# The coffee thread



## SpaceBus (May 4, 2019)

Ashful said:


> Good eye!  That thing gets a serious workout on weekends, but during the week that Bunn A10 pour-over machine in the background does the heavy lifting.  It is a work horse, and still as good as the day it was purchased, I've lost count of how many thousands of pots I have run thru it.
> 
> Somewhere back in the history of this forum I think I tried starting a coffee thread, but it didn't take off.  I could probably use some new grinder advice, so maybe it's time to start another.
> 
> I used to think good beer was expensive... until I got into expresso.



I think a coffee thread could be fun, but it probably won't go far. If you think it's hard to find a good beer, good coffee is even worse. Most people will drink any hot brown water.


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## Jan Pijpelink (May 4, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> I think a coffee thread could be fun, but it probably won't go far. If you think it's hard to find a good beer, good coffee is even worse. Most people will drink any hot brown water.


That's why a roast my own beans, grind them and enjoy them. If I can see the bottom of my cup, it cannot be coffee.


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## SpaceBus (May 4, 2019)

Jan Pijpelink said:


> That's why a roast my own beans, grind them and enjoy them. If I can see the bottom of my cup, it cannot be coffee.


I hand grind beans but I've never roasted my own. I've made my own roasted nuts and such, I imagine the process is similar. I also use a French press every time I make coffee.


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## Jan Pijpelink (May 4, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> I hand grind beans but I've never roasted my own. I've made my own roasted nuts and such, I imagine the process is similar. I also use a French press every time I make coffee.


French press is okay. I am an espresso guy.


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## SpaceBus (May 4, 2019)

Jan Pijpelink said:


> French press is okay. I am an espresso guy.



I like espresso, but I don't like the cost of an espresso machine. Usually my wife and I drink dark roasts. We were getting a locally roasted brand called Counter Culture when we lived in NC, but it wasn't cheap. To date the best coffee I've ever had is a locally run place here in Maine that roasts free trade beans. Every shop in town carries it, and it's not bad at $14/bag.


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## Jan Pijpelink (May 4, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> I like espresso, but I don't like the cost of an espresso machine. Usually my wife and I drink dark roasts. We were getting a locally roasted brand called Counter Culture when we lived in NC, but it wasn't cheap. To date the best coffee I've ever had is a locally run place here in Maine that roasts free trade beans. Every shop in town carries it, and it's not bad at $14/bag.


I buy Costa Rica green beans at 8$/lb. My Saeco espresso maker, I bought used for $100. I bought a roaster for $100. The grinder was about $100.
Bought al of it in 2015. $300 are many SB trips, but it paid for itself.


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## SpaceBus (May 4, 2019)

Jan Pijpelink said:


> I buy Costa Rica green beans at 8$/lb. My Saeco espresso maker, I bought used for $100. I bought a roaster for $100. The grinder was about $100.
> Bought al of it in 2015. $300 are many SB trips, but it paid for itself.



Good finds! We rarely get coffee when away from home, and if on vacation we bring our coffee, grinder, and press. Bad coffee is worse than no coffee, sometimes.


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## begreen (May 4, 2019)

Since traveling in Colombia we started buying coffee from there thru Juan Valdez. Colombia has a lot of regional coffees. Some are quite good.


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## Jan Pijpelink (May 5, 2019)

My set up.


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## SpaceBus (May 5, 2019)

Just made a fresh pot!


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## begreen (May 5, 2019)

Jan Pijpelink said:


> My set up.



Nice setup. We grind our own, but with 3 local roasters we get the beans from them usually. 

Why Costa Rican beans? What do you like best about them vs others? Are they as regionally diverse as in other countries? The difference in taste, body and acidity between various coffee growing regions in Colombia surprised us.


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## Jan Pijpelink (May 5, 2019)

I have tried beans from Mexico, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Sumatra, Brazil, Guatamala and a few others. The Costa Rica beans have a low acidity and a fruity body. That's how I like my espresso. Sumatra is my second on the list, Mexico third.


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## begreen (May 5, 2019)

We have similar tastes. We found the Juan Valdez Organico hits the mark for low acidity with a robust full body. The Finca was also good, but a little more acidic. We are on their mailing list now. They have some good sales occasionally with free shipping.
https://www.juanvaldezcafestore.com/en/coffee/balanced/whole-bean/organic-coffee-500-g-17-oz
https://www.juanvaldezcafestore.com/en/coffee/bold/whole-bean/finca-coffee-500-g-17-oz


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## Jan Pijpelink (May 5, 2019)

begreen said:


> We have similar tastes. We found the Juan Valdez Organico hits the mark for low acidity with a robust full body. The Finca was also good, but a little more acidic. We are on their mailing list now. They have some good sales occasionally with free shipping.
> https://www.juanvaldezcafestore.com/en/coffee/balanced/whole-bean/organic-coffee-500-g-17-oz
> https://www.juanvaldezcafestore.com/en/coffee/bold/whole-bean/finca-coffee-500-g-17-oz


We have a local coffee roasting shop where I buy the green beans from. Not cheap at $7-9 per pound but worth it.


