Espresso Enthusiasts

[Scepticalscribe]

I'd be a bit surprised if they took it back, to be honest. The goodwill it generated is worth way more than the $12.

I agree. Generating goodwill (especially over such a small sum of money) will be worth more, to my mind, than trying to take it back.

However, no loss on you if they do, and your attitude (and conduct) have been exemplary throughout. No matter what happens, you can rest easy with yourself, and that is a good place to be.

Yeah, I'd be slightly surprised if they do take it back, and if they actually do, I won't be upset in the least. Fair is fair.

Yes the beans are Colombian and they taste great. The batch of blended beans I received yesterday are good, but I don't feel they taste as good as the SO beans I've been getting. This SO batch that came today has a better taste than the blended beans.

Now that doesn't mean the blended beans are bad - just not quite as good as the SO beans.

Before replying to this post, I had a quick trawl through the Intelligentsia site; a few weeks ago, they were offering a number of rare and unusual coffees from Colombia, and I held off ordering them, as the one coffee I had ordered last year from Colombia (Tres Santos), while very nice, was - to my memory - nothing really spectacular.

However, needless to say, I hope I am proved wrong. More to the point, I hope your Colombian beans turn out to be wonderful.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Burr grinder (well, OE Lido 2) update: Any time I am away for a day or two (as happened early this week) I find that I have to re-set the settings on the rings.

Not the end of the world, and physically, it is - actually - really great fun to use. In fact, (hushed whisper as an aside) I am actually enjoying it. And my coffee is wonderfully fresh while the scent from same is simply gorgeous….

While I wouldn't yet class myself a complete convert to the joys of burr grinders (especially when I still have to work out how to - or, where to - re-set the settings), you can count me impressed. Very impressed.

 

[mobilehaathi]

Burr grinder (well, OE Lido 2) update: Any time I am away for a day or two (as happened early this week) I find that I have to re-set the settings on the rings.

Not the end of the world, and physically, it is - actually - really great fun to use. In fact, (hushed whisper as an aside) I am actually enjoying it. And my coffee is wonderfully fresh while the scent from same is simply gorgeous….

While I wouldn't yet class myself a complete convert to the joys of burr grinders (especially when I still have to work out how to - or, where to - re-set the settings), you can count me impressed. Very impressed.

Hmmm, that strikes me as odd. Is there a lock you've missed tht secures the setting?

 

[S.B.G]

Hmmm, that strikes me as odd. Is there a lock you've missed tht secures the setting?

Burr grinder (well, OE Lido 2) update: Any time I am away for a day or two (as happened early this week) I find that I have to re-set the settings on the rings.

Not the end of the world, and physically, it is - actually - really great fun to use. In fact, (hushed whisper as an aside) I am actually enjoying it. And my coffee is wonderfully fresh while the scent from same is simply gorgeous….

While I wouldn't yet class myself a complete convert to the joys of burr grinders (especially when I still have to work out how to - or, where to - re-set the settings), you can count me impressed. Very impressed.

I agree with mobilehaathi, you shouldn't have to adjust it every time. Have a look at their video on adjusting the burrs; it may show you what the problem is and how to correct it.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Hmmm, that strikes me as odd. Is there a lock you've missed tht secures the setting?

Yes, there is. And I keep forgetting about it.

And yes, I still have to work out quite what to do, but it is sort of fun on the way there……..some day, it will occur to me (when I am not thinking about the world's problems!) when I am in a town centre that the purchase of one of those 'magic markers' - the ones that can leave a small, easily wiped off mark, would be an excellent additional purchase.

However, as someone who easily remembers dates, and sequences of numbers, I do regret that there aren't numbers etched on these rings. It would make my life a lot easier……...

I agree with mobilehaathi, you shouldn't have to adjust it every time. Have a look at their video on adjusting the burrs; it may show you what the problem is and how to correct it.

YouTube: video

Okay. Thank you for posting this. After 'Wolf Hall' is transmitted later tonight, I promise that I will take a look at (with a view to learning from) this video…….

Now, (apart from the lack of numbers, and my baffled wonder at the settings - I look at the size of the grind and twist accordingly, very much trial and error, but, hey, it works thus far….), I am actually enjoying the physical pleasure of using it.

This evening, a cousin of mine (possibly my mother's favourite niece) dropped in; we hadn't seen her since Christmas, and not a lot before that, as her life has undergone dramatic transformation in the last year or so.

Anyway, I offered coffee (as I normally do) and she stared, with stunned delight, at the OE Lido 2 as it was put through its paces, grinding enough for a French Press of coffee. Now, do I know whether or not this was the 'correct' grind as suggested by the manuals? No, I don't. I guessed, and tweaked, and busily twisted the grinder which went through those beans like butter. My cousin professed herself deeply impressed by the scent and taste of the resulting coffee.

