Coffee Appreciation

As usual I would add the Helor 101 to that list.

Don't get a manual grinder for espresso, you'll hate yourself and get an electrical grinder after a short while.

I'd say it depends on which grinder and how many cups per day. I'm fine with 2 a day and could easily double that without incurring self hate.
Also down to your chosen roast as lighter ones would take more work/time.

You’re more patient than I am. Took me about a month to buy an electrical grinder on two cups a day.

Mine lasted a month on setting 4. But was using at least 2 jugs a day, often 3. Including the testing I did I would estimate 120l I total, so spot on

Takes me just under 2 minutes to grind 16gms.

Yagua scales

Yeah I reckon they look like what I’m looking for - thanks.

More cheers for @StevePeel

Keen to see how the Peru El Oso compares to some other Peru (Asproagro) from Darkwoods.

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I didn't get on with the El Oso. For whatever reason I couldn't get it to extract well, compared to the Costa Rican I usually get which always came out good. Just cracked open a box of the Ethiopia Hambella and it's spot on though. Don't usually go for African coffees but fancied a change and it's delicious.

I didn't get on with the El Oso. For whatever reason I couldn't get it to extract well

How were you brewing it?

^^ weirdly I was coming to post the same / wonder if I was doing something wrong. It may well just be the profile of the coffee isn't to my taste but I've been varying between 30 and 40g per 400ml and it just seems a bit 'thin' for want of a better word. Ground in a wilfa on the 'filter' setting (same as usual) and brewed in a technivorm with just shy of 400ml to fit into a thermos without spilling when I put the lid on (same as usual). Might try another method tomorrow and see how it gets on.

I cut back on the El Oso and it was find. I usually do 20g per 300ml (~60g/l) for French Press but I had to take it down to 16g before it clicked for me.

Espresso machine to make flat whites or lattes. I usually go 18g in 36g out but I was either getting a sour shot or choking the machine so I dropped the dose down a few grams which helped. Never got an amazing cup from it though.

Using a V60 (60g/l) so not sure how much it'll help but the first couple of brews I did were also a bit thin. Went a bit finer than usual on the grind this morning and it was bang on.

^ yep, went to a finer grind as well this AM and there it is. Sipping now and it tastes wildly different to the first two attempts. Only at the expense of 60g... :|

Thanks folks. I went straight in at 9g / 150ml (aka 60g/l) v60 this morning and it was a nice brew. Might see what a finer grind offers tomorrow.

@Colonel_of_Truth s.o. espresso can be very hard work!

I agree with this actually.

Luckily I am asking for a friend so it's their labour, not mine!

Any particular electric grinder recommendations?

Thanks, that does look real nice - but hard to get hold of, especially in the UK.

Is it what you use?

I think second hand professional machines are the best value for money if they have the space, I got a second hand Compak K6 for €140. After removing the hopper and the doser it's still big, but stomacheable.

Thanks - I'll pass that on.

Just finished my bag today so onto a Burundi from him. Hope you like it. I found that it needed a slightly finer grind to work well.

• @rhb
  
  

Thanks for the feedback. Its been cupping well here but is pretty light for a coffee of this style, maybe its not so soluble under some conditions. Happy to replace if anyone's not keen. I'll be pushing the roast up a touch.

Don't be daft - not worth replacing. Just to my taste I'll grind it a bit finer - getting very tasty results now. (Have another flask on the go already today). It's probably good practice to do a single cup as a dry run to figure it out before doing a full carafe. Not sure how efficient the technivorm is with lower dose so maybe french press or single cup v60.

Well looking forward to roasting that green stuff - will get on it after these other boxes run out (probably tomorrow at this rate!).

No worries from me. It is defo lighter than the Darkwoods I mentioned, but it didn't touch the sides this morning once brewed which is a good sign.

Yep, about 2.5 years now. Used for moka until I got the 9Barista in February (sold very soon after) and now with the Cafelat Robot since early March.
If you look on some of the asian auction sites you may find them there too.