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Four Barrel, Blue Bottle, and Ritual have actually removed the power outlets as well so you can't even charge anything. Though Mac laptops these days can go like 12 hours without charging.
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May 21, 2015 04:24
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I think latte art depends on the place; are you a kitschy hole in the wall where the customers are there for the air and the relaxation, or are you a high volume place where people need their stuff five minutes ago? I'm at a pretty fast paced place, but you need to judge your customer. Are they in a hurry, or are they going to appreciate the extra work and time?
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May 21, 2015 04:38
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Mu Zeta posted:Four Barrel, Blue Bottle, and Ritual have actually removed the power outlets as well so you can't even charge anything. Though Mac laptops these days can go like 12 hours without charging. Maybe this is some weird west coast fad? Never seen or even heard of this. Warmachine posted:I think latte art depends on the place; are you a kitschy hole in the wall where the customers are there for the air and the relaxation, or are you a high volume place where people need their stuff five minutes ago? I'm at a pretty fast paced place, but you need to judge your customer. Are they in a hurry, or are they going to appreciate the extra work and time? Yeah I've also noticed that some places will vary how elaborate the latte art is with how busy the place is. If it's packed you'll probably just get a dot, maybe a heart, whereas if the place is empty they might get more elaborate with a rosette or something.
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May 21, 2015 05:07
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Warmachine posted:I think latte art depends on the place; are you a kitschy hole in the wall where the customers are there for the air and the relaxation, or are you a high volume place where people need their stuff five minutes ago? I'm at a pretty fast paced place, but you need to judge your customer. Are they in a hurry, or are they going to appreciate the extra work and time? If a shop is busy with volume and has room there's little reason not to have 2 baristas working the machine, one pulling shots and one steaming/pouring milks. Now wifi, that's a big topic and the solution is super dependent on the location/ownership/clientele.
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May 21, 2015 05:38
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ded posted:I picked up one of these : I'm glad to see another moka pot getting some love here. I use mine all the time. Tourette Meltdown posted:Yeah, I had a crappy can of decaf from Aldi sitting around and made a cup with it this morning just to see - it's terrible. Definitely worth the cost for a better coffee. All coffee from Aldi is horrible unsavable rubbish. Good for cold brew on its best day.
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May 21, 2015 11:34
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Re: latte art For me as a customer it's fun. I'm not going to say it's necessary, but there is a bit of a showmanship element to it. Think of it as the equivalent of proper plating for food. It's also can be a shibboleth when trying a new place - people that tend to care about getting the art right also tend to care about other aspects of the coffee they're serving. Not saying it's perfect, but there's a correlation. As a barista I actually find art useful for training new people. Not because I expect them to throw tulips down or anything, but simply that asking them to be able to pour even a dot or heart ensures that they're steaming the milk right. I've also found that the trainee likes it - it's a concrete task that they can see themselves get better at, and everyone likes getting good at something. Also, throwdowns are fun. Also, it takes maybe a second longer to pour a rosette than it does juts a straight dot or something.
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May 21, 2015 16:27
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If putting a design on a cup of coffee is taking more than a second or two, your barista is poo poo at it or being overly fancy.
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May 21, 2015 19:33
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ThirstyBuck posted:I'm glad to see another moka pot getting some love here. I use mine all the time. I just got a cheap one recently and I quite like it. Any tips on using it?
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May 21, 2015 21:49
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I worked as a barista briefly during university and after everyone got their espresso/latte art training, there was one girl that took it too far. She was one of those people that couldn't handle anything less than 100% and severely slowed down during the morning rush. She was already the slowest before she started making every failed heart into a bunny.
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May 21, 2015 21:54
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Jyrraeth posted:I worked as a barista briefly during university and after everyone got their espresso/latte art training, there was one girl that took it too far. She was one of those people that couldn't handle anything less than 100% and severely slowed down during the morning rush. She was already the slowest before she started making every failed heart into a bunny. Loomer posted:If putting a design on a cup of coffee is taking more than a second or two, your barista is poo poo at it. Basically.
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May 21, 2015 23:11
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HappyHippo posted:I just got a cheap one recently and I quite like it. Any tips on using it? Just the usual; quality water and quality beans and then play around with your grind until you taste something you like. Sweet maria's has a pdf primer for the moka pot amongst other brewing methods.
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May 22, 2015 03:44
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The Bialetti Moka pot seems like such a good idea. I have a Keurig that I'm sure harbors mold and such.
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May 22, 2015 19:29
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Roasted my first batch today! Picked up 4 1lb bags from Sweet Maria's last and tried one of them (a Brazilian dry process) at 4 different roasts - pretty much just experimenting, but it was a lot of fun. And my God do they smell incredible. From what I've read, it seems to be wait at least 24 hours from roast until you can brew some. I have two of the roasts sealed in valve bags, and two others in tupperware that has been mostly sealed with a slight crack to let off co2, does that all sound okay? They're sitting on a shelf in my kitchen/living room which is full of windows, should I move them somewhere darker? There won't be any direct sunlight on them...
