Can anyone recommend a coffee machine?

[citoyen]

It seems the gold filters offer an advantage over the paper ones.

Yep, the difference is noticeable.

I was shocked to read I shouldn't even start grinding the coffee until the kettle is nearly boiled 

That's silly. There's lots of mythology about keeping coffee fresh - some say keep it in the freezer, some say don't keep it in the freezer... Sure, it deteriorates quickly, but you've got to be realistic. I just buy it in small quantities and use it up quickly.

d.

[Feline]

I was shocked to read I shouldn't even start grinding the coffee until the kettle is nearly boiled 

That's silly. There's lots of mythology about keeping coffee fresh - some say keep it in the freezer, some say don't keep it in the freezer... Sure, it deteriorates quickly, but you've got to be realistic. I just buy it in small quantities and use it up quickly.

d.

The guy in that report suggested that the coffee is deteriorating within a minute of being grinded! That does sound a bit of an over-reaction to me too!

[Rhys W]

Feline - stop saying "expresso"!

The other thing about these capsule things, most people buy them for milk-based drinks rather than the coffee. Surely they can't be very palatable if they're made with dried, powdered milk and all sorts of chemical preservatives?

[Feline]

Well, I have ordered a Swissgold one cup permanent filter set, a scoop and some coffee beans in a nice stainless steel container.

Now all I need to order is the grinder. I do have a packet of unused cafetiere type fairtrade coffee I could and probably should drink up first though. Having read the reviews of all the burr type grinders the Dualit does seem to rate very favourably for the price range, so I think I will get that also. Later in the year I may well invest in a Gaggia or similar, but might be better to wait until after PBP since my plan includes giving up coffee altogether for 3-4 weeks before it.

[simonp]

Charlotte - the old machine I have is a delonghi ec710. I don't rate it as highly as the gaggia but it is free unlike my gaggia which I'm not planning to give away.

If you want it, pm me address details. I have found the baskets. It takes pods as well as ground. Will have a look for the manual tomorrow.

In other news, I have an old DVD player, cd player, amp (may need some fixing) going also.

Edit: manual located.

[pumpkin]

Well, I have ordered a Swissgold one cup permanent filter set, a scoop and some coffee beans in a nice stainless steel container.

Now all I need to order is the grinder. I do have a packet of unused cafetiere type fairtrade coffee I could and probably should drink up first though. Having read the reviews of all the burr type grinders the Dualit does seem to rate very favourably for the price range, so I think I will get that also. Later in the year I may well invest in a Gaggia or similar, but might be better to wait until after PBP since my plan includes giving up coffee altogether for 3-4 weeks before it.

If you aren't grinding particularly fine for a pressure machine the Dualit will be fine altho' a good kitchen supply shop should be able to show you a couple of models. You should be looking for your ground coffee to be consistent in size of grains even on a coarser grind. Some more expensive grinders allow you to set a grind then fine tune within that grind but this feature adds ££. My grinder has something like 15 steps but I only use 2 as I use the same coffees - so cafetiere is done on a coarse grind #2 and machine espresso is on #7

[ian]

I don’t do the pretentious coffee with valves and steam, and having to put up with something the size of a locomotive belching steam in the middle of my kitchen. Please don’t rate my crema, it sounds like some form of obscure Italian porn.

I have a Cusinart thing, known affectionately as the CoffeeBot. It lives in the kitchen and is quite magical. It has a built-in grinder, so you feed it beans and water, tell it when you want it to wake up, and there’s a nice hot pot of fresh coffee waiting for you in the morning. No complaints with the coffee which always tastes good. It has an effective thermos jug so avoids the nasty burny taste of coffee left sitting on a hotplate, and it keeps it warm for several hours. Cleaning is simple, empty grounds into compost bin, throw the rest in the dishwasher (it claims you shouldn’t, but I’ve been doing this for several years and nothing has fallen to bits yet).

