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For the entirety of my thirty-two years, I have hated coffee. Couldn't stand it. My wife loves coffee though, so this year for Christmas, I decided to get her some swag. I started researching in November and eventually decided to get her a Baratza Virtuoso, a Bonavita temperature-control electric kettle, a V60, a Clever Coffee Dripper, an AeroPress, and a Chemex. (We already had a food scale, but it only goes to the nearest gram, so I am going to order a better one.) In all of my research, I read dozens of times that most folks that "hate coffee" actually just hate lovely coffee. I decided that I'd give it another try, this time with better ingredients, equipment, and know-how. I was shocked when the first coffee I made with the AeroPress was actually - gulp - enjoyable. What the gently caress? I thought I hated coffee? After a few days of drinking AeroPress coffee, this morning I decided to try the V60, fully expecting my first few thousand cups to suck. Imagine my surprise when, to my palate anyway, they tasted better than my AeroPress efforts. I really enjoyed my V60 coffee this morning, so much so that I had four cups of it. (Coffee hater my rear end.) "Great," you say, "but why are you loving up the thread?" Well, as a new coffee drinker, I have a few questions, and I wanted my back-story and equipment list to help inform your answers. - How bad are Starbucks beans, really? Full disclosure - I have a family member that manages a Starbucks, so I can get them for free due to their weekly mark-out. I'm not averse to spending money on this (see above), and I just placed an order with Intelligentsia, so I know there are better beans out there. Still, are they really that bad? (Not looking for a tear-down of Starbucks in general, they treat my family member right so let's keep the scope to the beans and away from the "gently caress Starbucks they kill small shops", please.) - After brewing in the V60-02 this morning, I noticed that the bed of grounds was very much not-flat (uniform). I attribute this to pour velocity. Is this really a big deal? For my third go-round, I brewed a double batch, and the grounds were in much better shape afterward. I suspect this is because I can get closer to the top of the bed, since it's closer to the top of the brewer. This makes me think that, for single cups, a V60-01 is the way to go. Thoughts? Am I on track here? - I'm worried about bean storage. I ordered 36 ounces of beans from Intelligentsia and I want to have appropriate storage for them once they arrive. Earlier in the thread (this page I think), the Friis Coffee Vault was linked. If I snag a couple of these, am I in good shape? In the meantime, with my bag of Starbucks beans, can I just dump them in a mason jar and store it with the beer I'm aging in my basement? (Cool, dark, dry.) - What advice would you give to someone just beginning their coffee journey? Did I miss anything particularly important? Other than trying out/perfecting all of the methods I listed (and the french presses that she already has), what am I missing? I will cop to not reading all 117 pages of this thread - just the first few, and the last few - so hopefully this isn't too terribly redundant of a post.
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Dec 31, 2013 23:14
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Google Butt posted:Wait till you try the ccd, I bet it becomes your favorite. You really need the filtropa filters to make it shine, though. You can search my post history in this thread if you're looking for a brewing procedure. I have some Melitta filters I picked up at BB&B for like $3, those will certainly be the first I try with the CCD, but I had seen your prior recommendation for Filtropa and it is on my short list. Same with the "hgdb", I first saw it mentioned a few pages back and have been reading up a bit. I have a somewhat-covered porch off my kitchen so I think I have a good spot to roast too. I am not at all averse to trying this. I have also read about the "one week at a time" rule. I guess I should mention that my wife and I just had our first baby three weeks ago so right now our need for coffee is pretty high. (What the hell is sleep?) I am still learning how much I'll be drinking but between the two of us we are nearly through the one-pound bag that I got to start, and I just opened it on Friday. Does a pound a week sound insane for two people? I guess it's not because I really don't feel like I've been drinking that much, and she hasn't either. One other question I had but forgot to ask: I have an 80-mile round-trip commute, and I'd like to take coffee to work with me and keep it hot. Thermos recommendations? Some googling this morning turned me on to "Thermos Nissan". Is this the way to go, or should I look at something else? I would like it to stay hot for a 40-mile one-way commute (the better part of an hour), and then probably for 2-3 hours afterward, ideally. Let's say I'd like to transport something in the neighborhood of 20 ounces.
