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pnumoman posted:Chiming in that a cheap, good coffee fix really is all about grinding fresh roasted beans at home, and avoiding lovely drip machines. Get a grinder, really any grinder, and nab a small batch of whole roasted beans. Avoid drip machines like the plague; every single one of them, besides the one in the OP and the one posted above, will give you crappy coffee brewed at a bad temperature, and will probably scorch the poo poo out if it as well. A French press or a manual drip device is cheap and makes for drat good coffee. Grind just before you brew, check your water temp, and prepare to embark on your journey to coffee bliss. The fresh roasted beans part here is key. Don't assume that mail ordering good coffee is prohibitively expensive, as it really isn't too bad. I am a big fan of Counter Culture Coffee (http://www.counterculturecoffee.com), Intelligentsia (http://intelligentsia.com), 49th Parallel Roasters (http://www.49thparallelroasters.com), Vivace (http://www.espressovivace.com). All of which will ship you coffee basically on the day they roast it, and can have it at your door within a few days for not a whole lot more than you'd be paying for stale beans that have sat on a shelf for an unknown amount of time.
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Sep 19, 2011 20:07
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lags posted:And when you have the bug and upgrade to a burr grinder, you now have what every kitchen needs anyway - a As long as you don't mind whatever you are cooking tasting like coffee. 
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Sep 21, 2011 18:35
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betterinsodapop posted:That is exactly how I felt. Why is the burden on the consumer to fix what is clearly a manufacturing defect/quality control issue? Have you told them that you don't feel comfortable / are too lazy to take it apart because it is under warranty and that you'd prefer to send it in? I have seen Kyle from Baratza (the engineer behind all the grinders) help people with issues they were having and go above and beyond what I'd expect from normal customer service on Coffeegeek and Home-Barista. Perhaps they are under the assumption that you would prefer to troubleshoot it yourself rather than having to package it up and send it in? The vast majority of coffee nerds I know would much rather spend a bit tinkering than have to go through the hassle of boxing poo poo up and posting it somewhere.
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Oct 5, 2011 14:57
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origami posted:Do any of you brew and then make your own iced coffee? Any tips aside from 'just add water and chill'? I use a Toddy. I use about 4.5 cups of water per 6oz of coffee, mix and sit it on the counter for 24 hours.
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Oct 7, 2011 19:00
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biggfoo posted:Anyone have an experience with a Crossland CC1? It looks like a re-brand of a Gee and comes in around the same price as a Silvia but with a PID built in. I have been mulling around the idea of getting one but other than the Seattle coffee gear videos I haven't seen much about them. Not many people have experience with them yet since they're just starting to ship, but Crossland used to work for La Marzocco and designed the GS/3. For the money, the CC1 is a nice machine, and it's expected that it will probably outperform the Silvia at that price point. As a former PID'd Silvia owner, they are an admirable entry level machine, but if I were buying again in that price range, I'd probably get a CC1 or a Quick Mill Silvano over a Silvia. I went crappy rear end machine -> Silvia -> PID for Silvia ->Alex Izzo Duetto II. As a cappuccino lover, I really love the dual boiler. Having to pull a shot then wait 2-3 minutes on a Silvia for the boiler to get up to steaming temp really sucked. The Crossland CC1 is a thermoblock machine which means you are going to get up to steaming temp a lot faster after pulling a shot than you would on the Silvia.
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Oct 10, 2011 21:40
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hotsauce posted:Wow, that Breville looks great. Will it really be up to par or will it just be yet another Made in China kitchen appliance? There's a lot of talk about that Breville over at Coffeegeek, it is worth a look. Long story short, the Breville engineers actually made a machine that meets the needs of enthusiasts. It's not shipping in the US yet (is it?), but the Australians who have gotten them (and their new grinder) have been giving it favorable reviews. For the price, it looks like a nice machine, if you can get past the brand name, and how "untraditional" it looks.
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Oct 11, 2011 13:59
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Featured Creature posted:Has anyone had any experience with the http://www.thinkgeek.com/caffeine/accessories/ea4e/ presso? I have a handpresso, and was wondering if it would be a nice addition to my office at work or just not worth it. I have heard that they are decent, but the general consensus is that the Mypressi Twist is the best option out there.
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Oct 20, 2011 20:04
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mysteryberto posted:Picked up a Silvia + Rocky + Stand off of Craigslist for only $500. Installed an Auber PID and it works really well. Still working on mastering grinding and tamping. You mean where you wrap the upper half of the burr carrier with tape? I never bothered when I had a Rocky, there was no play at all in mine.
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Oct 24, 2011 16:14
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strangemusic posted:I'm curious to know what the Enterprise Help Desk is. I imagine it has nothing to do with Star Trek: The Next Generation or Battlestar Galactica sadly.
