Coffee. Anything coffee related.

[2FarGone]

I'm looking to replace my tiring burr grinder. Does anyone have any recommendations? Looking to spend up to $100, but I'm willing to go higher for a notably better model.

-Dave

If your use is for regular drip or French press coffee, I’ve used one of these for about 10 years. It incorporates a gear reduction drive so it’s quieter, and less heat is generated as part of the grinding process. Supposedly, it’s not suitable for espresso. I wouldn’t know, as I use a different grinder with the Gaggia classic.

https://www.seattlecoffeegear.com/baratza-encore-coffee-grinder?sku=GR11

 

[ducati_EL34]

I thought it would be fun to have a mixed topic of coffee related post. Pics of your coffee houses, cups, beans, coffee shots while on vacation from the beach, mountains, liquor mixed etc.

My wife & I meet twelve years ago at work and decided to invite her out on a coffee run to Starbucks. Many cups later, kids, grandkids, houses and a wonderful wife that supports my audio hobby I can say that was the BEST cup ever served.
My daughter now eight was a regular there since newborn and I'm pretty sure her her third word was Starbucks. Right after delivery my wife demanded good coffee! Drove quick to Starbucks to get her that and needed one myself being up for 20+ hrs.
Well in the here and now our Mr. Coffee machine broke after eight solid years of service. It brewed a decent cup of coffee. No complaints here. Having said that I'm glad to try a new one I've been eyeing for many, many years...
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Technivorm.
Supposedly the king of the hill type coffee maker. We'll see. I'm not a coffee snob and as long as it's quality beans and HOT I'm good to go. Although I do like my iced coffee once in awhile.
One of my favorite coffee houses. Temple coffee.
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View attachment 858458

Cheers!

We have been a Technovorn, twice daily since 2012. We love it.

 

[titanstats]

Love coffee, been looking for a real grinder for a while, but too cheap to fork out for a good one lol. So I see a few grinders up at auction last week, put in a few bids, and immediately forget about it. The bids were low, so I didn’t think I’d win. Then I got an email saying that I’d won one of them accidentally.

Well it wasn’t the one I wanted (Mazzer Mini), but a much larger grinder, a Mahlkonig K30ES grind on demand. Took it home, cleaned it up, it works and the cosmetics are perfect— don’t think there’s many hours on this. Anyhow, wow, it makes perfect coffee, no pressurized portafilter any more, and no more mess from the crappy Cuisinart grinder.

Best deal I’ve had in a while, $125 bucks and the wife approves so even better.

 

[elcoholic]

Now Roasting




I'm pretty excited about this one - a naturally processed gesha meaning the fruit is left on the cherry to ferment while drying on big slabs in the sun. It's risky because rain late in the process ruins it. The payoff is in the fruitiness. A Gesha is a wild strain that traces back 3,000 years to Ethiopia. Pretty much as heritage as a bean can get.

 

[Hajidub]

People at work think I'm crazy, but I haven't paid for a cup of coffee since buying the basic Jura (Swiss made) coffee maker. Grinds whole bean, pulses immediate hot water through the puck, and crema's the crap out of the cup. Even 8 o'clock whole bean tastes fantastic. Made me stop adding creamers and other crap to my coffee. Eventually found out everyone in the family in Germany uses Jura's (though big bucks compared to mine). I've owned it since 2012, easy to clean, with zero issues. Only coffee maker that actually makes me think of a cup, the next morning, when trying to get to bed.

 

[whoaru99]

Now Roasting
View attachment 3621993

View attachment 3621994

I'm pretty exited about this one - a naturally processed gesha meaning the fruit is left on the cherry to ferment while drying on big slabs in the sun. It's risky because rain late in the process ruins it. The payoff is in the fruitiness. A Gesha is a wild strain that traces back 3,000 years to Ethiopia. Pretty much as heritage as a bean can get.

I like naturals myself. One of my recents was a Costa Rican natural called Las Lajas Black Pearl. It's pretty fruity. Two or three lbs geen beans left of that one.

 

[hjames]

Was reading a coffee thread in another forum and someone posted this link to a Bialetti Design podcast.
The Bialetti Moka Express is a 100 year old Italian design (and typically around $50!)!
I thought it pretty cool so I share to you here!

We have 2 of them - a smaller round one, and the iconic Octagon design.

 

[lokerola]

What’s everyone doing for more cost-effective coffee? I’ve been buying the good stuff, but decent beans are getting to be really expensive.

I dread going back to Folgers, but I’m not sure I can keep forking out 50+ bucks a month for coffee.

 

[elcoholic]

What’s everyone doing for more cost-effective coffee? I’ve been buying the good stuff, but decent beans are getting to be really expensive.

I dread going back to Folgers, but I’m not sure I can keep forking out 50+ bucks a month for coffee.

