Yet Another Cycling Forum

Off Topic => The Pub => Food & Drink => Topic started by: dasmoth on 26 September, 2010, 12:17:42 pm

Title: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: dasmoth on 26 September, 2010, 12:17:42 pm
Just sat down with my second cup of Hasbean's new Jailbreak Blend (http://www.hasbean.co.uk/products/Jailbreak-Espresso-Blend.html).  To my taste, it's coming through just a teensy bit acidic.  Perhaps not entirely surprising, given that it seems to consist entirely of central American beans.

I know I have a lower tolerance for acidity in espresso than a lot of folks, though, and apart from that it's a very nice balance.  The smell is wonderful.  Worth trying.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: andygates on 26 September, 2010, 12:23:22 pm
Local deli house beans, americano.   :smug:
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 26 September, 2010, 02:29:38 pm
I actually drank a coffee yesterday, which is rare for me. Espresso as it happens. I think this is a sign of approaching middle age.  ;)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: dasmoth on 26 September, 2010, 02:31:47 pm
What's the coffee-drinking equivalent of a MAMIL?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: YahudaMoon on 26 September, 2010, 02:35:14 pm
Tesco's Italian fresh ground coffee. £1.85. not bad for the money.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Biggsy on 26 September, 2010, 02:43:58 pm
Out of date Pro Plus (http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=38336.0) will be caffeinating me when I next get my arse on my bike.

Meanwhile, I'll have a cup of Kenko instant :P
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Torslanda on 26 September, 2010, 04:08:16 pm
+1. Carte Noir
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: hellymedic on 26 September, 2010, 04:12:56 pm
Sainsbury's Gold Roast instant.
Friday night it was 10-year-old Coca Cola.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 26 September, 2010, 04:17:31 pm
Just sat down with my second cup of Hasbean's new Jailbreak Blend (http://www.hasbean.co.uk/products/Jailbreak-Espresso-Blend.html).  To my taste, it's coming through just a teensy bit acidic.  Perhaps not entirely surprising, given that it seems to consist entirely of central American beans.

I know I have a lower tolerance for acidity in espresso than a lot of folks, though, and apart from that it's a very nice balance.  The smell is wonderful.  Worth trying.

Is it not just his new name for his Premium Espresso blend?  I've had loads of that stuff in the past and still have maybe 500g of green somewhere but I'm hooked on Red Monkey Organic at the moment.

What amazes me is that blenders can manage to achieve consistency given the variety in croppings of the same bean.  I've also had a go at blending green beans for espresso and it is bloody hard.

Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: dasmoth on 26 September, 2010, 04:26:51 pm
Is it not just his new name for his Premium Espresso blend?  I've had loads of that stuff in the past and still have maybe 500g of green somewhere but I'm hooked on Red Monkey Organic at the moment.

It's a relaunch of the old Premium Espresso blend, but I believe it has changed significantly.  Certainly, this batch is more to my taste than the PE I had a couple of years back.  To me, it doesn't quite compare with the superlative Toba Sulawesi blend (http://www.hasbean.co.uk/products/Has-Bean-Toba-Sulawesi-Espresso-Blend.html), but that's my taste-buds speaking, and I suspect the Jailbreak may be closer to what the majority of espresso lovers prefer.

Quote
What amazes me is that blenders can manage to achieve consistency given the variety in croppings of the same bean.  I've also had a go at blending green beans for espresso and it is bloody hard.

+1
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 26 September, 2010, 04:46:17 pm
Thanks for the heads up.  Once I'm through the bag of Monkey coffee I'll give the Sulawesi stuff a try  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: JohnP on 26 September, 2010, 10:00:25 pm
May not sleep tonight - in addition to a cuple of mugs of filter, I've had 4 half cups of Nespresso Kasaar.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: CAMRAMan on 27 September, 2010, 09:49:00 am
Cheapo (£1.49 for 200g) Bellarom Lidl Espresso-ground coffee. It ain't the best, but it's passable...
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: andygates on 27 September, 2010, 10:12:46 am
Something from on top of the cupboard, but it's brown and wet.

Oh, and Myprotein caffeine tabs.  :o :thumbsup: :o :thumbsup: :o
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Thor on 27 September, 2010, 10:20:28 am
Nespresso espresso - 'cos that's what we have in the office kitchen.   

Not quite coffee Nirvana, but better than instant or Starbucks.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: citoyen on 27 September, 2010, 10:48:51 am
Strong cappuccino from Pret. Not great but it'll do for now.

That Jailbreak stuff sounds good. I tend to like an acidic coffee - I'm rather partial to Union's Rwanda Maraba Bourbon, which is positively grapefruit-like in its zesty fruitiness.

d.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: clarion on 27 September, 2010, 10:49:30 am
Tea.  It's always tea.  Sainsbury's in this case.  :(
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 28 September, 2010, 04:59:31 pm
Is it not just his new name for his Premium Espresso blend?  I've had loads of that stuff in the past and still have maybe 500g of green somewhere but I'm hooked on Red Monkey Organic at the moment.

It's a relaunch of the old Premium Espresso blend, but I believe it has changed significantly.  Certainly, this batch is more to my taste than the PE I had a couple of years back.  To me, it doesn't quite compare with the superlative Toba Sulawesi blend (http://www.hasbean.co.uk/products/Has-Bean-Toba-Sulawesi-Espresso-Blend.html), but that's my taste-buds speaking, and I suspect the Jailbreak may be closer to what the majority of espresso lovers prefer.

Quote
What amazes me is that blenders can manage to achieve consistency given the variety in croppings of the same bean.  I've also had a go at blending green beans for espresso and it is bloody hard.

+1

I've just ordered a bag of Jailbreak and one of Toba Sulawesi!  Happy Donkey Brazilian Fairtrade in the grinder at present though.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Katie on 28 September, 2010, 10:35:59 pm
Mountain Dew <3
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Sergeant Pluck on 28 September, 2010, 10:38:46 pm
PG Tips Extra Strong.

Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: clarion on 29 September, 2010, 01:18:52 pm
Tea.  It's always tea.  Sainsbury's in this case.  :(

Still tea.  I'm taking oral steroids and I want coffee.  But I have tea :( :( :(
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 02 October, 2010, 10:29:21 pm
Jailbreak:  Not impressed.  Too bitter, too intense and lacking any sense of subtlety.

Toba Sulawesi:  The best coffee I've tasted by an order of magnitude.  Absolutely sublime.  Yes, a hint of grapefruit, but overall a tremendously rounded flavour without any hint of unpleasant edge.  Espresso has body and silkiness, excellent crema and grinds consistently.  I won't be hurrying to try anything else.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Rhys W on 02 October, 2010, 10:39:21 pm
Once I finish a hopper-full of Lavazza, I have some Happy Donkey Classic Italian. And they also included as a free surprise in my order, 100g of their new Sumatra Mocha! Beats a couple of Wiggle wine gums any day. :thumbsup:
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 05 October, 2010, 06:39:18 pm
Toba Sulawesi:  The best coffee I've tasted by an order of magnitude.  Absolutely sublime.  Yes, a hint of grapefruit, but overall a tremendously rounded flavour without any hint of unpleasant edge.  Espresso has body and silkiness, excellent crema and grinds consistently.  I won't be hurrying to try anything else.

Good.  :thumbsup:

I've just ordered two bags of it, one green and the other roasted for reference.

Last night I roasted two batches of beans, neither are for the machine.  Honduran 'La Fany' which I've probably had before, but is sitting de-gassing in the fridge.

The other batch is Ethiopean Yirgachef, which I have had hanging around for ages. I bought a 2kg bag on recommendation, roasted 250g of it and found it lacking any taste.  I dug it out yesterday, two years later, and realised I had made a terrible mistake.  In my head I'd confused it with Harrar, which is an earthy coffee needing a mid-dark roast.  Yirgachef is more akin to Kenyan Peaberry, with grapefruit acidity and floral tones.  I'd killed all of that and just got a butterscoth flavour... not unpleasant, but unremarkable.

I roasted it very carefully yesterday, taking it just out of the first crack, but a million miles from second.  The beans looked beautiful, with a lovely cream stripe.  This evening, I cupped.

On the nose it was delicate.  Caramels abounded, a vague hint of chocolate, but no! In the cup what awaited me was light, bright, lemon acidity, with a typical light floral jasmine coffee blossom. But the huge surprise in this one is the peach apricot and summer fruits zooming through the mid-palate of the cup.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 05 October, 2010, 07:23:46 pm
I've read about that Yirgachef on one of the American gourmet coffee forums; it sounds awesome and I am going to have to come over and try some.  If you can emulate the body and rich silkiness of the Monkey, then I'm in for a treat.

Going back to the Toba Sulawesi, I've noticed that the citrus note is becoming more pronounced as the beans age in the hopper.  It was sublime after 4 days, wheras now it is maturing into more of a specialist breakfast bean; sharp and fresh but not as rounded and wholesome as it cupped when freshly roast. 

I emailed Steve at Has Bean about it and he replied today, saying that he has found the same thing.  His view is that it is a specialist interest for a particular type of palate. 

In passing, he mentioned his new Kicker blend which, he suggested, might be right up my alley.  In fact, he has promised to do me a special batch as he now knows I like it rich and dark, and was thinking of revising the blend for those who prefer a more wholesome mouthful.  I pointed out the rather downmarket associations with the name and he has agreed to label my bag "Sebago" instead! 
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 05 October, 2010, 07:30:57 pm
Steve's great like that. Tickle his interest and he always comes up trumps.

Anyway, how do you feel after your first few months? When you came round here, I sensed that you were wanting me to open you up to a new experience.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 05 October, 2010, 07:49:42 pm
I said I didn't want to get into it that much, but once you've crossed the threshold, it becomes difficult not to want more and more.   I'm still concerned about the temperature stability of my boiler though, and may have to go the whole nine yards and fit in a regulator.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 05 October, 2010, 08:06:13 pm
The problem with regulators is that they almost never live up to their claims. They make a lot of noise and don't really work. You'd have no difficulty squeezing one in though as they are actually quite small.

Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: nicknack on 06 October, 2010, 08:51:11 am
The problem with Regulators is that they almost never live up to their claims. They make a lot of noise and don't really work. You'd have no difficulty squeezing one in though as they are actually quite small.

FTFY


Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: andrewc on 06 October, 2010, 12:19:58 pm
The problem with Regulators is that they almost never live up to their claims. They make a lot of noise and don't really work. You'd have no difficulty squeezing one in though as they are actually quite small.

FTFY




But he's always happy to open a chap up for a new experience....

Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 25 October, 2010, 11:52:46 pm
Any revelations on the Toba Sulawesi Flatty old chum?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 26 October, 2010, 07:49:07 am
Yeah, haven't managed to get a decent cup out of it yet. When I put it through the machine it had a really sour edge to it. I thought it might be something amis with machine or technique so I made a cup of filter. Strangely it was very much still there and actually it wasn't very nice at all.  A bit of a shame as much of what comes out of Indonesia makes great filter coffee. A duff batch perhaps.

Have you tried his Kicker stuff yet?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: dasmoth on 26 October, 2010, 08:21:33 am
Sorry to hear that.

Am I right in thinking you're using a machine with a PID?  Have you tried any temperature adjustments?  I'm kind-of wondering now if these beans may be happiest if you bump the temperature up a degree or so.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 26 October, 2010, 08:43:27 am
I havent fiddled with anything to be honest as the trying the coffee in a filter showed up the same sourness. 

I still have a bag of green so I might try a darker roast than Hasbean to get see if it'll back off the sourness. Indonesian beans do lend themselves to a heavy roast.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 26 October, 2010, 01:59:47 pm
Have you tried his Kicker stuff yet?

No, but it's up next.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 26 October, 2010, 08:50:56 pm
Actually I'm warming to the Happy Donkey Brazilian.  I've had a couple of stunners today.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 29 October, 2010, 09:20:53 pm
The Kicker is very intense and acidic - an orangey and lemoney version of Jailbreak but with more subtelty of flavour.  It's interesting but I won't be making it a regular purchase.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 29 October, 2010, 09:27:42 pm
Hmm... I'll not be trying it then. He's using some unconventional choices of bean for his blends at the moment.  I much prefer an earthier flavour and not too acidic.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 31 October, 2010, 12:00:44 am
Have you tried Jamaican Blue Mountain?  Not an Espresso bean particularly, but I tried it years ago and it was wonderful.  I wonder how it would go through a Rancilio?

Coffee - Connoisseur Coffee - Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Beans (http://www.coffee-beans-direct.com/product_info.php?products_id=736)

Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 31 October, 2010, 03:01:25 am
I have had it a few times but not for years. The first time I had it the stuff was amazing, really really subtle. The following batches were no better than Kenco. It's about £100 a kilo and not many places sell it, which might give an indication as to the availability of decent stuff. I think most of it goes to Japan.

If I wanted something similar at non-silly prices I'd go for the stuff coming out of Papua New Guinea

Never tried it as espresso, but don't see any reason why not, apart from price
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: tonycollinet on 31 October, 2010, 06:27:49 pm
I get all my beans from a local deli, who roast on site. Just decided I  prefer the kenyan peaberry to the french roast, and have bought some Sumatra Lintong to try.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 31 October, 2010, 06:42:51 pm
If you like Kenyan then you'll like Ethiopian Yirgacheff  ;)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: citoyen on 09 November, 2010, 12:14:21 pm
If you like Kenyan then you'll like Ethiopian Yirgacheff  ;)

I got some Ethiopian Yirgacheffe from Monmouth (http://www.monmouthcoffee.co.uk/Coffee/Africa/Ethiopia/Yirgacheffe) this morning, on the recommendation of the nice young lady behind the counter. They mention "black tea and bergamot" in their tasting notes, which is pretty much spot on. Bright and zingy but very smooth, not at all sour. Really very good indeed. (As it bloomin' well should be at £22/kg.)

She also suggested Indonesian Wih Bakong (http://www.monmouthcoffee.co.uk/Coffee/Asia-Pacific/Indonesia/Wih-Bakong), which I might try next time.

d.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 09 November, 2010, 12:24:38 pm
I'm back on the Happy Donkey Brazilian.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 09 November, 2010, 12:30:17 pm
I like that stuff, and the monkey organic best.

Roasted the green toba beans myself a week ago, but darker than Hasbean. As I suspected, they are much nicer, although I've only filtered them.  Can't help thinking Hasbean got the roasting wrong on the batch I had.

Haven't fired up the Rancilio for a few weeks
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: border-rider on 09 November, 2010, 07:24:56 pm
Mornington Crescent
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 09 November, 2010, 07:49:00 pm
Only an amateur would drink that shit.  You'd be better off with Red Mountain.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: border-rider on 09 November, 2010, 07:57:53 pm
 ;D
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 12 November, 2010, 01:50:26 pm
Mornington Crescent

Green beans or ready roast?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: citoyen on 12 January, 2011, 11:09:29 am
Kenyan Wathenge (http://www.monmouthcoffee.co.uk/Coffee/Africa/Kenya/Wathenge)

Mild but bright and lively. More winey than citrussy. Nice.

d.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 13 January, 2011, 07:01:26 am
Kenyan Wathenge (http://www.monmouthcoffee.co.uk/Coffee/Africa/Kenya/Wathenge)

Mild but bright and lively. More winey than citrussy. Nice.

Jeez what a ponce. It's only coffee you are talking about  ::-)


 ;D

Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: andygates on 13 January, 2011, 09:10:30 am
It's only coffee

*lsap*

I shall have satisfaction for that blasphemy, sir!
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: BrianI on 13 January, 2011, 09:48:07 am
Nescafé Speciality Coffee Mixes Cappuccino.  Powdered cappuccino. Just add water.  Tastes of chemicals   :sick: :sick: :sick:
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: vorsprung on 13 January, 2011, 09:52:31 am
Filter coffee (Miles' Colombian) but with a heavy dose of Sainsburys Instant Hot Chocolate mix, to make an ersatz mocca
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 13 January, 2011, 09:30:43 pm
Union Hand Roast Revelation.  Again.  After months of trying different espresso blends I've come back to this.  Nice rounded warm chocolate base with fresh citrus overtones - tastes sophisticated yet clean and isn't overbearing.  It's very easy to work with and consistent.  The beans aren't oily and it grinds very consistently.  It's the same sort of taste as Happy Donkey Brazilian, but is sufficiently more refined to justify the extra cost.

Prior to this I ran a bagful of Union Foundation beans through - it's a sharper, darker blend with more pronounced orange/lemon citurs acidity than Revelation.  Very nice when you get it right but hard to live with.  It seemed very temperature dependent too and clogged a damp basket in a strange way.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 13 January, 2011, 10:05:54 pm
And you weren't going to get into it that much.....


;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

I O.D.'d on espresso coffee over the two week break.  Had 8 bags delivered just to be safe.  Got through 5.

I've cut back on the stuff and I've rediscovered my whisky cabinet, instead (sort of).  Got 10 on the go at the moment.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Martin on 17 January, 2011, 10:29:47 pm
Bad day last week; ran out of Grand Mere from France for the plunger thingy at work, had to make do with Co-Op Fairtrade sawdust

can you get Grand Mere anywhere in the UK?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Jacomus on 18 January, 2011, 10:43:08 am
Yorkshire Tea :thumbsup:
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 18 January, 2011, 07:59:34 pm
Bad day last week; ran out of Grand Mere from France for the plunger thingy at work, had to make do with Co-Op Fairtrade sawdust

can you get Grand Mere anywhere in the UK?

Why would you want to? It's shite  ;D
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Martin on 18 January, 2011, 10:38:54 pm
Bad day last week; ran out of Grand Mere from France for the plunger thingy at work, had to make do with Co-Op Fairtrade sawdust

can you get Grand Mere anywhere in the UK?

Why would you want to? It's shite  ;D

can you suggest anything as good available here? (Lavazza need not apply) Jaques Vebre also rings a bell from various French Forays

What's Costa's packet stuff like?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: BrianI on 19 January, 2011, 12:03:13 pm
I saw a cute little 3 cup cafetiere[1] in t*sc*s the other day while grocery shopping, so I thought I might as well try that
and some nice ground coffee rather than chemically ehnanced instant coffee!

Tried some T*sc* Original Blend Roast and Ground Coffee, a heaped desert spoon in the cafetiere, which makes a lovely cup of non chemical testing coffee!
(Also stimulates a daily motion too!   :thumbsup: brb... flush...  :) )

I just hope I'm not going to turn into Too Much Coffee Man[sup[2][/sup]

[1] Actually rather than 3 cup it makes a nice mugful!
[2]http://www.tmcm.com/ (http://www.tmcm.com/)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: citoyen on 11 February, 2011, 11:46:24 am
Monmouth Coffee : Pasajquim (http://www.monmouthcoffee.co.uk/Coffee/Central-America/Guatemala/Pasajquim)

Woof! This is good shit.

d.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 11 February, 2011, 11:07:01 pm
I bought a box of La Perruche sugar lumps yesterday.  I also pulycaffed my Rancilio and loaded a fresh bag of Union Revelation beans.  Once I'd calibrated the grind, I made an espresso in my new illy cup and stirred in half a lump of the sugar. 

Heaven, just heaven. 

The sugar is unique and, quite uncannilly, takes you straight to the land of the alledged cheese eating surrender monkeys.  Give me this to trench warfare any day of the week.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 18 March, 2011, 06:59:53 pm
I'm back to Red Monkey for a couple of bags.  I think I like Revelation better, but it's very close between the two.  The Union definitely grinds more consistently, which gives it the edge for me.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 18 March, 2011, 07:19:26 pm
Revelation for the first time.  Really really good, similar style to Red Monkey, but a little better.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 02 April, 2011, 06:53:41 pm
I have just pulled the trigger on a Revelation subscription order.   I love it.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 02 April, 2011, 06:54:38 pm
It makes nice filter coffee too
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 06 April, 2011, 07:37:09 am
Revelation for the first time. 

Still enjoying it Rammy?  I find it makes a really magnificent tiger-stripe crema too, and is fascinating to watch it gloop down through a bottomless portafilter.

Any La Perruche yet?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 06 April, 2011, 08:14:29 am
I have two bags in the freezer, but I only get it out if I know I'm going to do a whole bag in a weekend or holiday time. It is a lovely coffee to use in an espresso machine and I agree it is always a good sign when the first few drops come out like gloopy tar.

Thanks for reminding me about La Perruche. I'll pop into Waitrose later

Update: they have it in Waitrose £1.79 a 500g box. Will have to wait until Monday to try it out  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Jacomus on 06 April, 2011, 11:47:38 pm
Carte Noir instant, drunk black. Not up to all this high tech stuff, but well suited to my taste of quick, simple, not overpowering flavor. :)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 10 April, 2011, 11:16:31 am
Ok, technical difficulty with the Perruche, Tewders.

As you know, I make the espresso thick and strong. In true Italian style it gets slurped up in one go and not lingered over. The Perruche granules that make up the lump are very coarse, and the density of the liquid is too thick to dissolve it quick enough before the coffee has cooled too much.

The upside is that what gets left in the bottom of the cup is 3/4 of the lump but imbued with espresso   :P

Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 15 April, 2011, 03:42:02 pm
Onto the third and final bag of Revelation.

My god, this stuff is near perfect.  The blend is just spot on, so much so that I have been drinking purely espresso from it.  It has a great mix of whatever the base coffee is, with a heft of Indonesian to give it a dark duskiness and weight, and a subtle dose of East African  to give it a dark chocolate orange hue.  It is also very consistent and tolerant of my hamfistedness.

Bloomin' marvellous.  :thumbsup:

I've just roasted some of the green Red Monkey Organic I had left.  I'll give it a week to settle down then compare now that I am really used to the Rev.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Feline on 02 May, 2011, 06:51:17 pm
After reading all the above I decided to shop for some Union Revelation beans.

I've ended up registering with Ocado since they stock them and I can get a free delivery with the rest of my groceries tomorrow evening. Even better, I found a code online for £15 off for new customers so I got a bargain too :)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: YahudaMoon on 02 May, 2011, 06:56:19 pm
I usually stick to Taylors of Harragate. I'm on the Carte Noir this week as it was in the cheap bin in the supermarket. Im still looking for these cat poo coffee beans, looks like Tescos /Sainsburys won't be getting them anytyime soon.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Feline on 03 May, 2011, 10:48:21 pm
Yay I am drinking my first cup of revelation  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: citoyen on 03 May, 2011, 11:13:09 pm
Monmouth Ethiopian Yirgacheffe again. Love it.

d.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: BrianI on 24 May, 2011, 12:18:27 pm
Kenco Caffe Latte coffee sachets. http://www.kenco.co.uk/range/kenco-cappuccino/kenco-caffe-latte/689 (http://www.kenco.co.uk/range/kenco-cappuccino/kenco-caffe-latte/689) Two boxes for 1 at tesc*s today.
Had one at lunch time.

Chemically tasting Caffe Latte with the after-taste of artificial sweeteners  :sick: 
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: dasmoth on 24 July, 2011, 02:05:32 pm
Finally got round to trying some Union beans.  Currently on the Foundation blend, which makes a very nice smooth cappuccino, but not 100% sure how it'll hold up without milk.

Also have a bag each of Revelation and Rogue to try over the next few days.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 24 July, 2011, 05:39:30 pm
Also have a bag each of Revelation and Rogue to try over the next few days.

I've got some Revelation on order. I'll be amazed if you dont like it
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Feline on 24 July, 2011, 07:09:31 pm
I'm still experimenting with my Gaggia titanium to find teh optimal grind and strength. The coffee seems to be coming out a little bit faster than I want it to at the moment. We drank a whole 250g bag of beans yesterday, I should feel wired probably  :D
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: citoyen on 25 July, 2011, 12:52:26 pm
Latest purchase from Monmouth is a bag of Tres Pueblos, Nicaragua. Rather wonderful. Sharp and fruity. Very lively.

d.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Charlotte on 25 July, 2011, 01:03:46 pm
Union Asprotimana, from Huila in Columbia.

A lighter roast that I've been using in my Aeropress for the last week or so.  I'm loving the zesty, tangy flavour.  Not quite citrus, but definitely strong grapes or mulberries or something.  It's just the sort of coffee you want to be drinking long as an americano or maybe as a pourover cup.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 25 July, 2011, 02:58:58 pm
By the way there are two Rancilio Epoca machines going on eBay today or tommorrow
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Charlotte on 25 July, 2011, 03:01:54 pm
Yeah, and if that first one wasn't in fecking Darwen, I'd be bidding...
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 25 July, 2011, 03:16:06 pm
If it wasnt that my Rancilio had a PID, I'd snap it up like a shot. The fact that the guy wont post puts most people off. 
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Jacomus on 25 July, 2011, 04:46:30 pm
I usually stick to Taylors of Harragate. I'm on the Carte Noir this week as it was in the cheap bin in the supermarket. Im still looking for these cat poo coffee beans, looks like Tescos /Sainsburys won't be getting them anytyime soon.

Last week I found Carte Noir for my stove top coffee maker. Mine is a 1 cup espresso model and is fantastic as long as you keep a weather eye on it to make sure that you don't accidentally burn the coffee once it has percolated. Since I don't like espresso, I pour it into a normal cup and add more water from the kettle.

Yum!!

Carte Noir, is my favourite coffee that I have tried as it seems to be delicious in freeze dried variety and delicious in under-strength stove top variety too. :)

(https://www.orensdailyroast.com/images/products/large/Bonjour%206cup%20stove%20top%20espresso%20maker.jpg)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: dasmoth on 28 July, 2011, 12:06:41 pm
I've got some Revelation on order. I'll be amazed if you dont like it

I've found it surprisingly troublesome, grind just won't go right for me and I'm getting an overly-quick extraction (and damper-than-usual puck) pretty much regardless of what I do with it :(.  The results are surprisingly drinkable, but obviously not anything to get excited about.  I'm back on the Foundation for now, still have half a bag of Revelation and will have another try (after giving the machine a good clean) this weekend.  But any tips welcome!
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 28 July, 2011, 03:10:04 pm
One of the issues with it is that it sometimes arrives only a couple of days after roasting.... I'm not sure that is enough. That said, I grind it quite finely and always end up with a soggy puck but I accept that because what ends up in the cup is excellent.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 28 July, 2011, 10:28:35 pm
Yeah, and if that first one wasn't in fecking Darwen, I'd be bidding...

I have just had an Ebay accident on a semi-commercial machine, so my Rancilio Silvia is for sale over in classifieds if you, or indeed anyone else here, is interested.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 28 July, 2011, 10:45:49 pm
What did you go for?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 28 July, 2011, 10:50:35 pm
Rancilio S24!

Like this:

(http://www.siennacoffee.com.au/images/products/rancilio24.gif)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Phil on 28 July, 2011, 10:52:35 pm
Very nice!
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 28 July, 2011, 10:57:22 pm
Cool.

My finger hovered over the 'mint' Epoca (the successor to the S24) that came with a Mazzer Grinder and water softener.  It went for about £580 in the end, which is an absolute bargain
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: peterh on 29 July, 2011, 10:54:46 am
Yeah, and if that first one wasn't in fecking Darwen, I'd be bidding...

I have just had an Ebay accident on a semi-commercial machine, so my Rancilio Silvia is for sale over in classifieds if you, or indeed anyone else here, is interested.

I was watching that S24 but it went too high right at the end - hope you enjoy it!

And I got here too late for your Silvia   :'(  Anyone else got one for sale?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Rhys W on 29 July, 2011, 05:58:30 pm
You could go for one of these (http://www.rapha.cc/rocket-espresso-for-rapha) if you're a fashion victim.

I'd love one of those machines, but not with that logo on it.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 29 July, 2011, 06:29:24 pm
Those Giotto's are about a grand normally. So that's about £500 for the Rapha logo
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 29 July, 2011, 07:16:16 pm
You could go for one of these (http://www.rapha.cc/rocket-espresso-for-rapha) if you're a fashion victim.

I'd love one of those machines, but not with that logo on it.

If you buy the Rapha version you have to buy your coffee here (http://www.bigmaggys.com/)!
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 29 July, 2011, 07:22:18 pm
I was watching that S24 but it went too high right at the end - hope you enjoy it!

It was cheaper than they normally are - they usually fetch 5-600 quid on Ebay - the collect only from Cwmbran saw to that.  It wasn't you who put the snipe on and won the grinder was it?  You cost me the best part of 100 quid if it was!  ;D
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: peterh on 29 July, 2011, 08:00:39 pm
I was watching that S24 but it went too high right at the end - hope you enjoy it!

It was cheaper than they normally are - they usually fetch 5-600 quid on Ebay - the collect only from Cwmbran saw to that.  It wasn't you who put the snipe on and won the grinder was it?  You cost me the best part of 100 quid if it was!  ;D

Not guilty O:-)  I was out with some friends but couldn't resist checking on my phone.  It was around 320 and I talked myself into putting in a bid, but by the time the phone refreshed it had jumped up a lot.

I'm still kicking myself for hesitating for 30 minutes (and I've still no idea why, except that it was another collect only from miles away) over a nice looking Silvia a couple of weeks ago that had a 'buy it now' price of 150.  Yes, I missed that one as well  :-[
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 29 July, 2011, 10:51:06 pm
Just collected the S24.  Strewth, it's MAHOOSIVE.  I am going to be introuble when I get it home..
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 29 July, 2011, 11:30:08 pm
Hur hur hur  ;D
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: border-rider on 29 July, 2011, 11:34:43 pm
You can keep it at our house :)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 30 July, 2011, 02:09:45 pm
You can keep it at our house :)

Don't joke...

It's in the kitchen now - didn't go down well but I've found a reasonably hidden corner behind the microwave where it doesn't dominate the whole room to quite the same extent as it did when placed on the counter next to the sink.  I'd read this was a semi-commercial machine and was expecting something a bit bigger than the Silvia, the sort of thing you'd see for after-dinner coffees in restaurants maybe.  But no, it's a full size commercial rig that would be happy knocking out a zillion per hour at Kings Cross station...

I'm going to have to woo Mrs Tewdric with choccyfrothaccinos I think...

<edit>

Mrs Tewdric here!

It's going to take more than a fancy cuppa....
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Biggsy on 30 July, 2011, 04:32:06 pm
Healthpoint Full Alert Caffeine tablets.  30 for a pound from Wikos.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 30 July, 2011, 10:17:01 pm
And I got here too late for your Silvia   :'(  Anyone else got one for sale?

Watch this space - the espresso machine arms race has begun.  Expect Rammy Prickypoos to buy one of these any day now:

(http://www.italianaromacoffee.co.uk/images/machines/Rancilio_levers.jpg)

I'm angling for a Mazzer Mini but it will have to wait for a couple of months...

Incidentally, I had to buy some descaler from Happy Donkey so I have a bag each of Brazilian Fairtrade and Italian blend on the way too, if nothing else to remind me how bloody good Revelation is, although neither are slouches in their own right by any means.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 30 July, 2011, 10:51:50 pm
I'll wager that the quality of espresso from your new machine is little different to your Silvia (when surfed)

But, I think your new machine will be waaay better at frothing milk, and also at keeping the cups hot. The passive heating of the Silvia is shit in this respect.

I'm semi regretting not snapping up the Epoca that went with the Mazzer, but there would have been a lot of explaining to do and possibly some time in the cooler.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 30 July, 2011, 11:19:36 pm
I'll wager that the quality of espresso from your new machine is little different to your Silvia (when surfed)

But, I think your new machine will be waaay better at frothing milk, and also at keeping the cups hot. The passive heating of the Silvia is shit in this respect.

I'm semi regretting not snapping up the Epoca that went with the Mazzer, but there would have been a lot of explaining to do and possibly some time in the cooler.

I think you're right.  No, I'm sure you're right.  The Silvia can do espresso as well as anything with a bit of care, I reckon.

I am going to try to get single shots from a single basket with this machine; it came with heavyweight single and double portafilters.  I used a double basket in a bottomless portafilter on the Silvia, but the greater height of the group on the new machine means a bottomless jobbie showers coffee everywhere if you make an espresso with it.  And I'm in enough trouble already.  It's fine with its supplied triple basket for one of my big mugs though, for a long coffee.

I think the MC2 will grind fine enough to get a 20 second plus extraction from a smaller amount of coffee, and if it works it will be a good thing for a number of reasons!

I will then have to figure how to adjust the grind between the single, double and triple portafilters.  It will be brilliant if they just work on the same grind, (great for after dinner to be able alternate the single and double to produce a batch of espressos), but I don't think it will work like that.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 31 July, 2011, 04:26:59 am
....and you weren't going to get into it that much   ;D
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: DrMekon on 31 July, 2011, 06:24:22 pm
(http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6014/5993809532_96dc66c84c.jpg)

£1.50 in Tescos. Perfect for audax. Taste like espresso & longlife milk which is what it is.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: dasmoth on 31 July, 2011, 06:32:18 pm
Watch this space - the espresso machine arms race has begun.

If someone wants to go for the nuclear option, there's always

(http://www.synesso.com/images/content/Cyncra_3_%20gp_cr.jpg)

(Anyone know if there's one in the UK?)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 31 July, 2011, 07:28:45 pm
One of the issues with it is that it sometimes arrives only a couple of days after roasting.... I'm not sure that is enough. That said, I grind it quite finely and always end up with a soggy puck but I accept that because what ends up in the cup is excellent.

Take that back... I realised I was using too large a basket in the bottomless handle, which meant there was room for water to slosh about between the coffee and the shower screen.  Swapped the large Marzocco basket for the Rancilio double and all is perfect.  Excellent coffee, no spraying out of the bottomless filter and a bone dry puck at the end of it.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 31 July, 2011, 07:42:06 pm
By the way.....


(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Cg8ylrw_KEY/TjWh0vpaxeI/AAAAAAAABzs/2aj7cLdl5wE/cyncra%2525206.jpg)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: dasmoth on 01 August, 2011, 09:17:10 am
Now, where's the drooling smiley for all things Synesso-related?  :)

Currently having another go with the Revelation.  Behaving much better now -- not really sure what's changed, so you might be onto something with the "too fresh" idea...  One more grind adjustment and I think I'll be there.  The coffee is already very good.  One to add to the regular rotation assuming I manage to tame it properly.

Still quite impressed with Foundation, too.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 08 August, 2011, 08:04:50 pm
Rancilio S24!

Like this:

(http://www.siennacoffee.com.au/images/products/rancilio24.gif)

So, managed to get anything as good as from the Silvia out of it?

Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Feline on 09 August, 2011, 11:21:42 am
I've given up coffee before PBP now, I just found myself drooling over my switched off Gaggia  :'(
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: dasmoth on 09 August, 2011, 12:14:33 pm
I've given up coffee before PBP now, I just found myself drooling over my switched off Gaggia  :'(

Good grief  :o.  Now I know why I'm not riding it...

There are allegedly some reasonably-decent decaf [shudder...] espresso blends around, though.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 11 August, 2011, 12:23:59 pm
I hereby declare I am not giving up coffee prior to PBP.

I will simply drink  more on PBP! ;D
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Phil on 19 August, 2011, 05:22:19 pm
A ristretto from one of these: http://www.jurang.co.uk/shop/jura-coffee-machine-impressa/231-jura-impressa-x9-platinum.html

It was very good, but then I'd rather expect it to be for £3,500 :o
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Feline on 29 August, 2011, 09:12:47 pm
I am enjoying being back on the coffee. About to choose which beans to order next :)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: citoyen on 31 August, 2011, 12:49:01 pm
Cafe de Pasto, Colombia (http://www.monmouthcoffee.co.uk/coffee/south-america/colombia/cafe-de-pasto)

Very pleasant.

d.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 08 September, 2011, 08:57:22 pm
Happy Donkey Classic Italian:

http://www.happydonkey.co.uk/classic-italian-coffee-beans-2-bags.html

It works really well in my new machine and makes a really enjoyable espresso.  It's not quite as refined as something like Revelation, but has bags of character, incredible crema, and is really good value!

I've got another 500g bag of HD Fair Trade Brazilian to go (which is fantastic too but not doing it for me as much as the Italian) and I'll probably get some more Rev as a reality check, but I might well come back to this as my everyday drink.  The only downside is the crema and price probably come from a hefty dose of robusta, which means more caffeine.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Feline on 08 September, 2011, 09:37:31 pm
Having read reviews I ordered a shed load of Breakfast Bomb. It is living up to it's name, I am on my 3rd cup since I got in from work an hour ago and I am bouncing off the walls  :D  (Fortunately I don't need to go to bed any time soon because I am about to start a block of nights from tomorrow).
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 09 September, 2011, 07:54:24 pm
Having read reviews I ordered a shed load of Breakfast Bomb. It is living up to it's name, I am on my 3rd cup since I got in from work an hour ago and I am bouncing off the walls  :D  (Fortunately I don't need to go to bed any time soon because I am about to start a block of nights from tomorrow).

What's the flavour like?  I like a smooth round chocolatey caramel nuance rather than a zingy zesty acidic lemony orangey kick up the jacksy.  Do you think it would fit the bill?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Feline on 10 September, 2011, 12:57:32 am
Having read reviews I ordered a shed load of Breakfast Bomb. It is living up to it's name, I am on my 3rd cup since I got in from work an hour ago and I am bouncing off the walls  :D  (Fortunately I don't need to go to bed any time soon because I am about to start a block of nights from tomorrow).

What's the flavour like?  I like a smooth round chocolatey caramel nuance rather than a zingy zesty acidic lemony orangey kick up the jacksy.  Do you think it would fit the bill?

Well, I find the taste strong yet smooth, but I am maybe not the best person to ask since I have no sense of smell and therefore  can't taste things as well as some people. I would have a job actually describing the taste. I could send you a pack to try to see if you like it!
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 11 September, 2011, 02:13:19 pm
I might take you up on that! :-)

I'm back on Happy Donkey Brazilian, having had 18 people here for a rugby breakfast party this morning, which made the new coffee machine work for its living!
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 02 December, 2011, 02:17:42 pm
And now Revelation again..
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 02 December, 2011, 02:55:20 pm
I've got four new bags of it, but it is too new. Going in the freezer til I can do a bit of serious espresso drinking.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Feline on 02 December, 2011, 04:09:55 pm
I've got four new bags of it, but it is too new. Going in the freezer til I can do a bit of serious espresso drinking.

Can it be too new? I thought it declined over time not improved?
I have a freezer full of coffee and a broken down Gaggia at the moment, it's sprung a leak somewhere inside :(
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 02 December, 2011, 04:22:59 pm
I've got four new bags of it, but it is too new. Going in the freezer til I can do a bit of serious espresso drinking.

Can it be too new? I thought it declined over time not improved?
I have a freezer full of coffee and a broken down Gaggia at the moment, it's sprung a leak somewhere inside :(

(http://www.coffeemachinecompany.co.uk/media/epoca1/epoca1sidered.jpg)

Go on, you know you want to...   :demon:
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Feline on 02 December, 2011, 04:51:37 pm
When I have time I need to go through all the Youtube instructions for what to do if it's leaking, I am sure I can probably repair it myself. This is a bad week for me though because I am working 60 hours of nights. I could really do with a coffee right now!
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 02 December, 2011, 05:34:14 pm
I've got four new bags of it, but it is too new. Going in the freezer til I can do a bit of serious espresso drinking.

