffee, while these places always manage to make a cup that tastes of Things. I can't really describe it - kind of lighter, missing that heavy background COFFEE flavour that dominates what I make. Maybe lighter roasts? Or is there a massive difference between the straight-pour methods, and my steep and release Aeropress/Clever?
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Mar 20, 2022 12:06
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Immersion brewing methods tend to create less clarity in the cup. Hoffman’s French press recipe does a great job of making a cup with more clarity than typical for the brewer style.
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Mar 20, 2022 12:53
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Sextro posted:Immersion brewing methods tend to create less clarity in the cup. Hoffman’s French press recipe does a great job of making a cup with more clarity than typical for the brewer style. Clarity, that's the word. I tried his French press method when trying to get my wife to ditch the Senseo pads, but it still tasted too much of Things to her (I think she'd be in Tea Bone's camp of liking "Dunkin Donuts but nice") but I'll give it another go. And/or buy pourover gear, may as well keep expanding my collection! -- Speaking of upgrade-itis, my Specialita finally arrived the other week, 12 weeks after orering (my own fault for ordering a custom colour over Christmas during a supply chain crisis), so I thought I'd write up how it works with my 9barista, now I've been using them for a while. To start with, my fears of not tasting the difference over the Encore were unfounded. The extremely fine control lets you dial it in properly, rather than discovering the sweet spot lies between two numbers. I don't have a refined enough palate to go "hmm yes, flat burrs", but I like what comes out. I bought the 9barista itself after watching the Hoffman review, in which he said it's a great espresso machine for one person (tick) who doesn't have a lot of counter space (tick) and doesn't want milk drinks (bzzz... more on that below). Basically at that point I wasn't interested in having a massive espresso machine on my counter, and this looked like a decent way of getting real espresso in a compact package. And the device itself is basically what people think a Moka pot is, when they think it's a stove-top espresso maker. The price seems very high, but the quality is excellent, and it makes real espresso. The workflow with the Encore was...clunky. Didn't enjoy getting the ground coffee into the portafilter. The Specialita is night and day, because you can grind straight into the basket (though without the fork, I don't think that would fit the 9barista's weird shape - no big deal to hold it for 11 seconds though). It's only 53mm, so I got a funnel to help out, which is necessary. Dialling in is, I think, more painful than on a normal espresso machine, since you have to cool down and refill the reservoir each time. But you can run it under the tap to get it cool quickly, and then set the reservoir heating on the stove while you prep the next puck (both condoned by the manufacturer, "if you're quick enough" in the latter case). That was part of the reason why I gave up on my single-dosing quest - I'd rather dial in a bag and then use it, rather that go through that more often. I haven't really used regular machines, but as far as I can see, you do get fewer variables to mess with on this one. For example, the coffee I bought has suggested numbers on the front as a starting point (e.g. 18.7g in, 24-27s time, 40g out) - with the 9barista, you can only control weight in, and measure time out. When it does the big puff, that's the end of the water, so you can't run more (or less) through, and you can't control temperature. As a beginner, this does give me less to worry about. Maintenance is lovely though. Just cool down, unscrew, rinse/wipe, run citric acid through to descale, all parts available as spares from the manufacturer. I did also buy the IMS "precision basket" (available on the 9barista site, though I got it elsewhere to avoid Brexit duties), which if nothing else gets less coffee stuck in it after rinsing. And yes, I do like my milk drinks, but I've been using the Bodum French-press-alike frother and it's fine for now. Overall, a very neat and low-maintenance way of making real espresso.
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Mar 20, 2022 21:21
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I’ve got good water, a good grinder (Lido E), and a good local source of good beans, and a very nicely maintained Gaggia Classic (non-pro) just popped up on FB marketplace for not much money. I think I’m gonna take the plunge and grab it. My question is: is it a bad idea to get a Classic instead of a Classic Pro? I like tinkering with stuff, and have spent embarrassing amounts of money and time fixing and improving nerd poo poo like 3D printers, drones, and cars. The thought of being deep in the Gaggia’s guts with a PID gets me very excited. Are any of the big mods specific to the Pro, or will they work with the Classic as well?