[dasmoth]

I don’t do the pretentious coffee with valves and steam, and having to put up with something the size of a locomotive belching steam in the middle of my kitchen.

Aww, but that's half the fun!

Obligatory: http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20070618.

[Charlotte]

Charlotte - the old machine I have is a delonghi ec710. I don't rate it as highly as the gaggia but it is free unlike my gaggia which I'm not planning to give away.

YHPM 

[citoyen]

Just seen on Twitter - thought it was apposite:

@thebikeshow Jack Thurston
Any recommendations for a good home burr coffee grinder? Coffee is for my La Pavoni Europiccola espresso machine.

[andrewc]

Just seen on Twitter - thought it was apposite:

@thebikeshow Jack Thurston
Any recommendations for a good home burr coffee grinder? Coffee is for my La Pavoni Europiccola espresso machine.

I use an Iberital MC2 to grind for my Pavoni, I should really spend more time practicing to get better shots from it.

Latte art if that's your thing <a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/QDK1XEF1iyE&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/QDK1XEF1iyE&rel=1</a>

[Feline]

Wow, I just got in from a nice ride and my Swissgold cup thingy has arrived, with the coffee and 2 beautiful stainless steel scoops. I also got a new Aerolatte whisk thing since the last one packed in, with a stainless steel stand for it

Well my grinder has only just been ordered so can't try the new beans yet, but I have some fairtrade supermarket ground coffee left in my cupboard so used some of this to try it out. Microwaved and frothed up the milk and sprinkled chocolate power on top so it was a proper cappuccino.

OMG it was so lovely! Probably nicer than the nicest cappuccino I have bought when out and about. Even better there were no gritty bits in the bottom of the cup so I could drink all of it. This Swissgold thing seems to be excellent. If I can improve on this when I am grinding my own beans then I will be very very happy 

[fred the great]

And now you have met the real problem

Your coffee tastes better that the stuff you can buy at the Shopping Centre.

 I know one place that makes a nice cappuccino and lots more that don't

[simonp]

Many cafes just don't try. I notice Costa use pods now. At the gym (Costa franchise) they take the pods and burst them and tip the grounds into a normal espresso basket.

Some of the best coffee I've had in Cambridge was a mobile coffee van that pitches up in the Market Square. Cheaper and better than the chains. There was a Polish cafe on King Street that did very good coffee. They sold the beans ("house blend") if you asked. For a while they switched to something else and it didn't go down well at all, and they switched back to the original blend within a few weeks. Unfortunately the place changed management, the original Polish owner moving on and it turned into a bar and went from being packed to empty. Ruined the place. After a while they went back to being a cafe but it remains quiet and I think they lost the formula that worked, and lost the regular customer base.

[Hot Flatus]

Its not that they don't try, it's that they don't know.

What these chains are peddling isn't italian, but American bullshit. Their customers don't want Italian quality, they want anodyne corporate bollocks. I've no issue with that, it's up to them. If you don't, you've either got to be fortunate enough to have a local place that knows what they're doing, or you've got to make it yourself, which is a tremendous faff, but worth it for process and product....if you like the stuff in the first place, which many don't.

Round here, there are two Italian places, one of which is run by an Italian and his coffee is not good, but that is down to using low quality beans with too much robusta ( yes, I can tell). The other is run by Albanians pretending to be Italian, and their coffee is excellent.

[pumpkin]

You mean you've not tried the 'Brokeback Mountain' blend. It's the alternative to Jamaican Blue Mountain. Or I suppose there could be a Borat single-estate

[mr endon]

Have you considered the Balkan/Greek/Bosnian/Turkish/Camp Cowboy method?

This thread is about coffee.... not bumming 

Endon ghosts past the defensive midfielder, skins the left back for pace, sends in an inch perfect cross that Kunst scrappily scuffs across the line.
Goal!!

[Valiant]

I've replaced my fancy pants internet connected coffee machine for a Moka pot.