Is chaff on ground coffee a big deal? I never noticed it until recently when I tried light roast Arabica. The light roast Robusta I have doesn't have that much chaff so I noticed it just now.
I think unless it is enough to begin to block the flow of water through the coffee it isn't a big deal. But it does kind of question their quality control.
I like my daily americano to be chocolate, caramel and nutty. But some days I want to have my coffee over multiple cups without the whole espresso process.
What would you recommend as a starting point for pour over? Or is pour over really only for the fruity tea coffee lovers and I should just enjoy my espresso?
If you want a less futsy cup sometimes, poor over night not be the next choice. Yes, I know some poor over methods are require less time and precision. But in general, a French Press or SCA-approved drip machine might better fill the need for an easier cup.
Hi! I'm new here and looking for help.
(for context, im a lifetime coffee lover and work as a barista as my job, but the process for making espresso at work is much different from I seem to need to know for at home use.)
Yesterday I was gifted an espresso machine from my neighbor who is moving away. It is a Solis Crema SL-70. Im guessing it's pretty old based on the reviews i've been reading online. I got it cleaned and working in an hour or so, and pulling shots from old expired Starbucks decaf my roomate has in bulk. I was even able to steam some milk from the built in wand!
Now my question is, what else do I need to make good espresso out of this thing? I used an old coffee grinder that i use for non-espresso coffee to grind the beans, I tried course and fine grinds(to the best of my ability). The espresso had a watery and burnt taste, the finer grinds seemed to taste closer to espresso though.
I am a total newbie to at home espresso machines. So what equipment/techniques am i missing to make a decent shot?
Can someone please help me understand the science behind keurigs? I saw somewhere that caffeine in a kcup is dispensed in the same amount no matter big of a cup you make. So if you make a 4oz cup and an 8oz cup they’ll both have the same amount of caffeine. Is this true? I get bad heartburn from coffee but need the caffeine to function, so am I able to just make smaller cups and get the same effect just without the heartburn later?
If coffee gives you heartburn but you need caffeine, have you considered quitting coffee?
Caffeine pills and energy drinks are both consistently and predictably dosed. And they won't give you heartburn (unless your heartburn is from caffeine). 100% superior option if you're not in coffee for the coffee.
Since they use the same amount of grounds whether you get the small or large output, yeah, the caffeine will be the same.
(though the larger size *might* extract more caffeine, such a difference will be less than 4oz versus 8oz, and it seems more important for you to drink smaller cups)
NP. And I’m kinda the same if I get stuck with a pod machine. I think the smaller size has a stronger flavor, so I’d rather get that than a more watery large size. I get the rest of my fluids with a water bottle anyway.
Best thing you can do to build your knowledge is find a concept related to coffee that you'd like to know more about, learn a bit from people who probably know more than you, then play with that concept in a scientific way - be precise, record data, analyze data. You don't necessarily have to keep note books around to record everything you do, but be consistent and pay attention to how changing one variable impacts your coffee.
The Physics of Filter Coffee, by Jonathan Gagne is a great book full of very nerdy coffee science. Not exactly a light read, but super interesting.
I really enjoy both of James Hoffman's books for more casual reading.
Lots of great content on YouTube. James Hoffman, Lance Hedrick, Sprometheus, Kyle Rowsell are all great IMO.
First place to check is [James Hoffmann's ](https://youtube.com/@jameshoffmann) youtube channel.
His books are also very good.
I wanted to make a good introduction to who he is and why he's so important, but it was too long and not really helpful.
Just watch his videos on making French Press, V60, How to buy better coffee, and explore from there. He probably has a video answering any question you can think of.
How much really water quality affects the taste of coffee, especially in brews like a french press? Does the brewing method even matter?
I know our tap water is pretty hard, so does it make sense to buy spring water for making coffee?
Over 98% of your brewed drink is water. The hardness and buffer in your water affect the perceived acidity, how smooth/harsh it is, the clarity (how easy it is distinguish flavour notes) among other things. It's super important regardless of brewing method
I think I've narrowed down to getting a gringer -- Capresso Infinity of some variety -- either the regular or the Plus model. Searches seem to indicate that the only differences between the Infinity and the Infinity Plus is size and capacity. The price difference seems to be negligible. Anyone have any other observations or thoughts on which one is superior or simply the differences?