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Mar 28, 2022 19:47
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i own every Bionicle posted:I’ve got good water, a good grinder (Lido E), and a good local source of good beans, and a very nicely maintained Gaggia Classic (non-pro) just popped up on FB marketplace for not much money. I think I’m gonna take the plunge and grab it. Main thing I can think of is you can’t just buy the 9-bar spring with the classic like you can with the Pro: you have to adjust an Allen bolt I believe to change the OPV. Read up on some forums, I can’t recall if it’s as easy as 1/4 turn to the left or if it requires you using a pressure gauge to ensure you got it to 9 bar. Other than that you would want to Upgrade the steam wand on the classic whereas the Pro one is already really good.
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Mar 28, 2022 19:59
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Flair owners, would appreciate your thoughts/experiences with Flair ownership. I've been eyeing a Flair Pro 2 for some time and with it being 15% off on an Amazon sale (+5% off that with Prime), the price is easier to countenance. One of the things that had made me hesitate taking the plunge up to this point is the need to preheat the brew head, but in the demo video they just placed the head on top of their electric kettle while it heated up. Is that sufficient for heating the head? I always envisioned having to submerge it in boiling water or something. The cleanup also looked much easier than I expected. For those of you that own flairs do you find it performing as well today as when you bought it? Do you continue to use it or has it become a disregarded tool because of the amount of labor it takes to pull a shot? Do you feel like you were able to master the process pretty quickly? Is there anything essential to pick up for it that isn't included in the Pro 2 kit? Appreciate your insights!
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Mar 28, 2022 20:12
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nwin posted:Main thing I can think of is you can’t just buy the 9-bar spring with the classic like you can with the Pro: you have to adjust an Allen bolt I believe to change the OPV. Read up on some forums, I can’t recall if it’s as easy as 1/4 turn to the left or if it requires you using a pressure gauge to ensure you got it to 9 bar. Thanks. I did a bit of quick googling and found a couple of posts about adjusting OPV, some people had success with a timing procedure but I’m sure I could put together a pressure gauge. And the one this dude is selling comes with an upgraded wand, I think from a Silva.
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Mar 28, 2022 20:24
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i own every Bionicle posted:Thanks. I did a bit of quick googling and found a couple of posts about adjusting OPV, some people had success with a timing procedure but I’m sure I could put together a pressure gauge. And the one this dude is selling comes with an upgraded wand, I think from a Silva. You can always buy a portafilter with a psi gauge to fine tune it. I think the biggest difference outside of the wand is just "build quality". Both do have a pretty dedicated community, so you'll have some decent resources regardless.
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Mar 28, 2022 20:53
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I like my gaggia classic pro, it's about the extent of what I do for espresso. The only "mods" i've made are the opv mod and I also replaced the shower screen.
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Mar 28, 2022 20:54
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I'm a pretty good person to answer your questions except I've never used any other manufacturer of machine so no true comparison here.Bruxism posted:One of the things that had made me hesitate taking the plunge up to this point is the need to preheat the brew head, but in the demo video they just placed the head on top of their electric kettle while it heated up. Is that sufficient for heating the head? I always envisioned having to submerge it in boiling water or something. The cleanup also looked much easier than I expected. For the first 2 months I thought "surely you need to submerge to get high enough temperatures for light roast" but followed a rec to try the steam and it works very well. I do re-steam it for 5 seconds just before using but otherwise it took a ton of prep out. Yes, cleanup is as easy as it looks! Bruxism posted:For those of you that own flairs do you find it performing as well today as when you bought it? Do you continue to use it or has it become a disregarded tool because of the amount of labor it takes to pull a shot? Do you feel like you were able to master the process pretty quickly?  Bruxism posted:Is there anything essential to pick up for it that isn't included in the Pro 2 kit? Appreciate your insights! Get a proper tamper (I like this etsy person) since the dosing cup is a bit too narrow and WDT. You already have a grinder and scale yeah?
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Mar 28, 2022 22:38
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BrianBoitano posted:I'm a pretty good person to answer your questions except I've never used any other manufacturer of machine so no true comparison here. Excellent reply, thank you. I think I'm convinced to pick this up. I saw the Pro 2 comes with a "Stainless Steel Tamper", is that not a good one? The ones you linked look awesome - do they all pretty much fit the Pro 2 portafilter? Last question: I saw on the accessories page it has a temperature strip for the brew head - I don't think I'm going to get that technical about it but wondered if it was something you use? All set on grinder and scale. I have a Niche Zero which I'm currently using multiple times a day for my clever coffee dripper. I've heard the two don't match up well, but it transformed the quality of what I was brewing. I'll still be brewing with the CCD every day, but would like to pull espresso shots 3-4 times a week.
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Mar 28, 2022 23:19
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