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Nov 9, 2011 16:16
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Corla Plankun posted:A friend of mine, publicly known as the "Macgyver of Coffee", uses a bread maker and a heat gun. You can usually find bread makers at goodwill, and heat guns cost about 50 bucks. The news in the metroplex did a story on him if your interest is piqued. You can also do it in Poppery hot air popcorn poppers. There's a lot of home roasters who use them on coffeegeek and home-barista.
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Nov 9, 2011 18:47
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Aglet56 posted:Any opinions on this Capresso disk burr grinder? Did you read any of the amazon reviews? Looks like a piece of crap.
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Nov 11, 2011 14:33
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GrAviTy84 posted:grind up some rice in the grinder. While rice does work to some extent, there are commercial products for this that work really well, like Urnex Grindz. Of course they want you to use a truckload of it on a weekly basis, I run some through my grinder every month or so and it really does work amazingly well.
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Nov 23, 2011 14:53
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Bob_McBob posted:I don't have any problem with you asking questions, but waffling back and forth between choices without having a good idea of what you actually want is annoying. I am happy to answer any questions you have. As a former PID'd Silvia owner, I'm wondering if there was any reason you didn't suggest a Crossland CC1 (other than it not having the same track record as the Silvia)? http://www.seattlecoffeegear.com/Crossland-Coffee-CC1-p/scg15550.htm Or, a Quick Mill Silvano: http://www.chriscoffee.com/products/home/espresso/silvano The Silvia is a great machine, but it's a little dated technology wise.. Also, pic of my rig in my new digs. Still haven't run a 20 amp circuit or plumbed it in. 
Astronaut Jones fucked around with this message at 16:05 on Dec 29, 2011 |
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Dec 29, 2011 15:36
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hotsauce posted:Any online shops you guys recommend? I've seen several suggestions, but none have been mentioned as the top roaster. Counter Culture Coffee
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Dec 30, 2011 16:59
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Keyser S0ze posted:Received the Baratza Vario today and gave it a quick look. Heh, I keep seeing people say the Vario is heavy.. Whenever I move mine I think "god this thing is so light" compared to my old Rocky, or Mazzers. I've never had any issues with reading the LCD at counter height and I'm 5' 9".
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Jan 9, 2012 23:15
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I'm a big fan of my Toddy for iced coffee, but I also have done it countless times in my press.
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Feb 4, 2012 22:26
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Oof, I want one.
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Mar 7, 2012 02:49
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traveling midget posted:$400? Are they loving high? Very high, they are going to be $599 after kickstarter. The Hario is $240 and I thought that was ridiculous.
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Mar 7, 2012 03:25
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This looks very promising.
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Apr 13, 2012 02:16
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a handful of dust posted:Isn't that sort of how a clover works? Not exactly. Think of a clover as a reverse french press.
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Apr 21, 2012 21:34
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rockcity posted:More like an automated vacuum pot without the cool physics and theatrical aspects. Is there actually a vacuum involved? The piston is open on the top, I thought after brewing the coffee was just siphoned out of the bottom into the cup while the piston moved upwards to separate the grinds? From what I gather, after Starbucks announced they were acquiring Clover and closing down sales, a lot of coffee shops that had them sold theirs in protest.
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Apr 22, 2012 15:15
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ephori posted:You tipped me over the edge! You prompted me to do some more reading, and while I was debating on the Expobar, a Silvia showed up for sale in my area and I pounced impulsively. That's a V1.
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May 8, 2012 01:54
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That's the bracket into which the spout on your portafilter slides, so you can dose directly into it.
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May 14, 2012 15:38
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dema posted:Ordering my espresso machine, grinder and junk on Tuesday. What size steaming pitcher should I get for 8oz double lattes? 12oz? I'd go with the 20oz. I use a 12oz for cappuccinos, and fill it up to a little below where the spout starts on the inside. Even then, you have to be careful steaming or you're going to end up spilling. There's no way you can make a big latte in it and get good microfoam IMO.
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May 25, 2012 20:27
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dema posted:Cool, thanks Astronaut, I'll go with the 20. Had been thinking the 12 would be better since I'll be going for 6oz of steamed milk. Well, maybe you can get by with the 12. I just measured and I use about 6oz of milk in the pitcher (mine's actually a rattleware, but it looks exactly the same) for a 5oz Cap, since if you have anything less in the pitcher it's impossible to steam properly. I have a couple of oz leftover when I'm done pouring, but if you got a 12oz and filled it up a little more and were careful, you might be able to do it. I just find that with my steaming technique on my Duetto II, if I have more than 6oz in the pitcher when it's vortex time and I have the pitcher tilted, I end up spilling milk on the counter. YMMV.
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May 25, 2012 22:06
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dema posted:Talked to George @ Chris Coffee this morning, we figured out something that made sense. I may have gone a little overboard. Beyond excited. Are you going to make us ask?