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## Ashful (May 5, 2019)

Cool!  I didn’t realize you actually started the thread!  We should throw a link in the beer thread.

Roasting your own is taking it to a whole other level, at least to do it well.  I’ve been buying from two local makers, which works fine for me, since they both label their bags with roasted on dates, and I can time the usage to the appropriate 4 - 12 days after roasting.  My favorite local roaster, who ships nationally, is La Colombe.

I’m grinding in a Baritza Virtuoso, which is fantastic in all regards, but not so convenient for filling portafilters.  If you haven’t tried a true burr grinder, what are you waiting for?  I used to try to use one of those cheapo blade grinders, but found that just buying ground was better, before investing in the Virtuoso.

I adore all espresso drinks, but since I have a regular office job and kids to get to school in the morning (and stoves to load!), I mostly only enjoy that on weekends.  I’m running a Gaggia classic, bone stock except the frothing wand.  My favorite drink is the macchiato, which is a double espresso shot in a 3 oz. espresso cup, topped with steamed milk.  Think of it like a hard latte.

During the week, I’m running a Bunn A10, which is a commercial maker small enough for home use.  I think they were mostly marketed toward small cafes and restaurants, which wanted a single-pot system, but it works great for home.  I highly recommend this machine, if you’re a daily coffee drinker, and want a machine actually capable of hitting optimum extraction temperature without getting into the crazy Italian machinery.  It’s not a great machine if you don’t use it daily, as it keeps the water hot, and the boil-off rate is noticeable when you don’t use it for a day.

The only down side is that the Gaggia and Bunn each pull about 10 amps, so I need to run another a circuit to the coffee counter.  Do consider this, if you’re planning on setting up some new machinery.  The Baratza grinder only pulls 1A.

I also enjoy French press, but since that used to be my weekend morning fun, I really haven’t made much time for it since buying the Gaggia.


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## Jan Pijpelink (May 5, 2019)

Ashful said:


> Cool!  I didn’t realize you actually started the thread!  We should throw a link in the beer thread.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


My roaster roasts about a standard peanut butter jar size of beans. Lasts me 3 days or so. Roasting takes 10 minutes for a dark roast. I do it outdoors as it will kick all smoke detectors on. I have a bur grinder from Capresso. The only thing I bought extra for the espresso machine is a heavy duty unpressurized portafilter.


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## Ashful (May 5, 2019)

Jan Pijpelink said:


> My roaster roasts about a standard peanut butter jar size of beans. Lasts me 3 days or so. Roasting takes 10 minutes for a dark roast. I do it outdoors as it will kick all smoke detectors on. I have a bur grinder from Capresso. The only thing I bought extra for the espresso machine is a heavy duty unpressurized portafilter.



Nice!  Unpressurized is where it’s at!  I went with the Gaggia because damn near every “how to” video I watched on packing unpressurized portafilters, and really anything else expresso, seemed to use that machine.  It came with two pressurized portafilters, but they’re still in the sealed shipping bag, and will probably stay there.  [emoji851]

How long do you let your beans sit after roasting?

Ever try one of those portafilter funnels, or does your grinder have a portafilter holder?


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## Jan Pijpelink (May 5, 2019)

Ashful said:


> Nice!  Unpressurized is where it’s at!  I went with the Gaggia because damn near every “how to” video I watched on packing unpressurized portafilters, and really anything else expresso, seemed to use that machine.  It came with two pressurized portafilters, but they’re still in the sealed shipping bag, and will probably stay there.  [emoji851]
> 
> How long do you let your beans sit after roasting?
> 
> Ever try one of those portafilter funnels, or does your grinder have a portafilter holder?



My espresso machine has an active heating plate on top; I keep one double wall glass and my portafilter on there, so they are always warm. Roasted beans start to get (slightly) stale after 4-5 days, so I roast for 3-4 days worth of beans.


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## SpaceBus (May 5, 2019)

If I could find a good source for unroasted beans I would consider it. Unfortunately I don't have a good covered outdoor spot to roast them in anyway. After reading these responses I'll have to keep an eye out for a good deal on an unpasteurized espresso machine. At least the local roasting company keeps everyone stocked up and nothing stays on the shelf for long. 

Before my wife and I lived together, I didn't even drink coffee. Many years in the army gave coffee a bad taste. Most soldiers drink the strongest folgers brew that will still pour and leave the carafe on the hot plate all day. They just keep adding to the coffee usually. Of course this means the "coffee" is little more than caffeinated mud water. My wife showed me coffee could actually taste good!


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## Ashful (May 5, 2019)

Jan Pijpelink said:


> My espresso machine has an active heating plate on top; I keep one double wall glass and my portafilter on there, so they are always warm. Roasted beans start to get (slightly) stale after 4-5 days, so I roast for 3-4 days worth of beans.



Interesting.  I really have no opinion on this, since I don’t roast my own, but most hobbyist roasters seem to let them sit at least 4 days after roasting, claiming peak timing is 4 - 10 days.  It might be worth a try since you have the means to do it.


