That color....I'm always mesmerized by that color. So deep and layered...profoundly subtle...that might be the color of nirvana.
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Espresso Enthusiasts
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That color....I'm always mesmerized by that color. So deep and layered...profoundly subtle...that might be the color of nirvana.
Very occasionally, and on a schedule I can't figure out (may be random), Sweet Marias does a roast of one of their SO beans or blends. Coincidentally, their last roast was Liquid Amber Blend. Unfortunately that probably means they won't do that blend again right away, but their roasts are always worth checking out.
You might consider subscribing to their newsletter and roast announcements. I know SBG did, and by ordering the INSTANT the information reached him, was able to nab a pound of Liquid Amber Blend.
SW is my source of green beans (and also has a great Library), and it's worth looking at their roasts for the occasional treat.
I registered first for the newsletter, mistakenly believing that the newly roasted bean announcements would be sent in those. Later, shortly after the Liquid Amber was released, I signed up properly for the bean announcements. But now that you mention it, they either haven't roasted any in a while or my request didn't go fully through as I have yet to receive any such email.
Hmmm, time to try again!
They don't do roasts very often or on a schedule. The last time they did one that I was aware of was at Thanksgiving!
Worth checking, but their roasting "Schedule" is totally unpredictable, as far as I can tell, so you may well not have missed anything.
Oops, the man got in there while I was typing. He knows much more about SW roasting schedule than I.
Well boys, I did happen to just now order myself some Guatemala Huehuetenango El Turbante which they currently have available, having been roasted on 1/21.
Ahem, I'm currently out of town until the 28th, but it should be waiting for me when I get back. Perhaps not the best timing, but I was low on beans when I left and this will be a nice surprise for when I get back home.
Cool, Mate!
Let us know how it is when you get to try it.
Will do! I tend to drink a lot of African coffees, but I think it is about time I get familiar with what the Americans are doing.
Incidentally, I'm happy to report that I've also got a 3-cup Bialetti on the way.
I might not sleep Tuesday night.
Will do! I tend to drink a lot of African coffees, but I think it is about time I get familiar with what the Americans are doing.
Incidentally, I'm happy to report that I've also got a 3-cup Bialetti on the way.
I might not sleep Tuesday night.
Gotta say, and without any sarcasm intended...that little pot is just cute!
Normally, I despise cute...but that is just a nifty little item.
Gotta say, and without any sarcasm intended...that little pot is just cute!
Normally, I despise cute...but that is just a nifty little item.
I suppose that it brews coffee helps its case.
Mobilehaathi: That is just like my Bialetti pot's little brother; I'm very fond of mine (the six cup version) and, yes, I seem to consume the entire contents (well, maybe five rather than the stated six espressos) whenever I use it.
You'll love it, I think - it is a great pot, makes lovely coffee, and looks simply superb, as it sits on the stove, and, as with most who post here, the simple act of pottering about while making coffee is one of the great pleasures.
Do, please, let us know when it arrives so that we an, ah, share your joy......
You'll love it, I think - it is a great pot, makes lovely coffee, and looks simply superb, as it sits on the stove, and, as with most who post here, the simple act of pottering about while making coffee is one of the great pleasures.
Do, please, let us know when it arrives so that we an, ah, share your joy......
The Bialetti that I received was a six cup model too. Though I think that it's more like two solid cups worth. And worth every sip.
Earlier in the week purchased a single shot "Bialetti Break" The Break line come in one three and six cups. I think they were for the UK market. The single that I bought with the specials discount cost me NZ$30.00 rather than the list of $50.00. The thing is absolutely twee. It stands 4 1/2" tall (or short)
KGB
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OK, since there has been discussion of the nifty Bialetti pot, I thought that I would start a little trouble (and then, of course, run and hide!).