 

[S.B.G]

Yes, there is. And I keep forgetting about it.

And yes, I still have to work out quite what to do, but it is sort of fun on the way there……..some day, it will occur to me (when I am not thinking about the world's problems!) when I am in a town centre that the purchase of one of those 'magic markers' - the ones that can leave a small, easily wiped off mark, would be an excellent additional purchase.

However, as someone who easily remembers dates, and sequences of numbers, I do regret that there aren't numbers etched on these rings. It would make my life a lot easier……...



Okay. Thank you for posting this. After 'Wolf Hall' is transmitted later tonight, I promise that I will take a look at (with a view to learning from) this video…….

Now, (apart from the lack of numbers, and my baffled wonder at the settings - I look at the size of the grind and twist accordingly, very much trial and error, but, hey, it works thus far….), I am actually enjoying the physical pleasure of using it.

This evening, a cousin of mine (possibly my mother's favourite niece) dropped in; we hadn't seen her since Christmas, and not a lot before that, as her life has undergone dramatic transformation in the last year or so.

Anyway, I offered coffee (as I normally do) and she stared, with stunned delight, at the OE Lido 2 as it was put through its paces, grinding enough for a French Press of coffee. Now, do I know whether or not this was the 'correct' grind as suggested by the manuals? No, I don't. I guessed, and tweaked, and busily twisted the grinder which went through those beans like butter. My cousin professed herself deeply impressed by the scent and taste of the resulting coffee.

Grinding for French Press isn't that bad. Any coarse grind will do. FP isn't picky like espresso grinding is. For me, I use the most coarse grind my grinder can do and that works well.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Grinding for French Press isn't that bad. Any coarse grind will do. FP isn't picky like espresso grinding is. For me, I use the most coarse grind my grinder can do and that works well.

Most mornings, I grind for the Hario dripper; this evening, for my cousin, I thought that a pot of coffee made better sense than two separate mugs, hence the French Press.

While I knew (sort of) that the grind could be a bit coarser, I didn't actually alter it from the Hario setting I had made for myself earlier in the day, hence, it was probably a bit finer than would be strictly necessary for the French Press. That didn't matter; the coffee was lovely, and my cousin - a fellow coffee lover - watched the whole process, utterly entranced.

Some morning soon, I plan to dust off my Bialetti moka pot, and grind some beans for a stove top espresso. That'll be an interesting and fun experience…...

 

[S.B.G]

The four batches of Single Origin beans I received from Blue Bottle were:

1. Costa Rica Tarrazú Divino Niño
2. Guatemala Cobán Santa Isabel
3. Ethiopia Guji Hambela Natural
4. Colombia Cauca Caloto

The first three I rated equally good, none standing out above or below the other. However, #4, the Colombian beans, were head and shoulders above 1 through 3 in smell, taste and enjoyment.

I recommend all four as worthy to drink by us enthusiasts, but if you had to choose only one, go with the Colombian beans.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

The four batches of Single Origin beans I received from Blue Bottle were:

1. Costa Rica Tarrazú Divino Niño
2. Guatemala Cobán Santa Isabel
3. Ethiopia Guji Hambela Natural
4. Colombia Cauca Caloto

The first three I rated equally good, none standing out above or below the other. However, #4, the Colombian beans, were head and shoulders above 1 through 3 in smell, taste and enjoyment.

I recommend all four as worthy to drink by us enthusiasts, but if you had to choose only one, go with the Colombian beans.

Is that possibly because Colombian beans are unusually fresh (and in season) just now?

Now, I mention this because when Intelligentsia email me to mention a new monthly special (organic, hand-picked, rare bean, etc) the ones that tend to feature just now are those from Colombia, Bolivia and El Salvador. Therefore, it strikes me that these are the ones in season at the moment, and probably the very ones that taste at their best, too…..

 

[S.B.G]

Is that possibly because Colombian beans are unusually fresh (and in season) just now?

Now, I mention this because when Intelligentsia email me to mention a new monthly special (organic, hand-picked, rare bean, etc) the ones that tend to feature just now are those from Colombia, Bolivia and El Salvador. Therefore, it strikes me that these are the ones in season at the moment, and probably the very ones that taste at their best, too…..

I'm not really sure. The Colombian beans I received are the same beans that the United States Postal Service, in their incompetence, delivered to me seven days later than they should've been. So the freshness factor could have been slightly diminished. Regardless of that, they still tasted the best.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I'm not really sure. The Colombian beans I received are the same beans that the United States Postal Service, in their incompetence, delivered to me seven days later than they should've been. So the freshness factor could have been slightly diminished. Regardless of that, they still tasted the best.

Well, I hope that you really enjoy the Colombian beans along with the others.