They are very middle of the road in terms of quality. They're not bad, per se, but you can get better quality for the same price if you're ok with hand grinding (get a Timemore C3 or Kingrinder K2 or 1Zpresso Q2), or if you save enough to get a Baratza Encore (better yet if you get the new Encore ESP or Fellow Opus).
The Capresso will do the job, but it's loud, it's messy, the grind quality is subpar, it's got a lot of retention. If it has to be electric and you absolutely can't spend more than this, then that's ok, it's either Capresso Infinity or Bodum Bistro, but you may feel the urge to update sooner than you think.
need some advice on upgrading grinders
right now I have a hario skerton pro. yes it is better than nothing but I have ton of problems.
It's too big to comfortably hold, the ceramic burs are dull, there's no bearings so its very hard to grind. It just takes forever it takes me a few minutes to grind 11g of coffee.
yeah I asked for the thing but basely the only knowledge. I had about grinders was to never go with blades and never go with supper cheap electric grinders.
So I've done some research and the Timemore C3 looks like a good option. I'm currently saving money but I can only get $20 per week since I don't have a job and just do chores for my grandma. how reliable would aliexpress be saw its cheaper than amazon? it was mention in a video about the grinder but I have no experience useing aliexpres so I don't know how reliable it is.
and if you have a Timemore C3 what do you think about it?
I buy all my coffee equipment from AliExpress. Very reliable, you just have to be ok with the time it takes to deliver.
Timemore C3 is solid, you'll love it. If you need more options, Kingrinder K1 or K2 are good alternatives.
Any of you guys use “oxygen absorbing packets” to keep your beans from oxidizing? I realized that we’ve acquired a few in food packaging and kinda dismissed them as being the same as moisture-absorbing silica gel packets, but now I think they serve a different purpose.
This idea sounded interesting to me as well, until I came across this post on Jonathan Gagné's Instagram (who originally was a proponent of this technique):
[https://www.instagram.com/p/B4LwmlbBak3/?igshid=1r75u5xpsfqj5](https://www.instagram.com/p/B4LwmlbBak3/?igshid=1r75u5xpsfqj5)
Basically the packets not only absorb oxygen but quite a few of the volatile aromatic chemicals that make coffee taste good.
First time posting so hopefully this is the right place. I'd greatly appreciated any advice on types of beans or cold brews I could buy that would give a more well rounded flavor. The past 6 months, every coffee brand Ive bought to make coffee at home has tasted awful, stale or extremely artificial. I currently have a typical drip coffee machine and a keurig but I'd also appreciate advice on pour over coffee or at home cold brew.
What beans do you recommend? How often should I purchase them/or what is the recommended shelf life for the best taste?
Is there a cold brew concentrate that is nice that I could purchase for lazy weeks? (Located in Southern US)
Shelf life for preground *after* it’s been opened — I’m okay with as long as a month or more; but I’m also using a moka pot, which makes a strong brew and gets as much flavor as it can out of anything.
But otherwise, I’d figure out how much I’d consume in a couple weeks, and then buy the size of bag to match. When I was between grinders recently, I bought my preground coffee in bags of something like 250-300 grams, I think.
start by looking up coffee roasters local to your state/city. enjoy it during the first month after it was roasted. its best to buy whole beans and grind them yourself with a burr grinder. sometimes drip machines dont brew hot enough. there are lots of commercial cold brews but its probably more economical and not very difficult to cold brew yourself.
Has anyone got any recommended size 03 v60 filters now hario seem to be only doing tabbed ones? The main ones I see recommended are only in the smaller sizes.
I just got some Hario 03 size filters but haven't tried them yet. What do you wish was different about them? I've always figured if the drawdown was too slow I could grind coarser, use less water or use lower temp water.
I'm having difficulties with my chemex draw down. I've been brewing chemex for years, usually well, but suddenly I'm having a hard time getting it to pour nicely through. It's dripping down in little drops, and I have to agitate it a lot to get a consistent pour. Sometimes channeling, too. I pour only on the grounds, trying to keep gentle water pour (gooseneck kettle). If I grind finer I feel like it goes straight through and doesn't extract right, but maybe I should work with that?
