Let’s talk coffee

[pie_man_25]

I make two kinds of coffee that I am particularly proud of. I'm going to tell you about both of them right now:

1. Coffee maker. I do not buy Folgers or Maxwell house. Instead I purchase a nice imported Colombian for twice the price. It is well worth it. No special secret to how you place the grounds in the filter and pour water in the reservoir. But immediately afterwards I had a sprinkling of nutmeg and cinnamon. Delicious.
2. Espresso machine. I received a small Braun espresso machine in 1995. I still have it; it still works. At the time I loved Starbucks latte. But they were very expensive, so I launched on a quest to learn how to make a Starbucks latte. I spoke to Starbucks employees about how and what they did and why. When I was said and done, and after trying many cheaper versions, I started buying from the source: Starbucks espresso roast whole coffee beans. I had them grind it for free to a fine espresso consistency. Setting number two on their grinder if you are curious, just above a Turkish press. I frothed and steamed a stainless steel cup full of whole milk. In the end I settled on a double shot of espresso. That's just me. I like it strong. It tasted just like a Starbucks latte.

I still need to work on steaming milk tbh, I get it alright but not good enough to make latte art

 

[dreamadream99]

I still need to work on steaming milk tbh, I get it alright but not good enough to make latte art

Well I can’t draw the heart or the leaf on the coffee, but steaming and frothing milk is fairly straightforward.

1. Insert stainless steel cup filled halfway with milk over the frothing nozzle.
2. Leave in place until the milk is steaming hot (about a minute), and a foamy head starts to form (about two minutes)

 

[groooooove]

I can't overstate how much i genuinely love coffee.

quite a few brewers and pieces of equipment in the house. i'm no expert, i just love coffee and would search reddit before making any purchases.

i don't regret anything in this photo. If you've never used an aeropress i think it's the best piece of gear you can buy. they're more expensive than they used to be, but it's still like $40 for a world class brewer that can do several different things very well. I do have three of them, and i think the premium glass version is awesome, but the basic or the XL are also awesome and worth the money.

for "regular coffee," the moccamaster is the best. reliable, well built, and just works. not for the knob-fiddlers. it has an on button and that's it. a serious "can't go wrong" option. this alone makes better coffee than you can get it most cafes.

the cafelot robot is such a cool thing to have. makes very good espress- genuinely, excellent. but a huge learning curve. took me about 2 months of daily attempts before I really had figured out how to make it - but it's my first (and likely only) espresso machine. zero maintenance other than wiping it down after use. I highly recommend it, but it's a manual machine that's not for everybody.

the fellow scale is pricey but it's awesome. it seems silly needing the scale the multiply the coffee weight by your preferred water ratio, but it's a very nice time saver.

I have had some unusual issues with the baratza grinder. For filter coffee, it works great. for espresso i'm using the hand grinder from 1zpresso that's awesome.

all this talk, enough already, i need to go make an afternoon cup.

 

[MJ5150]

Nice setup you got there @groooooove. Have you called Baratza and talked to them about the issue? They are great folks and fellow coffee lovers like us.
Good call on the scale from Fellow. I like lots of what they are doing. We have their dripper and gooseneck. I thought about getting a scale too, but I was given a Hario scale at the SCCA show in Seattle a few years ago so I'll hang on to it until it stops working.

-Mike

 

[Straw_hat]

I'm using Baratza Sette for 3 years now and it works great. Coffee grinder is the single most important peace of equipment for making espresso. It must be adjustable to get exact granulation for particular coffee you are grinding. Little coarser and if will run fast out of the espresso machine and will taste weak and sourish, little finer and will run slow and give bitter taste. You need to get double weight of coffee in the cup from the weight of ground coffee you put in espresso machine in around 25 sec for best taste.

 

[pfschim]

Bialetti Moka Pot user here. Been using them for 25+ years and still very happy with the results.

I do add a bit of foamed milk to my morning jolt and have used the non-steaming battery powered whisk style frother. I warm the milk in a small stainless pot, then whisk it to perfect foam.

 

[kesslari]

My amazing daughter and daughter in law, for my birthday, decided to help me up my coffee game, from my ancient grinder and french press to an Oxo burr grinder and double filter french press. I've wanted a burr grinder for years but couldn't find one with a small footprint for our limited counter space. She nailed it. Happy coffee, happy dad.