While anything that will ship from Intelligentsia in the coming weeks will have come from central or South American elevations (Colombia, Bolivia, and their recent email mentioned El Salvador, which I may consider passing on….), speaking - or, writing - personally, I am really looking forward to an announcement to the effect that Ethiopian coffee is in season…….

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I agree with mobilehaathi, you shouldn't have to adjust it every time. Have a look at their video on adjusting the burrs; it may show you what the problem is and how to correct it.

YouTube: video

Thank you for posting this and directing my attention to it; I have now watched it, and more or less get what they are saying and doing.

That is not my particular problem, however. My 'issue' is that as the rings aren't numbered, I have to try to remember where to set them.

In other words, if say, they had settings 1-10, or 1-20, I have the sort of memory that would be able to recall - effortlessly - that my French Press (for example) should be at number 12, a dripper at 10, whereas an espresso might require a three.

Now, I know - because I watched a different video from the same company - that this was done deliberately in order to enable, or allow, people to set their own levels.

Never mind. I have gotten the hand of the grinding - just not of the small matter of how to set the settings where I want them; 'hit and miss' is working, though, and the coffee that results has an amazing scent and wonderful taste.

And, while I am something of a perfectionist at work, I am a lot more easy going where my coffee is concerned. A state of near, or possible, or aspired, perfection will more than adequately suffice...

 

[mobilehaathi]

Thank you for posting this and directing my attention to it; I have now watched it, and more or less get what they are saying and doing.

That is not my particular problem, however. My 'issue' is that as the rings aren't numbered, I have to try to remember where to set them.

In other words, if say, they had settings 1-10, or 1-20, I have the sort of memory that would be able to recall - effortlessly - that my French Press (for example) should be at number 12, a dripper at 10, whereas an espresso might require a three.

Now, I know - because I watched a different video from the same company - that this was done deliberately in order to enable, or allow, people to set their own levels.

Never mind. I have gotten the hand of the grinding - just not of the small matter of how to set the settings where I want them; 'hit and miss' is working, though, and the coffee that results has an amazing scent and wonderful taste.

And, while I am something of a perfectionist at work, I am a lot more easy going where my coffee is concerned. A state of near, or possible, or aspired, perfection will more than adequately suffice...

Well, I'm happy you've been enjoying the grinder. I seem to recall you were rather hesitant to engage in something so apparently complicated so early in the morning!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Well, I'm happy you've been enjoying the grinder. I seem to recall you were rather hesitant to engage in something so apparently complicated so early in the morning!

I still am, to be honest; mornings remain a time of testing endurance. I just don't get them.

Nevertheless, I must admit that I am enjoying the physical - literally - 'hands-on' experience of grinding my own beans. (Although on cold wet days my thumb doth protest a bit much, with a bad-tempered twinge which segues into a dull ache).

However, the black line in the larger ring (which gave one some sense of permanence) appears to have worn away, after viewing the video, I went out to take a close look at the grinder…….

However, this means that it has become an even greater challenge to set the thing……

Some sort of indelible inked marker will be a purchase….soon.

Meanwhile, on Friday, while I was away attending meetings and consuming long, lingering liquid lunches, a parcel from Intelligentsia was delivered to my door………..which is just as well, as my Sweet Maria's Liquid Amber beans are just about finished.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Okay: I have finally finished the Liquid Amber (from Sweet Maria's as recommended by my fellow denizens on this very thread). Lovely coffee, but I will say that have had better.

However, it is all a matter of personal preference, I get that.

So, dear comrades, friends, fellow denizens who dwell here, what is it to be for tomorrow? What beans shall be fed into the maw of my grinder? (And no, I never, ever thought I would develop a weird, visceral enjoyment for the simple act of grinding beans.)

There are Colombian, (organic), Bolivian (organic) all from Intelligentsia, three different varieties of each, in fact - in nice, small 50 g bags; and there is also a very small sealed bag (250g) of Ethiopian beans which I was gifted not so long ago……..

 

[mobilehaathi]

Okay: I have finally finished the Liquid Amber (from Sweet Maria's as recommended by my fellow denizens on this very thread). Lovely coffee, but I will say that have had better.

However, it is all a matter of personal preference, I get that.

So, dear comrades, friends, fellow denizens who dwell here, what is it to be for tomorrow? What beans shall be fed into the maw of my grinder? (And no, I never, ever thought I would develop a weir, visceral enjoyment for the simple act of grinding beans.)

There are Colombian, (organic), Bolivian (organic) all from Intelligentsia, three different varieties of each, in fact - in nice, small 50 g bags; and there is also a very small sealed bag (250g) of Ethiopian beans which I was gifted not so long ago……..

Oh well, I've found the LA to be best for pulling shots. I've poured over a few coups and found it...meh, although the FP is decent. But truly the LA is best for espresso.