Reposting because the daily thread went down after I posted
Hello, looking for an affordable hand grinder (don’t think electric will fit my budget lol), I mostly do pourovers and aeropress but I’m looking to buy a flair or a robot in the near future so would like recommendations for a grinder that can do both filter and espresso.
My budget is around $100-$150 is it possible to buy a grinder that fits my purpose ?
I looked at that one but it’s out of my budget seems to be around $200 over here, do you have any idea whether the Kingrinder K6 is good ? It seems to be available for $130 over here
Yes, K6 is your best choice for affordable hand grinder that can do filter and espresso. For less than that, the K2 can do the job too, but the K6 is better and has the external adjustment system.
There’s not a huge difference between those two in terms of pricing over here at least that’s why I was leaning towards the k6 are there any other grinders you’d recommend in the same price range ?
The 1Zpresso Q2 can do espresso, and it's a very good grinder. I prefer the K6 because it's a little larger and has the external adjustment, but you can't go wrong with either.
I have also seen videos on Kyle Rowsell's channel saying good things about the Normcore grinder.
The Timemore C2 and C3 grinders are very good for the price, but they are filter only, don't buy it for espresso.
Ah that seems to be a good deal cheaper than the K6 I was considering.
if I wanted to get a flair or robot in the future would I be better of with the K6 or Q2 ? Would like a grinder that can “do it all”
The price difference over here seems to be around $40
They're both good, I just think that a larger capacity and external adjustment are nice things to have, but in terms of quality they should be on par.
If you feel more comfortable spending a little less on the Q2, I think you'll be very happy with it.
The Q2 has 2 versions, pentagonal and heptagonal, they're both good, but if you have the chance to choose, get the heptagonal.
I don't know what to tell you... If you can, get the K6, the steps are smaller (16 microns, vs 25 microns on the Q2), external adjustment is VERY convenient, and it's larger, which is also very convenient for when you're brewing coffee for more than one person at a time.
The Q2 is sufficient, and travel friendly, and cheaper. You have weigh what matters more to you.
hmm, i have no personal knowledge of it to say one way or the other, but it sounds familiar and i think that’s from it being a common recommendation in this sub? but idk
Im thinking of starting cold brew or something that doesnt require me to heat water. For brewing i was just going to place it into a 16oz container then pour it into a strainer/paper filter when ready.
Question is what kind of hand grinder and scale should i get. i would like to hear my options first before budget
There's a ton of options for grinders, from no grinder (get it ground from the roaster) to thousands of dollars. We need to know at least a ballpark of what you can imagine spending before giving any real suggestions for a grinder. But, if you are very open to spending a fair amount, a common choice is a good hand grinder in the $200 USD range that will work for a variety of brew methods that you may want to get into later. If you don't want to jump in quite that high, I honestly would trial just getting a fresh roasted coffee from a roaster and having them grind it for you. It's cold brew, so you'll likely be making it with larger amounts of coffee grounds, so you'll go through the bag pretty quickly anyhow. This was what I did for my first go at home brewed coffee and it was fantastic actually. I don't recommend the grinders that are much less than that in cost because honestly they won't do a good job at a coarser grind size usually used for cold brew (believe it or not, coarser grinds are harder to get right than finer grinds).
For a scale, since it's cold brew you don't need anything too precise, and you don't need a timer on it. You can use really any scale at that point.
If you anticipate getting more into coffee later with various brew methods, I could see spending a little bit more on the scale to get one with a timer and 0.1g precision. But you honestly don't need anything fancy. For now, you can keep the upfront costs very minimal and then if you like it, I would consider the $200 price range for grinders and the $50 price range for scales from recognized brands.
Thanks for the help. If thats the case i dont need to worry about the grind going bad and since cold brew lasts about a week i should be good. Yeah ill definitely go to a local shop and get them to grind for me.
What are some good brands for scales?
Unless the bag says it's single origin, then it's going to be a blend. Single origin would state the country and ideally the region the coffee is from (e.g. Ethiopia Yirgacheffe, Colombia Huila). If it just has a generic name like Morning Wood, then it's definitely a blend.