Can it be too new? I thought it declined over time not improved?


Yes to both.

Freshly roasted coffee tastes of nothing. It takes at least a couple of days rest before it is anything like ready, and some coffees I've roasted have need a full week before they are at their peak. The revelation was roasted on Tuesday.  Tomorrow if my resolve breaks....
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Feline on 03 December, 2011, 01:07:51 pm
I've got four new bags of it, but it is too new. Going in the freezer til I can do a bit of serious espresso drinking.

Can it be too new? I thought it declined over time not improved?


Yes to both.

Freshly roasted coffee tastes of nothing. It takes at least a couple of days rest before it is anything like ready, and some coffees I've roasted have need a full week before they are at their peak. The revelation was roasted on Tuesday.  Tomorrow if my resolve breaks....

Do you have to rest it at room temperature for it to gain the flavour or will it do this while in the freezer?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 03 December, 2011, 01:28:33 pm
It has to 'de-gas', which iirc means releasing co2. Tbh I'm not massively anal about it and tend to stick it wherever is convenient. If its not going to be used for a week or so it goes in thr freezer. If you pushed me for an answer I'd say stick it in the fridge. That seems to be a happy medium between the flavour building up and not inducing staleness, but this is just gut feeling, albeit over the 12 or so years that I have been roasting.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 13 December, 2011, 03:09:45 am
 Ah fucking bollocks. New machine arrived today. Picked it up from the roaster man. Was like spending an hour in a crack house. He was whizzed off his tits. Now I am too. Hence the 'fucking bollocks'

(look at post time)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Charlotte on 13 December, 2011, 08:33:30 am
Silly boy  ;D
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: RJ on 13 December, 2011, 09:20:01 pm
 ;D

Could have done with some of that earlier ...
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: plug on 18 December, 2011, 07:09:40 pm
A couple of shots from Hot Flatus' new shiny thing.  Very nice :)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 20 December, 2011, 11:41:52 am
Well, I have had a week of highs and lows.  The new machine...

(http://www.wholelattelove.com/ItemImages/9524/11509XLarge.gif)

...is working beautifully, and I'm really pleased with my choice and glad that I didn't succumb to the more beautiful, but lesser speccedRocket Giotto (http://www.casabarista.nl/uploads/pics/Giotto-evoluzione-002.jpg).  You see the Expobar has a dual boiler and PID, rather than a heat-exchanger which is more common at this price point, but it is the PID and the convenience of two boilers that makes it stand out.

So, having quickly accustomed myself to its ways I delved into the current trends in espresso, or the 'third wave' as it is known in the industry.  I'm quite old school in this respect as I enjoy espresso as served in Italy, short, rich, and over in seconds.  I like the Italian style of blends and I don't care if it is Robusta heavy. I've never viewed lighter roasted acidic coffees as being an option for espresso but this is what seems to be being touted by those that want to stand out as being different.  So, feeling comfortable with my machine I made an order of 4 bags of coffee from these people (http://shop.squaremilecoffee.com/). It cost me £40. A quick glance at the website indicates that they have spent a bit of cash on website design and branding, as well as labels, and perhaps are aiming to ape the 'boutique' roasters found in the US. I was hopeful that I would be in for a new espresso experience.

What I got was four bags of really nice filter coffee that I just couldn't get to work in the machine.  I emailed the roaster for advice on dose and output, after every shot I produced was sour and disgusting.  In all honesty, what was coming out of the machine was exactly what I would expect from roasts this light, over-powering acidity.  He and I had a conversation over a number of days, with the end result being that he very generously refunded the entire cost of my order. 

I'm really stumped by this. The only way I can get this stuff half-way decent is by down-dosing to almost half of what the roaster recommended, and then I'm left wondering why I should put it through an espresso machine rather than some other method. This roastery supplies many of the poncy 'avant-garde' coffee houses of east London, and I'm so intrigued that I'm intending to head their way and see how they do it, as at the moment getting a decent shot out of light-roast single origin is beyond me.  ??? ???
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Phil on 21 December, 2011, 10:56:58 pm
I had a bag of coffee from Monmouth that I just couldn't get on with for similar reasons.  In the end I managed to get something acceptable out of it by upping the dose, coarsening the grind, and allowing the first couple of seconds' flow into the driptray.  It seemed like a waste though, and the end result was still not great. 
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 21 December, 2011, 11:25:46 pm
The thing is.....

...other people are managing to get good espresso from this stuff (allegedly, unless they are just tolerating massive acidity for the sake of being cool). I dug out the Red Brick blend and by dosing at 14g and a looooong pull got something that, but for a residual bit of over-acidity, was absolutely delicious, really sweet and fruity. I think I know what they are trying to do with this stuff, but I just can't quite get there. Most frustrating. I feel like I've got to unlearn a load of stuff.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 21 December, 2011, 11:33:51 pm
I'm with you on the Italian style mixes with a bit of robusta thrown in.  It gives the coffee a comfortable feel with a bit of homely cushiony comfort, but still with a beautiful chocolately taste with just a hint of orange and lemon.  The robusta also gives shitloads of crema to make the thing look cool too.  I'm back on Revelation at the moment which, in a purist sense, is almost impossible to beat, but as an everyday drink I don't think it has the easy-going character of something like Happy Donkey italian blend.  My experience of various acidic and citrussy Has Bean blends was mixed - some of them were fun one-offs but none were keepers as far as I was concerned. 
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: jezzasnr on 22 December, 2011, 08:26:12 am
(http://i761.photobucket.com/albums/xx256/jezzasnr/IMG_1159resize.jpg)
and i likes it!
i'm just waiting to for a parcel from them with a couple of different types.
fingers crossed it'll be here tomorrow.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: dasmoth on 22 December, 2011, 09:18:13 am
What I got was four bags of really nice filter coffee that I just couldn't get to work in the machine.  I emailed the roaster for advice on dose and output, after every shot I produced was sour and disgusting.  In all honesty, what was coming out of the machine was exactly what I would expect from roasts this light, over-powering acidity.  He and I had a conversation over a number of days, with the end result being that he very generously refunded the entire cost of my order. 

I'm really stumped by this. The only way I can get this stuff half-way decent is by down-dosing to almost half of what the roaster recommended, and then I'm left wondering why I should put it through an espresso machine rather than some other method. This roastery supplies many of the poncy 'avant-garde' coffee houses of east London, and I'm so intrigued that I'm intending to head their way and see how they do it, as at the moment getting a decent shot out of light-roast single origin is beyond me.  ??? ???

Given your background with PIDs, I assume you've already tried tweaking the brew temperature?

Do you have any way to measure temperature stability during the shot?  I know the E61 HX machines are pretty sensitive to how much water you flush through before the shot -- but not quite sure how the DB version is going to behave.

My own suspicion is that peoples' tolerance to acidity varies quite a bit.  I'm not particularly keen on it myself: Has Bean's "Blake" blend (which I still rate really highly) is about as far as I tend to go for espresso.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Rhys W on 29 December, 2011, 10:22:16 pm
Christmas present from my nieces:

(http://homepage.ntlworld.com/rhys.llangefni/lluniau/espresso.jpg)

Any aficionados (Tewdric & Flatus) want to tell me what to expect from these?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Charlotte on 29 December, 2011, 10:28:53 pm
A banging headache if you don't take it easy  :D
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Canardly on 29 December, 2011, 10:34:26 pm
Nothing so grand. Bought one of those Italian Bialleti wotsanames and finding it to be rather good.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Rhys W on 29 December, 2011, 10:44:20 pm
A banging headache if you don't take it easy  :D

That's the moka pot calling the cafetiere black  ;)

I expect that to last me through January easily, I'm looking forward to discerning the differences between the different blends.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 29 December, 2011, 11:20:32 pm
I've only tried whichever one used to be called their Premium. Great stuff, very easy to use.  The other ones I don't know, although the Jabberwockey is a bit tricky I believe. Have a look on Steve's website for more info
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 29 December, 2011, 11:32:43 pm
Of those I've only tried Jailbreak and Kicker.  I found Jailbreak very citrusy and acidic, with a real punch to it.  I enjoyed it as espresso but it did make my teeth fizz a bit!  It doesn't fit my preconception of a classic espresso blend but is a wonderful experience if approached with an open mind about what coffee should taste like.  It came into its own for me as a long coffee at breakfast time.  Plenty of water, little milk and some raw can suger.  Few better ways to start the day.

Kicker is a different beast - I found it sublime when freshly opened but I found it got subjectively more acidic as it aged for a few days in the hopper.  I loved it a first but then wasn't so sure.  I'd be interested to hear what you think.

I think you will have some fun trying all these to see how they compare. 

Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 29 December, 2011, 11:39:02 pm
Given your background with PIDs, I assume you've already tried tweaking the brew temperature?

Do you have any way to measure temperature stability during the shot?  I know the E61 HX machines are pretty sensitive to how much water you flush through before the shot -- but not quite sure how the DB version is going to behave.

My own suspicion is that peoples' tolerance to acidity varies quite a bit.  I'm not particularly keen on it myself: Has Bean's "Blake" blend (which I still rate really highly) is about as far as I tend to go for espresso.

I did try upping the temp to see if that was causing the sourness.  Other people report having to updose with these light coffees, but I found that made it immeasureably worse.  I found a 14g double pulled to about 2oz gave a reasonable shot, but quite thin...certainly not the thick gloopy stuff I normally like. As for temp stability, I have no way of measuring it, but other coffees pull very nicely, shot after shot.

The more I read about this trend for light roasts the more I wonder if there isn't a touch of the Emporer's New Clothes about it. Certainly the UK proponents are totally apeing what is going on in the US, and as we know, they are always looking for 'something new'.  Roasteries seem to be following the pattern of micro-breweries, which is a good thing, but there is a great deal of marketing involved.  If you read the 'dogma' about the so-called 'third wave' roasteries, they are trying to claim a sort of 'appellation', whereby they 'work closely' with coffee growers and estates, often making allusions to giving the farmers a fairer deal. What this means is that you get the obligatory photo gallery on their websites with their holiday shots in Central America or Africa.

Back to the SM coffee I had, one of the bags was called 'Guji Espresso'.  What it was, was very good quality Yirgacheffe, that prepared in a filter with a comparatively low dose was absolutely lovely, but espresso?  No, sorry, it just isn't.

This is the thing, in this drive to get more and more flavour from these coffees by up-dosing massively and putting them through an espresso machine with a tiny output of liquid they are missing the point that sometimes less is more, and the subtleties are easily lost.  Espresso is not the only way to prepare coffee, but this deconstructed Starbuck's generation can't quite see beyond it yet.

I predict the next fashionable thing will be filter coffee  ;)

(this all said, I'm still intrigued enough to be thinking about going to Prufrocks or one of those other wanky London places, even though it means sitting in a room full of Nathan Barleys)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Rhys W on 29 December, 2011, 11:40:38 pm
I opened the Jailbreak first. First shot was bordering on a gusher so I've wound the grinder down a notch. As a first impression it doesn't get close to the couple of Happy Donkey blends I've tried (noticeable in the lack of in-your-face aroma when opening the packet) but it's early days.

"Citrusy and acidic" is not what you want in an espresso, is it though?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 29 December, 2011, 11:57:10 pm
"Citrusy and acidic" is not what you want in an espresso, is it though?

Not for me generally although it depends on your expectation I guess.  I'm boring and like mellow chocolatey caramel coffeeish espressos! I still enjoy citrussy shots too though.  Good coffee strikes me as being like wine - there are lots of different ways it can be good, although we're all bound to have a favourite.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Maverick on 11 January, 2012, 07:01:22 pm
Union Revelation has just gone into the grinder. First espresso was really nice and very different to the Has Bean blends I've been drinking. Used my standard starting point settings - 14g ground on No.8 on the Rocky and brewed at 104 on my Pid'd Sylvia. Came through a bit fast so maybe a finer grind required. Any tips?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 11 January, 2012, 07:39:02 pm
If you've had a fast pour check the puck for holes before tightening the grind....it might have been channelling and not too coarse a grind. 14g is fine, I'd say.

I found Revelation to be quite tolerant and reliable, it's a dark dusky brew. The beans are quite oily so you'll find you need to tighten as they get older.

I know you've got your PID set to 104c, but of course that isn't necessarily the temperature of the water coming out of the brew head. If it was you'd be asking for trouble and a bitter cup, as the normal range is about 94-98.

AndyH has got my PID Silvia now, but they are brilliant machines.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 11 January, 2012, 07:49:33 pm
I have about 20 bags of coffee in ATM. Some of which was the result of over exuberant ordering, and the rest a birthday present. I now have all Hasbean's espresso offerings. I'm a little reticent about opening the Kicker as I think it might be another of these fucking acidic light roasts again.

I'm pretty convinced this is a fad with the proponents looking for something new. Sooner or later everyone will realise it actually tastes horrid, despite our best intentions to liking it, and we'll see a return to darker roasts.

I've got a bag of 'Mocha Java' on the go at the minute. I love it for its blend of fruity Ethiopean bean with darker heavier Indonesian. Its great with milk, especially macchiato that I am OD'ing on every morning. A dark dense single shot, with a dollop of dense dense creamy microfoamed milk, such that it stays distinct in the cup from the coffee and doesn't just turn into a mini latte. It's surprising just how much a tiny amount of thick milk can calm down the espresso, and the only downfall is that you only get half a mouthful which is just not enough.

Try it, but you have to get the milk perfect, like double-cream. I've only just got the hang of this and realised that for years I was over-stretching the milk thinking that the frothier the better.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Maverick on 11 January, 2012, 08:46:35 pm
The puck was fine, maybe a bit on the wet side. I use a pre-tensioned tamper so grind and quantity are my variables - so either a little more coffee or finer grind. it was only a little fast - around 20sec rather than the 25 I always aim at. I'll probably try dropping the boiler temp to 103 first to see what difference that makes to the taste.

I fitted the PID after 3 months of struggling to get any consistency - every brew was a lottery as I never really got the hang of temperature surfing. Since the PID was fitted I've only had the odd disaster, normally when I'm not paying sufficient attention. I have worked my way through most of Has Bean's espresso offerings. Favourites were Jailbreak and the Brazilian Espresso Perfitito to my taste.

I have found a boiler temp of between 103 and 105 works best, no idea what the temp is at the head as I have no means of measuring it.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 12 January, 2012, 11:00:37 am
Bit more coffee then  ;)

If it tastes good then you've found the right mix of variables


Re:PID, sounds like you've found the right temp then, and of course it doesn't matter what the readout is compared to anyone else's rig. PIDs have an offset on the reading anyway
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Fab Foodie on 12 January, 2012, 11:21:12 am
I'm just into my first ever 'Breakfast Bomb' via the Porlex Mini and Aero-press .....  :o
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: citoyen on 12 January, 2012, 11:47:31 am
I'm pretty convinced this is a fad with the proponents looking for something new. Sooner or later everyone will realise it actually tastes horrid, despite our best intentions to liking it, and we'll see a return to darker roasts.

Interestingly, there's a similar trend in beer, the current fad being for new varieties of hops with an intense citrus/passionfruit flavour. Now, I like a hoppy beer, and I like the citrussy flavours up to a point, but a lot of these beers have no balance and are just aggressively one-dimensional.

d.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 12 January, 2012, 03:30:57 pm
Yes I'd noticed that there seem to be 'summer' ales sprouting up everywhere. They are tasting more and more like Hoegarden.


With regards to these lighter roast acidic coffees, it might be that my technical proficiency is lacking. There are ways of adjusting a few things to change taste but it can't push it far enough to make it palatable. I've got a bag of trendy London coffee at home and after much tweakage I got a shot that had a truly wonderful after-taste, like ripe cherries, but the actual taste was horrid.

I think, in the end, the proponents of this will come to the conclusion that the Italians were right.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: citoyen on 12 January, 2012, 03:55:14 pm
Back to the SM coffee I had, one of the bags was called 'Guji Espresso'.  What it was, was very good quality Yirgacheffe, that prepared in a filter with a comparatively low dose was absolutely lovely, but espresso?  No, sorry, it just isn't.

This is the thing, in this drive to get more and more flavour from these coffees by up-dosing massively and putting them through an espresso machine with a tiny output of liquid they are missing the point that sometimes less is more, and the subtleties are easily lost.  Espresso is not the only way to prepare coffee, but this deconstructed Starbuck's generation can't quite see beyond it yet.

I predict the next fashionable thing will be filter coffee  ;)

Gosh - that would mean I'm ahead of the trend for once. Highly unlikely.

I've just been down to Monmouth to replenish my office supply and have come back with something called Guji Gorbiche from Ethiopia, which I presume is the same thing. Very light and zingy and great as a filter coffee, but no, I can't imagine it being good for espresso at all.

Talking of Italian espresso, I reckon the best espresso I ever had was from a cart in Florence station, about 18 years ago. The memory of that thimbleful of opaque black heaven has stayed with me.

d.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 12 January, 2012, 04:53:33 pm
I think I'm right in saying that Guji is the place where the coffee is processed, and they are particularly good at it. It will be from the same region for sure.

I've just go home and about to go through my evening ritual. One double pour into two cups, and espresso cup and a Capp cup. The Capp will be a flat white. The espresso will get a blob of carefully steamed milk to turn it into a macchiato, my favourite drink by a long way
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 12 January, 2012, 06:41:53 pm
Well, I got home and got out a bag of Hasbean Blake. "Good" I thought as I read on the packet that it was 80% Indonesian, but when I opened the packet what did I find? More fucking coffee roasted too light, and the 100% predictable result?

Another cup of vile sourness that went straight down the sink.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Maverick on 12 January, 2012, 07:03:25 pm
I have to say that after 5 months of Has Bean espresso blends this Union Revelation is, well ... a revelation - lovely rich dark chocolate flavours with a hint of fruitiness is what I'm getting at the moment. Bouncing off the walls a bit tonight - think I might have over-indulged today  ;D
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 12 January, 2012, 08:56:13 pm
It's just nice isn't it.

I've opened three different bags of Has Bean espresso, all ones I haven't tried and they are all shit.  Under-roasted leading to a nasty sour cup.

I'm not sure I can be even bothered to try with it.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: dasmoth on 12 January, 2012, 09:02:45 pm
I tend not to go for more than the slightest hint of acidity in an espresso cup, but usually find Blake a pretty safe bet (some of the other Has Bean blends less so).  I hope there's not a bad batch out at the moment -- there are two bags of Blake in the order I placed this morning!

What temperature are you brewing at?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 12 January, 2012, 09:23:15 pm
95 on the PID, which works with everything else.

I can't believe anyone would like the taste of what I'm producing but there is always the chance I'm getting something wrong. What struck me is this I'm sure I read that Blake is meant to be a darkish roast. What I've got is medium roast at best.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: dasmoth on 12 January, 2012, 09:30:14 pm
95 on the PID, which works with everything else.

You could maybe try dropping that a degree or two?  94 on my machine seems to suit Blake well (of course, I have my suspicious about how comparable temperature scales really are between machines...)

Quote
I can't believe anyone would like the taste of what I'm producing but there is always the chance I'm getting something wrong. What struck me is this I'm sure I read that Blake is meant to be a darkish roast. What I've got is medium roast at best.

Has Bean aren't the darkest of roasters, but I'd certainly expect Blake to be darker-end-of-medium, at least.  I don't actually have any in the house right now (gave away my last half-bag when I sold my old Silvia at the weekend!), but will take a good look at the new batch which will hopefully be turning up on Saturday.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 12 January, 2012, 10:01:50 pm
I'd be interested to know how you find it in comparison to previous batches, especially as you have obviously got some good results with it.

As for PIDs, I agree, and I think they are only of use when comparing to themselves rather than other machines. It is unlikely that your 95 is the same as my 95, especially as PIDs have a factory set offset. Have you got a Vivaldi then? Being able to select your temperature is a bit of a luxury. I suppose I could try lowering the temperature, but my natural inclination would be to raise it, low temps favouring sourness, and high tending towards bitter.

I'm doubly annoyed because I've just finished a free sample of mocha java that came with my grinder. It doesn't retail at much at all but was wonderful, especially in milk. You could taste both beans, and the tastes were clear and distinct.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 13 January, 2012, 08:55:21 pm
Well I raised the temp in steps by 5 degrees. It took a bit of the acidity away but still not enough to make it something I'd want to drink.

Balanced cup? My arse.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Maverick on 14 January, 2012, 07:43:32 pm
I'm in coffee heaven  ;D  ;D  ;D Mastered the Revelation today and it is sublime. One step coarser grind, slightly larger dose, really heavy tamp and slightly lower temp did it. I'm thinking now 'why would I drink anything else?'
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 14 January, 2012, 07:52:32 pm
Its lovely isn't it.  Its like good old fashion Italian style blends but no nasty surprises and loads of quality flavours.  I think it was Tewdric or Dasmoth that first brought my attention to it, how I survived befor I just don't know. (by the way, if you want something along the same lines but half the price try Happy Donkey Brazilian)

I, on the other hand, have opened and tried all of the five Hasbean 'espresso'blends that were sent to me as a present.  They are all horrid...really horrid.  It is quite instructive in a way because the last time I bought any Hasbean stuff was about 3 years ago, and it was green bean for home roasting. I can't remember when I last had coffee roasted by him, but in the meantime he has obviously got carried away with this utter nonsense of light roasting espresso using inappropriate beans with the inevitable result of a small cup of rancid dogwank.  All the woolly-clothed hipster-sheep in their wanky east London coffee bars will be rubbing their chinny beards and congratulating themselves on how clever they are being able to enjoy this shit whilst the rest of us who have a bit of integrity simply know that these light roasts are like 1980's haircuts..... in a year or two, nobody will admit to ever having liked them.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Maverick on 14 January, 2012, 10:48:10 pm
That's a tad harsh on Has Bean   ::-) .... I found some of the blends ok, all of them took a fair amount of experimentation to get the best out of them (and 'the best' was only passable in some). The Brazil espresso perfetio was pretty good, and we sink a large jug of Breakfast Bomb every morning but I've not tried that as an espresso. The only truly undrinkable ones were some revived Premium Blend they did for Xmas - it kept Ms M in latte for a couple of weeks - and Jabberwocky. They are very different from revelation though. Thanks for the Happy Donkey Brazilian tip - I'll try it alongside the revelation.
I'd  sit back with a few cups of revelation and relax if I were you  :)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: cuddy duck on 14 January, 2012, 11:02:02 pm
Camp Coffee.
With condensed milk.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 14 January, 2012, 11:17:47 pm
That's a tad harsh on Has Bean   ::-) .... I found some of the blends ok, all of them took a fair amount of experimentation to get the best out of them (and 'the best' was only passable in some). The Brazil espresso perfetio was pretty good, and we sink a large jug of Breakfast Bomb every morning but I've not tried that as an espresso. The only truly undrinkable ones were some revived Premium Blend they did for Xmas - it kept Ms M in latte for a couple of weeks - and Jabberwocky. They are very different from revelation though. Thanks for the Happy Donkey Brazilian tip - I'll try it alongside the revelation.
I'd  sit back with a few cups of revelation and relax if I were you  :)


Right, so of the five Hasbean espresso  blends, two were undrinkable, one was nice, and the other two needed work but the best you could get was something 'passable' out of them.

Praise, indeed.  ;D
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Rhys W on 14 January, 2012, 11:30:56 pm
Its lovely isn't it.  Its like good old fashion Italian style blends but no nasty surprises and loads of quality flavours.  I think it was Tewdric or Dasmoth that first brought my attention to it, how I survived befor I just don't know. (by the way, if you want something along the same lines but half the price try Happy Donkey Brazilian)

I, on the other hand, have opened and tried all of the five Hasbean 'espresso'blends that were sent to me as a present.  They are all horrid...really horrid. 

I got the Hasbean "selection box" as a Christmas present and I'm on 3 down, 2 to go. Just opened Kicker, only made one cup and there were remnants of the previous pack in my grinder anyway - it will be tomorrow afternoon before I get a 100% Kicker shot. Can somebody explain to me what I should expect from one of these "acidic" coffees, taste-wise? Like vinegar or lemon juice?

I have to agree with Flatus - I had high hopes for these blends but they've all been hugely underwhelming. I couldn't really distinguish between the three I've already had. They've all been uniformly bland and relatively lightly roasted (nothing wrong with that per se, as Illy and Lavazza are lighter than what most supermarket brands think espresso should be, and they taste reasonable.)

Happy Donkey Classic Italian and Sumatra Mocha were miles ahead imo, I think I'll order some more of that. I only need to buy a few packs to be cheaper than Tesco/Sainsbury's own brand stuff, and it's in a different league.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Maverick on 15 January, 2012, 01:05:51 am

Right, so of the five Hasbean espresso  blends, two were undrinkable, one was nice, and the other two needed work but the best you could get was something 'passable' out of them.

Praise, indeed.  ;D

Of the six blends I've tried (the Premium was an extra they did) I would sum up the experience as: All needed work but 2 were not at all to my taste, 1 I really liked, 1 was good and 2 were passable. So, 4 I wouldn't touch again, the Brazilian Perfetio and Jailbreak may find their way into the house from time to time. So you're right I'm not sold on these acidic light roasts either but 'dogwank'  :-\  The ones I did get on with had a complex citrus and dried fruit taste and typically different flavours came out at the end of the cup then you started with. Probably not best enjoyed as a single swallow. My notes say I ground these finer, dosed a bit light and brewed at a slightly higher temperature in relation to the revelation. None were at all forgiving, even jailbreak which is supposed to be. On the other hand, I learned a lot quite quickly in trying to get a decent drink out of them having only owned an espresso machine since last August.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 16 January, 2012, 02:32:43 pm
By the way, of the two Happy Dinkey espresso blends the Brazilian is the smoother. Half the price of Revrlation and excellent vfm.

I'm waiting on a kilo of Mocha Java from Coffee Latino. Tried a sample and it was great in milk drinks, and not bad at all as an espresso.

Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 17 January, 2012, 10:31:18 am
I've just ordered another couple of Kg of Happy Donkey Classic Italian - the Brazilian is lovely but a tiny bit bland in comparison, and lacks the depth of flavour and subtlety of Revelation.  It's just a wonderful, cheap, everyday drinking coffee.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 17 January, 2012, 11:34:01 am
The Italian has more rough (indian)robusta in it which gives it that kick, whereas the Brazilian uses a better washed African robusta.

I'm with Tewdric on this, it isn't gourmet shit, at all. Lots of broken beans in the bag and lack of uniformity but for the money it takes some beating. I'd say it is roughly on a par with what you'd get in an Italian cafe, albeit a little fresher.

Revelation is a treat.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Maverick on 17 January, 2012, 01:25:23 pm
I have a 1Kg of the Brazilian arriving tomorrow. I look forward to trying it out. By the time postage was taken into account it wasn't that much cheaper. I suspect that revelation will become the standard drink in this household as we don't consider it particularly expensive (we hardly drink any alcohol, caffeine is our only poison :thumbsup: )
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 17 January, 2012, 02:47:07 pm
You know what you are right. Based on coffee alone, and including postage the UR is a fiver more. The only thing to remember is that the HD comes in 250g bags and so should be easier to keep fresh. But, per kilo, I think the extra £1.25 a bag is worth it for the UR.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 17 January, 2012, 06:39:53 pm
HD Italian comes in 500g bags now, which suits me.  I haven't ordered Brazilan for a bit so I don't know if that's the same. 

I always buy Revelation in 250gm for optimum condition, and becasue the paper outer bag is so wonderfully tactile!  The packaging is part of the experience.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 17 January, 2012, 07:25:19 pm
Yes I remember you saying just how much you love the mauve tissue paper.

That's odd about the bags. I had a kilo of each and it all came in small bags. Has anybody tried any of the other Union blends? I've been having a look but some of them are a bit light. What about Climpsons?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 17 January, 2012, 09:22:35 pm
I've had a few bags of Foundation and Rogue.  Both interesting in their own way, but nothing like the definitive completeness of Revelation.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 17 January, 2012, 09:37:55 pm
I've got 4 bags coming from Bailies coffees of Northern Ireland.  different espresso blends.  Will let you know
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Maverick on 23 January, 2012, 11:00:57 am
By the way, of the two Happy Dinkey espresso blends the Brazilian is the smoother. Half the price of Revrlation and excellent vfm.

I'm waiting on a kilo of Mocha Java from Coffee Latino. Tried a sample and it was great in milk drinks, and not bad at all as an espresso.

Well into the HD Brazilian now - it came in 250g packets BTW. A nice drink and it stands up well to being stretched for a long drink at breakfast. Has a huge crema as well - at first I thought it was pulling a too fast but there was 1cm of crema on top. I agree with all that has been said about the comparison with revelation - not as rich, subtle or as smooth but still a nice drink. Will have to try the Italian blend next.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: dasmoth on 23 January, 2012, 11:15:20 am
Has Bean aren't the darkest of roasters, but I'd certainly expect Blake to be darker-end-of-medium, at least.  I don't actually have any in the house right now (gave away my last half-bag when I sold my old Silvia at the weekend!), but will take a good look at the new batch which will hopefully be turning up on Saturday.

I've been drinking Blake and pondering roast-degrees for the last week.  The roast is what I'd call "dark-end-of-medium" -- just a few droplets of oil starting to show.  Brewed in my La Spaziale at 94°C, it's really really nice, on its own or with some milk.  But... if I close my eyes and think carefully, I'm not convinced it's what I was drinking a couple of years ago.  I'm wondering if Hasbean have been gradually drifting towards slightly lighter, brighter, roasts, with regular customers getting used to it?

I've just ordered a big bag of Revelation while I still have a bit of Blake in stock, so I can try some side-by-side shots (and maybe also photograph the beans together to compare roast degrees).

One last thought: when I was roasting at home, I tended to find that home roasters were a bit "quick".  The popcorn-popper was worst, but even the dedicated roaster tended to do a batch in under 20 minutes, while commercial roast times are well over 20.  My understanding is that fast roasts tend to be more acidic for a given degree of roast.  That was certainly my experience, and I often went for pretty dark roasts to get drinkable espresso, especially if there were any South American beans in the mix.  I wonder if the trend towards lighter, emphasize-the-citrous roasts might be an effort by small commercial roasters to give people who've done a bit of home roasting what they expect?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 23 January, 2012, 12:42:41 pm
I would doubt that roasters would gear their output specifically to the tastes of home roasters, but I wouldn't be surprised if the trend for light acidic espresso originated with home roasters.

In answer to your point about Hasbean blends changing, have a read of this from 2004:

http://www.ineedcoffee.com/04/blending/

Quite revealing. He is very active on the coffee 'scene' in cyber and meatspace. I think he's been heavily influenced by the 'third wavers'.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: GrahamG on 27 January, 2012, 09:58:51 am
None of the hasbean coffees I got truly 'did it' for me (I'm not a connoisseur, but know that I like a very straightforward strong espresso style coffee - supermarket default is the regular Lavazza). I recently got referred to Extract coffee roasters (http://shop.extractcoffee.co.uk/), they're local to Bristol and you can pick up orders in a coffee shop in town without getting charged postage. Got the regular espesso blend and it's bloody great.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Rhys W on 27 January, 2012, 11:06:20 am
Finished all the Hasbean blends now, singularly unimpressed by any of them. Opened a store cupboard backup of Illy and it tastes like proper espresso again! And compared to what supermarket brands' idea of an espresso roast is, Illy is lighter.

This fashion for lightly roasted acidic coffee - maybe it's a reaction to Starbucks peddling something just short of "burnt" all these years?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: citoyen on 27 January, 2012, 03:03:14 pm
This fashion for lightly roasted acidic coffee - maybe it's a reaction to Starbucks peddling something just short of "burnt" all these years?

There may be something in that.

I'm drinking a "dark roast" Ethiopian from M&S at the moment, which I'm rather enjoying. It's darker than I'd normally choose but it's a rich, chocolatey smoothness rather than the acrid bitterness you get off a Starbucks.

d.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Phil on 30 January, 2012, 02:59:40 pm
I just had a ca phé at a Vietnamese place.  It was very nice - amazingly smooth and not at all bitter.  Once I'd stirred the condensed milk in it tasted like coffee icecream. 
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: dasmoth on 30 January, 2012, 03:40:40 pm
I'm on the Revelation at the moment.  In the past, I've had pretty good experiences with this although I wouldn't necessarily have said "best coffee ever".  However, the current bag has a rather overpowering "roasty" taste.  Maybe even a hint of Charbucks  :-\.  It's not bad, exactly, but certainly not my favourite.  Is it just bad luck to get an overdone batch, or have my taste-buds been irrevocably corrupted by the 3rd wavers :o?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 30 January, 2012, 07:11:17 pm
Just finished 3 bags of Bailies coffees, the Silvio and the Puccini being my favourites, but really nothing special. Got some Lusty Glaze and some Black Chough arriving from Hands On tomorrow. In the meantime am drinking weapons grade Mocha Java.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: AndyH on 03 February, 2012, 06:01:09 pm
AndyH has got my PID Silvia now, but they are brilliant machines.
And today my Iberital MC2, pulycaff, tamper, grouphead cleaning brush & blind filter basket turned up ;D. So today I've been playing with a bag of Taylors supermarket espresso beans that needed using, most of which was discarded but I got a couple of passable shots. Tomorrow it will be Happy Donkey Classic Italian
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: citoyen on 08 February, 2012, 05:19:50 pm
Finca Malacara (http://www.monmouthcoffee.co.uk/coffee/central-america/el-salvador/finca-malacara-a) from Monmouth. Nice but a bit lightweight.

d.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: GrahamG on 10 February, 2012, 11:35:25 am
Bog standard Lavazza (the red and silver packs), on sale at tesco for £4.20 odd for two 250g packs. I spent £20 on the stuff. Can't afford to be a full time coffee snob unfortunately....
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 16 February, 2012, 10:34:35 am
Still Happy Donkey Italian, but I've managed to kill my Rancilio and am slumming it with a Gaggia Classic at the moment, which doesn't get as much out of the beans.  I'm going to have to order some more Revelation..
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: tiermat on 16 February, 2012, 10:35:41 am
Nothing, due to a supplier cock-up :(

Hurry up postie and get your ass here with my coffee!
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 17 February, 2012, 11:12:09 am
Just enjoying the last bag of Hands-On Lusty Glaze. It's a medium dark low acid coffee that comes out like caramel in milk. Makes a nice espresso, and not at all demanding.
The Black Chough was darker, and as espresso had a black treacle taste. Nice, but I prefer the Lusty Glaze.

Also bought a little bit of Brazilian SCaa and House Espresso from Two Day in Bristol. The House was neither here nor there but the Brazilian was interesting. Not smooth, not much body, but really really earthy.

Now, in the freezer I've just got odds and sods of freebies to use up before the end of next week when three different espressos are arriving from Extract coffee not so very far away from here
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: GrahamG on 17 February, 2012, 12:12:52 pm
Good reminder - just put an order in with Extract; I need a posh coffee treat every now and again.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Maverick on 06 March, 2012, 01:30:39 pm
So there I am ordering coffee from around the country then I find these people http://www.thebeanshop.com/ (http://www.thebeanshop.com/) literally on my doorstep, and they are really quite good. Their Blend 67 is very like the Happy Donkey Italian but a bit smoother. I'm currently trying the Brazil Santa Colomba Bourbon which is very nice but I've struggled to get a consistent espresso - sometimes it is a beautiful rich chocolate and caramel, then the next cup will be too harsh, more bitter black treacle than chocolate  ???  Still nothing to compare with revelation though.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 06 March, 2012, 01:37:51 pm
Good reminder - just put an order in with Extract; I need a posh coffee treat every now and again.

I didn't like it at all. Way too sour for me, although ok with milk.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Feline on 07 March, 2012, 02:23:26 pm
We are currently drinking Union Revelation since Ocado started selling the beans and not just the ground version so I stuck a couple of bags in my order to try. Seems to be very nice. To me it actually doesn't taste that different to Breakfast Bomb (but I have no sense of smell which also means I don't have a great sense of taste either). Simon seems to like it.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: CrinklyLion on 07 March, 2012, 02:55:09 pm
Staffroom instant coffee.  Not enough coffee in the world day again.....
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: simonp on 07 March, 2012, 05:12:26 pm
We are currently drinking Union Revelation since Ocado started selling the beans and not just the ground version so I stuck a couple of bags in my order to try. Seems to be very nice. To me it actually doesn't taste that different to Breakfast Bomb (but I have no sense of smell which also means I don't have a great sense of taste either). Simon seems to like it.

Yes. It's very nice. :)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 07 March, 2012, 05:16:48 pm
I've ordered a kilo of Lusty Glaze in time for the Roastery ride, although we might not get to pass by my house.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 10 March, 2012, 10:00:40 am
Waitrose now stock Union Revelation beans!  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: fred the great on 10 March, 2012, 11:44:27 am
Doi Saket single estate made by pour over.

Rather pleasant :thumbsup:

 
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Charlotte on 17 May, 2012, 12:56:40 pm
Happy Donkey 100% Costa Rican Arabica.

And the thought that it's making me live longer:

http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2012/05/coffee-drinkers-live-longer/

:D
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: AndyH on 04 August, 2012, 10:25:39 am
Revelation. 1st try. It's what I bought the Silvia for, superb  :)

This is after trying the Hasbean selection box, which as others have said is underwhelming in the extreme.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: GrahamG on 06 August, 2012, 10:52:42 am
Rave coffee moca java - very nice, but I still yearn for a proper espresso machine in place of the stove-top.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Rhys W on 06 August, 2012, 03:03:21 pm
I read recently that as part of making the GB Trackies training camp at Newport as comfortable and relaxed as possible, they allowed Sir Chris Hoy to bring his own grinder and espresso machine.  8)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: RJ on 05 September, 2012, 09:50:43 am
Some rather smooth V60'd Kenyan stuff ...
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: tiermat on 05 September, 2012, 10:02:04 am
Good old THoFC favourite, Monsoon Malabar.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ewan Houzami on 05 September, 2012, 02:32:59 pm
I read recently that as part of making the GB Trackies training camp at Newport as comfortable and relaxed as possible, they allowed Sir Chris Hoy to bring his own grinder and espresso machine.  8)

Hasn't he got some sort of Barista qualification?

Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Rhys W on 05 September, 2012, 09:04:00 pm
I dunno, but I saw a photo of him in the hotel room with what looked like a Rocket Giotto.  :o
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Pedaldog. on 08 September, 2012, 01:57:18 am
Can anybody recommend a good online suplier of the Good Grounds? Not too exoensive but a wide choice and reasonable shipping costs? I am today mostly getting my caffeine from Vaping Kola Kick E-liquid that is fortified with Caffeine and it makes clouds of vapour as well :thumbsup:
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Feline on 09 September, 2012, 05:37:11 pm
Can anybody recommend a good online suplier of the Good Grounds? Not too exoensive but a wide choice and reasonable shipping costs? I am today mostly getting my caffeine from Vaping Kola Kick E-liquid that is fortified with Caffeine and it makes clouds of vapour as well :thumbsup:
I would highly recommend this place http://www.ravecoffee.co.uk/
This was the scene of our YACF coffee tasting ride led by Hot Flatus last year, and the guy really knows his coffee. I've currently got 1kg each of Mocha Java and signature blend beans on order. You can choose what kind of ground you want if you don't have your own grinder. This is also one of the very few online coffee suppliers offering free delivery (on orders over £25).
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: tiermat on 11 September, 2012, 04:24:42 pm
I use these guys, and have done for about 3 years now:

www.coffeebeanshop.co.uk

They do trial packs if you are not sure what you like, and like others (including rave that Feline mentioned) will grind the coffee for just how you want it (and the know the difference between espresso grind and filter grind).