Try roasting your own. Get a thrift store hot air popcorn and some beans from Bodhi or Sweet Maria's if your local roaster won't cut you decent deal on green beans. You should save 40-50% on premium single origin coffee . You'll love your home roasted coffee, but soon you'll get tired of 2 oz batches. After a year of hot air roasting (2012ish) I bought a Behmor 1600 from Bodhi Leaf for $300. It paid out at my avg. consumption of 1oz/day in 6 months on $6-$8.00 per pound for green* beans. Roasting coffee burns the chaff released when the bean 'cracks stinks to high heavens (to everybody except the seasoned roaster). Chaff fires only get out of hand if unattended it's outdoors or in the garage and hands on. Besides doing it best requires all of the senses except touch and taste. Check out Bodhi Leaf and Sweet Maria's online for home roaster support, beans and equipment.

*On sale 15-20% off Single Origin Fair Trade or even better, Direct Trade coffee

 

[lokerola]

Try roasting your own. Get a thrift store hot air popcorn and some beans from Bodhi or Sweet Maria's if your local roaster won't cut you decent deal on green beans. You should save 40-50% on premium single origin coffee . You'll love your home roasted coffee, but soon you'll get tired of 2 oz batches. After a year of hot air roasting (2012ish) I bought a Behmor 1600 from Bodhi Leaf for $300. It paid out at my avg. consumption of 1oz/day in 6 months on $6-$8.00 per pound for green* beans. Roasting coffee burns the chaff released when the bean 'cracks stinks to high heavens (to everybody except the seasoned roaster). Chaff fires only get out of hand if unattended it's outdoors or in the garage and hands on. Besides doing it best requires all of the senses except touch and taste. Check out Bodhi Leaf and Sweet Maria's online for home roaster support, beans and equipment.

*On sale 15-20% off Single Origin Fair Trade or even better, Direct Trade coffee

Interesting! I'll take a look into roasting, thanks.

 

[hjames]

I have NEVER been a fan of buying overpriced cuppa coffee at Starbucks or wherever. NEVER.

When I was still working, I used a Mr Coffee type machine with an external mechanical timer.
I'd set it up the night before, grind the beans and fill it with fresh water.
When it tripped at 5AM, it would go about its business and I'd have a fresh pot when I got up at 5:15

Emma decided she liked the Bunn Coffee maker with the stainless insulated pot that keeps a pot full of water
at the proper temp, ready to go internally, that would start brewing when you dumped a new pot of water in.
So nothing happened until we physically dumped water into the machine at o-dark thirty in the AM,
and maybe 6-8 minutes later its made a fresh pot of coffee.

We've been using that for maybe 10 years now, and since I've retired, I sleep in and SHE is the one to dump water in and start the process.
Its probably due for a good cleaning/flush to get it back to its best function.
Since I've retired we don't get up on a tight schedule, and have no need for a pot to be ready to drink when we get up -
we can wait 6-10 mins or whatever for our coffee to brew after we arise.

The Moccamaster sounds pretty good - but is it THAT much better?


Article in the New York Times about the Moccamaster coffee machines ...

If You Prefer Chic to Cheap, Try the Technivorm Moccamaster Coffee Maker

The Technivorm Moccamaster KBT is one of our favorite drip coffee makers. Its tall, streamlined design features a good thermal carafe and a bare-bones interface.

www.nytimes.com

 

[lokerola]

I have NEVER been a fan of buying overpriced cuppa coffee at Starbucks or wherever. NEVER.

Article in the New York Times about the Moccamaster coffee machines ...

If You Prefer Chic to Cheap, Try the Technivorm Moccamaster Coffee Maker

The Technivorm Moccamaster KBT is one of our favorite drip coffee makers. Its tall, streamlined design features a good thermal carafe and a bare-bones interface.

www.nytimes.com

When I was still working, I used a Mr Coffee type machine with an external mechanical timer.
I'd set it up the night before, grind the beans and fill it with fresh water.
When it tripped at 5AM, it would go about its business and I'd have a fresh pot when I got up at 5:15

Emma decided she liked the Bunn Coffee maker with the stainless insulated pot that keeps a pot full of water
at the proper temp, ready to go internally, that would start brewing when you dumped a new pot of water in.
So nothing happened until we physically dumped water into the machine at o-dark thirty in the AM,
and maybe 6-8 minutes later its made a fresh pot of coffee.

We've been using that for maybe 10 years now, and since I've retired, SHE is the one to dump water in and start the pocess.
Its probably due for a good cleaning/flush to get it back to its best function.
Since I've retired we don't get up on a tight schedule, and have no need for a pot to be ready to drink when we get up -
we can wait 6-10 mins or whatever for our coffee to brew after we arise.

The Moccamaster sounds pretty good - but is it THAT much better?

I have a Moccamaster and really like it. It has a brass boiler and the long spout on the bottom of the carafe lid mixes the coffee as it brews. This means the coffee is the same strength at the bottom of the pot as it is at the top of the pot, making for a very even brew. It brews quickly and it's built like a tank.

