Coffee Appreciation

@bmx_fred been speaking to someone who might be interested in your Gaggia. Will PM you their details.

Hello @tomatoe and @bmx_fred. Definitely interested in the Gaggia, please can you PM me some details? Thanks.

ta.

I heat water close to boiling before filling my stovetop

I began doing this as well a few month ago, definately like my coffee better that way.

Hot water is better, brew is quicker. So less chance of over extracting

No need to re season, it's actually adding tannins and oils which lead to nasty flavour. A clean machine/stove top/tea pot etc will allow you to taste what your brewing, not dirt.

May try it again, but I found that preheating left the taste a little flat.
I like the over-roasted (according to most) Italian style beans if that makes any difference.

A clean machine/stove top/tea pot etc will allow you to taste what your brewing, not dirt.

You'd get shouted at in Sicily if you tried cleaning inside their Bialetti. The thinking is the oil from the coffee residue is better than scrubbed aluminium.

I can follow this logic - at the moment I use a aluminium Bialtetti - my stainless steel one I indeed cleaned more / daily, though.

I clean the inside of the bottom with a bicarb paste, I'd even go as far as reusing coffee grounds.

Now I must strongly disagree with you.

The base, where the water goes in, needs seasoning to cover the exposed aluminium. When you have a new pot you need to season it to get rid of the aluminium flavour.

Absolutely. Aluminium continues to corrode until an oxide layer is built up.

This is the inside of my 1cup (appx 10g grounds) stovetop:

1 Attachment

^ scrubbing not removing, brewed with SO I normally aeropress or v60, picking out similar flavours so maybe nowt wrong?

..that white shit (I guess the "oxide layer") is grossing me out.
Had that as well, albeit only with very cheap stovetops in the past.

This is the one I'm using at the moment.
I use it like four times a day, every day, and only rinse the bottom with fresh water before the first coffee of the day.
Never had an oxide layer like with some others others, even when I left it for a three week vacation..
The black and brown shit is dirt / limestone and coffee, I suppose; I just say fuck it, Berlin is killing you anyways.

Bonus points for (s)he who can identify the LP cover this is photographed on!

The white stuff is limescale...joy of london water.

Not oxide layer, aluminium is very reactive so the oxide is what you see. Clean with bicarb and then use it more and don't store the coffee maker wet.

Seasoning applies to areas that coffee touches, these areas should be clean.

True, each to their own. Personally I like the taste of well extracted coffee, not harsh acids/ burnt tannins or dry distillates.

In other news, I'm cranky and tired.

With my alu maker a little coffee and grounds get into the lower section every time, doesn't affect the function or taste. This never happens with my stainless Kona (also Bialetti), possibly because of the blast that is the result of pressure overcoming the weight of the pressure disc.

True, each to their own. Personally I like the taste of well extracted coffee, not harsh acids/ burnt tannins or dry distillates.

lol

:)

Woke up late this morning and had to make coffees for two with ten mins to be out of the house and pedalling like fuck.

Used the single cup bialetti for one and in the 2mins it takes to do its thing made the other cup with the aeropress.
All in, it took about 5 mins which is better than having to do two batches in the aero.
Got to work on time.

1+ on Sainsbury's Peaberry, surprisingly good.

Any recommendations for a milk frothing jug (or whatever they're called).

Edit: also, worth buying a thermometer?

Edit: also, worth buying a thermometer?

Yep. Cheap and easy win.

They're also super useful for slowly cooking large chunks of animal.