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Espresso Enthusiasts

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The first post of this thread is a WikiPost and can be edited by anyone with the appropiate permissions. Your edits will be public.
I took it all apart and descaled it when i got it second hand because it was in such a state, the pump and a few other parts needed replacing too. The machine only cost me £100 delivered. I just skimped on getting the frame powder coated at the time and im paying for that now!
 
Kissaragi said:
What roaster do you use btw? Dont think youve ever said.
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I use the Gene Cafe Roaster. It is a hybrid of an air roaster and a drum roaster. I love it and it does a wonderful job.

It's only drawback, which is pretty much endemic to most all roasters (except perhaps a popcorn popper and a grill) is that it must be vented in some way as after the first crack...there is serious smoke. I use a a vent hose that I pass out the kitchen window.
 
You can actually roast coffee to a... lets say reasonable... standard with one of these kinds of things

1230coffee_roasters.jpg


Never going to be great tho and you'll have a sore arm after all the cranking.
 
Kissaragi said:
You can actually roast coffee to a... lets say reasonable... standard with one of these kinds of things

Image

Never going to be great tho and you'll have a sore arm after all the cranking.
Click to expand...

There are many who use popcorn poppers (as above), hot air popcorn poppers, and even in skillets on the stove.

All will do the job, after a fashion.

I'm happy with the roaster that I use. Any way you do it....you can't have fresher, better tasting coffee. It's a treat.
 
I had to buy more coffee today for the drip machine. Last time I bought the 'breakfast blend' from my local supermarket. It tasted about the same as the Tim Hortons and Dunkin Donuts brands. It was good, but nothing to write home about. In my continuing quest to find a coffee I like better than the everyday stuff I've been trying, I went with the supermarket's 'french roast' and ground it for automatic drip. It tastes rather good and I can actually taste a distinct difference between it and all the other blends prior.
 
SandboxGeneral said:
I had to buy more coffee today for the drip machine. Last time I bought the 'breakfast blend' from my local supermarket. It tasted about the same as the Tim Hortons and Dunkin Donuts brands. It was good, but nothing to write home about. In my continuing quest to find a coffee I like better than the everyday stuff I've been trying, I went with the supermarket's 'french roast' and ground it for automatic drip. It tastes rather good and I can actually taste a distinct difference between it and all the other blends prior.
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What that suggests to me is that you like the stronger taste generally generated by a darker roast. French Roast is pretty much the darkest roast you want. (Much beyond French Roast and what you have are tiny charcoal briquettes!).

As you know, French Roast just describes the darkness of the roast, but tells you nothing about the beans used.Now that you know the kind of roast you like, you're next goal is to find a better bean blend than the supermarket beans. So you might look around for better beans in a French Roast, or the darkest roast offered for that blend.
 
Shrink said:
What that suggests to me is that you like the stronger taste generally generated by a darker roast. French Roast is pretty much the darkest roast you want. (Much beyond French Roast and what you have are tiny charcoal briquettes!).

As you know, French Roast just describes the darkness of the roast, but tells you nothing about the beans used.Now that you know the kind of roast you like, you're next goal is to find a better bean blend than the supermarket beans. So you might look around for better beans in a French Roast, or the darkest roast offered for that blend.
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The only problem with that is I would need a grinder of my own or have to order it pre-ground. That or unless someone wants to gift me a nice burr grinder. :D
 
Shrink said:
What that suggests to me is that you like the stronger taste generally generated by a darker roast. French Roast is pretty much the darkest roast you want. (Much beyond French Roast and what you have are tiny charcoal briquettes!).

As you know, French Roast just describes the darkness of the roast, but tells you nothing about the beans used.Now that you know the kind of roast you like, you're next goal is to find a better bean blend than the supermarket beans. So you might look around for better beans in a French Roast, or the darkest roast offered for that blend.
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Yes, indeed, agreed.

When I am in an - ah - relatively civilised, cultivated, urban.....location, (such as my home in western Europe), I try to find small producers of coffee (often stocked by very good delicatessens), the sort of individuals who contact & contract small producers of good quality beans, (often ethically sourced and/or organic, too) and proceed to import small quantities of say, such single estate beans, or a a bean grown in a specific region, or terroir, pay a decent price to the grower, co-operative, and roast them, themselves.

These sort of companies often have varietals - in beans, regions, countries, continents, and so on; some of their offerings lie in the 'dark roasted' range, others are 'merely' full-bodied, while yet others, are milder still.

