What's caffeinating you today?

[spesh]

What I am saying is that cheap kit doesnt produce decent espresso, or risotto (which is what one is invariably served in Italy)

If my ristretto was that lumpy, I'd send it back. 

[T42]

You see your journey of obsession ended in abject failure.

Mine ended in the ability to make consistently brilliant coffee with no fuss. Certainly no more than making an instant coffee... and a fair chunk of that comes down to owning decent gear and knowing how to use it.

Temperature surfing=I've got a shit machine
Bottomless portafilter necessity=I've got a shit grinder
Weighing shots= I havent got a volumetric machine
Zen=You are having to mitigate shit kit with fastidious & laborious technique.

Ultimately, decent gear + knowledge= less work not more, greater consistency and brilliant results.

I come down in the morning, press the grinder button, fill the portafilter, quick tamp, press button, and what comes out isnt mediocre.

I believe you. I just don't think that £2000 is a reasonable amount to spend on coffee kit, no matter how great the coffee.

[Hot Flatus]

Indeed, and I accept that YMMV.

Mind you, my machine makes about 25 coffees a week. Which, if I bought them would be £3700 a year.

[T42]

You'd have find them before buying them, which may be easier in England than here these days.  Most places here still think that a 50 cc cup must be filled almost to the brim, and that 5g of coffee is enough. The customers have been brainwashed to accept this, so even if you're in someone's home and they offer you a Nespresso you'll get it filled to the brim.  Our club prez think's I'm weird because I stop his machine running when there's under 10 cc in the cup, but it makes the best of a bad job. In patisseries I take my coffee with milk.

The best way to get served a decent coffee here is to cycle 35 km into Germany to an Italian place that does good coffee and superb ice cream.  Unfortunately they close in winter, otherwise I'd be a lot fitter.

[Hot Flatus]

I lived in France 30 years ago, and got a bit of a taste for their coffee (petit café). As you say, it is under-extracted, and they tend to use inferior beans, but I sort of quite like it.

I was in France this summer, probably the second time in 20 years, and I made the mistake of ordering (for the first time ever) a grand creme.

Oh. my .fucking. god.

[T42]

If you order a crème in Alsace you get a cup of filter coffee with two little plastic pots of cream in the saucer. You'd think that 70 years after becoming French again the vocabulary might have spread across, but it hasn't.  It's like going to California and ordering a malt: malted milkshakes never made it across the Great Divide.  Maybe the Vosges here do the same for coffee, but I suspect it's more the numbing experience of having to cross Lorraine to get here.

[Ham]

I really don't enjoy milk or cream in my drinks at all.  As far as the quantity is concerned, I normally use the double carrier (15g or 20ml by volume), if I make that as  a stand alone in the day, I mostly use about 30-60ml (c2-3x by volume) in the morning I do make it longer (and, repeat twice for a mug size) and it still produces a different flavour to filter made. Post prandial I will tend to make it around 1:1 by volume.

While I'd lay claim to that product of my current basic machine being acceptable (certainly to me), it fails abysmally at ristretto. As a product, it is positioned at the "high end domestic-sub coffee specialist" level, with the current version espresso standalone costing about £170, giving decent pump and temperature control, with fast ready being implicit (otherwise it couldn't maintain temperature during flow). I suspect its replacement will be a better grinder (straight to portafilter) and stand alone maker, rather than b2c

[Hot Flatus]

Grinders are a bit of a mare because they all have flaws. Whether it be a shit grind consistency, and annoying doser that throws to the left on the last pull of the lever (Yes, that's you Mazzer) or huge grind retention resulting in inconsistent dosing and stale residues.

I'm on my fourth grinder and, I think, last. The previous one was a snazzy electronic on demand thing with 75mm flat burrs.   It replaced a much smaller and crude Mazzer Mini.

The bizarre thing was that the coffee tasted different. The newer more expensive grinder produced coffee that seemed much flatter in flavour than what I remembered from the Mazzer.

This bugged me for about 4 months until I got a really good deal on a huge commercial Mazzer Major, which was in essence a larger version of the Mini with bigger burrs.

I tried them side by side, and indeed the Mazzer produced a tastier cup. The thing is a great big lump of 1950s engineering, with the addition of an electronic timer fitted by me. I have to flick grinds out of the throat of the grinder but apart from that it is great.

[Hot Flatus]

I can't even begin to tell you how delicious this was.

I found myself making little whimpering sounds as I drank it.

