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Lazaruise posted:How is the Starbucks Blonde Roast? I've heard its actually much better than the charcoal they usually serve, but I don't want to try it just yet It has less of a burnt taste, but it doesnt have much of a flavor to it. Its a lot like Tims, if that helps.
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Feb 1, 2013 18:26
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r0ck0 posted:I wonder if they would allow this. Any goons work at a starbucks want to comment? They shouldn't do it. We aren't supposed to use anything brought in from outside, for health and liability reasons. We aren't even allowed to run non-starbucks coffee through our grinder.
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Nov 19, 2013 01:38
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I've always thought the Clover was a weird machine, because I wouldn't think that an independent shop would be able to make enough use of it to justify the huge investment. I'm really sad that Starbucks bought the company too, because they don't seem to be doing that much with it, at least here in Toronto we only have like, three or four stores with one of the machines, and it doesn't sound like they have plans to install more. I honestly wouldn't recommend the Clover anyway, we use higher quality 'reserve' beans, that still aren't very good, so the price is way higher, and it really isn't worth it.
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Nov 19, 2013 16:18
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Shugojin posted:Yeah I mean it's still gonna be Starbucks coffee so it's gonna be over roasted and old. There's only so much a good brewer can do. In my experience it doesn't matter how you brew our coffee. It tastes exactly the same out of a properly prepared french press or pourover as it does out of our drip brewers. The hardest part of my job is when I have to explain the nuanced differences between different types of coffee to a customer, without telling them it all tastes basically the same, because it isn't any good. I really need to get out of Starbucks.
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Nov 19, 2013 16:38
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) actually gets worse if you brew it as a pourover than just putting it in an autodrip, I wouldn't be surprised if the same is true of Starbucks.
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MasterControl posted:Is it all French roast? Or just kingsford charcoal? Are they a new roaster or been around awhile? I think the pitch originally was that they would let you have a lot of control over brew times and water temp, and an ability to create programs for different types of coffee, so you'd be able to consistently make a great cup. It also looks interesting while it works, so it draws people in, and gets them interested.
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Nov 19, 2013 17:56
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becoming posted:My relative that manages a Starbucks tells me that they will do pour-over (not sure which, probably not V60) and french press upon request, but that they don't really advertise it. She's been trained fairly extensively in both, but acknowledges that a lot of their baristas have not been, so it may still be a crapshoot. She's specifically working at training her baristas on the pour-over, but of course 99% of the brewed coffee they sell is from the drip machines, so there isn't a lot of opportunity. Still, it's probably worth asking about - you might get someone, like her, that knows/gives a poo poo about doing it right. Yeah, any store will do a french press or pour over if you ask, and they should be willing to open up a bag of beans from the wall if there's a blend you prefer. We only use fairly basic melitta cones though, so don't go in expecting a really good pour over. To be honest, it isn't really worth the hassle, the beans themselves aren't that great, and we most baristas don't have the knowledge or time to properly pour the water and allow for some bloom time, so your pour over or french press is only slightly better than whatever you would get out of the drip machines.
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Jan 2, 2014 20:04
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Recaffeinated posted:Isn't that the whole point of Starbucks using Clovers? Probably not as good as good pour over, but engineered to be idiot-proof. That seems like the best bet for single-cup coffee anywhere that's not a really good chain. Looks like you can search the website for stores that specifically have a Clover, too. Yeah, the clover is the best bet for sure, but I don't know how wide spread it is. We only have a couple in Toronto, and they don't seem to be putting in more very often. Edit: clover tends to cost more though, if you go with the reserve blends, which tend to be better than most coffees.
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Jan 3, 2014 06:19
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So I was given a melitta grinder for Christmas, and it seems to make a lot of static, so a decent amount of my ground coffee ends up coating the container when I'm done. Is there anything I can do to reduce the static? Or is it just something I have to deal with?
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Feb 1, 2014 18:36
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So I just started a new barista job, and I've noticed that the baskets tend to pop out of the portafilters if you knock the espresso out at the wrong angle. Anyone have any experience with preventative measures for this kind of thing? Or is it just a reality of using portafilters. I came from Starbucks, so I've never had to use the things before.
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Mar 4, 2014 20:43
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Maid posted:If you knock on the edge of the basket itself you shouldn't have too many problems. It still happens every once in a long while but you have a pretty big target to hit. Did the spring fall out of your portafilter perchance? I think the springs are all still there, but I'd need to double check. Are the springs something that wear out over time?
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Mar 4, 2014 21:02
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MasterControl posted:
There's a cafe in Toronto called Te Aro that keeps their cold brew in kegs, and I really want to go check it out, but I haven't had the chance yet. I've been trying to convince my bosses that we should do cold brew in the summer instead of iced espresso drinks, since it will almost certainly taste better, but I think I'll need to do some experimenting on my own to show off the results to really get my point across. I'd love any tips or advice anyone might have about cold brew.
