Espresso Enthusiasts

[yaxomoxay]

Woke up at 5AM, and had my first double shot espresso with my 14yo kid (he had a single shot). We used distilled water, and beans were from Ethiopia, they felt a little sour if compared to the Kenyan beans I had last week.
I have to admit that there's nothing as soothing as the aroma of coffee so early in the morning; it beats even the smell of napalm.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Woke up at 5AM, and had my first double shot espresso with my 14yo kid (he had a single shot). We used distilled water, and beans were from Ethiopia, they felt a little sour if compared to the Kenyan beans I had last week.
I have to admit that there's nothing as soothing as the aroma of coffee so early in the morning; it beats even the smell of napalm.

The smell of bacon is up there me thinks!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

The smell of bacon is up there me thinks!

Agreed. Along with wonderful aroma of coffee the heady aroma of bacon frying in the morning is.....extraordinarily reassuring.

And then, there is the seductive welcoming scent of sautéing sausages. Sublime.

 

[yaxomoxay]

The smell of bacon is up there me thinks!

Agreed. Along with wonderful aroma of coffee the heady aroma of bacon frying in the morning is.....extraordinarily reassuring.

And then, there is the seductive welcoming scent of sautéing sausages. Sublime.

I, of course, share your views. In no way I wanted to imply that coffee's is the only comforting smell. I am one of those person that rejoice in enveloping the five senses within the experience of a good, hearty breakfast.

 

[S.B.G]

Right now I am a couple of minutes away from enjoying a cup of French Press coffee from my "at work" kit. My office is now filled with the lovely scent of freshly ground coffee aroma.

 

[Shrink]

You make it sound so, um, interesting and intriguing!

But yes, that is an experience I don't want to go through, nor do I wish it on anyone else and I'm sorry it had to happen to you, my good friend.

Later this afternoon the Atomic Coffee French Roast should be delivered and I'm eagerly awaiting to try them out.

Yes...you hit it on the head...interesting and intriguing! Also surprising and...um...just slightly disconcerting.

As I recommended the blend...I wait on tenterhooks in the hope that you enjoy it.

Because if you don't, I may be forced to try that swan dive again.
[doublepost=1472484702][/doublepost]

I, of course, share your views. In no way I wanted to imply that coffee's is the only comforting smell. I am one of those person that rejoice in enveloping the five senses within the experience of a good, hearty breakfast.

My good hearty breakfast used to be an espresso and a fine cigar.

Ahh...breakfast of champions.

 

[S.B.G]

As I recommended the blend...I wait on tenterhooks in the hope that you enjoy it.

Because if you don't, I may be forced to try that swan dive again.

I'm quite confident in your recommendations thus far, and the Atomic Café Coffee Roasters have impressed me duly with their Intensi and Diesel blends, so I don't think you need to worry about doing your Olympic dive again anytime soon.

 

[mobilehaathi]

Woke up at 5AM, and had my first double shot espresso with my 14yo kid (he had a single shot). We used distilled water, and beans were from Ethiopia, they felt a little sour if compared to the Kenyan beans I had last week.
I have to admit that there's nothing as soothing as the aroma of coffee so early in the morning; it beats even the smell of napalm.

Ethiopian beans can be a bit tricky for espresso. Not all will produce a tasty shot and you could end up with a rather sour concotion. My best experience has been with Sweet Maria's Ethiopiques blend; it's certainly a unique espresso, almost lemony, but it's quite tasty when executed well.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Right now I am a couple of minutes away from enjoying a cup of French Press coffee from my "at work" kit. My office is now filled with the lovely scent of freshly ground coffee aroma.

Ah, the aroma of freshly made coffee from a French Press in an office.......sheer bliss......

I hope that you enjoyed it.

Yes...you hit it on the head...interesting and intriguing! Also surprising and...um...just slightly disconcerting.

As I recommended the blend...I wait on tenterhooks in the hope that you enjoy it.

Because if you don't, I may be forced to try that swan dive again.
[doublepost=1472484702][/doublepost]

My good hearty breakfast used to be an espresso and a fine cigar.

Ahh...breakfast of champions.

No, I doubt that the swan dive will be requested or required, as @SandboxGeneral has benefitted from your advice to date on so many matters pertaining to coffee.