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## Jan Pijpelink (May 5, 2019)

Ashful said:


> Interesting.  I really have no opinion on this, since I don’t roast my own, but most hobbyist roasters seem to let them sit at least 4 days after roasting, claiming peak timing is 4 - 10 days.  It might be worth a try since you have the means to do it.


Tried it, check here www.coffeegeek.com


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## Ashful (May 5, 2019)

Jan Pijpelink said:


> Tried it, check here www.coffeegeek.com



That just linked to the home page.  Did you mean to link a specific thread?

Like I said, I have no opinion on the matter, just repeating what I’ve seen many others write.  I’ll probably stick with buying roasted beans for now, since we have two good local roasters, and I have enough hobbies!


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## Jan Pijpelink (May 5, 2019)

Ashful said:


> That just linked to the home page.  Did you mean to link a specific thread?
> 
> Like I said, I have no opinion on the matter, just repeating what I’ve seen many others write.  I’ll probably stick with buying roasted beans for now, since we have two good local roasters, and I have enough hobbies!


Sent the link because that website covers all aspects of coffee making, including roasting.


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## Ashful (May 5, 2019)

Jan Pijpelink said:


> Sent the link because that website covers all aspects of coffee making, including roasting.


Oh, I'm familiar with the site!  In fact, that's where I read some of the advice on how long to leave the beans after roasting, before use.

http://www.coffeegeek.com/forums/espresso/questions/544104

As always, tastes vary, there is no right/wrong.  Do what works for you!  I was just pointing out that most aren't calling their beans "stale" 4 - 5 days after roasting, that's when they're just getting ready to use, by most accounts I've read.  Moreover, I'm defending my habit of buying roasted beans, and using them on that time scale.


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## begreen (May 5, 2019)

We have had the same Braun burr grinder bought in the 1980s. We've used it daily since that time. 34 yrs of service and it just keeps going. The only issue is that eventually the burrs wear down and now replacements are hard to find. Last year I bought a spare from eBay with low usage. They made a winner with this one.


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## AlbergSteve (May 6, 2019)

I can see how it would be a pain to fill the portafilter. I've been using a Rancillio Rocky(doserless) for the last 8 years and it's been great. I've been getting african  beans from a local guy at $4 a pound and roasting my own with excellent results. The Miss Silvia has been pulling yeoman's duty for the last 8 years as well!


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## My_3_Girls (May 6, 2019)

Ashful said:


> Cool!  I didn’t realize you actually started the thread!  We should throw a link in the beer thread.
> 
> During the week, I’m running a Bunn A10, which is a commercial maker small enough for home use.  I think they were mostly marketed toward small cafes and restaurants, which wanted a single-pot system, but it works great for home.  I highly recommend this machine, if you’re a daily coffee drinker, and want a machine actually capable of hitting optimum extraction temperature without getting into the crazy Italian machinery.  It’s not a great machine if you don’t use it daily, as it keeps the water hot, and the boil-off rate is noticeable when you don’t use it for a day.




+1 on the Bunn - although it looks like they've updated/changed model numbers - My Bunn worked for about 7 years, always on, operates the same way....town water started poking holes in the reservoir.  When the leak was bad enough, bought another exactly the same.  Pour water in the top, put my shoes on, and by the time I'm tying the second one, a full pot is brewed.  

I don't get too fancy on the coffee.  I've found a good Maxwell House blend - Smooth Bold - that's pretty OK by me.  When I can't find that specific blend, I mix MH French Roast or Intense Bold with MH Columbian on a 50/50 basis.  When I feel like a treat, I'll grab some from a local roaster, $15-20 a pound....I know, I know....life is short...but.


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## begreen (May 6, 2019)

Fortunately coffee is big out here and there is a lot of competition that keeps the prices more reasonable from the local roasters. When they have a sale we stock up. We also get Wake Up blend, roasted organic beans in the jumbo container from Trader Joes. These are arabica beans from small farms in Latin America and sometimes we pick up a bag of Colombian or Sumatran coffee beans from Costco (3# for $15-17).

My sister has a Bunn and they buy their coffee from Dunkin' Donuts!


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## Dobish (May 6, 2019)

begreen said:


> Fortunately coffee is big out here and there is a lot of competition that keeps the prices more reasonable from the local roasters. When they have a sale we stock up. We also get Wake Up blend, roasted organic beans in the jumbo container from Trader Joes. These are arabica beans from small farms in Latin America and sometimes we pick up a bag of Colombian or Sumatran coffee beans from Costco (3# for $15-17).
> 
> My sister has a Bunn and they buy their coffee from Dunkin' Donuts!


I buy my coffee from Dunkin Donuts and have a french press


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## Ashful (May 6, 2019)

My_3_Girls said:


> I don't get too fancy on the coffee.  I've found a good Maxwell House blend - Smooth Bold - that's pretty OK by me.  When I can't find that specific blend, I mix MH French Roast or Intense Bold with MH Columbian on a 50/50 basis.  When I feel like a treat, I'll grab some from a local roaster, $15-20 a pound....I know, I know....life is short...but.



