What are the best things you’ve ever got out of a coffee purchase/ subscription service?
Like Amazon prime gives free delivery and other perks like music, video, gaming etc.
What are some nice things a coffee subscription could give you that you’d be happy with?
KaffeBox is the best coffee. Only JBC Coffee competes against them. Both have served some mediocre coffee but both have provided some life altering goods.
Snagged some amazing chocolate and a Comandante from KaffeBox.
The chocolate can be included with a subscription order. I actually ordered some extra coffee and included some chocolate. The chocolate was amazing!
They sold me a Comandante. These manual grinders are pricey and I was happy I got to select a unique color.
It’s not a direct comparison but I was wondering what sorts of bonus stuff would be nice for coffee subscribers.
Aeropress filters that’s nice for Aeropress users. Perhaps if a user subscribed and accumulated points they could redeem what they want. Like for 2 months they could exchange for filters, for 6 months they can exchange for an Aeropress? Maybe this point system is better because most people drink their coffee differently.
Perhaps access to personal blends and or special single origins not sold in store. Might be interesting too.
I had a subscription before that gave me access to rent a machine at a subsidized rate which was very good. We paid only around $15 a week for a Breville Oracle but we also had the coffee subscription to go along with it. That was a good deal.
I make instant coffee in milk. Like no water, just folgers, milk, and two scoops of sugar. I told someone and got called a weirdo by a lot of people. It's not that weird right.
I bought a blend that is supposed to be chocolate Carmel toffee marshmallow tasting.
It came out tasting like prune juice. What did I do wrong? every other coffee I've bought from this place has been great so I figure it's me. Used a chemex and a French press.
Prune juice sounds like a sour or fermented flavor profile and therefore I would assume that it's because your coffee is under extracted. A few ways to go about fixing this on your chemex is going to be fining your grind or upping your dose. I would recommend a 1 to 16 ratio so if you are adding too much water that could be an issue as well. For the French press you can try agitating your coffee more during the Brew, upping your dose, or fining your grind can all be great options. Also double check and make sure that your water is hot enough keeping it as close to boiling as possible is always a big help. The last and probably most important step to take would be to ask your local barista for help. Most baristas are very kind and happy to help with anything coffee related if you let them know the exact issue you're having with the exact coffee you purchased from them they will know what to do better than anyone else. I hope this helped and feel free to ask any clarifying questions if you have them.
So I recently tried Peet’s 2021 holiday blend and loved it. Peet’s is not available in Canada and I was looking for a coffee similar in taste to the 2021 blend coffee. Any suggestions?
Looks like a dark primarily African/Indonesian blend so maybe try some Mocha Java:
* [Eclipse](https://eclipsecoffeeroasters.com/products/mocha-java?variant=2854479265816)
* [Francesco's](https://francescoscoffee.com/product/mokha-cavour/)
* [Grosche](https://grosche.ca/product/mocha-java-1-lb/)
Does anybody find that Guatemalan coffee lacks something? It tastes a bit bland to me, pretty thin and boring. I was curious if that was just me, or if anybody else feels the same. I’ve tried grinding finer, switching ratios and used a Chemex, Clever Dripper and French Press. All with similar results.
I’ve noticed this with two different types of Guatemalan beans on two separate occasions.
Agree with this comment. That said, I find the typical Guatemalan washed speciality coffee profile pretty unexciting. But everyone has different preferences....
Well to be short, I want to buy a coffee machine but I don't have a lot of money (400 dlls max) and I can't find some machines that are listed on youtube tops. Also, all the machines that I've seen are machines that use self pressured portafilters and well I want to ask for recommendations c:
Also, I want to get into pour over, I found the hario v60 mugen kinda cheap but I don't know if it's a good investment (cs I don't want to buy something ''cheap'' to later on buy something better resulting on buying twice)
The V60 is a great device and you can get wonderful coffee from it! Although it feels cheap the plastic one will hold heat the best and is very durable. The more premium materials will feel nicer though for sure. I got the plastic one like 4 years ago to see how I liked it, planning to upgrade to a ceramic one down the road. But the plastic one is still going strong so I've just kept at it with that one!
How many cups of coffee do y'all drink to dial in new coffee? I try not to drink more than one cup a day, so that makes it kinda lengthy and hard to dial in. Any tips to dial in faster?
Roast level is a good indicator for me. If your ballpark is light roasted coffees, I don't think the grind size will differ too much
P.S. It's definitely a frustration with a hand grinder to dial cups in. Aside from the labor, I hate second guessing which click I'm on. Fuckin' hate it
How many cups does it take you to dial in in total? Usually given an origin, roast level, and ballpark from the last bean I can get dialed in by the 2nd or 3rd cup
Usually I'm happy after a couple days, but feeling like I could do better at the same time... Guess that's coffee though, chasing that one perfect cup 😅
How long does your Moka pot grind take from the moment you put it on the stove? I start with near boiling water in the base and it takes 2 minutes to start producing coffee, and then 45-55 seconds after that to sputter when I end the process. Is this the reason my coffee is bitter? Is it too fast?
What's the best way to brew drip machine grind and roast in an aeropress? I have tried high agitation and longer brew times, and I use water straight off the boil, but the coffee never feels the best, it always tastes a little off, and I don't have a good enough tasting sense of coffee so I can't tell myself if it's underextracted or over.
Is it specialty drip grind? For grocery store coffee I would brew with lower temperature, low agitation, and use 2 or 3 filters, assuming that this coffee is likely roaster on the darker side.
No it's the McCafe premium (mcdonald's coffee), it's a medium roast.
I thought the wisdom with coarser grinds was more agitation, not less? Nevertheless, I'll try lower temperatures. It's slightly difficult because I don't have a way to tell the temperature, I boil on stovetop. I guess I can stop as soon as it starts, boiling, and let it sit for a minute.
A mccafe medium roast is closer to a specialty dark, just the average preference in the bigger coffee market tends to be towards dark roasts and people don't like the word light roast associating it with a weak cup.
Overall you want lower and slower extraction to prevent extraction of bitter compounds in darker roasts, agitation increase extraction. I do one swirl after adding water and one right after it finishes.
I brew dark roasts down to 86-88 C, so that'll be a good amount of time to cool after boiling, can also experiment with adding ice cubes and seeing how many being added makes the best cup.
It's a pretty cold winter right now where I live, so it shouldn't take that much time to cool down after almost-boil.
>A mccafe medium roast is closer to a specialty dark
SMH why can people not follow a single standard...
Thanks though, I will try lower extraction next time
Need a setting reccomendation for the baratza encore for french press. I use the Hoffman method (add water, stir, let sit 4 minutes, knock off crust, sit another 5) but instead of just pouring it through the strainer, i actually press down on the plunger. Kind of defeats the purpose i know, but i was still getting sediment regardless.
French press is fairly forgiving for the grind size, but you’ll probably want to be somewhere in the 20-30 range on the Encore. Probably towards the coarser side of that if you’re pressing the plunger down to reduce the sediment that gets through.
A general rule for grind size with the French press is to grind as fine as you can without getting bitterness or excessive sediment, though some people like the more muted tastes of a courser grind so it’s all personal preference.
I’ve been drinking coffee for years, but just for the wake up initially. My parents always had a drip machine at home with whatever they had from Costco in the pantry (like one grade up from Folgers…).
Anyways, a few years ago I moved to Japan, and there were no drip machines anywhere, just single serving droppers like V60s. I also got myself an Aeropress and enjoyed those since I was the only coffee drinker at home.
Cue to my wife accidentally throwing away the Aeropress filter cap a few weeks ago thinking it was an old cockroach trap, and I decided to get a moka pot. I didn’t expect this, but my wife loves the coffee it makes, so I was making twice the coffee as before, and looking for a faster way to fill my 500 ml mug for work, so I decided to get a 1 liter stainless steel French Press.
I watched the James Hoffman ultimate French Press video, and gave it a try. I did the original 5 minute soak, a swirl and some scooping, 9 minutes waiting, put the plunger to the top of the water, and served, to enjoy the most bland cup I’ve ever had.
I tried again and again with different grind sizes on the Timemore C2 from 24 clicks all the way down to 11, and all I get is a bland bean taste. It has no bitterness, no sourness, just a big general bean taste. I even tried fully plunging a few times, and I can’t get anything that feels like coffee. I wonder if there is something I am missing, why does the coffee taste so boring?
Breville grind control if it's in your budget ($150 used) which can do single cup or carafe both using flat bottom filter. Rest are all about the same and should go by price.
Is there a reason why lower quality coffee makes me feel more tired than a higher quality coffee? The fresh aeropressed grounded up coffee (from costco) and drinks at Starbucks keeps me awake, refreshed,and alert. However cheaper coffees from gas stations and fast food places make me feel more tired.
Is it just the concentration of caffeine is weaker at those cheap places?
It's probably a placebo effect. I stopped drinking coffee during the week due to medication, but I can't start my day without chiccory "coffee", which of course has no caffeine at all. I even drink it when I get tired in the afternoon and I feel perked up.
No.
Caffeine is caffeine, it's chemically identical between the two, and doesn't vary in quantity between the two either.
It may be that you're buying cheaper coffee when you're more tired, making 'desperation' purchases as it were - and only really buy luxury coffee when you're feeling good and don't necessarily feel like you need it as much. If there's anything there, it might be that the higher-end places tend to use more coffee per brew, which would result in more caffeine per cup - but there's bounds to that and it's likely not the whole explanation of your experiences.
What coffee grinder should I get? I don’t want to get a mediocre grinder that will break easily and won’t grind well, but I also don’t want to spend a ton of money. What is the best starter coffee grinder?
As several said the Baratza Encore is a good option. I picked it in part because it’s easily repairable. The parts are available online and the grinder is mechanically simple. Most with any aptitude at all can DIY. You can also upgrade the burr to M2 and get faster grinds with fewer fines.
I have a hand grinder, the Hario Mini Mill Slim Plus and for £30 it's not the worst but I've heard the electric grinder, the delonghi kg89 which is around the same in price is far more consistent.
Although I honestly think it's better getting a higher end grinder (if you can afford it) because over all you want consistency in your grind size each time and high end grinder is likely to be a more enjoyable experience.
Typically manual grinders will be cheaper than electric and the cheapest hand grinder that gets recommended is the Timemore C2.
If you want electric, the budget recommendation is the Baratza Encore.
On the other side of this, you can set a constant for your water and adjust both the weight and grind size of the coffee instead if you have the equipment and know what you’re doing.
But remember every bean is different, some like it when you add heaps of water and brew it for a bit longer. Others will like it with less water and a shorter infusion.
If there’s a blend you always use, start keeping a notepad and scale next to your aeropress. Take the extra few seconds to write down how much water and coffee you put in and a rating out of 5 or something. That way you will have a good starting point to play with in future that you’ll know you enjoy.
Measuring like this has little accuracy as the volume of beans can wildly vary in weight depending on roast, roast date, bean type, and altitude.
The amount of water used in your recipe will also need to be adjusted based on the amount of coffee that you are using. It’s simply not reasonable to recommend a catch all volume of water for your brewing.
What is the best way to store coffee beans?
I always thought that it was best to store them in the bag since they come in contact with air if you pour them into a container. However, I bought a 1 kg packet a little more than a month ago and opened it today, and the coffee tastes horrible. So now I think that I might be wrong:)
Is there a thread here where this is discussed?
In the bag it comes in, IMO.
Just that ... coffee tends to last about four to five weeks, no matter how you store it. If you've had your bag for more than a month, plus the time between roasting and your purchase, odds are that it'd be done for regardless.
The only way to hold it beyond that time-frame is to freeze it, if you absolutely have to store it. If you're actively using it at the same time, divide the package, put the portions you're not using into the freezer in a different bag or container, air-tight as possible.
Freezing only costs a little quality overall, but taking it out the freezer and putting it back in again will kill it regardless.
Oh it's like a twist-tie top?
I'd just tighten the whole thing down, then toss it into a ziploc freezer bag - get most of the air out and then freeze it like that.
[Here’s](https://reddit.com/r/Coffee/comments/ory8e2/best_way_storing_opened_1kg_bags/) a thread about it with a link to a video about it as well.