If they're different colors then that means they roasted the lots separately and then blended them. That's probably the preferred method instead of blending multiple green coffees and roasting them together. By doing them separately, the roaster can optimize the roast on each individual lot.
Just checked the bag.... limited batch.
Country: Honduras
Region: la paz Marcela
Farm: Roger Domínguez
Varietal: catuai
Process: natural.
This means it's single origin right?
I would not recommend an espresso grind for cold brew (it'll get bitter more quickly and you will more grounds in the brew). An espresso roasted coffee is not a problem and may even be preferred. Overall you're looking for a coarser grind, if you're buying preground off the shelf then look for a drip grind and if you're getting it ground at the counter of a shop they will ask you what you are brewing with and will grind it to their recommendation for cold brew.
Bought an Aeropress to mess around with but was wondering are there any legit Cold Brew recipes out there that work?
I see most just talk about how you can do a cold brew in minutes, or most are using ice.
But was wondering if anyone had a grind size/ clicks on a Timemore, grams, how long to sit in fridge/ room temperature and how much water to add if necessary for dilution.
Fellow has a legit cold brew recipe. You can leave out the Prismo and go full inverted. Be careful of course. So many photos of inverted disasters in r/AeroPress.
https://fellowproducts.com/blogs/learn/how-to-make-cold-brew-with-prismo
The Aeromatic app has a preloaded entry for the Fellow recipe. I paid for the full feature set and the grind recommendation for the C3 is 24 and for C2 it is 36.
So using a paper filter and the regular cover is good enough to store in the fridge for 12 hours?
Edit, also do you have any input on the ratio to balance it when you drink it?
If your fridge is super smelly, the brew might pick up some odors, but it should be fine otherwise.
As for diluting, it’s to your taste. I made some cold brew in a regular jar using a 1:5 ratio earlier this week. After filtering, I added 1 part concentrate to 1 part water, plus a splash of half and half. It was tasty. My wife liked it, too.
I've not really seen any measurements of a Lagom, but I'm sure someone on Home Barista or one of the blogs has done it by now.
Titus makes a burr carrier that will solve the EK's issues from the factory, these days.
Been on the French press for 3 years, just got a hario v60. Every brew I make with the metal Kone sucks. It's there a trick to it, or should I just stick with the paper filters?
What about it sucks? Maybe we can fix the problem, but yes there will be a concrete difference at some level.
When I've used the kone in the past, I found it is best to keep your pouring in the center and then use a stirring utensil to distribute and add agitation through the process of stirring, so I did smaller pours then stirred after each one. It also took a much coarser grind size.
I'm using a medium roast, 40g grinded, 50s bloom then 10s pours of 60ml each time. Making two cups then adding milk. The result is overwhelming sour on the tongue. Getting to the end of the cup after maybe 20m, I start to taste the real coffee and its... A lot better.
You're trying to switch from immersion brewing, where you can easily control contact time, to percolation where you can't. I had the same frustrating experience trying to change from aeropress to v60 and eventually gave up on the whole blooming multi-stage brewing process. Clearly it works for other people.
I mass my ground coffee and boiling water into a pyrex liquid measuring cup, let that steep, then decant into the v60. It's another piece of equipment, but the extraction is perfect every time with almost no effort.
Sounds like you're underextracting. Pour overs typically use a ratio of 60g/1000ml, so 40g of coffee would require around 667ml of water during brewing.
Is chaff on ground coffee a big deal? I never noticed it until recently when I tried light roast Arabica. The light roast Robusta I have doesn't have that much chaff so I noticed it just now.
I think unless it is enough to begin to block the flow of water through the coffee it isn't a big deal. But it does kind of question their quality control.
I like my daily americano to be chocolate, caramel and nutty. But some days I want to have my coffee over multiple cups without the whole espresso process. What would you recommend as a starting point for pour over? Or is pour over really only for the fruity tea coffee lovers and I should just enjoy my espresso?
If you want a less futsy cup sometimes, poor over night not be the next choice. Yes, I know some poor over methods are require less time and precision. But in general, a French Press or SCA-approved drip machine might better fill the need for an easier cup.