If you’re buying ground, you may want to check out DallMayr Prodomo.  Best price I’ve found is from GermanDeli.com, but Amazon also carries it.

https://www.dallmayr.com/deen/

Only trouble is, you may have trouble transitioning back to Maxwell House, after you get used to Dallmayr!


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## Ashful (May 6, 2019)

begreen said:


> My sister has a Bunn and they buy their coffee from Dunkin' Donuts!


I really don't know how the coffee maker market is today, but when I bought that Bunn about 8 years ago, there were really only three brands available in the US that could hit and hold an acceptable extraction temperature.  There were a lot of claims that the major name brands (Krupps, Mr. Coffee, Braun, etc.) had all turned down their brew temp to limit scalding liability, and lots of forum post from people measuring brew temp on various makes and models to prove the point.

It came down to Technivorm, Bunn, and one other brand (maybe Chemex?), as the only three brands that were worth consideration, at that time.  The Technivorms approved for sale in the USA (UL issue) were all too tall to fit under my cupboards, and there was something else I can no longer remember that had me turned off the third brand, so it came down to the Bunn.  No regrets, but all of these machines were fairly expensive, at the time.

The sad thing about it is that my 1990'ish Krupps did just fine on brew temp, and I think it was under $40!  I blame the Lawyers.


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## SpaceBus (May 7, 2019)

Dobish said:


> I buy my coffee from Dunkin Donuts and have a french press


I was buying whole bean from dunks and making it in my press for a while.


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## Dobish (May 7, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> I was buying whole bean from dunks and making it in my press for a while.


always the whole bean.... i have the ground stuff at work since we have a keurig and I refuse to use the pods.


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## SpaceBus (May 7, 2019)

Dobish said:


> always the whole bean.... i have the ground stuff at work since we have a keurig and I refuse to use the pods.


Keurig is awful


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## Dobish (May 7, 2019)

i know. we went from having a bunn industrial to a keurig. I actually stopped drinking as much coffee because of it.


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## begreen (May 7, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> Keurig is awful


Truly a blight on the planet. Billions of these single-use plastic pods are now filling landfills. Enough to circle the earth over 10 times!
http://action.storyofstuff.org/sign...dfills-could-wrap-around-planet-over-11-times


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## maple1 (May 7, 2019)

I am OK with Keurig - that is, using a reusable pod and my own coffee.


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## begreen (May 7, 2019)

maple1 said:


> I am OK with Keurig - that is, using a reusable pod and my own coffee.


Yes, if that had been the concept from the start it would have turned out better for the planet. The creator of the Keurig has expressed regrets for the environmental impacts of his product.


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## SpaceBus (May 7, 2019)

I find even with reusable pods the coffee is still burned and doesn't taste as good as a French press. To me a Keurig is all of the work of a press (reusable pods) without the taste.


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## PaulOinMA (May 8, 2019)

Here's an interesting article on coffee from the Pilot (Norfolk, VA)a few months ago.  Good read.

https://pilotonline.com/business/ports-rail/article_501417c2-f98d-11e8-b85f-4f997a34b154.html

" … those in the local coffee and tea industry say, Hampton Roads is becoming a major player.

There's good reason.

Last month, about 377,000 bags of raw beans, most weighing around 150 pounds, sat in warehouses across Hampton Roads, according to the Green Coffee Association, a trade group based in New York. That's about 57.3 million pounds of coffee, enough to brew around 2 billion cups of joe."

Wow!

BTW, our cats HATE the coffee grinder more than the vacuum.


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## SpaceBus (May 8, 2019)

PaulOinMA said:


> Here's an interesting article on coffee from the Pilot (Norfolk, VA)a few months ago.  Good read.
> 
> https://pilotonline.com/business/ports-rail/article_501417c2-f98d-11e8-b85f-4f997a34b154.html
> 
> ...



I bought a hand grinder because I couldn't stand the noise.


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## Ashful (May 8, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> I find even with reusable pods the coffee is still burned and doesn't taste as good as a French press. To me a Keurig is all of the work of a press (reusable pods) without the taste.



That’s why these threads are interesting to me.  I enjoy French press, on occasion, but it’s not my favorite coffee.  I will agree it beats any Keurig coffee I’ve ever had, though.  I’ve never tried reusable K-pods with my own coffee, though. 

I think the grind coarseness is one of the biggest factors in how I perceive coffee, whether it’s affecting flavor or body.  I know people love the way the oils come they on the French press, but that doesn’t really do anything for me.

My favored brews, in order

1.  Macchiato- 2 oz expression with 1 oz steamed whole milk.  Really, it’s just a tamed expression double shot, sort of a latte on steroids.  

2.  Expresso straight shot, although I rarely actually take my coffee this way, it’s great on occasion.  

3.  Classic latte, 2 oz shot with 3+ oz steamed milk.  

4.  Pour over, from my beloved Bunn.  This is NOT a drip machine, even though it’s often grouped in with them by resellers, there is really no “automatic pour over” segment into which they can categorize it.  Pour over requires a very high grounds to water ratio (at LEAST 1:15), due to the short extraction time. 