I've been doing some reading, and there seems to be some question whether the Bialetti makes "real" espresso...whatever that might be. The argument goes that although the moka pot does produce coffee by forcing water through the grinds under pressure, and does produce some crema...it only produces 1.5 - 2.0 BARS, while the International Super Expresso Guys , or whatever the organization is called (it's in the second quote below), says it ain't really espresso unless the pressure is a minimum of 9 BARS.
A couple of quotes below...one from some who-knows-if-it's-any-good site, and the second from Wikipedia.
I have no position in this, except to say...who cares? But I thought I'd put this up anyway!
Source
Please don't hurt me...I'm old, frail, and bruise easily!
I've been doing some reading, and there seems to be some question whether the Bialetti makes "real" espresso...whatever that might be. The argument goes that although the moka pot does produce coffee by forcing water through the grinds under pressure, and does produce some crema...it only produces 1.5 - 2.0 BARS, while the International Super Expresso Guys , or whatever the organization is called (it's in the second quote below), says it ain't really espresso unless the pressure is a minimum of 9 BARS.
A couple of quotes below...one from some who-knows-if-it's-any-good site, and the second from Wikipedia.
I have no position in this, except to say...who cares? But I thought I'd put this up anyway!
Source
Please don't hurt me...I'm old, frail, and bruise easily!
OK, since there has been discussion of the nifty Bialetti pot, I thought that I would start a little trouble (and then, of course, run and hide!).
I've been doing some reading, and there seems to be some question whether the Bialetti makes "real" espresso...whatever that might be. The argument goes that although the moka pot does produce coffee by forcing water through the grinds under pressure, and does produce some crema...it only produces 1.5 - 2.0 BARS, while the International Super Expresso Guys , or whatever the organization is called (it's in the second quote below), says it ain't really espresso unless the pressure is a minimum of 9 BARS.
A couple of quotes below...one from some who-knows-if-it's-any-good site, and the second from Wikipedia.
I have no position in this, except to say...who cares? But I thought I'd put this up anyway!
Source
Please don't hurt me...I'm old, frail, and bruise easily!
Yes, I've read these things too. If we agree on espresso requiring 9 bars of pressure, then clearly the moka pot will not make espresso. The real concern should be though whether you can achieve delightful coffee from the contraption. Petty bickering does not make good coffee! Just keep your head down and your beans fresh and everything will be OKAY!!
Agree completely! All that matters is that the coffee is pleasing to the drinker.
Please...it was not my intention to cause "petty bickering", or any bickering at all! The last thing that I want is to be responsible is any discomfort on this wonderful thread.
As I had not been aware of the whole discussion, I (stupidly, perhaps) brought the quotes to the thread.
Please ignore the post if it causes any vexation to anyone.
Sorry if I screwed up...
Agree completely! All that matters is that the coffee is pleasing to the drinker.
Please...it was not my intention to cause "petty bickering", or any bickering at all! The last thing that I want is to be responsible is any discomfort on this wonderful thread.
As I had not been aware of the whole discussion, I (stupidly, perhaps) brought the quotes to the thread.
Please ignore the post if it causes any vexation to anyone.
Sorry if I screwed up...
No that wasn't directed at you but rather those (not even in this thread or on this forum) who would take the opportunity to create drama where none should exist!
Coffee, man, it's time to make some.
No that wasn't directed at you but rather those (not even in this thread or on this forum) who would take the opportunity to create drama where none should exist!
Coffee, man, it's time to make some.
The only drama here is the incredible sad saga on the shipping of the Londinium I!
In theory, the second part arrives today...but then, that has been said before. I have prepared my kitchen for the new arrival, and also prepared the Expobar to be move elsewhere. I'm hoping the DHL guy is willing to help me move the current machine and put the newbie up on the counter.
I'm far too feeble (a word used to describe me by he-who-will-not-be-named! SBG) to do it myself. The Londinium weighs 34 Kg (for the metrically challenged that's 75 pounds!).
Assuming delivery today...more later.
