To be honest...I think the things are silly nonsense.
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Espresso Enthusiasts
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To be honest...I think the things are silly nonsense.
Sunday is a day when you can potter and putter around.
As Decent Brother arrived to lend some support for the week end, we had a lovely late brunch today.
Butcher's bacon rashers (streaky and smoked), butcher's sausages, organic free range eggs, freshly squeezed citrus juice (oranges, grapefruit and lemon), multi-seed brown loaf from the French bakery, and a (Le Creuset) pot of freshly made (Ethiopian) coffee (with freshly ground beans).
Now, perhaps for some Sunday paper browsing.
As Decent Brother arrived to lend some support for the week end, we had a lovely late brunch today.
Butcher's bacon rashers (streaky and smoked), butcher's sausages, organic free range eggs, freshly squeezed citrus juice (oranges, grapefruit and lemon), multi-seed brown loaf from the French bakery, and a (Le Creuset) pot of freshly made (Ethiopian) coffee (with freshly ground beans).
Now, perhaps for some Sunday paper browsing.
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If there ever was such a thing as a god shot in espresso making, I may have attained it, or come exceptionally close to it. My morning cup today was damn good.
Congratulations.
Any photographs, or movies (no slow motion stuff, please) forthcoming?
More to the point, what did you do (differently) this morning that served to distinguish today's coffee from yesterday's?
Personally, I like the ritual of Sunday coffee, precisely because there is usually no time constraint whatsoever. One can relax, chill, take ones time, and actually savour, and enjoy the process of puttering around preparing the coffee. And then, one can take the time to enjoy drinking it, too, (rather than the hasty gulps of some week days).
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No, no media of any sort this time. I just produced the coffee and enjoyed it.
I'm not sure what difference there was today than other days. The only variation I've been playing with is the weight, in grams, of the grind. I've been going back and forth between 18 and 19 grams. Today's was just over 18 grams as far as I could tell. The scale I have only measures whole grams and doesn't break it down to tenths or hundredths. But I watched it flip back and forth between 17 and 18 before deciding it was 18 grams. Usually this happens between 18 and 19 grams.
Otherwise, all other variables remained the same to the best of my knowledge. Although I did allow the Expobar to warm up for much longer than usual before I started which allowed the heat to really grab hold of the portafilter.
Getting a more precise scale is probably going to be my next purchase forthcoming.
If you're looking for a more precise scale...with resolution a 0.10 gram resolution, I can highly recommend this scale. Admittedly pricey, but instantaneously fast in keeping up with added weight, and it also has a built in timer - which is just a nice convenience.
Reading your post, my sense returns to what you experienced, - or were able to experience - on Sunday, namely, the fact that you are unhurried, and unrushed, and can let the Expobar heat for longer. You could take the time to do things at an easy and relaxed pace.
I'd say that my Ethiopian (freshly ground) beans were steeping for longer than usual this morning, (er, afternoon) too. And I heated the mugs twice - they each received a second shot of boiling water after emptying the first mugful of hot water down the sink - and just before they played host to their welcome reward of coffee.
The coffee was delicious, - and steaming hot - but the process of making it was also exceptionally unhurried.
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Cheeky early morning espresso after late night (not in work tomorrow) booze (glass on right of pic submitted as evidence "your honour").View attachment 640621
Coffee and whisky together? And, was the whisky in question Jack Daniels?
My father occasionally used to pour his whisky into his coffee in winter time before retiring to bed for the night.
The sky is that deep azure blue of high summer - the clouds have all dissipated - the garden is magnificent, rich with the colours, growth, shades, and textures of rude good health (and intelligent and strategic pruning from last week), the sun is shining gloriously, Mother is giggling happily, and Mr Monkey, her treasured toy, is on the line (he got a Serious Wash this morning).
Meanwhile, near to my hand, on a solid Saddleback leather coaster, and in a Le Creuset mug, is a mug of steaming Ethiopian coffee. (Hario dripper today, not French Press).
Meanwhile, near to my hand, on a solid Saddleback leather coaster, and in a Le Creuset mug, is a mug of steaming Ethiopian coffee. (Hario dripper today, not French Press).
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Quick shot of my espresso setup.
Mazzer mini timer
Fracino cherub (HX espresso machine)
VST 21g basket
Bottomless portafilter
Standard third party tamp
Grindstein knock box
Ancap mugs
Big bottle of sugar free hazelnut syrup for guests who like that sort of thing
Beans by a local roaster - SD Bells Ltd.
Gorgeous set up.
And I must say that I love the Ancap mugs; I have a few myself (both espresso cups, and ordinary café au lait cups, all with matching saucers) which I bought from a much loved Italian coffee shop when it closed and which was a deeply regretted casualty of the recession.
Very beautiful set up.
This is my set up when I was still able to use it.
HG-One hand grinder.
Londinium I lever espresso machine
VST basket
Stainless knock box
Royale Portafilter
Etc.
I'm no longer able to use it any more...but I thought I'd show it off anyway.
I love the weight of them.
When they're pre-heated they hold the heat well, which goes a long way towards keeping the coffee hot.
My coffee-fan friends know that well steamed milk doesn't arrive boiling hot, but other guests (family, in laws) sometimes leave a coffee sitting for a half hour before drinking any, then complain that its cold. "Can I have it hot" they say.
Pre-heating an ancap mug as hot as it will go with boiled water certainly helps
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Ohh thats nice. Londinium make an amazing machine, but sadly gear of that calibre was a little out of my price range at the time. Very nice.