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Mar 12, 2014 23:32
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mirthdefect posted:Do you know if the people who own it are Kiwis? Te Aro is (one of) the weird arty hipster suburbs in Wellington, the coffee-est place in NZ. That's where they got the name from, for sure, but I don't how they landed on the name specifically. They're run by one of the roasting companies in the city.
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Mar 13, 2014 19:32
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Mu Zeta posted:Blue Bottle is one of my favorite shops but I think they are turning into Starbucks. They now sell iced coffee at Whole Foods. They also just bought Handsome Coffee Roasters in LA and the Tonx subscription guys. Someone sent me a link to this article on slate the other day about all the money that tech guys are dropping into blue bottle. It seems nuts http://www.slate.com/articles/busin..._francisco.html
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Apr 8, 2014 20:27
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So my girlfriend got an ice cream maker attachment for our stand mixer, and i feel like trying to make coffee ice cream with it. Anyone have thoughts about if its worth getting some decent quality beans to make it with? I'd imagine that by the time its done most of the distinct flavours of the bean would be lost, right?
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May 2, 2014 16:29
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ChickenArise posted:There's one Nespresso machine that makes coffee or 'espresso,' but it has larger, more expensive pods with a smaller selection of pods, and it does some sort of weird spinning thing to emulate extra crema (and consequently dispenses like half a glass of coffee foam if you make the 'coffee'). The Pixie etc. that use the smaller traditional Nespresso pods re pretty decent and definitely imo leagues better than keurig. You and your girlfriend should go by a Crate & Barrel and try some. I used to work at Starbucks, and I wouldn't really recommend the verismo. The taste isn't that better than a keurig, but you are forced to use the small selection of Starbuck's made pods, and the selection is super small. It doesn't seem like its doing very well, and I don't think they're doing much to support it, so it's probably not worth it to get that instead of a keurig or nespresso.
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May 22, 2014 12:19
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dik-dik posted:What's the diagnosis and treatment for extremely sour shots (pulled on my Gaggia Classic)? Can you increase the brew time? it sounds like you're under extracting your shots, so you may just need a few seconds more. If that doesn't work I'd increase your dose a little, and see if that helps.
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Jun 27, 2014 22:14
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That was a really cool read! We've been using a Tanzanian peaberry for drip and cold brew in our cafes lately, and I'm going to be really bummed when it runs out, it makes for a really good large batch of coffee. I wish I'd had a chance to try it on our Clover, or as a pour over.
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Jul 29, 2014 03:36
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MasterControl posted:We'll I know a certain roaster that has about 100 pounds left of it! The clover is pretty great, it's really simple to use, and you can make a nice cup in less than a minute. People always seem really intrigued by it when we explain the machine to them as well. There's certainly better ways to make coffee, but from a service perspective I like it a lot. We put one in the cafe we just opened in our roastery, and it sounds like our owner is in the process of working out the specific dose for each individual coffee we sell, so I'm looking forward to that.
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Jul 30, 2014 03:43
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I haven't been around when they've had to deal with fixing them, but it sounds like its a fairly expensive hassle to get spare parts.
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Jul 30, 2014 15:53
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I'm always really curious about the dialling in process with home espresso. Do you need to make many adjustments day-to-day to keep things tasting the way you want? At my shop we dial in our shots in the morning, and usually need to fine tune again in the early afternoon, and the thought of having to do that constantly at home has always been the biggest factor keeping me from wanting to get into home espresso. Or is the fiddling with the espresso half the appeal?
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Jul 31, 2014 04:21
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I once had it explained to me that the mineral content of your water affects extraction, the more minerals the more it will pull out of your coffee, so harder water will over-extract more quickly. I don't know if this is true however, take it with a grain of salt.
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Aug 1, 2014 22:38
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rockcity posted:Hmmm I hadn't heard that, but it could be that the minerals pull out more oils. Even if that's true, I wouldn't go putting it in any coffee appliance, especially an espresso machine. Yeah, that's fair. Although, I'd think that back flushing some cafiza through your machine every couple weeks would help clear some of that mess out, wouldn't it?
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Aug 1, 2014 23:42
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rockcity posted:I'm sure it would, but why would you buy a specific type of water that is inherently not good for the machine? If you're going to buy water to use, I would use distilled water.
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Aug 2, 2014 00:33
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Shif posted:I appreciate all the responses, and do feel a ashamed for not having read the OP in a while. Re-reading it I could see most of my questions were already answered. I haven't ordered from Royal Mile. but $14 for a 12oz bag isn't a bad price at all, especially when you consider the quality of the beans that you're getting, and depending on how much coffee you drink in a day that should last a week or so. I'd definitely agree with finding a decent shop near you, so that you can try a pour over and see what you like. I tend to have one or two people a week come in to my shop that are in the same position that you are, and I tend to have a lot of fun helping them find a coffee I think they might enjoy. Depending on where you're located there should be at least a few shops you can try, hopefully you'll get some good answers.