Hey, I was trying to be nice! I could use several other words and adjectives I learned in the Marines to describe you and your physical condition! haha
If there is anything I've learned from this thread it is that espresso enthusiasts are very similar to beer enthusiasts. Well, except that there is a wider audience who refers to beer enthusiasts as snobs or geeks (the latter being the lesser of two evils I suppose). There are those who open a PBR and others gasp. The angles of home and craft brewers gone gasp in fear that this is the sad turn beer will take for eternity. I assume espresso is much like that. Like beer, until you've had a very good beer you kind of don't know what you're missing. I'm in the camp.
There is no place nearby that can properly brew (is that the word) a shot of authentic espresso so I'm still lost on the art of it, most sadly.
That being said, as a lurker of this thread, I certainly can say that the varied opinions are just opinions and some of us are drinking the PBR of espresso() and others are drinking the very rare Westvleteren 12, which weighs in at $95 for a 6 pack (11.2 ounces per bottle).
PS, I'm free all weekend if anyone wants to brew me a couple shots of espresso. Just sayin'.
There is no place nearby that can properly brew (is that the word) a shot of authentic espresso so I'm still lost on the art of it, most sadly.
That being said, as a lurker of this thread, I certainly can say that the varied opinions are just opinions and some of us are drinking the PBR of espresso
() and others are drinking the very rare Westvleteren 12, which weighs in at $95 for a 6 pack (11.2 ounces per bottle). PS, I'm free all weekend if anyone wants to brew me a couple shots of espresso. Just sayin'.
The only drama here is the incredible sad saga on the shipping of the Londinium I!
In theory, the second part arrives today...but then, that has been said before. I have prepared my kitchen for the new arrival, and also prepared the Expobar to be move elsewhere. I'm hoping the DHL guy is willing to help me move the current machine and put the newbie up on the counter.
I'm far too feeble (a word used to describe me by he-who-will-not-be-named! SBG) to do it myself. The Londinium weighs 34 Kg (for the metrically challenged that's 75 pounds!).
Assuming delivery today...more later.
Well I'm sending lots of good juju that it might arrive today!
Hey, I was trying to be nice! I could use several other words and adjectives I learned in the Marines to describe you and your physical condition! haha
I do appreciate your abjuration of the descriptive terms that could be applied to me from a Marine! I'm sure they are colorful, accurate, and would never get past the MR profanity filter!
Well I'm sending lots of good juju that it might arrive today!
Thanks for the good vibes.
Gee, you'd never know I lived through the 60's....groovy, man!
Perhaps this has been attempted already, but why not open a thread similar to this one for beer aficionados. Who would have imagined that a thread talking coffee would have lasted for almost 2,000 post, and going strong. And most importantly, be such a pleasant, fun, and informative place to visit.
Perhaps it's worth a try!
As for pulling a couple of double shots for you...if my new machine arrives, and I figure out how to get some good espresso out of it...come ahead!
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Well, the Moka pot was designed for kitchens in Italy post war; that is good enough for me. It meant that people at home could approximate (if ever so roughly) what they could buy from those gleaming hissing machines in the sort of premises where you bought your espresso, stood, and gulped.
Although I am known to my friends and colleagues as an impossible espresso and coffee snob (and they wonder, openly, at what they view as my extraordinary capacity for excess consumption; five doubles a day is nothing!), I realise, (sob) that I fall far short of the demanding standards so eloquently expressed on this thread.
Fear not, my Moka and I will blunder happily to perdition together.
Life is too short to strive for perfection in every sphere; I'll settle for 'good enough' when circumstances demand such.
Besides, while I like the idea of some post-modern contraption, and loathe the idea of mad muscularity (no guys; life is too short for contemplating and calculating the angle, leverage, power, and sheer physical co-ordination involved before my first espresso of the day; actually, before my first five espressos, I can barely string two sentences together, let alone move my arm while mastering polite speech. To ask me to master this before addressing and consuming my first five espressos is too much.....) there are limits to what suffering I will undergo to achieve espresso perfection. (If this means that I lack the fervour of the true faith, so be it. I am known for my profound lack of fervour in many fields of endeavour....).