Now, I am, as you know, very partial to Ethiopian beans....

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Oh well, I've found the LA to be best for pulling shots. I've poured over a few coups and found it...meh, although the FP is decent. But truly the LA is best for espresso.

Now, I am, as you know, very partial to Ethiopian beans....

Well, I never got around to trying out the Liquid Amber beans for espresso. I'll take your word for it.

(The combination of getting the grinder ready, along with the kettle, filter……beans, has meant that the extra work of preparing my Bialetti moka pot has yet to take place with this new set up.)

Besides, I seem to prefer my espresso in summer - warm climates are conducive to the consumption of a great many espressos, whereas I seem to prefer longer coffees in winter…..

Others that I hadn't mentioned included a tin of Italian coffee bought last week, and a tin of Ethiopian (emergency rations….)

However, the sealed 250g bag of Ethiopian coffee, which was a gift, is the very one I had been contemplating myself. Agreed. I do really rather like the Ethiopian coffees…...

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Well, this morning (afternoon?), it was time for the small, (very small) sealed bag of Ethiopian beans to meet my (OE Lido 2 handmade) grinder and Hario press.

The small bag describes the beans as "Ethiopia Kebel Kercha Guji: Washed", and the tasting notes helpfully inform us that the beans are: "Fruit-driven and complex. Blueberries and blackcurrants dominate. Really clean juicy mouthfeel."

Now, as some on this thread already know, I became acquainted with, and something of an aficionado of, Ethiopian beans relatively late. Hitherto, my primary focus - coffee bean wise - had been on Central & South America.

But Ethiopian beans (yes, yes, yes, I know, the ancestral home of coffee, etc.) are - I now know - sublime.

Today's coffee was lighter - a lighter roast than some I have had - but that, too, tends to be the characteristic way that Ethiopian beans present themselves. This was a clean, bright, delicious coffee. Not as full, or heavy, as some, but lovely. And, yes, I will accept the adjective 'fruity', too, as appropriate, in the circumstances.

 

[mobilehaathi]

Well, this morning (afternoon?), it was time for the small, (very small) sealed bag of Ethiopian beans to meet my (OE Lido 2 handmade) grinder and Hario press.

The small bag describes the beans as "Ethiopia Kebel Kercha Guji: Washed", and the tasting notes helpfully inform us that the beans are: "Fruit-driven and complex. Blueberries and blackcurrants dominate. Really clean juicy mouthfeel."

Now, as some on this thread already know, I became acquainted with, and something of an aficionado of, Ethiopian beans relatively late. Hitherto, my primary focus - coffee bean wise - had been on Central & South America.

But Ethiopian beans (yes, yes, yes, I know, the ancestral home of coffee, etc.) are - I now know - sublime.

Today's coffee was lighter - a lighter roast than some I have had - but that, too, tends to be the characteristic way that Ethiopian beans present themselves. This was a clean, bright, delicious coffee. Not as full, or heavy, as some, but lovely. And, yes, I will accept the adjective 'fruity', too, as appropriate, in the circumstances.

Excellent, sounds like a nice cup.

 

[zen97]

Not trying to hijack the thread but what container do you guys use to store your coffee? I have been eyeing the Airscape, any thoughts?

 

[mobilehaathi]

Not trying to hijack the thread but what container do you guys use to store your coffee? I have been eyeing the Airscape, any thoughts?

You're not hijacking at all! I use a couple Vacu Vin containers, which come with a pump to create a partial vacuum. I know a few others around here use the Friis, which have a one way vent to bleed off the CO2 that seep out of freshly roasted beans.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Not trying to hijack the thread but what container do you guys use to store your coffee? I have been eyeing the Airscape, any thoughts?

No, you are not hijacking the thread at all; we are always delighted to ensnare newcomers and smother them with a warm welcome until they, too, have decided to join us in this cosy corner of coffee inspired insanity. Do come and join us.

Now, to your query.

Actually, personally, I use old coffee tins, with properly sealed lids to store my beans (and indeed, to store pre ground coffee, which I still have occasion to use on occasion, too).

One that I have used is a tin that came from Illy coffee. Another Italian coffee (Tico, I think it was called), also plays home to my beans, unless the beans themselves have come in a tin, in which case that is where they stay until they are consumed. And, as they don't usually last terribly long - I rather like my coffee, and drink a fair bit of it - this suits me fine.

 

[zen97]

Thank you for the kind advice, I am going to give Friis a try.

 

[mobilehaathi]

Thank you for the kind advice, I am going to give Friis a try.

Cheers! Do you roast your own by any chance?

 

[zen97]

Cheers! Do you roast your own by any chance?

I wish I had the time and knowledge but I don't. I currently buy my coffee from the local Central market (about 1lb / week) and make my coffee with a Technivorm Moccamaster which I love.