Never had a cigar for breakfast; mine is freshly made coffee and fresh juice n the days when I am pressed for time; fresh French bread and either butter and homemade (though not by me) jam (with an obscenely but delicious high fruit content) or French bread and cheese on more relaxed days, and the proverbial 'Full English' (bacon, egg, sausage, tomato, fresh coffee, freshly squeezed juice, toast, marmalade) when my brother is home..

Ethiopian beans can be a bit tricky for espresso. Not all will produce a tasty shot and you could end up with a rather sour concotion. My best experience has been with Sweet Maria's Ethiopiques blend; it's certainly a unique espresso, almost lemony, but it's quite tasty when executed well.

Fascinating.

I have never made an espresso with the Ethiopian coffee I love so much, and a few salutary - and timely - warnings have been issued here. Hm.

 

[S.B.G]

Well the French Roast blend from the Atomic Cafe arrived this evening, but the USPS was very late delivering it. Usually they're here and gone a few hours before I get home. But today, of course, they were a couple of hours behind.

So I made my afternoon cup of the Colombian Bella Vista beans from my very local roasters, the Dessert Oasis.

I'll give the new French Roast its first run in the morning. I'm quite looking forward to it too.

 

[0388631]

Played around with a small French press this morning and a smaller moka. Hard packed the moka with a layer of raw sugar. Result? Thick, almost disgustingly thick crema. Poured into cappuccino cup and near scalded milk frothed in the FP. Then slowly poured over the coffee.

I was genuinely surprised at how good it is. I probably wouldn't do it again as I was told to not do this many years ago. And by told I mean reading a forum post where a moka cracked from the pressure due to the strong packing and layer of sugar. I still want to get my hands on a Bialetti brikka moka though. Intelligentsia due to arrive tomorrow. MiL is over looking after the kids and told her to try the coffee out. She's had their stuff before but a long time ago, apparently.

I was looking at cold brew containers until I noticed for a slightly cheaper price I can use a tea with seam brewer. Which is the same thing... marketing BS, gotta love it. For a 1.6 qt container, it's the difference of paying $16 vs $29. Ridiculous!

I should be honest. I got the inspiration to look at other types of vessels after I noted many users on coffee forums using products like Ikea's tea brewer, which I've seen and uses thick tempered glass, for their cold brew. We have their teapot, actually. It's quite high quality for Ikea. We don't use it much for a variety of reasons. It's bloody huge, it's heavier than a small elephant and it's incredible space invasive. It's got a stated 2 qt limit, but it really holds much more. One could brew 11 8oz cups of tea in one go. That's ridiculous. The thing is heavy when empty and even heavier and nay impossible to hold with one hand while pouring piping hot liquid. I'm not sure what Ikea were thinking. Ikea carries few products that last longer than name brand products. Anything stainless steel, wood, ceramic or a mixture.

Ours now keeps sealed tea bags for that quick herbal you want but don't want to drag out equipment for. It'd make a nice candy jar too.

 

[AVBeatMan]

Morning x

 

[S.B.G]

Well I've had two cups of the Atomic Coffee Roasters French Roast beans this morning and I have to say it tastes wonderful.

Darkly roasted Sumatra beans yield an intense cup with heavy body and rich syrupy tones as of molasses and bittersweet chocolate that lead into a long, smoky and spicy finish.

The first cup I used 17 grams of beans and the usual grinder setting I have and the taste was just a tiny bit bitter, I mean just barely, and that's not a bad thing and I'm not complaining - it just meant I needed to adjust the grind.

The second cup I also used 17 grams and moved the grinder setting on the Rancilio 1 click more coarse and pulled another shot. The bitterness was all gone and I still had a great tasting cup - both of them.

In the quoted description above they mention a "heavy body and rich syrupy tone of molasses and bittersweet chocolate" and I can taste and experience every bit of it too. I didn't so much as find the "spicy finish" they describe though, but can detect the "smoky" part of it.

It's a very good blend of beans and now I seem to be batting 1000 with this roaster. 3 of the 3 different beans I've tried from them have been wonderful.

Thanks for finding this place @Shrink!

 

[Shrink]

Well I've had two cups of the Atomic Coffee Roasters French Roast beans this morning and I have to say it tastes wonderful.


The first cup I used 17 grams of beans and the usual grinder setting I have and the taste was just a tiny bit bitter, I mean just barely, and that's not a bad thing and I'm not complaining - it just meant I needed to adjust the grind.