Postage is extra, but order before 2PM and they usual have it to you next day.

I do notice that you are not able to order the Kopi Luwak online from them any more, I wonder why? Cost probably.... Not that a coffee that has previously passed through another animal appeals to me.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Feline on 11 September, 2012, 04:34:48 pm
I'm now drinking Rave Signature Blend (ordered Sunday and beans arrived this morning, not bad for free delivery!). It is beautifully smooth. I can never make my mind up which I prefer between this one and the Mocha Java so I alternate between them. The Guatemalan we tried at the roastery visit was also excellent, next time I might have a kg of that. His prices are very reasonable for the quality of what you're getting, especially if you go for the bigger bags. I fill the Gaggia hopper and keep the rest in the freezer after letting them breathe for a few days when they arrive (this is what he suggested).
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: LEE on 11 September, 2012, 04:44:16 pm
and like others (including rave that Feline mentioned) will grind the coffee for just how you want it (and the know the difference between espresso grind and filter grind).


My grinder just can't get the grind I like.

It achieves what I'd call a filter grind (tiny bits) but not an espresso grind (dense powder).

You can tell by how fast the liquid pours through the espresso that the grinds are a bit too course.  Some really fine grinds (such as Lavazza, which is just about right) result in a slow drip..drip..they are so dense (too dense in some cases for my 15BAR machine).

Any suggestions?

Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: dasmoth on 11 September, 2012, 04:50:05 pm
Sounds like you need a new grinder!  What are you using at the moment?

A Rancilio Rocky is generally reckoned to be a decent bet for home espresso.

There are many good alternatives, but most of them are substantially bigger than Rocky.  I'm glad my wife is so understanding about the Cimbali Max...

Edit to add: don't even think about blaming your 15bar machine, that's plenty of pressure for espresso.  In fact, some people mod machines with 15bar vibratory pumps to lower the grouphead pressure a little bit.  If you want consistently nice espresso, adjust the grind until you get the extraction time you want.

(As for what's caffeinating me: mostly Rave Signature at the moment, it's a fantastic all-rounder.  Also occasionally dipping into Rave Decaf, which is far nicer than it has any right to be  :o).
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Rhys W on 11 September, 2012, 05:04:19 pm
15 bar is the rating of the pump, it probably goes through a valve that drops it down to around 12 - Gaggias apparently came out of the box like this because they were pushing their teabag-style pods, which need a slightly higher pressure to work compared to "unpackaged" grounds.

I calibrated mine by measuring the backflow from the 3-way valve and cross referencing with a graph of pressure vs. flow rate for that model of pump. Rather geeky but I suffer no more gushers!
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: AndyH on 03 October, 2012, 09:27:42 am
Any suggestions?

If you don't want to go as far as a Rocky you could try an Iberital MC2 from Happy Donkey (http://www.happydonkey.co.uk/hd0866-iberital-mc2-auto.html). Prices are plus VAT btw.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 03 October, 2012, 10:15:47 am
I'd get a used Mazzer from eBay or gum tree or something. Can be found for not much more than a new mc2.

A decent grinder makes the most difference
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: amaferanga on 21 November, 2012, 12:05:33 pm
If you don't want to go as far as a Rocky you could try an Iberital MC2 from Happy Donkey (http://www.happydonkey.co.uk/hd0866-iberital-mc2-auto.html). Prices are plus VAT btw.

I'm currently using a Hario Slim burr grinder.  It does a good job, but it's tedious work.  Would I get a better grind from the Iberital as well as it being quicker?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Charlotte on 21 November, 2012, 01:40:48 pm
Most certainly.  I use a Porlex (http://www.hasbean.co.uk/collections/grinders/products/porlex-ceramic-burr-coffee-grinder) hand grinder at work and it takes me a minute or two to grind the 14g of coffee that I need for a single cup of pour-over coffee.  An electric grinder of any kind will be much faster. Our Rocky will knock out a quantity like this in a couple of seconds.

Oh - and in the spirit of the thread, this is what I'm currently drinking:

http://www.hasbean.co.uk/collections/4-6/products/ethiopia-yirgacheffe-wote-washed

Light, fruity and citrusy.  Very pleasant indeed as filter coffee and quite capable as an espresso. 

Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: amaferanga on 21 November, 2012, 01:56:41 pm
Most certainly.  I use a Porlex (http://www.hasbean.co.uk/collections/grinders/products/porlex-ceramic-burr-coffee-grinder) hand grinder at work and it takes me a minute or two to grind the 14g of coffee that I need for a single cup of pour-over coffee.  An electric grinder of any kind will be much faster. Our Rocky will knock out a quantity like this in a couple of seconds.

Oh - and in the spirit of the thread, this is what I'm currently drinking:

http://www.hasbean.co.uk/collections/4-6/products/ethiopia-yirgacheffe-wote-washed

Light, fruity and citrusy.  Very pleasant indeed as filter coffee and quite capable as an espresso.

Thanks Charlotte.  I mostly drink Ethiopian coffee actually, Sidamo or Yirgacheffe.  I discovered good coffee in Ethiopia when I was out there and find it hard to buy anything else.  Hasbean had some Ethiopia Konga Peaburry Natural earlier this year that is probably the best coffee I've ever had. 
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 21 November, 2012, 05:06:07 pm
I've now got a kg of Union coffee, what with all orders being 50% off last Saturday. I took advantage of their delivery choice system, so I will have another 3kg coming at staggered intervals, all at half price.....

....which brings it down to the price I normally pay for coffee from Rave. Love their coffee, but it is good to have a change.

Re: Ethiopian coffee, I'm of similar tastes to Amarferenga and C. For brewed coffee you can't beat it for complexity. Wouldn't want to put it through an espresso (apart from Harrar) but I know some people don't mind all that up front acidity.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: DrMekon on 28 November, 2012, 10:51:27 am
Porlex turned up, and am going through the bag of hasbean yirgacheffe I got at the same time at a terrifying rate. Have ordered 900g bags of Rave signature and decaf (which gets me the free postage deal) in the hope that it'll see me through the month.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Charlotte on 28 November, 2012, 11:01:51 am
Don't count on it, Herr Doktor - when it's as nommy as some of the coffee I've been buying lately, it's hard to make the stuff last too long...
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: DrMekon on 28 November, 2012, 09:04:10 pm
Then I'm definitely not buying an Iberital grinder - my weedy forearms will hopefully keep me from caffeine psychosis.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Jacomus on 29 November, 2012, 12:57:03 pm
Mountain Dew Energy


It probably isn't in the spirit of the thread, which seems to be coffee and tea, but hey, it's got caffeine and it's caffinating me!
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Charlotte on 29 November, 2012, 01:05:14 pm
Mountain Dew Energy

You'd probably be surprised by just how much I like this stuff.  Of course, here  in the 51st State, we don't get the same formula that our American cousins do (high fructose corn syrup and shitloads of caffeine) but it's a little known fact that if you can procure the Polish stuff, you get a far higher level of caffeine than the locally produced version.

When we moved house last year (on my immediate return from forn parts) I spent about twenty four hours sipping from a bottle every five minutes to stay awake enough to lift boxes...
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: DrMekon on 03 December, 2012, 10:53:24 am
Both the Rave sig and their decaf are lovely. Love that a big bag of each saves on postage. Seems like a bargain - is there anyone else worth trying at a similar price point? Don't mind shelling out a bit extra for an occasional treat, but Rave's prices make it likely to be my staple coffee.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: dasmoth on 03 December, 2012, 11:03:59 am
Some of the Union Roasters (http://www.unionroasted.com/coffees/espresso-coffee.html) stuff is very, very, good.  Foundation Blend my personal favourite but try Revelation and maybe Rogue as well.  That said, since sampling some Rave coffees on the roastery ride this spring, I've ordered very little from anyone else!

I used to be a big Hasbean (http://www.hasbean.co.uk/) fan, but their espresso blends seem to have drifted a bit too far towards the lightly-roasted, acidic end for my taste.  Worth a try if you do like light roasts, though.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 03 December, 2012, 12:31:04 pm
I've just taken advantage of Union's recent 50% off promotion to sample their blends. Only used for flat whites as that is all I'm wanting at present. Didn't try Bright Note, and Rogue.
Absolute favourites are Foundation and Winter Blend.

Foundation is a deep, rich blend with lovely nutty nougat flavours and a really well-integrated roastiness. Winter blend is fruity, sweet with a funky earthy edge. Both these blends are awesome.

Revelation just seemed lost. Organic Spirit is good, but not a patch on the above.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: RJ on 05 December, 2012, 11:00:39 am
Some of this: http://www.glenlyoncoffee.co.uk/shop/products/Guatemala-Finca-La-Perla.html ...

V60'd for me here:  http://www.freemanscoffee.co.uk/ ...

... because the library doesn't open until 10 on a Wednesday.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: DrMekon on 06 December, 2012, 07:27:33 pm
Just had my first and second aeropresses of union revelation. Delicious. What treat on cold night.

Back to the rave decaf now
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Fab Foodie on 06 December, 2012, 11:46:40 pm
Just had my first and second aeropresses of union revelation. Delicious. What treat on cold night.

Back to the rave decaf now
It's a winning combo for me too!
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Thor on 19 December, 2012, 09:52:32 pm
Waitrose now stock Union Revelation beans!  :thumbsup:

Currently 25% off at Waitrose, £3.56.  This will in all likelihood be caffeinating me tomorrow  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: amaferanga on 02 January, 2013, 10:17:45 am
Sorry for going OT again, but does anyone who has an Iberital MC2 auto grinder have any tips on how to prevent the build up of ground coffee at the top of the spout or any tips on how to remove it easily?  I'm getting ~2g of coffee build up which gets replaced each time I use it, but I'd still rather not have it there especially if its sat there overnight.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 02 January, 2013, 07:11:14 pm
Can you get the thin end of a tea spoon up there and flick it out?  A quick razz of the motor can push it out too.

It is a perenial probelm with grinders, doesn't matter how much they cost they all have flaws.  I have a Mazzer mini and I do the flick trick with every grind, also use a pastry brush to get the residue out of the doser from the previous day.  Pain in the arse. Wouldn't be an issue if it was in constant use but at 2 or 3 coffees a day its necessary.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: andrewc on 02 January, 2013, 07:16:53 pm
I used to keep a bamboo kebab skewer next to my Iberital to get the last bit out.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 02 January, 2013, 07:18:18 pm
My current tool of choice for the Maz is a baby feeding spoon.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Rhys W on 03 January, 2013, 04:26:16 pm
OK forum espresso gurus... I have a £20 Hasbean voucher to spend and need suggestions. I got a selection pack last Christmas and was underwhelmed - the usual complaint of too bland, acidic and lightly roasted. Do they have anything darker and chewier, or should I just spend it on a half-decent tamper?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: dasmoth on 03 January, 2013, 04:32:45 pm
Blake is usually their "darker roasted" blend.  I've got pretty fond memories of its first few incarnations, but I think it did drift towards the acidic at some point.  I ended up jumping ship to Union then Rave for most of my espresso beans.

That said, they were serving Blake a few weeks back at a local café, and I enjoyed it.  Don't know for sure if that was the same as what they're selling now, but it might be worth a try.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 03 January, 2013, 05:19:12 pm
Buy whatever, use 18g dose, and have it in milk.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Lady Cavendish on 03 January, 2013, 05:21:33 pm
I bought a few different types of the Union ones when they had that half price offer recently. I think I'm missing something as I didn't really think any of them were that great. Everyone likes different things I guess.

I might try Rave and see what theirs is like. Or any other suggestions?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 03 January, 2013, 05:26:54 pm
How are you preparing it and what sort of coffee  do you like?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: tiermat on 03 January, 2013, 05:27:17 pm
Union Monsoon Malabar, I ran out just before Xmas and the new delivery has just arrived today, so I may have over-indulged!

It is so much better than the Mexican High Mountain stuff I had to endure until it arrived!
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Charlotte on 03 January, 2013, 09:05:07 pm
I have a Mazzer mini and I do the flick trick with every grind, also use a pastry brush to get the residue out of the doser from the previous day.  Pain in the arse. Wouldn't be an issue if it was in constant use but at 2 or 3 coffees a day its necessary.

I'm clearly a complete yahoo because I Just Don't Bother trying to clean any old grinds out of our doserless grinder.  If there's anything stuck up there, then it's not much and it'll come out the next time I use it.

[/heretic]
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 03 January, 2013, 09:31:15 pm
I didn't Used To Bother either
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Charlotte on 03 January, 2013, 09:38:25 pm
I didn't Used To Bother either

(http://disastersurvivaltools.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/The-Matrix-Pill-by-CollegeHumor-To-Go-Down-the-Rabbit-Hole-It-Needs-to-Go-Down-Your-Mouth-Hole..jpg)

Quote from: Morpheflatus
This is your last chance.  After this, there is no turning back.  You take the blue pill - the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe.  You take the red pill - you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep this rabbit-hole goes
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 03 January, 2013, 09:42:59 pm
Its a fucking nightmare.

I'm not sure when it happened, but I'm crying now just trying to remember.

I'd sell my kids if it would let me go back to instant...


Help me
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: DrMekon on 03 January, 2013, 10:16:33 pm
COSTA RICA DON MAYO FINCA BELLA VISTA 2012 (http://www.hasbean.co.uk/collections/top-sellers/products/costa-rica-don-mayo-finca-bella-vista-2012)

Very moreish. Was getting a bit bored of just drinking Rave Sig, and the old stock of Union Revelation wasn't doing it for me. This is a welcome change. Wouldn't want to drink the fruity hasbean stuff all the time, but do at the mo'.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 03 January, 2013, 10:18:12 pm
That's not helping
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Feline on 03 January, 2013, 10:45:18 pm
We gave Rave Sig blend and Mocha Java to some relatives for Christmas. Hopefully they will be converted.
I am responsible for addicting Simonp to the Teapigs Jasmine tea temples Rave sell at a fiver for 15  :facepalm:
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: andrewc on 03 January, 2013, 11:20:32 pm
I've just ordered some Sumatran & some Yirgacheffe from Hasbean.   Hopefully the pour over filter kit I ordered after Christmas will turn up by the time it's arrived.  If not it will be the Aeropress.   
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Charlotte on 04 January, 2013, 08:54:46 am
I've just ordered some Sumatran & some Yirgacheffe from Hasbean.   

You won't regret their Yirgacheffe one little bit - as pourover, it rocks my world most mornings at the office.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Lady Cavendish on 04 January, 2013, 09:31:33 am
How are you preparing it and what sort of coffee  do you like?

I've got a little cafetiere on my desk, and I tend to like the rich roast ones.....
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 04 January, 2013, 09:36:44 am
In which case I'd suggest anything Indonesian.

Rave coffee has Old Brown Java, which is one of my favourites for brewing. You can also blend it with something lighter for a bit of interest. He does a blend called Mocha Java which is good. He's local to me, so I pick it up in person, but I think he does free postage over £25. You could buy kilo bags quite cheaply, freeze it, and take out 250g at a time, or about 6 small bags and try a range. If you want suggestions from him, give him a ring.


Maybe stay away from the Central Americans, the South Americans would be worth a try as would the Monsoon Malabar.
Title: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: andrewc on 04 January, 2013, 10:59:52 am
I've just ordered some Sumatran & some Yirgacheffe from Hasbean.   

You won't regret their Yirgacheffe one little bit - as pourover, it rocks my world most mornings at the office.

What setting are you using on the Porlex for pour over ? How may clicks from fully screwed in ?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ewan Houzami on 05 January, 2013, 10:02:35 am
Lavazza Crema é Gusto (don't ask why.)  :sick: It's going in the bin.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Charlotte on 05 January, 2013, 11:32:12 am
I've just ordered some Sumatran & some Yirgacheffe from Hasbean.   

You won't regret their Yirgacheffe one little bit - as pourover, it rocks my world most mornings at the office.

What setting are you using on the Porlex for pour over ? How may clicks from fully screwed in ?

Without unscrewing it, which I'm loathe to do, it's hard to say.  Finer that you would think is the basic answer. You need it to let the coffee dribble out of the bottom of the filter slowly...
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 05 January, 2013, 08:07:32 pm
Lavazza Crema é Gusto (don't ask why.)  :sick: It's going in the bin.
I bought some of that today. I was sent shopping with coffee as one of the items on my list. Now, I virtually never drank coffee until very recently and still drink it rarely - I was taken aback and bewildered at the range of coffees on the supermarket shelves. Tea is so much simpler! Fortunately I worked out that "cafe style" actually meant "beans to grind at home" and immediately ruled out the offerings of Starbucks (on taste and ethical grounds) and Taylors (because we have some Taylors "Rich Italian" and it's rather tasteless). I knew I wanted something stronger in taste - the "Rich Italian" (Berlusconi? Agnelli?) is rated 4 on whatever scale they use, but that seems to be a high number in coffee-scale-world, FWIW (I suspect zilch). I noticed that the own brand coffee was pretty much the same price as the branded, which was surprising, but what struck me more is that coffee packaging is stuck in the 80s - like milk, almost all of it is sold in packs of "227g" and "454g". That inclined me to the two brands with sensible pack sizes, on of which - Douwe Egberts - had cringeworthy names like "Together Time" and "Morning American", so I bought the Lavazza. And I quite like it - it has strength of taste and bitterness I like. So you could have sent yours to me! All in all though, I'm finding my Adventures in Coffee a little dispiriting so far.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: DrMekon on 05 January, 2013, 08:38:36 pm
Lavazza Crema é Gusto (don't ask why.)  :sick: It's going in the bin.

It is foul. It's something like 70% robusta. I picked some up without looking at it 'cos it was cheap. Tried sneaking it into the milk my wife drinks, but she couldn't stomach it and she drinks own label instant. Muck. Binned it.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ewan Houzami on 06 January, 2013, 02:38:47 am
That Lavazza tasted like drinking the contents of a swilled-out ashtray (oh, those student days...), and even worse than catering-quality instant.  YMMofcourseV. It just has a really odd, 1-dimensional, almost stale flavour, and I know now that coffee can be so much better. Like you Cudzo, I wasn't really a big coffee drinker until recently (thinking the whole scene a bit pretentious tbh), though usually having at least some Lavazza Rosso (or Oro when I was feeling flush) knocking about. I was more of a tea-head, but switched to some extent after realising I was caning through packets of Sainsburys breakfast blend (yes, yes, I know) made in a French press. It's a mild blend and I never realised how flowery, light, and moreish coffee could or should be. I'd finally 'got' coffee! I know it's only a matter of time before I take the road of no return, buy a Japanese burr hand-grinder and develop a Yirgacheffe habit (but financially embarrassed at the moment and wary of developing yet another potential wallet-emptying interest)!
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Gus on 06 January, 2013, 06:35:27 am
All I had in my house was Nescafe  :-\  I would like some good Kenya AA  :smug:
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 06 January, 2013, 07:13:17 am
That Lavazza tasted like drinking the contents of a swilled-out ashtray (oh, those student days...), and even worse than catering-quality instant.  YMMofcourseV. It just has a really odd, 1-dimensional, almost stale flavour, and I know now that coffee can be so much better. Like you Cudzo, I wasn't really a big coffee drinker until recently (thinking the whole scene a bit pretentious tbh), though usually having at least some Lavazza Rosso (or Oro when I was feeling flush) knocking about. I was more of a tea-head, but switched to some extent after realising I was caning through packets of Sainsburys breakfast blend (yes, yes, I know) made in a French press. It's a mild blend and I never realised how flowery, light, and moreish coffee could or should be. I'd finally 'got' coffee! I know it's only a matter of time before I take the road of no return, buy a Japanese burr hand-grinder and develop a Yirgacheffe habit (but financially embarrassed at the moment and wary of developing yet another potential wallet-emptying interest)!

Try some Happy Donkey Brazilian or Classic Italian.  Great everyday blends at half the price of Union. 

(Having said that I have a mug of Revelation in my hand right now..)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ewan Houzami on 06 January, 2013, 07:33:45 am
Cheers Tewdric. They're not at all expensive either.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: simonp on 07 January, 2013, 01:11:29 am
I ran out of beans, so ordered some Union Revelation from Ocado so I’d have something to drink this weekend.
 
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: DrMekon on 15 January, 2013, 10:51:57 pm
Had to nip down to Evans to grab a new tube and tyre at lunchtime, so went to Laynes Espresso, which was very nice (http://vimeo.com/26763997).

They were selling Ninety Plus Hachira N2 (http://www.ninetypluscoffee.com/). I guess it's roasted by Grumpy Mule, as they are local and have it for wholesale. It's the most expensive coffee I've ever bought, so there may be some self-justification here, but it tastes epic in an aeropress - so much going on. It was too late when I got home to have more than a single shot, but looking foward to some more in the morning. Way more going on than the Hasbean Yirgacheff I got recently. Assuming it is Grumpy Mule, it's available here (http://www.grumpymule.co.uk/shop/coffees/all-coffees/ethiopia-hachira-n2-ninety-plus-coffee).
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Charlotte on 15 January, 2013, 10:56:37 pm
I've not come across Grumpy Mule before.  Who came first, I'm wondering - them or Happy Donkey?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Rhys W on 15 January, 2013, 10:58:27 pm
Not coffee itself but I've finally got me a proper tamper. Yes I was using the crappy plastic thing until now.  :-[

Nothing like getting a well-made proper tool for the job, what a joy!
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: dasmoth on 16 January, 2013, 12:17:39 pm
They do make a difference, don't they.  Which did you go for?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 16 January, 2013, 01:09:20 pm
That Lavazza tasted like drinking the contents of a swilled-out ashtray (oh, those student days...), and even worse than catering-quality instant.  YMMofcourseV. It just has a really odd, 1-dimensional, almost stale flavour, and I know now that coffee can be so much better. Like you Cudzo, I wasn't really a big coffee drinker until recently (thinking the whole scene a bit pretentious tbh), though usually having at least some Lavazza Rosso (or Oro when I was feeling flush) knocking about. I was more of a tea-head, but switched to some extent after realising I was caning through packets of Sainsburys breakfast blend (yes, yes, I know) made in a French press. It's a mild blend and I never realised how flowery, light, and moreish coffee could or should be. I'd finally 'got' coffee! I know it's only a matter of time before I take the road of no return, buy a Japanese burr hand-grinder and develop a Yirgacheffe habit (but financially embarrassed at the moment and wary of developing yet another potential wallet-emptying interest)!
I hadn't actually drunk any coffee since making that previous post - but this morning I got up late (this is getting to be a bad habit) and shambled into the kitchen, intending to make myself a second cup of tea (Mrs Cudzo brought me the first in bed  :D) to find she'd made some coffee - so I drank some. And... it tasted a bit different - I think it had been a bit stronger the first time - but just coffee...

As for pretentious, yeah, people do get pretentious about coffee, but some people get pretentious about tea, or bikes, or anything. Coffee is just trendier currently than tea!
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: tiermat on 16 January, 2013, 01:39:58 pm
I've not come across Grumpy Mule before.  Who came first, I'm wondering - them or Happy Donkey?

IIRC, Grumpy Mule, they have been going a good old while (Mrs T was their book-keeper for a while).  Their Grumpy Old (M)Yule is fantastic, obv only available around Xmas.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Rhys W on 16 January, 2013, 04:10:51 pm
They do make a difference, don't they.  Which did you go for?

I had 2 £10 Hasbean vouchers, so I got one of those (although they wouldn't let me spend both in one go, so I'll get £10 worth of coffee as well later). It's well-made and fits my baskets perfectly.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: citoyen on 23 January, 2013, 11:55:06 am
Popped into Monmouth this morning and got some Finca El Tambor from Guatemala (http://www.monmouthcoffee.co.uk/coffee/central-america/guatemala/finca-el-tambor). Makes a very drinkable Americano in the Aeropress.

I chose it partly because at £26/kg, it was one of the cheaper ones they had and I'm trying to keep spending down at the moment. I balked at the Gourmet Shit* at £50/kg.  :o

d.

*Can't remember the exact name but it was something along those lines.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 26 January, 2013, 09:07:47 am
Happy Donkey Sumatra Mocha.  Smooth, round and warming with a hint of orange and lemon citrus.  Very nice as a long coffee at breakfast time.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: DrMekon on 28 January, 2013, 11:29:32 am
Finished off the last of my Hasbean Kebel Konga Washed. Says "purple opal fruits... develops as it cools" and it really does.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ashaman42 on 05 February, 2013, 07:40:53 pm
Nothing, in as much as I'm trying decaf tea out. And it's ok, tastes maybe a bit different but still identifiably tea. And the difference may well have been within the bounds of the normal variation in my tea making.

I've read all the advice about giving up caffeine before long audaxes so it has more effect during them and it made sense, but giving up tea!? Not likely.

Luckily it seems this will be an acceptable substitute.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 05 February, 2013, 07:55:04 pm
I drink decaf tea all day long. One caffeinated drink a day for me, a double espresso in milk first thing. Different brands of decaf vary with PG Tips being disgusting and Yorkshire the best I've had by far.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 06 February, 2013, 05:58:57 pm
That Lavazza tasted like drinking the contents of a swilled-out ashtray (oh, those student days...), and even worse than catering-quality instant.  YMMofcourseV. It just has a really odd, 1-dimensional, almost stale flavour, and I know now that coffee can be so much better. Like you Cudzo, I wasn't really a big coffee drinker until recently (thinking the whole scene a bit pretentious tbh), though usually having at least some Lavazza Rosso (or Oro when I was feeling flush) knocking about. I was more of a tea-head, but switched to some extent after realising I was caning through packets of Sainsburys breakfast blend (yes, yes, I know) made in a French press. It's a mild blend and I never realised how flowery, light, and moreish coffee could or should be. I'd finally 'got' coffee! I know it's only a matter of time before I take the road of no return, buy a Japanese burr hand-grinder and develop a Yirgacheffe habit (but financially embarrassed at the moment and wary of developing yet another potential wallet-emptying interest)!
I hadn't actually drunk any coffee since making that previous post - but this morning I got up late (this is getting to be a bad habit) and shambled into the kitchen, intending to make myself a second cup of tea (Mrs Cudzo brought me the first in bed  :D) to find she'd made some coffee - so I drank some. And... it tasted a bit different - I think it had been a bit stronger the first time - but just coffee...

As for pretentious, yeah, people do get pretentious about coffee, but some people get pretentious about tea, or bikes, or anything. Coffee is just trendier currently than tea!
Well I have to say that, having almost finished up the Lavazza (mostly Mrs Cudzo), I was sent out to buy more coffee again. This time I got something called Percolo Dark, I think, and - the point - it tastes far better even to my taste buds! I've also discovered that I like coffee best the way I like tea - without milk.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ashaman42 on 06 February, 2013, 10:13:21 pm
I drink decaf tea all day long. One caffeinated drink a day for me, a double espresso in milk first thing. Different brands of decaf vary with PG Tips being disgusting and Yorkshire the best I've had by far.

I just went for the Tesco own brand stuff as that's what I like caffeinated and it's cheap.

I'm not a fan of PG Tips or Tetley normal tea but I don't think I've ever had Yorkshire tea.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: GrahamG on 18 February, 2013, 09:16:10 am
Well I'm dead chuffed, after flirting with the idea on several occasions, I took advantage of one of the local MTB'ers emigrating and bought his Gaggia classic + ceramic burr grinder (can't remember model, not one of the posh ones but perfectly adequate) + tamp/glasses/cups/cleaning solutions/brushes etc. for a grand total of £110.

However, for the moment it will just be fed with the pre-ground supermarket Lavazza 'cos it needs using up and is just fine for the wife's morning 'allonge'.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: GrahamG on 22 February, 2013, 09:25:03 am
Just ordered a load of Rave coffee beans for comparison - whilst I don't care too much as long as it's strong and smooth, the wife has a far more sensitive palette so she can decide what gets ordered by the kilo.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Jacomus on 22 February, 2013, 10:05:57 am
Plz to be ensuring that you are sufficiently caffeinated and are not near any sharp objects/SHOVELS/The BEAR before reading on...

I was given the new Starbucks Verismo machine for Christmas - it's their K-fee pod based coffee machine and I love it, as I have a *thing* for Starbucks Pike Place filter coffee. The 'latte' it produces is disgusting, but since I don't drink coffee with milk in at any time, that doesn't really bother me much!

The machine makes it so perfectly that the coffee shop filter coffee now doesn't taste quite right to me (mainly because they tend to brew and serve it too hot). The speed with which you can serve up a cup of coffee is brilliant too, perfect for the morning dash and it dispenses the coffee at a sensible temperature.

Why do coffee shops insist on giving you a coffee that is hotter than the sun?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: clarion on 22 February, 2013, 10:47:59 am
And, more importantly, why do they serve tea that is too damn hot?  Spoils it completely.

What the hell temperature does that water get up to?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Jacomus on 24 February, 2013, 09:48:02 am
And, more importantly, why do they serve tea that is too damn hot?  Spoils it completely.

What the hell temperature does that water get up to?

Yes, this is indeed more criminal than over hot coffee.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: DrMekon on 27 February, 2013, 09:37:34 am
NICARAGUA LIMONCILLO PACAMARA NATURAL 2012 'FUNKY' (http://www.hasbean.co.uk/products/nicaragua-limoncillo-pacamara-natural-2012-funky)

Hasbean says "In the cup think strawberry Angel Delight: it's strawberry but creamy. Its body is huge, a chunky mouthfeel; think strawberry bubble gum hits creamy milkshake, and you're in the right ball park. It's as mad as a hatter."

There is definitely a soft fruits flavour thing going on. Don't think I'd be able call it strawberry angel delight unless someone else told me so. Not sure I'd mark out the mouthfeel as unusual, but I'm using an aeropress, so most things can come out quite chewy. Not as out there as some of the raspberry flavours I've tasted in their yirgacheffe or finca de licho (favourite semi-sensible priced coffee I've had). I'm sure it'd be more unexpected if I hadn't been on a diet of weirder hasbean coffees. As it is, it is what I was hoping for - delicious.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: GrahamG on 27 February, 2013, 11:35:57 am
How do you coffee geeks store your beans? The re-sealable packs with one-way valve on never seem to stay properly closed and was wondering if there was a better alternative as it takes a good month or so for me to get through a pack of beans.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Rhys W on 27 February, 2013, 11:51:37 am
I just use an old Illy tin. It has a rubber seal/gasket in the lid so I think it's reasonably airtight when screwed on. I don't bother with the freezer or anything, 250g doesn't even last a week for me.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: dasmoth on 27 February, 2013, 01:08:57 pm
How do you coffee geeks store your beans? The re-sealable packs with one-way valve on never seem to stay properly closed and was wondering if there was a better alternative as it takes a good month or so for me to get through a pack of beans.

Simples: just drink enough coffee that I don't have to worry about how long a bag has been open  :D.

(Where's the jittery hypercaffeinated smiley when you need it??!)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Feline on 27 February, 2013, 01:13:38 pm
I used to store unopened bags in the freezer but then I read some bad stuff about what moisture from defrosted beans can do to your grinder. We are getting through a 900g of Rave signature blend approx every 10 days so I'm just keeping them in the cupboard now and only ordering a new bag when the last beans are in the hopper. It is handy that they sell Tea Pigs which Simon drinks so I can always get my order up to the free postage amount  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: GrahamG on 28 February, 2013, 10:11:49 am
It's a proper wealthy middle class pursuit this proper coffee malarky, if my temp job comes to a swift conclusion any time soon I'm fooked!
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Cudzoziemiec on 28 February, 2013, 11:25:43 am
And, more importantly, why do they serve tea that is too damn hot?  Spoils it completely.

What the hell temperature does that water get up to?
??? 100C I would think. Unless they're pressurising it somehow. Leave it to brew for a couple of minutes (I guess that'd be "mash" to you, and "steep" for some others :)) and by then it's cooled down to drinking temperature.  ???
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Jacomus on 06 March, 2013, 02:49:21 pm
And, more importantly, why do they serve tea that is too damn hot?  Spoils it completely.

What the hell temperature does that water get up to?
??? 100C I would think. Unless they're pressurising it somehow. Leave it to brew for a couple of minutes (I guess that'd be "mash" to you, and "steep" for some others :)) and by then it's cooled down to drinking temperature.  ???

Hot water, when inside a coffee shop, undergoes an as-yet unexplained but universally observable change to it's physical properties.

1) It can achieve temperatures in excess of 100C

2) It will not lose heat to the surrounding environment in the normal decay curve. Instead, it will maintain it's >100C temperature until the drinker gets tired of holding a cup of liquid fire. Then it will cool almost instantly to slightly below room temperature. The end temperature changes depending on the drink and is well observed to be 'whatever temperature makes the drink most disgusting to accidentally take a swig of'. The only way to coax the drink to be a drinkable temperature for a reasonable length of time is for the drinker to convincingly pretend that they have lost interest in the cup of liquid fire, then, very quickly, become interested again. This forces the drink to abandon it's dash for sub-room temperature, hopefully at the correct drinking temperature, which can only be maintained for a short period.

3) Coffee shop water has a lower viscosity than normal water, allowing any spillages to cover a surface area far greater than a normal water spillage.

4) Coffee shop water, when at it's >100C temperature, has a kind of 'homing' instinct - a slightly careless jiggle or knock of the cup and the coffee will target, with unnerving precision, the nearest exposed flesh of the drinker. It can even target it's strike with such precision that instead of the drops of liquid fire landing on the (relatively desensitised) pads of your fingers, the drops will land around the edge of your nail and skin, or the web of thumb and forefinger, or just plain over the back of your hand.

5) The outside of the cup, and the water temperature, bear absolutely no relation to each other.



HTH ;D
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Rhys W on 23 March, 2013, 09:35:04 pm
James of Ross on Wye's house blend espresso for Wally's Delicatessen in Cardiff. Rather nice, but it needs a grind a couple of notches coarser than my usual stuff, so the first few cups have been stupidly long extractions.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: geraldc on 03 June, 2013, 12:12:53 pm
After months/years of hesitation, I finally got a Nespresso machine.  It's very much selling your soul to to the devil, but I do love it. Consistent results, no mess, and amazing convenience.  I packed up my old Gaggia espresso to pass onto a friend, and I had one final go with it. I'm going to miss something to fiddle with, but I wont miss filling the portafilter and the clean up.



Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Charlotte on 03 June, 2013, 12:44:04 pm
Picked up some of Monmouth's Colombian Fina Agua Bonita at the weekend and I've been drinking it as pourover today.

Expensive, but delicious.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: citoyen on 05 June, 2013, 04:17:38 pm
Picked up some of Monmouth's Colombian Fina Agua Bonita at the weekend and I've been drinking it as pourover today.

Expensive, but delicious.

I'm back to Waitrose Italian Blend this week, which has been my coffee of choice lately for reasons of economy (it's £2.59 a 250g bag).

However, last week, I treated myself to a bag of Monmouth Colombian Finca Los Pinos - the recommendation of the nice young lady behind the counter. Wow. It is knock-your-socks-off brilliant. Well worth every penny. (And even at £7 for 250g, it still works out a damn sight cheaper per cup than Starmucks.)

According to the Monmouth website, the Los Pinos and Agua Bonita are the first arrivals of 19 new Colombians they'll have this year, selected in a competition among local growers. If this is the standard to expect, I look forward to trying the rest...
http://www.monmouthcoffee.co.uk/coffee/south-america/colombia/finca-los-pinos
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Charlotte on 06 June, 2013, 08:39:41 am
(And even at £7 for 250g, it still works out a damn sight cheaper per cup than Starmucks.)

This is my feeling about the matter.  I would otherwise be paying £1.30 for a cup of mediocre Costa americano at our in-house concession.  The Monmouth works out as a much better deal all round.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: RJ on 14 August, 2013, 03:04:06 pm
http://www.artisanroast.co.uk/products/chisi

... picked up on my way to work this morning.

Well, actually it's this batch:
Quote
As an end note the project also ran a honey process trial with the people of Chisi pulping station.  This will be on limited release through the café’s through June 2013 and will be a special for our subscription customers.

Rather nice - just off to make another cup.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: menthel on 14 August, 2013, 04:06:48 pm
Ethiopian Yirgacheffe from the coffee bean shop. Made with an aeropress. Blimey it strong!
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Charlotte on 15 August, 2013, 11:50:28 am
It should be - the Aeropress makes an espresso-like drink.  So if you like your long coffee, I'd suggest brewing up a double shot and then immediately diluting it down with hot milk or water.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: menthel on 19 August, 2013, 10:24:45 am
It should be - the Aeropress makes an espresso-like drink.  So if you like your long coffee, I'd suggest brewing up a double shot and then immediately diluting it down with hot milk or water.

I do this anyway, the coffee was just a surprise as it was way stronger than all of the others I have tried- I have cut down the amount added from 1 1/2 scoops to 1 scoop and that is better. It's good stuff, just different from the ones I ususally like. :)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Charlotte on 19 August, 2013, 10:33:26 am
Today, I am mostly drinking cold-brew coffee.  I had some steeping overnight at the weekend and I bought a little flask (http://www.urbanrock.com/flask) of it into the office with me this morning.

Cold extracted coffee is delicious. (http://boingboing.net/2011/11/14/howto-attain-radical-hotel-roo.html)  All of the flavour, none of the bitterness and wickedly high caffeine levels make me a happy Charlotte.  Drink it cold as a shot or dilute it down with hot water for a very quaffable Americano - it's all good.

I've made the current batch with some Ethiopian beans because I'm currently thinking that cold-brew suits a fruitier, lighter coffee.  But I expect that you could make it with anything you have to hand - there's no great art to it, just grind the beans course and shake them up with about twice as much water before leaving to steep for 12-24 hours.  Filter out the sludge and keep refrigerated.

OMNOMNOM  :D
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 19 September, 2013, 02:10:32 pm
Being a lazy bugger, I can't be bothered grinding my own and having to clean out the grinder for a centimetre of ristretto, so I buy foil-sachet'd ESE pads and use them in an SGL Gold Star that sounds like the Luftwaffe over London. Favourite for the last year is Molinari Gourmet Java, which is a washed robusta with a good round body and a fairly high caffeine wallop (2.5%).  Also like Molinari Kenyan Arabica, OK as a ristretto but a bit more bitter than the Java.  For capu or café au lait I use a nondescript Latin American Arabica blend that makes a lousy ristretto but comes up nicely with 50% hot milk.