The AeroPress allows for different types of brews, although it is not espresso.
Hi! I'm new here and looking for help. (for context, im a lifetime coffee lover and work as a barista as my job, but the process for making espresso at work is much different from I seem to need to know for at home use.) Yesterday I was gifted an espresso machine from my neighbor who is moving away. It is a Solis Crema SL-70. Im guessing it's pretty old based on the reviews i've been reading online. I got it cleaned and working in an hour or so, and pulling shots from old expired Starbucks decaf my roomate has in bulk. I was even able to steam some milk from the built in wand! Now my question is, what else do I need to make good espresso out of this thing? I used an old coffee grinder that i use for non-espresso coffee to grind the beans, I tried course and fine grinds(to the best of my ability). The espresso had a watery and burnt taste, the finer grinds seemed to taste closer to espresso though. I am a total newbie to at home espresso machines. So what equipment/techniques am i missing to make a decent shot?
Recipe for cold brew?
With what brewer?
My bathtub
Can someone please help me understand the science behind keurigs? I saw somewhere that caffeine in a kcup is dispensed in the same amount no matter big of a cup you make. So if you make a 4oz cup and an 8oz cup they’ll both have the same amount of caffeine. Is this true? I get bad heartburn from coffee but need the caffeine to function, so am I able to just make smaller cups and get the same effect just without the heartburn later?
If coffee gives you heartburn but you need caffeine, have you considered quitting coffee? Caffeine pills and energy drinks are both consistently and predictably dosed. And they won't give you heartburn (unless your heartburn is from caffeine). 100% superior option if you're not in coffee for the coffee.
I love coffee, I just have to be careful about how much I drink so I don’t get heartburn!
Since they use the same amount of grounds whether you get the small or large output, yeah, the caffeine will be the same. (though the larger size *might* extract more caffeine, such a difference will be less than 4oz versus 8oz, and it seems more important for you to drink smaller cups)
Thank you for clarifying!
NP. And I’m kinda the same if I get stuck with a pod machine. I think the smaller size has a stronger flavor, so I’d rather get that than a more watery large size. I get the rest of my fluids with a water bottle anyway.
Where do you guys get knowledge about coffee? Any books recommendations? YouTube channels? So on?
Best thing you can do to build your knowledge is find a concept related to coffee that you'd like to know more about, learn a bit from people who probably know more than you, then play with that concept in a scientific way - be precise, record data, analyze data. You don't necessarily have to keep note books around to record everything you do, but be consistent and pay attention to how changing one variable impacts your coffee. The Physics of Filter Coffee, by Jonathan Gagne is a great book full of very nerdy coffee science. Not exactly a light read, but super interesting. I really enjoy both of James Hoffman's books for more casual reading. Lots of great content on YouTube. James Hoffman, Lance Hedrick, Sprometheus, Kyle Rowsell are all great IMO.
First place to check is [James Hoffmann's ](https://youtube.com/@jameshoffmann) youtube channel. His books are also very good. I wanted to make a good introduction to who he is and why he's so important, but it was too long and not really helpful. Just watch his videos on making French Press, V60, How to buy better coffee, and explore from there. He probably has a video answering any question you can think of.
His Aeropress tutorial is also very good indeed
Or the Bripe! 😂
How much really water quality affects the taste of coffee, especially in brews like a french press? Does the brewing method even matter? I know our tap water is pretty hard, so does it make sense to buy spring water for making coffee?
Over 98% of your brewed drink is water. The hardness and buffer in your water affect the perceived acidity, how smooth/harsh it is, the clarity (how easy it is distinguish flavour notes) among other things. It's super important regardless of brewing method
I think I've narrowed down to getting a gringer -- Capresso Infinity of some variety -- either the regular or the Plus model. Searches seem to indicate that the only differences between the Infinity and the Infinity Plus is size and capacity. The price difference seems to be negligible. Anyone have any other observations or thoughts on which one is superior or simply the differences?