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Dec 31, 2013 23:39
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I brewed a cup in the CCD according to these directions. It turned out good, but not great. I preferred my V60 brews this morning, but I could have gotten lucky this morning and unlucky this evening. I'll make another cup after dinner and see how it comes out. Google Butt, those were the instructions you were referring to, right? Edit - second batch came out pretty excellent, so it's very possible I boned something up first time around. It's also very possible that my beans are starting to go. The second batch was a freshly opened bag of (sorry, guys) Starbucks Sumatra. (Hey, poo poo is free, okay? And it gives me something to practice my technique with.) My wife drinks Sumatra brewed at Starbucks pretty regularly and she said that mine from the CCD was better. I'll take it! becoming fucked around with this message at 04:49 on Jan 1, 2014 |
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Jan 1, 2014 02:03
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le capitan posted:Someone needs to start a pour-over coffee chain. 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. Any other SBUX goons do french press/pour-over in their stores? I literally had no idea about this until I asked last night, and she's been managing one for nearly four years. It almost seems like their dirty little secret.
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Jan 2, 2014 19:57
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I just made my first batch of french press coffee. I medium-slowly added 500g of 94ºC water to 32g of coarsely ground Starbucks Sumatra (shaddup). I gave it a few gentle stirs to ensure all grounds were wet, then placed the lid on. 4:15 after the water first hit the grounds, I removed the lid, broke the crust, then put the lid back on and very slowly plunged. I immediately poured into my (shamefully not pre-heated) mug. Result: this is blowing my tits off. A verrrrrrrry slight hint of bitterness, but nothing a palate that wasn't attuned to it would pick up. Probably the easiest drinking coffee I've ever had. Absolutely cannot wait to try real coffee in this. Any other recommended french press recipes? I just went with the ratio I found on Intelligentsia's site.
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Jan 3, 2014 17:55
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I've been loving around with the Chemex that I bought for my wife for Christmas and finally got what I would call a "really good" batch of coffee out of it. Basic recipe I've been following: 44g, ~120g bloom for 45 seconds, 700g total pour, aim to finish the pour at 3:30-4:00, toss the filter and grounds once drips have slowed to every second or so. First batch I did, I had my Virtuoso set to 18. It was drinkable, but not great. Second batch, 20. Still too bitter, in my opinion. Same with 25. My wife's review of that batch was "it's pretty good, maybe a little too bitter but still very drinkable". I don't want "very drinkable" coffee, I want to blow her tits off. So this morning I went to 28 on the grinder, and now I am in the ballpark. Result is a fairly stout cup of coffee with no real bitterness, allowing the other flavors to come through. Admittedly, with these Starbucks beans, there are not a whole lot of other flavors that I'm picking up, but it's been by far the best batch I've gotten out of the Chemex. Most importantly, her review was "really good, much better than yesterday's." Question: how coarse are you typically grinding for Chemex? My draw-down still finishes fairly late, even with a grind this coarse - somewhere around the 6:15 mark (finished pour at 4:00 exactly), I was still getting two drips/second, so I called it there and threw the filter & grounds. I'll try a batch in a day or two up at 30 just to see where we're at, but I am a bit concerned about under-extracting. My Intelligentsia order is due to arrive tomorrow. Like a kid on Christmas eve, this guy.
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Jan 6, 2014 16:22
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I think this is actually great discussion and not at all boring. I bought my wife the Virtuoso for her birthday and after falling down the rabbit hole myself, I have been wondering whether I should have stepped up to the Vario. Yesterday I started reading more about it and thought "man, this really seems more geared toward espresso". I'm glad that it's been confirmed by an actual person. That's really good to know.
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Jan 7, 2014 15:57
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Steve Yun posted:I'm not sure if I'm reading that right... do you think someone wanting to do espresso and coarse grinds should get a Preciso or two grinders? I interpreted it as "buy one grinder for press/pour-over and another for espresso", since he wrote "I think an espresso capable grinder while still achieving press pot/pourover does not exist." That having been said, if you're willing to swap out the burrs every time you grind, I'll bet the Vario is pretty ace.
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Jan 7, 2014 22:40
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I got three bags from Intelligentsia - Organic Kurimi, Ruvumbu Rwanda, and Anjilanaka. After smelling all three bags, I decided to open the Kurimi first, because it smelled like sex. Made a batch in the Clever this morning, drank it... and immediately made another batch. This is my first premium coffee and to say that it redefined for me what coffee could be might be an understatement. Mind blowing.Bobx66 posted:Make sure the 3 ply portion of the filter is facing the spout. The extra stability ensures that airflow gets through and increases the drip rate. If you leave the single ply facing the spout the spout will be sealed resulting in a vacuum which could be causing your slow drip. I watched about a dozen how-to-Chemex videos before I first brewed with it, so this is definitely not the issue I'm having. Three-ply section always is centered over the spout. This is a good tip for folks just cracking open their Chemex, though - make sure the three-ply side covers the spout, to keep the filter from collapsing into it. I suspect grahm is right, and it's just the Starbucks beans. I'll try it tomorrow with the Intelligentsia beans and see how it goes.