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May 23, 2015 00:32
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I recommend you make a cup for yourself right away. It's fun/fascinating to see how different it tastes just 24 hours later and then again a week later.
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May 23, 2015 01:41
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I need something that will hold a decent amount of coffee and will stay hot for a few hours. I found this on amazon http://www.amazon.com/28696-2-2-Liter-Button-Airpot-Dispenser/dp/B00305H6WM But I'm wondering if there is cheaper option (cost isn't a big issue though) or any other suggestions. shizen fucked around with this message at 22:48 on May 23, 2015 |
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May 23, 2015 22:45
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shizen posted:I need something that will hold a decent amount of coffee and will stay hot for a few hours. My love for this mug cannot be expressed in words alone. I have the twenty ounce and it keeps coffee warm for hours of pure bliss.
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May 24, 2015 00:51
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Ropes4u posted:My love for this mug cannot be expressed in words alone. Based on the link posted I am assuming they want to keep much more coffee warm that that.
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May 24, 2015 01:16
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Presumably one could buy multiple copies of the smaller, but more effective, thermos.
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May 24, 2015 01:33
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withak posted:Presumably one could buy multiple copies of the smaller, but more effective, thermos. Sure, but if it's some sort of communal coffee thing, that wouldn't really be all that convenient. I'm assuming they're looking for something easily dispensable.
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May 24, 2015 02:17
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shizen posted:I need something that will hold a decent amount of coffee and will stay hot for a few hours. These are the ones my shop uses whenever we go to an event. They work quite well to keep coffee warm, and aren't that bad to clean when you're done.
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May 24, 2015 03:47
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hey guys I'm just getting into Chemex and I just bought an 8cup wooden. Which filters are the best (Square/circle/half moon, bleached/unbleached), and which grind size do you guys recommend?
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May 24, 2015 22:07
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dhrusis posted:hey guys I'm just getting into Chemex and I just bought an 8cup wooden. Which filters are the best (Square/circle/half moon, bleached/unbleached), and which grind size do you guys recommend? Square are easier to remove/dispose of, circle are easier to pour into if you're being really anal with a kettle. Get bleached, unbleached will always taste like paper. Experiment with grind size, you'll want your water to stop dripping somewhere around 5:00 or so. For me, that's a 28 on my Virtuoso.
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May 24, 2015 23:39
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Has anyone here been to Costa Rica? I have to go down there in July for a few days and I'm hoping to check out a coffee plantation or two while I'm down there, but I have no idea where to start. There are places that do coffee tours, but I'm hoping to get some real suggestions as I'm worried that a lot of those tours are going to be marketed toward someone who doesn't know that much about coffee and I'll end up being disappointed, wishing I'd just found a cool plantation and went and found awesome stuff on my own.
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May 25, 2015 00:30
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becoming posted:Square are easier to remove/dispose of, circle are easier to pour into if you're being really anal with a kettle. Get bleached, unbleached will always taste like paper. Experiment with grind size, you'll want your water to stop dripping somewhere around 5:00 or so. For me, that's a 28 on my Virtuoso. thanks, got squares. will start to experiment.
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May 25, 2015 01:22
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JohnCompany posted:Re: latte art This is exactly how I feel. I think latte art is great to train people with because, as is mentioned above, it ensures proper milk texture and steaming, it's essentially "can you get the milk to pop." And latte art is something you can practice and get good at and it kinda motivates you to be a better barista.
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May 25, 2015 18:33
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Brodeurs Nanny posted:This is exactly how I feel. I think latte art is great to train people with because, as is mentioned above, it ensures proper milk texture and steaming, it's essentially "can you get the milk to pop." And latte art is something you can practice and get good at and it kinda motivates you to be a better barista. It also makes it so that the steamed milk mixes into the drink as it should be. If you just dump the milk in, it won't settle properly. When you pour milk properly, it literally is just a few extra seconds to do a rosetta or a heart. Speaking of, does anyone have any pitcher recommendations or easier latte art? I can do a passable rosetta and the heart, but I have a harder time with things like Tulips and part of it is because none of my pitchers seem to have the right spout length/angle to get into my cups a bit to allow my to start earlier. I have a couple cheap ones that I used for quite a while and was terrible with. I decided to buy a better one and ended up settling on the Toroid. The quality of the milk I get out of that one is excellent with not a lot of effort, but it might be the worst of mine for how the tip reaches the milk. The tip is nicely shaped, but because the of the bell shaped walls, the tip is actually sort of recessed a bit so I have to start way later than I want. The pitcher that I think might work well is the Motta, but I'm hesitant to spend the $35-40 on it without knowing how well it really does work. Has anyone used one of these?
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May 25, 2015 18:53
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I don't have any experience with that style of pitcher, but if you tilt the mug enough at the start you can bring the espresso further up the cup and compensate for the length of the tip and start pouring your tulip whenever you feel comfortable.