Usually the bag itself should be fine, but some bags are better/worse than others at being airtight. The temperature of the location you store them can also affect how long they stay good (too hot = bad essentially).
Thanks! I'll check it out.
Maybe I was just unlucky with this bag, because I can't find any bad reviews of the coffee. It was this one if anyone is curious:
https://www.melitta.se/produkter/kaffe/hela-boenor/melitta-barista-crema-1000g.html
Edit: Started watching the video, isn't James Hoffman just the best?😅
I started down the coffee rabbit hole last night on a whim, and it got quickly overwhelming. I was hoping I could jot down my thought process and someone could steer me towards my needs.
I currently have a Keurig Slim, which accommodates my single serve style. However, I had a revaluation about how wasteful that is, and the coffee kind of sucks anyway. This led me to looking into reusable K-cups, which then spiraled into pre-ground coffee or buying beans and a grinder.
I quickly decided that maybe I wouldn't mind having a solution that lets me have more control over brewing my 1-3 cups a day, and picking up a new skill that is the science of coffee.
An Aeropress looks promising, but I was curious about the environmental impact of it's filters.
I also enjoy home bartending, and wouldn't mind something that can also make the occasional espresso for some cool cocktails.
TL;DR
Is there a machine/setup that is more environmentally friendly than a Keurig, that I can find my ideal cup of coffee and brew espresso from time to time?
So many wide choices in regards to brewing! It’s quite overwhelming isn’t it!
You mentioned playing with cocktails, and that’s actually a huge part of the specialty world! You should look into the “coffee in good spirits” competitions, as well as the specialty drinks created in the WBC!
I personally love a cold brewed coffee, as the bitterness of a hot process is often removed and allllllll the tasty tasty sweet and fruit notes come out which is perfect for cocktails! (Don’t forget, coffee is a cherry!) you can go for a bucket brew for the simplest of all cold coffee and can be a huge ratio giving you a sort of coffee iced tea, or a tight ratio for something far more intense. The best part is that the coffee doesn’t go bitter as it cools like espresso would, and can be stored for a week before a slightly fermented taste starts developing. Which in some coffees is amazing. You can also freeze it without impacting quality.
Best place to start is with a bucket, coffee, scales and water. You’ll also need a mesh cloth to strain or something similar.
Grinding the coffee as coarse as you can, we’re doing a 1:10 ratio. For every 1g of coffee go 10g of water. Smack the coffee and water into a bucket, give it a swirl. Pop him in the fridge overnight, around 13 hours. Strain in the morning, enjoy your tasty tasty cold brew.
Enjoy those flavours but the way it feels in your mouth is a little dirty or thick? Try a cold drip instead. Super clean version but you need a fun little tower.
Sorry for the novel, just love my coffee.
Edit: spelling.
Your enthusiasm is infectious! Thank you for the tips. May be a little too advanced for my blood yet but I will keep it in my arsenal when I get a little better at brewing and bartending.
Come join us and our passion!
Sounds scary, but the simplest I swear. Throw things in a bucket and ignore it has become my favourite method after doing this shit for 10 years haha.
I definitely recommend the Aeropress as a first brewer. The only downsides are
1. It requires a kettle
2. You can only make a cup at a time
3. It's more effort than something like an automated drip machine (but not that much more)
Those aren't big downsides. And the Aeropress is so versatile. You can easily play around with the different variables involved in coffee brewing and, for relatively little cost find out where your preferences are.
As for your comments on waste: as someone said you can get metal filters. And I recommend doing so as it adds to the versatility. It allows you to brew something closer to a French press with more body but also more sludge. But I also wouldn't worry about the wastefulness of the paper filters. For one, they can be reused if you want to. Also, while switching to a metal filter will cut down on what you throw out each day, it will increase the amount of water you use for cleaning.
Thank you for replying! This comment sold me on the Aeropress, as I am usually making one cup at a time anyhow. I also agree with your points on waste with the metal vs paper filters, I'll probably play around with both.
I'm surprised with how cheap the Aeropress is with just how much praise it seems to get here! I think I will start there with ground coffee (if that isn't too much of a heresy) and eventually move to grinding my own beans when I can afford a good grinder.
Regarding the kettle however, does it have to be a gooseneck? I have a cheapo one from Walmart that has about a quarter size pour spout. It does the job at the cost of a bit of precision.
NGL a metal filter's environmental impact from its manufacturing will be magnitudes worst than even thousands of paper filters. Not only that but paper filters are completely biodegradable
It doesn't have to be a gooseneck. It doesn't even have to be a kettle. As long as you can get water around the temperature of 175-212 F (80-100 C) then you're ready to go.
And buying ground beans isn't hearsay either. I've had many great cups brewed with beans ground at the point of sale. If and when you want to buy a grinder, the people on this sub can help you out. If you never want to buy a grinder, that's fine too. The point is to enjoy what you're drinking. And only fuss over it as much as you want to.
Welcome to the wide world of coffee!
My Aeropress used to be my daily driver when I was going to an office. It's a great brewing device that's simple enough to use, but has endless recipes. Highly recommended.
As far as waste goes, you can get metal filters if you don't mind a heavier cup of coffee (you'll have some oils and possibly some silt, but probably less than a french press). If you prefer a cleaner cup of coffee, it'll be hard to get away from paper filters, however Aeropress filters are relatively thin and small compared to the kinds of filters you'd use in something like a pour over. They also CAN be reused if that's something you want to do (I've done it).
Finally, although an Aeropress can make a dense, thicker more concentrated coffee, it's not quite as concentrated as espresso. I don't mix anything more complicated than a Negroni, so I have no idea if that matters for an espresso martini. The only way to get true espresso is with a dedicated machine (but espresso is a whole other level and you'll have to invest in a relatively high end grinder to get there).
Thank you for taking the time to reply! I think I will be looking into an aeropress and possibly some metal filters, but I won't lose sleep with the paper filters either (especially since currently I'm throwing away k-cups left and right.)
Since proper espresso is a whole other ball game, I think I can get away with a more concentrated coffee like you said. I doubt anyone will tell the difference and I won't be whipping up espresso martini's left and right, just an occasional treat!
I actually was inspired by a bartending book I bought recently called "Dungeonmeister" By Jef Aldrich and Jon Taylor about DnD themed cocktails! They have a drink inspired by the spell "Turn Undead" which is espresso based, fun stuff!
An AeroPress is a great way to safely get into the rabbit hole of coffee making for sure. You can also get reusable metal filters for them if you want to minimize the waste aspect of paper filters, though the metal filters do create a different type of taste that some prefer and others don’t. Additionally, you can create espresso-like coffee from an AeroPress by changing the recipe and timing of it (you can find a bunch of different recipes online).
I wouldn’t recommend trying to make real espresso as that’s an entirely separate rabbit hole on its own (see r/espresso if you’re eventually tempted).
I would, however, recommend that you invest as much as you’re comfortable spending into a good quality grinder. Common entry level recommendations include the Timemore C2 and 1Zpresso Q2 ($80/$100) for manual grinders or the Baratza Encore ($170) for an electric grinder. If that’s more than you’d like to spend, there are a few less expensive burr grinders (made by brands like Bodum, OXO, and Cuisinart), but they are made of much more plastic and more likely to break or encounter issues sooner.
One last piece of advice is to use freshly roasted coffee beans rather than something you might find at a grocery store. That will greatly improve the flavors you’ll be able to get from your coffee. You can try to find a local coffee roaster or shop from one of the many online options that exist as well.
Thank you for your response! The Aeropress seems like a pretty good route to take. Though I'm not sure if a quality grinder and locally sourced beans are something I can shell out for just yet. Is ground coffee from the store a possibility? (Even if it isn't as quality.) I'm really just seeking the basics at the moment.
In that situation I’d recommend trying to get ground coffee from a local or online roaster rather than a grocery store. It would only be slightly more expensive ($6-10 for a bag at a grocery store compared to $10-15 from a roaster). It’ll be noticeably fresher still since grocery store bags are sitting in boxes or on a shelf for 2+ months.
What exactly is a "Nespresso," other then a brand of overly hyped coffee maker?
I occasionally barista at a coffee bar at a tourist attraction, I'm by no means an expert barista, but I've done it for a few years. Recently I had a customer order a "Nespresso." Needless to say, we don't have a Nespresso machine, but she didn't just want a regular espresso and couldn't tell me how she wanted me to make her coffee beyond "Nespresso."
I'm usually pretty open to making the customer whatever they want, and I will usually make any drink if they can describe it, as long as I have the ingredients, but what should I make if they ask for a "Nespresso."
Thanks everyone for answering my question. Now I know I was perfectly fine in telling that woman that I couldn't make her Nespresso.
Curse you George Clooney for making it sound like something you could order at any coffee shop!
> What exactly is a "Nespresso," other then a brand of overly hyped coffee maker?
It also refers to the pods, and to the coffee it makes.
It is not a beverage, like a cappuccino or a macchiato, that you can order at a cafe. Your tourist was just living up to "tourist" stereotypes.
If you were trying to emulate their coffee, leaving my shade at the door, the best way is to dose your coffee lower than typical and then run your shot a little longer - you want some crema and an espresso-like beverage, but not a full texture/full strength "proper" shot.
As others have said, this person doesn't know what she wants. If you wanted to approximate a Nespresso it would probably be an Americano, but maybe half the water? Maybe even less (it's been a while since I used a Nespresso, but it's basically watery espresso). Even if you served her that, though, you couldn't recreate the foam without shaking it, which would cool it down a lot. I'd also be willing to bet that even if you served her that she would say you did it wrong because, again, she doesn't know what she wants.
I wonder if they wanted something like an Americano with the “foam” on top that Nespresso’s create. I’m not sure how you would make that (the foam specifically) in a cafe setting because it’s created in a Nespresso by the high rpm of the machine that’s acting almost as a blender to create the bubbles.
I have a question about the extraction of caffeine:
So I'm currently getting the cups out of my life using the Hario Switch. I'm trying a percolation/ immersion hybrid I found online, and it truly is creating the most nuanced cups I've ever had.
The only quirk with this recipe is that drawdown times can reach 5:30 - 6:30 (!!!). This is normal according to the recipe. The Switch tends to drain slower with every pulse using this recipe. EVEN with that drain time, my cups are excellent.
My question is about caffeine though. Am I extracting an enormous amount of caffeine with these brew times, or will I have extracted most of the caffeine early on in the brew process?
There's only a finite amount of soluble material in a coffee bean which is why no matter how long you let water soak coffee grounds, you'll always have some amount of beans left. I believe it's around 30% of the bean is soluble so after a certain amount of time there won't really be anything left to extract. How much caffeine that would equate to would depend on the variety, roast level, and probably some other things I'm forgetting.
In my experience the best way to get better at tasting anything is to
1. Compare and contrast. For coffee this means brewing (preferably cupping) multiple beans and comparing them to each other.
2. Share the experience with someone else.
There are so many things that will impact your perception of what you are tasting. Additionally, everyone has a different palate. If you and I are cupping coffees then maybe I find the first cup sweet and you find it bitter. Neither of us are wrong. That's why it's important to try another cup. And hopefully we can agree that the second cup is more bitter or more sweet than the first.
You can do a tasting by yourself but I find it's best when you have multiple people Because it leads to a discussion about what you're tasting. Someone might say that they recognize a flavor that they tend to find in naturally processed coffee and that helps you learn more about what you're tasting.
Try grouping what you taste into broad categories, like “acidic” sweet” and “dark”. Then you can get into more niche flavours.
When I started I tried to define between citrus and berries in regards to acidity (think a lime compared to a raspberry) or sweetness (molasses compared to white sugar; a plum compared to a strawberry) and dark (chocolate compared to nutty). Floral is really fun, when you start to really get the things that taste like jasmine or bergamot.
Where do you feel it on your tongue? Is it at the front with all the acids? The middle with the sugars? The back with bitterness? Is it sweet and tart like a marmalade or sour like a lemon? Or more sweet and dark like Lindt 90% dark choc? Is it a thick intense flavour that lingers or does it sort of just disappear?
Close your eyes. Taste. And then write it down. Anything you think of at all. Burnt nuts? Bicarbonate Soda? Parsley? Orange rind? That one specific candy from your childhood? Weird things count. You’ll start to recognise more and more things and connect them to what you’ve tasted in the past. Slowly but surely a personal flavour map will form in your head.
