Espresso Enthusiasts

[Scepticalscribe]

Not to appear ignorant, but what the heck is "Fruit and Nut Espresso"? What kind of beans, and from what location, comes "Fruit and Nut Espresso"?

I wondered about that, too.

Can't say that it would tempt me.

To @Dave Meadows: If you want something sweet to accompany coffee (and I have no quarrel with that), why not try an accompaniment, (say, chocolate, or a lovely croissant - such as you may find in France - or toast or a nice bread roll with good quality jam, or honey) rather than adding stuff to the actual coffee?

If you need to sweeten the actual coffee, good quality sugar would be my preference and recommendation. Preferably brown, though - in the absence of that, white is fine.

And just one cynical point...when you pay nothing for coffee, that is often exactly what it is worth.

I was toying with some version of this very thought, and debating how best to express it, but you have succinctly nailed it.
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They're both quite easy, but I might give the edge to FP. It's pretty hard to mess up.

They are both very easy to use, - and I use both quite often, the dripper is probably better if you simply wish to make one, single cup of coffee, - but, as @mobilehaathi has mentioned, it is hard to make poor coffee with a French Press. To be honest, this is a most forgiving method of coffee preparation.

 

[AVBeatMan]

Not to appear ignorant, but what the heck is "Fruit and Nut Espresso"? What kind of beans, and from what location, comes "Fruit and Nut Espresso"?

And just one cynical point...when you pay nothing for coffee, that is often exactly what it is worth.

Here;

And, ain't free;

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Here; View attachment 645533

And, ain't free; View attachment 645534

Well, "'fruit and nut' espresso" sounds like the sort of stuff that one might buy in Starbucks.

Each to their own, but - personally - I'd never buy such coffee, nor add such things to my coffee. Add sugar, or proper milk to it (real organic full fat for me, or better still, some nice double cream, if I crave a dairy hit).

Why not have - serve - raisins and nuts with the coffee, rather than in the coffee?

And, @Shrink's point about 'free' (or drastically reduced in price stuff) sends a signal to me that this is something they are trying to sell off, or get rid of. Neither way strikes me as suggestive of excellent quality.

More to the point, I would emphasise quality over price, when you are experimenting with coffees. This is because the cheaper - i.e. less expensive coffees - in general, tend to be of a poorer - and sometimes, much poorer - quality.

Explore, taste, and try to find what your personal preferences are.

 

[Shrink]

Here; View attachment 645533

And, ain't free; View attachment 645534

Hey...what the heck...try it and see if you like it.

Be sure to give us a report after you have tried it.

 

[JamesMike]

Drinking a nice cup of Rwandan coffee from my FP, it is funny that three teammates brought their FPs without discussion. We have decided to have a contest on who makes the best cup.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Drinking a nice cup of Rwandan coffee from my FP, it is funny that three teammates brought their FPs without discussion. We have decided to have a contest on who makes the best cup.

Ah, yes, portable French Presses.........

This is something I have given serious consideration to, as well.

Anytime I am deployed, or sent, anywhere for more than a week, or two, a French Press becomes an essential purchase (as has already taken place this very day); space considerations in a suitcase preclude bringing one with me, but I may yet end up giving thought to that.

Which model - or version - or size - do you use?

Anyway, enjoy your Rwandan coffee.

 

[JamesMike]

Ah, yes, portable French Presses.........

This is something I have given serious consideration to, as well.

Anytime I am deployed, or sent, anywhere for more than a week, or two, a French Press becomes an essential purchase (as has already taken place this very day); space considerations in a suitcase preclude bringing one with me, but I may yet end up giving thought to that.

Which model - or version - or size - do you use?

Anyway, enjoy your Rwandan coffee.

I brought my Le Creuset with me.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I brought my Le Creuset with me.

Oh, cool.

Very good.

Le Creuset is wonderfully indestructible, and looks terrific, as we have discussed here at other times.

Personally, I tend to buy a pretty good FP when I am abroad for more than a week or two, and leave it with my staff when I depart.

