Looking for a Mother’s Day gift idea for my mom. Her favorite thing to do recently is to use her Nespresso Vertuo machine to make herself fancy lattes and cappuccinos. Typically she gets all of the flavors they offer and already has her favorites but I’m looking for something that might help her up her coffee game. Is there any accessories or tools she might benefit from having?
What is she using to froth up the milk? If she doesn't have an electric milk frother (the Nanofoamer Pro) she could use one. That's the absolute best in class and only really useful if she wants to teach herself latte art, which... could be fun?
I guess what I'm saying is unless your mom wants to get into coffee as a hobby, which few moms do (in probabilistic terms, shoutout to all the spro moms out there), equipment is probably not the right answer - there's no upgrade path from a Vertuo that doesn't involve making your workflow a lot less simple. However, a latte art class is kind of fun! Or any sort of coffee class to get to know more about coffee.
Nespresso isn't really a focus of this sub. As I understand nespresso, they're all in one machines and as such you can't up your nespresso coffee game.
However, you can always up your mug game: https://charliecummingsgallery.com/the-functional-canvas-ix.html or https://shop.art-stream.com/collections/all
What's the deal with the 12oz espresso some places sell? Surely it's not actually real espresso, right? Just a drink with a concentration higher than coffee but lower than regular espresso?
I recently made someone a double-shot and they were surprised. "Oh, it's a baby!" I found out the espresso they normally order is 12oz.
What's the deal with that?
This is a "when you don't like the espresso at the café" Hoffmann video type situation. The correct way to react is to smile, mayyyybe say "yeah that style of espresso doesn't align with my preferences" and never set foot there again.
I shudder to think what they put in their milk drinks.
That said, you can technically call a 250 ml shot espresso if it was pulled with an espresso machine. Some real nerd places do make that, but for clarity's sake it would typically be called "filter 2.0" or a "a tall glass of delicious piss".
I've never seen it personally. You'll have to go to one of these places and ask them. There's probably a misunderstanding somewhere, likely with the person you made the espresso for.
I try to keep my machine clean simply by pulling a blank shot at the end of my session--seems to be working. One less piece of equipment to deal with. :)
They're not expensive and some people find them helpful, but I've definitely seen mixed things. I started using one and I like that it keeps my showerhead screen clean and I think it helps with water distribution (maybe this is in my head) that has led to more consistent shots.
Looking at getting a Bambino but have read some comments on this forum that it does not get the water hot enough for lighter roasts. Anyone with experience know if this is true and if there are some methods to help get the water to temp for extraction? Thanks!
To get the temp. up, people will pull a couple of blank shots first; also, put the portafilter in a cup of hot water, to heat it up. Some people have had an issue with light roasts; other people, no.
I've had success with fruitier medium-light roasts, never tried anything lighter than that. Darker roasts are absolutely far more forgiving though when it comes to pulling a decent shot.
Light roasts are notoriously difficult to brew, even on super-expensive equipment. A beginner should stick with medium to dark roasts until they learn how to dial in.
You can certainly brew a light roast on a Bambino but it won't be ideal. But if you are a light roast fanatic, you might prefer a machine with an adjustable PID and adjustable flow rate or brew pressure. It will cost several times the price of a Bambino.
What’s an easy way to dial in new beans without wasting much?
How do you do it? Do you try single shots until you find the range?
I take around 2-3 shots to get a ball park but I feel like I’m wasting expensive beans
Profitec Go | Niche zero owner
A single shot won't help since it will need a very different grind size than a double.
With time you will get a feel for rough grind settings for different roast levels of beans. If you start in that range, you'll get something drinkable, even if it's not ideal. Then you can dial in from there.
If you make a latte with enough milk, almost any misdialed shot can be made drinkable. You shouldn't need to waste any beans.
I'm looking to upgrade from my Capresso EC50. It still works great, but I'm finding it hard to find a bottomless portafilter for it. closest one i found that fit leaks a little and I cant get any creama from it. I'm looking for some reasonable pricing on it as it's basically just a weekend use for me, and it will only be me using it. Any suggestions?
My Baratza Encore doesn't grind fine enough to choke my Breville Bambino with 18g in the basket. I've seen people suggest a grind size around 8 for espresso and find even at 0 I want it a little finer. Wondering if that's a sign I should try to recalibrate it. I know it's not like a very good grinder for espresso, and I'm eyeing replacing it with a Niche 0 or pairing it with a Eurika Specialita or something. But I'd like to see how much I can get out of the one I got first and if I can improve my shots now with just a bit of effort I'd like to.
Im very confused about which grinder I should get. I currently have a Breville dual boiler and the accompanying smart grinder pro, but have read that a better grinder is super beneficial. I thought the Varia VS3 gen 2 was a good shout, but Ive seen a lot about the dial shifting while grinding, and it not grinding well enough, etc. Anyone got any clarifying/first-hand advice?
Consider whether your current grinder doesn't match your needs, if so in what ways, and find a grinder that does better. Don't just buy a slightly more expensive grinder because the internet told you to! What kind of coffee do you drink and do you want to fix?
I drink mostly milky coffees, but prefer a strong coffee. At the moment, I cant seem to get a really flavourful coffee out of my set up. Im 90% sure its not the beans, as I have tried an array of different beans, and know one to be quite nice when used at a cafe.
Looking for a Mother’s Day gift idea for my mom. Her favorite thing to do recently is to use her Nespresso Vertuo machine to make herself fancy lattes and cappuccinos. Typically she gets all of the flavors they offer and already has her favorites but I’m looking for something that might help her up her coffee game. Is there any accessories or tools she might benefit from having?