5.  French press.  Coarse grind, 1:12 coffee/water ratio, steep 4-5 minutes at 200F.  

I don’t drink enough drip, percolator, or Keurig to even put them on the list.


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## Jan Pijpelink (May 8, 2019)

Ashful said:


> That’s why these threads are interesting to me.  I enjoy French press, on occasion, but it’s not my favorite coffee.  I will agree it beats any Keurig coffee I’ve ever had, though.  I’ve never tried reusable K-pods with my own coffee, though.
> 
> I think the grind coarseness is one of the biggest factors in how I perceive coffee, whether it’s affecting flavor or body.  I know people love the way the oils come they on the French press, but that doesn’t really do anything for me.
> 
> ...


I refuse to drink coffee that has milk in it.


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## SpaceBus (May 8, 2019)

Jan Pijpelink said:


> I refuse to drink coffee that has milk in it.


Really? I find a few teaspoons of half and half or cream make the the coffee so much richer.


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## Jan Pijpelink (May 8, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> Really? I find a few teaspoons of half and half or cream make the the coffee so much richer.


No milk no sugar.


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## SpaceBus (May 8, 2019)

Ashful said:


> That’s why these threads are interesting to me.  I enjoy French press, on occasion, but it’s not my favorite coffee.  I will agree it beats any Keurig coffee I’ve ever had, though.  I’ve never tried reusable K-pods with my own coffee, though.
> 
> I think the grind coarseness is one of the biggest factors in how I perceive coffee, whether it’s affecting flavor or body.  I know people love the way the oils come they on the French press, but that doesn’t really do anything for me.
> 
> ...



I actually prefer my coffee ground fine for the press. Like, it's Turkish fine ground for my press. I get a bit of sediment in the bottom of my cup, but I like it.

I also don't measure out the amount of coffee and just eyeball it with a table spoon. Usually three or four heaping spoon fulls is perfect. We even drink primarily dark roast.


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## SpaceBus (May 8, 2019)

Jan Pijpelink said:


> No milk no sugar.


I can do this with some coffee. I don't always add sugar, but I almost always add in some dairy


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## maple1 (May 8, 2019)

Jan Pijpelink said:


> No milk no sugar.



Me also. Straight up.

I'm usually the only coffee person here.

During the week I usually use one of those Hamilton Beach single cup dealios. Gotta be quick - that does it and it seems to make decent coffee. Has a bold setting, I use that. Think they recommend a regular grind, but I like fine better - a bit of sediment is OK with me. Quick & easy to make it, and quick & easy cleanup & grounds disposal. Quick & easy is the thing with me during the week, drinks and food.

Weekends I might take the time to press. I have a single one of those too, generic, along with a 4 cup Bodum. At the cottage in the summer, it is press all the way.

When the kids are home for their 4 month summer stay, they bring a Keurig with them. (A dorm room staple, it seems). So I might have one of those once in a while, using my coffee & pod.

'Typical' drip makers aren't a thing around here, unless we get a crowd in which is rare. Then I might drag one out for the occasion.

FIL has an cheapish expresso machine (Oster?), but it makes a good cup also. Load it up with fine grounds, and hit two double shots and a single all in a row into a mug, using same grounds. Makes a bit of foam on top - it is actually very good, I find.


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## begreen (May 8, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> I actually prefer my coffee ground fine for the press. Like, it's Turkish fine ground for my press. I get a bit of sediment in the bottom of my cup, but I like it.
> 
> I also don't measure out the amount of coffee and just eyeball it with a table spoon. Usually three or four heaping spoon fulls is perfect. We even drink primarily dark roast.


I'm surprised that doesn't start to plug up the press. We always coarse grind for Bodum. If the grind it too fine it takes a lot of pressure to press the coffee which my wife hates. She drinks most of the coffee, so it's up to her. We also do single cup with a Melitta style filter and use a finer grind for that. Unfiltered coffee spikes my cholesterol levels so I tend to drink tea and just an occasional Melitta style coffee these days.

Anyone use a Bialetti? I poo-pooed them until we had some coffee at B&Bs in Italy. They are ubiquitous there and the coffee was excellent!


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## PaulOinMA (May 8, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> I bought a hand grinder because I couldn't stand the noise.



Which one do you have?  Do you like it?  Can you recommend one?  Something that can grind enough for a pot in a reasonable amount of time.  Thanks, in advance.

And … only black coffee for me.  No sweetener, no dairy.


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## Ashful (May 8, 2019)

I couldn’t imagine grinding by hand!  My burr grinder pulls 120 watts (1/6th horsepower) for a solid 30 seconds to grind enough for just one pot.

Agreed on grinding coarse for French press.  You can do anything, I suppose, but its not recommended.  If I tried to use my expresso grind in my French press, it’d all just go right thru the mesh!  Even my pour-over grind would just clog the screen, and make it really hard to press.  Been there, done that.