I'd suggest that you try to find one of these small, high quality (and often award winning) companies, and find what they offer under the heading of 'French Roast'. I'm willing to bet that it will be a lot better than some of the supermarket offerings (not that there is anything wrong with that in a world where choice is limited, as I have learned recently, when LavAzza was a sublime luxury in a world where colleagues thought Nespresso was the acme of civilisation and sophistication........and that I should display due gratitude (I did, I did) to be offered a cup of same.......)

Edit: I like the 'tiny charcoal briquettes' quote......consumption of such charred cinders may well leave - deep and lasting - memories in the mind.....
 
SandboxGeneral said:
The only problem with that is I would need a grinder of my own or have to order it pre-ground. That or unless someone wants to gift me a nice burr grinder. :D
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I guess you have a few of choices:

Bad beans in a roast that you like and freshly ground.

Good beans in a roast that you like, but pre-ground. If you buy an amount that you will use in a week, it's a wash because of the sacrifice of freshness (Sorry :p)

Buy an inexpensive grinder, and get the best of both worlds.

Finally, give me your address and I'll have this sent to you...

And if you believe that...:rolleyes:


EDIT: Here are some good pre-ground coffees. Look for the DARK roast ones...they will be like the French Roast.

Caveat: Be sure to check the grind. If to be used for drip...get drip or medium grind. Just make sure it's not espresso grind or you'll just get soup if used in a drip machine!
 
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When it comes to budget hand grinders then going down the antique route can be good. If you get a good name like Trosser or Zassenhaus (Zassenhaus are better if you can get one) then the grind is going to be good and they are usually cheap. The down side is that you dont know quite what your buying and there could be rust or damage inside.

Heres a Trosser that looks good. The plating on the metal parts in is good condition, no major damage to the wood and the handle still has a good coating of varnish which shows it shouldn't have been used too much.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Woo...531?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27d43bd143

and a Zassenhaus that looks good

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vtg-Zassenh...115?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item565816a383


for a comparison, this is a very good modern hand grinder

http://www.sweetmarias.com/sweetmarias/porlex-tall-ceramic-hand-mill.html
 
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Kissaragi said:
When it comes to budget hand grinders then going down the antique route can be good. If you get a good name like Trosser or Zassenhaus (Zassenhaus are better if you can get one) then the grind is going to be good and they are usually cheap. The down side is that you dont know quite what your buying and there could be rust or damage inside.

Heres a Trosser that looks good. The plating on the metal parts in is good condition, no magjor damage to the wood and the handle still has a good coating of varnish which shows it shouldn't have been used too much.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Woo...531?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27d43bd143

and a Zassenhaus that looks good

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vtg-Zassenh...115?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item565816a383


for a comparison, this is a very good modern hand grinder

http://www.sweetmarias.com/sweetmarias/porlex-tall-ceramic-hand-mill.html
Click to expand...

Thank you! I'll give these a good look over and consider it. :)
 
Just found this topic after someone mentioned it in the MacBook Air forum. Cool! I love good espresso-based coffee myself, especially a long black :9 I mainly get them at the coffee shop next to work though as opposed to making them at home. I just have a Nespresso machine there. I know that's not as good as real espresso, but I like it, especially their darkest blends. And in the morning I'm in this 'zombie mode', I just need to have coffee NOW :) I don't think I could stomach messing with coffee grinds at that time.

Still I hope to buy a gaggia at some point and actually learn how to use it. I can taste the difference for sure.
 
GekkePrutser said:
Just found this topic after someone mentioned it in the MacBook Air forum. Cool! I love good espresso-based coffee myself, especially a long black :9 I mainly get them at the coffee shop next to work though as opposed to making them at home. I just have a Nespresso machine there. I know that's not as good as real espresso, but I like it, especially their darkest blends. And in the morning I'm in this 'zombie mode', I just need to have coffee NOW :) I don't think I could stomach messing with coffee grinds at that time.

Still I hope to buy a gaggia at some point and actually learn how to use it. I can taste the difference for sure.
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Welcome to the home of the deeply demented coffee lovers!:D

The general attitude around here is that if you like it, and it works for you...it's all good. I can certainly understand using the Nespresso...my rather involved espresso routine at 5:00AM is, fortunately, a fairly automatic, pre-programmed behavior, generally devoid of conscious thought. But I can see where the simplicity of the Nespresso is a real advantage.

That being said, I can pretty much guarantee that when you do get your Gaggia (I had a Baby Class before my current machine) and a good burr grinder...you WILL notice the difference...in bother...in mess.. .in clean up...but mostly in the wonderful espresso you will make.

I don't know your level of information about espresso...feel free to either sak questions, offer instruction and advice...or both!:D

We're a friendly lot, although clearly some of us are so far around the bend, we can't see the bend any more!

Welcome to the looney bin...it's a nice place!:D
 
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