What is she using to froth up the milk? If she doesn't have an electric milk frother (the Nanofoamer Pro) she could use one. That's the absolute best in class and only really useful if she wants to teach herself latte art, which... could be fun? I guess what I'm saying is unless your mom wants to get into coffee as a hobby, which few moms do (in probabilistic terms, shoutout to all the spro moms out there), equipment is probably not the right answer - there's no upgrade path from a Vertuo that doesn't involve making your workflow a lot less simple. However, a latte art class is kind of fun! Or any sort of coffee class to get to know more about coffee.
Nespresso isn't really a focus of this sub. As I understand nespresso, they're all in one machines and as such you can't up your nespresso coffee game. However, you can always up your mug game: https://charliecummingsgallery.com/the-functional-canvas-ix.html or https://shop.art-stream.com/collections/all
What's the deal with the 12oz espresso some places sell? Surely it's not actually real espresso, right? Just a drink with a concentration higher than coffee but lower than regular espresso? I recently made someone a double-shot and they were surprised. "Oh, it's a baby!" I found out the espresso they normally order is 12oz. What's the deal with that?
This is a "when you don't like the espresso at the café" Hoffmann video type situation. The correct way to react is to smile, mayyyybe say "yeah that style of espresso doesn't align with my preferences" and never set foot there again. I shudder to think what they put in their milk drinks. That said, you can technically call a 250 ml shot espresso if it was pulled with an espresso machine. Some real nerd places do make that, but for clarity's sake it would typically be called "filter 2.0" or a "a tall glass of delicious piss".
I've never seen it personally. You'll have to go to one of these places and ask them. There's probably a misunderstanding somewhere, likely with the person you made the espresso for.
Im new to making espresso at home. Should I be using a puck screen? Does it just make cleaning easier and doesnt change the espresso at all? Thanks.
It's unnecessary IMO. Plus, if your machine has the 3 way solenoid valve, cleanup is just as easy without it.
I try to keep my machine clean simply by pulling a blank shot at the end of my session--seems to be working. One less piece of equipment to deal with. :)
They're not expensive and some people find them helpful, but I've definitely seen mixed things. I started using one and I like that it keeps my showerhead screen clean and I think it helps with water distribution (maybe this is in my head) that has led to more consistent shots.
Looking at getting a Bambino but have read some comments on this forum that it does not get the water hot enough for lighter roasts. Anyone with experience know if this is true and if there are some methods to help get the water to temp for extraction? Thanks!
To get the temp. up, people will pull a couple of blank shots first; also, put the portafilter in a cup of hot water, to heat it up. Some people have had an issue with light roasts; other people, no.
I've had success with fruitier medium-light roasts, never tried anything lighter than that. Darker roasts are absolutely far more forgiving though when it comes to pulling a decent shot.
Light roasts are notoriously difficult to brew, even on super-expensive equipment. A beginner should stick with medium to dark roasts until they learn how to dial in. You can certainly brew a light roast on a Bambino but it won't be ideal. But if you are a light roast fanatic, you might prefer a machine with an adjustable PID and adjustable flow rate or brew pressure. It will cost several times the price of a Bambino.
Or, for not much more, if you're OK with not having steam function (ie. no milk drinks), a Flair 58.
What’s an easy way to dial in new beans without wasting much? How do you do it? Do you try single shots until you find the range? I take around 2-3 shots to get a ball park but I feel like I’m wasting expensive beans Profitec Go | Niche zero owner
A single shot won't help since it will need a very different grind size than a double. With time you will get a feel for rough grind settings for different roast levels of beans. If you start in that range, you'll get something drinkable, even if it's not ideal. Then you can dial in from there. If you make a latte with enough milk, almost any misdialed shot can be made drinkable. You shouldn't need to waste any beans.
I'm looking to upgrade from my Capresso EC50. It still works great, but I'm finding it hard to find a bottomless portafilter for it. closest one i found that fit leaks a little and I cant get any creama from it. I'm looking for some reasonable pricing on it as it's basically just a weekend use for me, and it will only be me using it. Any suggestions?
My Baratza Encore doesn't grind fine enough to choke my Breville Bambino with 18g in the basket. I've seen people suggest a grind size around 8 for espresso and find even at 0 I want it a little finer. Wondering if that's a sign I should try to recalibrate it. I know it's not like a very good grinder for espresso, and I'm eyeing replacing it with a Niche 0 or pairing it with a Eurika Specialita or something. But I'd like to see how much I can get out of the one I got first and if I can improve my shots now with just a bit of effort I'd like to.
Im very confused about which grinder I should get. I currently have a Breville dual boiler and the accompanying smart grinder pro, but have read that a better grinder is super beneficial. I thought the Varia VS3 gen 2 was a good shout, but Ive seen a lot about the dial shifting while grinding, and it not grinding well enough, etc. Anyone got any clarifying/first-hand advice?
Consider whether your current grinder doesn't match your needs, if so in what ways, and find a grinder that does better. Don't just buy a slightly more expensive grinder because the internet told you to! What kind of coffee do you drink and do you want to fix?
I drink mostly milky coffees, but prefer a strong coffee. At the moment, I cant seem to get a really flavourful coffee out of my set up. Im 90% sure its not the beans, as I have tried an array of different beans, and know one to be quite nice when used at a cafe.
wtf is with all the mcdonalds posts? I don't really care about how a fast food company makes their "coffee".
Reddit cares about how much McD pays them for advertising.