Sorry,Mate...my fault!Lets try to stay on topic gentlemen and not veer into PRSI too much.
/friendly reminder.
I do have a Prime account. My caveat is a more general observation.
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Espresso Enthusiasts
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I do have a Prime account. My caveat is a more general observation.
Guess you can skip most of it since it just got lenghty because of my difficulties in understanding the simple things. Some nice recommendations were made , though. Wonder if you want a 'blind funnel' or not.
And sorry for the OT stuff, part of the problem is my unabilty to add something senseful to this topic but love the thread...
I'm wondering what is it about a doser that bothers you?? Forget that I called it a "blind funnel", it's a doser. It allows you to dispense a pre-measured amount of grinds directly into the PF.
Buddy, I'm just curious about what bothers you about it. To be honest, I prefer a doserless delivery method, but I'm wondering what you don't like about it??
Lets try to stay on topic gentlemen and not veer into PRSI too much.
/friendly reminder.
Oooooops. My bad. Mea culpa....
On topic, does anyone here enjoy the taste of a square of extremely bitter dark chocolate with a cup of espresso in the afternoon? (Mornings, as we all know, are very different). Anyway, I made the acquaintance of that particular marriage of flavours as a teenager in France in the very last 1970s, when the family who played host to me introduced me to dark chocolate and espresso at the end of lunch. Sublime........
While I love bittersweet chocolate, I prefer to have it separate from the espresso so as to avoid "contaminating" either with the other!
OT (sort of): Here's a taste combination that I guarantee no one has thought of...perhaps for good reason!
Dom Perignon champagne and...wait for it...Oreo Cookies. A bite of the cookie mixed in the mouth with sip of the champagne.
And you thought my total insanity was focused only on espresso!!
Dom Perignon and Oriols....those posh Americans. Tztztz.
Five o' clock is the latest I'd have a coffee. But normally it'd be some cake, biscuit or dark chocolate and....wait for it...tea!
@Shrink - What bothers me about the funnel? Good question, really. I'd say actually nothing except that it somehow gives me the impression of moving something from A to B just to bring it from B to C. May be the neat way, but I can see myself cleaning the funnel rather often because the grind sticks within the corners, then it's made out of plastic, too. No sound logic probably. I'd prefer a clean sweep with my kitchen 'rag' and be done with it.
But mostly because I like the idea of filling my PF directly. I dunno, seems like the precice way to me. I like that idea, and a great indicator if my hands get too shaky and clumsy too. A little practice will be needed though. Probably I've to give it some more thought, but that was what my belly and my brain told me initially.
Five o' clock is the latest I'd have a coffee. But normally it'd be some cake, biscuit or dark chocolate and....wait for it...tea!
@Shrink - What bothers me about the funnel? Good question, really. I'd say actually nothing except that it somehow gives me the impression of moving something from A to B just to bring it from B to C. May be the neat way, but I can see myself cleaning the funnel rather often because the grind sticks within the corners, then it's made out of plastic, too. No sound logic probably. I'd prefer a clean sweep with my kitchen 'rag' and be done with it.
But mostly because I like the idea of filling my PF directly. I dunno, seems like the precice way to me. I like that idea, and a great indicator if my hands get too shaky and clumsy too.
A little practice will be needed though. Probably I've to give it some more thought, but that was what my belly and my brain told me initially.Dosers are easy enough to clean but I do think they are pointless for home use.
On a coffee but not an espresso note. Has anyone ever seen the uber boiler before? This is an old article about an early version of it, but its a good overview.
http://www.jimseven.com/2009/02/11/the-marco-uber-boiler/
This is how it looks now
On a coffee but not an espresso note. Has anyone ever seen the uber boiler before? This is an old article about an early version of it, but its a good overview.
http://www.jimseven.com/2009/02/11/the-marco-uber-boiler/
This is how it looks now
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Dom Perignon and Oriols....those posh Americans. Tztztz.
Five o' clock is the latest I'd have a coffee. But normally it'd be some cake, biscuit or dark chocolate and....wait for it...tea!
@Shrink - What bothers me about the funnel? Good question, really. I'd say actually nothing except that it somehow gives me the impression of moving something from A to B just to bring it from B to C. May be the neat way, but I can see myself cleaning the funnel rather often because the grind sticks within the corners, then it's made out of plastic, too. No sound logic probably. I'd prefer a clean sweep with my kitchen 'rag' and be done with it.