 

[Shrink]

I brought my Le Creuset with me.

Is it orange?

 

[JamesMike]

Is it orange?

Yes it is.

 

[Shrink]

Yes it is.

OMG!

Another orange La Creuset...ah...well...

Oh...never mind.

 

[mobilehaathi]

OMG!

Another orange La Creuset...ah...well...

Oh...never mind.

Okay, it's okay buddy, just try to breathe normally...

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Is it orange?

You already know the answer to that.

Asking a question to which you already know the answer is.........seen in some quarters as a rhetorical device.....

Yes it is.

But, of course, it is.

Now, @Shrink, as it happens, when I bought my Le Creuset French Press, the orange colour was not available, - it was sold out - and I was due to return from leave the very next day, which would have meant a wait of a few months before I would have been able to return to that shop to freshly contemplate the purchase of a Le Creuset French Press in their fetching shade of volcanic burnt orange.

Thus, my French Press is closer to raspberry - that cerise red - than the standard, classic, orange.

Mind you, my Le Creuset mugs come in that glorious shade of volcanic burnt orange.....
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OMG!

Another orange La Creuset...ah...well...

Oh...never mind.

You know that there is really only one way to deal with this......

Join us....

 

[S.B.G]

Is it orange?

Yes it is.

But is it "orangey shmorangey?"

 

[Shrink]

Okay, it's okay buddy, just try to breathe normally...
View attachment 645544

Thanks...thanks...I feel better now.

You already know the answer to that.

Asking a question to which you already know the answer is.........seen in some quarters as a rhetorical device.....



But, of course, it is.

Now, @Shrink, as it happens, when I bought my Le Creuset French Press, the orange colour was not available, - it was sold out - and I was due to return from leave the very next day, which would have meant a wait of a few months before I would have been able to return to that shop to freshly contemplate the purchase of a Le Creuset French Press in their fetching shade of volcanic burnt orange.

Thus, my French Press is closer to raspberry - that cerise red - than the standard, classic, orange.

Mind you, my Le Creuset mugs come in that glorious shade of volcanic burnt orange.....
[doublepost=1471598102][/doublepost]

You know that there is really only one way to deal with this......

Join us....

Actually, it's a big relief to know that at least one person, the always exquisitely tasteful and aesthetically peerless @Scepticalscribe, has a color other than orange. The astounding, if somewhat frightening, coincidence of everybody here selecting orange is very strange. That everyone looked at all the colors and said "oh yeah, orange, that's my favorite" is extremely odd.

It almost seems as if there is some...ah... evil force that causes each person to have the same personal color taste.

As for joining you in the purchase of this somewhat frightening looking item… no, I'll stay with my simple, down-to-earth, regular-guy Bodum press.

But is it "orangey shmorangey?"

Yeah...I was just being polite.

 

[0388631]

Looking at that image posted, fruit and nut are tasting notes. It makes sense given the flavor profiles SA beans can have, especially when blended. Can't have actual dried fruit and nut in coffee. The contact/brewing period wouldn't be enough to extract flavors of that nature. Going to sleep, again, and will probably make some JMB in a large moka in the morning. Then go out and apply some glyphosate AKA roundup to some English ivy that's growing on lamp posts in the yard. Should die and dry out within a week. Then I can apply Dawn solution and power wash so the suckers don't ruin the finish on the lamps.

 

[Shrink]

Well, a lovely morning morning for me - here in the States it has been morning. (This information is provided for the out-of-towners reading this thread.)

It started with a cup of Diesel (yes, that does sound a bit disgusting...but was delicious), some ridiculous banter and foolish laughter with my good friend (and aide), Sunny, another cup of coffee, this time El Diablo, and then a little drive.

I still get a major charge out of being able to drive...what an astounding feeling of independence!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Well, a lovely morning morning for me - here in the States it has been morning. (This information is provided for the out-of-towners reading this thread.)