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Jan 8, 2014 17:28
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Bobx66 posted:I'm considering ordering roasted beans on Amazon. Looking at Intelligentsia it seems like they vacuum pack their beans but the roast date is typically 2 months prior to the ship date. Some guy keeps commenting that the vacuum pack saves them from aging or degrading. I can get freshly roasted beans nearby, just not Intelligentsia, should I bother ordering? My coffee was roasted on January 2 and showed up on January 7. That includes a weather delay which backed off delivery by a day, and a weekend, when UPS did jack and poo poo, in that order. Depending on where you live, I would expect you receive your coffee 2-3 days after it's roasted. Edit - I should note that I ordered directly from Intelligentsia. They had a free shipping deal over the holidays. I ordered on December 31, and I remember they had a warning that my order wouldn't be roasted/shipped for a few days due to the new year. Edit again - checking my tracking, it was prepared for shipment in Chicago on January 2, UPS appears to have actually received it in January 3 at 10 PM (Friday), it got stuck in Maumee, OH for three days due to weather (January 4-6), then they got it to me in Maryland on January 7 at 11 AM. becoming fucked around with this message at 20:41 on Jan 8, 2014 |
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Jan 8, 2014 20:18
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So I am sitting here at work, it is 4 PM, my newborn is kicking my rear end all over the place, and thus I am seriously dragging right now. I am very seriously considering putting together a "make good coffee at work" rig. What I've got here: a Bunn Single Axiom 15 drip coffee maker that keeps water at 200ºF (so basically, I've just got my hot water source), and someone has a Breville Café Roma ESP8XL espresso machine that they've left in the kitchen for common use. I'm thinking that I don't want to bother bringing in a gooseneck kettle, so pour-over is probably out. I want to leave it here at work, so I don't want to spend a ton of money. As I run this idea through my admittedly barely-functioning brain, I come up with the following parts list: a cheap scale, a hand grinder, and probably a Clever dripper. Question: which is better overall, the Skerton or the Mini Mill? Is there another hand grinder that I should seriously consider?
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Jan 8, 2014 22:16
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o muerte posted:So my Virtuoso just arrived in the mail - any gotchas about it that I should look out for? Mine had the internal rings misaligned, so the hopper would not seat properly. At first I didn't realize this, and thought I just needed to turn the hopper with Hulk strength. Once I realized what was going on, I reached in with my fingers and rotated them around until it would seat. You should never have to do that again, and it only takes a few seconds, but if you didn't realize it/made the same mistake I did, you could put too much force on the hopper and strip one of the tits on the side. Fortunately I realized before I did any real damage. If the hopper seats level and turns freely (clicks between settings) then you are good to go.
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Jan 9, 2014 00:02
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Ground up 44g of Intelligentsia Organic Kurimi this morning. Went with a 22 on the Virtuoso, and brewed it with the Chemex. It came out pretty good, but it was still a very slow draw-down. It was probably slightly over-extracted, though I didn't taste bitterness in it. I didn't enjoy it quite as much as I enjoyed the same coffee from the CCD yesterday morning. I'll bump the grind up a bit for tomorrow's Chemex batch and see how that comes out. I've started keeping a log book with my preparations and tasting notes. I want to be able to replicate particularly excellent batches, so I figure that's the smartest way. I'm currently logging coffee type, brew method, grind settings, amount of coffee, amount of water for bloom, length of bloom, amount of water added for the brew, length of pour, and length of draw-down. Anything I am missing? Mu Zeta posted:The Skerton sucks because it has no top cover. Adjusting the Skerton is also a hassle and guessing game. With the Mini Mill you can go nuts and grind really fast without problems. I also recommend the Porlex Mini mill. It's $40 on Amazon and looks way cooler than the Harios. As far as the internals I'm convinced the Hario and Porlex Mini mills are identical. They work exactly the same. This is great feedback, and I appreciate it. After you posted, I went and read more user reviews, and almost all of them agreed with you, so that settles that. I actually slightly prefer the look of the Hario Mini Mill, so that's what I'll go with. Bonus that it's a little cheaper. Through a shipping snafu with Amazon, I have a spare AeroPress, so that might become my work brewer. Just need a little case to hold the whole shebang and I'll be set.
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Jan 9, 2014 18:33
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Hollis Brown posted:Water temperature if you have an accurate way to measure it and of course, an enjoyment level. Yeah, I'm an idiot. I was listing them from memory. Definitely logging temperature, and then writing tasting notes below all the stats. Sure did forget to mention those two. I'm in Maryland and work fairly near Annapolis, home to Ceremony Coffee. Has anyone here had any experience with their beans? I am thinking about making a trip down there in the next week or two, once my Intelligentsia runs out.