However, does it brew THAT much better than a Mr Coffee? Other than the spout/mix of the brew strength, no. I've had good coffee out of basic brewers. But the Moccamaster is built like a tank and looks like mid-century art on my countertop. It will probably be the last coffee machine I ever buy. I've had a bunch of cheap drip coffee brewers over the years and they all eventually died and got thrown away. The Moccamaster has replaceable parts and seems like a buy-once-cry-once kind of machine that my grandkids will inherit!

I always clean my Moccamaster with descaler and coffee cleaner every 6 weeks. Doesn't take that long and ensures it stays in tip-top shape. I'm sure the same cleaning process would help keep any coffee machine running it's best.

 

[elcoholic]

That said I personally have not had an automatic for over twenty years. I used a French Press for years. My daily driver is a Chemex which was designed in 1941, made by a lab glass company and selected in ‘58 by IIT as one of the best modern products - ever. It takes 15-20 minutes and with the proprietary filters makes the cleanest cup.

185f is the correct temperature for ideal extraction. Due to product liability judgements most automatics don’t get hot enough so good beans are wasted comparatively speaking. Grind is a key variable for all extraction methods and is where to to start. Only burr grinders can produce consistent, repeatable grinds. I’m happy enough with my entry level Baratza Encore, but for espresso go up their line a bit.

A Chemex or Hario V60 pour over and an IKEA French press and Moccapot are my favorite methods. Hario makes the best glass, I love my Mizudashi cold brew maker. Did I mention I’m a coffee geek? Last thing - since you are handy, Baratza are serviceable and have reasonably priced parts.

edit: Really last thing - The Behmor Brazen automatic competes well with the Technivorm.

 

[lokerola]

That said I personally have not had an automatic for over twenty years. I used a French Press for years. My daily driver is a Chemex which was designed in 1941, made by a lab glass company and selected in ‘58 by IIT as one of the best modern products - ever. It takes 15-20 minutes and with the proprietary filters makes the cleanest cup.

185f is the correct temperature for ideal extraction. Due to product liability judgements most automatics don’t get hot enough so good beans are wasted comparatively speaking. Grind is a key variable for all extraction methods and is where to to start. Only burr grinders can produce consistent, repeatable grinds. I’m happy enough with my entry level Baratza Encore, but for espresso go up their line a bit.

A Chemex or Hario V60 pour over and an IKEA French press and Moccapot are my favorite methods. Hario makes the best glass, I love my Mizudashi cold brew maker. Did I mention I’m a coffee geek? Last thing - since you are handy, Baratza are serviceable and have reasonably priced parts.

edit: Really last thing - The Behmor Brazen automatic competes well with the Technivorm.

Good point on the minimum temperature. The Mocca makes HOT coffee, which makes me quite happy. Some folks buy the model with the aluminum carafe so the coffee stays hot for longer, but I can go through a pot pretty quickly so it never bothered me.

I had a French press years ago and didn’t know what I was doing and ended up making terrible coffee with it and I got rid of it. Now that I know about grind sizes and having watched Hoffman’s YT vid on how to make good French press coffee, I’ll bet I could make a good brew.

 

[spotter]

People at work think I'm crazy, but I haven't paid for a cup of coffee since buying the basic Jura (Swiss made) coffee maker. Grinds whole bean, pulses immediate hot water through the puck, and crema's the crap out of the cup. Even 8 o'clock whole bean tastes fantastic. Made me stop adding creamers and other crap to my coffee. Eventually found out everyone in the family in Germany uses Jura's (though big bucks compared to mine). I've owned it since 2012, easy to clean, with zero issues. Only coffee maker that actually makes me think of a cup, the next morning, when trying to get to bed.

true that as I believe if you need to add stuff to your coffee you are drinking bad coffee...my Jura is in the bedroom for an easy first cuppa

 

[hjames]

After we ran errands out today. Its nice to be home again... with fresh coffee.
a mention here spoiled me - and since i Do have some Harrar, and a lesser seen Bialetti,
so 1 3/4 scoops packed full, and some boiling later, a good spoon of sugar and some shaken/foamed milk ...
made a cup for each of us -

 

[bhairavi]

I have the moccamaster as well, and I love it but for the love of God would it be SO difficult to have a metal cup/basket instead of plastic?

 

[0b11011001]

I have the moccamaster as well, and I love it but for the love of God would it be SO difficult to have a metal cup/basket instead of plastic?

why metal? The plastic seems to be holding up very well. Although, metal might be easier to clean.

 

[elcoholic]

In appreciation of ”that horrible stink” that only home roasters appreciate a toast with a Modelo Negra.

 

[raycarr00]

Been using cheese cloth filter colander and the brew seems much smoother- Not bitter. Only takes about 4 mins to boil water and about 5 for coffee. Increases intensity as it's refiltered or run through the colander. 8 cups water 3 scoops coffee. Drip maker lacks flavor intensity, it seems. Even with Starbucks French toast.