It started with a cup of Diesel (yes, that does sound a bit disgusting...but was delicious), some ridiculous banter and foolish laughter with my good friend (and aide), Sunny, another cup of coffee, this time El Diablo, and then a little drive.

I still get a major charge out of being able to drive...what an astounding feeling of independence!

Yes, when one is elsewhere one needs to be reminded of the time, and place, from where someone may have penned (or taped) a missive, and I am very glad that you had a wonderful morning in the States.

Above all, I am very happy that you enjoyed your coffees - both of them.

Best of all is the sheer delight evident in your tone when you write about the joy of independence, something we can all too easily run the risk of taking for granted.

 

[SHNXX]

I really want to upgrade my espresso machine.
I currently have a Compak K10 WBC grinder paired to a Pasquini Livia 90.

Any recommendations?

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I really want to upgrade my espresso machine.
I currently have a Compak K10 WBC grinder paired to a Pasquini Livia 90.

Any recommendations?

You've come to the right place.

I am sure that my fellow enthusiasts will be able to put you right.........and come up with some food for thought.

 

[S.B.G]

I really want to upgrade my espresso machine.
I currently have a Compak K10 WBC grinder paired to a Pasquini Livia 90.

Any recommendations?

Briefly looking over both machines, they look quite capable and of excellent quality of features.

What is it you want to do that you can't already do with what you have?

 

[Shrink]

I really want to upgrade my espresso machine.
I currently have a Compak K10 WBC grinder paired to a Pasquini Livia 90.

Any recommendations?

Read a number of reviews on the Pasquini Livia 90, and I would be a bit cautious about it. The reviews all had problems with the longevity of the machine, and the extreme problems when it needed repairs. Basically they said it was fine when it worked, but had a tendency to crap out after a year or two, and often was impossible to repair.

If your looking in the range of about $1200-$1300, I would recommend a look at the Expobar Office Lever Machine.

I haven't looked at the grinder yet. I'm going to have some coffee...will look a bit later.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Read a number of reviews on the Pasquini Livia 90, and I would be a bit cautious about it. The reviews all had problems with the longevity of the machine, and the extreme problems when it needed repairs. Basically they said it was fine when it worked, but had a tendency to crap out after a year or two, and often was impossible to repair.

If your looking in the range of about $1200-$1300, I would recommend a look at the Expobar Office Lever Machine.

I haven't looked at the grinder yet. I'm going to have some coffee...will look a bit later.

Is this the same model, or machine, that our mutual friend @SandboxGeneral has seen fit to allow to grace his home?

 

[S.B.G]

Read a number of reviews on the Pasquini Livia 90, and I would be a bit cautious about it. The reviews all had problems with the longevity of the machine, and the extreme problems when it needed repairs. Basically they said it was fine when it worked, but had a tendency to crap out after a year or two, and often was impossible to repair.

If your looking in the range of about $1200-$1300, I would recommend a look at the Expobar Office Lever Machine.

I haven't looked at the grinder yet. I'm going to have some coffee...will look a bit later.

The way I read his post is that he already has those machines he listed. I dunno.
[doublepost=1471635417][/doublepost]In keeping with my fancy shmancy ways, I just ordered this espresso cup from Intelligentsia. I just can't stand being a simple down-to-earth, regular cup type of guy.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

TIn keeping with my fancy shmancy ways, I just ordered this espresso cup from Intelligentsia. I just can't stand being a simple down-to-earth, regular cup type of guy.

View attachment 645667

Gorgeous cup and saucer.

I think I might have mentioned them to you some time ago - I had Puma in mind and thought you might like it - but I am delighted to hear that you have ordered it.

What a closely, classy cup+saucer set. I must admit that I have been tempted to order this very cup and saucer for myself.....

Let us know when you take delivery and I hope you enjoy using it.

Above all, this is a cup I would like to see pictured beneath a certain Expobar espresso machine.......something about such a shot (photograph and espresso both) would convey an attractive image of timeless elegance...