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Jan 9, 2014 21:01
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Timid posted:On the same topic: I asked a page ago but got no responses, has anyone been to Mad City Coffee in Columbia, MD? Google reviews seem to indicate that it's meh. They are on my way home. I'm willing to stop and check them out, take one for the team.
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Jan 9, 2014 21:31
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Timid posted:Ah thanks a lot! I saw the meh reviews too, but I was kinda hoping that their beans would be at least decent. I was planning on buying a backup bag from them some time in the future. It's the closest coffee roaster/shop to where I live, but I don't really have a reliable way to get there at the moment. I've read good things about Ceremony though, so hopefully you'll get some good beans. No problem. I'll swing by tomorrow on my way home. Any bean in particular that you want me to check out? I'm thinking the Yirga Cheffe, but I'm open to suggestion. becoming fucked around with this message at 22:09 on Jan 9, 2014 |
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Jan 9, 2014 22:03
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I'm sure you guys know how it is, but being that coffee is a new hobby for me, I have been spending hours each day reading. I went back and re-read the first few pages of this thread the other day, and decided that I'd like to give cold brewing a try. The Toddy looks pretty awesome, but as pointed out on page one, it's not absolutely necessary. I've already got a bunch of mason jars for canning, so I'm gonna give it a go. Question: what is a good water-to-grounds ratio for cold brewing? Toddy recommends 9 cups of water to 1 pound of beans, which comes out to a 4.7-to-1 mixture. Nick Griffith suggests 8-to-1. Anyone that's doing this in mason jars have an opinion they care to share? Also, my planned method is this: put water in jar, grind beans, put beans in jar, put top on jar, let sit for 12-14 hours per Nick Griffith's suggestion, put filter in CCD and rinse, put CCD on top of second jar, pour first jar through CCD. Sounds easier than buying cheesecloth and all that nonsense. Any obvious problems with that plan? script kitty posted:I live in Maryland and go there for their drinks and beans whenever I have the chance. I think they're fantastic. Don't skip that one. Although the inside looks kinda gaudy and strange. Thanks. A friend of mine goes to church with the owner and personally knows the head roaster, so I wasn't sure whether to write off his rave reviews. Good to hear from a goon. I also saw that they are mentioned on The Wirecutter's Coffee Gear article. All in all, sounds like it's worth the short trip down there. becoming fucked around with this message at 15:53 on Jan 10, 2014 |
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Jan 10, 2014 15:46
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For the first cold brew batch, I put 100g of french press grind into 450g of water. I'm going to do another one now and put 70g into 500g of water (to get your ratio, Hollis Brown). I'll do a third alongside these two and do 62.5g of beans into 500g water, for a 1-to-8. I am sitting on, no joke, about twenty pounds of Starbucks beans, so I am willing to make a bunch of batches and experiment. Edit - hosed up and stopped paying attention while pouring the last batch, so instead of 1-to-8, we're looking at 1-to-10. We'll see how this goes. beanbrew posted:Also try Ceremony's Worka. Hella juicy. That is exactly the one my friend was raving about yesterday. I plan to swing by and pick up a bag once I'm getting near the end of my Intelligentsia stash. becoming fucked around with this message at 17:44 on Jan 10, 2014 |
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Jan 10, 2014 16:50
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the Gaffe posted:Hello I recently learned that I enjoy coffee enough that I want to make it at home. There's so many options in the OP that I don't know where I should start This happened to me a little less than a month ago. BLUF: hard to go wrong with a Clever dripper and a hand grinder. For under $50 shipped from Amazon, you can make pretty kick-rear end coffee in just a few minutes. This is pretty much the cheapest you can get out of this and still get kick-rear end coffee, and it's fairly difficult to gently caress up with the Clever - it's very forgiving. You also need kick-rear end coffee beans to get kick-rear end coffee. Everyone recommends that you find a local roaster and that is the right answer, but you can also order really great stuff online and have it with a few days of its roast. I started by drinking Starbucks beans and despite all the flak they get, I absolutely enjoy a cup of their Sumatra made in the Clever, but I will concede that the fact that they are free to me (relative works there, gets them as her weekly mark-out) probably clouds my judgement. Longer answer: it's very easy to fall down this rabbit hole. There are a lot of really great and fairly inexpensive options available for making coffee. I'll get to those in a minute. First, the most important thing is a grinder. My experience has confirmed this for me, and everyone here will tell you the same thing. Grinding your beans right before you brew is pretty much essential to that fresh coffee taste. Get a good hand grinder for now, and if you can afford it later, upgrade to one of the recommended electric grinders later. I myself have a Baratza Virtuoso and it is, as the kids say, The Tits. As long as