Coffee Appreciation

So glad it's going well. Just opened up the first of our big Sumatran bags today. Will be trying the others soon.

Your produce and service is top notch, as such word of mouth will reward you.

Is there a better option for hard water filtration than 3M Cuno type stuff? They're good for 1600L or 12 months whichever comes first. I'm running the home machine much less now so I wonder if there's a smaller/cheaper alternative or some other setup to consider? I could just leave it and descale more often but prevention is better than cure right?

For those that roast: have you ever wanted a better mathematical model of the process? You're in luck https://sinews.siam.org/Details-Page/coffee-roasting-mathematical-modelling-and-asymptotic-analysis

Awesome set up/ kitchen / Rapha bidon selection.

I've got my eye on a used Mazzer Super Jolly grinder on sale for £210. Is this a decent price? @StevePeel

It's in decent nick by the look of things.

Sure is, budget for new burrs, about £40 and that should be all you need for a lifetime.

Nice one - it's mine.

Should I replace the burrs as a matter of course? It will it be obvious by looking if they need to be?

Also, it's bloody massive. My wife, I fear, will be unsympathetic to my quest for very good home espresso.

I would, it’s difficult to know unless you’re experienced enough to tell that it’s grinding a bit slowly and/or the coffee tastes a bit flat. The burrs can still feel sharp to the touch but not be cutting the beans cleanly. If you’re going to the trouble of putting commercial equipment in your kitchen it may as well be working optimally and giving you the quality you’re looking for.

Ok, will order some. Thanks for the advice.

Has anyone seen this?

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/niche-zero-the-best-conical-burr-coffee-grinder#/

Yes, it looks good. Lots of chat about it here -

https://coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php?39577-Niche-Grinder

I’m only drinking filter at home at the moment but I’ve had an espresso machine before and I could see me getting one again. So, slightly tempted.

However RRP is £499 so it’s not a massive saving.

That crowdfunding page has it on at £360, but still a lot of money.

I'm about to upgrade my espresso machine and have just bought a proper grinder to go with it. If I hadn't I'd be tempted by that Niche.

I would, it’s difficult to know unless you’re experienced enough to tell that it’s grinding a bit slowly and/or the coffee tastes a bit flat. The burrs can still feel sharp to the touch but not be cutting the beans cleanly.

That's interesting. A lot of beans I've had recently have been tasting a bit flat and I've been trying different grinds, extraction times etc. Might be worth shelling out for new burrs as mine haven't been changed sine I got it!

googles gaggia mdf burrs

I've been reading up on installing new burrs today and it seems it can make a huge difference.

Something I'd never heard of before is the need to 'season' new burrs by running a load of junk beans through the grinder. Not sure what this is supposed to do though, or how much to put through. Anyone done this before? Where can you source junk beans from?

If nothing else, it would get rid of manufacturing oils and any bits of metal or plastic left over from the factory.

http://www.lavazza.co.uk/

Honestly though, I've never done this "seasoning" (to be honest, I'd not known it was a thing) and I've never had anything taste or feel off as a result. Then again I've only changed burrs about 4-5 times in my life, so don't have an incredibly large sample size.

Yeah it’s not a massive big deal with smaller flat burrs, more of a thing with conicals and big shop mills like EKs and Dittings. Don’t worry about it.

Ahhh, good stuff. Sounded like a right bother.

Still available?

Yes, could well be the thing. Maybe descale and deep clean your machine first. Always start with the low hanging fruit.

So chuffed to have our Rugeju AA Kenya in LMNH as guest espresso, lots of love to @mmccarthy for sorting this out, they're doing a great job with it too.

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Wonderful news, happy to hear it's going well Steve! Hope you enjoyed your visit.

Sorry I wasn't able to pop by to see you in person. Until next time!