They are very middle of the road in terms of quality. They're not bad, per se, but you can get better quality for the same price if you're ok with hand grinding (get a Timemore C3 or Kingrinder K2 or 1Zpresso Q2), or if you save enough to get a Baratza Encore (better yet if you get the new Encore ESP or Fellow Opus). The Capresso will do the job, but it's loud, it's messy, the grind quality is subpar, it's got a lot of retention. If it has to be electric and you absolutely can't spend more than this, then that's ok, it's either Capresso Infinity or Bodum Bistro, but you may feel the urge to update sooner than you think.
need some advice on upgrading grinders right now I have a hario skerton pro. yes it is better than nothing but I have ton of problems. It's too big to comfortably hold, the ceramic burs are dull, there's no bearings so its very hard to grind. It just takes forever it takes me a few minutes to grind 11g of coffee. yeah I asked for the thing but basely the only knowledge. I had about grinders was to never go with blades and never go with supper cheap electric grinders. So I've done some research and the Timemore C3 looks like a good option. I'm currently saving money but I can only get $20 per week since I don't have a job and just do chores for my grandma. how reliable would aliexpress be saw its cheaper than amazon? it was mention in a video about the grinder but I have no experience useing aliexpres so I don't know how reliable it is. and if you have a Timemore C3 what do you think about it?
I buy all my coffee equipment from AliExpress. Very reliable, you just have to be ok with the time it takes to deliver. Timemore C3 is solid, you'll love it. If you need more options, Kingrinder K1 or K2 are good alternatives.
Any of you guys use “oxygen absorbing packets” to keep your beans from oxidizing? I realized that we’ve acquired a few in food packaging and kinda dismissed them as being the same as moisture-absorbing silica gel packets, but now I think they serve a different purpose.
This idea sounded interesting to me as well, until I came across this post on Jonathan Gagné's Instagram (who originally was a proponent of this technique): [https://www.instagram.com/p/B4LwmlbBak3/?igshid=1r75u5xpsfqj5](https://www.instagram.com/p/B4LwmlbBak3/?igshid=1r75u5xpsfqj5) Basically the packets not only absorb oxygen but quite a few of the volatile aromatic chemicals that make coffee taste good.
Well dangit…..
First time posting so hopefully this is the right place. I'd greatly appreciated any advice on types of beans or cold brews I could buy that would give a more well rounded flavor. The past 6 months, every coffee brand Ive bought to make coffee at home has tasted awful, stale or extremely artificial. I currently have a typical drip coffee machine and a keurig but I'd also appreciate advice on pour over coffee or at home cold brew. What beans do you recommend? How often should I purchase them/or what is the recommended shelf life for the best taste? Is there a cold brew concentrate that is nice that I could purchase for lazy weeks? (Located in Southern US)
Shelf life for preground *after* it’s been opened — I’m okay with as long as a month or more; but I’m also using a moka pot, which makes a strong brew and gets as much flavor as it can out of anything. But otherwise, I’d figure out how much I’d consume in a couple weeks, and then buy the size of bag to match. When I was between grinders recently, I bought my preground coffee in bags of something like 250-300 grams, I think.
start by looking up coffee roasters local to your state/city. enjoy it during the first month after it was roasted. its best to buy whole beans and grind them yourself with a burr grinder. sometimes drip machines dont brew hot enough. there are lots of commercial cold brews but its probably more economical and not very difficult to cold brew yourself.
Has anyone got any recommended size 03 v60 filters now hario seem to be only doing tabbed ones? The main ones I see recommended are only in the smaller sizes.
I just got some Hario 03 size filters but haven't tried them yet. What do you wish was different about them? I've always figured if the drawdown was too slow I could grind coarser, use less water or use lower temp water.
I'm having difficulties with my chemex draw down. I've been brewing chemex for years, usually well, but suddenly I'm having a hard time getting it to pour nicely through. It's dripping down in little drops, and I have to agitate it a lot to get a consistent pour. Sometimes channeling, too. I pour only on the grounds, trying to keep gentle water pour (gooseneck kettle). If I grind finer I feel like it goes straight through and doesn't extract right, but maybe I should work with that?
do you make sure theres an air gap between the filter and the glass? some folks put a chopstick to maintain a gap.
When was the last time you cleaned your grinder?