But mostly because I like the idea of filling my PF directly. I dunno, seems like the precice way to me. I like that idea, and a great indicator if my hands get too shaky and clumsy too.
I'm not suggesting wether the doser is good or bad, but look again at the picture of the Gaggia grinder that I linked, because somewhere you have gotten the idea that the doser must be moved.. The doser is attached to the machine. Nothing moves anywhere. The doser is attached to the grinder below the burrs. The grinds drop into the doser, which is attached to the grinder. You place the PF in the cradle below a little spout at the bottom of the doser, pull a lever, and the doser dispenses the grinds into the PF. Nothing moves anywhere. You then take the PF off the cradle, level the grinds in the basket, and tamp.
You ARE filling the PF directly from the grinder. With a doserless machine like the Rocky, the difference is the grinds do not drop into the doser, but directly into the PF...which causes more grinds to scatter some, and is messier...which mess is endemic to making espresso!
I prefer the doserless arrangement because I want to control the amount of grinds in each dose. With a doser, the doser is pre set to dispense a certain amount of grinds with each pull of the lever.
I'm not suggesting either, and most grinders don't dispense directly into the PF, but rather have a bin into which the grinds drop, which you then remove from the grinder, and fill the PF by scooping the grinds out of the box into the PF.
While I love bittersweet chocolate, I prefer to have it separate from the espresso so as to avoid "contaminating" either with the other!
OT (sort of): Here's a taste combination that I guarantee no one has thought of...perhaps for good reason!
Dom Perignon champagne and...wait for it...Oreo Cookies. A bite of the cookie mixed in the mouth with sip of the champagne.
And you thought my total insanity was focused only on espresso!!
Hmmm. Can't say I tried that particular combination.........and I'm not really a devotee of champagne. Now, an espresso and a balloon of smooth aged brandy, replete after after an excellent repast, along with the pleasures of good company, a background of low lights, smooth muted music......in the right place, with the right person, (or people) this comes close to perfection....
Dom Perignon and Oriols....those posh Americans. Tztztz.
Five o' clock is the latest I'd have a coffee. But normally it'd be some cake, biscuit or dark chocolate and....wait for it...tea!
@Shrink - What bothers me about the funnel? Good question, really. I'd say actually nothing except that it somehow gives me the impression of moving something from A to B just to bring it from B to C. May be the neat way, but I can see myself cleaning the funnel rather often because the grind sticks within the corners, then it's made out of plastic, too. No sound logic probably. I'd prefer a clean sweep with my kitchen 'rag' and be done with it.
But mostly because I like the idea of filling my PF directly. I dunno, seems like the precice way to me. I like that idea, and a great indicator if my hands get too shaky and clumsy too.
I'm following the funnel exchange with undisguised fascination. And learning all the while......
That's the most important thing of all.
But how do you like the same Starbucks espresso when made by Starbucks instead of yourself?
----------
Oh dear Lord in Heaven! The Black Cat coffee just arrived and it smells so good! I'm on my way home to pull a double-shot now!
I've never had Starbucks make me an espresso. Somehow, I can't justify the cost of getting that little paper cup of espresso. The paper cup looks like something you'd see in a dentist's office.....something horribly medicinal about it that's a turn off.
If you were to go inside, you get a regular ceramic espresso cup and saucer.
Believe me, the little paper cup is not the only reason to avoid Starbucks espresso. And even if you put it in a nice ceramic cup, or a golden cup, or a platinum cup, or a cup made of Unobtainium...it's still Starbucks espresso!!
Thanks guys, but, although it took me some time initially, I did understand the way how a doser would work already. And like you said Shrink, I think it's rather pointless that the doser fixes a certain amount of ground. Be it one shot or two, doesn't matter. That's what I meant by being more precice without a funnel/doser.
And the fact that it is fixed onto the machine makes it even more pointless to me. My personal feeling tells me I see said plastic doser being messed up with grounded beans in the corners unless I'd clean it up every single time. And then there wouldn't be any advantage over a quick sweep over the table while using a machine without it. Sorry, probably I express myself inadequately then you just have to take my word for it: I don't want a doser.
I'm quite obsessed with a clean kitchen (to a healthy degree, but still) so a 'dirty' doser would always kind of bug me. And I can't imagine that the direct method is such a messy way that I'd have to renovate the whole kitchen after tasting some delicious brewage...