Currently experimenting with Orlando Blue Mountain. Don't like it short - it manages to be acid and bland at the same time - but drawn as a lungo it's not bad: still a bit lacking in bitterness but the acidity disappears and other flavours come out.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: RJ on 24 September, 2013, 06:03:10 pm
http://www.artisanroast.co.uk/products/yirgacheffe-dumerso-woreda-natural
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: menthel on 27 September, 2013, 02:34:05 pm
Mocha Guatemala blend. Great coffee whatever the time of day. Aeropressed and keeping me going!

http://www.coffeebeanshop.co.uk/mocha-guatemala-blend-p-394.html?osCsid=25d9f23178ace4d09147c389dc1a3f9d
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: menthel on 11 October, 2013, 09:20:08 am
Old brown java from the supplier above. Nice but I need to experiement a little more to get a better brew from it.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Gus on 13 October, 2013, 09:13:23 am
Kenya Mountain AA in french press.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 13 October, 2013, 02:40:18 pm
A low-cost ESE-packed French brand called Tentation Ristretto, because my staple Molinari Java lavata has run out. Tentation is OK, a bit more acid than the Java (it's a Latin-American Arabica blend, which is about as precise as calling a drink whisky) and slightly lower in body and bitterness.  Pulled as a longish lungo and topped up with hot milk it makes a fair breakfast coffee.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Gattopardo on 13 October, 2013, 05:01:35 pm
Have you chaps tried IKEA coffee?  Both the filter, espresso and beans.

Today I picked up some cheap espresso ground coffee from Lidl as its half price and actually very nice as I use filtered tap water so doesn't make much difference what I put in it.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Gruff on 13 October, 2013, 07:26:02 pm
A low-cost ESE-packed French brand called Tentation Ristretto, because my staple Molinari Java lavata has run out. Tentation is OK, a bit more acid than the Java (it's a Latin-American Arabica blend, which is about as precise as calling a drink whisky) and slightly lower in body and bitterness.  Pulled as a longish lungo and topped up with hot milk it makes a fair breakfast coffee.

I have no idea what you just said, but it sounds suspiciously Jilly Goolden to me.

"... I'm getting tarmac, I'm getting flip flops... *sniff sniff*... oh yes, I'm getting wet badger in Chanel No.5 with a hint of Grecian2000"
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pcolbeck on 13 October, 2013, 08:31:50 pm
Taylors Italian Blend.
Not expensive and available at all supermarkets (at least in Yorkshire it is it being from Harrogate - Tyalors are a subsidiary of Bettys Tearooms). Not bad at all.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Rhys W on 14 October, 2013, 07:48:37 am
Yes I often pick some of this up (getting nice stuff delivered by courier is a lot of hassle). It also has the bonus of not wasting half the pack on adjusting the grind, I know what setting I need for a decent shot.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 14 October, 2013, 05:27:32 pm
A mixture of medium-dark roasted Columbian washed, and Harrar dry processed, espresso'd into a flat white.

Yummy. Earthy blueberry fug.

Waiting on Rob at Rave to roast up some new Yirgacheffe and Rwandan(or was it Tanzanian) that I'm hoping to put into a cortado for a kind of coffee and strawberry hit.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: menthel on 16 October, 2013, 11:07:36 am
Old brown java from the supplier above. Nice but I need to experiement a little more to get a better brew from it.

It needed longer brewing. I shoved the plunger in the top of the aeropress to stop it running through and then leave it for a good couple of minutes. After that it is a great coffee. Strong, smooth and slightly chocolately. Very nice.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 21 October, 2013, 03:43:11 pm
A low-cost ESE-packed French brand called Tentation Ristretto, because my staple Molinari Java lavata has run out. Tentation is OK, a bit more acid than the Java (it's a Latin-American Arabica blend, which is about as precise as calling a drink whisky) and slightly lower in body and bitterness.  Pulled as a longish lungo and topped up with hot milk it makes a fair breakfast coffee.

I have no idea what you just said, but it sounds suspiciously Jilly Goolden to me.

"... I'm getting tarmac, I'm getting flip flops... *sniff sniff*... oh yes, I'm getting wet badger in Chanel No.5 with a hint of Grecian2000"

Never heard of Jilly Whatserface and don't want to.

Point is, how would you like me to describe the taste of a coffee? Bitterness, acid, body and lungo are standard terms, Molinari is an Italian coffee supplier and Java lavata is washed Robusta coffee from - guess where. ESE capsules have been around since 1973.

None of your wet badgers, dead or alive.

Maybe this (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee) will help.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 21 October, 2013, 03:53:14 pm
This might help.

(http://coffeesnobs.com.au/Attachments/coffee_tasting_flavor_wheel_002.jpg)

Very useful if you want to describe the flavours of coffee to somebody who is interested. Of course if they aren't interested, then you'll just sound like a ponce
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 21 October, 2013, 04:46:09 pm
Interesting, thanks. Hope there isn't a badger in there.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 21 October, 2013, 04:55:21 pm
That's a separate flavour wheel. There are actually seven grades of badger, depending on ripeness.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: hillbilly on 22 October, 2013, 07:55:55 am
Trying to reduce caffeine intake to more normal levels, so resorting to proper coffee cut with decaff (sold in Sainsbury as Half Caff) made with a SwissGold filter. 

What an insipid drink.  It's not fooling my neurons, half of which are transmitting WTF messages.  Admittedly it might be the Sainsbury coffee.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 22 October, 2013, 08:49:34 am
That's a separate flavour wheel. There are actually seven grades of badger, depending on ripeness.

Last Friday I rode past a dead wild boar. Not a hint of coffee about it, not even Nespresso.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 22 October, 2013, 10:24:59 am
Just as fresh beans need a couple of weeks resting for the flavours to develop, so do badgers and boar.

Go back in a week.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: citoyen on 20 November, 2013, 12:36:34 pm
A nice PR sent a toy to the office for us to play with...

(http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k170/smutchin/coffee_zpsea6f72db.jpeg) (http://s88.photobucket.com/user/smutchin/media/coffee_zpsea6f72db.jpeg.html)

It's very good. Select your cup size and strength using a touch screen display, then it grinds the beans to order and pumps out a cup of excellent espresso with a lovely thick crema.

Unfortunately, it's only ours on loan and will have to go back sooner or later, so I'm making the most of it while we've got it. Four cups already so far this morning. I am literally off my tits.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Vince on 20 November, 2013, 01:08:08 pm
Nothing! The sodding machine has broken.

Apologies for the language - going cold turkey!
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 20 November, 2013, 06:52:10 pm
A nice PR sent a toy to the office for us to play with...

(http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k170/smutchin/coffee_zpsea6f72db.jpeg) (http://s88.photobucket.com/user/smutchin/media/coffee_zpsea6f72db.jpeg.html)

It's very good. Select your cup size and strength using a touch screen display, then it grinds the beans to order and pumps out a cup of excellent espresso with a lovely thick crema.

Unfortunately, it's only ours on loan and will have to go back sooner or later, so I'm making the most of it while we've got it. Four cups already so far this morning. I am literally off my tits.

Excellent espresso?

If it does, it'll be the first fully auto machine that can. ;)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: citoyen on 20 November, 2013, 07:13:56 pm
Excellent espresso?

If it does, it'll be the first fully auto machine that can. ;)

Hmmm. OK...

Excellent by automatic machine standards, based on my experience. And not bad by any standard.

I forgot that some people have rarefied ideas of excellence when it comes to coffee. While other people claim to take their coffee very seriously and then get excited about a Nespresso machine (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/mark-cavendish/10428782/Mark-Cavendish-The-day-I-knew-it-was-all-over-with-Sky.html). (I'd say the Panasonic machine is much better than a Nespresso, but then it bloomin' well ought to be for just shy of £900.)

I'd be interested to know what a coffee ponce true connoisseur such as your good self makes of it though.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 20 November, 2013, 08:07:16 pm
Its OK, I'm a self-confessed coffee ponce  ;D Happy to admit it, and certainly happier to describe myself as that, than as a 'true connaisseur'

Your machine can control dose, grind and it can control the amount of water put through the coffee, but it can't taste the coffee and change those variables accordingly. That is the difference.

If I took three different coffees and pulled all three on the same variables, got you to taste and then allowed me to tweak you'd be surprised at just how much can be done.

Yer standard Italian style coffee (medium roast, heavy on the Brazil's with a bit of robusta thrown in for body and crema) is actually really easy to extract and you have to be pretty ham-fisted to end up with something bad in the cup. This is possibly the key reason why coffee in Italy is consistent, and consistently good. However, its never amazing and for that you need to go down the road of varietals that are harder to extract.

I've got three on the go at the moment, a Sumatran Jagong, an Ethiopian Yirgachef, and a Rwandan. The yirg need a fine grind and a lot of water through it, otherwise its like a mouthful of oily acid. The Jagong needs a fine grind, so that it comes out in drips, and you nneed to cut the shot at about half the volume of the yirg (ristretto) or you lose the sweetness. A machine cannot know this.

Its really weird how doing this and getting a sense of the coffee and how to best extract it seems to come naturally to me now. This wasn't always the case. It is a bit of a black art, and it is interesting how uncomfortable some people are with discussions like this and want to deny that the person doing the grinding, filling, tamping and extracting has much of an impact. I certainly am guilty of having fallen in that camp a while back.

Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Vince on 21 November, 2013, 12:45:50 pm
Nothing! The sodding machine has broken.

Apologies for the language - going cold turkey!

Second day without the coffee machine. We have access to the clients coffee machine on the floor below, but it only produces foul mud. :(
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: tiermat on 21 November, 2013, 12:50:57 pm
Nothing! The sodding machine has broken.

Apologies for the language - going cold turkey!

Second day without the coffee machine. We have access to the clients coffee machine on the floor below, but it only produces foul mud. :(

I feel your pain, Wunja.  We have $TOO_MANY BTC machines here at work, but only one of them produces an acceptable drink (the others all either burn the grounds by having the water too hot, or have the pressure set too high so you get a cup of almost clear liquid).  That one decent machine is having fits at the moment, working then not working.  Fortunately it's only on the steaming side (for the milk) that it is playing up, so a straight Americano is still available (as are espressos), thankfully.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: citoyen on 21 November, 2013, 01:00:10 pm
Yer standard Italian style coffee (medium roast, heavy on the Brazil's with a bit of robusta thrown in for body and crema) is actually really easy to extract and you have to be pretty ham-fisted to end up with something bad in the cup. This is possibly the key reason why coffee in Italy is consistent, and consistently good. However, its never amazing and for that you need to go down the road of varietals that are harder to extract.

This makes a lot of sense and matches my experience - some bog-standard supermarket blends seem to produce a fairly decent drink without much effort, while an expensive single varietal can give surprisingly shit results if not handled carefully...

You don't need to convince me that the kind of personal input and attention to detail you describe can make a genuine difference. I may not be a coffee ponce* but I am a bit of a beer ponce and I'm sure that much the same principles apply.

*some of my colleagues might say I am but it's all relative.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 14 December, 2013, 09:21:58 pm
I made an impulse buy of Lavazza red beans the other day and stuck them in the hopper this morning.

It's barely better than instant - unpleasantly bitter, stale and jarring, with a teasing citrus note on the nose but nothing in  the cup. 

I'm looking forward to replacing it with my staple everyday Happy Donkey Italian Blend.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 14 December, 2013, 09:40:26 pm
Three espressos (Java lavata, ristretto as usual) after lunch, and, since the effect is much the same, 5 mugs of tea.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 14 December, 2013, 11:49:49 pm
I made an impulse buy of Lavazza red beans the other day and stuck them in the hopper this morning.

It's barely better than instant - unpleasantly bitter, stale and jarring, with a teasing citrus note on the nose but nothing in  the cup. 

I'm looking forward to replacing it with my staple everyday Happy Donkey Italian Blend.

Get yourself a kilo of Rave coffee Italian Job.

Its a step up from the Donkey but still well priced. I've got some in at the moment if you are passing by
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: GrahamG on 10 January, 2014, 01:28:26 pm
My Solis grinder died. Just bought an Iberital MC-2 as anything else was just too much price-wise. As I spent a ball-aching 30 minutes and an entire pack of beans getting the grind fine enough, I kind of wish I'd gone for something a tad more 'adjustable' and screwed the cost. Still the happy donkey beans with it aren't too much to cry over using up....
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Dibdib on 05 April, 2014, 02:07:29 pm
I woke up this morning craving coffee but was all out, so walked up to the Whittard's outlet around the corner to pick some up.

Usually I get a small bag of something and ask them to grind it for me, but this morning I spotted something shiny on the shelf. Long story short, I walked out a few minutes later with a bag of their Bourbon Espresso beans and a Zassenhaus Lima (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Zassenhaus-Stainless-Acrylic-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B0002HOW1E) hand-grinder  :thumbsup:

I'm still figuring it out, but for £35 it's a nice toy to play with. My first attempt at an espresso grind took forever and choked my machine, so I thought I'd try a courser grind in my moka pot.

Like all coffee numpties, though, I do have a few questions. For a start, how long should I keep these beans for? Living alone, I don't get through massive quantities of coffee so I've always bought the little 125g bags of ground coffee and kept it in an airtight jar in the shade. Even then, after a week or two it's not tasting as good as it did. Will whole beans last longer?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 05 April, 2014, 02:21:10 pm
I've finally hot round to ordering some Rave beans - a kilo of Italian Job and one of signature.   I'll let you know how I get on..
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Dibdib on 15 April, 2014, 04:34:11 pm
I've finally hot round to ordering some Rave beans - a kilo of Italian Job and one of signature.   I'll let you know how I get on..

Oooh, Rave are only down the road from me, up in Cirencester. I think my jar'o'beans is running a bit low, so I'll probably cycle up at the weekend and pick up a bag  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 15 April, 2014, 04:49:39 pm
They close at midday on a Saturday.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Dibdib on 15 April, 2014, 05:30:00 pm
Ta for the heads-up - I'd best drag myself out of my pit bed nice and early :)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: citoyen on 15 April, 2014, 05:36:11 pm
Finca Capetillo, from Guatemala via Monmouth. Love this one. Favourite I've had from them for a while. Smooth and hazelnutty, moderate acidity, not too fruity.

http://www.monmouthcoffee.co.uk/coffee/central-america/guatemala/finca-capetillo
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 15 June, 2014, 10:18:56 am
Rave Monsooned Malabar at the moment, in a lovely flat white with the awesome microfoam my new machine can produce.

I tried the Italian job and found it a bit meh.  Perhaps it needs a cooler extraction than "hx standard" 93-94?  I actually prefer the rough and ready unwashed robusta hint of the donkey.

I've also got some Rave Mocha Java and Fudge lined up as well as a Yirgacheffe from that bloke in bristol whose name escapes me. 
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 15 June, 2014, 10:23:29 am
The Italian Job is meh in milk, but as a ristretto it produces an excellent replication of Italian espresso.

Mocha Java is fierce  ;D

I'm on Union Foundation
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: contango on 15 June, 2014, 10:53:15 am
Currently drinking a blend of 75% Brazilian Santos and 25% Monsoon Malabar, roasted into second crack. It's really rather good. I had a double dose of it this morning, which gave my system a bit of a jolt.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: sojournermike on 15 June, 2014, 11:13:06 am
Today I've had a cup of Finch Limoncello natural process, roasted by Hasten and bread at 60g per litre in my Chemex.

Now I'm enjoying a cup of his washed Yirgacheffe from the Chelelektu mill, again at 60g per litre in the Chemex. The gradual re-emergence of really good Ethiopian, and particularly Yirgacheffe, coffee over the last few years, since the loss forced by the introduction of the national exchange, is one of the real positives in coffee for me.

I don't usually brew espresso at home, although I have my old La Pavoni Stradivari machine awaiting a service, after which it will no doubt excite and frustrate in equal measure on the odd occasion I use it. Sometimes producing as many as 1 brilliant cup amongst the sea of mediocrity. I used to think that was me, but in practice the temperature control is non existent, so there is a lot of chance with more 'difficult' coffees.

Mike
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Dibdib on 23 June, 2014, 11:58:11 am
Currently Dr Pepper Zero. I know, I know, seven hail marys then hit myself with some sticks and all that.

But this morning I thought I'd give Pact coffee a go so I should hopefully get home from work tomorrow to a bag of their espresso blend (https://www.pactcoffee.com/coffees/espresso-blend--2). To be honest, unless it's phenomenal I can't see me continuing to pay £7 a bag, but for a quid I'll give it a chance.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: The French Tandem on 23 June, 2014, 08:08:58 pm
Chinese Yunnan coffee. Yes, coffee. Yunnan is not only a sort of tea, as we learned very recently!
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 23 June, 2014, 09:08:02 pm
Brian Wogan Yirgacheffe.  Yummy!
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Dibdib on 24 June, 2014, 06:04:59 pm
Mmmm, this Pact Espresso blend is pretty nice. I chucked it in my cheapy espresso machine and made an Americano and I'm enjoying it without sugar, which is a good first litmus test for me.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ruth on 17 July, 2014, 09:35:39 am
Happy Shopper gold blend instant.

The cafetiere is in one of the cardboard boxes piled Tetris style throughout my new house.

Something must be done.

  :sick:
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: CrinklyLion on 17 July, 2014, 10:36:23 am
If all else fails, I'd suggest an emergency shopping trip and a second cafetiere.  I used to have two and it made life much more civilised when I had a houseful of people :D
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 17 July, 2014, 10:44:46 am
So far, about a litre of Twinings
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: mcshroom on 17 July, 2014, 11:12:00 am
If all else fails, I'd suggest an emergency shopping trip and a second cafetiere.  I used to have two and it made life much more civilised when I had a houseful of people :D

Otherwise Kenco Millicano makes a good substitute for proper coffee.

For me - Regio Wiener Kronung that my mum and dad brought back from Austria. I wish we could buy Austrian Coffee blends over here
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: tiermat on 30 October, 2014, 08:10:27 am
As I am now working in Leeds, and the Whittards is on the way back to the station, I had a LOVELY cup of Monsoon Malabar this morning.

It was just like an old friend returning after far too long.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 30 October, 2014, 08:32:02 am
This:

(http://www.pbase.com/johnewing/image/158022430.jpg)

which [scream] arrived without a tamper.  It does have one pressurized basket and another for ESE so it's not entirely agonizing, but the real McCoy is yet to come.

BTW, @tiermat, Monsoon Malabar is rapidly becoming a favourite here too.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: tiermat on 30 October, 2014, 08:35:28 am
T42, that is beauty.

As for ESE pods, they can be got, relatively cheaply, from Amazon, and (to keep TOH happy) you can get tea ones!

On the subject of Monsoon Malabar, I am, currently, working with a group of guys I worked with the last time I worked in Leeds (about 8 years ago), which co-incided which the time I discovered MM.  I was more than a little evangelical about it, and each one of the guys now says they regularly drink it!  I know one or two (at least) forumites whom I have introduced to it.  My work is done here :)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 30 October, 2014, 10:31:36 am
Ta! Ain't she lovely?

There are (at least) two companies here that do ESE pods, although not Malabar pods.  One of them carries a passable washed Java in pods, though - I quite like that.

The MM I can get most readily is an Arabica.  Having tried the Java I'd like to try pure Monsoon Robusta too.

Funny how the US & UK have discovered proper coffee. When I was a kid it came out of a bottle labelled "Camp".
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: madcow on 05 November, 2014, 11:00:17 am
Tim Horton's coffee , at the Barack Obama Plaza located on the N7 on the way to Limerick.
Tim's or Timmy's is a national institution in Canada, so I didn't expect to find it in the middle of Ireland.
Shame they dont have the full range of donuts, but they do have free wi-fi, unlike the usual rip-off stops on U.K motorways.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 08 December, 2014, 09:26:33 am
2 espressos made with my home-roasted blend of 2 parts of Sidamo, 2 of MM & 1 of Viet Robusta, all 1st crack but the Rob a bit lighter than the others. Roasted a week ago. Zowie.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 21 December, 2014, 05:00:01 pm
Coffee Compass mahogany roast jampit hit.  Just had possiblythebest espresso shot I've ever pulled and had a sublime latte earlier with my first semi successful Rosetta too!
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Redjeep! on 21 December, 2014, 05:22:38 pm
Superb cappuccino made from my local roaster's espresso blend beans and in my new Bialetti Mukka.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9i6YGTnSuyM (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9i6YGTnSuyM)

Unfortunately that's only a promotional video and I don't know the lovely Italian lady.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 21 December, 2014, 05:58:01 pm
Coffee Compass mahogany roast jampit hit.  Just had possiblythebest espresso shot I've ever pulled and had a sublime latte earlier with my first semi successful Rosetta too!

I'm into their Hill and Valley blend atm, but the Jampit is lovely too
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Dibdib on 27 December, 2014, 03:12:35 pm
My awesome little sister got me an Aeropress, a bundle of filters and a bag of ground Rave Coffee for Christmas.

I'm now nicely buzzing :)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pcolbeck on 08 January, 2015, 03:49:59 pm
A jug of Illy from the one of the three types of Illy beans Mrs Pcolbeck bought me for Christmas (I didn’t even know they did more than one blend).
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 08 January, 2015, 06:45:38 pm
Coffee Compass mahogany roast jampit hit.  Just had possiblythebest espresso shot I've ever pulled and had a sublime latte earlier with my first semi successful Rosetta too!

I'm into their Hill and Valley blend atm, but the Jampit is lovely too

I've just ordered a kilo and a half of H&V.  I'll keep you posted.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 08 January, 2015, 07:18:40 pm
Need a nice slow pour. 60% brew ratio worked best for me.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Dibdib on 25 January, 2015, 08:33:24 am
Yesterday the bag of pre-ground Rave Signature Blend which came with my Aeropress ran out.

I picked up a bag of Round Hill Roastery's Finca Eleta Capitan from my local coffee shop (who went to great lengths to pursuade me not to get them to grind it for me). I have no idea what the name means, except that the label says it's from Panama, but it is absolutely delicious and totally worth the elbow grease of my hand grinder.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: tiermat on 25 January, 2015, 11:22:38 am
Union Roasters Guatemalan.

I thought the hype about wood roasted coffee was just that, hype.

I can now safely say it isn't. This coffee is full bodied cane nicely rounded with no nasty edges. Fast becoming a new fave.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 25 January, 2015, 02:42:13 pm
Need a nice slow pour. 60% brew ratio worked best for me.

Yeah I'm doing 20 in 34 out in 25 at 94 in a VST 20 ridgeless comp.

It's nice but I marginally preferred the Jampit hit.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 11 February, 2015, 12:25:13 am
Yep, worked best when you wrung it out.  I even pushed it to a 1:1 ristretto ground stupidly fine with a 35s pull at about 95 deg.  It was ridiculously good. 

I've rung the changes again now.  2 Kg of Rave Monsooned Malabar arrived today!

Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: citoyen on 30 April, 2015, 11:33:02 am
My delivery from Hasbean arrived yesterday, so I've been playing with my new Porlex mini grinder this morning.

I've tried two of the five coffees from the 'starter pack' so far - Finca La Chorrera from Colombia, which is perhaps a touch acidic for my liking, and the Phil Ter blend, which I like very much indeed.

Experimenting with different settings on the Porlex and different techniques with the Aeropress means I should get through all five bags of beans in pretty short order. I've already had four cups today...
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Mr Larrington on 30 April, 2015, 03:26:36 pm
Watch out for the TV News tonight, in which a trained negotiator talks a totally wired citoyen out of a tree.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 30 April, 2015, 04:06:49 pm
Received a new moka pot for experimental purposes. Seasoned it with supermarket crap (straight down sink) then tried one of the freebie Caffè Mauro pods that came with.  HTF do people DRINK such shit?

Lunchtime I finished the last of my last Yrga roast in the pukka espresso engine.  Got 300g of Izuba Red Bourbon maturing now.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: citoyen on 01 May, 2015, 01:21:03 am
Watch out for the TV News tonight, in which a trained negotiator talks a totally wired citoyen out of a tree.

Either that or I'll wake up in hospital with delusions of provincial government, eh?

Just tried another one from the delivery - Brazilian Fazenda Cachoeira da Grama. Omfg, it's lush, think I'll have another one...
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pcolbeck on 01 May, 2015, 07:55:09 am
Morrison's Ethiopian (pre ground). I'm slumming it waiting on a delivery of Has Beans :)
Actually its OK and a bargain at £5 for two bags.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 01 May, 2015, 08:14:01 am
Just tried another one from the delivery - Brazilian Fazenda Cachoeira da Grama. Omfg, it's lush, think I'll have another one...

Funny, I've had very little Brazilian coffee so far.

Had a very premature cup of Izuba this morning, a bit fine on the grind and run for ~35 sec, but it was very promising. Going to roast some Guatemala today.  It's a holiday but no point in riding, it's pissing down.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: menthel on 01 May, 2015, 10:43:24 am
Mocha Guatemala from my aeropress. Mmm.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: citoyen on 01 May, 2015, 05:28:18 pm
M'colleague who knows about these things says it's being 'pulped natural' rather than 'washed' that gives my Brazilian coffee its full body and low acidity.

Whatever it is, I like it.

A lot.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 03 May, 2015, 07:54:52 am
Funny how things converge: I've been swapping notes with a Brazilian about Santos Type 4, which he with natural modesty proclaims the best in the world. Turns out that Santos is a port through which the (supposedly) best coffee is exported, and that most of it is "pulped natural" red bourbon.  "Pulped natural" seems to be the same as what Central America calls the honey process.

I've been drinking Burundi red bourbon the last couple of days. Washed. At only 4 days after roast it's superb, very full-bodied and almost like prunes in the deeper notes. Nearly finished now, though, the importer's run out.

I hope Burundi continues peaceful - the Hutu/Tutsi thing is on the edge of erupting again.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 06 May, 2015, 05:14:10 pm
Rave Nuts 'n Plums in a flat white made with my new Londinium lever machine.  Yummy!
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 17 May, 2015, 05:40:59 pm
Carrying out an experiment with the Bialetti Brikka.  I roasted a mix of odd remnants (El Fuego, Yrga and Sidamo) on Friday and I'm brewing up a double shot every day to see how it evolves.

Yesterday morning it was thin, but pleasant enough.  Today the flavour and body are strengthening.  So pleasant that I had another double after lunch.

Looks like Burundi's going down the tubes again.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 18 May, 2015, 08:20:49 am
Two double shots this morning.  I hope I don't drink it all before it peaks.

Three days after roasting the body is now good, the flavour is very pleasant and the aftertaste is what prompted me to make a second one an hour after the first.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: mcshroom on 18 May, 2015, 10:15:00 am
Finished my packet of Taylor's 'Brasilia' yesterday so back to their 'Italian' stuff instead. Definitely prefer the latter :)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 21 May, 2015, 07:44:10 am
Yrgacheffe, roasted last Friday.  Velvety, almost no bitterness beyond the crema, wonderful round flavour.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: tiermat on 21 May, 2015, 07:58:45 am
Yrgacheffe, roasted last Friday.  Velvety, almost no bitterness beyond the crema, wonderful round flavour.

I know you are over in Furrin parts, but if you can try and get hold of some UC Yrgacheffe.  It is the most amazing stuff.  Roasted in Oxfordshire and sold in delis and Steamer Trading Company shops around the UK.  The major differnce to others? It is wood roasted rather than gas or electric.  Makes the most gorgeous espresso.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 21 May, 2015, 08:51:18 am
Yrgacheffe, roasted last Friday.  Velvety, almost no bitterness beyond the crema, wonderful round flavour.

I know you are over in Furrin parts, but if you can try and get hold of some UC Yrgacheffe.  It is the most amazing stuff.  Roasted in Oxfordshire and sold in delis and Steamer Trading Company shops around the UK.  The major differnce to others? It is wood roasted rather than gas or electric.  Makes the most gorgeous espresso.

Sounds good.  That would be the original method, too, over a wood fire.

As it happens, we have a wood fireplace in the kitchen...

Hum. Google isn't finding any UC Yrgacheffe or even UC Yirgacheffe, and STC don't list it on their site.  What does UC stand for?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: tiermat on 21 May, 2015, 08:55:42 am
My bad, it's UE.

http://www.uecoffeeroasters.com/
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 21 May, 2015, 09:20:14 am
My bad, it's UE.

http://www.uecoffeeroasters.com/

Got it, ta.

Trouble is that if they ship within a week of roasting and it's a week in transit it wouldn't be worth getting more than 250g because by the time I finished it it'd be over the peak, and at £10 postage that's a bit thick.

I would dearly love to get my hands on some more green Burundi Red Bourbon but all my usual sources are are out of stock, except for one who wants 32€ / kg.  I'm falling back on Bob-O-Link - never tried it before.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Dibdib on 22 May, 2015, 09:43:46 pm
Very NSFW but incredibly cool mug (sorry, couldn't think of a better thread):

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 27 May, 2015, 07:52:47 am
Cut as in snub?

No matter.  Today I am attempting to savour a Bob-O-Link I roasted a week ago.  Light roast.  Not very happy.  Tried it in the Lelit half a dozen times so far, did a 10cl Brikka this morning with 14g. Not happy.

Bastard guests at weekend guzzled all my Yrga, daughter walked off with my last batch of El Fuego. BOL's all I've got. Rats.

First time I've roasted a honey-process coffee. Maybe I'll reduce the drying phase. Opinions?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: campagman on 29 May, 2015, 09:12:16 pm
I have been playing with a Moka pot. Lidl are selling these (http://www.lidl.co.uk/en/our-offers-2491.htm?action=showDetail&id=23695). What do you more experienced coffee people think, worth a punt?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 29 May, 2015, 10:14:14 pm
Looks very familiar - I've seen it somewhere under another name.  If it's the same then it won't turn out "barista-quality" coffee (nothing will at that price) but it will use ready-ground from the supermarket or ESE pods that you can get from a variety of UK dealers.

Hum. Found this: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=2107747

"...made by De'Longhi", right.

Some De'Longhis use an exit valve at the bottom of the water-tank and some have leakage problems.  More rational machines syphon the water up.

I'm almost tempted to say stay with the moka pot, but at 40 quid and 3-year guarantee it's not much more expensive.

If you do get it, check where the exit valve is in the tank, and keep an eye on it if it's underneath.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: campagman on 30 May, 2015, 07:22:30 pm
Thanks T42. I had already seen that MSE thread but it was from 2009. The Silvercrest - De'longhi is not the same m/c and the one on sale now is £50.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Thor on 30 May, 2015, 07:51:17 pm
A little research suggests this (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ariete-Litre-Caff%C3%A9-Retro-Black/dp/B009F5WRT8/ref=sr_1_45) is the same machine, with some reviews, not entirely favourable.  But the LiDL offering is much cheaper, of course.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 30 May, 2015, 08:15:56 pm
I have been playing with a Moka pot. Lidl are selling these (http://www.lidl.co.uk/en/our-offers-2491.htm?action=showDetail&id=23695). What do you more experienced coffee people think, worth a punt?

For that money get an Aeropress and try to stretch to a porlex hand grinder.  It's the cheapest way to get decent coffee and you can take it anywhere!
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 30 May, 2015, 08:45:12 pm
Yeah don't bother with that PoS espresso machine. Just get some other gadget..... aeropress, moka pot, clever dripper or whatever and as Tewdric says a Porlex.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 01 June, 2015, 07:20:51 am
I have just finished a superb cup out of the Bialetti Brikka (http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0000AN3QN/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_3?pf_rd_p=569136327&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B0001DJT7G&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=1HNNSV2XQ6WFGSXMDWAV).

I bought a straight moka pot for comparison a few weeks back, and the Brikka is streets better.  Nice heavy quality, too.   I'm thinking of getting a 4- or 6-cupper for when we have visitors, it beats slaving over an espresso engine and watching your prime stock disappear down ignorant throats.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Jacomus on 02 June, 2015, 12:50:19 pm
Today is being caffeinated by copious amounts of office-provided Caffeinated Brown Drink.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pcolbeck on 03 June, 2015, 11:46:45 pm
The first grind of the 1Kg pack of Lavazza Crema beans I bought on offer at Lidl. I have a similar bag of Lavazza Espresso beans to get through as well. Its all a bit stronger than the Ethiopian and Kenyan I have been drinking recently.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 04 June, 2015, 06:07:16 am
"Crema"= packed full with robusta.

Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pcolbeck on 04 June, 2015, 10:05:10 am
"Crema"= packed full with robusta.

And my cant you tell. I dont mind I like it.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 08 June, 2015, 07:46:52 am
Union Revelation again - stunning, marbled espresso coming out of the Londinium.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 17 June, 2015, 08:07:42 am
After Citoyen's praise for Bob-O-Link a month back I bought a kilo and roasted 300g, medium-dark. Was a wee bit disappointed, so towards the end of May I did another 300 to just after first crack.  It was boring after a week, better after 10 days and this morning, when a almost 3 weeks there is only around 50g left, excellent.  My (limited) experience of other coffees suggests that after a week it should already have been showing promise, and that after 3 weeks it should be declining.

Interesting.  Better roast some more.

Wife remarked that these days I seem to give away more than I drink.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: citoyen on 17 June, 2015, 11:30:59 am
After Citoyen's praise for Bob-O-Link a month back...

Mine was from Hasbean, not Bob-O-Link. Presumably very similar though, being from the same region and processed by the same method.

Called in at Monmouth this morning and picked up a bag of Finca La Bella from Guatemala.

"Dark chocolate and orange with subtle acidity and medium to full body," say the tasting notes. I'd go along with that. Very pleasant indeed.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 18 June, 2015, 07:43:51 am
After Citoyen's praise for Bob-O-Link a month back...

Mine was from Hasbean, not Bob-O-Link. Presumably very similar though, being from the same region and processed by the same method.


Honey process (what do they call it, natural pulping?) Yellow Bourbon out of Santos, presumably. Mine was Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza, which is Bob-O-Link (damn stupid name).

After my lunchtime shots yesterday I only had about 5g of any drinkable coffee left and a month-old bag of Sati I bought to season a moka pot. Yesterday afternoon I roasted 300g of Yrga and 300 of Bob and this morning I hand-ground 15g of the latter and put it through the Brikka.

Wow.

Espresso it's not - it's a bit thinner & devoid of crema - but I'm still savouring the aftertaste and wishing I could stand another right away. Last time I did that, though, I could feel the skin of my face kinda shrink up from the caffeine.  Caffeine extraction in the Brikka is fierce.

Bialetti deserve a medal for designing that one.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: citoyen on 18 June, 2015, 11:27:43 am
Honey process (what do they call it, natural pulping?) Yellow Bourbon out of Santos, presumably.

Yup. Hasbean also do a Canario from the same producer but I think it was the Yellow Bourbon I had.

I just had another cup of my Guatemalan coffee. It took flipping ages to grind a single dose in my Porlex, which I realised too late was because it was on the finest setting after I cleaned it yesterday (I usually set it fairly coarse). A happy mistake indeed - the resulting cup of coffee was really lovely. Possibly more a reflection on my aeropress technique than the coffee itself though. I'm going to have another go and see if I can recreate it...

Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 18 June, 2015, 01:26:43 pm
I use the Porlex for the Bialetti but not for anything finer.  It already takes ~110 revs for 15g at around drip-filter grind, that's quite enough.

Back when I was playing with the Rok I was grinding to espresso fineness three or four shots in a row.  That hurt.  Wrapping a couple of big rubber bands round the grinder section helped a lot.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: citoyen on 18 June, 2015, 02:20:59 pm
I've got the mini version which already has a big rubber band around it. TFFT.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 18 June, 2015, 05:50:00 pm
Natch, I found out about that model once I had bought mine.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 20 June, 2015, 07:38:45 am
El Fuego in the Brikka, with a croissant.

Really getting into this idea of roasting on D1 & doing a Brikka on D2/D3.  I get an 85cc cup of pure nectar.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 23 June, 2015, 05:15:12 pm
I've never got anything other than overdone stringent shriek from a stovetop!
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 25 June, 2015, 07:23:52 am
The Brikka's a bit different.

This morning I had a Burundi red bourbon from it that was so good I'm currently ordering another 4 kg.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Oakhambike on 25 June, 2015, 08:24:29 am
Zappi's house roast from Zappi's bike cafe in Oxford. Fathers day gift from daughter. From wood powered Oxford roastery.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: tiermat on 25 June, 2015, 09:37:47 am
Zappi's house roast from Zappi's bike cafe in Oxford. Fathers day gift from daughter. From wood powered Oxford roastery.

What do you think? I have developed a real liking for wood roasted coffee, particular UE's, also from Oxfordshire (and available from Steamer Trading COmpany shops nationwide)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 25 June, 2015, 10:28:43 am
The Brikka's a bit different

How does it work then?  I thought it was a moka pot principle forcing boiling or slightly superheated water through the puck?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 25 June, 2015, 01:18:50 pm
The Brikka's a bit different

How does it work then?  I thought it was a moka pot principle forcing boiling or slightly superheated water through the puck?

'Tis, but the hole where the coffee comes out at the top of the column has a pressure-cooker-style weighted valve sitting on it, so that the internal pressure is higher when the water finally comes through. I don't like moka-pot coffee at all, but this stuff is definitely drinkable.  Thinner than espresso & no gaudy crema, just a bit of no-account foam, but the flavour is good.

I started using this thing to try coffees the day after roasting, when they were still too lively for the machine, but I'm using it now for the pleasure of it. Certainly beats all the other stove-top methods I've tried.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Rhys W on 30 June, 2015, 11:13:29 pm
Poblado Coffi Espresso Blend (http://www.pobladocoffi.co.uk/product/poblado-espresso-blend/) - pre-ground for the Aeropress at work, but I have two bags of beans for the Gaggia at home. Pretty good. They've started supplying a few local restaurants and they can't get enough of it apparently.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pcolbeck on 02 July, 2015, 10:05:47 am
Less than I thought as Pcolbeck junior has just raided the filter machine and filled his giant mug.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 06 July, 2015, 07:33:13 am
Kibingo red bourbon. Makes the inner glutton plead for croissants to go with.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 06 July, 2015, 08:25:30 am
Poblado Coffi Espresso Blend (http://www.pobladocoffi.co.uk/product/poblado-espresso-blend/) - pre-ground for the Aeropress at work, but I have two bags of beans for the Gaggia at home. Pretty good. They've started supplying a few local restaurants and they can't get enough of it apparently.

Must order some of that!  What's the roast like?  Med/dark I guess?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Rhys W on 07 July, 2015, 09:57:36 pm
More like Lavazza/Illy than the glossy black chocolate look. I went through most of a pack of one of their other roasts (can't remember which one now) in a moka pot and that was very nice as well.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ruthie on 07 July, 2015, 10:08:20 pm
Starbucks Kenyan.

It grinds up so beautifully, and is fragrant and deep and layered and delicious.

I don't know what they do to it in their cafes, where it is invariably an abomination suitable only for latte with syrup in it, but fresh ground for my filter it's absolutely lovely.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 08 July, 2015, 07:08:48 am
Inadvertent Yrgacheffe/red bourbon mix occasioned by not grinding out what was still in the burrs before topping up with Yrga.  Plummy.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 11 July, 2015, 10:38:21 am
Poblado Coffi Espresso Blend (http://www.pobladocoffi.co.uk/product/poblado-espresso-blend/) - pre-ground for the Aeropress at work, but I have two bags of beans for the Gaggia at home. Pretty good. They've started supplying a few local restaurants and they can't get enough of it apparently.

