Thread: A Cup of Joe

Originally Posted by Theseus

Check out tulumba.com. They carry some Turkish coffee and accessories(also carry Arko shave products ))

Bookmarked - thank you! Now I just need to work some overtime....arrrrgh

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Watch out. It's a slippery slope. First you start with a basic roaster and brewer and then you start looking at drum roasters and fancy brewers and then fancy grinders and then comes the espresso machines and the next thing you know you're in the poor house.

Well, I'm covered on the grinder, espresso machine, and press fronts, so I think I should be able to focus on just the roaster and vacuum system for now. I think.

Paco posted this video nearly a year ago of a coffee roasting machine he made. He demos it in his video and it doesn't take long at all to roast a batch of beans.

With a used bread machine from eBay or a tag sale and an inexpensive heat gun from Harbor Freight, roasting one's coffee is definitely within the budget. I just might give this a try!

Thanks, Paco!

i'm thinking of getting a siphon coffee maker in the near future btu don't know if i can justify it. i've been hooked on the french press for years now. any opinions on siphons being better, same, or nto as good? recommendations for a particular pot or brand?
thanks!

aggie

I started out on stovetop espresso makers after being introduced to these devices by my inlaws. Later I obtained an Atomic Coffee maker (Higher pressure stovetop with steaming capabilities). Then I moved on to a 1986 Olympia Cremina (Manual Lever) with a Mazzer Mini E grinder. I enjoy straight espresso right through to 5oz cappuccinos. I also have a couple of clever coffee drippers that I enjoy from time to time. I've also tried cold brewing.

Originally Posted by aggie157

i'm thinking of getting a siphon coffee maker in the near future btu don't know if i can justify it. i've been hooked on the french press for years now. any opinions on siphons being better, same, or nto as good? recommendations for a particular pot or brand?
thanks!

aggie

Hi aggie,
If you ask thebigspendur or me, we'll tell you that nothing can beat the flavor of coffee brewed in a siphon (vacuum) coffee maker. And my go-to coffee maker had been a French press for some years before I discovered the wonderful flavor of a siphon coffee maker.

Price -- Sweet Maria's sells two sizes of Yama stovetop siphon coffee makers: a 5 cup for $35.00 and an 8 cup for $40.00 (just to clarify, those are 5 oz cups).

Thebigspendur uses a Cona tabletop siphon coffee maker (also sold by Sweet Maria's). They are pricey, but their main advantage is that Cona uses a glass filter rod whereas Yama uses a cloth/metal filter and the Bodum siphon uses a plastic/metal filter.

I bought a small Yama tabletop siphon and found the cloth/metal filter adequate, but a PITA because they need to be rinsed, sterilized in boiling water and stored in the freezer to prevent the oils trapped in the cloth from becoming rancid. I went to eBay and scored a vintage Cory glass filter rod for about $6 and used that in my Yama in place of the cloth/metal filter.

You can also look around eBay for a deal on vintage Cory or Silex siphon coffee makers. Both make excellent coffee and both use glass filter rods. The gasketless Cory seems to carry the most ambiance among coffee connoisseurs but it can take some practice to learn how to use one.

Give the Yama stovetop makers a look. Whichever siphon maker you end up with, I'm sure you'll be happy and you won't look back.
Morty

I use a drip machine using #4 filters. I grind my beans with a Krups heavy duty grinder. I used to buy beans form Starbucks, but now in NYC I get mine from a roaster called Oren's who have a place in Grand Central. I especially like their Beowulf blend - bold and tasty...
When I travel, I take the Starbuck's Via instant coffee - much better than what you get in a hotel/motel...

Originally Posted by Morty

Paco posted this video nearly a year ago of a coffee roasting machine he made. He demos it in his video and it doesn't take long at all to roast a batch of beans.

With a used bread machine from eBay or a tag sale and an inexpensive heat gun from Harbor Freight, roasting one's coffee is definitely within the budget. I just might give this a try!

Thanks, Paco!

I got my machine from aGoodWill store for $3.60, Heat gun harbor freight $9.99. The thermostst in most bread machines has to be eliminated or routed outside of the machine to stop the auto shutoff when they overheat.

Any of you guys that buy green may be interested in this site,
Green Coffee Buying Club - Index

Originally Posted by Slartibartfast

green beans are cheaper than the roasted beans i was buying before. so it is win-win for me

Let's remember you have to add about 25% to cost of the green beans to compare to roasted.
I weighed out 16 oz. green before roasting and after had 12 oz. because of moisture loss. It's approx. the same with all varieties.

yea you always lose about that much however that isn't a big deal to me. What is the kicker is you can go to a specialty roaster near you and get whatever they have or go to an outfit like Sweet Maria's and have a huge selection of green beans and then you can roast them exactly the way you want to get the result you want and if you are adventurous you can custom blend your own coffee.