Espresso Enthusiasts

[Scepticalscribe]

I am just back from attending meetings, and suffered a Starbucks (what they described as a double espresso) in the train station this morning. Italian style, I drank it standing up, raincoat over one arm, briefcase attached by its shoulder strap to my shoulder.

Well, I had requested that it be served in a proper cup - and it was - and found that some brown sugar made it more palatable.

An aside: Why do Starbucks - and some other places no longer serve sugar in sachets but instead in these elegant looking but utterly useless tiny, tiny little paper tubes which are almost impossible to open without spilling the contents everywhere? And, instead of a proper spoon, they have these idiotic little wooden things, like a tiny stick.

Anyway, between spilling, and ripping the things open, and trying to pour sugar, and I note the shrinking quite miserable amounts of sugar found in these tubes in the first place, - sachets used to have generous amounts of sugar, not a few miserable, glued together grains - I used three of the sachet/cylinders/tubes - much of which ended up on the counter.

After my meeting, I visited a cheesemonger, and my specialist fountain pen shop (but the owner was on holiday).

No more coffees, though.

 

[S.B.G]

The Expobar has finally arrived! UPS gave a standard delivery window ending at 5:15 pm, but not guaranteed of course due to weather, traffic and workload conditions - normal stuff. The driver delivered the machine at 5:08 pm! Plus he wasn't the regular driver for my area, but a somewhat regular driver who fills in on the other guys day off.

I live on the third floor of my building and we don't have elevators, so he had to schlep this thing all the way up by hand. I wondered if he'd use a hand cart, but he didn't. I offered him some water for all the hard work, and considering it's very hot and humid here today. 88F/31C, he thanked me for the offer but declined. I'm sure he wanted to get his deliveries done with so he could get home on this Friday evening.

Anyway, here are the unboxing photos, some with Puma in them doing his arrival inspections. Cassini was in the area watching from a distance before approaching the boxes.

All photos are thumbnails, click on them for a larger picture.



Here's the box with the new knock in it. Its much larger than the one I have and that it going to be very nice.



Here's the first look inside the box and the packing.












Below are the accessories it came with. Portafilter handle, extra water filter, a single and double basket, a rubber seal for use when cleaning/back flushing (I won't use that since I have a blind basket for this task) and a scoop. I'm not using the baskets it shipped with and instead am using the VST basket I bought which is a higher quality one. Same goes for the tamper; I have a very nice high quality tamper of my own. Though using the plastic one is very tempting!



Here's the machine on the counter prior to taking the plastic off the stainless steel and getting the stuff out of the drip tray. The drip tray is huge! Thats really nice too because the drip tray on the Gaggia is quite shallow and fills up quickly, especially when cleaning. The Expobar's drip tray is like a small sink.



Here is the machine with the plastic off. It's really shiny and nice looking.



Here is the machine all set up and the Rancilio Rocky, Cafelat tamper, new knock box and scale.



Here is the first shot I pulled with the Expobar! The crema was much larger, but I waited a bit before I took this picture because I had taken a couple of sips first.



Even for the first pulled shot on the Expobar, it turned out quite nice. The shot extracted in the appropriate amount of time, 20 to 30 seconds, and poured evenly out of the spouts. Oh, by the way, there was no black plastic thingy in the PF, unlike the Gaggia.

Everything I saw online about this machine said warmup time is about 20 minutes. The booklet that shipped with it said about 10 minutes. I can confirm that it only took about 10 minutes to get to temperature! The water coming out of the steam wand, group head and water dispenser was HOT! I like how this has a water dispenser on it which means I won't have to use the electric kettle as much for pre-heating cups.

As for noise, it's noisier than the Gaggia, but not by much really. It's not too bad at all, and it's only noisy when it's filling the boiler or extracting.

The reservoir is on the top of the machine, as you would expect, and you have to lift a stainless steel lid off the top to get to it. I think I'll have to buy a small funnel to aid in filling it up. I don't want to have to remove it from the machine to refill, and I don't want to risk spilling water into the machine if I refill it while its inside. A funnel will help protect and control the intake of water into it. Since I live in an apartment, I don't have the option to plumb the machine so I have to use the reservoir.