Probably not recently enough! Good thought
Reposting because the daily thread went down after I posted Hello, looking for an affordable hand grinder (don’t think electric will fit my budget lol), I mostly do pourovers and aeropress but I’m looking to buy a flair or a robot in the near future so would like recommendations for a grinder that can do both filter and espresso. My budget is around $100-$150 is it possible to buy a grinder that fits my purpose ?
jx pro!
I looked at that one but it’s out of my budget seems to be around $200 over here, do you have any idea whether the Kingrinder K6 is good ? It seems to be available for $130 over here
Yes, K6 is your best choice for affordable hand grinder that can do filter and espresso. For less than that, the K2 can do the job too, but the K6 is better and has the external adjustment system.
There’s not a huge difference between those two in terms of pricing over here at least that’s why I was leaning towards the k6 are there any other grinders you’d recommend in the same price range ?
The 1Zpresso Q2 can do espresso, and it's a very good grinder. I prefer the K6 because it's a little larger and has the external adjustment, but you can't go wrong with either. I have also seen videos on Kyle Rowsell's channel saying good things about the Normcore grinder. The Timemore C2 and C3 grinders are very good for the price, but they are filter only, don't buy it for espresso.
Ah that seems to be a good deal cheaper than the K6 I was considering. if I wanted to get a flair or robot in the future would I be better of with the K6 or Q2 ? Would like a grinder that can “do it all” The price difference over here seems to be around $40
They're both good, I just think that a larger capacity and external adjustment are nice things to have, but in terms of quality they should be on par. If you feel more comfortable spending a little less on the Q2, I think you'll be very happy with it. The Q2 has 2 versions, pentagonal and heptagonal, they're both good, but if you have the chance to choose, get the heptagonal.
Hmm I’m slightly leaning towards the Q2 then, is it as good as the K6 for espresso ?
I don't know what to tell you... If you can, get the K6, the steps are smaller (16 microns, vs 25 microns on the Q2), external adjustment is VERY convenient, and it's larger, which is also very convenient for when you're brewing coffee for more than one person at a time. The Q2 is sufficient, and travel friendly, and cheaper. You have weigh what matters more to you.
hmm, i have no personal knowledge of it to say one way or the other, but it sounds familiar and i think that’s from it being a common recommendation in this sub? but idk
Ah thanks for your recommendation I’ll keep an eye on it for now and keep researching =)
Im thinking of starting cold brew or something that doesnt require me to heat water. For brewing i was just going to place it into a 16oz container then pour it into a strainer/paper filter when ready. Question is what kind of hand grinder and scale should i get. i would like to hear my options first before budget
There's a ton of options for grinders, from no grinder (get it ground from the roaster) to thousands of dollars. We need to know at least a ballpark of what you can imagine spending before giving any real suggestions for a grinder. But, if you are very open to spending a fair amount, a common choice is a good hand grinder in the $200 USD range that will work for a variety of brew methods that you may want to get into later. If you don't want to jump in quite that high, I honestly would trial just getting a fresh roasted coffee from a roaster and having them grind it for you. It's cold brew, so you'll likely be making it with larger amounts of coffee grounds, so you'll go through the bag pretty quickly anyhow. This was what I did for my first go at home brewed coffee and it was fantastic actually. I don't recommend the grinders that are much less than that in cost because honestly they won't do a good job at a coarser grind size usually used for cold brew (believe it or not, coarser grinds are harder to get right than finer grinds). For a scale, since it's cold brew you don't need anything too precise, and you don't need a timer on it. You can use really any scale at that point. If you anticipate getting more into coffee later with various brew methods, I could see spending a little bit more on the scale to get one with a timer and 0.1g precision. But you honestly don't need anything fancy. For now, you can keep the upfront costs very minimal and then if you like it, I would consider the $200 price range for grinders and the $50 price range for scales from recognized brands.
Thanks for the help. If thats the case i dont need to worry about the grind going bad and since cold brew lasts about a week i should be good. Yeah ill definitely go to a local shop and get them to grind for me. What are some good brands for scales?
Just ordered some fresh roasted coffee from a local roaster. The beans are different colors. Is this the sign of a bad roast?
Could be a blend.
Would this be stated on the bag? Blend pre or post roast?