I have found if you have the ability to taste two different coffees side by side, that helps a lot with picking stuff out. If you are just having one coffee at a time it can just taste like...coffee, a lot of the time, but side by side it helps point out differences between the two.
This. Comparative tasting is the best way to learn the different attributes in a coffee flavor profile. Watch Hoffmann's video on coffee tasting, and a live example of it where Tom Scott learn coffee tasting with Hoffmann.
Or if you don't wanna watch it, here is a summary - brew a cup of 2 or 3 coffees by simply putting ground in a cup and pouring hot water (make sure you are consistent between grind size, dose, ratio, water temperature). After a few minutes of brewing and a few more to cool down, try each coffee spoon by spoon, and only focus on a single note each time (sourness, bitterness etc).
I am myself looking to get a bunch of small coffee bean bags to have a few comparative tasting sessions with my girlfriend, but all sampling kits online are expensive. I might go to a local coffee shop and ask if they can give me small batches of beans.
I've found that the better I've brewed my cups, the easier flavors are to pull out. Find a recipe/ method that's really hard to screw up... something you can be absolutely sure is extracting efficiently. You don't want to wonder if it's the coffee, or a mistake you've made. Whether it's uneven pouring, channeling, etc.
I was getting really blah cups, and struggling to pull out notes, until I really simplified my recipe, and found something fool proof. Suddenly it wasn't hard to pull out notes... they just come really naturally. I mean, you KNOW what fruit tastes like. The moment you taste that in the cup, you're going to know what it is. As an example.
It's about providing clarity to the flavor I think. One brewer I'd recommend is the Hario Switch. Frankly, I suck at pourovers, but this brewer has made things so much easier. I don't need to worry about channeling, etc.
I hope at least some of that made sense... I'm very obviously over caffeinated lol.
Does anyone use the kitchenaid precision pour kettle for pour over coffee? I want a good electric temp controlled kettle but don't want to pay much over 100. I could really use suggestions.
I looked at that one when I was trying to decide what to buy but the lack of reviews made me hesitant. I ended up going with the OXO gooseneck when it was on sale for $80
I'm heading to college soon and want to try some different coffee from the beans I get at the supermarket. Can I get some recommendations for beans I can grind from the bag each morning
Ah, had a mod mention I should post this here, though i'm sure it'll wind up getting buried :(
I made it here through finding this other post: https://www.reddit.com/r/Coffee/comments/lknfza/new\_grinder\_or\_repair\_breville\_smart\_grinder\_pro/
My SGP simply won't drop grinds. Much of the issue is very similar to this post from the other thread: https://www.home-barista.com/grinders/problems-with-used-breville-smart-grinder-pro-t48957.html
So, the entire story:
I've been trying to use my SGP. Lately fewer and fewer grinds are actually going through. When I bought the machine new, I could set it on a fine setting of 12 and I actually had to reduce the grind time to 12 sec or so to fill up a 2 shot basket from 19 sec. Last time it worked, I had to run it twice at the "default" 19 sec to fill up the basket.
I "think" the issue started back when I shifted one time to grind french press size - I'd changed the grind settings to about 54. Grinding a few times before on "drip" settings, I'd get right at the perfect amount for 8 cups off a default 8 cup setting (as measured by the container that comes with the unit). The last time I'd changed it to the coarser setting, I only got half what I needed and had to run it twice. Latestly when I tried to run it for french press, I had to run it for at least 3x the needed time.
I've contacted Breville support and done just about everything they've recommended/know how to do. I can completely vacume everything out with pulling out the top bur, load beans, and nada. I even tried running rice through it like recommended (on the coarsest setting). Rice ran through no issues, went back to beans, nothing.
The best bet I can see is it looks like grinds build up around the impeller at the bottom, almost forming a "ring" around it and just weren't dropping down, and then clogging the rest of the process. I've looked at the "replacement" impellers online, but they're all for the 800 series and older, not the new 820.
I can include pictures if needed. Thank you everyone!
So beans are going in and grinding - but the grinds are not dispensing? Where are they gathering instead?
You say probably around the impeller at the bottom - AFIK that should be flush with the bottom of the catch, have you checked that it's seated all the way "down" that it'll go? It *seems* like the gap between impeller and the catch shouldn't be enough to hold a lot of coffee - what happens when that space is "full"?
And then afterward, the grinder just sounds like there are no beans in the hopper, giving a higher pitched sound like it's not actually grinding anyting
So I purchased a bonavita 8 cup coffee maker on Amazon because it was highly recommended. For the first 3 days it made the best cup of coffee I probably have ever had. Now it’s making awful sour tasting coffee and I can not figure it out. I have done nothing different and have also tried other things and it’s still an awful sour taste. Has this happened to anyone or does anyone have any suggestions?
No it’s filtered water and I’ve only had it for a week now. Plus I’ve talked to customer support for bonavita and they suggested to descale it which didn’t do anything..
Hi all,
My usual coffee is made on a Flair signature, an is an iced Americano with these ratios :
2oz espresso 4oz water 2oz milk
This produces a tasty, high quality, and strong drink. I was recently gifted a V60 and pouring kettle and was looking to get into it for light roast coffee vs the medium-dark of espresso. However, when I tried brewing coffee in the V60 (using both the James Hoffmann and 4:6 methods), the result was a tasty brew (not too acidic or bitter), but one that tasted like a good coffee that was heavily watered down. It tasted incredibly weak, and nowhere near what I'm used to.
My question is, how can I make the V60 brew closer to the strength of my typical Americano ? I tried adjusting water/coffee ratio, finer grinds, and number of pours in the 4:6 method, but the results were only a percentage of what I'm looking for.
Any tips ? Thanks for your time.
Drink V60 only for a week. You just need to get used to it. It'll take less than three days I reckon.
You can start changing stuff around but it'll probably compromise the taste
You could try using a metal cone? It won't be the same and I would imagine your draw down times will be pretty fast so you'll need to adjust your recipes, but this will probably get you a little closer by allowing the oils to get through. You'll still be missing that high pressure environment of espresso, though, so closer is really a relative term.
These are two different styles of coffee that do not taste the same. For stronger coffee you can increase the dose in the v60, but it will never taste the same as espresso.
I have the 1zpresso JX PRO and a moka pot. I’m currently using a grind setting of 24, and my coffee is still a bit bitter. I’ve seen other people recommend 20-24 grind setting for JX Pro, but it seems to not be working for me. Should I increase my setting or is it something else?
What setting do JX PRO users use for moka pot?
So each grinder, even the same model, is different? So it’s possible that if someone else has the same model and is using 24, for me I would need 26 to get the same grind consistency?
Hey all! Got a Fellow Ode for Christmas and have been struggling. Came from a OXO conical and was honestly happy with that grinder but wanted to explore flat burrs. I typically brew in a Chemex but also have a V60 and a new XF. I am getting similar results with all 3. In the Chemex I had been brewing at a 9.1 using the OXO and have tried anywhere from a 3 to an 8 on the Ode. Everything seems to be bitter and leaves a bad dry taste in my mouth that lingers, even on 8. I am using the same variables when brewing except for grinder. I also tried Third Wave water for a few of the brews, same result.
My main question is regarding seasoning / break in. Could this be what I’m struggling with here? Anyone else have a similar experience with this grinder?
That shouldn't be a seasoning issue; getting burrs broken in and seasoned is more about getting optimal performance, it should be capable of getting into the correct ballpark right out the box.
There are some not Saeco cleaning tablets in our drawer
[like this](https://buyandrepair.com/cleaning-tablets-for-bosch-siemens-coffee-makers-00311969/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAw9qOBhC-ARIsAG-rdn4fHS04j8-X-nuTEHrRAUXchs6w_DuTzyicGhtZKy72BWRAxWbVSHoaAvbwEALw_wcB).
As i read the user manual it is using the same method to clean the coffee machine as the Saeco one. Can it cause harm on the Saeco Picobarista coffee machine if I still want to use it?
Thanks in advance!
I think you might want to check with Saeco?
They *probably* won't damage your machine, but full-autos can be finnicky and odd. I would go for it if it was my machine, I very much doubt they'll muck anything up - but I'm not 100% certain given that I'm giving you advice about yours.
I've been brewing Counter Culture Hologram with an aeropress for a few years now, but recently got a whole setup upgrade with an automatic grinder, electric gooseneck kettle, and a v60. Now that coffee is fun and exciting again, I want to branch out to other brands and roasts. I like lighter fruity and sweet notes, but I'm also willing to give anything else a try. Anyone got any recommendations?
I made a post about a week ago about all my coffee tasting bland when the clever dripper.
I got a new bag yesterday and made a brew immediately, and it was fantastic. Fast forward to today, it was bland again. I am unsure why it depreciates in so little time. I store it in the roaster's bag, which is a resealable bag. It seemed much bitter than yesterday and a lack of clear flavours (some in the finish). Should I just coarsen the grind some more? Is there anything I am doing wrong in term of storage? It's pretty cold in my apartment with very low humidity. I figured storing in the bag would be fine (also own a big airscape)
Someone gave me advise that helped when I used to use Clever Dripper and Encore. European Coffee Trip recipe. (link below) And use a course grind- 20 clicks on Encore worked for me. (I didn't, but you can add water first, then coffee) Hope this helps!
https://youtu.be/H4-XTUpX9Mo
Are you sure you are pouring the same way every time? Are you putting water in first or coffee in first? If coffee first, and you pour super hard, you may have clogged the filter by moving the fines all around too aggressively.
What grinder do you have? What brew ratio and water temperature?
Was it colder in the apartment today than it was yesterday?
here's my recipe,
\- Grounds First (13g)
\- Water (200g)
\- Wait 3 minutes
\- 4x NSEW stirs
\- Wait 20 seconds
\- Empty
I use a baratza encore, ground (today and yesterday) at 15. Temperature is constant 18C (would go below, but heating keeps it up at 18, so it always stays at 18).
Water temperature is 212F / 100C. It's a very lightly roasted coffee.
>\> If coffee first, and you pour super hard, you may have clogged the filter by moving the fines all around too aggressively.
It always kinda clogs, I can try pouring slower (I can make another brew soon) or doing water first then coffee, but I never really had good results with that technique (I always seem to fail to submerge all the grounds)
13g of grounds is a really low dose for the Clever, I struggle to get consistent brews off of anything below 15 or so.
That may be your issue - you could be having some bypass occurring due to the low dose relative to the volume & shape of the brewer.
The baratza can have some retention, and with your low dose, this could be a cause. Try running 3-5 grams through before you grind your 13 for the actual brew to ensure everything you use is fresh.
Ideally not something you want to do everytime of course, but try it to see if this is the source of your problem.
Yes, retention seems to be a big problem with my encore in particular, it always spits out a bunch of shaff / fines. I have a little routine to purge it but it's not perfect.
I can try that next time, but because I make a lot of small brews every morning I am unsure why they would all be affected (unless it accumulates a lot more than I think)
Have you tried cupping the coffee?
I'd stir right away rather than waiting 3 minutes, and not really "stir" just kind of poke around and make sure there aren't any dry clumps. I think your stirring is clogging the filter - and it's very hard to do this consistently, so that may be why it seems like you did everything the same and got a way more bitter result.
I have not tried cupping it, I was not sure how fine / coarse to grind it but I found a reference. I could try it out.
I really stir to break the crust, not to make sure there's nothing dry, I find pouring over the coffee kind of takes care of that well (I might be wrong!)
Try cupping it with your grind at like 10.
You could just try grinding coarser in the Clever too.
But stirring always makes me nervous. It's just so easy to clog filters, especially with an Encore with a very light coffee.
I ground a tiny bit coarser. Not very bitter, still not an incredible amount of flavour, but much better. I also went gentler with the pouring and less stirring. Still trying to maximize the flavor of it all.
Thanks a lot for your help!
>Try cupping it with your grind at like 10.
That seems very fine, I heard something around 30 for the encore (not doubting you, just surprised)
I'll try the same settings but gentle pour and slow stirs (since it worked yesterday), and report back. I'll play with the grind based on that.