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May 30, 2012 16:22
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Arnold of Soissons posted:I tried just weighing out the amount of coffee I would have used anyway and plugging that into the app, but then I wound up 10g over on water using the default ratio. That's a pretty ambiguous question.
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Jun 1, 2012 20:50
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Arnold of Soissons posted:The amount of coffee that makes a single cup, or one third of a French Press, is very, very commonly called a scoop. Translating that "one unit of coffee" from volume into mass should be an easy to grasp concept. I'm sorry that you didn't find that to be the case. If you want to totally half-rear end it, sure. Go nuts.
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Jun 2, 2012 03:18
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dema posted:My new bar thing came in. Wife was extremely happy to have all my coffee crap off the kitchen island. Protip: You are better off keeping your coffee in something air tight and adding it to your hopper as you go than you are letting it all get stale in there, unless you drink a shitload of coffee..
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Jun 8, 2012 13:56
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dema posted:There is debate that it grinds better with the weight of the other beans on it. Might be best to compromise and keep it half full. Which is why a lot of people who have popcorning issues take the hoppers off totally and put their tamper over the throat of the grinder when grinding. I realize the last thing anyone wants to do is take their shiny new expensive grinder and not use half of it because it's really tailored towards more high volume commercial use, but personally I'd opt for fresher beans over grinder appearance.
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Jun 8, 2012 14:32
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Sounds like your grind could be a smidge finer, but of course it's going to open up as the coffee ages. If it tastes good, that's all that matters.
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Jun 8, 2012 17:30
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Aramoro posted:7g ground is the normal amount to put into a single shot espresso, if you're not making espressos then you will tend to use a lot more. Well, nobody in their right mind pulls single shots of espresso, but nowadays most of the roasters are updosing to 18-20g+ for a double. I drink a lot of CCC, and usually go with 20g doses.
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Jun 8, 2012 17:39
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eggsovereasy posted:So I have this grinder: http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-DBM...matic+Burr+Mill I'm a big fan of Grindz personally. I don't run them every month and I typically buy the larger size package but they work very well.
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Jun 25, 2012 22:25
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metavisual posted:I'm looking at a grinder to get started with espresso. I know the grinder is pretty important, but I'm on somewhat of a budget. The Encore is a replacement for the previous entry level grinder the Maestro. Supposedly it is better suited for espresso than it's predecessor. The Virtuoso is obviously the next step up, but the "Original" part is what you need to be wary of. They revamped the gearbox in 2012, and it's much more robust now than it was previously. The "Original" leads me to believe that the refurb Virtuoso is the original design, not the latest one. Personally if $150 was my price range and I had my choice between the two, I'd probably opt for the new Encore with the latest drivetrain and the same burrs as the Virtuoso. My grinder journey went: Crappy blade grinder -> Crappy Cuisinart burr grinder -> Rancilio Rocky Doserless -> Baratza Vario. I'm pretty happy with the Vario. While it may not be as bombproof as a Mazzer, Compak or more expensive grinder, it's pretty awesome. Very consistent grinding, low retention and easy to clean.
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Jun 28, 2012 14:46
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metavisual posted:Thanks for the info. Yeah, if it's got the same burrs and the same gearbox, I don't know why you wouldn't just get the Encore. Either way you'll be happy though, they are a great value for the money.
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Jun 28, 2012 15:25
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swagger like us posted:Alright bare with me, I feel stupid for saying this but this thought occured to me. Has anyone ever made a true automatic pour over? I realize first off, a pour over's main advantage is the control you have over pour, temperature, pacing etc. but has anyone ever made a basic automatic boiler, that pours at the perfect and amount, as well as slightly pouring in circles in to the center of a cone style pour over? http://brazencoffeebrewer.com is close..
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Aug 6, 2012 00:13
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Boris Galerkin posted:Our electric kettle broke and rather than buying one we think we should just use the stove because it seems unnecessary. Is there a good way to eyeball water temperature needed for making coffee? I use my eyeballs to look at my Thermapen.
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Aug 30, 2012 14:54
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what is this posted:They don't seem to have a subscription plan. http://my.counterculturecoffee.com/coffee/subscriptions/ http://www.vervecoffeeroasters.com/collections/subscriptions http://www.rivalbros.com/coffee-subscription http://www.klatchroasting.com/Klatch_Coffee_Clubs_s/23.htm
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Sep 18, 2012 15:37
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Arnold of Soissons posted:I've never used a moka pot, but I cannot imagine why you would need a tamper for one. I just double checked the guide on sweet maria's, and they specifically say to not tamp the grounds at all. So I definitely wouldn't. It's 15 months / 15 days / 15 minutes.
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Sep 18, 2012 23:32
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I was down in DC 2 weeks ago and stopped by Union Market for lunch, had a couple macchiatos from Peregrine that were pretty good. When that market gets into full swing, it's going to be pretty awesome, I'm jealous I don't have anything like it where I live.
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Oct 9, 2012 18:48
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