Thread: Coffee Enthusiasts

I roast coffee on a Behmor 1600, it can roast up to a pound, but I go 3/4 of pound for a more even roast. The best roaster I have used was a commercial propane roaster. I literal would spend several thousand on one of those .I will keep my $350 roaster and be happy with it.

Well, thanks in part to this thread, I dusted off my espresso making skills and pulled a few shots. I wasn't terribly thrilled with what I did, but eventually I was able to make acceptable espresso.

I put my machine away and went for my ROK. It's a bit trickier to get correct, but this game is all about getting all the fussy parameters just right, so a manual maker fits that bill.

My grinder gave up the ghost and I've just put an order for the ROK grinder. So manual all the way for me. I've heard some good thinks about this grinder, so I hope all the retro looking gizmos allow me to have a great coffee experience.

Let us know how the ROK grinder works for you please! I love my ROK machine, and having just gone through a couple of days without power, I'm thinking of getting a new manual grinder. My MSR camping grinder let me get the Bodum into action so it wasn't a *complete* disaster on the coffee front, but it would be nice to have a manual option for espresso.

The grinder should be here today. I'll give you my impressions after a bit of use The Briel was a bit of a pain to keep clean and well, it died. I like the idea of a matching grinder and espresso maker.

Canooger, what grind have you found most effective for your ROK? I've found my ability to create decent crema a bit wanting, all though the results have been flavorful. I'm playing with water temp, grind, tamp pressure and beans to find a sweet spot. If there is a particular variable you found the ROK is more sensitive to, can you share?

Originally Posted by Midway

The grinder should be here today. I'll give you my impressions after a bit of use The Briel was a bit of a pain to keep clean and well, it died. I like the idea of a matching grinder and espresso maker.

Canooger, what grind have you found most effective for your ROK? I've found my ability to create decent crema a bit wanting, all though the results have been flavorful. I'm playing with water temp, grind, tamp pressure and beans to find a sweet spot. If there is a particular variable you found the ROK is more sensitive to, can you share?

I'm afraid that compared to some others here, I have caveman-level espresso skills. I've found the best combination usually involves:

- fresh roasted beans (I roast my own, so that's kind of a given for me)
- fresh ground beans, about as fine as I can go with my grinder (not turkish grind, but probably a normal to fine espresso grind)
- warm up the ROK: I'll fill it with boiling water, let that sit for a bit, then run it through the empty portafilter, then dry the portafilter, add the coffee, and get to work.
- press HARD. I'm genuinely worried sometimes that I'll break the thing, but so far so good...

That works for me, but I definitely defer to anyone who actually knows what they're doing.

The ROK grinder is a quality machine that produces very consistent grinds. There are many reviews out there, so I'll give you my general impressions. The build quality is superb. Most of the machine is aluminum and the conical burrs are tool hardened steel. Grinding was not a chore and I was able to grind 18 grams of beans in about the same time as my Briel. If I had to guess, I'd say 30 seconds. The base sits firmly on the counter and the grippy pad adds a measure of security.

My grinder came as a stepless model. In the reviews on the web, at one time there was an option to use as a stepped or unstepped grinder. I didn't see anything in the manual about conversion to stepped grinding, but I prefer it as is.

Yes, a couple of beans jumped out of the hopper as I was grinding. Not a deal breaker in my mind. And yes, the finer you grind, static electriciy seems to attract the grind to the grinder. Tomorrow I'll add a few drops of water to the beans before grinding to see if the issue goes away. Again, not a deal breaker for me either way.

While I may not be the aficionado some of you are, the ROK grinder is as capable as my Briel and much quieter and easier to keep clean. It's a looker on our counter and will get a daily work out.

Day 2 with the grinder and I added a few drops of water to the beans to try and eliminate the static issue. This trick worked well and all of the grind made it to the cup. No beans escaped the hopper today, all though I expect it will happen from time to time. I'm still impressed by the grinder, but then it's only a couple of days old.

I had to buy roasted beans from Costco yesterday, first time I have in many years. They are not bad, however a huge drop off from my own roasted coffee. I ordered 30lbs of green beans that got held up in transit and should've been here on Friday. Moral of this story, plan better!

I have a hand grinder and French press at the office, and another setup at home. The work set gets more use, so it's the "nicer" gear - I went with a Handground grinder and an Espro press. I've been quite happy with both; they yield a very clean cup. I tend to grab a dark roast of Starbucks brand, and keep it in a mason jar. I could probably do better on the beans, but for the money I've been very happy.

Hand grinders I found give more control of the grind. I think I will go back to using one. Also good for spices.