All in all, I think I am going to be very happy with this machine for many, many years to come.

Major thanks and appreciation to @Shrink and @Kurwenal for your advice and priceless knowledge. Also many thanks to @Scepticalscribe and @mobilehaathi for you moral support and encouragement.

 

[Shrink]

The Expobar has finally arrived! UPS gave a standard delivery window ending at 5:15 pm, but not guaranteed of course due to weather, traffic and workload conditions - normal stuff. The driver delivered the machine at 5:08 pm! Plus he wasn't the regular driver for my area, but a somewhat regular driver who fills in on the other guys day off.

I live on the third floor of my building and we don't have elevators, so he had to schlep this thing all the way up by hand. I wondered if he'd use a hand cart, but he didn't. I offered him some water for all the hard work, and considering it's very hot and humid here today. 88F/31C, he thanked me for the offer but declined. I'm sure he wanted to get his deliveries done with so he could get home on this Friday evening.

Anyway, here are the unboxing photos, some with Puma in them doing his arrival inspections. Cassini was in the area watching from a distance before approaching the boxes.

View attachment 639531

Here's the box with the new knock in it. Its much larger than the one I have and that it going to be very nice.

View attachment 639532

Here's the first look inside the box and the packing.

View attachment 639534

View attachment 639529



View attachment 639530


View attachment 639533

Below are the accessories it came with. Portafilter handle, extra water filter, a single and double basket, a rubber seal for use when cleaning/back flushing and a scoop. I'm not using the baskets it shipped with and instead am using the VST basket I bought which is a higher quality one. Same goes for the tamper; I have a very nice high quality tamper of my own. Though using the plastic one is very tempting!

View attachment 639535

Here's the machine on the counter prior to taking the plastic off the stainless steel and getting the stuff out of the drip tray. The drip tray is huge! Thats really nice too because the drip tray on the Gaggia is quite shallow and fills up quickly, especially when cleaning. The Expobar's drip tray is like a small sink.

View attachment 639537

Here is the machine with the plastic off. It's really shiny and nice looking.

View attachment 639538

Here is the machine all set up and the Rancilio Rocky, Cafelat tamper, new knock box and scale.

View attachment 639539

Here is the first shot I pulled with the Expobar! The cream was much larger, but I waited a bit before I took this picture because I had taken a couple of sips first.

View attachment 639536

Even for the first pulled shot on the Expobar, it turned out quite nice. The shot extracted in the appropriate amount of time, 20 to 30 seconds, and poured evenly out of the spouts. Oh, by the way, there was no black plastic thingy in the PF, unlike the Gaggia.

Everything I saw online about this machine said warmup time is about 20 minutes. The booklet that shipped with it said about 10 minutes. I can confirm that it only took about 10 minutes to get to temperature! The water coming out of the steam wand, group head and water dispenser was HOT! I like how this has a water dispenser on it which means I won't have to use the electric kettle as much for pre-heating cups.

As for noise, it's noisier than the Gaggia, but not by much really. It's not too bad at all, and it only noisy when it's filling the boiler or extracting.

The reservoir is on the top of the machine, as you expect, and you have to lift a stainless steel lid off the top to get to it. I think I'll have to buy a small funnel to aid in filling it up. I don't want to have to remove it from the machine to refill, and I don't want to risk spilling water into the machine if I refill it while its inside. A funnel will help protect and control the intake of water into it. Since I live in an apartment, I don't have the option to plumb the machine so I have to use the reservoir.

All in all, I think I am going to be very happy with this machine for many, many years to come.

Major thanks and appreciation to @Shrink and @Kurwenal for your advice and priceless knowledge. Also many thanks to @Scepticalscribe and @mobilehaathi for you moral support and encouragement.

Congratulations, good friend @SandboxGeneral!

You have taken an order of magnitude step up in your espresso hardware. I remember when I made that same step with the same equipment. It is a wonderful machine and I think that you will enjoy using it immensely. And I am enjoying your pleasure vicariously.

The Expobar looks beautiful in situ!