The next thing of interest to me, for making a quick cup at work, is the AeroPress.  I’ve been making about 44 oz per day to take to work in a Stanley thermos, and it works... but some days I run dry and want more.  The aeropress seems to straddle that sweet spot between pour-over and expresso pumps.


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## PaulOinMA (May 8, 2019)

Ashful said:


> I couldn’t imagine grinding by hand!  My burr grinder pulls 120 watts (1/6th horsepower) for a solid 30 seconds to grind enough for just one pot.



That's why I'm asking for recommendations.  The reviews I read online for some grinders are of the type … took me ## minutes to grind beans for 1 cup!  

I'm cooking moderator at the WAGS (Wagner and Griswold Society) forum, so I searched "Griswold coffee grinder" on ebay.  Nope, not going to pay that.


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## PaulOinMA (May 8, 2019)

Ashful said:


> ... to take to work in a Stanley thermos …



I'm still using the Stanley Thermos I got in grad school in 1982 (!) to bring coffee into my lab.  Used it Saturday, in fact, when we went to Mystic, CT for the day.


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## SpaceBus (May 8, 2019)

PaulOinMA said:


> Which one do you have?  Do you like it?  Can you recommend one?  Something that can grind enough for a pot in a reasonable amount of time.  Thanks, in advance.
> 
> And … only black coffee for me.  No sweetener, no dairy.


I got a "Khawfee" brand hand ginder on Amazon. It has a large hopper, collector, and a ceramic burr.


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## johneh (May 8, 2019)

Can not see the attraction to coffee I prefer a good cup of Tea


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## SpaceBus (May 8, 2019)

Ashful said:


> I couldn’t imagine grinding by hand!  My burr grinder pulls 120 watts (1/6th horsepower) for a solid 30 seconds to grind enough for just one pot.
> 
> Agreed on grinding coarse for French press.  You can do anything, I suppose, but its not recommended.  If I tried to use my expresso grind in my French press, it’d all just go right thru the mesh!  Even my pour-over grind would just clog the screen, and make it really hard to press.  Been there, done that.
> 
> The next thing of interest to me, for making a quick cup at work, is the AeroPress.  I’ve been making about 44 oz per day to take to work in a Stanley thermos, and it works... but some days I run dry and want more.  The aeropress seems to straddle that sweet spot between pour-over and expresso pumps.


Weird. I grind it super fine in my ceramic b rr grinder by hand and it presses fine. I get more sediment this way, but I find it helps flavor.


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## SpaceBus (May 8, 2019)

johneh said:


> Can not see the attraction to coffee I prefer a good cup of Tea



I like both personally.


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## PaulOinMA (May 8, 2019)

I'm actually switching from coffee trying to make a dent in the huge stash of teas my wife has.  People know she's a tea-drinker and keep giving her tea.  She likes black tea: English breakfast, Irish breakfast, Earl Gray, etc.

She had a large collection of teas as gifts she's received that I need to work through to get some of them out of the pantry. I think a lot of them are of the "berries, twigs, and roots" variety.


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## PaulOinMA (May 8, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> I got a "Khawfee" brand hand ginder on Amazon. It has a large hopper, collector, and a ceramic burr.


 
Thanks!


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## SpaceBus (May 8, 2019)

PaulOinMA said:


> I'm actually switching from coffee trying to make a dent in the huge stash of teas my wife has.  People know she's a tea-drinker and keep giving her tea.  She likes black tea: English breakfast, Irish breakfast, Earl Gray, etc.
> 
> She had a large collection of teas as gifts she's received that I need to work through to get some of them out of the pantry. I think a lot of them are of the "berries, twigs, and roots" variety.


We drink turmeric ginger or turmeric cinnamon tea for aches and pains.


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## Ashful (May 8, 2019)

PaulOinMA said:


> That's why I'm asking for recommendations.  The reviews I read online for some grinders are of the type … took me ## minutes to grind beans for 1 cup!
> 
> I'm cooking moderator at the WAGS (Wagner and Griswold Society) forum, so I searched "Griswold coffee grinder" on ebay.  Nope, not going to pay that.


Avoid the blade type grinders, they’re just garbage.  If you’re just grinding for pour-over, drip, or French press, any burr grinder will do the job.  If you’re grinding for expresso in an unpressurized portafilter, then you need something with finer adjustments, even my Baratza Virtuoso is a little marginal for this purpose.

Larger burrs usually means a faster grinder and longer burr life (esp. with stainless steel burrs).  Ceramic burrs last infinitely longer than stainless, but either can work fine for home usage frequency.

If I were looking for a less expensive grinder, the Baratza Encore would be high on the list.  Go on YouTube and watch any “how to” videos for coffee, anything from French press to expresso, and you’ll see Baratza grinders are used in 90+% of those videos, regardless of the poster.  There’s a reason for that.

The only reason I paid extra for the Virtuoso over the Encore was the larger burrs and better grind speed, since I’m grinding about 3 oz. every morning while rushing to get out the door, and the cost difference was not a huge deal for me.  I have friends who use the Encore, and report it does every bit the same job.