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May 25, 2015 19:57
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ChiaPetOutletStore posted:I don't have any experience with that style of pitcher, but if you tilt the mug enough at the start you can bring the espresso further up the cup and compensate for the length of the tip and start pouring your tulip whenever you feel comfortable. I do that already, but it's still not early enough. My cup is about 3/4 full by the time the spout gets low enough to start the design, where most people say to start around half way full.
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May 25, 2015 23:37
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rockcity posted:I do that already, but it's still not early enough. My cup is about 3/4 full by the time the spout gets low enough to start the design, where most people say to start around half way full. Maybe your cups are too narrow? Might want to invest in some nice cappuccino bowls.
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May 25, 2015 23:54
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So on the advice of this thread, I have purchased the Capresso Infinity Burr grinder, a pound of roasted East Coast espresso beans from Panther Coffee, and using my Bialetti Moka Pot, have made my first brew. It was great! The Capresso worked splendidly; quick, quiet, efficient. I ended up putting too many beans in there, so I probably have enough ground coffee for two more brews. How much of a dip in quality are we talking about if I don't brew that ground coffee until tonight or tomorrow? I'm sure it'll still be better than the store-bought stuff I've been using until now. Anyway, I tried one shot of the espresso with no bells and whistles. No sugar, no milk. It was different, but great! It had no bitterness to it, but it'll still take me some time to get used to drinking coffee without sugar/milk. I think it'll be worth it, though. I mean, I can't imagine EVER drinking something like Folgers or Starbucks black. This though? Yeah, I can see me growing to love it. I did then use the second cup I poured to try out the milk frother I received. I made myself a little cappuccino...or is it a latte? It's not steamed milk, so what's the term? Regardless, it was great too. Tonight, I will use some of the remaining ground coffee to make Cuban style espresso using sugar as an after dinner coffee. Looking forward to that! Assuming these beans were roasted in the last two to three days, how long can they last before a noticeable drop in taste quality occurs? I love coffee, but I'm not sure how quickly I can go through a pound of this stuff. Last question: My Moka Pot is aluminum. What are the advantages to a stainless steel model? If I'm happy so far with the aluminum one, will I notice a sizable difference if I switched to aluminum?
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May 26, 2015 00:17
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Maybe two weeks total before you'll notice a drop in quality, though it will taste different between today and a week from now if your pallet is really good. I wouldn't bother with the ss moms pot just yet. Perfect your technique first before you jump down the inevitable rabbit hole Ground coffee is usually good for 5 minutes before it starts to degrade, but I honestly wouldn't worry about it this time-it will still be better than your previous coffee. Just remember for next time to only grind what you will immediately use.
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May 26, 2015 00:20
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The "rule of 15s" for coffee is green coffee lasts 15 months, roasted coffee 15 days, ground coffee 15 minutes. Also, strictly speaking, moka pots don't make espresso since it's not using the ~9 bars of pressure that an espresso machine generates. Still delicious stuff, though (I'm brewing some myself right now actually).
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May 26, 2015 01:05
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dik-dik posted:Maybe your cups are too narrow? Might want to invest in some nice cappuccino bowls. They're plenty wide. I have four different types of cups I've tried and I've had probably the least luck on the widest/shallowest of the four. That one is a latte cup from Crate and Barrel. The others are a latte cup from Ikea, and an 8oz and 12oz latte cup from Intelligentsia. The biggest problem is the spout on the Toroid I think. It's just too recessed from where the wall of the pitcher contacts the cup. If anything, because of the bell shape of the pitcher, the really wide cups probably actually make it worse now that I really think about it, which makes sense as to why the widest cup is my least favorite for art. There seem to be two different spout styles on the Toroid, but this is the one I have.  It's hard to tell from the photo, but the tip of the spout is further in than where the side of the pitcher makes contact with the cup which is what causes me problems. What's frustrating is that I can get great milk texture out of it, it's just that the spout doesn't seem optimal for latte art. Maybe that's why there are two styles, I'm not sure which is newer though. I should actually try texturing in the toroid and pouring from one of my crappier ones that has a spout that's further out to see what happens.
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May 26, 2015 03:01
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Oh, yeah, you might want to just get a regular pitcher then. I have this one and this one and I've never run into the issue you're having with either of them. 
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May 26, 2015 03:08
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I have two similar to the first one you posted, but for some reason, I just can't get as good of a texture like I can with the domed bottom of the Toroid one. I'm going to steam in the toroid and pour it into one of the others to try that in the AM.
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May 26, 2015 05:26
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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.
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May 26, 2015 10:21
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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've seen at least a couple people in this thread speak highly of the Breville smart grinder.
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May 26, 2015 10:26
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dik-dik posted:I've seen at least a couple people in this thread speak highly of the Breville smart grinder. 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 $200, especially if you want something that can handle just about anything but french press and also has a portafilter holder. The dosing settings are also pretty drat accurate.
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May 26, 2015 13:29
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While we are on the topic can anybody make a few sub-100$ grinder recommendations? I am in Korea without access to Amazon et al. so I will have to stick with the "bigger" manufacturers.
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May 26, 2015 18:46
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Capresso Infinity...that's about it.
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May 26, 2015 18:53
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