Enjoy!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Thank you @SandboxGeneral for your delightfully detailed post (and accompanying pictures) - for some reason, the cat's barely suppressed excitement and undisguised curiosity at this strange delivery added to the narrative.

Wha a terrific story - thoroughly enjoyed reading it, and, as I remembered that today (Friday) was the day scheduled for the delivery, in the back of my mind, I was sort of anticipating a post from you announcing the safe arrival of a large package.

The Expobar looks fantastic, I'm hugely impressed - you'll love it, and thank you so much for sharing this wonderful moment with us. I must say that I really enjoyed reading your post and sharing your joy.

This is the sort of thing that really makes this thread such a joy and pleasure to visit.

Anyway, I'm delighted for you, and hope you will derive many years of happy coffee making with it.

 

[mobilehaathi]

The Expobar has finally arrived! UPS gave a standard delivery window ending at 5:15 pm, but not guaranteed of course due to weather, traffic and workload conditions - normal stuff. The driver delivered the machine at 5:08 pm! Plus he wasn't the regular driver for my area, but a somewhat regular driver who fills in on the other guys day off.

I live on the third floor of my building and we don't have elevators, so he had to schlep this thing all the way up by hand. I wondered if he'd use a hand cart, but he didn't. I offered him some water for all the hard work, and considering it's very hot and humid here today. 88F/31C, he thanked me for the offer but declined. I'm sure he wanted to get his deliveries done with so he could get home on this Friday evening.

Anyway, here are the unboxing photos, some with Puma in them doing his arrival inspections. Cassini was in the area watching from a distance before approaching the boxes.

All photos are thumbnails, click on them for a larger picture.

View attachment 639531

Here's the box with the new knock in it. Its much larger than the one I have and that it going to be very nice.

View attachment 639532

Here's the first look inside the box and the packing.

View attachment 639534

View attachment 639529



View attachment 639530


View attachment 639533

Below are the accessories it came with. Portafilter handle, extra water filter, a single and double basket, a rubber seal for use when cleaning/back flushing (I won't use that since I have a blind basket for this task) and a scoop. I'm not using the baskets it shipped with and instead am using the VST basket I bought which is a higher quality one. Same goes for the tamper; I have a very nice high quality tamper of my own. Though using the plastic one is very tempting!

View attachment 639535

Here's the machine on the counter prior to taking the plastic off the stainless steel and getting the stuff out of the drip tray. The drip tray is huge! Thats really nice too because the drip tray on the Gaggia is quite shallow and fills up quickly, especially when cleaning. The Expobar's drip tray is like a small sink.

View attachment 639537

Here is the machine with the plastic off. It's really shiny and nice looking.

View attachment 639538

Here is the machine all set up and the Rancilio Rocky, Cafelat tamper, new knock box and scale.

View attachment 639539

Here is the first shot I pulled with the Expobar! The crema was much larger, but I waited a bit before I took this picture because I had taken a couple of sips first.

View attachment 639536

Even for the first pulled shot on the Expobar, it turned out quite nice. The shot extracted in the appropriate amount of time, 20 to 30 seconds, and poured evenly out of the spouts. Oh, by the way, there was no black plastic thingy in the PF, unlike the Gaggia.

Everything I saw online about this machine said warmup time is about 20 minutes. The booklet that shipped with it said about 10 minutes. I can confirm that it only took about 10 minutes to get to temperature! The water coming out of the steam wand, group head and water dispenser was HOT! I like how this has a water dispenser on it which means I won't have to use the electric kettle as much for pre-heating cups.

As for noise, it's noisier than the Gaggia, but not by much really. It's not too bad at all, and it's only noisy when it's filling the boiler or extracting.

The reservoir is on the top of the machine, as you would expect, and you have to lift a stainless steel lid off the top to get to it. I think I'll have to buy a small funnel to aid in filling it up. I don't want to have to remove it from the machine to refill, and I don't want to risk spilling water into the machine if I refill it while its inside. A funnel will help protect and control the intake of water into it. Since I live in an apartment, I don't have the option to plumb the machine so I have to use the reservoir.

All in all, I think I am going to be very happy with this machine for many, many years to come.