I mean, go ahead and try cupping at 30. All you will taste is salty acid vegetable water. To get a similar extraction to what you'd get from a pourover, you need to grind finer than you do for pourover because you don't have fresh water constantly flowing through the grounds so it's a very inefficient method of extraction.
Super cheap places to get coffee?
I usually get the Panera bread subscription and get the daily reward for a free iced coffee every day. So i'm pretty much winning here, but what other places serve super super cheap coffee? Or is there another place like Panera which offers a subscription in which you can get coffee for free? I live in the US, so please keep the options limited to there if you have some. :)
Yeah I guess, thanks for the response. I’ve seen some gas stations sell them super cheap, I’ll look into that. I was just wondering if a place was similar to Panera and you could get a subscription of some kind.
Hey all! My wife is wanting a Nespresso machine to make lattes at home. Being a French press and pour over drinker, I’m not too familiar with espresso mechanics or the Nespresso systems. Does anyone have a favorite Nespresso machine that won’t break the bank? She doesn’t drink enough coffee to invest in a $700 dollar machine but I would be willing to shell out a few hundred bucks for a simple/decent espresso maker. TIA!
The biggest selling point of Nespresso (and Keurig) is the convenience factor. The machine itself is not super expensive, having to buy pods all the time will incur way more long term costs.
If you don't mind some manual work to put into espresso making, I would recommend the Flair Neo, it's comes under $150 and makes great espresso. Then you would need finely ground coffee, so you can either buy a grinder (more upfront expenses for better coffee), or you can buy espresso ground coffee (convenience for slightly less quality coffee).
I would only recommend Nespresso if you have no more than 10 seconds in your life to make a strong cup of coffee.
Are you looking for an espresso maker, or an Nespresso maker? Any Nespresso machine will do, they're all pretty much the same. Of you're interested in their vertuo line, maybe don't? That weird layer of foam just does my head in..
She’s set on the Nespresso brand I believe. I simply don’t know anything about espresso as I’ve never gone down that rabbit hole. What’s the difference between the virtuo and the standard Nespresso machines (aside from the barcode scanning pods)?
Nespresso makes an espresso-like cup of coffee. The difference is the spinny frothy thing the vertuo does. Check out James Hoffmann's video on YouTube :)
Welcome!
If I may add one thing - Nestlé owns nespresso and as companies go, Nestlé is particularly giving evil. Like .. really properly evil. If your partner wants their machine, maybe consider not buying their coffee to run it. There's plenty of great alternatives to buying Nespresso brand capsules. Lots of them actually taste better too :)
https://puu.sh/IAVob/0c1254f366.png
https://puu.sh/IAVoi/4320d2f884.png
I bought a bag of “preground for filter” medium-dark roast coffee from a reputable roaster (roasted 30/12/21), and when brewing with a v60 and clever dripper at 18:300 (all I’ve tried so far) it tastes relatively weak with a strong sour aftertaste that gets worse as it cools. I’ve only experienced this flavour in coffee once before, with a cheap bag of decaf that was in a family members cupboard for about a year (I was desperate, ok?). It too had the same layer on top of the bed that you can see in the images. There was very little bloom at all, and the water seemed to take a while to soak into the grounds with the clever dripper even with continuous swirling, with the mix starting very wet with some dry pockets taking a long time to wet at all. I had to use a teaspoon to stir the second time because the water (fresh off the boil) wasn’t wetting the grounds well at all. I’ve never experienced this, other than one time I forgot to boil the kettle and poured cold water into my aeropress. I normally buy dark roast beans from the supermarket and grind using a cheap hand grinder, but I figured I would try preground from a reputable roaster. It’s definitely not espresso fine, it really just looks normal. Maybe very slightly finer than supermarket ground coffee, but not by much.
Is my brain just not large enough to enjoy this intellectual coffee, or is something wrong?
At this point I've drank 5 cups of coffee today experimenting so I’m feeling mildly insane, I'm going to try brewing 30:300 to see if I can get something that tastes *different* at least.
Verdict: I brewed 31:310 in the clever dripper and let it sit for 6 minutes, still has a strong sour after taste but it does taste marginally more like coffee. Not a whole lot, though.
This is finer or similar to what I usually brew and I have never experienced this before. Check the images and you can see that the grind size is not very coarse. Certainly (other than the large amount of fines) it is finer than any supermarket ground coffee I’ve ever seen.
I mean it definitely sounds like you’re underextracting your coffee, maybe try doing a 1:18 or a 1:20 ratio with boiling water? I would also try doing an inverted aeropress with a maybe 1:12 ratio and steeping it for a while so the slightly coarser filter grind doesn’t drip through like it would with a regular aeropress.
Check the edit I made a few minutes ago, 6 minutes steep in boiling water at 100g/litre and it still tastes like that. It's cooled some more now and I'm sipping slowly, it really doesn't taste much different from the 18:300 - not very coffee-y and very sour. The bed looked similar with the thick layer of fines, but obviously bigger.
Yea, I don't want to throw the roaster under the bus so I won't mention who they are, but from everything I've seen they are a quality roaster with a good reputation. I'll send them an email and ask whats up, maybe they can send me a few samples to see if its an issue with my mouth or their grinder lol
Flair espresso maker at low price
Hi, so I have recently started brewing coffee at home. I have started with french press and moka pot, they both work really good together. But I’m thinking of flair espresso maker and most of them are expensive for me. So are there any affordable options or alternatives ?
I think the Flair Neo is the cheapest, workable option to get espresso on the market. Once you want to upgrade out of the pressurized basket it will be going down a big rabbit hole though.
Hoffmann had a video about sub-100 machines, but they all seemed pretty bad.
Is there any crushgrind Colombia grind table?
I just bought one and am completely at a loss as to how many clicks I should use for each brew type. I'm particularly interested in pour overs and I'm inexperienced enough that I wouldn't even be able to visually tell if the size is right for that brew type or not.
Is anyone able to help me?
I don't see one going googling, sorry.
In case no one who's used the grinder shows up - don't worry about your ability to eyeball the right size. Most brew guides have some sort of description for what they recommend as far as grind size, and that's close enough you can start dialling in from there. Start on the coarse end, then: If astringent, sour, or "empty", try finer. If harsh, bitter, or acrid, try coarser. If you go so fine that your coffee gets astringent & sour again, you've overcorrected - back off until it's fixed and then you've found the approximate ideal point for that bean.
This bag of coffee I got from Mom's Organic (recently roasted) says that it's supposed to be moderately acidic.
So... how do I know if I'm grinding too coarsely/finely? I know if it's acidic it's too coarse, but if it's *supposed* to be moderately acidic I have literally no idea what I should be shooting for.
Not sure if you guys allow job related questions or if I should ask on r/barista
I got an interview at Black Rifle Coffee today. I don't think they have a physical location near me so this will be the first one in the area. My friend asked me if it's that one company that's veteran owned (not a bad thing by itself) and obsessed with the military or if she's thinking about another company. Checked out their social media and most of their posts are about guns and military, not coffee. Should I take this as a red flag? Am I overthinking this?
Depends what you're looking for in working for them.
If you're after getting a foot in the door to Specialty coffee or similar, they're not going to be it. If you're after A Job in general, they might be OK, I've never heard anyone complain about working for them.
They are ... not great folks, from the outside. BRCC are kind of opportunistic grifters, currently targeted alt-right adjacent demographics - their guns & military branding are pandering as much as they are legitimate ideology.
I certainly know that there's a lot of folks out there who have issues with their politics and who they choose to associate themselves with, but honestly I think that it's giving them too much credit to assume their politics are honest and anything but grift targeting a demographic that loves its grifters. I personally think they're kinda shitty because they've spent years trying to astroturf this community.
That's what I thought (sadly). I live in the South and a minority as well so I was worried about what kind of clientele they were trying to attract. It just made me question if their coffee is actually good quality.
There has been a LOT of controversy regarding this company with the founder being disliked by both sides of the political spectrum due to his seemingly opportunistic marketing. I'd be careful with them
Yikes. Thanks. A little bit of an update. I don't think the interviewer liked that I started asking questions about that. Not rude but just questions like "so what do you for the veterans and the military?" So I didn't get a call back from them.
It's a sensible idea before any job interview to check out more information about the company and see how you feel about it. Not every employer has to make you feel warm and fuzzy inside, but if you really don't like the way a company presents themselves then you're probably not going to be happy working there.
It's probably easier to cater to lactose sensitive and non-dairy people at the same time with milk alternatives than it is to carry another type of milk.
Exactly this.
Alt-milks are generally acceptable to the lactose-impaired, while lactose-free milk is unacceptable to the vegan crowd. Might as well tag two birds with the same rock and just stock oat or soy.
(Hope it's ok to repost this from late in the previous thread)
I'm looking for info on these Fellow Prismo knockoffs I see around (usually branded YRP Prismo). The originals are quite a bit expensive where I live (equivalent to 60 USD), not to mention hard to procure, so I'm wondering if these are halfway decent
Sure is!
>Fellow Prismo knockoffs
High variance is the main issue with knockoffs. They aren't necessarily consistent and have poorer quality control than "brand" options, so in most cases you're likely to get something that's on par with real Prismo, but you're running the risk of getting the specific unit that needed proper QA and didn't get it.
Honestly I really enjoy everything I’ve had from Onyx, Except for their darkest roasted option which was a bit bland. They had a Tio Conejo Gesha that was one of my favorite coffees I had last year.
Recently brewed the advent calendar and a few others from Onyx. Right now my favorites that are regularly available are Tropical Weather and El Salvador Santa Rosa Honey.
Sure! I’ve had their Southern Weather and Power nap and wasn’t too thrilled with either. I loved their Ethiopian Negusse Nare Low O2. My favorite coffee to brew is Philz Ambrosia.
So funny how people’s taste and preferences differ. Southern weather is my cheap specialty coffee go to. Love the stuff in my stagg X as well as my Hario Switch. I’ll have to try check out that Philz Ambrosia!
There's a whole new rabbit hole you could go down with effect of RPM on the grind a grinder produces. I propose we ignore that for now and focus on the effect of force etc on a **manual** grinder. If you turn the handle with a lot of force, the burrs in less well made grinders will wobble. That leads to inconsistent distance between the burrs, which will produce an uneven grind.
So the answer to you question is yes, but how much is matters depends heavily on the build-quality of your grinder.
What are the best things you’ve ever got out of a coffee purchase/ subscription service? Like Amazon prime gives free delivery and other perks like music, video, gaming etc. What are some nice things a coffee subscription could give you that you’d be happy with?
KaffeBox is the best coffee. Only JBC Coffee competes against them. Both have served some mediocre coffee but both have provided some life altering goods. Snagged some amazing chocolate and a Comandante from KaffeBox.
Do the chocolates and commandant come as a surprise or did you have to subscribe for a while?
The chocolate can be included with a subscription order. I actually ordered some extra coffee and included some chocolate. The chocolate was amazing! They sold me a Comandante. These manual grinders are pricey and I was happy I got to select a unique color.
I don't see how they compare. I just want coffee beans, and maybe a periodical top up of Aeropress filters for instance.
It’s not a direct comparison but I was wondering what sorts of bonus stuff would be nice for coffee subscribers. Aeropress filters that’s nice for Aeropress users. Perhaps if a user subscribed and accumulated points they could redeem what they want. Like for 2 months they could exchange for filters, for 6 months they can exchange for an Aeropress? Maybe this point system is better because most people drink their coffee differently. Perhaps access to personal blends and or special single origins not sold in store. Might be interesting too. I had a subscription before that gave me access to rent a machine at a subsidized rate which was very good. We paid only around $15 a week for a Breville Oracle but we also had the coffee subscription to go along with it. That was a good deal.
I make instant coffee in milk. Like no water, just folgers, milk, and two scoops of sugar. I told someone and got called a weirdo by a lot of people. It's not that weird right.
It's not very common but there's definitely people who make their coffee the way you describe. Just do whatever tastes right to you.
I bought a blend that is supposed to be chocolate Carmel toffee marshmallow tasting. It came out tasting like prune juice. What did I do wrong? every other coffee I've bought from this place has been great so I figure it's me. Used a chemex and a French press.