Good tip Rhys!  I dialled it in today and have had a couple of fantastic espressos from it.  Settled on 15.8g in, 30g out in 27s.  Lovely intense chocolate and caramel flavour, lots of body in the shot and a very subtle orange/plum citrus hint.  Very good indeed.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 11 July, 2015, 10:58:58 am
Nuffink. I've run out.  Did my last 15g of Yrga yesterday, reached for another bag this fair morn only to find it was Mexican decaff I'd roasted for the missus about six months ago.

Roasted my last 150g of Bob-o-link, 300g of Yrga, 300g of Kibingo this morning.  Mightily tempted to put some through the Porlex after lunch, if it gunges it up we've got plenty of rice.

Later: Kibingo was light but very good (plummy) in the Brikka, Yrgacheffe was bitter with a bit of body, not very pleasant.  Grinder's fine.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pcolbeck on 16 July, 2015, 02:02:42 pm
After finishing a nice bag of Ethiopian I have started on the enormous bag of Lavazza Espresso beans I got at Lidl. Blimey there's a fair amount of caffeine in this one ! I drank the whole jug this morning and I think I might be quite productive today.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 20 July, 2015, 07:44:38 am
Sounds like you got a good dose of robusta, it has about a third more caffeine than arabica.  A couple of years back I got a taste for Javanese robusta and could hardly get to sleep after lunch.

This morning I had a double shot of mostly Bobolink with a remnant of Yrgacheffe that was in the grinder.  Thick and velvety, wonderful rounded flavour. Had to force myself to just sip it. Nobbut the smell left now.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pcolbeck on 24 July, 2015, 03:36:02 pm
I have been staying at my Mum and Dads to help out for several days. They drink Nescafe instant, not even Gold Blend. Thank God my wife told me to bring the Aeropress and I grabbed a bag of Sainsbury Kenyan on the way over other wise I would be drowning in tea by now. Irish Catholic family, when the going gets rough the frequency of tea making rises exponentially, I'm convinced every relative that walks through the door immedialy says "I'll make everyone a cup of tea then" and makes another at least once very ten minutes. I love tea but after the thirtieh cup of the day you do get sated.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 24 July, 2015, 05:11:46 pm
Great for the kidneys, though.

At my sister's place in Co. Down the water comes from the Mournes and every cuppa contains enough chlorine to clear a WW1 trench.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: citoyen on 04 August, 2015, 04:25:54 pm
Just ordered some beans from Pact - a bag of El Aguila from El Salvador - because they had a promotional offer to get your first bag for a quid. Got to be worth a try...

If anyone else fancies it, use this code and you will also get your first bag for a quid:
http://pactcoffee.com/spread/DAVID-3Z5NVG@cp
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: menthel on 13 August, 2015, 06:31:35 pm
Our new Jura Z6- may have tried a few too many new coffees and am now as high as a kite!

Grabbed a bag of these beans to go in it and they are quite good but I will be going back to the coffee bean shop for some of my favourites of theirs!

http://www.ucc-coffee.co.uk/products/coffee/orang-utan.html
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 29 August, 2015, 08:07:46 am
Did my last couple of roasts out in the garden and was fooled by the colour of the light. With bluer outdoor light the beans looked a lot darker than under tungsten. Result: underdone roast, too bitter.  Have been drinking it anyway and it has improved with time.  Burundi Red Bourbon. Will roast some more today and see what I can manage.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: menthel on 29 August, 2015, 10:14:17 am
The new machine is working out very nicely but we are getting through beans at a rate of knots. Can anyone suggest some good value 1kg bags of beans ideally for less than £20 inc postage?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Dibdib on 29 August, 2015, 11:07:41 am
GN: My Aeropress isn't dead, despite me leaving it out in the sun a couple of weeks ago. I don't think the rubber plunger is in the best shape, and it didn't feel great putting it together, but I just made a brew without it leaking all over the place.

BN: These beans are within the use-by date on the bag but tasting decidedly second-rate. They've been sat on the counter for probably a month or two now, but I can't quite bring myself to bin half a bag. Still better than instant, of course.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: menthel on 29 August, 2015, 11:26:38 am
GN: My Aeropress isn't dead, despite me leaving it out in the sun a couple of weeks ago. I don't think the rubber plunger is in the best shape, and it didn't feel great putting it together, but I just made a brew without it leaking all over the place.

BN: These beans are within the use-by date on the bag but tasting decidedly second-rate. They've been sat on the counter for probably a month or two now, but I can't quite bring myself to bin half a bag. Still better than instant, of course.

You can get aeropress spares including the bungs online. In fact you can buy all the constituent bits online!
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Dibdib on 29 August, 2015, 11:29:43 am
Good to know, thanks - I think I got away with it this time but who knows how long it'll last. A fiver for a new bung is far preferable to shelling out thirty quid for a whole new thing!
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: menthel on 29 August, 2015, 11:39:58 am
Hasbean and aerobie have them for sure. Probably on Amazon too.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 30 August, 2015, 07:55:15 am
The new machine is working out very nicely but we are getting through beans at a rate of knots. Can anyone suggest some good value 1kg bags of beans ideally for less than £20 inc postage?

Rave signature blend is very good value and up there with the best - buy 2kg and you get free postage.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 30 August, 2015, 08:50:44 am
I've really gone off Rave coffee (and it pains me to say it.) They have lightened up their roasting style, and pretty much every bag I've bought over the last year has ended up unfinished. I'm almost exclusively drinking Coffee Compass (and the Jampit and Jagong are the best)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: menthel on 30 August, 2015, 10:30:08 am
Thanks, I think I will try Rave next, they look good value.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 30 August, 2015, 04:10:36 pm
I've really gone off Rave coffee (and it pains me to say it.) They have lightened up their roasting style, and pretty much every bag I've bought over the last year has ended up unfinished. I'm almost exclusively drinking Coffee Compass (and the Jampit and Jagong are the best)

I agree although the Sig doesn't seem to have changed that much.  In fairness, the Londinium makes the lighter blends a lot more palatable in any case.  I've found the Burundi Buziraguhindwa, a medium roast, absolutely excellent as an espresso or in a latte.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 07 September, 2015, 07:45:13 am
I've found the Burundi Buziraguhindwa, a medium roast, absolutely excellent as an espresso or in a latte.

I'm very fond of Burundi coffees. As far as I can make out they're all Red Bourbon and, given the price of pesticides, grown without.  They have great fruitiness and seem to respond pretty well to a roast that's pushed to the verge of second crack.

The 300g I roasted on 29th August has melted away, mostly in the Brika, where it was good from 24 hours on.  I've just drunk the last few grammes as an espresso, rounded out with Yrgacheffe that I roasted on Friday.  Marvellous.

I have about 1.5 kg of unroasted Kibingo left but I'm now out of green Yrgacheffe. Heigh ho.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Jakob W on 07 September, 2015, 10:48:49 am
I thought I'd ask here for advice - I like coffee, but I don't drink huge amounts of it. I've an aeropress, moka pot, and drip filters at home, but only make coffee a couple of times a week at home - mainly the aeropress as it's least fuss. Is there anywhere that sells beans in small enough amounts to make it worthwhile buying the good stuff and not ending up with lots of stale beans? I generally prefer chocolatey and rich coffee to the lighter acidic styles; what blends would be good to start my explorations with?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: mcshroom on 07 September, 2015, 12:17:15 pm
Currenlty on Lavazza Crema e Gusto (on special offer last time I went shopping). It may be that it's really optimised for expresso rather than normal filter coffee, or it may be the Robusta beans mixed in, but I'm not as keen on it as I am of my normal Taylor's 'Rich Italian', which is a bit of a surprise.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 07 September, 2015, 08:07:14 pm
I'm not surprised, its shite.  Its preground too, so it is not suitable for an espresso machine.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Rhys W on 07 September, 2015, 10:49:12 pm
I thought I'd ask here for advice - I like coffee, but I don't drink huge amounts of it. I've an aeropress, moka pot, and drip filters at home, but only make coffee a couple of times a week at home - mainly the aeropress as it's least fuss. Is there anywhere that sells beans in small enough amounts to make it worthwhile buying the good stuff and not ending up with lots of stale beans? I generally prefer chocolatey and rich coffee to the lighter acidic styles; what blends would be good to start my explorations with?

You could do a lot worse than try Happy Donkey's Classic Italian in 250g packs.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 08 September, 2015, 07:47:22 am
I thought I'd ask here for advice - I like coffee, but I don't drink huge amounts of it. I've an aeropress, moka pot, and drip filters at home, but only make coffee a couple of times a week at home - mainly the aeropress as it's least fuss. Is there anywhere that sells beans in small enough amounts to make it worthwhile buying the good stuff and not ending up with lots of stale beans? I generally prefer chocolatey and rich coffee to the lighter acidic styles; what blends would be good to start my explorations with?

I'd try some of the Central/South American coffees, but not necessarily blends.  Best thing would be to look at the various roasters' sites and pick according to their comments.

You can also buy storeage jars such as Coffeevac (http://www.tightvac.com/product-p/cfvl.htm) that will keep your beans fresh longer.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: menthel on 08 September, 2015, 09:50:58 am
Thanks, I think I will try Rave next, they look good value.

The Rave signature blend is nice in milky drinks, fruity and quite pleasant but it is not great in non milky/lightly milked drinks. Too sharp to be enjoyable. Two more to try!
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: tiermat on 17 September, 2015, 08:50:14 am
A Java Santos from Camden Coffee, it is GORGEOUS in a cafetiere!  A cow-orker is a friend of the owner and I got a pack for free, best coffee in the world (free, good, coffee that is!)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 17 September, 2015, 10:47:42 am
12-day-old home-roasted Colombia Esperanza, two espressi thereof.  Better than the Esperanza I roasted last Saturday, which is normal.

OK (since I drank two) but I prefer Kibingo Red Bourbon.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 19 September, 2015, 02:13:03 pm
Rave Burundi Buziraguhindwa ground in my new Ceado E37s grinder!  :thumbsup:

https://flic.kr/p/yPiiHt
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 19 September, 2015, 02:24:36 pm
Verrry nice.  One is envious.

I'm still tippling the Colombian while waiting for my Kibingo - another Burundi - to mature.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 19 September, 2015, 03:11:43 pm
Rave Burundi Buziraguhindwa ground in my new Ceado E37s grinder!  :thumbsup:

https://flic.kr/p/yPiiHt

"I'm not going to get too into it"

:D
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Dibdib on 19 September, 2015, 06:06:45 pm
More beans from Roundhill Roastery in Radstock, this time a Fazenda Progresso from Brazil. Can't really say what those words mean  ;D ;D but they're fresh and it's tasty in an Aeropress and that's all I worry about!
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 20 September, 2015, 01:14:35 pm
Fazenda: plantation.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 04 October, 2015, 07:37:13 pm
The downside of the very revealing Ceado/Londinium combo is that my favourite Union Revelation beans now taste over roasted and a bit too toasty.  I've ordered a couple of kilos of the current espressonista favourite Foundry Rocko Mountain Yirgacheffe.  Will report back shortly..
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pcolbeck on 06 October, 2015, 09:43:53 am
Currenlty on Lavazza Crema e Gusto (on special offer last time I went shopping). It may be that it's really optimised for expresso rather than normal filter coffee, or it may be the Robusta beans mixed in, but I'm not as keen on it as I am of my normal Taylor's 'Rich Italian', which is a bit of a surprise.

Yes its rubbish. I've tried all the Lavazza's and only Lavazza Qualita Rossa (the red packet) is any good. Works fine in a filter coffee maker. Still not amazing but OK as a cheap backup pre ground to keep in the cupboard.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 06 October, 2015, 09:54:46 am
Currently eking out the last grammes of my last roast of Kibingo.

Yesterday I suddenly realized that the bag I was working on was nowhere as full as I thought and the only others I had were wildly-overcooked Colombia Esperanza and (gag) decaff.  Did a batch of Hueheutenango (Hoffmann: "one of the best-known regions of Guatemala, and the most enjoyable to pronounce") but it'll not be espressible for a week. Might try it tomorrow with the Bialetti and give myself the shakes.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: campagman on 13 October, 2015, 02:33:23 pm
There is a snippet about African coffee in the latest post (http://petergostelow.com/thebigafricacycle/general-posts/ethiopia-first-impressions-mwanza-muscat-part-8/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BigAfricaCycle+%28The+Big+Africa+Cycle+|+Blog+Update%29) from Peter Gostelow that you may be interested in.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Rhys W on 15 October, 2015, 11:01:26 pm
This is what £46 worth of Classic Italian looks like:

(http://i.imgur.com/A9tCO5z.jpg)

I reckoned if I have to stay in for a parcel, might as well make it a decent one, eh?

This works out around £1.91 per 250g. Compare with about £3.60 I pay in Tesco for Lavazza or Taylors which is NOWHERE NEAR as good.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 16 October, 2015, 04:57:15 am
Get it in the freezer
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 16 October, 2015, 07:32:26 am
There is a snippet about African coffee in the latest post (http://petergostelow.com/thebigafricacycle/general-posts/ethiopia-first-impressions-mwanza-muscat-part-8/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BigAfricaCycle+%28The+Big+Africa+Cycle+|+Blog+Update%29) from Peter Gostelow that you may be interested in.

Right enough, ta. I've never quite dared to grind & brew straight after roasting for fear of gunging up the burrs.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Tewdric on 16 October, 2015, 07:35:24 am
Into the Rocko Mountain Reserve Yirgacheffe now.  It's extraordinary stuff. Phenomenal balance of fruityness and chocolate as an espresso, with a bit of brightness but no unpleasant hipster citrus.  It's less successful for me as a latte as it tastes like strawberry milkshake with a gentle hint of coffee- I think a 20g shot from a big pump machine would change it for the better as its too subtle out of the Londinium.  I can imagine a lot of people raving about it though!  It's a difficult coffee to extract too, needing a bit of effort to get the best from it.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 16 October, 2015, 09:36:46 am
Just sunk my 3rd shot of home-roasted Huehuetenango since breakfast.  Compares quite creditably with the same coffee roasted by the supplier.

Got 400g of Colombian Esperanza and 300 of Kibingo maturing.

Dithering in agony over the purchase of a very nice used Europiccola with a new set of gaskets, currently in everyday use.

Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 19 October, 2015, 09:04:30 am
At just 6 days & 18g/shot the Esperanza is monumental. Not sure it'll last 10.

Closed deal on Europiccola. :)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: mcshroom on 19 October, 2015, 10:23:50 am
Nothing. Overslept so missed my breakfast coffee, and the only stuff I can find in the office is Nescafe Decaff. :(
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 28 October, 2015, 05:40:04 pm
Stopped for a sandwich at lunchtime & had an "espresso" afterwards.  I'd guess it was around 5 grammes of coffee in the PF, it was untamped and poured under 10 seconds. Piss - below par even for pâtisseries, and the coffee in some of them is pretty bloody. Wasn't worth complaining, though.

Belted home & had one of my own, 14 g of Kibingo in around 20g of water. Yum.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 28 October, 2015, 07:00:02 pm
Last few shots of Jampit Hit from Coffee compass.  Ristretto, 60% extraction, 17g in 28g out. Perfect.

Now have a huge bag of sample coffee from a roaster. Don't like it. Roaster wants to develop something that I like which is great because I want to buy my coffee from him.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 01 November, 2015, 04:07:57 pm
Had a Kibingo this morning that was around 14 in and 14 out.  It don't get no better. Trouble is it's soon gone.

Friday night I was at a club pow-wow where I was given an espresso from a Delonghi capsule.  Something like 7g in and 30 out, nothing but bitter water. Yetch.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 09 November, 2015, 04:22:46 pm
Arrived this lunchtime and caffeinating me right now:

(http://www.pbase.com/johnewing/image/161809824.jpg)

Pre-millennium Europiccola EL, recently re-gasketted, came with all the bits and a very pretty boxwood tamper.  First shot a bit drowned but definitely has a future. Didn't do more 'cos want to sleep tonight.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: mcshroom on 13 January, 2016, 03:25:14 pm
Percol "Plantation Wharf" Dark Rich. Bit rough, but more importantly I've just finished the packet so I really need to remember to bring new coffee tomorrow.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: ElyDave on 13 January, 2016, 10:18:48 pm
Some over roasted rubbish my wife bought back from Spain.  I might put it in the cupboard until I have visitors and go back to my single estate stuff.

Tomorrow, hotel breakfast so not holding out for anything other than brown water, but at least there are Costa's on the way home.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 21 February, 2016, 09:10:05 am
Can someone explain the apparent trend for espresso so bitter it is (at least for me) unpleasant? I've no problem with strength at all, and strength to the point of bitterness can be good, too. But over the last year in various places I've been served drinks so bitter that drinking is a chore not a pleasure.

Am I missing out on an experience I need to become acclimatised to enjoy?  Does it require the addition of sugar, is that what I'm doing rong?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: jsabine on 22 February, 2016, 01:13:03 am
Can someone explain the apparent trend for espresso so bitter it is (at least for me) unpleasant? I've no problem with strength at all, and strength to the point of bitterness can be good, too. But over the last year in various places I've been served drinks so bitter that drinking is a chore not a pleasure.

Am I missing out on an experience I need to become acclimatised to enjoy?  Does it require the addition of sugar, is that what I'm doing rong?

Coffee machine operators who don't know what they're doing, or don't care.

Given a decent espresso machine and a little bit of care - not even a lot - it's possible to crank out coffee better than about 80% of cafes. I've never tried hard enough to do better than that.

But it's incredibly easy to turn out a rotten cup.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 22 February, 2016, 08:33:32 am
Can someone explain the apparent trend for espresso so bitter it is (at least for me) unpleasant? I've no problem with strength at all, and strength to the point of bitterness can be good, too. But over the last year in various places I've been served drinks so bitter that drinking is a chore not a pleasure.

Am I missing out on an experience I need to become acclimatised to enjoy?  Does it require the addition of sugar, is that what I'm doing rong?

Coffee machine operators who don't know what they're doing, or don't care.

Given a decent espresso machine and a little bit of care - not even a lot - it's possible to crank out coffee better than about 80% of cafes. I've never tried hard enough to do better than that.

But it's incredibly easy to turn out a rotten cup.

Absolutely. But this isn't for lack of care. This is in specialist coffee houses where they take pride in what they deliver and good restaurants. The first time I had a cup like that I thought it was just bad coffee. Now, I still think it is bad coffee but it appears to be a "thing".

eg http://www.thegentlemenbaristas.com/Welcome.html

or

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Ground+Control+Cafe/@-33.8614081,151.2100576,3a,75y,10h,90t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1ssTwuSh-82jwAAAQZGQBMMg!2e0!3e2!6s%2F%2Fgeo0.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DsTwuSh-82jwAAAQZGQBMMg%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dsearch.TACTILE.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D86%26h%3D86%26yaw%3D10.519335%26pitch%3D0!7i13312!8i6656!4m2!3m1!1s0x0000000000000000:0x79bcdddb6c5e5263!6m1!1e1

or
http://www.caravankingscross.co.uk/
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 22 February, 2016, 11:09:23 am
Can someone explain the apparent trend for espresso so bitter it is (at least for me) unpleasant? I've no problem with strength at all, and strength to the point of bitterness can be good, too. But over the last year in various places I've been served drinks so bitter that drinking is a chore not a pleasure.

Am I missing out on an experience I need to become acclimatised to enjoy?  Does it require the addition of sugar, is that what I'm doing rong?

Coffee machine operators who don't know what they're doing, or don't care.

Given a decent espresso machine and a little bit of care - not even a lot - it's possible to crank out coffee better than about 80% of cafes. I've never tried hard enough to do better than that.

But it's incredibly  easy to turn out a rotten cup.

That is the explanation for your Costas etc, as well as most cafés, but specialist coffeeshops don't make mistakes.

The reason it might taste sharp (rather than bitter) is that the fashion is for bright coffees roaster to preserve the acidity. I dislike it myself, but it is the fashion.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 22 February, 2016, 11:31:41 am
That could well be it, it makes sense.

Maybe I just need to keep on trying it, much as with many foods when you are young. tbh it seems powerful unlikely that anyone can enjoy it, but as someone who enjoys chilli in degrees many find uncomfortable, I can see that might be similar.

Addition of sugar might well be what it needs to introduce balance.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 22 February, 2016, 07:04:59 pm
It is it. It's quite deliberate on the part of the coffee shops and if they are speciality shops they won't be making mistakes. By that, I mean they will have worked on the extraction ratio (beans weight/beverage weight) to perfect it. They will then stick to it with weighed doses and volumetric machine settings.

I've never got to like it. To me it is totally unbalanced. It may have strong bright amazing fruit flavours, but if trying to enjoy those comes as the expense of having to try and forget about the really nasty hit of sour then I'll leave it. Coffee, for me, is about the whole. It isn't about being brave.

The only thing to suggest is to try it as a flat white. The milk will mute the acidity, and provided that the extraction ratio is high you'll still get a hit of the fruits. If it isn't, you'll get a cup of Horlicks.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Dibdib on 25 February, 2016, 12:30:50 pm
The only thing to suggest is to try it as a flat white. The milk will mute the acidity, and provided that the extraction ratio is high you'll still get a hit of the fruits. If it isn't, you'll get a cup of Horlicks.

I think this hits the nail on the head - when nearly every espresso gets chucked into a cup of hot milk, I guess there's a preference for a sharp espresso to balance the sweetness of the milk. It's why I've never got the appeal of an Americano, especially in shops which do a perfectly good batch filter instead.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 25 February, 2016, 02:02:39 pm
Bitter coffee, for me = over-extracted or roasted at too low a temperature. Too sour = too fine a grind.  I wouldn't hesitate to complain if I were handed a cup like that.

Anyway, a while ago I had a very decent cappuccino made with the Congo Sombah I roasted on the 14th.  First time I've tried the steam wand on the Lelit, after having it nearly 18 months. Impressive: it foamed and heated the milk to the right temperature in about 15 seconds.

Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: citoyen on 25 February, 2016, 02:16:34 pm
I'm not a huge fan of the acidic/citrussy style myself but I'm currently enjoying a Guatemalan from the Kent & Sussex Tea & Coffee Co which is definitely towards the fashionable end of the flavour spectrum. Made in the Chemex, it comes out pleasantly tart but not astringent or sour.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: ElyDave on 25 February, 2016, 08:18:46 pm
I prefer the citrusy/acidic coffees from the cafetiere, vs the more dark chocolaty/nutty/caramelly from the mokka pot at home.  You also need to take care with the mokka pot not to put too high a heat under it and feather it once it starts producing.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 25 February, 2016, 09:22:30 pm
I'm not a huge fan of the acidic/citrussy style myself but I'm currently enjoying a Guatemalan from the Kent & Sussex Tea & Coffee Co which is definitely towards the fashionable end of the flavour spectrum. Made in the Chemex, it comes out pleasantly tart but not astringent or sour.

A chemex is a different beast. As isxany sort of filtered pourover. The extraction ratio is much less than espressos  and so bright coffees taste great. My favourite filter coffees are the bright ones, and offer a lower dose is better. In an espresso though, it's gash.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Rhys W on 26 February, 2016, 12:16:21 am
I had an espresso from a Starbucks last week, the first one for a few years. I always thought Starbucks was the worst of the big chains, with beans that are over-roasted, but I was pleasantly surprised by this one. Much better than Costa and on a par with Cafe Nero.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 13 March, 2016, 09:11:37 am
15g home roasted 50-30-20 Rose Diamond/Huehuetenango/robusta blend & 200g water in the Aeropress, made up to 400g breakfast cappuccino with full cream milk frothed with the Europiccola.

A bit weak.  More coffee next time.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: campagman on 14 July, 2016, 09:03:43 pm
I picked up some Lebanese (Turkish) grind coffee in the local asian supermarket. It didn't say on the packet what size the grinds were but I bought it anyway. When I opened it and saw how fine it was ground I had my doubts but tried it in the Moka pot thinking it might be ok but NO! A mini coffee explosion over the hob, oops! Not to be beaten the next day I made Camp style coffee in a saucepan which worked and was drinkable. I then had the idea of using my unused Trangia kettle as an Ibrik (turkish coffee pot) and this did work although no crema. I was in town today and picked up an enameled Turkish coffee pot with 20% off. Will have another play in the am.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pcolbeck on 15 July, 2016, 09:27:38 am
Ethiopian single origin Sidama from Roost our local roastery in Malton. Made in a drip filter machine.  Very nice.

If any of the you are passing trough Malton Roost is worth a visit. Half the price of Monmouth and just as good.  As a bonus next door is Groovy Moo handmade Italian gelato in a multitude of flavours. Both in Talbots Yard which is a bit hard to find (ask a local for directions) but worth the hunt.

http://www.roostcoffee.co.uk/

Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 15 July, 2016, 10:58:16 am
50-50 Bahia/Yrgacheffe, both medium roasted, done in the Bialetti.  Pleasing.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Legs on 28 February, 2018, 11:20:59 am
Kopi luwak today  ;D.  My s-i-l brought some back from Indonesia a couple of years ago, and I couldn't imagine that we'd ever get around to drinking it, so I brought it into work.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 28 February, 2018, 01:11:50 pm
To be avoided. Civets force fed with coffee, kept in cages.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 28 February, 2018, 01:31:17 pm
^^^And often fed on the cheapest Robusta going.  Some other countries are doing the same to their native fauna, in S. America I think.

Anyway, I haz just run in & calibrated my new B2C machine.  A couple of years ago I would have avoided such gadgets like the plague, but with the Europiccola I need 12-14g in the double filter to get a good shot, the single-shot filter being rubbish.  Now that I've calibrated the B2C to deliver something like 15 cc at the highest extraction temperature it offers, I'm getting decent shots with around 10g and it's smooth. Consistent, too, which was always the problem with my manual machines.

Oh, I'm running on a mix of too-old El Fuego and recently roasted Lekempti, which is OK.  I need to get in some green beans and start roasting again.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 03 March, 2018, 08:39:44 am
Yes, well, a B2C machine can't deliver espresso, which we all knew, so I'm back to the Europiccola for that.  But I did just have a splendid cappuccino; and the beastie will do fine for guests.

Currently awaiting delivery of a couple of kg of green coffee, a Huehuetenango and a Sidamo, plus the supplier's own Italian blend, freshly roasted.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: thing1 on 03 March, 2018, 08:58:57 am
Kilimbi Washing Station "Red Bourbon"

This is currently in the fancy espresso hopper at work (Old Spike roasters) and I've been enjoying it all week so I bought some for myself (Caravan roasters, as it's on my commute).

Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 03 March, 2018, 09:13:45 am
Never tried Rwandan coffee, other than as ready-ground someone gave me years ago.  Was very fond of Izuba, from Burundi next door, a few years back, but it has practically disappeared from the market after Brazilian Red Bourbon production drove prices down on the NY exchange. Shame.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Jack Standish on 02 April, 2018, 06:11:38 pm
I'm frustrated beyond belief, there's barely a decent coffee (https://restaurantguru.com/coffee-near-me) place in my current area. But maybe it's good for my cardio, I'm an aging caffeine addict at this point.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 03 April, 2018, 08:57:12 am
If it's any help, my anterior intraventricular was down to 20% throughput before two cappuccinos caused angina. Nowadays I can handle back-to-back double espressos but three might be pushing it.

Anyway, if I want decent coffee over the counter I have to drive 50 km then walk another couple.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 03 April, 2018, 09:05:03 am
I'm frustrated beyond belief, there's barely a decent coffee (https://restaurantguru.com/coffee-near-me) place in my current area. But maybe it's good for my cardio, I'm an aging caffeine addict at this point.

Go to https://coffeeforums.co.uk and ask. Somebody will know somewhere...
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 02 July, 2018, 10:23:59 pm
I'm on the last few days of my Caffe Serrano I brought back from Cuba. I'm in a quandary. It's a really satisfying cup of coffee, robust and rounded that - for my taste -knocks most locally bought coffees into a cocked roaster.

But, do I  just write it off to a slowly fading holiday experience, along with the chords and melody of Chan Chan, ot do I chase it down? (https://iflycuba.com/product/serrano-cafe/) Decisions, decisions.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 02 July, 2018, 10:45:42 pm
I'm on the last few days of my Caffe Serrano I brought back from Cuba. I'm in a quandary. It's a really satisfying cup of coffee, robust and rounded that - for my taste -knocks most locally bought coffees into a cocked roaster.

But, do I  just write it off to a slowly fading holiday experience, along with the chords and melody of Chan Chan, ot do I chase it down? (https://iflycuba.com/product/serrano-cafe/) Decisions, decisions.

You are buying from the wrong roasters. Many of them are doing this light-roast stuff.

Try https://www.coffeecompass.co.uk

Any of their mahogany roast blends will probably hit the spot. Jampit hit is good.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 03 July, 2018, 09:59:15 am
Ah well, you are right, I don't buy my coffee from the right roasters - I doubt Waitrose roast any themselves.

The trouble is I've never really taken the time to hejjercate myself about coffee, it seems far more complicated than wine but the potential rewards - knowing what coffee you are likely to enjoy - might be as useful, if not more so. I used to think it was quite similar to wine, that is once you take away the wankeybollocks with wine. Once you know the grape and the style, you have some idea what it will taste like, especially when it is more traditional in its vinification. The equivalent in coffee terms in my mind was bean variety and roast. So, all I needed to know was high roast arabica, and that was it. Top up on my Cafe Grand Mere Degustation or Carte Noir while in France, I was sorted. Add to that Waitrose own brand espresso and my needs were satisfied. Life was simple.

Trouble was,  sometime during my extended absence from coffee drinking all these new coffees appeared on the shelves, along with bean to cup machines etc. I've been working my way through all sorts of different options, with limited success, blends and roast are clearly angled at a wide range of tastes (no shit, sherlock) and also drinking preferences (coffee maker, milk, sugar). The simple correlation between bean, roast style and enjoyment seems to be broken by the levels of sophistication and choice. Along with the ubiquity of coffee shops, black no sugar is no longer as mainstream as it used to be and many coffees are clearly blended with that in mind. The Cuban coffee was unusual in that the flavour has grown on me. It still tastes "thinner" than I prefer to start with, but I enjoy the flavour and the final effect is a satisfying cup.

I'll give that Jampit a try, and I see they also do French Breakfast blend which will likely be up my street.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 03 July, 2018, 10:01:59 am
I'd highly recommend ringing up and speaking to Greg or Richard andctellingthem what your preparation method is, and what sort of flavours you like.

They are totally unwanky
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: mike on 03 July, 2018, 10:23:00 am
I'm lucky to have Michael's coffee stall on the market in Cambridge - (https://farm7.staticflickr.com/6025/5941155326_41fdfba328_b.jpg) (not my pic, I found it on flickr - he doesnt do mail order, internet or debit cards..)

I worked my way through them all over a year or so and settled on a pretty dark mix of 1 part Sumatra and 2 parts El Salvador,  ground in a pretty average burr machine, made with an aeropress mid-way between an espresso and americano strength, black no sugar.  3 cups a day is plenty or I get a bit twitchy!
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pcolbeck on 09 July, 2018, 10:44:20 am
Julius Meinl beans I bought in Vienna ground at home.

I have been on a bit of a coffee journey over the last few years. I tried an espresso machine, I tried lots of different coffees from all sorts of roasters.
I have gradually come to the conclusion that what I really like is a decent normal coffee with a touch of milk. The sort of coffee you would get if you were in France or Italy and asked for a large coffee.

It's made life much simpler. As I broke my old filter machine (smashed the jug) I treated myself to Melitta's top of the range drip machine an Aroma Elegance Therm Deluxe:

(https://www.melitta.co.uk/portal/pics/produkte/kaffeemaschinen/aromaelegance/3056-aromaelegance-therm-deluxe_mit-awards_405x340_gb.png)

Splendidly easy and quick to use.

I have reverted to mainly drinking blended coffee with my go tos being:

Lavazza Rossa - there is a reason it's Italy's favourite coffee.
Sant Eustachio - also Italian and available from M&S - pre ground unfortunately. Nice tin though.
Lidl Italian Beans - not often available but every so often they do a 1kg bag of great Italian beans. Its not the same stuff they sell in 250g bags normally.

I also pick up anything that looks interesting on my travels. Brough a couple of bags of Viennese roast coffee back from Vienna last week along with a tin of an Italian blend I hadn't had before. Occasionally i still buy a single origin coffee but usually only if its either Ethiopian or something i have never had before.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 09 July, 2018, 11:02:04 am
Lugat's Italian blend, which mixes Brazil (probably Bahia, it's cheap), Ethiopia (probably Sidamo) & Congo (dunno which) with Cherry robusta from India. I've tried duplicating it with my own roasts but no luck so far. Lugat's roasting dates are never >2 weeks in the past, unlike the local bio shop whose coffee is frequently 3 months dead.

Using the B2C machine these days: results are consistent without being exceptional, as opposed to the Europiccola which is slow, messy and erratic but occasionally yields wonderful shots.

Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: ElyDave on 09 July, 2018, 05:30:16 pm
I've had some of that stuff from the man on the cambridge market.  These days I'm a bit closer to home https://silveroakcoffee.co.uk/ (https://silveroakcoffee.co.uk/), literally round the corner, less than a mile in a straight line.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 13 July, 2018, 11:10:33 am
Presently, just the most fantastic aroma.....

(https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IGaiXEYXc3c/W0h6CsrbOpI/AAAAAAACuVY/TOpHIycoxlkL_sGlp9QWcOU_ivJGutsMACKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20180713_105149.jpg)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pumpkin on 13 July, 2018, 01:44:54 pm
Nespresso in the office here as we got a great deal on a machine and I like the Ristretto or Dharkan
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 17 July, 2018, 07:36:03 pm
I'm on the last few days of my Caffe Serrano I brought back from Cuba. I'm in a quandary. It's a really satisfying cup of coffee, robust and rounded that - for my taste -knocks most locally bought coffees into a cocked roaster.

But, do I  just write it off to a slowly fading holiday experience, along with the chords and melody of Chan Chan, ot do I chase it down? (https://iflycuba.com/product/serrano-cafe/) Decisions, decisions.

You are buying from the wrong roasters. Many of them are doing this light-roast stuff.

Try https://www.coffeecompass.co.uk <<<=====


Any of their mahogany roast blends will probably hit the spot. Jampit hit is good.

Quality advice there. Oh, and they have Cuban Serrano.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 08 August, 2018, 10:28:35 am
I'm on the last few days of my Caffe Serrano I brought back from Cuba. I'm in a quandary. It's a really satisfying cup of coffee, robust and rounded that - for my taste -knocks most locally bought coffees into a cocked roaster.

But, do I  just write it off to a slowly fading holiday experience, along with the chords and melody of Chan Chan, ot do I chase it down? (https://iflycuba.com/product/serrano-cafe/) Decisions, decisions.

You are buying from the wrong roasters. Many of them are doing this light-roast stuff.

Try https://www.coffeecompass.co.uk <<<=====


Any of their mahogany roast blends will probably hit the spot. Jampit hit is good.

Quality advice there. Oh, and they have Cuban Serrano.

I've worked my way through them all now, and have to say that they were all excellent in their own way, my favourite was the Serrano.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 08 August, 2018, 01:03:17 pm
Finally looked up serrano: "of the mountains", it means. Explains a lot.

Meanwhile I'm running on too much of Lugat's Italian Blend, as usual. 250g in the hopper and another 750 in the freezer.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pcolbeck on 17 August, 2018, 02:26:41 pm
This morning I finished off my can of Passalacqua Harem ground coffee. This was probably the best blended pre ground coffee I've ever had. It's Italian but I bought it in Vienna because I liked the can:

(http://www.fooditalianexp.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/DSC_6752-468x550.jpg)

It seems it's quite famous in Italy and this is the top of their range with Jamaican Blue Mountain beans in the mix.

I'll have to see if anyone in the UK sells it.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 21 August, 2018, 11:19:17 am
Had a cappu with Mrs T in the heart of downtown Haguenau this morning.  They didn't know to knock the steaming jug on the counter to burst the bigger bubbles.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 28 September, 2018, 06:42:42 am
Mocha Italia blend (https://www.coffeecompass.co.uk/collections/extra-dark-ebony-roast-blends/products/mocha-italia-500g). For me, right now, coffee heaven.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 30 September, 2018, 07:55:23 am
My monthly delivery having gone astray, an Italian blend from a local roaster. He's been & gone & used Vietnamese robusta instead of Cherry - shame, since the other components work pretty well. Drinkable, though, and fresh - the bio shop Mrs T favours blandly sells stuff that's three months past roasting date.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pcolbeck on 03 October, 2018, 12:30:01 pm
i just sent of for more coffee supplies from Germany. Bizarrely Express Inetrnational in Germany seem to have the best selection of Italian coffee and ship to the UK.
https://www.espresso-international.co.uk/

Today I ordered:


That will keep me and Pcolbeck junior going for a while. Mrs Pcolbeck only drinks instant ...
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 03 October, 2018, 01:36:39 pm
You might want to try a decent UK roaster next time and compare and see what you think. To be blunt, Italian coffee has been left behind by the UK, Australian, Scandinavian and US scene.

I recommended www.coffeecompass.co.uk to Ham, who seems to be liking it. They do a massive range of Italian style blends, but the coffee will be fresh and not months old.

They do an espresso taster pack option that saves money, and if you pm me I'll send you a 10% code that you can use every time. After 15 years plus of trying many many sources of coffee I've settled on these guys for quality, consistency and value.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pcolbeck on 03 October, 2018, 02:45:19 pm
Been down that route Flatus. I dont do espresso, I'm not chasing the perfect shot I prefer a drip filter and I have tried Monmouth and several other roasteries. There is one in the nearest market town and I can get coffee that was roasted that day there.

The thing is after a couple of years trying all sorts of things I decided I prefer a good italian blend. I just like the stuff that you get in Italy, France or Austria when you ask for a large coffee in a cafe. I want to mak ea big jug of it and drink it over the next three hours whist I work.

The beans that you get from an artisan UK roaster may be fresher and the scene may have moved on but its a completely different thing, I don't want that thing I want a good traditional coffee.
 
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 03 October, 2018, 03:47:34 pm
i drink filter as well as espresso, but I confess I never leave it to stew, I just brew what I need so I've no idea how these coffees keep hot flavour over time.

The flavours you are describing are what you will get with https://www.coffeecompass.co.uk/collections/extra-dark-ebony-roast-blends the French Breakfast and Mocha Italia. Basically, these guys do great blends, which sounds like what you are looking for.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pcolbeck on 03 October, 2018, 03:53:39 pm
i drink filter as well as espresso, but I confess I never leave it to stew, I just brew what I need so I've no idea how these coffees keep hot flavour over time.

If you leave it stewing it tastes horrid. I use a filter machine that has no hotplate but has a thermal carafe instead.

 
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 03 October, 2018, 04:12:15 pm
Ham is right.

What you describe that you like is actually fairly low grade commercial grade brazil with a hefty chunk of robusta. But you are paying way over the odds for it.

I think you may havee been trying the wrong 'speciality' coffees. If you ask them for filter they are going to sell you light roast, acidic, floral stuff, like Yirgacheff, or some of the rental central American beans and by the sound of it that is not your thing.