you're getting a consistent grind (good hand grinder, ~$30, or good electric burr grinder, $significantly more), it doesn't cost a lot to make great coffee. The Clever dripper is $22 and filters for it are pretty inexpensive as well; as I said, it's nearly impossible to gently caress up. You can get a perfectly serviceable french press for $15, and (in my opinion anyway) french pressed coffee is pretty superb (also hard to gently caress up, but you need a good consistent coarse grind). A Chemex is a bit more pricey at ~$40 depending on size, and its filters cost more than Clever's filters do, but it's a great way to make up to 50 ounces of coffee at a time, and yes, it does look loving cool (still fairly forgiving, but probably not quite as much as the Clever). I'm also a big fan of the Hario V60; it's about $8, filters are relatively inexpensive, and it's produced the best cups of coffee I've ever had. On the downside, it absolutely requires a gooseneck kettle, which will set you back between $50 (stovetop model) and $100 (electric model that will allow you to set exactly what temperature you want the water to be, hold the water at that temperature for up to an hour). The V60 is also fairly easy to screw up, and until you get the hang of it, expect the quality of your coffee to be inconsistent. The AeroPress is a fairly popular option; it's about $26 at Amazon or Bed Bath & Beyond, filters are dirt cheap (they should be, they're tiny), and it's pretty easy to make a kickass cuppa joe. Clean-up is trivial on all of these with the exception of the french press, which is a bit more involved, but still not particularly challenging or time consuming. Cold brewed coffee doesn't need to be consumed cold; it's concentrated, so all you need to do is mix it with hot water. I had some of my cold brewed coffee this way when I got up today, and then had some more in the afternoon mixed with milk and with a touch of stevia. All you need to cold brew is a grinder and a mason jar; that's all I'm using, and I'm making great coffee this way. I agree with the recommendation that you buy a scale. I bought one for about $20 that is accurate to 0.1g, and I consider it money well spent. I make all of my coffee drinks on the scale; coffee is all about ratios, and brewing on a scale is an easy way to ensure you have your ratios right. I actually think The Wirecutter has it nailed: there is no best coffee gear because there is no single best way to make coffee. All of them have their merits. I've got everything I've listed above, and I'm still thinking about picking up a Moka pot and a Kalita Wave, and I'm daydreaming about a siphon brewer. My point is that if you find you really enjoy it, you're probably going to wind up with more than one brewer, so which one you get first probably matters less than you think. Here are some numbers for each brewing method, since budget might matter. Grinder: $28 for a Hario hand grinder. No getting around this, you need a grinder for all methods. If you can afford it, the Baratza Encore (~$100 refurb from their site) is a very popular option. Scale: $19. I got this one. This isn't absolutely required, but it's highly recommended for the sake of consistency. Clever: $22 for the Clever, $3.50 for 100 Melitta filters at Bed Bath & Beyond, or a few bucks more for the Filtropa filters shipped from Sweet Maria's. AeroPress: $26 for the AeroPress, comes with a year's supply of filters. $2.99 for 350 more filters, add-on item at Amazon. V60: $8 for the brewer, $7.45 for 100 filters, $50 for the Hario Buono gooseneck kettle (you absolutely need a gooseneck for pour-over). Chemex: $41 for the 10-cup brewer, $10 for 100 filters. I'd strongly consider getting a gooseneck kettle for Chemex, but I have read of folks getting away without one. I got the handle version instead of the wood collar, since it's one less thing to clean/worry about replacing. I think the wood collar looks sexier, though. French press: $20 for a Bodum 8-cup press at Starbucks. You probably know someone that works there, in which case, $14, as they get a 30% discount. I'm happy to answer any "fellow newbie coffee hobbyist" questions that I can, and I wish you the best of luck and many years of excellent coffee. becoming fucked around with this message at 05:10 on Jan 13, 2014 |
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Jan 13, 2014 04:41
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It seems the recommended choices are one of the pour overs, or the 'Clever Coffee Dripper'. Any input on which I should get, having never even pressed the brew button on a drip machine?
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the Gaffe posted:Oh gosh, thanks for the large write-up! I think I may end up going with the CCD and a hand grinder. While I can see its one-cup limit being a problem one day, I don't think it will be any time soon. At least with this it's a small investment as well, I've be known to spend too much on a sudden interest only for it to go away soon after. Pretty sure Mu Zeta is in the SF area, so he can recommend some good roasters, if you haven't offended him too terribly with your choice of CCD over Chemex. (You'll wind up with a Chemex one day anyway, they are awesome.) If you get the Large CCD, you can make a fairly large cup of coffee. I usually do 20g of beans to 340g of water, and there's still room left for more. Can't wait to hear about your experience. I hated coffee until I had quality poo poo that I brewed myself. The gulf between typical drip coffee you buy and a carefully crafted cup from your Clover (alliteration rocks) is pretty vast. You'll enjoy this.