The second cup I also used 17 grams and moved the grinder setting on the Rancilio 1 click more coarse and pulled another shot. The bitterness was all gone and I still had a great tasting cup - both of them.

In the quoted description above they mention a "heavy body and rich syrupy tone of molasses and bittersweet chocolate" and I can taste and experience every bit of it too. I didn't so much as find the "spicy finish" they describe though, but can detect the "smoky" part of it.

It's a very good blend of beans and now I seem to be batting 1000 with this roaster. 3 of the 3 different beans I've tried from them have been wonderful.

Thanks for finding this place @Shrink!

Huzzah!

Huzzah!

(Whew)

So glad that you liked the blend. Atomic has found a way to roast dark but generally avoid the bitterness endemic, often, to very dark roasts. Their bean blender seems to really know what s/he is doing.

I, too, started my day with a cup of French Roast...brewed for 71/2 minutes in my press...smooth, bold, chocolaty, and just wonderful.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I had one - very welcome - and very good espresso many hours ago at breakfast.

The good thing is that the staff know that I like espresso, and now ask me whether I want some with (or after) breakfast.

 

[S.B.G]

The good thing is that the staff know that I like espresso, and now ask me whether I want some with (or after) breakfast.

You have them trained well!

 

[Shrink]

You have them trained well!

I'm pretty sure that our mutual dear friend, @Scepticalscribe, could train both you and I pretty well if she put her mind to it. With a combination of clear direction and sweet cajoling we would both be happy to do her bidding.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

You have them trained well!

Well, while I wouldn't quite put it like that, they have become quite responsive to - and better still, anticipatory of - my caffeine needs.

I'm pretty sure that our mutual dear friend, @Scepticalscribe, could train both you and I pretty well if she put her mind to it. With a combination of clear direction and sweet cajoling we would both be happy to do her bidding.

"Clear direction", yes; "sweet cajoling", hm, not so sure, but warmth thanks when they get something right, and fairly generous tips may help to secure service of a decent kind.

 

[Shrink]

Well, while I wouldn't quite put it like that, they have become quite responsive to - and better still, anticipatory of - my caffeine needs.



"Clear direction", yes; "sweet cajoling", hm, not so sure, but warmth thanks when they get something right, and fairly generous tips may help to secure service of a decent kind.

"...fairly generous tips..."

Now that will get me to do anyone's bidding!

 

[yaxomoxay]

Had my 5AM espresso while skimming through the digital copies of the UK's Daily Express (@Scepticalscribe favorite daily paper I bet) and the Financial Times, Italy's Il Foglio, and the Americans International New York Times and USA Today. The original plan was to prepare a French Press coffee, but after four hours of sleep I didn't feel like it. Next cuppa of joe incoming!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

"...fairly generous tips..."

Now that will get me to do anyone's bidding!

Well, praise and encouragement also help, as does thanking them graciously, especially if they go out of their way to be helpful.

Even in teaching, students responded to praise a lot better than to criticism; sometimes they positively glowed, especially if you recognised hard work.

Actually, I used to find that praising something in a student's term paper meant that you would be able to draw their attention to stuff that needed remedial attention a lot more easily, and they would take the criticism on board and attempt to address it.

Had my 5AM espresso while skimming through the digital copies of the UK's Daily Express (@Scepticalscribe favorite daily paper I bet) and the Financial Times, Italy's Il Foglio, and the Americans International New York Times and USA Today. The original plan was to prepare a French Press coffee, but after four hours of sleep I didn't feel like it. Next cuppa of joe incoming!

The Daily Express?

No, thank you. Not my daily - or any other - kind of reading, I'm afraid.

 

[yaxomoxay]

The Daily Express?
No, thank you. Not my daily - or any other - kind of reading, I'm afraid.

I somewhat suspected that. We'll leave it for the PRSI forum

 

[mobilehaathi]

I somewhat suspected that. We'll leave it for the PRSI forum

Please!

 

[Shrink]

Well, praise and encouragement also help, as does thanking them graciously, especially if they go out of their way to be helpful.

Aaah...dear friend...in reality I would do your bidding without pay or praise.

I am, always, your humble servant.

 

[mobilehaathi]

Aaah...dear friend...in reality I would do your bidding without pay or praise.

I am, always, your humble servant.

Once the espresso IV gets hooked up, you're like the energizer bunny!