 

[pisces_bass]

Started roasting some Kona beans recently. They are big and burly. I’m finding it a challenge to hit the sweet spot but this batch looks good.

 

[salmon256]

burr grinder

You know you hit the ultimate level of coffee making when you got the burr!

Kona beans

Always wanted to tried Hawaiian Beans, they are one of those type of beans that is rare to coffee fans, while way more available today, I feel they are truly in my opinion a bit of an underdog.

 

[MJ5150]

Nice score @kesslari on the grinder. If you don't mind grinding manually, I don't, you can get a high quality burr grinder smaller than that one.
As for the Kona coffee, I gave it a try a few times, roasting and drinking. I just can't get behind it, it's too 'dirty' for me.

-Mike

 

[pisces_bass]

I hear you @MJ5150

Hawaiian coffee has its own stuff going on. And talking specifically about Kona…If dirty = earthy then I agree. I get minerals in the background but when I hit the sweet spot roasting for my taste, there’s floral and ripe cherry too. I’d like to get access to some of the other varieties on the Big Island. Kona gets all the notoriety but there’s more to try.

 

[kesslari]

Nice score @kesslari on the grinder. If you don't mind grinding manually, I don't, you can get a high quality burr grinder smaller than that one.
As for the Kona coffee, I gave it a try a few times, roasting and drinking. I just can't get behind it, it's too 'dirty' for me.

-Mike

Mike, I hear you - but the manual grind just didn't work for me. Too many other things going on in life. This was a score and a game changer.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Nice score @kesslari on the grinder. If you don't mind grinding manually, I don't, you can get a high quality burr grinder smaller than that one.

I really like the ritual of hand grinding the first cup of the day while the water heats for the pour over. I’m still working on my slow pour technique. Currently drinking Peet’s Major Dickson’s blend.

 

[backin82]

I use a Beratza Encore grinder, locally roasted beans (EOTE Coffee, OKC), and as of a month ago, a new Cuisinart 14-cup drip coffee maker (which has been fantastic). We also occasionally make pourovers also, but only when we have the time for it.

 

[MJ5150]

I really like the ritual of hand grinding the first cup of the day while the water heats for the pour over. I’m still working on my slow pour technique. Currently drinking Peet’s Major Dickson’s blend.

You know you've done it right if the bed of grounds is flat when you're done and the water drains out. I pour slowly counter-clockwise the first time, clockwise the second and third, and if there's a fourth, counter-clockwise.

-Mike

 

[MJ5150]

I use a Beratza Encore grinder, locally roasted beans (EOTE Coffee, OKC), and as of a month ago, a new Cuisinart 14-cup drip coffee maker (which has been fantastic). We also occasionally make pourovers also, but only when we have the time for it.

Nice grinder choice. You are right, the pour over takes time, which is a hot commodity for some folks in the morning.

-Mike

 

[Jazzdogg]

Ive become a huge coffee fan over the past couple of years and greatly enjoy a good cup whenever I can get one. The only problem is that my at home coffee skills are severely lacking.

Any tips and tricks for someone looking to up there game?

Our oldest daughter has one of those espresso machines that steams milk, burns you if you touch it in the wrong place, and takes up almost as much room as a microwave oven, but it sure makes great coffee! It took awhile to get over the shock of ordinary coffee after our visit because her coffee was so good!

 

[definenredefine]

Our oldest daughter has one of those espresso machines that steams milk, burns you if you touch it in the wrong place, and takes up almost as much room as a microwave oven, but it sure makes great coffee! It took awhile to get over the shock of ordinary coffee after our visit because her coffee was so good!

My cousin has a nice one as well. He made a couple of lovely lattes for my wife and me last time we visited. Looks like we gotta find an espresso machine for ourselves now...

 

[backin82]

Nice grinder choice. You are right, the pour over takes time, which is a hot commodity for some folks in the morning.

-Mike

Thanks! It was actually a gift from my mother in law. She got us a good one! We've had it for probably 8+ years, and it's still going strong. We reserve our pourovers for the weekends, usually Saturday mornings. It certainly makes great coffee if you have the time and patience!

 

[climber]

I have the Beratza Encore grinder as well. I use Lavazza Supercrema beans and have a Gaggia Classic pro. I can make you a latte that is right up there with the local barista! I don't do the hearts in foam tho I could... LOL