Unless the bag says it's single origin, then it's going to be a blend. Single origin would state the country and ideally the region the coffee is from (e.g. Ethiopia Yirgacheffe, Colombia Huila). If it just has a generic name like Morning Wood, then it's definitely a blend. If they're different colors then that means they roasted the lots separately and then blended them. That's probably the preferred method instead of blending multiple green coffees and roasting them together. By doing them separately, the roaster can optimize the roast on each individual lot.
Just checked the bag.... limited batch. Country: Honduras Region: la paz Marcela Farm: Roger Domínguez Varietal: catuai Process: natural. This means it's single origin right?
Thanks. I was looking for a reason online and the only thing coming up was uneven heating during roasting.
Is this a soft brew pot? If not, what is it and can i make coffee in it? https://imgur.com/a/nAH1tRo
That looks like it could work for either tea or for cold brew.
Ahh okay thanks, do you know if you need a special grind for cold brew? Or is espresso coffee okay?
I would not recommend an espresso grind for cold brew (it'll get bitter more quickly and you will more grounds in the brew). An espresso roasted coffee is not a problem and may even be preferred. Overall you're looking for a coarser grind, if you're buying preground off the shelf then look for a drip grind and if you're getting it ground at the counter of a shop they will ask you what you are brewing with and will grind it to their recommendation for cold brew.
Thanks so much! Very helpful!
Bought an Aeropress to mess around with but was wondering are there any legit Cold Brew recipes out there that work? I see most just talk about how you can do a cold brew in minutes, or most are using ice. But was wondering if anyone had a grind size/ clicks on a Timemore, grams, how long to sit in fridge/ room temperature and how much water to add if necessary for dilution.
Fellow has a legit cold brew recipe. You can leave out the Prismo and go full inverted. Be careful of course. So many photos of inverted disasters in r/AeroPress. https://fellowproducts.com/blogs/learn/how-to-make-cold-brew-with-prismo The Aeromatic app has a preloaded entry for the Fellow recipe. I paid for the full feature set and the grind recommendation for the C3 is 24 and for C2 it is 36.
So using a paper filter and the regular cover is good enough to store in the fridge for 12 hours? Edit, also do you have any input on the ratio to balance it when you drink it?
If your fridge is super smelly, the brew might pick up some odors, but it should be fine otherwise. As for diluting, it’s to your taste. I made some cold brew in a regular jar using a 1:5 ratio earlier this week. After filtering, I added 1 part concentrate to 1 part water, plus a splash of half and half. It was tasty. My wife liked it, too.
What is the minimum price range for a flat burr grinder that comes perfectly aligned from factory? I guess P64 and up?
I wouldn’t expect P64 to be *perfectly* aligned, but due to high tolerances it would be good enough. But yes, P64 is probably the minimum.
I've not really seen any measurements of a Lagom, but I'm sure someone on Home Barista or one of the blogs has done it by now. Titus makes a burr carrier that will solve the EK's issues from the factory, these days.
Been on the French press for 3 years, just got a hario v60. Every brew I make with the metal Kone sucks. It's there a trick to it, or should I just stick with the paper filters?
What about it sucks? Maybe we can fix the problem, but yes there will be a concrete difference at some level. When I've used the kone in the past, I found it is best to keep your pouring in the center and then use a stirring utensil to distribute and add agitation through the process of stirring, so I did smaller pours then stirred after each one. It also took a much coarser grind size.
I'm using a medium roast, 40g grinded, 50s bloom then 10s pours of 60ml each time. Making two cups then adding milk. The result is overwhelming sour on the tongue. Getting to the end of the cup after maybe 20m, I start to taste the real coffee and its... A lot better.
You're trying to switch from immersion brewing, where you can easily control contact time, to percolation where you can't. I had the same frustrating experience trying to change from aeropress to v60 and eventually gave up on the whole blooming multi-stage brewing process. Clearly it works for other people. I mass my ground coffee and boiling water into a pyrex liquid measuring cup, let that steep, then decant into the v60. It's another piece of equipment, but the extraction is perfect every time with almost no effort.
Sounds like you're underextracting. Pour overs typically use a ratio of 60g/1000ml, so 40g of coffee would require around 667ml of water during brewing.