It sounds like you need Indonesian, or any of the conventional espresso blends such as the ones Ham mentions.Just avoid anything less than medium-dark roast.  And no, just because it is called espresso doesn't mean it won't be lovely in a filter. What you will get is something of a much better quality for the same or less money than you pay now. It is well worth speaking to Richard Jansz at Compass and telling him what flavours you like.

Trust me on this  ;)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 03 October, 2018, 04:31:48 pm
i drink filter as well as espresso, but I confess I never leave it to stew, I just brew what I need so I've no idea how these coffees keep hot flavour over time.

If you leave it stewing it tastes horrid. I use a filter machine that has no hotplate but has a thermal carafe instead.

Oh look, my nose has stopped wrinkling up with carefully hidden disgust ;)

If you want a point of reference, I like the Cafe Grand Mere Degustation, the CC French Breakfast Blend is similar but ...urm... more betterer?  I've also now bought a grinder from them (the Molino (https://www.redber.co.uk/products/melitta-molino-electric-burr-coffee-grinder)) and moved over to buying beans, which adds to the morning enjoyment with the aroma.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 03 October, 2018, 05:11:34 pm
And the whizzing grinder adds to the wake-up effect.

Next stop is to buy a popcorn popper and a kilo of green beans and start roasting your own. Try some Sidamo to start with, it's kind to beginners. But take the battery out of the smoke alarm first.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pcolbeck on 04 October, 2018, 08:04:02 am
If you want a point of reference, I like the Cafe Grand Mere Degustation, the CC French Breakfast Blend is similar but ...urm... more betterer?  I
Thats always been our goto coffee when shopping in Carrafour or Erics on holiday.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 04 October, 2018, 07:03:38 pm
Grand Mère is the French equivalent of Kenco. The most mass of the mass market brands. It is years (probably 25) since I have drunk it. At least the black packet stuff you like is Arabica. The standard stuff is pure shite. Robusta city.

As Ham says, you'll get other roasters able to provide similar flavour profile, by using similar varietals...But using better grade of beans. Compare side to side and you'll notice the difference in the cup.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 04 October, 2018, 07:48:15 pm
To be precise, Grand Mere is Dowe Egberts (Carte Noir, not too dissimilar, is Lavazza) blended for the French market.

They are what they are: adequate mass market coffee that makes a reasonably pleasant drink. What they lack is the "Fuck, Yeah!" quality of a good cup of coffee. To put it  in technical terms.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 04 October, 2018, 09:02:29 pm
The problem with Italian coffee (and to an extent, French) is that it is one dimensional. It hasn't changed with the times, which is a shame because the coffee growing industry, and in particular the on-farm processing techniques, are a universe away from where they were even 15 years ago.  Italian coffee used to be the byword for quality blending but what they were really good at was hiding a multitude of sins (shite coffee packed out with shite robusta), which was a legacy of Italian poverty up until the 60s and 70s. There is no attempt at any sort of appellation, and indeed with Italian coffees they often talk about 'secret' blends. There is a reason why they keep it a secret and it is all to do with concealing just what shit they put in it.

You have a Coffee in Italy, and you know what you are going to get. It's treated not with reverence, but with the same attitude towards a decent cup of builder's tea. It's functional rather than epicurean.  As it stands, I quite like it, but I wouldn't want to drink it all the time.

It's a complete contrast with the Anglo (Aus, UK, US) scene where openness is the norm. No attempt to obscure the origin of the coffee and most of the roasters will tell you which farm and also which process (which gives a clue as to some of the likely flavour styles). Yes, it can get a bit wanky because in a saturated market roasters are looking for a USP, often with a price to match.

Personally, I really don't get what some of the trendier roasteries are trying to do...stick what would normally be top-grade filter coffee and stick it through an espresso machine. Doesn't work for me, but clearly works for some.

Mmmmm....coffee.

It's been 9 hours since I had a cup and I'm fucking gagging for one.

Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pcolbeck on 04 October, 2018, 09:47:10 pm
To be precise, Grand Mere is Dowe Egberts (Carte Noir, not too dissimilar, is Lavazza) blended for the French market.

They are what they are: adequate mass market coffee that makes a reasonably pleasant drink. What they lack is the "Fuck, Yeah!" quality of a good cup of coffee. To put it  in technical terms.

But in a gite surrounded by kids and inflatable pool toys using a coffee machine you don't know a reliably OK cup of coffee is what you want. You don't have time to go searching for wherever the local trendy roastary is (and its probably not open on a Saturday teatime when you have just riven six hundred miles to get there). Whatever you can get from the nearest supermarket that gives a decent hit and tastes OK is fine. Any free time is for chasing down a great local red not coffee.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pcolbeck on 04 October, 2018, 09:48:55 pm
The problem with Italian coffee (and to an extent, French) is that it is one dimensional. It hasn't changed with the times, which is a shame because the coffee growing industry, and in particular the on-farm processing techniques, are a universe away from where they were even 15 years ago.  Italian coffee used to be the byword for quality blending but what they were really good at was hiding a multitude of sins (shite coffee packed out with shite robusta), which was a legacy of Italian poverty up until the 60s and 70s. There is no attempt at any sort of appellation, and indeed with Italian coffees they often talk about 'secret' blends. There is a reason why they keep it a secret and it is all to do with concealing just what shit they put in it.

You have a Coffee in Italy, and you know what you are going to get. It's treated not with reverence, but with the same attitude towards a decent cup of builder's tea. It's functional rather than epicurean.  As it stands, I quite like it, but I wouldn't want to drink it all the time.

You see that's the thing I don't want New Coke I want the original.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 05 October, 2018, 07:04:02 am
You are drinking Poundstretcher Economy Kola  ;D

Nothing 'new' about getting coffee from a decent roaster. Same style, just without all the glaring and semi-concealed faults. Maybe give it a go and see what you think. Nothing to lose.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: PaulF on 05 October, 2018, 07:14:28 am
Nothing yet :( and when I do it will probably be “conference swill” unless this train miraculously makes up some of its delay
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pcolbeck on 05 October, 2018, 09:01:26 am
Nothing 'new' about getting coffee from a decent roaster. Same style, just without all the glaring and semi-concealed faults. Maybe give it a go and see what you think. Nothing to lose.

I think you missed the bit where I said I had spent several years trying different coffees from small roasteries ...
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 05 October, 2018, 09:23:10 am
The French are only just getting into high-quality coffee, but it's a long haul.  Living in Alsace complicates things, since we don't have even the same vocabulary as the rest of France. Ask for un café in France proper and you get an espresso. Un café here is usually filter out of a jug off a hotplate. If you want a ristretto you ask for a café bien serré.  Try that in Alsace and the reply is quoi?  You have to ask for an expresso and bien serré just gets you a puzzled look.  A café au lait here is a crème there, and a crème here is a cup of filter coffee with a couple of plastic potlets of cream on the saucer.  And in the rest of France you can ask for a petit jus and get a coffee, whereas here they ask orange or tomato? *

Anyway, until very recently the standard coffee in French bars was robusta and, as Mr Flatus observes, pretty shite robusta at that. Good for waking up after lunch but not much else.  While there are a few good roasters à la Bella Barista & so forth, most of the bar coffee you get is still crap, and even if it starts out as decent coffee it's usually murdered in the making: people here expect an espresso cup to be full, so that it almost invariably contains the most bitter coffee fractions. Most bars have semi-automatic machines so that asking for anything out of the ordinary at busy meal-times isn't likely to work: if it's not on a button you're out of luck.

In the end, this means that if you buy supermarket instant, the chances are that it won't be much worse than the stuff they'll give you after dinner in even a decent restaurant.

* In re vocab differences: in the rest of France a godet is a small plastic beaker, while in Alsace it's a dildo. Well, it can be that in the rest of France too but Alsace only deals in dildos. Here you ask for a goblet**, like Young Lochinvar.

** is goblet the diminutive of gob?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 05 October, 2018, 09:31:47 am
Nothing 'new' about getting coffee from a decent roaster. Same style, just without all the glaring and semi-concealed faults. Maybe give it a go and see what you think. Nothing to lose.

I think you missed the bit where I said I had spent several years trying different coffees from small roasteries ...

small =/= good, especially these days.


ETA - you may have noted earlier in this thread that I had also got fed up with wanky coffee and had settled on adequate bulk commercial offerings. It was bringing back some Serrano coffee from Cuba that got me back onto the quest. Flatus' recommendation proved not only to be a source of decent Cuban coffee but of some really great blends.

Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 05 October, 2018, 10:50:09 am
Pat

I didn't miss your point about having tried different roasteries, but I've made a bad job of trying to explain the current state of the coffee industry to you.

Some background on me. Serial fresh coffee drinker for 40 years. Fanatical interest in coffee to the point of having spent time on coffee plantations in Cuba, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Laos, Burma and Vietnam.  I roasted my own coffee until 2 years ago when I sold my roasting machine. Just prior to that I had started setting up my own coffee roasting business until I realised that the market was over-saturated and I'd missed the boat by about 5 years, making the venture too much of a risk.

The coffee industry in the UK used to be dominated by medium size roasteries producing commercial grade coffee. Very little knowledge involved and not much care. Robusta heavy, and then cremated to fuck.

Then along came the 3rd wave, from US and Australia, focusing on medium and lighter roasted coffee. Lots of central american, and east African beans that cannot take a darker roast, really floral and acidic rather than the choc/caramel flavours you like.

This 3rd wave has been pushed to the extreme, to the point that pretty much all of the retail roasters that you will come across (As opposed to trade suppliers) feel obliged to take this approach.  If you see anything labelled 'artisan' or 'speciality' whether it be cafe or roastery it will be dominated by lighter fruitier coffees of a type that you don't like.

I don't like them either, or at least not in espresso based drinks. For me these coffees are best suited to low-dose pour over methods or all the subtlety is lost.

There are very very few roasteries with a public profile that produce 'traditional' style (ie. medium-dark to dark roast, South American, Indonesian heavy blends) and those that do are very a bit too traditional in that they still use shit beans and burn them.

Which is why somebody like Coffee Compass is. bit of a rare gem...otherwise I wouldn't be recommending them. I was chuffed when somebody pointed me to them about 5  years ago, as I was utterly sick of the 3rd wave hipster wank coffee. I haven't found a better source of Italian-style coffee.

T42: it's nearly 30 years since I lived in France (Rhone Alpes/Loire) and then if you asked for a coffee you go an under-extracted espresso (ie. too much water, not enough beans)  made from junk grade coffee.

Bizarrely I quite liked it at the time, but on the rare occasions I go to France and have the same all I can taste is the glaring faults. The French, just like the Italians, can't see past their own gastronomic culture.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 05 October, 2018, 01:36:04 pm
T42: it's nearly 30 years since I lived in France (Rhone Alpes/Loire) and then if you asked for a coffee you go an under-extracted espresso (ie. too much water, not enough beans)  made from junk grade coffee.

Bizarrely I quite liked it at the time, but on the rare occasions I go to France and have the same all I can taste is the glaring faults. The French, just like the Italians, can't see past their own gastronomic culture.

That pretty well describes restaurant & bar coffee, and the attitude.  But I've seen it denounced in German press articles too, not in respect of coffee but of industry in general: we are the great engineers therefore anything we do is perfect by definition - and this extends to building your Merc after three lunchtime pints.

Re shite arabica & shite robusta, since my usual delivery went astray last week I've been drinking a so-called Italian blend from a local roaster. He uses Viet robusta and God knows what else, and I've had an awful lot of indigestion this week.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Torslanda on 13 October, 2018, 10:42:58 am


But in a gite surrounded by kids and inflatable pool toys using a coffee machine you don't know a reliably OK cup of coffee is what you want. You don't have time to go searching for wherever the local trendy roastary is (and its probably not open on a Saturday teatime when you have just riven six hundred miles to get there). Whatever you can get from the nearest supermarket that gives a decent hit and tastes OK is fine. Any free time is for chasing down a great local red not coffee.

Amen, Reverend!
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: andrewc on 29 October, 2018, 11:25:34 pm
https://www.theguardian.com/food/shortcuts/2018/oct/29/moka-pot-machine-filter-or-instant-which-produces-the-best-coffee?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other


Bialetti in trouble is sad news , but if you make products that don't wear out ......   


I'm using a 2 cup Brikka & enjoy the output when made with decent beans ground in a Porlex.  Other than that I've been drinking lots of French Press stuff, just dial the grind back a bit.  This gives me a few good sized mugs.


On a whim I recently  bought an Alessi 9090 3 cup pot , it's very pretty & the coffee isn't bad, but 3 cups is an awkward size, so this may be in Classifieds shortly.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: ElyDave on 31 October, 2018, 08:41:37 am
Sticking with my Brazilian Smallholders Co-operative from my local roastery.  Works very well in my Sage grinder and espresso machine. 

I also bought a bag of the arabic coffee with cardamom [sp?] on my recent Saudi trip, haven't made any yet, but the secret seems to be a long boil, 5 mins or so.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 31 October, 2018, 08:58:59 am
Nothing.

Given up caffeine. 2 weeks into it. Coffee Compass do a decent range of decaff that is about 90% as good as the normal stuff.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: hillbilly on 14 December, 2018, 02:05:46 pm
Several years ago, this very thread got me thinking about buying an espresso machine.  Due to natural thriftiness and borderline indolence, I put it off until the tail end of last month until I eventually got over my indecision about whether a Gaggia, Ranccilo or some other mid-price machine would be best.  I got a Silvia paired with a Virtuoso grinder.  It is wonderful.  I doubt my coffee drinking will be the same again, given this morning the stars aligned and the machine produced a thick crema from Union Revelation beans that pissed over almost every shop bought coffee I've ever had.  That is all.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 14 December, 2018, 03:00:35 pm
I had a Silvia until 2011. It's a great machine, apart from poor temperature stability which causes very very inconsistent results unless you follow a strict protocol with a stopwatch...


....which is a pain in the arse.


I fitted a PID to it, which pulsed the power in so there was no great temperature variation. It produced results consistently on a par with my £1800 machine.

Just fit one. Trust me on this.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 14 December, 2018, 03:19:00 pm
A PID will make it a hell of a lot easier to sell when you want to upgrade, too.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: hillbilly on 14 December, 2018, 04:51:40 pm
Ah, I didn't realise there was a lot of temperature variability.  It explains some comments I read about needing to "understand the idiosyncrasies of the boiler lights".
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 14 December, 2018, 05:08:24 pm
If you don't mind speaking Fahrenheit, these guys are pretty good:

https://www.seattlecoffeegear.com/blog/2014/11/10/tech-tips-temperature-surfing-rancilio-silvia/
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: ElyDave on 14 December, 2018, 08:42:40 pm
I had a Silvia until 2011. It's a great machine, apart from poor temperature stability which causes very very inconsistent results unless you follow a strict protocol with a stopwatch...


....which is a pain in the arse.


I fitted a PID to it, which pulsed the power in so there was no great temperature variation. It produced results consistently on a par with my £1800 machine.

Just fit one. Trust me on this.

Or you could count in your head.

I follow this routine with my machine you'd be surprised how consistently I can count to 27.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 15 December, 2018, 03:35:50 am
Here is an example of temperature surfing routine on a Silvia:

"
1. Activate the steam switch and wait for the light to go off. While this is happening I am filling my milk pitcher and preheating my cups using my sinks hot water tap (more on this to come)
2. Steam the milk and end by turning off the steam switch
3. Wipe down the steam wand to remove any milk residue
4. Place a cup under the steam wand and either shot glasses or the cup you intend to use for the shot
5. Turn on the extraction switch (wand is in and locked without the portafilter)
6. Open the steam valve until water flows clear out of the wand
7. Time the remaining extraction to stop just prior to the light coming on. I do this by using shot glasses where I stop just as I get one shot. Set aside the shot glasses.
8. Remove the wand, insert the portafilter, and prep the wand for the shot (add coffee grounds and tamp
9. The light should have gone off after reheating and is just about ready for extraction
10. Load the portafilter into the Silvia and if the light has been off for 15 sec or so, begin extraction per all of SCG fine instructionals"

=ballache.

I'm now on my fifth espresso machine, a semi-automatic volumetric La Spaziale.

The idea of temperature surfing to make a coffee makes me want to giggle.

Just fit a PID and be done with the bullshit.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 15 December, 2018, 07:38:00 am
Or take the apostate's exit and buy a fully automatic.  As was observed, you'll never have a great cup of coffee but you'll always have a bloody good one.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 15 December, 2018, 08:51:11 am
I've stuck with my semi for years. You adjust the grind for new beans, set the volume of water, and that is it.

I will never go back to E61, let alone single boiler bullshit
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 18 December, 2018, 01:28:46 pm
When I win the lottery I might buy a Spaz. Got my automatic brand-new at half-price, got it dialled in and as long as I use coffee of roughly the same age since roasting it turns out a good shot.

Just one shot today, though, because I didn't order the next lot sooner. Thought there was more in the freezer. :(
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: ElyDave on 18 December, 2018, 08:03:50 pm
grinder set, occaisionally check the timer vs weight, it's normally pretty OK, adjust one time in 100

Turn on machine, grind coffee, tamp, engage portafilter

Tip eggs into hot pan, flick switch on kettle to 90deg

Turn machine to coffee, check eggs, while counting to 27 (sometimes check vs timer, i'm accurate to 1s)

Turn off coffee machine, back to cooker, turn out omlette

Back to kettle, add equal volume water to espresso

Enjoy breakfast with very good coffee.

I don't need "perfect" one time in 9 million, very good every day is good enough
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 18 December, 2018, 08:25:55 pm
When you have 'perfect' every time, 'very good' just won't cut it.  ;D
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: ElyDave on 18 December, 2018, 09:40:52 pm
your faff for perfect is diminishing returns.  Coffee is not a mystic holy brew.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 19 December, 2018, 05:19:20 am
What faff?   ??? I press one button.  You stand there like a plum counting.

Coffee is not a mystic holy brew, you are right. It is pretty simple to make a perfect shot most times IF you know what you are doing. But that never involves counting to 27   :facepalm:

Hillbilly: Trust me, been there done it, just fit a PID. Go to coffeeforums.co.uk and have a search.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 19 December, 2018, 08:48:31 am
Yup. I have to press two buttons, one of them twice: ON, Espresso, OFF.  I can do that and drink the shot while the tea's brewing.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: ElyDave on 19 December, 2018, 10:38:03 am
What faff?   ??? I press one button.  You stand there like a plum counting.

Coffee is not a mystic holy brew, you are right. It is pretty simple to make a perfect shot most times IF you know what you are doing. But that never involves counting to 27   :facepalm:

Hillbilly: Trust me, been there done it, just fit a PID. Go to coffeeforums.co.uk and have a search.

Ten steps of FAFF according to you.

I have two switches, on, and a toggle switch for coffee or steam
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 19 December, 2018, 10:57:13 am
I know what your machine has...I owned one for ten years, and I also know how much better the results were once I fitted a PID.

Fit a PID, then by all means disagree with what I am saying. As it stands only one of us is speaking from an informed position when it comes to whether or not PIDs make any difference.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: mike on 19 December, 2018, 11:09:06 am
I'm lucky to have Michael's coffee stall on the market in Cambridge - (https://farm7.staticflickr.com/6025/5941155326_41fdfba328_b.jpg) (not my pic, I found it on flickr - he doesnt do mail order, internet or debit cards..)

I worked my way through them all over a year or so and settled on a pretty dark mix of 1 part Sumatra and 2 parts El Salvador,  ground in a pretty average burr machine, made with an aeropress mid-way between an espresso and americano strength, black no sugar.  3 cups a day is plenty or I get a bit twitchy!


He's closed down!!   :'( :'(

An organic food stand has started selling his coffee, but they've cut the range down to about 1/3 of what he used to sell and have stopped the Sumatra / El Salvador blend I used to have..  Dammit.   

Do the Compass Coffee folks send their beans in a letterbox friendly pack, or will I have to catch the postman?  Any suggestions on where to start in their range?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 19 December, 2018, 11:17:39 am
If your letterbox can take a 4" square package, you're in luck. Flatus will be along with more years of experience in a minute, but each time I've ordered from them, the beans turned up quickly. Just a few packs will be Royal Mail, a bigger consignment will be DPD.

I enjoy their Mahogany/extra dark blends, but call them and talk to them, they're very helpful and knowledgeable.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: ElyDave on 19 December, 2018, 11:37:07 am
I'm lucky to have Michael's coffee stall on the market in Cambridge - (https://farm7.staticflickr.com/6025/5941155326_41fdfba328_b.jpg) (not my pic, I found it on flickr - he doesnt do mail order, internet or debit cards..)

I worked my way through them all over a year or so and settled on a pretty dark mix of 1 part Sumatra and 2 parts El Salvador,  ground in a pretty average burr machine, made with an aeropress mid-way between an espresso and americano strength, black no sugar.  3 cups a day is plenty or I get a bit twitchy!


He's closed down!!   :'( :'(

An organic food stand has started selling his coffee, but they've cut the range down to about 1/3 of what he used to sell and have stopped the Sumatra / El Salvador blend I used to have..  Dammit.   

Do the Compass Coffee folks send their beans in a letterbox friendly pack, or will I have to catch the postman?  Any suggestions on where to start in their range?

Yes, found that out yesterday as well. Eventually bought some tea from the other stall.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 19 December, 2018, 11:37:17 am
I've never ordered less than 1.5kg from Coffee Compass so I'm afraid I really can't help. You could give them a ring and ask.  They are very much customer service oriented.

The reason why I bulk buy is that it enables me to take advantage of their espresso trial offer, plus a handy 10% discount code from another forum. Also, they charge a flat £3.95 postage rate which would make ordering 250g prohibitively expensive (plus we get through 250g in 4 days)

When I order it always arrives parcel force, and not overly packaged (coffee bags packed into a jiffy bag then into unpadded  plastic bag).
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: ElyDave on 19 December, 2018, 11:37:57 am
I know what your machine has...I owned one for ten years, and I also know how much better the results were once I fitted a PID.

Fit a PID, then by all means disagree with what I am saying. As it stands only one of us is speaking from an informed position when it comes to whether or not PIDs make any difference.

I don't believe the machine I have has been on the market for ten years.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 19 December, 2018, 11:43:00 am
I know what your machine has...I owned one for ten years, and I also know how much better the results were once I fitted a PID.

Fit a PID, then by all means disagree with what I am saying. As it stands only one of us is speaking from an informed position when it comes to whether or not PIDs make any difference.

I don't believe the machine I have has been on the market for ten years.

It has been around since 1998.

Yours (if it is v5) has added boiler insulation, an eco cut off switch,  and various cosmetic changes, but otherwise is the same single boiler non-heat exchange machine it always was.

It is still, probably,  the best bang for buck machine at that price point because it uses a hefty commercial brass group head that helps with temperature stability compared with the usual light alloy at that price point. You'll never get a heat exchanger machine at that price point, so it remains deeply flawed. It is easy to overcome these flaws however, as it is with the cheaper Gaggia Classic.  If you drink milk based drinks however, it remains an utter pain in the arse.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: ElyDave on 19 December, 2018, 04:56:18 pm
my machine is not by Gaggia.

PID may make it "better", but 1) cost, 2) technical skills to install, 3) VFM?

I find my machine to be pretty consistent (even with the hardship of counting to 27), the real value for me was in buying a decent grinder and regularly checking dosage and extraction.

I rarely drink milk drinks, the bigger variable by far is my skill in the frothing.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 19 December, 2018, 08:01:05 pm
I know your machine is not a Gaggia  :facepalm:

I mention the Gaggia Classic because it is a similar machine, and most knowledgeable users PID them. Auber make a specific kit.

I know exactly what machine you have. I know the model inside out, literally, because I modded it over 10 years use. I know how inconsistent it is, regardless of counting to 27.

Cost of PID? Fuck all. I think I paid £15 on eBay. You can pick them up on aliexpress for bugger all these days.

Skills? I don't know what yours are. I did mine pre Google and YouTube. I bet it is really easy now to Google a walkthrough.

VFM? Absolutely indisputable. It transforms the machine from an idiosyncratic annoyance to something with the output quality of a £1k machine (provided that you discount the truly shit steaming capabilities of the Silvia)

You are right about the grinder, though.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: ElyDave on 19 December, 2018, 08:32:06 pm
I don't have a Silvia either.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 19 December, 2018, 10:02:24 pm

You are right about the grinder, though.

Funny you should mention that....  I'm coming to the conclusion I need a comical grinder, just for a laugh.

My Molino is ok for filter grind, but no way can it do a decent expresso.

Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 20 December, 2018, 05:03:47 am
I don't have a Silvia either.

Then why the fuck are you entering into a discussion specifically about the Rancilio Silvia???

Jeez.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 20 December, 2018, 05:23:01 am

You are right about the grinder, though.

Funny you should mention that....  I'm coming to the conclusion I need a comical grinder, just for a laugh.

My Molino is ok for filter grind, but no way can it do a decent expresso.

It's the hard lesson that every coffee drinker has to learn  ;D

It seems counter-intuitive, but unless you are spending ££££ on a machine, you are better off spending more on the grinder.

I got very lucky and found a new (very slightly damaged) Mazzer Major Timer on eBay for £300. I flogged the hopper because it wouldn't fit under my kitchen units (and I wouldn't fill it with coffee beans anyway) For £35.  Then I nodded it with an electronic timer unit and buttons.

This replaced a £600 Eureka Zenith 65E, which I found made the coffee taste flat. It had replaced my Mazzer Mini.

The Major is my 5th grinder, but I'm sticking with it. 18 years ago, I thought all the fuss about grinders was nonsense, but now I know they make an enormous difference.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: ElyDave on 20 December, 2018, 06:11:35 am
I don't have a Silvia either.

Then why the fuck are you entering into a discussion specifically about the Rancilio Silvia???

Jeez.

It was a discussion specifically about fucking PID control.

Next time, I'll be sure you ask you what I think.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 20 December, 2018, 07:03:16 am
No it was about Hillbilly's Silvia.

Then you appeared.

Next time when you appear, Ill be sure to check with you what I and others were previously talking about.

Why would I presume that a PID would be appropriate for all machines? They are pointless on HX machines for example.

I wouldn't presume to say anything about your machine if I didn't know what it was, nor if I had no experience of it.

I will give you one piece of unsolicited advice though:

The last thing you need is another coffee  ;D
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 20 December, 2018, 08:23:42 am
18 years ago, I thought all the fuss about grinders was nonsense, but now I know they make an enormous difference.

Oyez oyez.  Trouble is that most espresso beginners budget for the machine, and only realize afterwards that they're going to have to come up with the same £££ again for the grinder.  That, or turn a Porlex crank >100 times for every shot.

BTW, I've got nowt caffeinating me today: last order disappeared between supplier's dispatch dept & the post-office van. Nice lady said "oh, we'll send that out again". They've sent it by express courier, too.  :o
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 20 December, 2018, 08:42:33 am
Have you gone into withdrawal yet?  ;D

I ran out of coffee yesterday, new batch arriving today, but I went decaff some months back so I am surprisingly chilled about it  :)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 20 December, 2018, 12:57:27 pm
Not chilled now. Had an instant coffee 30 minutes ago. I am pacing round the room.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 20 December, 2018, 01:06:29 pm
Heh. Colissimo's site suddenly posted 3 days' worth of tracking messages and my package arrived just after lunch. Currently listening to hold punitive music before saying 'sorry pardon' to the nice lady.

Curiously enough, withdrawal did not set in, probably due to the amount of Twining's Old & Filthy I've been pouring in.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 20 December, 2018, 01:08:39 pm
You mean you didn't crack open the package straight away and jack some up??  ??? :o
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 20 December, 2018, 01:10:21 pm
You bet I did, right after dessert.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: hillbilly on 20 December, 2018, 06:14:14 pm
Have looked at a PID.  Will consider if I move on to using the steam wand.  At the moment though, me and the lady prefer straight espresso so I think temparature surfing isn't something I need to do.  To date, we seem to be hitting awesome shots 5% of the time and more than acceptable ones the other 95% (well with the odd dud due to newbie errors like overfilling or tamping down at a weird angle).  The acceptable ones are better than any I remember from the high street, but not as rich as some independents I've been to.  I suspect I can live with that (for now).
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 20 December, 2018, 06:21:57 pm
PID all about espresso shots....not steaming.  Stick on a PID and you'll turn the 5% to 100%, all other things being equal.

In essence what you have is a thermostat. When it reaches temp it turns off the element...but the temp keeps on rising. Then it drops back to the point where the thermostat clicks back on and turns on the element...

....but the temp keeps on dropping for a bit. Hence the wide temperature fluctuation.

A PID pulses in the power to the element and keeps the temp pretty stable.

On my last two machines I've been able to play with the temp a bit, and even 2° makes a noticeable difference. From memory, IIRC the Silvia has an 8° variance.

It is particularly worth modding a Silvia because the rest of the important kit is pretty good (big beefy group head thatretains heat)

The steaming is a weak point of the Silvia, and indeed all single boiler non-HX  machines.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: ElyDave on 20 December, 2018, 07:14:26 pm
No it was about Hillbilly's Silvia.

Then you appeared.

Next time when you appear, Ill be sure to check with you what I and others were previously talking about.

Why would I presume that a PID would be appropriate for all machines? They are pointless on HX machines for example.

I wouldn't presume to say anything about your machine if I didn't know what it was, nor if I had no experience of it.

I will give you one piece of unsolicited advice though:

The last thing you need is another coffee  ;D

When dealing with you, I'll start with several, and go from there.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 20 December, 2018, 07:23:21 pm
I guess if you insist in making a utter tit of yourself that is your prerogative.

Meanwhile there are two conversations going on here. One about grinders, and the other about Silvias.

Got anything useful to say?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 21 December, 2018, 08:39:58 am
If espresso machines came with decent thermostats a PID wouldn't be necessary. Hell, for the tuppenceworth of electronics involved they could PID them as standard.

But then, of course, they wouldn't be able to charge 100 € more for a PIDed machine vs a bog standard.

---o0o---

Anent my double delivery, the nice lady at Maxicoffee said "keep the extra kilo and Merry Christmas".
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 21 December, 2018, 08:56:58 am
£350 more in the case of the Ascaso Dream  :o
It takes the price up to £750. Not sure I see the point, you might as well stump up another £150 for an HX machine that will steam well, or £350 for a decent dual boiler.

....or £440 for a Silvia, then...what?...£25 To fit a PID.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 21 December, 2018, 10:32:40 am
Had to crank my jaw up off the desk at that £350. It's Lelit (OK, very basic machines) who charge the 100€.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 01 January, 2019, 08:54:24 am
On holibobs our French ski apartment had a Nespresso machine, which produced a cup of OK-ish coffee, I can see the attraction, especially for space challenged kitchens, but the waste is astonishing. However, that's not the end of the story as I discovered there is a competing capsule system called Tassimo, clearly the result of a bunch of blokes (yeah, I reckon) sitting around thinking, "Those folk at Nespresso really haven't taken the packaging concept as far as they can, let's see what we can do". The simple Nespresso foil capsule is replaced by a substantial plastic contraption. To be honest, I don't know how they work as I found this difference out by buying the wrong type for the Nespresso. If anyone has a Tassimo machine and would like a few coffee capsules, let me know, I'm going to put them on my local freecycle very shortly.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 02 January, 2019, 04:14:49 pm
I have a bunch of Nespresso-compatible capsules that you can fill yourself; back when I still roasted my own I occasionally filled a batch for El Presidente.  The results were so-so, though: hard to get the right grind/tamp combination. Too loose and you get gnats' water, too tight/fine and you bugger the machine.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: hillbilly on 11 January, 2019, 11:25:57 am
Have bought a bumper selection of Coffee Compass beans.  First up has been a mahogany roasted Indonesian (Jalambar).  It's maybe too aggressive for a straight espresso, at least for my tastes, but makes excellent Americano (and I suspect coffee with milk froth of some variety, but I don't dabble in such things so wouldn't know).  Comment from the lady was "I don't think I'll be able to enjoy high street coffee again."

Making good progress through that 500g bag (which at an average of around £8 a bag was pretty good value compared to the high street, given it was roasted the day of packing so reliably fresh).
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pumpkin on 21 January, 2019, 02:46:02 pm
Recently renovated the Gaggia Classic with a new group seal but the shower screen screw was burred on the head so brute force needed to peel back the screen and get it off. Whilst fiddling about there I removed the original group head which was a block of aluminium but was now corroded/charred/whatever. So a new shower plate and screws ordered and a brass group head.It's a substantial chunk of brass and there is a marked improvement in the coffee. It may be the new screen (so no oils) and the seal has helped but he brass does hold more heat.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 25 May, 2019, 12:41:19 pm
Ran out of my usual coffee and tried the local supermarket's own brand today - "Pure Arabica" and "South America" it says - proof that origin is no indication of quality. As a jeweller chum of mine once observed, you can make shit watches in Switzerland too, you know. God help anyone who drinks the stuff every day.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: ElyDave on 28 May, 2019, 05:47:09 pm
Turkish, I'm running low on espresso beans - had planned to pick some up Saturday, but No1 Son's pneumonia had other ideas
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: hillbilly on 29 May, 2019, 11:57:35 am
In a bid to see what else is out there, I ordered some Coffee Masters Super Crema Espresso beans from Amazon (£13 for a kilo).  Landed on it after searching Google and the "wisdom" recommending it.

Lives up to the name on the label, with the dark roast delivering a rich crema, but the chocolate/nut taste doesn't match up to this, being strangely subdued compared to similarly dark roasts I've had.  Don't think I'll buy another bag when I get through it. 
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pcolbeck on 31 May, 2019, 04:22:14 pm
The best Makita tool ever:

(https://uk.makitamedia.com/images/3_Makita/301_machines/3011_machine_main/JPG_Product/DCM501Z.jpg)

A coffee maker that runs of either of two types of power tool battery packs and can use either ground coffee or pods. The future is truly here today!
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 31 May, 2019, 05:42:45 pm
In a bid to see what else is out there, I ordered some Coffee Masters Super Crema Espresso beans from Amazon (£13 for a kilo).  Landed on it after searching Google and the "wisdom" recommending it.

Lives up to the name on the label, with the dark roast delivering a rich crema, but the chocolate/nut taste doesn't match up to this, being strangely subdued compared to similarly dark roasts I've had.  Don't think I'll buy another bag when I get through it.

Names like 'Super Crema' hint very heavily at inferior quality beans. Crema is associated with high robust content (or overly freshly roasted beans...yours wont be) and therefore higher caffeine content.

I take it the bag didnt say 100% arabica?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: hillbilly on 03 June, 2019, 01:42:59 pm
Is a mix of arabica and robusta.  And mentions the "caffeine charge".  So pretty much as you thought.   

Only another half bag to get through before I can put this sorry experiment out of its misery.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 03 June, 2019, 05:28:55 pm
Ha  :P As I thought.

Do yourself a favour, go to Coffee Compass, go to the espresso trial pack (3×500g) Select Hill&Valley, Jampit Hit, and Cherry cherry. Then use the discount code I will PM you.

Then come back and thank me when it arrives.

https://www.coffeecompass.co.uk/collections/espresso-range/products/coffee-compass-espresso-selection
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Manotea on 01 August, 2019, 07:10:06 am
After a week away going cold turkey last year, I've just bought an aeropress for this years hols...

At the risk of outing myself as a caffeine junkie cum philistine, I'm quite impressed.... a gadget that delivers!
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 01 August, 2019, 08:04:14 am
Na, the Aeropress is highly respected.  Just don't use a very fine grind in it or you'll get coffee that's acid enough to etch your oesophagus. DAHIKT.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pcolbeck on 05 August, 2019, 08:39:29 pm
After a week away going cold turkey last year, I've just bought an aeropress for this years hols...

At the risk of outing myself as a caffeine junkie cum philistine, I'm quite impressed.... a gadget that delivers!

Probably because it was designed to rather than being designed as something to sell. Much like the original Sony Walkman. The man who owns the Aerobie Frisbee company told his research staff to design him something to make good coffee easily whilst he travelled. They came up with the Aeropress. He liked it and then decided to market it.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: BrianI on 07 August, 2019, 10:11:00 am
After a week away going cold turkey last year, I've just bought an aeropress for this years hols...

At the risk of outing myself as a caffeine junkie cum philistine, I'm quite impressed.... a gadget that delivers!

I bought one myself yesterday.  :thumbsup:
First use of it this morning, using Tesco Italian ground coffee, it certainly tastes smoother from the aeropress, than from my usual cafetiere.  :smug: 
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 14 November, 2019, 08:42:01 am
I think the time has come for me to change my coffee making apparatus, the current device (a 15+ year old Krups Crematic (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Krups-87443-Presso-Crematic-Coffee/dp/B000DZDWYS)) is going the way of its identical earlier version and the low pressure piping is leaking. Having buggered around with its predecessor, what should be a simple fix really is not, and I'm resigned to replacing.

It makes a perfectly adequate espresso for me, and the filter is effective, too. My coffee habit is just a quad espresso topped up to a mugful in the morning, cappuccino is only ever an occasional guest thing. I have a basic burr grinder to duff up the beans (which I get from Coffee Compass, courtesy of Flatus' recommendation).

I've looked at a coffee forum or two, but their perspective is not entirely mine, if it was bike forum it seems to me they are discussing the merits of high end racing carbon and TT, and I want a tourer. I'm thinking of the Gaggia bean to cup (https://www.gaggiadirect.com/bean-to-cup-shop.html#!/Gaggia-Anima-1-Yr-Silver-CC-Membership/p/63352246/category=17767053) although the idea of mechanising the process sounds an unnecessary complication to me, with little benefit beyond the (ok, considerable) convenience. Any recommendations?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 14 November, 2019, 09:25:27 am
Honestly? I'd say either go all in (£1500  semi-auto machine + £500 grinder, minimum) or dont bother at all.  IMHO low-mid range stuff is pointless.

My recommendation would be a pod machine from Aldi (£45 ....when you can get them) capsules from Aldi

or...

a cheap Moka pot.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 14 November, 2019, 10:32:23 am
or...

a cheap Moka pot.

mmmm.

My own take on the coffee thing is that while there may be a goal of perfection, if you can control the temperature and put a halfway decent pump, you get a decent coffee. The moka pot suffers from being over hot, and aluminium.

And coffee pods? no thanks.

I reckon I'd be happy with a decent "low end" (ie not toy) espresso machine, however the low end bean to cup machines do sound worrying
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 14 November, 2019, 10:56:33 am
I have a low-end Delonghi B2C. It's a fast, reliable way of getting an acceptable cup of coffee* but you'll never get a God shot out of it.

I also have a Europiccola which, unless you make a study of the things to PhD level, will produce a God shot about every 10 shots or so, give or take 200.

I got the Delonghi in May last year and so far my only complaint is that when it tells me to empty the grounds container it doesn't say please.

* with decent beans recently roasted, say 2 weeks old.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 14 November, 2019, 12:58:49 pm
One thing that makes me most wary of the B2C machines is the inability to control the tamping, which appears to me to have a significant impact on the output especially with a low end machine like my current Krups. Theoretically a B2C machine will be  adapted perfectly to the grind and pressure, but I dunno.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 14 November, 2019, 01:13:14 pm
You cant control the water content either, or the dose, or the temp.

In fact you cant really control anything, which is why they are pretty pointless.