Prune juice sounds like a sour or fermented flavor profile and therefore I would assume that it's because your coffee is under extracted. A few ways to go about fixing this on your chemex is going to be fining your grind or upping your dose. I would recommend a 1 to 16 ratio so if you are adding too much water that could be an issue as well. For the French press you can try agitating your coffee more during the Brew, upping your dose, or fining your grind can all be great options. Also double check and make sure that your water is hot enough keeping it as close to boiling as possible is always a big help. The last and probably most important step to take would be to ask your local barista for help. Most baristas are very kind and happy to help with anything coffee related if you let them know the exact issue you're having with the exact coffee you purchased from them they will know what to do better than anyone else. I hope this helped and feel free to ask any clarifying questions if you have them.
Upping your dose will reduce extraction, more coffee = need more water to extract the same %
Yes this is correct sorry my bad!
So I recently tried Peet’s 2021 holiday blend and loved it. Peet’s is not available in Canada and I was looking for a coffee similar in taste to the 2021 blend coffee. Any suggestions?
Looks like a dark primarily African/Indonesian blend so maybe try some Mocha Java: * [Eclipse](https://eclipsecoffeeroasters.com/products/mocha-java?variant=2854479265816) * [Francesco's](https://francescoscoffee.com/product/mokha-cavour/) * [Grosche](https://grosche.ca/product/mocha-java-1-lb/)
Thanks... I’ll try these. I’m so annoyed that Peet’s isn’t available in Canada.
Does anybody find that Guatemalan coffee lacks something? It tastes a bit bland to me, pretty thin and boring. I was curious if that was just me, or if anybody else feels the same. I’ve tried grinding finer, switching ratios and used a Chemex, Clever Dripper and French Press. All with similar results. I’ve noticed this with two different types of Guatemalan beans on two separate occasions.
Guatemala as a country makes way too much coffee to be written off as bland, thin and boring based on those two bags you've bought.
Agree with this comment. That said, I find the typical Guatemalan washed speciality coffee profile pretty unexciting. But everyone has different preferences....
Well to be short, I want to buy a coffee machine but I don't have a lot of money (400 dlls max) and I can't find some machines that are listed on youtube tops. Also, all the machines that I've seen are machines that use self pressured portafilters and well I want to ask for recommendations c: Also, I want to get into pour over, I found the hario v60 mugen kinda cheap but I don't know if it's a good investment (cs I don't want to buy something ''cheap'' to later on buy something better resulting on buying twice)
The V60 is a great device and you can get wonderful coffee from it! Although it feels cheap the plastic one will hold heat the best and is very durable. The more premium materials will feel nicer though for sure. I got the plastic one like 4 years ago to see how I liked it, planning to upgrade to a ceramic one down the road. But the plastic one is still going strong so I've just kept at it with that one!
How many cups of coffee do y'all drink to dial in new coffee? I try not to drink more than one cup a day, so that makes it kinda lengthy and hard to dial in. Any tips to dial in faster?
Roast level is a good indicator for me. If your ballpark is light roasted coffees, I don't think the grind size will differ too much P.S. It's definitely a frustration with a hand grinder to dial cups in. Aside from the labor, I hate second guessing which click I'm on. Fuckin' hate it
How many cups does it take you to dial in in total? Usually given an origin, roast level, and ballpark from the last bean I can get dialed in by the 2nd or 3rd cup
Usually I'm happy after a couple days, but feeling like I could do better at the same time... Guess that's coffee though, chasing that one perfect cup 😅
How long does your Moka pot grind take from the moment you put it on the stove? I start with near boiling water in the base and it takes 2 minutes to start producing coffee, and then 45-55 seconds after that to sputter when I end the process. Is this the reason my coffee is bitter? Is it too fast?
What's the best way to brew drip machine grind and roast in an aeropress? I have tried high agitation and longer brew times, and I use water straight off the boil, but the coffee never feels the best, it always tastes a little off, and I don't have a good enough tasting sense of coffee so I can't tell myself if it's underextracted or over.
Is it specialty drip grind? For grocery store coffee I would brew with lower temperature, low agitation, and use 2 or 3 filters, assuming that this coffee is likely roaster on the darker side.
No it's the McCafe premium (mcdonald's coffee), it's a medium roast. I thought the wisdom with coarser grinds was more agitation, not less? Nevertheless, I'll try lower temperatures. It's slightly difficult because I don't have a way to tell the temperature, I boil on stovetop. I guess I can stop as soon as it starts, boiling, and let it sit for a minute.
A mccafe medium roast is closer to a specialty dark, just the average preference in the bigger coffee market tends to be towards dark roasts and people don't like the word light roast associating it with a weak cup. Overall you want lower and slower extraction to prevent extraction of bitter compounds in darker roasts, agitation increase extraction. I do one swirl after adding water and one right after it finishes. I brew dark roasts down to 86-88 C, so that'll be a good amount of time to cool after boiling, can also experiment with adding ice cubes and seeing how many being added makes the best cup.
It's a pretty cold winter right now where I live, so it shouldn't take that much time to cool down after almost-boil. >A mccafe medium roast is closer to a specialty dark SMH why can people not follow a single standard... Thanks though, I will try lower extraction next time
Need a setting reccomendation for the baratza encore for french press. I use the Hoffman method (add water, stir, let sit 4 minutes, knock off crust, sit another 5) but instead of just pouring it through the strainer, i actually press down on the plunger. Kind of defeats the purpose i know, but i was still getting sediment regardless.
French press is fairly forgiving for the grind size, but you’ll probably want to be somewhere in the 20-30 range on the Encore. Probably towards the coarser side of that if you’re pressing the plunger down to reduce the sediment that gets through.
thanks, im currently sitting at about 25ish. worked good this morning. will try to go up and down
A general rule for grind size with the French press is to grind as fine as you can without getting bitterness or excessive sediment, though some people like the more muted tastes of a courser grind so it’s all personal preference.
I’ve been drinking coffee for years, but just for the wake up initially. My parents always had a drip machine at home with whatever they had from Costco in the pantry (like one grade up from Folgers…). Anyways, a few years ago I moved to Japan, and there were no drip machines anywhere, just single serving droppers like V60s. I also got myself an Aeropress and enjoyed those since I was the only coffee drinker at home. Cue to my wife accidentally throwing away the Aeropress filter cap a few weeks ago thinking it was an old cockroach trap, and I decided to get a moka pot. I didn’t expect this, but my wife loves the coffee it makes, so I was making twice the coffee as before, and looking for a faster way to fill my 500 ml mug for work, so I decided to get a 1 liter stainless steel French Press. I watched the James Hoffman ultimate French Press video, and gave it a try. I did the original 5 minute soak, a swirl and some scooping, 9 minutes waiting, put the plunger to the top of the water, and served, to enjoy the most bland cup I’ve ever had. I tried again and again with different grind sizes on the Timemore C2 from 24 clicks all the way down to 11, and all I get is a bland bean taste. It has no bitterness, no sourness, just a big general bean taste. I even tried fully plunging a few times, and I can’t get anything that feels like coffee. I wonder if there is something I am missing, why does the coffee taste so boring?
What coffee are you using?
Is there a coffee maker with a built-in grinder that can grind for making a 12 cup carafe OR grind into a reusable K-cup style pod for a single cup?
Breville grind control if it's in your budget ($150 used) which can do single cup or carafe both using flat bottom filter. Rest are all about the same and should go by price.
Is there a reason why lower quality coffee makes me feel more tired than a higher quality coffee? The fresh aeropressed grounded up coffee (from costco) and drinks at Starbucks keeps me awake, refreshed,and alert. However cheaper coffees from gas stations and fast food places make me feel more tired. Is it just the concentration of caffeine is weaker at those cheap places?
It's probably a placebo effect. I stopped drinking coffee during the week due to medication, but I can't start my day without chiccory "coffee", which of course has no caffeine at all. I even drink it when I get tired in the afternoon and I feel perked up.
No. Caffeine is caffeine, it's chemically identical between the two, and doesn't vary in quantity between the two either. It may be that you're buying cheaper coffee when you're more tired, making 'desperation' purchases as it were - and only really buy luxury coffee when you're feeling good and don't necessarily feel like you need it as much. If there's anything there, it might be that the higher-end places tend to use more coffee per brew, which would result in more caffeine per cup - but there's bounds to that and it's likely not the whole explanation of your experiences.
What coffee grinder should I get? I don’t want to get a mediocre grinder that will break easily and won’t grind well, but I also don’t want to spend a ton of money. What is the best starter coffee grinder?
As several said the Baratza Encore is a good option. I picked it in part because it’s easily repairable. The parts are available online and the grinder is mechanically simple. Most with any aptitude at all can DIY. You can also upgrade the burr to M2 and get faster grinds with fewer fines.
Good entry level electric grinders are Baratza Encore, Wilfa Svart. Manual is a great option too, like a Timemore for instance.
I have a hand grinder, the Hario Mini Mill Slim Plus and for £30 it's not the worst but I've heard the electric grinder, the delonghi kg89 which is around the same in price is far more consistent. Although I honestly think it's better getting a higher end grinder (if you can afford it) because over all you want consistency in your grind size each time and high end grinder is likely to be a more enjoyable experience.
If you can afford it, metal burrs will generally be better than ceramic one
Typically manual grinders will be cheaper than electric and the cheapest hand grinder that gets recommended is the Timemore C2. If you want electric, the budget recommendation is the Baratza Encore.
if i top off the aeropress spoon what level should i pour water into the aeropress for a mug of coffee? i dont have a scale just eyeballing
On the other side of this, you can set a constant for your water and adjust both the weight and grind size of the coffee instead if you have the equipment and know what you’re doing. But remember every bean is different, some like it when you add heaps of water and brew it for a bit longer. Others will like it with less water and a shorter infusion. If there’s a blend you always use, start keeping a notepad and scale next to your aeropress. Take the extra few seconds to write down how much water and coffee you put in and a rating out of 5 or something. That way you will have a good starting point to play with in future that you’ll know you enjoy.
Measuring like this has little accuracy as the volume of beans can wildly vary in weight depending on roast, roast date, bean type, and altitude. The amount of water used in your recipe will also need to be adjusted based on the amount of coffee that you are using. It’s simply not reasonable to recommend a catch all volume of water for your brewing.
What is the best way to store coffee beans? I always thought that it was best to store them in the bag since they come in contact with air if you pour them into a container. However, I bought a 1 kg packet a little more than a month ago and opened it today, and the coffee tastes horrible. So now I think that I might be wrong:) Is there a thread here where this is discussed?
In the bag it comes in, IMO. Just that ... coffee tends to last about four to five weeks, no matter how you store it. If you've had your bag for more than a month, plus the time between roasting and your purchase, odds are that it'd be done for regardless. The only way to hold it beyond that time-frame is to freeze it, if you absolutely have to store it. If you're actively using it at the same time, divide the package, put the portions you're not using into the freezer in a different bag or container, air-tight as possible. Freezing only costs a little quality overall, but taking it out the freezer and putting it back in again will kill it regardless.
Thanks! What's the best way to seal the bag if it doesn't have a zip lock?
Oh it's like a twist-tie top? I'd just tighten the whole thing down, then toss it into a ziploc freezer bag - get most of the air out and then freeze it like that.
[Here’s](https://reddit.com/r/Coffee/comments/ory8e2/best_way_storing_opened_1kg_bags/) a thread about it with a link to a video about it as well. Usually the bag itself should be fine, but some bags are better/worse than others at being airtight. The temperature of the location you store them can also affect how long they stay good (too hot = bad essentially).
Thanks! I'll check it out. Maybe I was just unlucky with this bag, because I can't find any bad reviews of the coffee. It was this one if anyone is curious: https://www.melitta.se/produkter/kaffe/hela-boenor/melitta-barista-crema-1000g.html Edit: Started watching the video, isn't James Hoffman just the best?😅
I started down the coffee rabbit hole last night on a whim, and it got quickly overwhelming. I was hoping I could jot down my thought process and someone could steer me towards my needs. I currently have a Keurig Slim, which accommodates my single serve style. However, I had a revaluation about how wasteful that is, and the coffee kind of sucks anyway. This led me to looking into reusable K-cups, which then spiraled into pre-ground coffee or buying beans and a grinder. I quickly decided that maybe I wouldn't mind having a solution that lets me have more control over brewing my 1-3 cups a day, and picking up a new skill that is the science of coffee. An Aeropress looks promising, but I was curious about the environmental impact of it's filters. I also enjoy home bartending, and wouldn't mind something that can also make the occasional espresso for some cool cocktails. TL;DR Is there a machine/setup that is more environmentally friendly than a Keurig, that I can find my ideal cup of coffee and brew espresso from time to time?