[Ham]

I think, somewhat perversely, I actually enjoy the variability that comes naturally with sub optimal equipment, I enjoy the variety. I suspect you are right that finding a grinder to suit is not going to be (a) easy or (b) cheap. the Eureka Mignon range seem to fit the bill for function.

Meanwhile in other news, doubtless offered to me by FB as a result of my search history, there appears to be a new aeropress on the block, for several times the Aeropress cost https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hribarcain/coffeejacktm-the-pocket-sized-barista

[Hot Flatus]

Again, flaws become progressively less apparent if the resultant fluid is diluted. But if you are extracting the same weight of grinds into half an espresso cup of liquid it becomes critical.

You could smash up beans with a hammer and it would taste ok in a filter.

Eureka Mignon will be fine for your current coffee approach, but get the newest model as they are less prone to clumping

[pcolbeck]

Lavazza Qualità Oro. OK but I prefer Qualità Rossa which is good as its cheaper (I always have a stash of Rossa in the cupboard for when I cant be bothered to buy something nicer or have run out).

[hellymedic]

Had

(click to show/hide)

Christmas Coffee

at Betty's in Northallerrton yesterday.

(click to show/hide)

With two mince Pies and the thickest clotted cream evah...

Nice

[Gattopardo]

Had

(click to show/hide)

Christmas Coffee

at Betty's in Northallerrton yesterday.

(click to show/hide)

With two mince Pies and the thickest clotted cream evah...

Nice

November FFS

[Gattopardo]

Ah coffee,  how about a brikka pot?

[T42]

Better extraction than a standard moka pot but with the same dangers of overheating the coffee and "burning" it.

[hellymedic]

Had

(click to show/hide)

Christmas Coffee

at Betty's in Northallerrton yesterday.

(click to show/hide)

With two mince Pies and the thickest clotted cream evah...

Nice

November FFS

Why do you think I used spoiler tags?

A visit to Betty's was one of the highlights of the AUK Reunion weekend and Specials are not to be spurned.
Despite being rammed they were very wheelchair-friendly.

(click to show/hide)

The facilities were well-appointed. It was good to have HOT water and some way of drying hands. Absent in the crips' loo of the Troubadour Suite

Anyway the Sally Army Brass Band were playing carols in the street...

[T42]

Anyway the Sally Army Brass Band were playing carols in the street...

The Inlaw Paw used to call them the Salvarsan Army.

[Mr Larrington]

The day after I lead the Panzers down Whitehall "Christmas" will start on the First Sunday in Advent.  And Special Measures will be introduced for those who maintain that it is somehow Wrong to eat mince pies in August.

[pcolbeck]

Had

(click to show/hide)

Christmas Coffee

at Betty's in Northallerrton yesterday.

(click to show/hide)

With two mince Pies and the thickest clotted cream evah...

Nice

November FFS

Why do you think I used spoiler tags?

A visit to Betty's was one of the highlights of the AUK Reunion weekend and Specials are not to be spurned.
Despite being rammed they were very wheelchair-friendly.

(click to show/hide)

The facilities were well-appointed. It was good to have HOT water and some way of drying hands. Absent in the crips' loo of the Troubadour Suite

Anyway the Sally Army Brass Band were playing carols in the street...

That's good to hear Helly. A friend of mine is one of the managers for Betty's (she floats round the six locations), they are really keen on customer service. Can I pass on your comments?

[hellymedic]

Sure!

Other venues left things to be desired that weekend...

[Ham]

Oi! Flatus! Get that smug smile off your face.

I've had my first shot out of my Rancilio/Eureka combo, it's a better drink, OK? So what?

Glad I didn't go for the b2c, although the long term faffage is a factor. Still got a bit of a usage learning curve to go through, too.

[campagman]

Better extraction than a standard moka pot but with the same dangers of overheating the coffee and "burning" it.

Ah, but have you tried this?

[Hot Flatus]

Oi! Flatus! Get that smug smile off your face.

I've had my first shot out of my Rancilio/Eureka combo, it's a better drink, OK? So what?

Glad I didn't go for the b2c, although the long term faffage is a factor. Still got a bit of a usage learning curve to go through, too.

Ooh a Rancilio. Is it a Silvia?  If it is, I can impart some suggestions which will save much faffage and annoyance...

[Ham]

It is indeed, and yes please.

given the amount I've chugged today the chances of sleep tonight are reduced, so I might as well have something to do.