Thread: Coffee Enthusiasts

Originally Posted by Nightblade

Well ....As much as I like French press coffee,I am done owning one. Bout three four days ago I had a pot sitting on the counter.Timer went off ,I turned around and crash ! Hot coffee and grounds and broken glass all over the kitchen floor. I had had it. I got tired of the cleaning of the press itself and trying to grind the beans just to the right consistency and all that so I broke down and bought a nice little 2-3 cup Mr. Coffee and couldn't be more pleased. I know the coffee isn't near as good as French Press but it's better than instant which I drank for a while too. I just load it and let it brew and drink it. So there we are ..........

Have you ever checked into a $30 AeroPress? It's a single-cup, French Press like coffee maker that is super easy to clean, all plastic with a rubber-ended plunger, and produces one of the best cups of coffee going. I use an Orphan Espresso Lido E hand grinder to grind beans towards espresso consistency and usually make 2 cups each morning. An AeroPress makes use of circular paper filters that can easily be re-used for 2-3 cups. They provide a 100 or so with the kit. Hard to beat its quality to price ratio as many will attest to.

Originally Posted by OCDshaver

Now, anyone else froth milk?

Only for my wife. Luckily she goes back and forth between whole milk and almond milk, so I get to practice with both in a tapered 10oz pitcher. On my Delonghi Bar32 I'm getting better at developing a foam that is decent enough for an amateur looking leaf.

Originally Posted by Speedster

Have you ever checked into a $30 AeroPress? It's a single-cup, French Press like coffee maker that is super easy to clean, all plastic with a rubber-ended plunger, and produces one of the best cups of coffee going. I use an Orphan Espresso Lido E hand grinder to grind beans towards espresso consistency and usually make 2 cups each morning. An AeroPress makes use of circular paper filters that can easily be re-used for 2-3 cups. They provide a 100 or so with the kit. Hard to beat its quality to price ratio as many will attest to.

Fantastic tool that's easy to use and a snap to clean up. Gets the full flavor and strength from fresh-ground beans.

Nice to see a coffee thread on here! I as most enjoy a nice cup of coffee in the morning. I used to grind my own beans by pulsing with a electric grinder but got away from it. (It is now my quick go to spice grinder) I enjoy a Colombian Roast or a French Roast brewed in and old style stove top kettle. A percolator with the glass nub up top and the metal basket inside (no need to buy those paper filters). 4 minute brew from first bubble gives a pleasant cup. The bean is not over steeped and is not acidic. A perfect way to start the day. You can find a decent size percolator on eBay or Amazon for around $20 - $25 bucks.

Originally Posted by Speedster

Funny thing is the grinder is so often overlooked; most enthusiasts get caught up in the machines. So long as you are buying quality coffee, you are really ahead of the game. I'd recommend you upgrade to a conical burr grinder before you move to another machine. Conical grinders produce an excellent grind profile improvement that you can really differentiate in the cup.

Espresso can be a rabbit hole much like this sport of straight razors. But, at least we aren't paying $5/cup retail.

I'm not upgrading anything. Everything I currently own is a recent upgrade. My old machine was a cheap, bottom of the line Breville from ten years ago and the grinder I had was about as old. So I got the Gaggia Classic and a Baratza Sette. The grinder is not an issue. Nor is the machine really. I'm just trying to get the most of what I've bought. No upgrades. I've spent enough on coffee and my kitchen demands a lot of equipment.

Originally Posted by TwistedOak

Only for my wife. Luckily she goes back and forth between whole milk and almond milk, so I get to practice with both in a tapered 10oz pitcher. On my Delonghi Bar32 I'm getting better at developing a foam that is decent enough for an amateur looking leaf.

I think my problem is that I always incorporate too much air. The texture is fine but too inflated. Better for a cappuccino than a latte. I'm getting there but not fully there yet.

I have a burr grinder and French press at my office. I've been playing with that for about a year. Recently wanted to try cold brew, but don't have the patience. So I'm doing warm brew - 150 ml of room temp water and 200 ml of hot water from our water machine; steep for around 3 hours; pour and drink. So far so good.

From reviews that I've read, Baratza makes great grinders. Sounds like you are settled in then and working on the porta-filter side of the equation. Not much different than straight shaving, huh?

Capresso Infinity Stainless conical burr grinder with metal gears. 99 bucks, been using it everyday for the last 4 and a half years without a hiccup. Course to turkish grind. Supposed to be one of the more accurate bean grinders. Certainly can't be beat for the price...IMO

This morning I'm having a blend of 2 coffees. Snikeroo, which is a Snikers bar flavored coffee, blended with one of my favorites, Kicking Horse, Kick Ass coffee. It's a dark roast that's smokey/sweet with a nice bold flavor. Love to do a half/half mix of these 2. Freshly ground and 4 mins in my French press.

https://www.kickinghorsecoffee.com/en/coffee/whole-bean

Baden Coffee Company :: Flavoured Coffees

Here's something for you wood workers. I may grab one of these in the future when my rebuilt, 8 year old bur grinder finally craps out. Make myself a pretty hand grinder out of some fancy shmancy wood.

Coffee Mill Mechanism - Lee Valley Tools