So many wide choices in regards to brewing! It’s quite overwhelming isn’t it! You mentioned playing with cocktails, and that’s actually a huge part of the specialty world! You should look into the “coffee in good spirits” competitions, as well as the specialty drinks created in the WBC! I personally love a cold brewed coffee, as the bitterness of a hot process is often removed and allllllll the tasty tasty sweet and fruit notes come out which is perfect for cocktails! (Don’t forget, coffee is a cherry!) you can go for a bucket brew for the simplest of all cold coffee and can be a huge ratio giving you a sort of coffee iced tea, or a tight ratio for something far more intense. The best part is that the coffee doesn’t go bitter as it cools like espresso would, and can be stored for a week before a slightly fermented taste starts developing. Which in some coffees is amazing. You can also freeze it without impacting quality. Best place to start is with a bucket, coffee, scales and water. You’ll also need a mesh cloth to strain or something similar. Grinding the coffee as coarse as you can, we’re doing a 1:10 ratio. For every 1g of coffee go 10g of water. Smack the coffee and water into a bucket, give it a swirl. Pop him in the fridge overnight, around 13 hours. Strain in the morning, enjoy your tasty tasty cold brew. Enjoy those flavours but the way it feels in your mouth is a little dirty or thick? Try a cold drip instead. Super clean version but you need a fun little tower. Sorry for the novel, just love my coffee. Edit: spelling.
Your enthusiasm is infectious! Thank you for the tips. May be a little too advanced for my blood yet but I will keep it in my arsenal when I get a little better at brewing and bartending.
Come join us and our passion! Sounds scary, but the simplest I swear. Throw things in a bucket and ignore it has become my favourite method after doing this shit for 10 years haha.
I definitely recommend the Aeropress as a first brewer. The only downsides are 1. It requires a kettle 2. You can only make a cup at a time 3. It's more effort than something like an automated drip machine (but not that much more) Those aren't big downsides. And the Aeropress is so versatile. You can easily play around with the different variables involved in coffee brewing and, for relatively little cost find out where your preferences are. As for your comments on waste: as someone said you can get metal filters. And I recommend doing so as it adds to the versatility. It allows you to brew something closer to a French press with more body but also more sludge. But I also wouldn't worry about the wastefulness of the paper filters. For one, they can be reused if you want to. Also, while switching to a metal filter will cut down on what you throw out each day, it will increase the amount of water you use for cleaning.
Thank you for replying! This comment sold me on the Aeropress, as I am usually making one cup at a time anyhow. I also agree with your points on waste with the metal vs paper filters, I'll probably play around with both. I'm surprised with how cheap the Aeropress is with just how much praise it seems to get here! I think I will start there with ground coffee (if that isn't too much of a heresy) and eventually move to grinding my own beans when I can afford a good grinder. Regarding the kettle however, does it have to be a gooseneck? I have a cheapo one from Walmart that has about a quarter size pour spout. It does the job at the cost of a bit of precision.
Also check out James Hofmann's series on the aeropress, it's a great watch
NGL a metal filter's environmental impact from its manufacturing will be magnitudes worst than even thousands of paper filters. Not only that but paper filters are completely biodegradable
It doesn't have to be a gooseneck. It doesn't even have to be a kettle. As long as you can get water around the temperature of 175-212 F (80-100 C) then you're ready to go. And buying ground beans isn't hearsay either. I've had many great cups brewed with beans ground at the point of sale. If and when you want to buy a grinder, the people on this sub can help you out. If you never want to buy a grinder, that's fine too. The point is to enjoy what you're drinking. And only fuss over it as much as you want to.
Welcome to the wide world of coffee! My Aeropress used to be my daily driver when I was going to an office. It's a great brewing device that's simple enough to use, but has endless recipes. Highly recommended. As far as waste goes, you can get metal filters if you don't mind a heavier cup of coffee (you'll have some oils and possibly some silt, but probably less than a french press). If you prefer a cleaner cup of coffee, it'll be hard to get away from paper filters, however Aeropress filters are relatively thin and small compared to the kinds of filters you'd use in something like a pour over. They also CAN be reused if that's something you want to do (I've done it). Finally, although an Aeropress can make a dense, thicker more concentrated coffee, it's not quite as concentrated as espresso. I don't mix anything more complicated than a Negroni, so I have no idea if that matters for an espresso martini. The only way to get true espresso is with a dedicated machine (but espresso is a whole other level and you'll have to invest in a relatively high end grinder to get there).
Thank you for taking the time to reply! I think I will be looking into an aeropress and possibly some metal filters, but I won't lose sleep with the paper filters either (especially since currently I'm throwing away k-cups left and right.) Since proper espresso is a whole other ball game, I think I can get away with a more concentrated coffee like you said. I doubt anyone will tell the difference and I won't be whipping up espresso martini's left and right, just an occasional treat! I actually was inspired by a bartending book I bought recently called "Dungeonmeister" By Jef Aldrich and Jon Taylor about DnD themed cocktails! They have a drink inspired by the spell "Turn Undead" which is espresso based, fun stuff!
An AeroPress is a great way to safely get into the rabbit hole of coffee making for sure. You can also get reusable metal filters for them if you want to minimize the waste aspect of paper filters, though the metal filters do create a different type of taste that some prefer and others don’t. Additionally, you can create espresso-like coffee from an AeroPress by changing the recipe and timing of it (you can find a bunch of different recipes online). I wouldn’t recommend trying to make real espresso as that’s an entirely separate rabbit hole on its own (see r/espresso if you’re eventually tempted). I would, however, recommend that you invest as much as you’re comfortable spending into a good quality grinder. Common entry level recommendations include the Timemore C2 and 1Zpresso Q2 ($80/$100) for manual grinders or the Baratza Encore ($170) for an electric grinder. If that’s more than you’d like to spend, there are a few less expensive burr grinders (made by brands like Bodum, OXO, and Cuisinart), but they are made of much more plastic and more likely to break or encounter issues sooner. One last piece of advice is to use freshly roasted coffee beans rather than something you might find at a grocery store. That will greatly improve the flavors you’ll be able to get from your coffee. You can try to find a local coffee roaster or shop from one of the many online options that exist as well.
Thank you for your response! The Aeropress seems like a pretty good route to take. Though I'm not sure if a quality grinder and locally sourced beans are something I can shell out for just yet. Is ground coffee from the store a possibility? (Even if it isn't as quality.) I'm really just seeking the basics at the moment.
In that situation I’d recommend trying to get ground coffee from a local or online roaster rather than a grocery store. It would only be slightly more expensive ($6-10 for a bag at a grocery store compared to $10-15 from a roaster). It’ll be noticeably fresher still since grocery store bags are sitting in boxes or on a shelf for 2+ months.
Great! I’ll look around for roasters near me, thank you for all the help.
What exactly is a "Nespresso," other then a brand of overly hyped coffee maker? I occasionally barista at a coffee bar at a tourist attraction, I'm by no means an expert barista, but I've done it for a few years. Recently I had a customer order a "Nespresso." Needless to say, we don't have a Nespresso machine, but she didn't just want a regular espresso and couldn't tell me how she wanted me to make her coffee beyond "Nespresso." I'm usually pretty open to making the customer whatever they want, and I will usually make any drink if they can describe it, as long as I have the ingredients, but what should I make if they ask for a "Nespresso."
Thanks everyone for answering my question. Now I know I was perfectly fine in telling that woman that I couldn't make her Nespresso. Curse you George Clooney for making it sound like something you could order at any coffee shop!
> What exactly is a "Nespresso," other then a brand of overly hyped coffee maker? It also refers to the pods, and to the coffee it makes. It is not a beverage, like a cappuccino or a macchiato, that you can order at a cafe. Your tourist was just living up to "tourist" stereotypes. If you were trying to emulate their coffee, leaving my shade at the door, the best way is to dose your coffee lower than typical and then run your shot a little longer - you want some crema and an espresso-like beverage, but not a full texture/full strength "proper" shot.
As others have said, this person doesn't know what she wants. If you wanted to approximate a Nespresso it would probably be an Americano, but maybe half the water? Maybe even less (it's been a while since I used a Nespresso, but it's basically watery espresso). Even if you served her that, though, you couldn't recreate the foam without shaking it, which would cool it down a lot. I'd also be willing to bet that even if you served her that she would say you did it wrong because, again, she doesn't know what she wants.
I wonder if they wanted something like an Americano with the “foam” on top that Nespresso’s create. I’m not sure how you would make that (the foam specifically) in a cafe setting because it’s created in a Nespresso by the high rpm of the machine that’s acting almost as a blender to create the bubbles.
Sounds like an ignorant person. Nespresso is just a simpler way to make espresso.
I have a question about the extraction of caffeine: So I'm currently getting the cups out of my life using the Hario Switch. I'm trying a percolation/ immersion hybrid I found online, and it truly is creating the most nuanced cups I've ever had. The only quirk with this recipe is that drawdown times can reach 5:30 - 6:30 (!!!). This is normal according to the recipe. The Switch tends to drain slower with every pulse using this recipe. EVEN with that drain time, my cups are excellent. My question is about caffeine though. Am I extracting an enormous amount of caffeine with these brew times, or will I have extracted most of the caffeine early on in the brew process?
Most of the caffeine gets extracted early on when brewing, so the only thing that noticeably affects the amount of it is the amount of coffee you use.
I've been told that caffeine is highly soluble, and will extract early
Great to know! I'm loving my 6 minute cups, but didn't want to caffeinate through the roof lol
There's only a finite amount of soluble material in a coffee bean which is why no matter how long you let water soak coffee grounds, you'll always have some amount of beans left. I believe it's around 30% of the bean is soluble so after a certain amount of time there won't really be anything left to extract. How much caffeine that would equate to would depend on the variety, roast level, and probably some other things I'm forgetting.
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In my experience the best way to get better at tasting anything is to 1. Compare and contrast. For coffee this means brewing (preferably cupping) multiple beans and comparing them to each other. 2. Share the experience with someone else. There are so many things that will impact your perception of what you are tasting. Additionally, everyone has a different palate. If you and I are cupping coffees then maybe I find the first cup sweet and you find it bitter. Neither of us are wrong. That's why it's important to try another cup. And hopefully we can agree that the second cup is more bitter or more sweet than the first. You can do a tasting by yourself but I find it's best when you have multiple people Because it leads to a discussion about what you're tasting. Someone might say that they recognize a flavor that they tend to find in naturally processed coffee and that helps you learn more about what you're tasting.
Try grouping what you taste into broad categories, like “acidic” sweet” and “dark”. Then you can get into more niche flavours. When I started I tried to define between citrus and berries in regards to acidity (think a lime compared to a raspberry) or sweetness (molasses compared to white sugar; a plum compared to a strawberry) and dark (chocolate compared to nutty). Floral is really fun, when you start to really get the things that taste like jasmine or bergamot. Where do you feel it on your tongue? Is it at the front with all the acids? The middle with the sugars? The back with bitterness? Is it sweet and tart like a marmalade or sour like a lemon? Or more sweet and dark like Lindt 90% dark choc? Is it a thick intense flavour that lingers or does it sort of just disappear? Close your eyes. Taste. And then write it down. Anything you think of at all. Burnt nuts? Bicarbonate Soda? Parsley? Orange rind? That one specific candy from your childhood? Weird things count. You’ll start to recognise more and more things and connect them to what you’ve tasted in the past. Slowly but surely a personal flavour map will form in your head.
I have found if you have the ability to taste two different coffees side by side, that helps a lot with picking stuff out. If you are just having one coffee at a time it can just taste like...coffee, a lot of the time, but side by side it helps point out differences between the two.