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Jan 13, 2014 05:56
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Doc Hawkins posted:Ignoring the cost of the popper and the time you spend doing it, is buying green and roasting a lot cheaper, or just a tiny bit cheaper? Loads and loads cheaper, from my research. 5lb bag of Organic Kurimi from Intelligentsia, roasted - $93.00 5lb Ethiopia Dry-Process Chelelektu Yirga Cheffe from Sweet Maria's, green - $30.45 edit - ^^^ What he said. But green coffee keeps for a while, so you'd probably be buying in bulk, whereas you likely wouldn't buy roasted in bulk, since it goes "stale" so quickly.
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Jan 14, 2014 18:50
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Timid posted:On the same topic: I asked a page ago but got no responses, has anyone been to Mad City Coffee in Columbia, MD? I wanted to follow up on this: my friend dumped a bag of Ceremony's Worka on my desk, and I'm still going through my Intelligentsia order, so I have been waiting on Mad City for a little bit. The Worka is gonna be gone crazy soon because it is freaking ridiculously good, and then I think after I finish my Ruvumbu Rwanda, I am grabbing the Mad City. I do intend to follow back on this, I swear.  Also, if you need some help getting rid of your roasted beans, do let me know. (Heat gun arrived yesterday; just waiting on my beans from Sweet Maria's and I'll be doing the KitchenAid method.)
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Jan 16, 2014 00:33
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Timid posted:Take your time dude! And now you got me pretty interested in this Worka stuff. Next time I'm in Annapolis (which probably won't be until a couple of months when I visit family) I'll definitely try and snag me some of that. Before I opened the bag it was in, before I even got to my desk, I was like "man, it smells like blackberries in here". It is ridiculous. Where are you located? If you are along my commute - or not too far out of the way - I'm happy to drop off a bag. After tax it was about $17, and I'll go ahead and say that it was worth it. I want to get a few more of their coffees since this one has hit me just right.
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Jan 16, 2014 06:45
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Timid posted:I'm in Laurel right now I work just outside of Laurel off of 198. Obviously I can't force you to buy a bag of Worka off me but it doesn't sound like it would be too inconvenient of a drive for me. My friend works with me and lives in Annapolis so it's not a big deal for him to grab beans. Let me know. I don't get to Towson too frequently these days, but if I wind up being there with a few days advance notice, I'll shoot you a note. Bean exchange we can do. Once I'm up and running we'll work out the details.
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Jan 16, 2014 14:47
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vaginal culture posted:I've had to give up my daily latte because of the heartburn it leads to. Has anyone dealt with something like this? I'm sad about it. I've got a friend that is a coffee nut but has had to change his habits because of the heartburn. Cold brewing has helped, as has switching to less acidic beans (Sumatran beans are a staple for him). Have you tried either of these options? I know cold brew doesn't specifically help, but making the espresso with less-acidic beans could do the trick. If you're buying the drink already made, request they do the shot(s) with different beans. My wife also recommends Tums. While she was pregnant, coffee was a problem for her. Tums helped.
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Jan 16, 2014 18:33
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A friend on Facebook gave me a pretty good chuckle last night, and I thought some here would appreciate it.becoming's friend posted:Dear Starbucks, 1 Tbsp for 8 ounces of water! Forget 1:17, because 1:45 is roaring in and taking over! I posted a restrained response stating that, despite their flaws, Starbucks was right on this one, and that she might want to try it and see whether she likes it. Then I had a really good laugh at her indignation. becoming fucked around with this message at 16:24 on Jan 19, 2014 |
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Jan 19, 2014 16:22
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Bob_McBob posted:Is your friend actually even using 64 fl oz of water? That is a huge amount of water for a home brewer. The coffee "cup" used in almost all coffee-related equipment and gadgets is about 4 fl oz. No clue. Haven't watched her make coffee and after her description, have no interest in being there when she does. 
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Jan 20, 2014 00:56
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o muerte posted:Take it apart and wash it with soap? I don't know why you'd avoid using soap on something that's covered in coffee oils. There are a fair number of moka pot lovers that advise letting a coating build up on the inside. As I don't have one I haven't done a whole ton of reading on the subject, but it's certainly not unheard of to avoid using soap in a moka pot.