And the fact that it is fixed onto the machine makes it even more pointless to me. My personal feeling tells me I see said plastic doser being messed up with grounded beans in the corners unless I'd clean it up every single time. And then there wouldn't be any advantage over a quick sweep over the table while using a machine without it. Sorry, probably I express myself inadequately then you just have to take my word for it: I don't want a doser.
I'm quite obsessed with a clean kitchen (to a healthy degree, but still) so a 'dirty' doser would always kind of bug me. And I can't imagine that the direct method is such a messy way that I'd have to renovate the whole kitchen after tasting some delicious brewage...
Wait...I'm getting excited here!!
But seriously, folks...it does sound wonderful!
Now I'll really gross you out...I like a really good cigar with an espresso.
(Of course, I also like a cigar with a ballon of good Brandy, or some Drambuie straight up, or most of all with a tot of The McCallan [18 year old...even better than the 25 year old]).
Wait...I'm getting excited here!!
But seriously, folks...it does sound wonderful!
Now I'll really gross you out...I like a really good cigar with an espresso.
(Of course, I also like a cigar with a ballon of good Brandy, or some Drambuie straight up, or most of all with a tot of The McCallan [18 year old...even better than the 25 year old]).
Remember the General's friendly reminder, friends! It's a thin line and rope you two are dancing on! Imagine this ending in the Wasteland...the horror. The horror.
To save all you naughty off topic people, i have found a way to bring tobacco and alcohol back firmly into the area of espresso. Its via a link about james hoffmans signature drink from the year he won the WBC.
http://www.jimseven.com/2005/08/16/signature-drinks-the-search-for-a-drink-for-competition-2004/
*edit* I could have sworn he had alcohol in it, my mind is clearly going....
http://www.jimseven.com/2005/08/16/signature-drinks-the-search-for-a-drink-for-competition-2004/
*edit* I could have sworn he had alcohol in it, my mind is clearly going....
Funnel exchange?
It feels a bit like those lost causes when I tried to awkwardly explain some stuff I wrote in one of these legendary [WW] games. Nobody ever understood what I was sayin'...
A yeoman's effort, nonetheless. I thought Scepticalscribe's "coffee with..." was on topic. It was I, the cigar fool, who took us OT. Now if you had found a drink with coffee, alcohol, and chopped up cigar bits...you would have saved me from being OT, and ending up in Wasteland.
Uh oh...
A yeoman's effort, nonetheless. I thought Scepticalscribe's "coffee with..." was on topic. It was I, the cigar fool, who took us OT. Now if you had found a drink with coffee, alcohol, and chopped up cigar bits...you would have saved me from being OT, and ending up in Wasteland.
Uh oh...
Don't worry about WasteLand. All I am concerned about is the Politics, Religion, Social Issues stuff that creeps up a little. We have a forum for that and while I can see how the fond coffee/espresso memories & experiences of some, correlate to politics et al., I think it's best left to a thread of its own in the PRSI forum.
A yeoman's effort, nonetheless. I thought Scepticalscribe's "coffee with..." was on topic. It was I, the cigar fool, who took us OT. Now if you had found a drink with coffee, alcohol, and chopped up cigar bits...you would have saved me from being OT, and ending up in Wasteland.
Uh oh...
Alas, it only has coffee, pipe tobacco and chocolate... I have failed and we are all doomed.
NO!!!
NO!!!!
I'm too young to....wait, actually I'm not!
Ah, no. Actually, my take on this is that you are never too old to appreciate the good things in life, nor too young (within reason, of course) to be introduced to them..........
With a doserless machine like the Rocky, the difference is the grinds do not drop into the doser, but directly into the PF...which causes more grinds to scatter some, and is messier...which mess is endemic to making espresso!
I prefer the doserless arrangement because I want to control the amount of grinds in each dose. With a doser, the doser is pre set to dispense a certain amount of grinds with each pull of the lever.
I'm not suggesting either, and most grinders don't dispense directly into the PF, but rather have a bin into which the grinds drop, which you then remove from the grinder, and fill the PF by scooping the grinds out of the box into the PF.
My grinder is doserless and I only ever tried filling the PF directly once. The grinds get an electrostatic charge to them and fly all over the place, making even more wipe downs for you. With a bit of practice I got to know exactly how long to grind for so that I have just enough for my double shot PF if it's just me having a coffee, or enough for my double and the single for her that matters most if we are both having one.
Yup, no question you are right. I didn't mind too much when I was using the Rocky. I'm used to the cleaning up...but you are certainly right that it does somewhat exacerbate the task.
Don'y have the problem with the grinder I have now...