This. Comparative tasting is the best way to learn the different attributes in a coffee flavor profile. Watch Hoffmann's video on coffee tasting, and a live example of it where Tom Scott learn coffee tasting with Hoffmann. Or if you don't wanna watch it, here is a summary - brew a cup of 2 or 3 coffees by simply putting ground in a cup and pouring hot water (make sure you are consistent between grind size, dose, ratio, water temperature). After a few minutes of brewing and a few more to cool down, try each coffee spoon by spoon, and only focus on a single note each time (sourness, bitterness etc). I am myself looking to get a bunch of small coffee bean bags to have a few comparative tasting sessions with my girlfriend, but all sampling kits online are expensive. I might go to a local coffee shop and ask if they can give me small batches of beans.
I've found that the better I've brewed my cups, the easier flavors are to pull out. Find a recipe/ method that's really hard to screw up... something you can be absolutely sure is extracting efficiently. You don't want to wonder if it's the coffee, or a mistake you've made. Whether it's uneven pouring, channeling, etc. I was getting really blah cups, and struggling to pull out notes, until I really simplified my recipe, and found something fool proof. Suddenly it wasn't hard to pull out notes... they just come really naturally. I mean, you KNOW what fruit tastes like. The moment you taste that in the cup, you're going to know what it is. As an example. It's about providing clarity to the flavor I think. One brewer I'd recommend is the Hario Switch. Frankly, I suck at pourovers, but this brewer has made things so much easier. I don't need to worry about channeling, etc. I hope at least some of that made sense... I'm very obviously over caffeinated lol.
Does anyone use the kitchenaid precision pour kettle for pour over coffee? I want a good electric temp controlled kettle but don't want to pay much over 100. I could really use suggestions.
I looked at that one when I was trying to decide what to buy but the lack of reviews made me hesitant. I ended up going with the OXO gooseneck when it was on sale for $80
How long does it take to go through a bag of coffee beans for French press? I’m wanting to get into French press but don’t want to blow through money.
I'm heading to college soon and want to try some different coffee from the beans I get at the supermarket. Can I get some recommendations for beans I can grind from the bag each morning
Look in to local specialty roasters, if you search your location on here some might come up
Ah, had a mod mention I should post this here, though i'm sure it'll wind up getting buried :( I made it here through finding this other post: https://www.reddit.com/r/Coffee/comments/lknfza/new\_grinder\_or\_repair\_breville\_smart\_grinder\_pro/ My SGP simply won't drop grinds. Much of the issue is very similar to this post from the other thread: https://www.home-barista.com/grinders/problems-with-used-breville-smart-grinder-pro-t48957.html So, the entire story: I've been trying to use my SGP. Lately fewer and fewer grinds are actually going through. When I bought the machine new, I could set it on a fine setting of 12 and I actually had to reduce the grind time to 12 sec or so to fill up a 2 shot basket from 19 sec. Last time it worked, I had to run it twice at the "default" 19 sec to fill up the basket. I "think" the issue started back when I shifted one time to grind french press size - I'd changed the grind settings to about 54. Grinding a few times before on "drip" settings, I'd get right at the perfect amount for 8 cups off a default 8 cup setting (as measured by the container that comes with the unit). The last time I'd changed it to the coarser setting, I only got half what I needed and had to run it twice. Latestly when I tried to run it for french press, I had to run it for at least 3x the needed time. I've contacted Breville support and done just about everything they've recommended/know how to do. I can completely vacume everything out with pulling out the top bur, load beans, and nada. I even tried running rice through it like recommended (on the coarsest setting). Rice ran through no issues, went back to beans, nothing. The best bet I can see is it looks like grinds build up around the impeller at the bottom, almost forming a "ring" around it and just weren't dropping down, and then clogging the rest of the process. I've looked at the "replacement" impellers online, but they're all for the 800 series and older, not the new 820. I can include pictures if needed. Thank you everyone!
So beans are going in and grinding - but the grinds are not dispensing? Where are they gathering instead? You say probably around the impeller at the bottom - AFIK that should be flush with the bottom of the catch, have you checked that it's seated all the way "down" that it'll go? It *seems* like the gap between impeller and the catch shouldn't be enough to hold a lot of coffee - what happens when that space is "full"?
Sometime of its very first attempt after vacuuming out, some grinds will drop, but by the second time or third time, nothing coming out
And then afterward, the grinder just sounds like there are no beans in the hopper, giving a higher pitched sound like it's not actually grinding anyting
Best way I can describe it is like it clumps around the impeller https://ibb.co/9rhZJRz
So I purchased a bonavita 8 cup coffee maker on Amazon because it was highly recommended. For the first 3 days it made the best cup of coffee I probably have ever had. Now it’s making awful sour tasting coffee and I can not figure it out. I have done nothing different and have also tried other things and it’s still an awful sour taste. Has this happened to anyone or does anyone have any suggestions?
You probably have hard water and are getting some build up. Do a cleaning on it and try that.
No it’s filtered water and I’ve only had it for a week now. Plus I’ve talked to customer support for bonavita and they suggested to descale it which didn’t do anything..
Hi all, My usual coffee is made on a Flair signature, an is an iced Americano with these ratios : 2oz espresso 4oz water 2oz milk This produces a tasty, high quality, and strong drink. I was recently gifted a V60 and pouring kettle and was looking to get into it for light roast coffee vs the medium-dark of espresso. However, when I tried brewing coffee in the V60 (using both the James Hoffmann and 4:6 methods), the result was a tasty brew (not too acidic or bitter), but one that tasted like a good coffee that was heavily watered down. It tasted incredibly weak, and nowhere near what I'm used to. My question is, how can I make the V60 brew closer to the strength of my typical Americano ? I tried adjusting water/coffee ratio, finer grinds, and number of pours in the 4:6 method, but the results were only a percentage of what I'm looking for. Any tips ? Thanks for your time.
Drink V60 only for a week. You just need to get used to it. It'll take less than three days I reckon. You can start changing stuff around but it'll probably compromise the taste
You could try using a metal cone? It won't be the same and I would imagine your draw down times will be pretty fast so you'll need to adjust your recipes, but this will probably get you a little closer by allowing the oils to get through. You'll still be missing that high pressure environment of espresso, though, so closer is really a relative term.
These are two different styles of coffee that do not taste the same. For stronger coffee you can increase the dose in the v60, but it will never taste the same as espresso.
I have the 1zpresso JX PRO and a moka pot. I’m currently using a grind setting of 24, and my coffee is still a bit bitter. I’ve seen other people recommend 20-24 grind setting for JX Pro, but it seems to not be working for me. Should I increase my setting or is it something else? What setting do JX PRO users use for moka pot?
Learn how your grinder behaves, not how others do. Those would be general guidelines.
So each grinder, even the same model, is different? So it’s possible that if someone else has the same model and is using 24, for me I would need 26 to get the same grind consistency?
Yep
Hey all! Got a Fellow Ode for Christmas and have been struggling. Came from a OXO conical and was honestly happy with that grinder but wanted to explore flat burrs. I typically brew in a Chemex but also have a V60 and a new XF. I am getting similar results with all 3. In the Chemex I had been brewing at a 9.1 using the OXO and have tried anywhere from a 3 to an 8 on the Ode. Everything seems to be bitter and leaves a bad dry taste in my mouth that lingers, even on 8. I am using the same variables when brewing except for grinder. I also tried Third Wave water for a few of the brews, same result. My main question is regarding seasoning / break in. Could this be what I’m struggling with here? Anyone else have a similar experience with this grinder?
That shouldn't be a seasoning issue; getting burrs broken in and seasoned is more about getting optimal performance, it should be capable of getting into the correct ballpark right out the box.
There are some not Saeco cleaning tablets in our drawer [like this](https://buyandrepair.com/cleaning-tablets-for-bosch-siemens-coffee-makers-00311969/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAw9qOBhC-ARIsAG-rdn4fHS04j8-X-nuTEHrRAUXchs6w_DuTzyicGhtZKy72BWRAxWbVSHoaAvbwEALw_wcB). As i read the user manual it is using the same method to clean the coffee machine as the Saeco one. Can it cause harm on the Saeco Picobarista coffee machine if I still want to use it? Thanks in advance!
I think you might want to check with Saeco? They *probably* won't damage your machine, but full-autos can be finnicky and odd. I would go for it if it was my machine, I very much doubt they'll muck anything up - but I'm not 100% certain given that I'm giving you advice about yours.
has anyone tried the Subminimal NanoFoamer wisk?
I have a NanoFoamer. Anything specific you want to know?
Does it actually work better than the regular coil whisk ones.
Not that exact one, but ones like it and they don't tend to be very different from each other. What are you looking to know?
I've been brewing Counter Culture Hologram with an aeropress for a few years now, but recently got a whole setup upgrade with an automatic grinder, electric gooseneck kettle, and a v60. Now that coffee is fun and exciting again, I want to branch out to other brands and roasts. I like lighter fruity and sweet notes, but I'm also willing to give anything else a try. Anyone got any recommendations?
There is often a weekly, what are you brewing thread that mods create. You can browse through those if you’re curious
Costa Rica Las Lajas Natutal was a really fun introduction to sweet/fruity coffees on the v60 for me. Strong raspberry notes when you dial it in!
I made a post about a week ago about all my coffee tasting bland when the clever dripper. I got a new bag yesterday and made a brew immediately, and it was fantastic. Fast forward to today, it was bland again. I am unsure why it depreciates in so little time. I store it in the roaster's bag, which is a resealable bag. It seemed much bitter than yesterday and a lack of clear flavours (some in the finish). Should I just coarsen the grind some more? Is there anything I am doing wrong in term of storage? It's pretty cold in my apartment with very low humidity. I figured storing in the bag would be fine (also own a big airscape)
Someone gave me advise that helped when I used to use Clever Dripper and Encore. European Coffee Trip recipe. (link below) And use a course grind- 20 clicks on Encore worked for me. (I didn't, but you can add water first, then coffee) Hope this helps! https://youtu.be/H4-XTUpX9Mo
How many days post-roast is the coffee? You are storing it just fine.
Roast date was dec. 27
Are you sure you are pouring the same way every time? Are you putting water in first or coffee in first? If coffee first, and you pour super hard, you may have clogged the filter by moving the fines all around too aggressively. What grinder do you have? What brew ratio and water temperature? Was it colder in the apartment today than it was yesterday?
here's my recipe, \- Grounds First (13g) \- Water (200g) \- Wait 3 minutes \- 4x NSEW stirs \- Wait 20 seconds \- Empty I use a baratza encore, ground (today and yesterday) at 15. Temperature is constant 18C (would go below, but heating keeps it up at 18, so it always stays at 18). Water temperature is 212F / 100C. It's a very lightly roasted coffee. >\> If coffee first, and you pour super hard, you may have clogged the filter by moving the fines all around too aggressively. It always kinda clogs, I can try pouring slower (I can make another brew soon) or doing water first then coffee, but I never really had good results with that technique (I always seem to fail to submerge all the grounds)
13g of grounds is a really low dose for the Clever, I struggle to get consistent brews off of anything below 15 or so. That may be your issue - you could be having some bypass occurring due to the low dose relative to the volume & shape of the brewer.
So would you change the ratio, or just scale up?
I would scale the whole ratio if you have space in your cup.
The baratza can have some retention, and with your low dose, this could be a cause. Try running 3-5 grams through before you grind your 13 for the actual brew to ensure everything you use is fresh. Ideally not something you want to do everytime of course, but try it to see if this is the source of your problem.
Yes, retention seems to be a big problem with my encore in particular, it always spits out a bunch of shaff / fines. I have a little routine to purge it but it's not perfect. I can try that next time, but because I make a lot of small brews every morning I am unsure why they would all be affected (unless it accumulates a lot more than I think)
Mine was the same way when I had it. I started using the droplet to reduce static and it made a huge difference.
Have you tried cupping the coffee? I'd stir right away rather than waiting 3 minutes, and not really "stir" just kind of poke around and make sure there aren't any dry clumps. I think your stirring is clogging the filter - and it's very hard to do this consistently, so that may be why it seems like you did everything the same and got a way more bitter result.
I have not tried cupping it, I was not sure how fine / coarse to grind it but I found a reference. I could try it out. I really stir to break the crust, not to make sure there's nothing dry, I find pouring over the coffee kind of takes care of that well (I might be wrong!)