Major thanks and appreciation to @Shrink and @Kurwenal for your advice and priceless knowledge. Also many thanks to @Scepticalscribe and @mobilehaathi for you moral support and encouragement.

That's a mighty fine looking machine! Congrats!

 

[JamesMike]

I'm super glad you like the Dessert Oasis beans. I think there is good reason why they placed second in a national competition with those beans.

Also had a pleasant surprise when I arrived home from work. The Le Creuset espresso cups, saucers and teaspoon were waiting for me. I didn't know when to expect them because the tracking information kept saying 'delivery date unknown.'

Now I have matching French Press, mug, espresso cups, saucers and teaspoon.
View attachment 639065
[doublepost=1467751481][/doublepost]
Ahh yes, I forgot to comment on the ludicrous level... That's my favorite scene from Spaceballs too! It was just on TV last week and I took it in again for probably the hundredth time.

I have the same French Press and enjoy it very much.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I have the same French Press and enjoy it very much.

Yes, as you know, I have that French Press, too, and must say that I love it.

Looking at your wonderful pictures again, one thing I have just noticed, @SandboxGeneral is that the needle in the gauge has moved between the third last and the second last picture. (The last picture depicts a poured cup of espresso).

Very impressive.

Enjoy.

I would imagine that strolling into your kitchen this morning, and seeing that thing (the Expobar) on the counter, or ledge, waiting for you, will bring a grin to your face. It would to mine, were I in a similar situation.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

And I am now sipping a mug (Le Creuset naturally enough) of Ethiopian coffee from Yirgacheffe.

 

[S.B.G]

Yes, as you know, I have that French Press, too, and must say that I love it.

Looking at your wonderful pictures again, one thing I have just noticed, @SandboxGeneral is that the needle in the gauge has moved between the third last and the second last picture. (The last picture depicts a poured cup of espresso).

Very impressive.

Enjoy.

I would imagine that strolling into your kitchen this morning, and seeing that thing (the Expobar) on the counter, or ledge, waiting for you, will bring a grin to your face. It would to mine, were I in a similar situation.

The gauge in the one picture was before I plugged it in and turned it on. The one where its showing a reading is after I pulled a shot and there was still pressure in the pump (I'm fairly sure anyway. Still learning about it all).

Yes strolling into the kitchen seeing that lovely machine this morning was nice.

However, I just had a scare a few minutes ago. As per my usual Saturday morning routine in which I wake up early and go to the gym, then go grocery shopping afterwards, I returned home with the groceries and put everything away. While I was putting things away I turned on the Expobar to get it warmed up. Once the groceries were put away and the machine warmed up I was going to pull a shot. I prepared everything, ground the coffee into the PF, tamped it, already had my cup pre-heated with hot water from the Expobar dispenser, the PF was pre-heated too from the group head, and I flushed the group head and the inserted the PF. I pulled the lever to begin the shot and the pressure went up as it should and I received a few drips of coffee and then it quit! The pump shut off, and the coffee stopped.

At this point queue the term "freaking out" on my part.

This brand new $1,200 machine that worked so well for the two shots I pulled yesterday just broke! Instantly, I went over in my mind everything I just did to ensure I was doing everything properly, and as far as I knew, I had. I used 18 grams of coffee, tamped the usual 30 pounds and so forth. So I pulled the PF out and flipped the lever again. Nothing. No water, no pump or boiler running. Nothing.

Okay. The machine is broken. I have to call Whole Latte Love tech support or customer service when they open to exchange it for a new one.

Well, maybe it blew a circuit or fuse. It wasn't a circuit because the Rancilio is on the same one and that still works. Perhaps there is a fuse in the Expobar that blew because it pulled too much voltage.

I unplug the Expobar and pull it out so I can see where the housing screws are to open it up and look for a fuse. I'm going to have to take the reservoir out too, so I take the top lid off and grab the reservoir.

Queue the "Oh ****" moment.

The Reservoir is empty! That's what the problem was. The boiler's internal circuit sensed that the reservoir was void of water and engaged the emergency shutdown to protect itself. I had forgotten about that feature, a good and useful feature. When I put water into it yesterday, I hadn't quite filled the reservoir all the way up, and maybe only filled up a third of it. Little did I realize that after two shots last night, and a little water usage this morning, I ran it dry already.