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## Ashful (May 8, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> We drink turmeric ginger or turmeric cinnamon tea for aches and pains.



Go start a ginger thread, then.  [emoji14]


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## SpaceBus (May 8, 2019)

Ashful said:


> Go start a ginger thread, then.  [emoji14]


I normally don't like ginger, but it relieves inflammation due to my allergies. At least when combined with the turmeric.


Since this is a coffee thread, I picked up a lb Mexican medium roast from the local roasters.


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## SpaceBus (May 8, 2019)

Ashful said:


> Avoid the blade type grinders, they’re just garbage.  If you’re just grinding for pour-over, drip, or French press, any burr grinder will do the job.  If you’re grinding for expresso in an unpressurized portafilter, then you need something with finer adjustments, even my Baratza Virtuoso is a little marginal for this purpose.
> 
> Larger burrs usually means a faster grinder and longer burr life (esp. with stainless steel burrs).  Ceramic burrs last infinitely longer than stainless, but either can work fine for home usage frequency.
> 
> ...


I was using an electric blade grinder, but I wanted something that wouldn't send my dogs into a panic while my wife is asleep. I usually wake up first and begin the morning "summoning ritual" to get my wife out of bed. When I pour the hot water into the press the smell makes its way upstairs and wakes her up in a much more preferable way to the alarm clock.


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## Jan Pijpelink (May 8, 2019)

Ashful said:


> Avoid the blade type grinders, they’re just garbage.  If you’re just grinding for pour-over, drip, or French press, any burr grinder will do the job.  If you’re grinding for expresso in an unpressurized portafilter, then you need something with finer adjustments, even my Baratza Virtuoso is a little marginal for this purpose.
> 
> Larger burrs usually means a faster grinder and longer burr life (esp. with stainless steel burrs).  Ceramic burrs last infinitely longer than stainless, but either can work fine for home usage frequency.
> 
> ...


Blade grinders produce a lot of heat; the coffee will loose a lot of its flavor. Ceramic burrs are the best option.


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## Jan Pijpelink (May 8, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> We drink turmeric ginger or turmeric cinnamon tea for aches and pains.


My lady drinks Green Tea, Ginger Tea and Licorice Tea, all organic. She drinks an espresso two or three times a year.


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## Ashful (May 8, 2019)

Jan Pijpelink said:


> Blade grinders produce a lot of heat; the coffee will loose a lot of its flavor. Ceramic burrs are the best option.



Agreed. But to be more specific, large burrs are best.  As long as they’re not worn down, it doesn’t really matter if they’re stainless or ceramic.  The primary advantage of ceramic burrs is that they last a lot longer, important if your grinding dozens of pots or hundreds of shots per day, not such a big deal for home use.


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## Ashful (May 8, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> I was using an electric blade grinder, but I wanted something that wouldn't send my dogs into a panic while my wife is asleep. I usually wake up first and begin the morning "summoning ritual" to get my wife out of bed. When I pour the hot water into the press the smell makes its way upstairs and wakes her up in a much more preferable way to the alarm clock.



Burr grinders are less obnoxious than blade grinders, but they’re not silent, either.  Very high gear ratios, so it sounds a lot like an electric can opener, and then there’s the fact that your still crushing several hard beans every second.


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## begreen (May 8, 2019)

Ours is pretty noisy, but given it's long years of service we have grown used to it, sort of. My wife keeps a towel that she wraps around the grinder when running. It has a nice big hopper which holds a lot of beans, but that also seems to amplify the sound. Here's one for sale on fleabay.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Br...903361?hash=item46935aaa81:g:b50AAOSwTdZcqjOh


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## Jan Pijpelink (May 8, 2019)

begreen said:


> Ours is pretty noisy, but given it's long years of service we have grown used to it, sort of. My wife keeps a towel that she wraps around the grinder when running. It has a nice big hopper which holds a lot of beans, but that also seems to amplify the sound. Here's one for sale on fleabay.
> https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Br...903361?hash=item46935aaa81:g:b50AAOSwTdZcqjOh


When I was a kid, my mother used one like this. She still has it.


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## Ashful (May 8, 2019)

Jan Pijpelink said:


> When I was a kid, my mother used one like this. She still has it.
> 
> View attachment 243998



Hey, come to think of it, we had one of those, too!  I think ours was pretty limited on grind adjustment and consistency, though... cast iron burr with spring tension adjustment.


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## SpaceBus (May 8, 2019)

Jan Pijpelink said:


> When I was a kid, my mother used one like this. She still has it.
> 
> View attachment 243998


I'm always looking for an antique burr grinder like that one.


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## SpaceBus (May 8, 2019)

Jan Pijpelink said:


> My lady drinks Green Tea, Ginger Tea and Licorice Tea, all organic. She drinks an espresso two or three times a year.


Currently we have the previously mentioned organic turmeric teas, organic loose leaf Jasmine green tea, and a box of Lipton for iced tea. Usually ice tea is only in summer, so I don't know how much we will drink here in Maine!


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## begreen (May 8, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> Usually ice tea is only in summer, so I don't know how much we will drink here in Maine!