Hence pods.  End result is the same.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Regulator on 14 November, 2019, 01:15:18 pm
You cant control the water content either, or the dose, or the temp.

In fact you cant really control anything, which is why they are pretty pointless.

Hence pods.  End result is the same.

You can on ours - you just have to read the manual.  And you can control the grind.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 14 November, 2019, 01:16:58 pm
Depends what you mean by 'control'.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 14 November, 2019, 01:17:44 pm
One thing that makes me most wary of the B2C machines is the inability to control the tamping, which appears to me to have a significant impact on the output especially with a low end machine like my current Krups. Theoretically a B2C machine will be  adapted perfectly to the grind and pressure, but I dunno.

Yeah, I get that.  They use pressurized filters, of course, which compensates a bit for the lack of precision tamping.

If I had the money to throw around I'd get one of those Breville/Sage/Riviera&Bar semi-automatics but for a single cup per day it'd be a waste.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 14 November, 2019, 01:21:59 pm
Depends what you mean by 'control'.

To be sure.  B2Cs aren't for purists, but I stopped being a purist a few years back.  I mean, £2000 just to brew a 10cc coffee?  You can get a half-decent bike for that.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 14 November, 2019, 01:27:55 pm
Is that half a decent bicycle?

(click to show/hide)

Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 14 November, 2019, 01:31:30 pm
I start from the perspective that I get an adequate - for me - coffee from my existing Krups, especially now with decent blends and all I want is to be able to equal that. Which for my money is a good espresso with decent crema. I'm not interested in God, whether he gets shot or not. Jura E6 looks a possibility. Which machines do you have (T42 & reg?)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 14 November, 2019, 02:31:30 pm
Mine's a Delonghi ECAM 22.320.B.  They're out of production now.  List price was something like 450€ and I paid 219.

As I said earlier, with beans about 2 weeks from roasting I get a shot that tastes pretty good. The crema isn't as good as I could get with the Europiccola when it was in a good mood, in fact it's a moot point whether the topping produced by B2C machines is a 'real' crema or not, but I don't much care.  In a straight-sided coffee glass it looks like a miniature Guinness.

You don't sound to be interested in latte etc., but the panarello on mine produces a good foam.

Before getting the Jura I'd suggest having a gander at the operating instructions.  On the Delonghi I can get the brew unit out for cleaning, which also gives me access to a lot of the inside of the machine to remove stray coffee.  I know that on the Jura E55 the brew unit wasn't user-accessible, and over time stray coffee could build up and go mouldy.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 14 November, 2019, 02:33:27 pm
Everything is user accessible with sufficient determination.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 15 November, 2019, 09:35:45 am
Yebbut getting into mine doesn't invalidate the guarantee.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 15 November, 2019, 10:13:29 am
Depends what you mean by 'control'.

To be sure.  B2Cs aren't for purists, but I stopped being a purist a few years back.  I mean, £2000 just to brew a 10cc coffee?  You can get a half-decent bike for that.

Purists? Have you been to Italy? What do you see them drinking?

What you see them drinking is espresso, and they are consuming it in the way one might have a cigarette or a mug of tea. The consumer hasnt much of a clue what processes are taking place, nor where their coffee beans originate, so there is very little that can be said to be puritanical. It is at the level of a commodity, and yet coffee in Italy is consistent and always good.

But you wont see it coming out of a B2C machine.

It's either decent espresso or it isnt. And if it is coming out of a B2C machine then it isnt.  Which is fine, because neither your nor Ham are that interested in espresso. You are enjoying drinking something else.

I'm not convinced that a £500 B2C will produce anything better than a £20 Aeropress, in the cup if what you want is an Americano. But what it will do is give you a shed load of convenience (at a price), which means a pre warmed machine and a coffee in 20 seconds, rather than boiling a kettle and faffing about with fiddly devices and then having to clean up afterwards.

So maybe reliability vs price is the issue here.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 15 November, 2019, 10:57:27 am
Maybe it is.

Maybe purist is the wrong word: obsessive better describes the kind of fascination that results in a practitioner spending more time fiddling with the gear than drinking what comes out of it. And that certainly doesn't describe the espresso-drinkers you meet in Italian bars - most of whom probably make coffee at home with a Bialetti.

I've done the bit buying grinder after grinder, swapping up for better ones, ditto espresso machines, compulsive temperature surfing, bottomless PFs, etc. I even had my own roaster  Then came the epiphany that I was sinking a stack of good money into drinking two coffees a day - tiny coffees that were gone in under a minute, at that.  Oh, there's a sort of Zen to it, certainly, especially with a manual lever machine that doesn't have any temperature control, but do you want the Zen or the coffee?  Maybe you're getting both every time, and if that's the case good luck to you.

One thing you get out of a B2C is consistency. Another is speed and another is cleanliness. The coffee will never be startlingly good but given decent beans it's always good.  In other words, it's a compromise, and IME it's a good one.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 15 November, 2019, 11:18:41 am
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.

Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 15 November, 2019, 11:31:23 am


It's either decent espresso or it isnt. And if it is coming out of a B2C machine then it isnt.  Which is fine, because neither your nor Ham are that interested in espresso. You are enjoying drinking something else.
.

You may not be intending to say it - or you might - but it does sound as if you are saying that you either drink a PROPER espresso or you might as well drink horse piss/Starbucks, the reality is a little more complex. Decent coffee and semi decent making equipment makes a different drink to, say, the average capsule coffee machine, even if it isn't perfect.

If the best that a cheap B2C can do is the equivalent of a capsule, I'll stick with my faffage. I still maintain that I can get a decent (enough for me) espresso from my Krups, even if it doesn't meet your purist criteria.

The major area of faffage at the moment is from grinder to portafilter, fixing that would likely be sufficient for me, maybe that's what I need to look at, paired with a reasonable, basic espresso machine that has good temperature control.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 15 November, 2019, 12:50:43 pm
What I am saying is that cheap kit doesnt produce decent espresso, or risotto (which is what one is invariably served in Italy)

I suspect you arent even producing espresso because you talk about a quad shot. Do you mean four separate shots or just one great big one from the grinds you can pack into the portafilter?  Ratios matter, and if it isnt 40-50% minimum, it isnt espresso...its lungo.

That isnt to say it is bad, it's just not espresso, and the higher the ratio (60%+= ristretto) the more critical the kit seems to be.  Lower brew ratios seem far more forgiving, whereas higher ratios concentrate the flaws.

If you are just banging a load of water through some coffee in a portafilter then diluting it with more water then I go back to my earlier posts about aero press. Far more faff, but probably similar end results, but way cheaper.

YMMV which isnt a problem for me at all. We all appreciate things in different ways. For me though, I'd rather get a Kona filter and paper and do a pour over with some really nice coffee than stick it through a not very good machine.

FWIW I am viewed as a pleb in coffee circles because my favourite espresso is the rather bland northern Italian style, rather than over the top hipster fruity shit. Cant stand it. It's ok in milk but as espresso I'd rather drink my own piss.

Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: spesh on 15 November, 2019, 01:07:50 pm
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.  :demon:
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 15 November, 2019, 01:09:48 pm
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.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 15 November, 2019, 01:16:59 pm
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.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 15 November, 2019, 01:41:53 pm
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.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 15 November, 2019, 01:59:47 pm
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.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 15 November, 2019, 02:15:20 pm
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.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 15 November, 2019, 02:53:48 pm
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
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 15 November, 2019, 08:32:13 pm
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.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 16 November, 2019, 12:22:34 pm
(https://i.ibb.co/9WHpP1g/IMG-20191116-121646-192.jpg) (https://ibb.co/4pRFkXt)

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

I found myself making little whimpering sounds as I drank it.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 16 November, 2019, 12:31:10 pm
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
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 16 November, 2019, 12:44:25 pm
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
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pcolbeck on 17 November, 2019, 05:23:26 pm
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).
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: hellymedic on 18 November, 2019, 01:38:27 pm
Had
(click to show/hide)
at Betty's in Northallerrton yesterday.
(click to show/hide)
Nice
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Gattopardo on 18 November, 2019, 02:27:00 pm
Had
(click to show/hide)
at Betty's in Northallerrton yesterday.
(click to show/hide)
Nice

November FFS ;)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Gattopardo on 18 November, 2019, 04:08:44 pm
Ah coffee,  how about a brikka pot?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 18 November, 2019, 04:29:00 pm
Better extraction than a standard moka pot but with the same dangers of overheating the coffee and "burning" it.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: hellymedic on 19 November, 2019, 12:45:55 am
Had
(click to show/hide)
at Betty's in Northallerrton yesterday.
(click to show/hide)
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)

Anyway the Sally Army Brass Band were playing carols in the street...
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 19 November, 2019, 08:45:41 am
Anyway the Sally Army Brass Band were playing carols in the street...

The Inlaw Paw used to call them the Salvarsan Army.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Mr Larrington on 19 November, 2019, 10:06:37 am
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.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pcolbeck on 19 November, 2019, 01:21:51 pm
Had
(click to show/hide)
at Betty's in Northallerrton yesterday.
(click to show/hide)
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)

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?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: hellymedic on 19 November, 2019, 02:44:38 pm
Sure!

Other venues left things to be desired that weekend...
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 21 November, 2019, 11:15:57 am
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.

Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: campagman on 21 November, 2019, 07:05:27 pm
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 (https://www.home-barista.com/brewing/how-to-improve-your-moka-pot-coffee-t48638.html)?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 21 November, 2019, 07:14:53 pm
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...
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 21 November, 2019, 07:55:53 pm
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.  :o
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 21 November, 2019, 09:10:39 pm
I had one for 10 years.  It suffers from horrendous temperature variation (because it uses a conventional thermostat...and so water carries on heating/cooling when thermostat switches off/on).  I measured it once and it fully explained why trying to get a consistent shot was nigh on impossible.

Some people get round it by an elaborate procedure of temperature surfing. I fitted a PID which pulses in the power to keep the boiler temperature steady.

You can get kits but they are a little pricey. I got a PID on ebay for £50. It was brilliant.

(^ you may be away of this already)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 21 November, 2019, 09:28:29 pm
I was aware of it and discussed it with the seller (myespresso.co.uk, Rancillio+Eureka for £600) who reckoned that this V5 on 240V didn't need it, if I were to do it the mecoffee one (bluetooth, internal) is likely the way I'll go. My figgering is, start with the basic unit and add the PID as and when.

I love the instruction book for this "E" version. To be compliant with EU regs it switches itself off. Whether or not normal, this has a press on press off non-locking rocker switch for power.

"If the unit switches itself off, it is easy to cancel" quoth the manual "simply press the on off switch once". That'll be "switch it back on" then,
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 21 November, 2019, 09:43:33 pm
Well it's a decent machine and a good choice as a stepping stone to the £1500 machine you will have within 2 years...

Welcome, my friend. Welcome  :demon:
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 21 November, 2019, 10:03:43 pm
I can give it up any time, honest.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 22 November, 2019, 09:24:39 am
Good luck, Ham.  You're starting out on the path I followed around 4 years ago.  I had a Lelit and a Nuovo Simonelli Grinta. The next step was this:

(https://pbase.com/johnewing/image/162197930.jpg)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Mr Larrington on 22 November, 2019, 09:37:22 am
You have a particle accelerator in your kitchen :o
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 22 November, 2019, 10:29:31 am
More like a particulate accelerator.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 26 November, 2019, 05:35:24 pm
Not so much a "What" as a "How".

Came across these (https://www.horwood.co.uk/items/eating-drinking/tea-coffee-1/mugs-cups) double walled espresso cups and have to say they are very good, although a little small in the espresso format (https://www.horwood.co.uk/items/eating-drinking/tea-coffee-1/mugs-cups/judge-double-walled-glassware-espresso-glass-set-2-piece-75ml.htm), needing precise alignment below the portafilter.

"Borasilicate glass" made me smile - that's pyrex, isn't it?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 27 November, 2019, 10:11:44 am
Yes, but Pyrex is a trademark.  I have a couple of those Judge double-wall glasses without handles, rather nice.

The Silvia spout looks as if it would unscrew, so you can probably replace it with a single spout.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 27 November, 2019, 10:17:15 am
I've had a hankering for the sort of 'comfort food' espresso that is ubiquitous in Italy, and to my surprise I've found a decent source of cheap beans, providing one is a little discerning.....TK Maxx.

I counted about 8 different brands on the shelf, of which half looked like they might be shite. Got a 1kg bag of 'Miguel caffe Riserva day fundador' for £10 and it is bang on. 

Spidey sensors detect trace of robusta, but that is ok because it gives that certain flavour. Went back and got two more bags.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 27 November, 2019, 01:07:03 pm
Robusta in an Italian blend is no surprise.  I liked a pure Javan robusta for a while just because it reminded me of cycling in Italy.

You & Ham discussing grinders & so forth is giving me an urge to de-mothball my beloved Europiccola... that way lies madness.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 27 November, 2019, 01:55:21 pm
I think 10% robusta is about right for many quality café blends.  In my roasting days, I did once buy a quantity of robusta just for the lolz of trying it in a blend.

I'd leave the Europiccola in the cupboard. There is no fun in trying to get a shit bit of kit to produce something good. Just frustration and a caffeine overdose.

Levers came back into fashion a while back, and there are some decent ones on the market @ £1.5k upwards. Think Tewdric has a Londinium.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pcolbeck on 27 November, 2019, 02:02:55 pm
I've had a hankering for the sort of 'comfort food' espresso that is ubiquitous in Italy, and to my surprise I've found a decent source of cheap beans, providing one is a little discerning.....TK Maxx.

I counted about 8 different brands on the shelf, of which half looked like they might be shite. Got a 1kg bag of 'Miguel caffe Riserva day fundador' for £10 and it is bang on. 

Spidey sensors detect trace of robusta, but that is ok because it gives that certain flavour. Went back and got two more bags.

These guys have loads of Italian brands:

https://www.espresso-international.co.uk/

I think there actually based in Germany (or that was where my oder was shipped form last time I bought some).
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 27 November, 2019, 02:04:46 pm
I think 10% robusta is about right for many quality café blends.  In my roasting days, I did once buy a quantity of robusta just for the lolz of trying it in a blend.

I'd leave the Europiccola in the cupboard. There is no fun in trying to get a shit bit of kit to produce something good. Just frustration and a caffeine overdose.

Levers came back into fashion a while back, and there are some decent ones on the market @ £1.5k upwards. Think Tewdric has a Londinium.

Well, as I mentioned before, £1.5k is not the kind of price I'd want to spend just to make coffee, however good.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 27 November, 2019, 02:26:51 pm
I've had a hankering for the sort of 'comfort food' espresso that is ubiquitous in Italy, and to my surprise I've found a decent source of cheap beans, providing one is a little discerning.....TK Maxx.

I counted about 8 different brands on the shelf, of which half looked like they might be shite. Got a 1kg bag of 'Miguel caffe Riserva day fundador' for £10 and it is bang on. 

Spidey sensors detect trace of robusta, but that is ok because it gives that certain flavour. Went back and got two more bags.

These guys have loads of Italian brands:

https://www.espresso-international.co.uk/

I think there actually based in Germany (or that was where my oder was shipped form last time I bought some).

Cheers, but as mentioned above I've found some pretty decent stuff for about £10 kg at the dreaded TK Maxx. A quick browse suggests at least £20 inc p&p for an equivalent. It's not worth spending loads on this kind of thing, its co.mercial cafe grade. In tea terms it's like PG Tips.

I'm quite curious as to how TK have sourced it tbh. I'm assuming bankrupt stock.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 28 November, 2019, 04:16:31 pm
Not so much a "What" as a "How".

Came across these (https://www.horwood.co.uk/items/eating-drinking/tea-coffee-1/mugs-cups) double walled espresso cups and have to say they are very good, although a little small in the espresso format (https://www.horwood.co.uk/items/eating-drinking/tea-coffee-1/mugs-cups/judge-double-walled-glassware-espresso-glass-set-2-piece-75ml.htm), needing precise alignment below the portafilter.

"Borasilicate glass" made me smile - that's pyrex, isn't it?

Well...dishwasher safe?

(https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_1y3Anb_Tsc/Xd_yKrbFodI/AAAAAAADJpw/0We_zLgBDLgIWg8HDb7YhfxdDlkow6P0ACKgBGAsYHg/s800/IMG_20191127_070937.jpg)

However, they are replacing without quibble, so that's OK. I just won't consider them to be dishwasher safe, which is no big deal

Here's the serving suggestion (larger cup version):

(https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Frjxsycrf2I/Xd_ytmDnQTI/AAAAAAADJp4/KYlp9AZwQFcbEiuHkEysa49MWHRutRg7wCKgBGAsYHg/s800/IMG_20191128_070803.jpg)

Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 29 November, 2019, 08:59:38 am
Not so much a "What" as a "How".

Came across these (https://www.horwood.co.uk/items/eating-drinking/tea-coffee-1/mugs-cups) double walled espresso cups and have to say they are very good, although a little small in the espresso format (https://www.horwood.co.uk/items/eating-drinking/tea-coffee-1/mugs-cups/judge-double-walled-glassware-espresso-glass-set-2-piece-75ml.htm), needing precise alignment below the portafilter.

"Borasilicate glass" made me smile - that's pyrex, isn't it?

Well...dishwasher safe?

(https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_1y3Anb_Tsc/Xd_yKrbFodI/AAAAAAADJpw/0We_zLgBDLgIWg8HDb7YhfxdDlkow6P0ACKgBGAsYHg/s800/IMG_20191127_070937.jpg)

However, they are replacing without quibble, so that's OK. I just won't consider them to be dishwasher safe, which is no big deal


Mine go through the dishwasher every day - no problem.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 10 December, 2019, 10:34:40 pm
An update.

First, the cups. They replaced the one that failed with two, I think that's a result.

Anyway, coffee. Yeah.

It was interesting bringing the new gear into play, as I was able to use the same beans and expected to be able to compare. I'm able to produce a half decent shot now, with reasonable consistency; I can report, honestly and without hyperbole, there is no comparison, it just is not the same drink. The flavours in the proper espresso are different and, yes, better. The best output of the old gear comes nowhere near the same drink. That's not to say it wasn't a pleasant drink, it was. But, this is better. I suspect, if I CBA, that using the new grinder on the old machine would have improved matters, but that's bye the bye.

As it happens, it's not always in a good way. The "French Breakfast" blend which I enjoy as filter or cafetiere and also through the old espresso machine doesn't taste good to me as espresso through the new gear. That's fair enough, I would describe French Breakfast coffee as intrinsically filter.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 11 December, 2019, 05:39:02 am
It might be a little too dark. Remember that properly extracted espresso concentrates all the flaws in the beans. People often think that espresso must come from incinerated beans, but actually if you look at most italian cafe beans they are medium to medium-dark roast. Also remember that you have to try quite hard to get a consistent shot from a Silvia, so theres that.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 11 December, 2019, 08:57:58 am
The sooner you can get a PID onto the Silvia the better.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 11 December, 2019, 01:01:47 pm
It might be a little too dark. Remember that properly extracted espresso concentrates all the flaws in the beans. People often think that espresso must come from incinerated beans, but actually if you look at most italian cafe beans they are medium to medium-dark roast. Also remember that you have to try quite hard to get a consistent shot from a Silvia, so theres that.

Well, yes, tried a few options but given I have several other beans (currently Cuban Serrano, which is divine) I'm happy to move the French Breakfast over to the times I fancy other than an espresso. The worst shots I've had from the Silvia are still OK, although it is possible to see what the fuss is about. There is variability, but my criteria is more whether I would be happy to be served that in a coffee shop (almost always, yes), rather than is it the best that it could be (almost certainly, I have a lot to learn).

On the PID front, I'm tempted by the mecoffee gubbins, but I am not unhappy even without it.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Pingu on 14 December, 2019, 05:05:17 pm
Cuban coffee.

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49200954963_46bd1a7ea5_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2hXHKLX)
IMG_5225_01 (https://flic.kr/p/2hXHKLX) by The Pingus (https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_pingus/), on Flickr
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 14 December, 2019, 05:37:38 pm
Cuban coffee.


It's a slippery slope......

I'm on the last few days of my Caffe Serrano I brought back from Cuba. I'm in a quandary. It's a really satisfying cup of coffee, robust and rounded that - for my taste -knocks most locally bought coffees into a cocked roaster.

But, do I  just write it off to a slowly fading holiday experience, along with the chords and melody of Chan Chan, ot do I chase it down? (https://iflycuba.com/product/serrano-cafe/) Decisions, decisions.

(and yes, mine came back in similar packaging....)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 14 December, 2019, 05:48:55 pm
Chase it down. I used to buy a lot of it about 15 years ago.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 15 December, 2019, 09:22:20 am

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

Does that include getting a decent single espresso? Struggling with that, don't use it much but I've tried four times this morning after trying for real last night after a meal and can't say that any was as good as the doubles I normally do.

Coffee Compass is the source of my Cuban Serrano. It has disappeared from their online shop, amusingly (? possibly more sinister than that) Paypal as an USAnian co objects !!1! to cuban trade even if it isn't headed usa-wards so you have to phone them direct, if you want it,  and use the SEEKRIT password - "here's my credit card" works.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 15 December, 2019, 09:58:15 am
Single basket?

Notoriously harder than using a double and IME much more prone to channelling (where water takes path of least resistance and pisses though without extracting resulting in bitter weak taste). Tamping technique vital.

But, youd have to tell me exactly what you are doing (weight of coffee to weight of drink) and what you mean when you say "isnt as good"
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 15 December, 2019, 12:06:58 pm
Yes, single basket. Using a grind that works well in the double, tried 6g (too little) 7 (best but still "thin") and 8 (better than 6, not as good as 7, bitterness coming in). Tamping, I try to even the pile then tamp down (with the supplied plastic tamper) and pushing harder, moving around to the edges.

I wonder what happens if I put a single dose in the double basket.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 15 December, 2019, 12:45:22 pm
Plastic tamper, you say?

 :facepalm:
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 15 December, 2019, 12:47:51 pm
 ;) Get a proper tamper. They arent expensive.

One possible avenue to try is to grind much finer and tamp lighter. By lighter, I mean holder the tamper mid-air and pressing the basket into it, rather than the other way round.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Pingu on 18 December, 2019, 06:29:16 pm

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

Does that include getting a decent single espresso? Struggling with that, don't use it much but I've tried four times this morning after trying for real last night after a meal and can't say that any was as good as the doubles I normally do.

Coffee Compass is the source of my Cuban Serrano. It has disappeared from their online shop, amusingly (? possibly more sinister than that) Paypal as an USAnian co objects !!1! to cuban trade even if it isn't headed usa-wards so you have to phone them direct, if you want it,  and use the SEEKRIT password - "here's my credit card" works.

MacBeans (https://www.macbeans.com/price-lists.html) in Furry Boot Toon  have a Serrano Superior which costs £9.10 for 250g including shipping. I've no idea if that's relatively expensive or not!
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pumpkin on 19 December, 2019, 03:19:06 pm
Rapha have got a Hario V60 on their site now. Same price as the regular one from Hario
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 19 December, 2019, 03:41:12 pm
The word 'Rapha' on the device wont make the coffee taste any different.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: ian on 19 December, 2019, 03:54:30 pm
It will if the coffee has been filtered through pre-worn Rapha-branded cycling shorts.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 19 December, 2019, 03:59:24 pm
Its the glacial Rapha water that has passed through the sacred rock of the Stelvio, taking out with it some of the essence of the spirit of cycling. The suffering, the pain...
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pumpkin on 20 December, 2019, 03:17:52 pm
surely only water (unfiltered)that passed under the wheels of Bartali and Coppi could be suitable. Or volcanic water from Puy-de-Dome when Anquetil and Poulidor rode mano a mano.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pcolbeck on 20 December, 2019, 04:43:18 pm
No idea but its nice. I bought five 250gm pouches from a Leeds roastery that was at Malton Food Festival a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately the bean type was on business card sized labels clipped to the packet with a paper-clip. Of course by the time I got home they had all fallen off. So random it is until they are gone.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 12 January, 2020, 07:49:56 am
Today? Just Not Turkish Coffee*. After a week of it, my conclusion: it's fascinating you can make a drink like that, good on yer. But, why bother?

I found a possible explanation for the consistency on a label
(click to show/hide)


* Actually, Coffee Compass Moka Italia blend, seeing as how you asked.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Basil on 12 January, 2020, 08:13:32 am
So. Proper builder's coffee then?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 12 January, 2020, 09:27:22 am
Reminds me of a joke that ended "their windaes fell oot".

Anent tamping, mentioned a month ago, looking for tampers on Amazon France is fun: they're often billed as sabotages.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: andrewc on 17 May, 2020, 11:39:34 am
I'm at the end of my last order from Coffee Compass, so decided to support my local roaster instead.  https://92degrees.coffee    I had some of their Yellow Bourbon a couple of months back & it was lovely. 
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: markcjagar on 17 May, 2020, 12:59:26 pm
I've been drinking Dark Peak from Smith St. a local roaster.

I make cold brew and mix with chocolate Oatly which is delicious to take to work or on a longer ride.

Hot I drink black made with an Aeropress, it's a really nice brew.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: DrMekon on 20 May, 2020, 11:33:00 am
Got a cheap Sage DTP (thermocoil with PID) and a load of stuff from Rave at the beginning of lockdown, then a load more from Foundry in Sheffield. Grinding with a MC2.

From Rave
Colombia El Carmen (Suarez Project) < got as a safe bet to dial in the espresso machine.
Brazil Zona de Varginha < delicious in espresso
Guatemala Bosques de San Francisco < working in the espresso and the v60
El Salvador Los Pirineos Pacamara < floral, fruity - amazing for pourover

From Foundry
DAMBI UDO, GUJI - massive pineapple and blueberry flavour. More fruity than the tinned strawberry finca limoncello I usually get from Hasbean. Only for V60.
El Jardin Colombia - mostly caramel, bit of plum. Boring in the pourover, great in the machine.
No 9. - Foundry's espresso roast version of El Jardin. Hard to screw up in the machine. Really forgiving in terms of grind / tamp. Whether it rushed out in 20s or got close to choking the machine, as long as I got 36g out for 18g in, it was delicious. On my second kilo.

Mostly drink espresso and pourover, but practising latte art in case the unis go bust and I need another job. Really inconsistent, but texture is always good. Need more practice.

(https://thumbsnap.com/t/JQdtgaJN.jpg) (https://thumbsnap.com/JQdtgaJN)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pcolbeck on 20 May, 2020, 11:51:42 am
Bog standard Lavazza Red in the filter machine this morning. Next up though is some single origin Ethiopian  roasted by our local Malton coffee emporium Roost.

https://www.roostcoffee.co.uk/shop/ethiopia-shalaitu/

They do mail order as well as having a small shop / cafe (not very long opening hours and closed some days so check the times before you visit once the lock down is over).
Great coffee at reasonable prices.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 20 May, 2020, 02:32:51 pm
I've run out of commercial Italian bar coffee, which I like for its neutrality as espresso. Back on the Coffee Compass Jampit. Oh my god, I've missed that deep leathery fug seeping through the creamy steamed milk. 

Used to drink Rave (know the owners quite well) until they changed their roasting machine to one more suited to light roasts, and it just didn't do it for me.  Haven't found anything to beat CC for value for money yet.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: citoyen on 21 May, 2020, 12:55:04 am
Haven't found anything to beat CC for value for money yet.

Thanks for the tip.

Value for money is a big uptick at the moment with the amount of coffee I'm getting through while WFH. I'm mostly chugging my way through Aldi specials - definitely a case of quantity over quality, but it's palatable enough in the Chemex. I did treat myself to something nice from Hasbean (the Philter blend) to fill out the order when I bought some new filters, but that feels like a lifetime ago.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pcolbeck on 21 May, 2020, 06:55:03 pm
Haven't found anything to beat CC for value for money yet.

Thanks for the tip.

Value for money is a big uptick at the moment with the amount of coffee I'm getting through while WFH. I'm mostly chugging my way through Aldi specials - definitely a case of quantity over quality, but it's palatable enough in the Chemex. I did treat myself to something nice from Hasbean (the Philter blend) to fill out the order when I bought some new filters, but that feels like a lifetime ago.

Keep a lookout at Lidl too. Their normal coffees are a bit crap but every so often they have kilo bags of 100% aribica Italian blend beans roasted in Italy. Those are OK and cheap.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 22 May, 2020, 10:17:19 am
Maxicoffee's Italian blend again: unspecified Brazilian, Ethiopian, Congo, plus 20% Cherry.  Our local roaster does something similar but he uses Viet robusta and the result is vile.

Never tried any Congolese coffee. I used to get a red bourbon from Burundi that was good, I'd imagine something similar.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: DrMekon on 26 May, 2020, 02:17:14 pm
Back on Rave Colombia El Carmen, at £20 a kilo, as my local roaster is sold out of espresso beans for 3 weeks. We're getting through a kilo a week WFH. I've seen Coffee Compass recommended on coffee forums UK. I see they are doing mystery coffee of £14 a kilo. That's a useful saving.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 26 May, 2020, 02:44:45 pm
I see they are doing mystery coffee of £14 a kilo. That's a useful saving.

If you like a rich dark roast, it's rather good, too. I've tended to gravitate to grading coffee according to how long I enjoy it after I've finished drinking it, and it's fair for that, too.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 31 May, 2020, 08:29:46 am
Today, I am sipping the flavour of the harvest of virgins. Not just virgins, but virgins that have undergone a selection process followed by 25 years of training under zen masters, while absorbing the combined works of Plutarch, Pythagoros and Plato and at the same time achieving grand master status on an instrument of their choice (it wasn't all hard work)

AKA  Brazil Ipanema Fazenda Rio Verde Grano Segreto Premier Cru Gold Edition A40 Wine Red Acaia (http://www.premiercru1887.com/concept.html)

(From CC (https://www.coffeecompass.co.uk/products/brazil-ipanema-premier-cru-gold-edition-red-acaia-500g))

Is it any good? Yes, definitely. Would I say it was "better" than other favourite coffees, like the Cuban Serrano? probably not, although it is a very fine coffee indeed. Worth a punt, for sure.


( A review from someone who reviews coffee is here (https://darkwoodscoffee.co.uk/article/new-coffee---ipanema-premier-cru) )
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: perpetual dan on 31 May, 2020, 09:55:32 am
I splashed out on some Small Batch (https://www.smallbatchcoffee.co.uk/) filter roast. It's where I'd go for a nice cup of filter from work, when I need a change from work espresso (I know, 1st world problems is over there). Anyway, still tasty.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pcolbeck on 13 July, 2020, 10:23:06 am
Today if I can find a kettle lead I will be trying out a Russell Hobbs / Wedgwood coffee percolator that looks exactly like this one:

(https://thumbs.worthpoint.com/zoom/images1/360/0414/04/vintage-russell-hobbs-ceramic-coffe_360_b3a1c93570254b4a6c57a529083a4c76.jpg)

I found this at the back of a cupboard when clearing my Mum and Dads house out. I haven't see a peculator bar a moka pot type one for decades so this bit of 70s retro might be fun.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pcolbeck on 13 July, 2020, 10:28:43 am
It seem Russell Hobbs designed the worlds first electric coffee peculator the CP1 in 1952. Mines a CP3 but looks very much the same bar the floral design and 70s colours.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 13 July, 2020, 10:30:12 am
Good luck with that.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 13 July, 2020, 11:10:44 am
I bought a kilo of Lavazza Classic 100% arabica from Waitrose last week.

It is shite.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pcolbeck on 13 July, 2020, 11:20:39 am
I bought a kilo of Lavazza Classic 100% arabica from Waitrose last week.

It is shite.

The golds not very good either. The only one I like is the Qualità Rossa but that's in a drip machine not an espresso machine.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pcolbeck on 13 July, 2020, 11:32:28 am
The CP3 is up and running. The indicator light doesn't seem to work but maybe that comes on when its brewed.
Its rattling and bubbling away.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pcolbeck on 13 July, 2020, 11:57:23 am
And it worked and the little light came on when it had finished. A bit bitter. Might try using boiling water next time.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 13 July, 2020, 12:08:50 pm
No! doesn't work. It depends on pulsing up the water and turns off when the bottom temperature reaches 80 or some such. That's really as good as it gets. Put it together with something like "Lyons Coffee" if you want something authentic and possibly more drinkable
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pcolbeck on 13 July, 2020, 12:30:24 pm
No! doesn't work. It depends on pulsing up the water and turns off when the bottom temperature reaches 80 or some such. That's really as good as it gets. Put it together with something like "Lyons Coffee" if you want something authentic and possibly more drinkable

Thanks for the warning on using boiling water. I think your right re trying a coffee that's less bitter to start with. To be honest its not going to get much use, more of a curiosity and I'm fond of the styling and the fact it was my Mums's. Plus it annoys the hell out of Mrs Pcolbeck who really doesn't like 70s styling :)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 13 July, 2020, 01:12:24 pm
Plus it annoys the hell out of Mrs Pcolbeck who really doesn't like 70s styling :)

Didn't think there was any.  No, wait! Sag bags. They were great. <google, google> Oh. They call them bean bags these days. "Sag bag" seems to be an impolite anatomical epithet.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pcolbeck on 13 July, 2020, 01:33:26 pm
Plus it annoys the hell out of Mrs Pcolbeck who really doesn't like 70s styling :)

Didn't think there was any.

Don't tell Bang & Olufson that:
(https://www.classicaudio.fi/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/2400aa1.jpg)
1970s Beomaster 2400
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pcolbeck on 08 September, 2020, 06:01:53 am
Nescafe Gold Blend. I ran out of proper coffee. I was sure there was a packet of emergency Lavazza Rosso at the back of the cupboard but nope there wasn't ...
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 08 September, 2020, 07:57:23 am
Not a bad idea, that ^^^.  Packed in nitrogen, isn't it, so that it doesn't oxidize? Though I suspect they all are these days.

Last year the mayor & council gave us a basket of goodies for our 50th wedding anniversary.  It included a packet of pre-ground Grand-Mère coffee, which is what Cleo could have used for lack of an asp. We still have it: we might hand it down to our kids for use as a doorstop.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: citoyen on 30 March, 2021, 01:15:59 pm
I need to re-up my stock of Chemex filters. Whenever I do this, I use it as an excuse to buy some decent coffee at the same time (helps to fill out the order and offset delivery charges).

So, where's good for buying coffee online these days that also sells Chemex filters? I tend to default to hasbean but I'm open to suggestions.

Also, any actual coffee recommendations would be welcome - anything that's good for filter, bearing in mind I tend to drink it long with milk.

Lately, my staple has been Aldi's 'Specially Selected' Colombian, which is fine for maintaining my blood caffeine levels, but not exactly the serious gourmet shit.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 30 March, 2021, 01:22:15 pm
Pretty much anything African for filter, especially Ethiopian
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 31 March, 2021, 07:03:12 am
Been mulling over which roasters to recommend but not sure I can as I've not been very eclectic in my choice for at least 5 years. Problem is some of them are a triumph of marketing over substance. Websites that evoke thoughts of 19th century Red brick warehouses with rough wood fittings reclaimed from the sea. Silhouetted bare-chested black-bearded men showered in red sparks as they flame the beans, their raw deep testosterone voices singing sea shanties. Bags in monochrome colours with labels that look hand made on a 1970s typewriter. But coffee that  tastes like cardboard.

I've always found Extract to be pretty good though (although I only ever buy their espresso blends)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: citoyen on 31 March, 2021, 12:06:27 pm
Problem is some of them are a triumph of marketing over substance. Websites that evoke thoughts of 19th century Red brick warehouses with rough wood fittings reclaimed from the sea. Silhouetted bare-chested black-bearded men showered in red sparks as they flame the beans, their raw deep testosterone voices singing sea shanties. Bags in monochrome colours with labels that look hand made on a 1970s typewriter. But coffee that  tastes like cardboard.

I know exactly what you mean. And there are just soooo many of them now. Fucking hipsters.

Looking around, it seems to be pretty much impossible to get Chemex filters at the moment anyway - absolutely no one has them in stock. I might need to revert to the cafetière...  :o

Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 31 March, 2021, 12:19:26 pm
Forgive my ignorance but do chemex need proprietory filters? There may be some generic ones on ebay
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: citoyen on 31 March, 2021, 12:59:20 pm
Chemex needs conical filters rather than the Melitta-style ones with a flat edge - similar to the Hario V60, but larger. Also the proprietary Chemex filters are noticeably heavier/thicker, which supposedly gives better results. Those considerations aside, no special reason to use proprietary Chemex filters - I just need to find some the right size. Ebay is not a bad shout, I'll have a look.

I also have a 101 size (single cup) Melitta cone, but getting filters for that has always been a pain - they're widely available in France (or used to be), but have never been common in the UK. A plastic V60 cone is cheap enough, maybe I should just get one of those.

I have the Aeropress too, of course - and a plentiful supply of filter papers for that.

ETA: some online research suggests that Cafec are a good quality alternative brand for filters. Might try those.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 31 March, 2021, 01:47:38 pm
You could always try Jemex (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_nDLydF_jo)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: offcumden on 31 March, 2021, 08:47:16 pm
Since our espresso machine blew a gasket a couple of weeks ago we've been drinking filter coffee (usually a Colombian blend), and have now bought a 'Clever Dripper' while we decide what to do next. 
Am impressed by the quality of the brew from the Dripper, and the lack of faff.  Might even stick with the new device once we've found the most satisfactory grind/brew time/coffee variety. Can't say we're really coffee connoisseurs, and once the coffee shops re-open we'll be able to satisfy espresso/capuccino craving without the faff.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 01 April, 2021, 06:06:56 am
Faff you say. Don't ever buy a vacuum coffee maker then  ;)

Either espresso machine (least faff of all methods for me) or simple cone filter for me. Not a huge fan of cafetiere (always makes me feel a bit sick, plus caffeine content is enormous), nor aeropress (stewy flavour to my taste buds). Vacuum is fun and results are good but the faffage and cleaning outweigh this. Never tried a chemex, but not sure how/why it would differ from cone filter.

Speaking of which, time for second breakfast flat white...
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Danu on 01 April, 2021, 07:03:12 am
I believe there are machines which can display personal messages on their display, so may be possible to get one to say Hello.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 01 April, 2021, 07:05:33 am
You wouldn't believe just how upset some people would be by that...
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: citoyen on 01 April, 2021, 07:43:37 am
Never tried a chemex, but not sure how/why it would differ from cone filter.

It’s all in the filters - they’re more filtery. Or something. If you can get them.