While I was at the store shopping this morning, I picked up a funnel, like I mentioned I would need yesterday, to easily and safely fill the reservoir with water. I looked in the section with kitchen utensils and didn't like anything they offered. The spouts were too small, which is probably fine for general cooking, but I wanted something a little bigger since all I'm using it for is water. I strolled down to the automotive section where they offer motor oil and found a funnel to my liking.

After washing the funnel I used it to fill up the reservoir with clean, filtered water, all the way up and put the stainless steel lid back on, plugged the Expobar back in and situated it back in its normal spot on the counter. I turned the switch to 'On' and voilà the pump and boiler came on again!

I knocked out the coffee from the PF and began the process of creating another shot. This time it all worked and I pulled a decent shot and enjoyed it very much.

What a story eh? I'm a big dope.

 

[AVBeatMan]

And I am now sipping a mug (Le Creuset naturally enough) of Ethiopian coffee from Yirgacheffe.

I've just noticed you can buy Yirfacheffe via Amazon;https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8...qmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_35kyboqcb1_e

 

[Shrink]

I'm a big dope.

As I am a gentleman with impeccable manners, I would be hesitant to agree with such a self derogatory self-assessment.

Suffice it to point out that trying to run your espresso machine with an empty water reservoir lacks a certain, how shall I say it, foresight. Fortunately for you, your new machine is, for all practical purposes, stupid proof.

Oops... I seem to have said something ungentlemanly.

But if the shoe fits…

 

[Scepticalscribe]

The gauge in the one picture was before I plugged it in and turned it on. The one where its showing a reading is after I pulled a shot and there was still pressure in the pump (I'm fairly sure anyway. Still learning about it all).

Yes strolling into the kitchen seeing that lovely machine this morning was nice.

However, I just had a scare a few minutes ago. As per my usual Saturday morning routine in which I wake up early and go to the gym, then go grocery shopping afterwards, I returned home with the groceries and put everything away. While I was putting things away I turned on the Expobar to get it warmed up. Once the groceries were put away and the machine warmed up I was going to pull a shot. I prepared everything, ground the coffee into the PF, tamped it, already had my cup pre-heated with hot water from the Expobar dispenser, the PF was pre-heated too from the group head, and I flushed the group head and the inserted the PF. I pulled the lever to begin the shot and the pressure went up as it should and I received a few drips of coffee and then it quit! The pump shut off, and the coffee stopped.

At this point queue the term "freaking out" on my part.

This brand new $1,200 machine that worked so well for the two shots I pulled yesterday just broke! Instantly, I went over in my mind everything I just did to ensure I was doing everything properly, and as far as I knew, I had. I used 18 grams of coffee, tamped the usual 30 pounds and so forth. So I pulled the PF out and flipped the lever again. Nothing. No water, no pump or boiler running. Nothing.

Okay. The machine is broken. I have to call Whole Latte Love tech support or customer service when they open to exchange it for a new one.

Well, maybe it blew a circuit or fuse. It wasn't a circuit because the Rancilio is on the same one and that still works. Perhaps there is a fuse in the Expobar that blew because it pulled too much voltage.

I unplug the Expobar and pull it out so I can see where the housing screws are to open it up and look for a fuse. I'm going to have to take the reservoir out too, so I take the top lid off and grab the reservoir.

Queue the "Oh ****" moment.

The Reservoir is empty! That's what the problem was. The boiler's internal circuit sensed that the reservoir was void of water and engaged the emergency shutdown to protect itself. I had forgotten about that feature, a good and useful feature. When I put water into it yesterday, I hadn't quite filled the reservoir all the way up, and maybe only filled up a third of it. Little did I realize that after two shots last night, and a little water usage this morning, I ran it dry already.

While I was at the store shopping this morning, I picked up a funnel, like I mentioned I would need yesterday, to easily and safely fill the reservoir with water. I looked in the section with kitchen utensils and didn't like anything they offered. The spouts were too small, which is probably fine for general cooking, but I wanted something a little bigger since all I'm using it for is water. I strolled down to the automotive section where they offer motor oil and found a funnel to my liking.