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Jan 23, 2014 18:50
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eggrolled posted:Any recommendations for a variable temperature electric kettle/hot water boiler? I need a gift for someone who won't have access to a stove but still wants to make themselves coffee (and tea) at specific water temps. I was eyeing the 1L gooseneck Bonavita electric kettle, but some of the negative reviews on Amazon have me worried. I have this kettle and I'm happy with it. I will caveat this by saying that we've only had it for a month, so as far as overall durability, I probably can't be of much help. However, during that month it has gotten pretty heavy use and hasn't left me wanting. Most days I will use it 3-4 times; on heavy usage days, 8-10. I am happy with the build quality - no crooked spouts or anything like that. I leave it empty for the most part, but am not religious about this - it has definitely sat for hours with water in it. Overall I'm pleased with it and would make the purchase again. I'm happy to answer any questions you might have.
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Jan 23, 2014 20:49
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Canine Blues Arooo posted:From my understanding of things, This (Bonavita Electric Kettle) would be unideal since we don't want to boil. Instead, it'd be wise to pick up this: Bonavita Electric Kettle w/Temp settings, correct? In my opinion, it comes down to what you place value on. For me, two things made it worth the extra $40. The first is being able to set a temperature, as I do drink a fair amount of different teas, and most teas require different temperatures (rooibus, black, oolong, green/white are all different). It may also interest you to play around with different temperatures for coffee, as a growing number of folks are finding that the standard 195-205º F isn't as set-in-stone as it once was (80ºC/175ºF and 89ºC/192ºF both come up somewhat regularly). The second reason is that I like the temperature hold feature. I'm frequently heating water while doing something else, and I appreciate having the water at the correct temperature once I'm ready. If you do decide against the temperature-control model, consider whether you'll be happy without having a thermometer to measure the water temperature. When I was boiling on my stovetop, I bought a thermometer to make sure the water was in the correct range, because I'm anally retentive like that. While a thermometer is useful for more than telling water temperature, it also gets you close to the price of the temperature control model. Just something to consider. Your choice of the Baratza Encore is a good one, and I would make that upgrade. I have the Hario Mini Mill for my at-work rig and it's fine for doing a cup here and there, but I much prefer using the electric grinder at home. The scale you linked is popular for good reason. I suspect quite a few of us have that very one. It is money well spent. The ceramic V60 will suck more heat away from the water you're pouring in. If you really care about this, you can pre-heat it to an extent. Some people don't care, some do. Another option is to get the (cheaper) plastic model. Not that price is really a big deal on the V60 plastic models, but I'd get the 01 over the 02 if you're not going to be brewing big batches. You can get much closer to the bed of grounds on the 01, which means (for me anyway) a better pour, and the water isn't splashing as much. I bought the 02 first and then bought the 01 a few weeks later. I use the 01 probably 80% of the time, and every time when I'm only making 500ml/17oz (or less) of coffee. The refurb Encore, temperature control kettle, scale, plastic V60, and filters will set you back about $235, so that's a bit outside of your stated budget. With practice, however, you'll be making the best coffee you've ever had. For me it was worth it.
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Jan 24, 2014 13:00
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Did the Loucks "stick heat gun on KitchenAid" roasting method. (While it was going, my MasterControl-roasted coffee showed up. Go figure.) Anyway, the setup: - Heat gun's wire holder hooked into the meat-grinder-cover-retention-screw, just like outlined in this post. - Mixer on lowest speed setting - Wagner HT1000 on highest heat setting - Dumped in 1/2lb of a SM Yirgacheffe Potential problem - I didn't hear first crack. I let it run for about 45 minutes. Yeah, no poo poo. The beans got brown, but I wonder if the gun was too far away from them or what. With only 1/2 lb, they topped out at a few inches from the end of the gun. I've got 24oz left, so I could do the same size roast that Loucks did, but I'll need to wait a few days until I've cleared out some of the storage cans. Suggestions? Overall, pretty bummed, but it's only a few bucks of coffee and the house didn't burn down, so I'll take it.
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Jan 24, 2014 22:40
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nwin posted:How far away was the gun from the beans? I ran into the same problem using the dog bowl method and it wasn't close enough (I think 1/2" is preferred?) It was a few inches. I didn't measure exactly. I did hook it up precisely as Loucks instructed, but I believe I didn't roast enough beans, so none of them were particularly close to the gun. I will hear first crack over the mixer and heat gun, right? There should be no way I'd miss it, I think.
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Jan 24, 2014 22:55
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Mr SuperAwesome posted:so yeah what sort of coffee makers are automatable and not lovely and <£100 or so The Bonavita BV1800 is pretty well reviewed, and could probably be rigged up as you describe. Another option is the Zojirushi EC-BD15BA, which doesn't even need to be rigged up to do that (supports it!) but I think the consensus is that it doesn't make quite as good a cup as the Bonavita. Still, it sure is inexpensive! A third option that you didn't ask for: get a Thermos Nissan vacuum-insulated bottle and make your coffee the night before in that. I know you said you're lazy, so maybe this is a non-starter, but I can make coffee, put it in that bottle, and it's still too hot to drink twelve hours later. Plus, portability, for when you'll be waking up somewhere other than home. Just a thought.