 I was surprised when a friend sent me a shot from Maine a couple days ago and there still were no leaves on the trees.


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## SpaceBus (May 8, 2019)

begreen said:


> I was surprised when a friend sent me a shot from Maine a couple days ago and there still were no leaves on the trees.


The maples just started to make leaves. We've seen a few Forscithias (sp?) that have begun blooming. Everything is budding right now. Soon the birch and Alder will bloom.


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## Ashful (May 8, 2019)

AlbergSteve said:


> Miss Silvia has been pulling yeoman's duty for the last 8 years as well!
> View attachment 243946


Like probably everyone who has ever bought a single boiler expresso machine, I debated Gaggia Classic vs that Rancilio Silvia, for awhile.  Eventually went Gaggia, for a few reasons I can’t even fully remember now, and did a wand upgrade, as that’s one area where the Classic lacks.  But I see those Silvia’s and wonder...

Have you always used the Silvia?  What do you see as it’s strong and weak points, vs any other single boiler machines?


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## Jan Pijpelink (May 8, 2019)

Ashful said:


> Like probably everyone who has ever bought a single boiler expresso machine, I debated Gaggia Classic vs that Rancilio Silvia, for awhile.  Eventually went Gaggia, for a few reasons I can’t even fully remember now, and did a wand upgrade, as that’s one area where the Classic lacks.  But I see those Silvia’s and wonder...
> 
> Have you always used the Silvia?  What do you see as it’s strong and weak points, vs any other single boiler machines?



I am looking into a Breville lately; the Breville Barista Express. Not decided yet.


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## AlbergSteve (May 9, 2019)

Ashful said:


> Like probably everyone who has ever bought a single boiler expresso machine, I debated Gaggia Classic vs that Rancilio Silvia, for awhile.  Eventually went Gaggia, for a few reasons I can’t even fully remember now, and did a wand upgrade, as that’s one area where the Classic lacks.  But I see those Silvia’s and wonder...
> 
> Have you always used the Silvia?  What do you see as it’s strong and weak points, vs any other single boiler machines?


I started out with a Breville Cafe Roma, acutally had two of them, wore the first one out. The first thing I did was cut the bottom off the "crema enhancing'' pressurized filter basket so I could make actual espresso. With the pressurized basket you could throw sheep dung in there and it would look like and espresso! Was using a a cheap burr grinder that I can't recall the make of. Then bought the Rancilio Rocky grinder and used it for a year before I bought Miss Silvia. The Silvia has been around since 1997 and are now on version 5, but very little has changed in 22 years. Like anything, it takes a bit of practice to get the grind right, bit of temperature surfing to get the temps in the cup right. I usually preheat the the Silvia for at least 30 minutes( I have the machine on a smart outlet/_*home controller*_ and scheduled to come on long before I get up. I wish the boiler was larger, I can only get a double shot off before the the thermo kicks in. Some day I'll insulate the boiler(v5 is now insulated) and build/add a PID when I have time/get bored/finish the 45 other projects I've got on the go! I'm the only coffee drinker in the house  and I never steam milk so the single boiler has been fine. With the small boiler(12 oz) capacity and 1100W element, recovery is quick between shots.  
Now, once you start roasting your own beans, you'll never buy roasted coffee again. I haven't bought roasted beans in two years. Roasting my own has been an game changer for me. You decide how light or dark you want the roast, you  _*always *_have fresh beans in the hopper, and you don't have to stand in coffee isle at the grocery store for 20 minutes trying to find that elusive bag that was roasted in the last week.


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## AlbergSteve (May 9, 2019)

Jan Pijpelink said:


> I am looking into a Breville lately; the Breville Barista Express. Not decided yet.
> View attachment 244003


It will need some mods, see above. I'd save my pennys and buy a separate machine and grinder. _*This*_ has been a popular combo for years.


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## Ashful (May 9, 2019)

No grocery store hunting, here.  I have two toasters from which I buy direct.  Coffee is 2-3 days post-roasting when it hits my doorstep.  Maybe I should take the plunge on roasting, but I already have too many hobbies to find enough time for sleeping or splitting firewood.

If you’re temp surfing, you’re in deep.  Time to install that PID, Steve!


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## AlbergSteve (May 10, 2019)

I tried buying from local which is a 10 minute walk away and really popular here in the valley. They roast a few times a week and supply a lot of shops in the area. I tried their beans but there is such a sour note in the espresso that I thought I was screwing up the shot somehow. I actually threw the bag of beans out. I tried their espresso and regular coffee and the same sour note is there - can't drink it. Sooo...I started roasting my own.


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## begreen (May 10, 2019)

Some regional beans can be very acidic. That's ok with some folks, but I don't like high acid coffees and neither does my stomach.


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## Jan Pijpelink (May 10, 2019)

begreen said:


> Some regional beans can be very acidic. That's ok with some folks, but I don't like high acid coffees and neither does my stomach.


My local roaster roasts the beans much too dark, shiny black with oils dripping out. Makes the coffee too bitter and too sour.


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