After washing the funnel I used it to fill up the reservoir with clean, filtered water, all the way up and put the stainless steel lid back on, plugged the Expobar back in and situated it back in its normal spot on the counter. I turned the switch to 'On' and voilà the pump and boiler came on again!

I knocked out the coffee from the PF and began the process of creating another shot. This time it all worked and I pulled a decent shot and enjoyed it very much.

What a story eh? I'm a big dope.

Great story and thanks for sharing.

My mother - in the days before her dementia kicked in - (but, maybe, at the very beginning of the process) told me a similar story when I was away in Georgia.

Her story was that the very expensive - and extremely good - washing machine had broken - she tried everything, the usual checks, water, settings, - whether someone had put in the ecological, organic washing liquid/powder we used - etc. Nothing worked.

So, she summoned an electrician, who discovered that it hadn't been plugged in, or, rather, had been unplugged, (not mother's fault, just something the cleaning lady used to do and subsequently had to be instructed - by me - not to do); the electrician lifted the plug - which had not been plugged in, smiled, and plugged it in, checking that it worked - which it did, perfectly. And - what was also very decent - the electrician - seeing her utter mortification - was kind enough not to charge her a call-out charge.

When she Skyped me she was pretty embarrassed - but massively relieved that nothing was wrong with the washing machine.

However, re the Expobar, this evidently means that although the reservoir is generously sized, clearly, it also runs through water quickly. Is there any visible gauge that tells you (the way my kettle does) how much water it contains?

Nevertheless, the 'cutting out' function when the reservoir is empty is an excellent safety feature. Very useful (and perhaps occasionally necessary?)
[doublepost=1468066723][/doublepost]

I've just noticed you can buy Yirfacheffe via Amazon;https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8...qmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_35kyboqcb1_e

Thanks @Dave Meadows but - as others on this thread - we are all cut from some version of the same cloth, deranged lunatics all - will attest, when I buy coffee, I prefer to buy from a good source, such as a coffee company, or reputable small roaster.

To my mind, Amazon is fine for books and music, but not for coffee....

 

[Shrink]

I've just noticed you can buy Yirfacheffe via Amazon;https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8...qmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_35kyboqcb1_e

I, also, would not suggest buying coffee from Amazon. You have no idea how long that roasted coffee has been sitting around some warehouse when ordering from Amazon. When ordering from a reputable gourmet coffee site you will receive the beans shortly after roasting.

After roasting beans should be allowed to rest, and off gas CO2, for three or four days. From a reputable coffee site the shipping time should be just about right for the off gassing period so that when you receive the beans they are ready to use. Remember, roasted beans start going stale after about two weeks post off gassing time.

So if you are paying for some decent beans you certainly don't want them to be stale when you receive them, as they are likely to be when you order from Amazon

 

[AVBeatMan]

Where do you recommend buying from in the UK?

 

[flyingspur]

I, also, would not suggest buying coffee from Amazon. You have no idea how long that roasted coffee has been sitting around some warehouse when ordering from Amazon. When ordering from a reputable gourmet coffee site you will receive the beans shortly after roasting.

After roasting beans should be allowed to rest, and off gas CO2, for three or four days. From a reputable coffee site the shipping time should be just about right for the off gassing period so that when you receive the beans they are ready to use. Remember, roasted beans start going stale after about two weeks post off gassing time.

So if you are paying for some decent beans you certainly don't want them to be stale when you receive them, as they are likely to be when you order from Amazon

Would you or others mind posting a few of your favorite ordering places? I'm even skeptical about
some in store purchases I have made recently. Thanks you!

 

[Shrink]

Where do you recommend buying from in the UK?

A Google check found here and here for Ethiopian coffee available in the UK. I'm also sure that @Scepticalscribe can tell you where she obtains her beans.
[doublepost=1468070155][/doublepost]

Would you or others mind posting a few of your favorite ordering places? I'm even skeptical about
some in store purchases I have made recently. Thanks you!