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Aug 3, 2014 06:13
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I think its a familiarity thing, they've associated the taste of diner coffee as the true flavour of coffee, and so that's what they're looking for when they get a cup, so a higher quality shop may not have what they're looking for. I think its the same reason people love Tim Horton's so much, even though it isn't all that good.
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Aug 3, 2014 15:46
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When the tip of the wand is just below the surface it should be making a paper-tearing sound, if its a bubbling sound you're to close to the surface. Once you've hit the 100 degree mark you want to submerge the wand, and at that point you want the milk to be swirling around the pitcher. How has the milk been pouring for you when you're done? That's the easiest way to tell where things are going wrong.
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Aug 29, 2014 00:08
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Casull posted:I saw an ad the other day for a "Starbucks Aged Sumatra" where they age the beans for 12 months. From what I understand it's actually sort of a traditional process in some parts of the world. It's a pretty controlled process of storing the green beans in warehouses, rotating the bags as needed to make sure that they age evenly and correctly. I think you only tend to see aged Sumatra beans because they grow in an environment that's got just the right kind of humidity/temperature for the process. I get the feeling that it's an expensive process, so there probably aren't many farmers that do it, and since Starbucks uses it in all of their seasonal blends, and buys an absolute shitload of it, I feel like it's not super easy to come by in smaller roasters.
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Sep 29, 2014 04:05
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Does anyone here have any recommended coffee related reading? Any specific websites or books that people want to learn coffee should know?
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Oct 19, 2014 01:57
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I have a pretty crappy, although totally usable scale right now, but one of the people I work with just got one of those Acaia wireless scales, and now I really want to upgrade. The chart that shows how consistent your pour is seems like it would be pretty interesting.
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Jan 12, 2015 17:47
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Yeah, it seems like it would make a really good training tool for a coffee shop. I just need to convince my boss to buy one so we can reintroduce pourovers to the menu.
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Jan 13, 2015 06:24
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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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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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Fruits of the sea posted:I work (self-taught) as a barista, and while I have a long way to go before I'm satisfied with my latte art, it's going pretty well. I don't, however, have any knowledge about how to adjust espresso shots from the machines. My employers at this job and the previous 2 never wanted to invest in a coffee course, weren't baristas themselves and had inevitably trashed or lost the manuals that came with the machines. Those home barista tutorials are a good resource to start, and should help you get the basics down. I got the Professional Barista's Handbook by Scott Rao here last winter, and I really like it. It goes pretty in depth, and it really helped me get a better understanding of what's going on during extraction, and it definitely helped me pull better shops.
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Oct 16, 2015 04:45
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porktree posted:I don't know! Seattle Coffee Gear only has the old model, if you go to coffeetamper.com you can pick your shape. The C-Flat looked interesting to me, with edge seal. I've got an older Reg Barber tamper and it is some sweeeeeet kit. I'm hesitating at spending $90 US on a new tamper (when my existing tamper is in perfect shape). We used one of the C-Flat style ones for a few days after someone lost the shop tamp, and I didn't really like it. It wasn't a huge difference, really, but I feel like I get more consistent shots when I use the normal flat tamp.
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Nov 4, 2015 00:13
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Salvor_Hardin posted:I was mostly concerned with the grinder. I read some stuff online that it can damage it. I think it's just going to clog the burrs, so as long as you can get in and clean them afterwords it may not be such an issue. I can't imagine you'd get very good results though,
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Nov 15, 2015 00:29
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AriTheDog posted:I've seen some "barista" formulations of soy/almond milk around. No idea if they're better or not, but looking at fine dining foams I'm sure there's a way of doing it that'll work. We use Pacific barista soy and almond at work, and it works quite well. It's still not the same as dairy, but it can make a tasty drink.
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Nov 24, 2015 03:24
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geetee posted:Anyone have a Breville Grind Control? Looking to get something easy to use for my parents. We got my dad one of the breville built in grinder machines last year and he really likes it. They have a lot of options, but are still fairly easy to use, and it makes pretty good coffee as well.
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Dec 19, 2015 14:23
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We had a keg of our cold brew nitrogenated for a street festival this summer, and it worked quite well. I've heard of someone mixing cold brew and milk in a nitro keg, to produce on-tap iced lattes, that apparently turned out really well, almost as though they'd been steamed normally.
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Jan 15, 2016 16:18
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The nitrogen ends up giving the cold brew a little more body, and it's very smooth. You could probably use CO2 to move it through the lines, but it probably wouldn't be as good, and it'd be harder to get people to pay as much for it.
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Feb 17, 2016 22:35
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The roaster I used to work for was experimenting with carbonated cascara this summer, and apparently it turned out fairly well.
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Feb 18, 2016 02:04
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