To my comrades here: This - ah - fusion of pleasure and pain (as described by some) mystifies me. And I don't buy it.
Espresso is pure pleasure. I have no wish to suffer when preparing it, a ritual of muttering, classical music, dressing gowns, ignored mobile phones, and quiet, contemplative contentment.
Good grief, my poor, battered (as it is an aged model), much loved (a present from my godmother, who was my mum's best friend from boarding-school oh, countless decades ago, who presented it to me, two decades ago, after a trip to Italy, knowing that I loved coffee) Moka only gets an outing when there are no time constraints..
Well, my new baby arrived, and after some assembly (it comes in two boxes), I pulled my first shot.
Not great, mind you, but at least I figured out how to get it to do the extraction. Much work needed to learn the subtleties of the machine, but the basics upon which I will build are there.
What is most notable is the silence. There is a little pump in the machine to move the water from the reservoir tank to the boiler (I dont have it plumbed in) which runs for a minute or two to fill the boiler. But when you actually pull the shot it is silent. It certainly is a bit strange when you are used to hearing the noise of the pump during an extraction.
Along with my hand grinder, it is a bit like going back in time, to virtually purely mechanical devices. The grinder makes only the sound of the beans being crushed by the burrs, a natural, not electrified, sound. And the machine makes no sound at all as the coffee is being dispensed into the cup. No motors whining, no pumps making noise...its a little strange, but delightful.
I have a lot to learn about the pre-infusion process. I did some reading, and selecting the proper pre-infusion time (which is done automatically on electric machines) is apparently pretty important in determining the quality of the extraction. It takes between 3-10 seconds, and the User Manual suggests starting with 6 seconds and adjusting from there based on the bean or blend and the grind. So its one more variable to juggle...as I adjust the grind to get the proper extraction time, apparently Im supposed to also adjust the pre-infusion time. I think, for the moment, Ill stick to 6 seconds (holding that variable constant) until I get more comfortable dialing in the grind.
So...Im back down the learning curve, with a way to go to get back up to where I was....but I aint complaining!
Sorry about the photos, I know they're awful, but with all the lifting, my hands were shaky, and the lighting was bad, and I was tired, and...well, so much for excuses for lousy shots!
The first two are in progress shots, and the last two are in situ.
Not great, mind you, but at least I figured out how to get it to do the extraction. Much work needed to learn the subtleties of the machine, but the basics upon which I will build are there.
What is most notable is the silence. There is a little pump in the machine to move the water from the reservoir tank to the boiler (I dont have it plumbed in) which runs for a minute or two to fill the boiler. But when you actually pull the shot it is silent. It certainly is a bit strange when you are used to hearing the noise of the pump during an extraction.
Along with my hand grinder, it is a bit like going back in time, to virtually purely mechanical devices. The grinder makes only the sound of the beans being crushed by the burrs, a natural, not electrified, sound. And the machine makes no sound at all as the coffee is being dispensed into the cup. No motors whining, no pumps making noise...its a little strange, but delightful.
I have a lot to learn about the pre-infusion process. I did some reading, and selecting the proper pre-infusion time (which is done automatically on electric machines) is apparently pretty important in determining the quality of the extraction. It takes between 3-10 seconds, and the User Manual suggests starting with 6 seconds and adjusting from there based on the bean or blend and the grind. So its one more variable to juggle...as I adjust the grind to get the proper extraction time, apparently Im supposed to also adjust the pre-infusion time. I think, for the moment, Ill stick to 6 seconds (holding that variable constant) until I get more comfortable dialing in the grind.
So...Im back down the learning curve, with a way to go to get back up to where I was....but I aint complaining!
Sorry about the photos, I know they're awful, but with all the lifting, my hands were shaky, and the lighting was bad, and I was tired, and...well, so much for excuses for lousy shots!
The first two are in progress shots, and the last two are in situ.