If I may be so bold to ask (and feel free to tell me I may not) why are you no longer able to use it? Caffeine intolerance?
Well, yes, it is really rather lovely, no doubt about that.
Agreed about heating the d'Ancap cups with boiling water (I do the same with my Le Creuset mugs) before serving coffee in them. They hold heat extremely well (and look stunning).
I used to use them far more, but unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, I seem to have gotten out of the habit of preparing espresso in my Bialetti moka pot; still, they are absolutely beautiful cups, a true wok of art, and - as you say - beautifully made and gratifyingly heavy in the hand.
Just went into Whittard's at Salford Quays Manchester where I bought some Ethiopian Yirgacheffe. They ground the beans down for me and the helpful assistant explained to me the different grinds needed for whichever method you intend to use them for. I also asked about the freshness of the beans and she said that all beans are disregarded after two weeks. Not sure if that is good or not? Anyway, whist there I took a few pictures.
Very nice setup indeed!
The Mazzer grinder is in my future somewhere. But for now the Rancilio Rocky is providing me great service.
Oh no...love caffeine!
I fell and broke my neck 1 ½ years ago (I teach this skill, if asked) and my arms, which I can use, are not strong enough for the HG-One or the Londinium.
I am, happily, able to make French press coffee (using a decent grinder...but not your beautiful Mazzer) and though not my beloved espresso, is a lovely cup of coffee.
You must please let me know how you find Whittard's Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, as I am contemplating phoning them and ordering some.
However, good to know that the beans are indeed fresh.
Possibly in mine, too, now that you mention it.
Oh no...love caffeine!
I fell and broke my neck 1 ½ years ago (I teach this skill, if asked) and my arms, which I can use, are not strong enough for the HG-One or the Londinium.
I am, happily, able to make French press coffee (using a decent grinder...but not your beautiful Mazzer) and though not my beloved espresso, is a lovely cup of coffee.
Sympathies on not being able to use your beautiful coffee products.
Never having possessed brute strength - and these days, I occasionally need assistance opening tightly shut jars - I must say that manual methods never really appealed to me, though I can well see why some have revered them.
A random bit of advice, jar lids that look like this:
are typically difficult to open because of the vacuum seal. However, if you take a spoon and slide the tip into the seam where the lid meets the jar, with the bulging portion facing down so as to create a fulcrum with the jar body, you can apply just a tiny bit of force and break the vacuum seal. This almost always renders the lid trivially easy to unscrew. Although this doesn't work with other types of jar lids.
Now, using a spoon in such a manner is a fascinating idea; that would never have occurred to me. Thank you for suggesting it.
Typically, I use a hunting/skinning knife that my Mother bought in Turkey years ago (one which, needless to say, was never, ever, used for the purpose for which it was designed) - Mother returned from that holiday with an amazing collection of knives, many of which we used for years in food preparation, - and as steak knives - as we are from a country where blunt knives were a manufacturing speciality.
Anyway, I have found - a sort of similar principle - that to slide the curved tip of the curving blade - it - that hunting/skinning knife - looks almost like a small scimitar - and twist it a little where the lid meets the jar seems to achieve the same result, making it exceptionally easy to open.
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Yep, exactly the same idea. I find spoons are a bit safer, are less likely to get damaged, and work surprisingly well (even if they don't initially seem to 'fit').
This is something @mobilehaathi might be interested in. The Whirley Pop Franken-Roaster by Sweet Maria's. Hell, @Shrink might even like it just for its name!
I see a lawsuit in Sweet Marias future for copyright infringement.
Hell, if Apple can do it all the time...
The two orders of beans I've been awaiting has arrived finally.
Barrington Coffee
At random I picked out the Barrington Coffee (413) blend to try out. I brewed it up and the crema it produced was amazing and even larger than the Dessert Oasis beans which I didn't think was possible. As for the taste, it was okay, not bad, but not great either. The strange thing about all three bags was that they were marketed as an 'espresso sampler pack' and on three bags they're listed as 'medium roasts'. Usually, as is my understanding, espresso roasts tend to be 'dark roasts'. Of course, one can use any roast in espresso if they want.
Also, I wasn't sure they put a roasted on date on the bags. I had to look twice until I found a small price tag looking label on the bottom that appears to have a date from late last week along with some other number. It doesn't say 'roasted on' but given that number which looks like a date and the time of my order, it very well could be the roasted on date.
Now the Sweet Maria's tasting notes look interesting and will probably open that up tomorrow morning and give them a try.
Barrington Coffee
- Mezcal: Huehuetenango, Guatemala. Nougat, caramel, roasted peanut
- (413): Cherry, molasses, fig
- Gold: Dense chocolate, spice box, dried fruit
- Mutambu Rubanda: Honey sweetness, red raspberry, graham cracker
At random I picked out the Barrington Coffee (413) blend to try out. I brewed it up and the crema it produced was amazing and even larger than the Dessert Oasis beans which I didn't think was possible. As for the taste, it was okay, not bad, but not great either. The strange thing about all three bags was that they were marketed as an 'espresso sampler pack' and on three bags they're listed as 'medium roasts'. Usually, as is my understanding, espresso roasts tend to be 'dark roasts'. Of course, one can use any roast in espresso if they want.
Also, I wasn't sure they put a roasted on date on the bags. I had to look twice until I found a small price tag looking label on the bottom that appears to have a date from late last week along with some other number. It doesn't say 'roasted on' but given that number which looks like a date and the time of my order, it very well could be the roasted on date.
Now the Sweet Maria's tasting notes look interesting and will probably open that up tomorrow morning and give them a try.