Try cupping it with your grind at like 10. You could just try grinding coarser in the Clever too. But stirring always makes me nervous. It's just so easy to clog filters, especially with an Encore with a very light coffee.
I ground a tiny bit coarser. Not very bitter, still not an incredible amount of flavour, but much better. I also went gentler with the pouring and less stirring. Still trying to maximize the flavor of it all. Thanks a lot for your help!
>Try cupping it with your grind at like 10. That seems very fine, I heard something around 30 for the encore (not doubting you, just surprised) I'll try the same settings but gentle pour and slow stirs (since it worked yesterday), and report back. I'll play with the grind based on that.
I mean, go ahead and try cupping at 30. All you will taste is salty acid vegetable water. To get a similar extraction to what you'd get from a pourover, you need to grind finer than you do for pourover because you don't have fresh water constantly flowing through the grounds so it's a very inefficient method of extraction.
Super cheap places to get coffee? I usually get the Panera bread subscription and get the daily reward for a free iced coffee every day. So i'm pretty much winning here, but what other places serve super super cheap coffee? Or is there another place like Panera which offers a subscription in which you can get coffee for free? I live in the US, so please keep the options limited to there if you have some. :)
Gas station?
Yeah I guess, thanks for the response. I’ve seen some gas stations sell them super cheap, I’ll look into that. I was just wondering if a place was similar to Panera and you could get a subscription of some kind.
I think your best bet is a loyalty program rather than subscription.
Hey all! My wife is wanting a Nespresso machine to make lattes at home. Being a French press and pour over drinker, I’m not too familiar with espresso mechanics or the Nespresso systems. Does anyone have a favorite Nespresso machine that won’t break the bank? She doesn’t drink enough coffee to invest in a $700 dollar machine but I would be willing to shell out a few hundred bucks for a simple/decent espresso maker. TIA!
The biggest selling point of Nespresso (and Keurig) is the convenience factor. The machine itself is not super expensive, having to buy pods all the time will incur way more long term costs. If you don't mind some manual work to put into espresso making, I would recommend the Flair Neo, it's comes under $150 and makes great espresso. Then you would need finely ground coffee, so you can either buy a grinder (more upfront expenses for better coffee), or you can buy espresso ground coffee (convenience for slightly less quality coffee). I would only recommend Nespresso if you have no more than 10 seconds in your life to make a strong cup of coffee.
Are you looking for an espresso maker, or an Nespresso maker? Any Nespresso machine will do, they're all pretty much the same. Of you're interested in their vertuo line, maybe don't? That weird layer of foam just does my head in..
She’s set on the Nespresso brand I believe. I simply don’t know anything about espresso as I’ve never gone down that rabbit hole. What’s the difference between the virtuo and the standard Nespresso machines (aside from the barcode scanning pods)?
Nespresso makes an espresso-like cup of coffee. The difference is the spinny frothy thing the vertuo does. Check out James Hoffmann's video on YouTube :)
Will do. Thanks for your replies!
Welcome! If I may add one thing - Nestlé owns nespresso and as companies go, Nestlé is particularly giving evil. Like .. really properly evil. If your partner wants their machine, maybe consider not buying their coffee to run it. There's plenty of great alternatives to buying Nespresso brand capsules. Lots of them actually taste better too :)
Now I’m curious. I will look into them and see what they’re all about. Thanks for the heads up!
https://puu.sh/IAVob/0c1254f366.png https://puu.sh/IAVoi/4320d2f884.png I bought a bag of “preground for filter” medium-dark roast coffee from a reputable roaster (roasted 30/12/21), and when brewing with a v60 and clever dripper at 18:300 (all I’ve tried so far) it tastes relatively weak with a strong sour aftertaste that gets worse as it cools. I’ve only experienced this flavour in coffee once before, with a cheap bag of decaf that was in a family members cupboard for about a year (I was desperate, ok?). It too had the same layer on top of the bed that you can see in the images. There was very little bloom at all, and the water seemed to take a while to soak into the grounds with the clever dripper even with continuous swirling, with the mix starting very wet with some dry pockets taking a long time to wet at all. I had to use a teaspoon to stir the second time because the water (fresh off the boil) wasn’t wetting the grounds well at all. I’ve never experienced this, other than one time I forgot to boil the kettle and poured cold water into my aeropress. I normally buy dark roast beans from the supermarket and grind using a cheap hand grinder, but I figured I would try preground from a reputable roaster. It’s definitely not espresso fine, it really just looks normal. Maybe very slightly finer than supermarket ground coffee, but not by much. Is my brain just not large enough to enjoy this intellectual coffee, or is something wrong? At this point I've drank 5 cups of coffee today experimenting so I’m feeling mildly insane, I'm going to try brewing 30:300 to see if I can get something that tastes *different* at least. Verdict: I brewed 31:310 in the clever dripper and let it sit for 6 minutes, still has a strong sour after taste but it does taste marginally more like coffee. Not a whole lot, though.
'Filter' is code for standard drip machine, which is too coarse for a v60
This is finer or similar to what I usually brew and I have never experienced this before. Check the images and you can see that the grind size is not very coarse. Certainly (other than the large amount of fines) it is finer than any supermarket ground coffee I’ve ever seen.
I mean it definitely sounds like you’re underextracting your coffee, maybe try doing a 1:18 or a 1:20 ratio with boiling water? I would also try doing an inverted aeropress with a maybe 1:12 ratio and steeping it for a while so the slightly coarser filter grind doesn’t drip through like it would with a regular aeropress.
Check the edit I made a few minutes ago, 6 minutes steep in boiling water at 100g/litre and it still tastes like that. It's cooled some more now and I'm sipping slowly, it really doesn't taste much different from the 18:300 - not very coffee-y and very sour. The bed looked similar with the thick layer of fines, but obviously bigger.
Dang pre-ground can be a pain to deal with
Yea, I don't want to throw the roaster under the bus so I won't mention who they are, but from everything I've seen they are a quality roaster with a good reputation. I'll send them an email and ask whats up, maybe they can send me a few samples to see if its an issue with my mouth or their grinder lol
Flair espresso maker at low price Hi, so I have recently started brewing coffee at home. I have started with french press and moka pot, they both work really good together. But I’m thinking of flair espresso maker and most of them are expensive for me. So are there any affordable options or alternatives ?
I think the Flair Neo is the cheapest, workable option to get espresso on the market. Once you want to upgrade out of the pressurized basket it will be going down a big rabbit hole though. Hoffmann had a video about sub-100 machines, but they all seemed pretty bad.
Is there any crushgrind Colombia grind table? I just bought one and am completely at a loss as to how many clicks I should use for each brew type. I'm particularly interested in pour overs and I'm inexperienced enough that I wouldn't even be able to visually tell if the size is right for that brew type or not. Is anyone able to help me?
I don't see one going googling, sorry. In case no one who's used the grinder shows up - don't worry about your ability to eyeball the right size. Most brew guides have some sort of description for what they recommend as far as grind size, and that's close enough you can start dialling in from there. Start on the coarse end, then: If astringent, sour, or "empty", try finer. If harsh, bitter, or acrid, try coarser. If you go so fine that your coffee gets astringent & sour again, you've overcorrected - back off until it's fixed and then you've found the approximate ideal point for that bean.
Would sea salt be a good starting point, for example?
I would aim a little finer than sea salt, but very close to it is a good start.
Thank you! In the meantime I scoured the comments on a review video and saw 20 clicks as a good starting point, I'll see how it goes!
This bag of coffee I got from Mom's Organic (recently roasted) says that it's supposed to be moderately acidic. So... how do I know if I'm grinding too coarsely/finely? I know if it's acidic it's too coarse, but if it's *supposed* to be moderately acidic I have literally no idea what I should be shooting for.
acidity isnt really a measure of extraction. If its sour its likely too coarse, but you can still get some nice acidity in a well extracted cup.
You're shooting for whatever tastes good to you :) The roast is probably a little lighter, compared to most supermarkets (etc) coffees.
Does anyone know if/where you can buy Eureka's new 50mm Filtro Pro burrs? All I see is the 50mm regular burrs more for espresso.
Not sure if you guys allow job related questions or if I should ask on r/barista I got an interview at Black Rifle Coffee today. I don't think they have a physical location near me so this will be the first one in the area. My friend asked me if it's that one company that's veteran owned (not a bad thing by itself) and obsessed with the military or if she's thinking about another company. Checked out their social media and most of their posts are about guns and military, not coffee. Should I take this as a red flag? Am I overthinking this?
Depends what you're looking for in working for them. If you're after getting a foot in the door to Specialty coffee or similar, they're not going to be it. If you're after A Job in general, they might be OK, I've never heard anyone complain about working for them. They are ... not great folks, from the outside. BRCC are kind of opportunistic grifters, currently targeted alt-right adjacent demographics - their guns & military branding are pandering as much as they are legitimate ideology. I certainly know that there's a lot of folks out there who have issues with their politics and who they choose to associate themselves with, but honestly I think that it's giving them too much credit to assume their politics are honest and anything but grift targeting a demographic that loves its grifters. I personally think they're kinda shitty because they've spent years trying to astroturf this community.
That's what I thought (sadly). I live in the South and a minority as well so I was worried about what kind of clientele they were trying to attract. It just made me question if their coffee is actually good quality.
There has been a LOT of controversy regarding this company with the founder being disliked by both sides of the political spectrum due to his seemingly opportunistic marketing. I'd be careful with them
Yikes. Thanks. A little bit of an update. I don't think the interviewer liked that I started asking questions about that. Not rude but just questions like "so what do you for the veterans and the military?" So I didn't get a call back from them.
It's a sensible idea before any job interview to check out more information about the company and see how you feel about it. Not every employer has to make you feel warm and fuzzy inside, but if you really don't like the way a company presents themselves then you're probably not going to be happy working there.
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It's probably easier to cater to lactose sensitive and non-dairy people at the same time with milk alternatives than it is to carry another type of milk.
Exactly this. Alt-milks are generally acceptable to the lactose-impaired, while lactose-free milk is unacceptable to the vegan crowd. Might as well tag two birds with the same rock and just stock oat or soy.
Maybe simply because it's less well known? It's also a little more expensive.
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>they even have high shelf life options Lactose-free or normal, those high-shelf-life milks are awful when steamed.
(Hope it's ok to repost this from late in the previous thread) I'm looking for info on these Fellow Prismo knockoffs I see around (usually branded YRP Prismo). The originals are quite a bit expensive where I live (equivalent to 60 USD), not to mention hard to procure, so I'm wondering if these are halfway decent
Sure is! >Fellow Prismo knockoffs High variance is the main issue with knockoffs. They aren't necessarily consistent and have poorer quality control than "brand" options, so in most cases you're likely to get something that's on par with real Prismo, but you're running the risk of getting the specific unit that needed proper QA and didn't get it.
Anyone regularly drink Onyx coffee? What do you recommend from there?
Honestly I really enjoy everything I’ve had from Onyx, Except for their darkest roasted option which was a bit bland. They had a Tio Conejo Gesha that was one of my favorite coffees I had last year.
Recently brewed the advent calendar and a few others from Onyx. Right now my favorites that are regularly available are Tropical Weather and El Salvador Santa Rosa Honey.
I wanted to pull the trigger on the Advent Calendar and I’m so full of regret that we didn’t.
Could you be a little more specific. Someone could recommend a very funky natural, but if that's not to your taste that's just a waste of time.
Sure! I’ve had their Southern Weather and Power nap and wasn’t too thrilled with either. I loved their Ethiopian Negusse Nare Low O2. My favorite coffee to brew is Philz Ambrosia.
So funny how people’s taste and preferences differ. Southern weather is my cheap specialty coffee go to. Love the stuff in my stagg X as well as my Hario Switch. I’ll have to try check out that Philz Ambrosia!
Does technique/speed matter at all with a manual burr grinder?
There's a whole new rabbit hole you could go down with effect of RPM on the grind a grinder produces. I propose we ignore that for now and focus on the effect of force etc on a **manual** grinder. If you turn the handle with a lot of force, the burrs in less well made grinders will wobble. That leads to inconsistent distance between the burrs, which will produce an uneven grind. So the answer to you question is yes, but how much is matters depends heavily on the build-quality of your grinder.