I’d say the main reason to choose a Chemex over other filters is that it’s a lovely object that looks good in one’s hipster kitchen, next to the Hario pouring kettle and freshly baked sourdough loaf.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 01 April, 2021, 08:23:10 am
Yeah the Hario kettle is a thing of beauty. But...with a small commercial espresso machine, and a massive cafe grinder already I'd probably have to get rid of the cooker
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Mr Larrington on 01 April, 2021, 11:37:32 am
Having cranked up my Google-fu to learn about these thing you Earth people call “a Hario kettle*” this Unit's attention was drawn to the Bugatti Vera carbon-fibre kettle (https://www.latzio.com/product/kitchendining/kitchenappliances/kettles/vera-carbon-fibre-kettle), which is a snip at only £2150.  Free delivery too :thumbsup:

* which to me resembles a tin sculpture of a Walnut Whip with a spout welded on as an afterthought
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 01 April, 2021, 11:48:07 am
Whereas the Haribo one looks like the poo emoticon

(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2399/1771/products/Hario_BuonoV60DripKettle_VKB-120HSV_800x.jpg?v=1603792748)

And MrL, surely not being a cheapskate you would have chosen the Swar-wotsit Krystal Kettle (https://www.latzio.com/product/kitchendining/kitchenappliances/kettles/vera-swarovski-crystal-kettle/?v=79cba1185463)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Mr Larrington on 01 April, 2021, 11:50:05 am
And MrL, surely not being a cheapskate you would have chosen the Swar-wotsit Krystal Kettle (https://www.latzio.com/product/kitchendining/kitchenappliances/kettles/vera-swarovski-crystal-kettle/?v=79cba1185463)

Ewwwwwww!  Tacky!
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 01 April, 2021, 01:25:41 pm
I am currently testing five Italian coffees on special offer from Maxicoffee. Results thus far: three out of five of them are vile.

MC did an excellent Italian blend but back in December they replaced Cherry robusta with something naff from Rwanda, and the stuff now tastes like jock-strap squeezings.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: andrewc on 01 April, 2021, 09:00:57 pm
Since our espresso machine blew a gasket a couple of weeks ago we've been drinking filter coffee (usually a Colombian blend), and have now bought a 'Clever Dripper' while we decide what to do next. 
Am impressed by the quality of the brew from the Dripper, and the lack of faff.  Might even stick with the new device once we've found the most satisfactory grind/brew time/coffee variety. Can't say we're really coffee connoisseurs, and once the coffee shops re-open we'll be able to satisfy espresso/capuccino craving without the faff.


A large size Clever Dripper is my daily weapon of choice.  It makes a decent mug of brew.  The cafetiere still comes out occasionally.  I may as well put the Moka pots & Aeropress in the 'for sale" section.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 02 April, 2021, 01:50:43 pm
Fourth vile-coffee test today: upped the qty of beans, dropped the water qty and pulled a double. Slightly better, but now my eyes are jiggling in their sockets.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 02 April, 2021, 01:56:50 pm
Has the 'artisan' roastery thing not hit France yet?

Maxicoffee is fine if you want Italian bar coffee, but lots of their stock is incredibly expensive for what it is, IMHO.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 02 April, 2021, 02:40:36 pm
Has the 'artisan' roastery thing not hit France yet?

Maxicoffee is fine if you want Italian bar coffee, but lots of their stock is incredibly expensive for what it is, IMHO.

Years ago.  There are a couple of roasters in our area but I don't like either of them.  As I noted above I was drinking MC's Italian blend but they buggered it up. They had a special last week on Italian brands but from the flavour I'd put them at supermarket level.

There are a few other "artisan roasters" on line so I'll go prospecting.  I might start roasting again myself if I get desperate.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: citoyen on 02 April, 2021, 02:50:26 pm
Looking around for suitable alternatives to Chemex proprietary filters, I found this site which goes into the matter in some detail:
https://foodsguy.com/best-chemex-filter-alternatives/

He's right that you get a very 'pure' cup of coffee from a Chemex. Whether or not you would consider this a benefit is perhaps down to personal taste. I certainly prefer Chemex to cafetière. Might not appeal so much to espresso fans.

I wasn't aware of the supposed health benefits but that all sounds a bit dubious to me anyway.

I looked up the Able Kone re-usable metal filter he mentions. It's £45! Fuck that.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 02 April, 2021, 03:11:55 pm
That's why I don't really like cafetiere, it's too 'muddy'. The cleanest flavour I've had is from a glass vacuum set (not tried a Chemex though) but it's just too much faff for me these days.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 08 April, 2021, 01:04:38 pm
That's why I don't really like cafetiere, it's too 'muddy'. The cleanest flavour I've had is from a glass vacuum set (not tried a Chemex though) but it's just too much faff for me these days.

I have one of those, and it does produce a good result at 60-70 grammes/litre.  Trouble is that MrsT doesn't drink coffee and the minimum amount it'll make is enough to stand me on my ear at that concentration.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 08 April, 2021, 01:23:08 pm
Very true. You can't just make one cup with the things. The other thing I found with them is that they are very very wasteful. You need an awful lot of coffee beans.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 26 April, 2021, 03:24:19 pm
Having faffed around with my machine's settings I've finally coaxed a good flavour out of Maxicoffee's Italian blend.  I need to put it on a UPS now, the catch-22 being that to do so I'd have to unplug it and lose the settings. Still, I've got my drug-dealer's scales and I can remember the rest.

Anyway, came in here to post this:

Quote
Arabica-like flavour in a heat-tolerant wild coffee species

There are numerous factors to consider when developing climate-resilient coffee crops, including the ability to tolerate altered climatic conditions, meet agronomic and value chain criteria, and satisfy consumer preferences for flavour (aroma and taste). We evaluated the sensory characteristics and key environmental requirements for the enigmatic narrow-leaved coffee (Coffea stenophylla), a wild species from Upper West Africa1. We confirm historical reports of a superior flavour1,2,3 and uniquely, and remarkably, reveal a sensory profile analogous to high-quality Arabica coffee. We demonstrate that this species grows and crops under the same range of key climatic conditions as (sensorially inferior) robusta and Liberica coffee4,5,6,7,8,9 and at a mean annual temperature 6.2–6.8 °C higher than Arabica coffee, even under equivalent rainfall conditions. This species substantially broadens the climate envelope for high-quality coffee and could provide an important resource for the development of climate-resilient coffee crop plants.

You can still trust Nescafé to fuck it up, though.

From https://www.nature.com/articles/s41477-021-00891-4
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pcolbeck on 31 May, 2021, 12:27:51 pm
New grinder delivered yesterday and used for the first time today.

(https://www.melitta.co.uk/media/image/a6/2a/65/Kaffeemuehle-Melitta-Calibra-Kaffeemuehle-Waage-6766579.png)

This replaces the DeLonghi KG79 that has given sterling service being used at least once a day for over ten years, The knobs on it have now developed that weird rubber disease where the rubber goes sticky which makes it unpleasant to use and hard to clean. Apart form that highly recommended as a cheap burr grinder (unless you want espresso as it wont go fine enough for that).

The Melitta has a lot more grind finesses graduation plus it has an inbuilt scale so you can automatically grind a set amount rather than relying on a crude timer as in the DeLonghi.
It can also grind straight into a no 4 filter in a basket which along with the vertical rather than sideways delivery of the ground coffee should make for less mess which will make Mrs Pcolbeck happy. Also the hopper will take a full 225 or 250g packet of beans which is convenient.

Again probably no good for use with an espresso machine but I don't have one of those and for anything else it should be good.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 31 May, 2021, 01:44:25 pm
Yeah...its espresso that really demands the right grinder, although I know the real obsessives disagree with me and insist on Mahlkonig EK machines for any sort of pourover brew.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: markcjagar on 31 May, 2021, 06:47:55 pm
So I bought a special gizmo attachment thingy for my Aeropress that is designed to make something that is as close to espresso as is possible with an Aeropress, apparently.

It's the Fellow Prismo Pressure-Actuated Attachment for AeroPress (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fellow-Prismo-AeroPress-Coffee-Attachment/dp/B079YBT2LJ/ref=asc_df_B079YBT2LJ/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=256191362105&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16502991957340610815&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007064&hvtargid=pla-437202695431&psc=1).

I was sceptical but honestly, it's really good. A shot on it's own is surprisingly good and pressed into a mug of microwaved oat milk is as close to a latté as I need to get my day going.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: nobby on 01 June, 2021, 12:42:16 am
The house blend from Cafe 212 in Wombourne.
Good coffee for those near enough or passing through.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pcolbeck on 16 June, 2021, 02:47:12 pm
So I've had the Melitta Calibra for several weeks now and its been a great success.

1) The tare function and inbuilt scales really work well. I have it set to 20g (1/2 a jug for me) and its coped admirably with whatever receptacle I chuck under it to catch the coffee.
2) Very little mess! Mrs Pcolbeck is very happy. It doesn't distribute coffee all over the work surface like the old one. Was a tad staticy to begin with but has settled down.
3) I'm wasting less coffee due to 1) and 2) above.

Lets see if it lasts as long as the Delonghi though.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Slave To The Viking on 14 November, 2021, 01:01:42 am
Been using Taylor's Hot Lava Java beans for a wee while now. Far darker than I'd normally think to use for espresso, but I've been happy with the ground version in a cafetiere for years so thought I'd give them a bash, and actually they're acquitting themselves admirably.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 27 August, 2022, 01:10:57 pm
Looks like nobody's drinking coffee these days. Well, neither was I, at home, but with my barn door project demanding time & effort above & beyond I've been kick-starting myself morning & afternoon with espresso. I had ¾ of a bag of decent beans from a roaster in France, but at 12g the shot that ran out yesterday, so after rooting through the freezer in desperation I'm consuming the last 100g of a blend marked "Gout Italien" from a local roaster that I stashed in there 5 or 6 years ago because it was so bloody 'orrible that I decided to keep it for emergencies.  Think creosote with an aftertaste of coal and the mouthfeel of a wire brush.

I've re-ordered some of the decent stuff but it won't be delivered until Tuesday or Wednesday. Until then I have lots of Gaviscon.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 27 August, 2022, 02:10:51 pm
Just back from 3 weeks in Italy and France. I like Italian bar coffee, for all its uniformity and lack of sophistication. It was, generally, great, bar a couple of really horrid shots including an Illy Gusto Forte at the Ferrari museum.

The coffee in France was, by contrast, disgusting and very expensive. Great jets of underextracted sour piss gushing into an oversized cup. €2.30.

Back home now, and I've opened a bag of Lavazza (generally shite) 100% arabica I got from Waitrose, and its quite nice. Must pop out to TKMaxx to see what treasure they have.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 02 September, 2022, 04:48:45 pm
Pleasant surprise dept: in the absence of decent coffee last Sunday I bought a 500g bag of Carrefour's Latin American blend and was pleased to find it worked very well if I cut down to around 10g / shot instead of 12.  It looks like a second-crack roast, black with shiny bits where the oils have started to come out.  Works well as espresso or in a cappu.

Then on Wednesday the decent stuff came out so I've ben drinking medium-roast Cerrado Mineiro at 10g/shot, but I'm still using the Carrefour stuff for cappuccini so the one's mixed with the remains of the other that are left in the grinder hopper.  It ain't purity but the results are nice.

I started on coffee again to keep going during the barn door marathon. I'll need to cut down again once I've done. I'll just get through this 1.5 kg of beans first...
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 02 September, 2022, 04:56:09 pm
I've ordered a few bags of Italian bar coffee off eBay. A bag of Covim, a Genovese roaster whose coffee I drank in Liguria, and Kimbo, a neopolitan roaster.  Still on the Lavazza 100% arabica, which isn't that bad.

Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 02 September, 2022, 05:04:57 pm
I can get both of those from a French website but their minium size of bag is 1 kg, which is a bit hefty to try. I like Italian bar coffee too, though, so once I get through my current hoard I might try it - I still have a few spare valved bags to split it into.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 02 September, 2022, 06:09:36 pm
I can get both of those from a French website but their minium size of bag is 1 kg, which is a bit hefty to try. I like Italian bar coffee too, though, so once I get through my current hoard I might try it - I still have a few spare valved bags to split it into.

Go careful with the Covim...they do several grades of bar coffee, one of which is pretty heavy on the robusta. I quite like a touch of it for a faint burnt rubber taste, but too much is pure shite. Ditto Kimbo, I guess.

Have a look on ebay. It might be cheaper than your French supplier (maxicoffee?)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 03 September, 2022, 07:42:37 am
I can get both of those from a French website but their minium size of bag is 1 kg, which is a bit hefty to try. I like Italian bar coffee too, though, so once I get through my current hoard I might try it - I still have a few spare valved bags to split it into.

Go careful with the Covim...they do several grades of bar coffee, one of which is pretty heavy on the robusta. I quite like a touch of it for a faint burnt rubber taste, but too much is pure shite. Ditto Kimbo, I guess.

Have a look on ebay. It might be cheaper than your French supplier (maxicoffee?)

I do get most of my coffee from Maxicoffee, but the Covim was on another site, https://www.coffee-webstore.com.  Their Covim runs about 10€/kg.  Maxicoffee's Italian blend is my staple - I'd put it at ~20% robusta but not always from the same country.

Last time I was in Italy the hotel barman was serving Segafredo, and it was excellent.  I reckon it's as much the barista as the coffee.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 03 September, 2022, 07:54:38 am
I've ordered a few bags of Italian bar coffee off eBay. A bag of Covim, a Genovese roaster whose coffee I drank in Liguria, and Kimbo, a neopolitan roaster.  Still on the Lavazza 100% arabica, which isn't that bad.

FWIW (as it was you who put me onto them) the current Coffee Compass mystery stuff is, at least for me, very excellent and possibly the best quality "mystery" they have had.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 03 September, 2022, 08:22:53 am
Last time I was in Italy the hotel barman was serving Segafredo, and it was excellent.  I reckon it's as much the barista as the coffee.

I agree (to a fairly large degree), purely because the coffee experience in Italy is pretty homogenous....but I think that is down to most of the coffee being  'safe', as in pretty easy to extract. Occasionally you get the collision of poor coffee and poor barista. I don't think the bars are chopping and changing their bean suppliers very often so that lends itself to consistency. Bit like having Guinness in a pub.

The French, however, manage to use bad beans badly, so I fully appreciate why you've gone your own way with coffee.

Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 03 September, 2022, 08:25:06 am
I've ordered a few bags of Italian bar coffee off eBay. A bag of Covim, a Genovese roaster whose coffee I drank in Liguria, and Kimbo, a neopolitan roaster.  Still on the Lavazza 100% arabica, which isn't that bad.

FWIW (as it was you who put me onto them) the current Coffee Compass mystery stuff is, at least for me, very excellent and possibly the best quality "mystery" they have had.

Thankyou for the tip. I haven't bought from them recently...having discovered the lucky dip that is bar coffee from TKMaxx, and also Sumatran beans from Waitrose that are a reasonable price and produce a nice smoky flat white.

But, I'll have a look. What does it taste like?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 03 September, 2022, 09:26:13 am
What does it taste like?

Not sure I have the lexicon, but to me it has an excellent balance of acidity and chocolatey roundness, as you drink it it says "HERE I AM" pretty strongly up front, and hangs around after saying, "now, wasn't that fun?" (may not be the most technical review). Possibly my favourite coffee is cuban serrano, and it has features in common, but not as flavoured or nuanced. I would have thought that it would be very commonly liked, the sort of flavour you'd expect from the house coffee of a decent cafe, it's £17/Kg. Bear in mind, I never add milk.

ETA, I've tried each of their mysteries since I've started using them and this is the first I would re-order. Others have been ok, but this is good (IMO)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 03 September, 2022, 09:32:58 am
The French, however, manage to use bad beans badly, so I fully appreciate why you've gone your own way with coffee.

Yes. From what I can remember a lot of bar suppliers got heavy on low-cost robusta in the 50's, until by the 70's most of it was pure robusta.  Most people put sugar in it, so it didn't matter.  At the same time, most places served it in an espresso cup filled to the brim.  The quality of bean improved a bit over the years but the full-cup habit persisted.  I have had good shots in a few places, but you have to get lucky. That's why I drink café-au-lait when I'm cycling.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 03 September, 2022, 09:36:29 am
@Ham

Thankyou. Yes, milk is a different beast. It tempers overly acidic fruity coffees into something I can bear, but it swamps the subtleties of exquisite beans. Its a quandary because I like sweet Italian bar espresso now and again, but it is bland with milk. Maybe I need two grinders and two machines?  ;)

I got into Cuban serrano couple of decades ago after trying it in Cuba. It was roasted pretty dark and was a bit like a really good Indonesian coffee. Couldn't get it here at the time, so had to import ground pre-roasted stuff.  Then I found a source of green and roasted it myself. Sold my roaster about 6 or 7 years ago and can't be arsed with that now.

I'm still lamenting the disappearance some years ago of Harrar coffee. Had a really good earthy fruitiness that held up with a medium dark roast level. When blended with a more neutral central American bean it made an amazing flat white. Just can't find it now, or if you can it's crazy expensive and not good quality.

Will have a look at the CC Mystery
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 03 September, 2022, 09:38:24 am
I still have a sneaking fondness for the two-star hotel breakfast buckets of filter that snared me in the 80s.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 03 September, 2022, 09:40:00 am
I developed a taste for the French stuff when I lived there in the very late 80s, but I can't stand it now. It didn't help arriving in France after 2 weeks in Italy.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 03 September, 2022, 09:42:06 am
@Ham

Thankyou. Yes, milk is a different beast. It tempers overly acidic fruity coffees into something I can bear, but it swamps the subtleties of exquisite beans. Its a quandary because I like sweet Italian bar espresso now and again, but it is bland with milk. Maybe I need two grinders and two machines?  ;)

I got into Cuban serrano couple of decades ago after trying it in Cuba. It was roasted pretty dark and was a bit like a really good Indonesian coffee. Couldn't get it here at the time, so had to import ground pre-roasted stuff.  Then I found a source of green and roasted it myself. Sold my roaster about 6 or 7 years ago and can't be arsed with that now.

I'm still lamenting the disappearance some years ago of Harrar coffee. Had a really good earthy fruitiness that held up with a medium dark roast level. When blended with a more neutral central American bean it made an amazing flat white. Just can't find it now, or if you can it's crazy expensive and not good quality.

Will have a look at the CC Mystery

That CC have Cuban is the one thing that keeps me from going elsewhere. They also had an excellent Indonesia Sulawesi Kalossi Toraja, gone now.  My standard order is 2 x 500g Cuban with 1.5kg of other stuff thrown in at random.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 03 September, 2022, 09:52:43 am
I fully understand that choice. The Cuban for the security, and the random for the excitement of the unknown. CC have resisted the decade long cult of light roasting, which is why I used them.. but I'm probably 4 years out of knowing what is going on in the UK coffee world.  The hipsters came in and those expensive parchment-style websites and sleeve-tattoos had to be paid for, but it wasn't going to be me paying £8 for a 250g bag of meh.

I occasionally stray back into filters and more refined coffee, but it is an excursion that doesn't last long. I realise I am like a junkie hooked not only on the drug, but also the works and the process, and those two dense brown mousetails of ristretto emerging from the portafilter spouts have me hooked.

Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 03 September, 2022, 10:22:21 am
Huh. I can give it up. Anytime. Anytime I want.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 03 September, 2022, 10:51:40 am
Yeah, ditto. But it would be a shame to let the 1.5 kg I have in stock go to waste. Oh, and 250g of ready-ground that MrsT picked up by mistake.

(Can you imagine the horror? Gasping for a fix shot, no coffee in the house and she comes home with ready-ground? Aargh.)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pcolbeck on 12 September, 2022, 05:15:33 pm
Just got back from two weeks holiday in Provence. The pictures of the gite showed a nice shiny chrome combined espresso / filter machine in the kitchen.
Unfortunately when we got there it didn't work properly. Took about an hour to make one filter carafe and even then it was lukewarm and tasted funny.
Downloaded the manual and descaled it. No joy still didn't work properly. Not a happy bunny as I hadn't even taken my Aeropress.
Then on Monday morning stocking up on BBQ food in the Intermarche there it was, a 11 Euro very basic filter coffee machine !!!!!

And dear reader it worked. Not as fast or as well as my own at home but it did the job for the couple of weeks we were there keeping seven of us in morning coffee.

I expect when we left as soon as the rental car was out off site of the gite that the little machine gave a sigh and refused ever to work again.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 13 September, 2022, 08:00:56 am
That reminds me of our first "espresso" machine, a small black Moulinex doo-dah that turned out a brown coffee-flavoured drink from ready-ground. It was palatable but you needed a lot of imagination/optimism to pretend you really enjoyed it.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pcolbeck on 13 September, 2022, 09:04:48 am
That reminds me of our first "espresso" machine, a small black Moulinex doo-dah that turned out a brown coffee-flavoured drink from ready-ground. It was palatable but you needed a lot of imagination/optimism to pretend you really enjoyed it.

As it happens the chrome thing that didnt work was a Moulinex.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 14 September, 2022, 08:05:06 am
That reminds me of our first "espresso" machine, a small black Moulinex doo-dah that turned out a brown coffee-flavoured drink from ready-ground. It was palatable but you needed a lot of imagination/optimism to pretend you really enjoyed it.

As it happens the chrome thing that didnt work was a Moulinex.

That figures.  Although to be fair, our old Moulinex microwave outlasted all the others we have had.  And the Samsung we replaced it with 5 years ago already has a duff door interlock - you can turn it on without first opening and closing the door. Quite handy at times.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 15 September, 2022, 09:30:42 am
Just finished a cappu made with Carrefour's "Latin American" blend, which I'm finding increasingly to my liking.  It's a very dark shiny roast, and the beans are very light.  The flavour comes through the milk very well. Nom.

I need bigger cups.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 17 September, 2022, 02:45:27 pm
Medium-dark roast Huehuetenango. Lovely rounded flavour.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 19 September, 2022, 02:00:37 pm
(https://www.topespresso.gr/image/cache/catalog/images/detailed/9/covimgranbar-392x392.jpg)


Covim. And it is filth.

But I don't mind a bit of filth now and again. It's got a fair chunk of robusta in it given the burnt rubber smell and the gloopy crema. Quite nice as espresso but regrettable in milk.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Mr Larrington on 19 September, 2022, 03:33:15 pm
Here at the Hotel Lumberjack we have Seattle's Best Coffee, which is no better than it was in Sea-Tac airport a few years ago but is at least free.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 23 September, 2022, 08:30:36 am
A medium-dose espresso made with Carrefour's dark shiny Latin-American blend, and it wasn't half bad - low bitterness, a touch of fruitiness.

They'll probably discontinue it now.

I bought some of Super U's serve-yourself Brazilian beans the other day and it's not a patch. Made for folk who take sugar.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 25 September, 2022, 06:50:27 pm
I binned about 300g remaining of the red packet Covim. It really is filth, and, whilst it's OK for a bit, it really started to grate especially since the caffeine content was really high (cheers robusta). So I cracked open the 750g bag of Waitrose Sumatra which has to be ground really fine and produces a strong smoky cup.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 26 September, 2022, 09:04:00 am
(https://www.topespresso.gr/image/cache/catalog/images/detailed/9/covimgranbar-392x392.jpg)


Covim. And it is filth.

But I don't mind a bit of filth now and again. It's got a fair chunk of robusta in it given the burnt rubber smell and the gloopy crema. Quite nice as espresso but regrettable in milk.

Last espresso I had with the Carrefour Latin-American blend had a suggestion of brake pads in the aftertaste.  I suppose there's nothing to stop them growing robusta in Latin America too.  Too bad I threw away the original bag.

http://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/rngs/LATAM-COFFEE-ROBUSTA/010060QN1CG/index.html
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 08 October, 2022, 01:26:34 pm
Two Guatemalans:
1 x Atitlán espresso roasted Wednesday in narsty cheap perforated-drum roaster over gas flame. Medium++ roast, surprisingly good for a first try.
1 x Maxicoffee Huehuetenago espresso for comparison.

Similar characteristics, Atitlán==>Huehuetenago is ~75 km and both are in highlands. Maxicoffee's is better. Mine's a darker roast and still a bit rough, better than I expected though.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 20 November, 2022, 10:12:05 pm
If you like Italian bar espresso (ristretto) then TKMaxx have got some stuff in that does the job really well:

https://www.tkmaxx.com/uk/en/home/gourmet-food/portofino-1kg/p/81138256

Mostly arabica but with a hint of robusta.  Best as ristretto.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 21 November, 2022, 08:39:01 am
Thanks, but I'm pretty well off coffee just now because gut.  My home-roasted stuff was pretty good but high in acidity, even done dark & oily.  I do have the odd cappu but Carrefour's dark roast is OK for that.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: citoyen on 21 November, 2022, 09:22:26 am
Lately, I've mostly been drinking Aldi's own-brand Alcafé Italian-style blend. It's not exactly the good shit, but at £1.49 for a 227g bag, it's perfectly adequate for everyday glugging - and even mediocre real coffee is better than instant. I had been drinking their single-origin Colombian, but that's £2-something a bag and not actually any better.

I do find myself craving a really good cup of coffee at times, but there's a pretty decent coffee shop across the way from the office, so at least I get the opportunity a couple of times a week.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 06 December, 2022, 07:50:20 am
Double-shotted cappuccino with Carrefour's Black-Dar'n'Filthy blend.  Goes very well with warm croissants.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 11 December, 2022, 12:02:20 pm
I do find myself craving a really good cup of coffee at times, but there's a pretty decent coffee shop across the way from the office, so at least I get the opportunity a couple of times a week.
It's only really the espresso/steamed milk stuff that needs expensive kit and expertise to emulate the decent coffee shops, so If its pour over based drinks then you can home produce as good as anything in a coffee shop. 

I've become the opposite of eclectic in my coffee choices. Up to about 12 years ago I'd often have a range of nice beans in, usually green, that I'd roast myself for filter. Now I just put italian bar coffee from TKMaxx through the Spaziale  :facepalm:
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 14 December, 2022, 08:29:05 am
Whatever was in the hopper since yesterday in the company of the sweep, who at 9am was on his 9th shot since he started at 4am.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 23 December, 2022, 10:02:32 am
Maxicoffee's Italian blend + croissant from next village rejuvenated in the air fryer.

(https://pbase.com/image/173253676.jpg)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 13 January, 2023, 02:03:32 pm
Today on a whim I rescued my old La Pavoni Europiccola from the corner of the billiard room where it has lived for the last 5 years or so, filled it with water and fired it up.  Now this is an entirely beautiful piece of Stone Steam Age machinery:

(https://pbase.com/johnewing/image/164806998.jpg)

but it's only skin deep.  The process is a pachel and a palaver, the burn/scald opportunities are many, the gurgle as pressure rises in the boiler is terrifying and the results are random.  I also forgot about the notorious Europiccola Sneeze, which is what happens when you undock the portafilter without letting pressure subside in the group head after pulling a shot.  The vicinity received a hot baptism of spent coffee grounds.

As to the shot produced, it was not nearly as good as that out of my B2C machine.  Considering that from firing up to shutting down the Europiccola process took about half an hour and the B2C maybe 5 minutes, the former is going back to the billiard room.  I'm not that dedicated to archaeology.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: felstedrider on 13 January, 2023, 02:43:39 pm
Roast of Christmas Past from 200 Degrees coffee in Lincoln.   Bought some on Boxing Day but it's now been reduced so picked up a few bags.   At my current rate I'll be through it by the end of January.

Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: andrewc on 14 January, 2023, 01:57:33 pm
I bought a La Pavoni from Ebay many years ago.  It went back there fairly quickly , just too much faff.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 14 January, 2023, 03:10:08 pm
Legendarily terrible things.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 15 January, 2023, 04:51:11 pm
Tried again today, no better.  Interesting, though: I have an IR thermometer and while it will show reasonable temperatures for unshiny things, while the EP boiler was gurgling away it only showed 30-odd degrees. Insulated? thought I, but one stinging finger later I thought not.

I never expected a shiny surface to be quite so efficient at reflecting IR. I think I'll get some of those stick-on thermometer strips for the group.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 23 January, 2023, 10:48:52 am
Further adventures into the realms of Coffee Gadgets I Haven't Got Rid Of Yet this morning: I got out my old Bodum Pebo vacuum pot (in French that's a cafetière à dépression, which is not far off the mark in terms of physics and psychology - top marks there, Bodum) and the Bodum Bistro grinder I bought at around the same time.  Half an hour to clean the lot then 20-odd grammes of Carrfeour's Thick, Black and Filthy through the grinder and into the upper chamber ("any grind will do"- Bodum), cupful of water in the lower and onto the stove. Meanwhile I fired up the B2C, hit the vapore button and got a half-pitcher of cowjuice hissing away.

What happened next: while a nice vortex was building in my pitcher the Bodum first soaked the grounds then started blasting steam up through them while the water in the bottom boiled like the furies of hell but I couldn't reach the off switch without putting down the pitcher so I bellowed for MrsT and took care of my vortex.  MrsT arrived and whacked the Off icon before the pot boiled dry, and the brewed coffee was sucked back down with a racket like a posse of Linfield supporters regurgitating in unison. I finished foaming, ditto the milk, and clam [sic] returned.  I removed the upper chamber from the Pebo and realized that the tube gadget for standing it in was still at the back of the top shelf where I'd stashed the ensemble years before. While I was retrieving and washing the bugger everything had a good chance to cool down.

Anyway, the resulting brew was decidedly peely-wally for flavour but quite long on caffeine, if the vasoconstricted feeling in my face & thorax is anything to go by.  The hassle and mess were just a bit much for such a scant reward. OK, I made the mistake of not letting the water boil before fitting the top chamber to the bottom, but all in all it's an experience not to be repeated.

Think I'll order a V60.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: trundle on 23 January, 2023, 11:08:23 am
A most amusing tale - well told! 😂
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 30 January, 2023, 01:35:53 pm
Not caffeinating me yet 'coz it's just out of the box.

(https://pbase.com/image/173348666.jpg)

Sage Barista Express. Maxicoffee were flogging them with a whole package of low-cost giveaways valuable extras at 600€ instead of the 729€ list price. Long hours of relearning manual-machine technique, dialling-in and caffeine jitters ahead.

Not sure what to do with the B2C now, give it to one of the kids or keep it in service for decaf.  CBA selling it, I got it 5 years ago ex-demo at under half the list price so it wouldn't fetch much and packing it would be a pain.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: pcolbeck on 20 March, 2023, 11:07:18 am
I have a selection of beans incoming today from the famous Algerian Coffee Shop in Soho. I expect that these will be fairly traditional and not 3rd wave or whatever roasts.
Will make a change from my usual from Roost though.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 20 March, 2023, 11:08:56 am
Aldi 100% robusta 'Indonesia' instant.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 20 March, 2023, 02:14:57 pm
Green Lion Sirga blend. 
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 22 March, 2023, 07:30:37 am
This: https://www.cafesximun.fr/produit/organico-bio/

Lovely stuff.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 26 March, 2023, 08:54:41 am
And it's gone, :( .  Already got a couple of kg of other coffees to get through before reordering so  :( :(

I rather think it's the best I ever tasted.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 23 July, 2023, 08:13:34 am
Not so much what, as whatwhom, or wherein or summat - these cups:

(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTqgg2JaUkIEjXWs7fTWCytNQIaK5uAYqWtk3hRngjiaKMkY77T1pQoIXFGM_9000Uqh2fXEclJnYfe7ujJjiXsho6BytiZgE_2E9XunjKM59rF6Avkcca2_nudhGIZCB9CKMw-S_ykz_6l7bZaD1OH8sFYdygf1mgx8smshrwrvWaifdR1fqEXYi13Bw/s1020/PXL_20230722_073519574.jpg)
"Coffee & Cols", a  bargainalicious £5 for two cups and saucers for £5 from reception of the Stratford Velodrome (where I take Mrs Ham for Physio).
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 06 August, 2023, 08:23:23 am
As I sit in an odd Airbnb in Solihull (don't ask, quilts.) which might be considered tautology, I am slurping a little discovery.

"Molten Magma" from Morrisons. At £2.72 for 8 ounces, it is everything you might expect. That is, the robusta packed brew strongly reminiscent of cheap French hotels breakfast in the 80s. Not something I would wish for every day, and quite possibly a dirty little secret, but I'm enjoying it. As for the claim on the side of the packet " this makes 30 cups" that simply adds to the amusement.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 06 August, 2023, 10:33:57 am
Been fiddling with single shots since the neuro people all but bellowed at me to reduce my caffeine intake: can produce a half-decent ristretto with Sati's Moka Sidamo from the mini-Carrefour in the next village.  Surprising that a supermarket supplier bothers to produce a decent coffee, but it's really good.

ETA  after lunch I squeezed a couple of God shots out of the Sage with the single-shot basket, 10g a shot, 3.5:1 ratio and a 15 kg tamp.  Delighted.  Hope it stays programmed now.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 10 August, 2023, 01:33:35 pm
Sati's Moka Sidamo from the mini-Carrefour in the next village.  Surprising that a supermarket supplier bothers to produce a decent coffee, but it's really good.

So much for that: MrsT brought me a couple of half-kilo bags and it's as stale as any other supermarket coffee - minimal cremá and tastes just like the bottoms of the bag I bought a month ago.  Same batch, badly stored.

Just ordered some decent stuff.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: The Family Cyclist on 15 August, 2023, 08:23:40 pm
Right jumping on this. What coffee do I need to ask for

I'm a tea drinker, have tried coffee and managed laté in Italy but generally just can't get on with it

A few months ago was really tired and at weatherspoons for breakfast. After tea my mate said try an expresso from their machine and quite liked it, was a small drink but still a drink

In France a few weeks later had un café which again liked and thought was an expresso but again wad an actual drink kust a small one

Met some friends for breakfast Saturday, ordered expresso and was not much more then a cap full, much smaller then I'd had previously

Someone enlighten me as to what I need to ask for

Thanks
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: campagman on 15 August, 2023, 08:49:32 pm
an espresso is a small black, very strong, coffee. Un cafe in france. An espresso with added water is an Americano.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 16 August, 2023, 10:03:45 am

Someone enlighten me as to what I need to ask for

Thanks

You haven't really said what you're after.  If you want a drink to replace tea when you can't get it, then a large coffee with milk more or less fits.

In France, a large coffee will either be an espresso stretched with water or out of a jug of drip-brewed: if you're lucky the drip brew will be relatively recent, if not it'll be oven-cleaner.  You can ask for it with hot or cold milk or drink it without.

In most of France a large coffee with milk is called a crème, to rhyme with phlegm. Ask for a café and you'll get an espresso; if you want a very short, strong coffee you can ask for un café bien serré or a ristretto.  They usually taste better than straight espresso, but if you're adding sugar it doesn't make any difference.  In bars, cafés and tea rooms the coffee will be terrible anyway; in restaurants too, usually, but occasionally they'll surprise you.  Since I don't use sugar I always take a ristretto in restaurants, and elsewhere a café au lait because the milk covers the bitterness resulting from using cheap stale coffee and over-extracting it.

In Alsace at least a large milky coffee is un grand café au lait, adding chaud if you want it warm.  If you want an espresso you need to specify espresso, same goes for ristretto.  If you simply ask for a café you'll get an Americano or drip brew out of a jug. It'll be just as bad as anywhere else.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: The Family Cyclist on 16 August, 2023, 02:18:33 pm
I just wanted to know what it was as liked it.

I think what I've had is an americano
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 16 August, 2023, 02:33:49 pm
Ok. They originated when rough, tough GI's in Italy during WW2 found the espresso too strong and asked for it to be watered down.

I've heard it said that those nations whose word for coffee has the stress on the first syllable don't know how to make it.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 16 August, 2023, 03:37:37 pm
Coffee in France is most often not good. Usually under-extracted and using probably the lowest quality beans possible. The heart sinks when you see it come flying out of the espresso machine spouts.

Here are the two "Capucinnos" I had last week.

Yes, it is what you think it is. Unbelievable.

(https://i.ibb.co/vxBwk0J/Screenshot-20230816-153252-Facebook.jpg) (https://ibb.co/qMnypTR)

(https://i.ibb.co/j8cf781/20230813-160448.jpg) (https://ibb.co/dfdMnfz)
free image web hosting (https://imgbb.com/)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 17 August, 2023, 08:17:49 am
The top one's what I'd call a German cappuccino - I first ran across them in Paderborn, and a chum who had a café up near the German border made them that way since that's all his clients wanted. I once told him he should put a cherry on top.

The bottom one looks very like one I had in a village in Lorraine earlier this year, pulled by a flustered waitress who was obviously embarrassed by her lack of foaming skills.

Speaking of espresso machine spouts, I'm somewhat p'd off at Sage/Breville and their spouts, which dribble and splatter drops of coffee hither and yon. Unless you hold it up tight against the spouts, a standard espresso cup ends up looking like an unflushed toilet.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Hot Flatus on 17 August, 2023, 08:26:35 am
Well, I'm back home where the coffee is consistently excellent   ;D

I've managed to acquaint my palate to italian bar coffee to such an extent that I'm wary of buying anything above commercial grade beans lest the Italian stuff is rendered foul. There are two reasons why I'm on the bar stuff; it's comparatively cheap, instead of £30 kg it's £12-15, and sourcing it is quite fun. The nearest big TKMaxx is an absolute goldmine of the stuff with a wide and varying range that changes and its quite fun to go and see what they have. I've established which of the regular offerings are decent, and which to avoid, but they sometimes have some slightly offbeat stuff, like Attibassi from Bologna.

Currently on Mokarabia 100% Arabica, which is pretty decent. Full-bodied and nicely smoky.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: onerousdeporte on 23 August, 2023, 10:47:05 pm
Cold brew coffee....talk to me

Currently got some nice coffee from a roaster and basically mixing the coffee in a jar with filtered water and leaving in the fridge for 12 hours and then running through a french press.

Is that it?
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 25 August, 2023, 01:35:24 pm
Never tried cold brew - I'd probably drink a pint at one go and vasoconstrict myself to death.  As it is I just had my 6th shot of the day and won't be able to sleep a wink all afternoon.

Currently casting about for espresso brewing scales that don't cost my eye teeth and that actually work. The 5€ drug-dealer's scales I used for years have gone skew-whiff and won't settle on a stable figure any more, they just keep on counting and counting and counting ad infinitum.
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: Ham on 04 September, 2023, 03:37:58 pm
Not so much what, as whatwhom, or wherein or summat - these cups:

(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTqgg2JaUkIEjXWs7fTWCytNQIaK5uAYqWtk3hRngjiaKMkY77T1pQoIXFGM_9000Uqh2fXEclJnYfe7ujJjiXsho6BytiZgE_2E9XunjKM59rF6Avkcca2_nudhGIZCB9CKMw-S_ykz_6l7bZaD1OH8sFYdygf1mgx8smshrwrvWaifdR1fqEXYi13Bw/s1020/PXL_20230722_073519574.jpg)
"Coffee & Cols", a  bargainalicious £5 for two cups and saucers from reception of the Stratford Velodrome (where I take Mrs Ham for Physio).

Added another two to the collection, especially as the coffee & cols ones are £17.50 EACH (http://www.coffeeandcols.com/store/p5/Velodrome.html) Even cycled there this time :D

(this one does not have the inside design, but even so....)
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 05 September, 2023, 05:18:34 pm
Conversation with the lassie pulling the coffees at a pâtisserie I visited last ride but one:

- A ristretto, please.

- What's a ristretto?

... I explain ...

- Oh. The machine only has three buttons for volume.

 :-\  :( and :sick: presumably
Title: Re: What's caffeinating you today?
Post by: T42 on 04 October, 2023, 09:51:36 am
This stuff: https://www.cafesximun.fr/produit/bella-ciao/

20% robusta but at 18g beans to 30g water it's brilliant.