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Jan 27, 2014 15:35
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Doh004 posted:Partially. Now you need to drink at least 2 cups every morning and another in the afternoon just to make it through the day. I just did the math, and I'm going through about 130g of beans per day, so a standard 12oz bag will last me 2.68 days. This does not include my wife, who also has a pretty bitchin' coffee habit. Moral of the story: being an adult is expensive.
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Jan 28, 2014 18:26
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Doc Hawkins posted:Two pounds a week is past the point where you'd save money by home-roasting. Yep, have some Yirgacheffe de-gasing right now. Thinking about getting myself a Behmor and just setting it up in my workshop, but for now I'll keep on with the HG and the DB.
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Jan 28, 2014 22:12
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BlueInkAlchemist posted:Bonus time is upgrade time. I'm thinking of upgrading the home small Smart dripper to a Chemex (6 or 8 cup), getting an Aeropress and a kettle for work, and I'm eyeing up this grinder. Anybody use something similar? How are Capresso products in general? I like my Skerton quite a bit but an automatic would speed up the process of getting the coffee out of the bean and into my face. On the Chemex front, I have the 10-cup with glass handle. I think the wood collar is sexier, but I wanted the easiest thing to clean. Several long-term reviews online have mentioned issues with the wood collar, specifically the need to take it off before cleaning (or the leather and wood gets dorked up). May be a concern for you, may not be. If you didn't know, now you do! I really like my Chemex, and while I don't brew exclusively with it, it is firmly entrenched in my morning routine on work days - 50g beans + 850ml water yields a full 16oz Zojirushi insulated travel mug (to drink after I get to work) and about 12oz to drink on the way to work. If you have the space, I'd recommend you get the biggest size - you can always brew a smaller batch. Do you have a gooseneck kettle at home? You can get by without one for Chemex, but I personally am much happier using a gooseneck with it. Bonus option: Hario V60-01 (plastic) and filters will set you back about $15, but it absolutely requires a gooseneck.
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Jan 29, 2014 18:00
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Anyone else here back the Duo coffee steeper? I'm actually fairly excited to get this in a few months. At that price I could just buy a Kone to use with my Chemex - and I probably will anyway - but I saw this a few weeks ago and couldn't help myself. Any thoughts on it? Reasons why I'm crazy for spending money on it? (Note: not affiliated with them, don't get anything if you back, just think it looks cool and was curious what everyone else thought.)
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Jan 29, 2014 22:20
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Doh004 posted:Seems like a CCD with a built in carafe... it's cool but I'm not sure if I'd use it. CCD with a built-in carafe, a greater capacity, and allows the oils to pass through. Another way to look at it would be "french press without the silt". What sold me was, I love pressed coffee but the fines over-extract. It's not a problem if I drink it right away, but when when I put it in my thermos to take to work, it's definitely noticeable. I've stopped pressing coffee unless I'm drinking it immediately. My hope is that the Duo gives me a cup of coffee that tastes mostly like pressed coffee, but without the over-extraction that happens after-the-fact. I don't drink the last sip of pressed coffee so the sludge doesn't bother me, but the bitterness sure does.
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Jan 29, 2014 23:48
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BlueInkAlchemist posted:Yeah, I've been watching the refubs but so far I've only seen the two. It's been about a week. If I can get a few years of use out of an Infinity I'm all for it. I am sure you know this, but in case you don't: refurbs come up on Thursday. I have seen Encores a few times over the last month or so, but they always go pretty quickly. I'd check tomorrow morning.
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Jan 30, 2014 00:46
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BlueInkAlchemist posted:Will do. Thanks for the reminder! Also, in your routine, do you end up with 16 oz for your mug AND 12 oz to drink at work? That's a lot of brew! Well, about 12 to drink on the way to work and 16 to drink after I arrive, but yes. I have a 40 mile commute. I usually drink about 40 ounces of water on the drive in addition to the coffee. Always drinkin'. Dukket posted:I have some questions for folks with a Baratza Encore. What numbers do you like for Aeropress and French press? Baratza gives some conflicting info I have a Virtuoso; not the same, but probably pretty close. I grind at 40 for the press pot, 28 for Chemex, 18-20 for the Clever, 16 for V60 and AeroPress. I find it matters less for the CCD and AeroPress, as I can just adjust steep time to suit the grind. For press pot I go as coarse as possible to cut down on fines, but I'm still playing with grind size there.
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Jan 30, 2014 06:41
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