I order from Dessertoasiscoffee.com, Barringtoncoffee.com, Highwirecoffee.com, and Intelligentsia.com

I find them to have excellent selections of fine beans, all freshly roasted so that when I receive them they have just completed their resting period.

BTW...I see that you are new to our thread for the coffee insane...WELCOME!

 

[AVBeatMan]

A Google check found here and here for Ethiopian coffee available in the UK. I'm also sure that @Scepticalscribe can tell you where she obtains her beans.
[doublepost=1468070155][/doublepost]

I order from Dessertoasiscoffee.com, Barringtoncoffee.com, Highwirecoffee.com, and Intelligentsia.com

I find them to have excellent selections of fine beans, all freshly roasted so that when I receive them they have just completed their resting period.

BTW...I see that you are new to our thread for the coffee insane...WELCOME!

Many thanks. I shall take a look at those websites on this lazy Saturday afternoon. My favourite day of the whole week. A day for rest, coffee, tea, reading the papers and my book, TV and later some booze. Absolutely Bloody Marvellous!

 

[S.B.G]

Would you or others mind posting a few of your favorite ordering places? I'm even skeptical about
some in store purchases I have made recently. Thanks you!

In addition to what Shrink mentioned, you can see many more links in the very first post of this thread. The thread is a wiki thread so we can edit in, or out, links to our favorite coffee related sites.

 

[AVBeatMan]

Just seen this and it made me laugh.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Where do you recommend buying from in the UK?

Over the past year, or so, I have discovered The Ethiopian Coffee Company in London.

Their coffee is exclusively Ethiopian, - which I have come to like a lot - and they are reasonably priced and very efficient - their service is good and they are friendly and helpful - I often place orders by phone and chat to them about different coffees, getting opinions and sharing feedback.

Now, I used to get quite a bit of coffee from Intelligentsia, in the US, but baulked a bit at the cost of transport (the coffee, and service were all excellent, but the cost of transporting it often exceeded the price of the coffee). Nevertheless, they were excellent, efficient, and some of their coffee was superb.

I tried Sweet Maria's coffee - which used to be highly recommended by some on this very thread, but most of their stuff comes in the form of green beans - you must roast it yourself which I am not interested in doing; however, they have a small selection of pre roasted beans most weeks which it is possible to order.

 

[S.B.G]

Just seen this and it made me laugh.

View attachment 639605

You might do better in the Wine & beer enthusiasts thread with that. This is a coffee thread.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Actually, @Shrink mentioned Whittard.

Now, I never knew that they offered coffee, - that is new to me, - and I must try their Yirgacheffe.

However, they are an old and vastly respected company, and their hot chocolate (which I used to buy in high end delicatessens) is justly well known (and priced accordingly), and is delicious.

 

[flyingspur]

A Google check found here and here for Ethiopian coffee available in the UK. I'm also sure that @Scepticalscribe can tell you where she obtains her beans.
[doublepost=1468070155][/doublepost]

I order from Dessertoasiscoffee.com, Barringtoncoffee.com, Highwirecoffee.com, and Intelligentsia.com

I find them to have excellent selections of fine beans, all freshly roasted so that when I receive them they have just completed their resting period.

BTW...I see that you are new to our thread for the coffee insane...WELCOME!

Thank you! I have been a thread lurker for a while.

In addition to what Shrink mentioned, you can see many more links in the very first post of this thread. The thread is a wiki thread so we can edit in, or out, links to our favorite coffee related sites.

doh... I started this thread as time permitted, and just now hit the end of it. I had forgotten the first!

 

[Shrink]

Thank you! I have been a thread lurker for a while.



doh... I started this thread as time permitted, and just now hit the end of it. I had forgotten the first!

OMG...don't tell me that you read this whole thread! If true, you not only have the patience of a saint, but are now injured beyond repair!

So glad that you are no longer lurking, and have joined us posting.

 

[flyingspur]

OMG...don't tell me that you read this whole thread! If true, you not only have the patience of a saint, but are now injured beyond repair!

So glad that you are no longer lurking, and have joined us posting.

lol, I did read it. Not so sure if I remember it all, even the front page obviously. injured...