Coffee Appreciation

That would seem probable. You could make another batch and see.

We did, twice, same method and different method. Just as bitter.

I think this is the first time in my life I've had coffee long enough for it to go stale, hence the uncertainty!

Only a couple of hundred grams left thankfully.

Sorry to hear, that must be annoying.

Perhaps you can still do tastings with associated spitting this time?

Not sure if of interest to anyone but I have an Espro calibrated tamper for sale. Its the 53mm convex so perfect if you have a Sage machine that has the smaller portafilter

Its boxed and hardly used - £30 + postage

Where did you get it from? Seems to be sold out everywhere I've looked.

My electric pouring kettle has broken and I think I'd like to give this a go rather than replacing it - the standard kettle is much quicker to boil and I never really used the adjustable temp.

Outside the UK so can't help on that front I'm afraid. I'd still say it's well worth a punt for a tenner when they're back in stock.

Been spoilt and got given a Sage Barista Express for my birthday, but struggling to get to grips with a couple of things. Firstly, is it normal to require completely different grind and dose settings when changing between a single and double portafilter basket? If I dial it in for single it then completely under extracts for the double if I leave the settings the same. Secondly, I’ve been following guidelines for milk texturing but always seem to end up with a cap of over-foamed milk that then pours first, so latte-art (although not important for taste) is not an option. Any guidance / insider knowledge on the machine would be mich appreciated.

For the first point (disclaimer, I've not had much experience switching between double and single baskets, so take this with a pinch of salt), yes, if you reduce the dose of coffee for a single, you'll need to make the grind much finer for an equal extraction. Though re-reading your post, are you keeping the dose the same between the single and double baskets? Baskets will generally come with a recommended dose, I'd recommend sticking with the double which will likely be somewhere in the region of 16-18g.

For the second point, it'll take practice, but the main points are:

• Start with the steam tip a cm or so under the surface of the milk, near the edge of the jug and pointing down and at a tangent to the surface of the jug. This picture is a pretty good example:
  
  

That'll ensure the milk is constantly mixing which should help prevent a cap of froth developing.

• Once the milk starts spinning, bring the tip to the surface until you hear that shh shh shh noise. Careful not to bring it up too high above the surface otherwise you'll just launch milk everywhere.

• Depending on how much milk you're steaming and how much foam you want, leave it there for anywhere between 3-6 seconds (rough estimate, you'll find what works for you) to create the foam.

• Sink the tip back under the surface of the milk to continue heating it without adding foam. Keep this going until the milk gets to the desired temp (a good starting point is to wait until the jug is too hot to hold, then iterate from there to find the right temp for your preference)

always seem to end up with a cap of over-foamed milk that then pours first, so latte-art (although not important for taste) is not an option

Foam the milk with the wand at the top of the milk, then drop it down below the surface to continue heating once you have the desired amount of foam. Have the wand at an angle so it swirls the milk and breaks up the bigger bubbles into a soft foam.

You'll need to keep swirling the jug continuously after foaming to keep the head of foam mobile, then it'll get carried out with the milk as it pours. When I've watched baristas do it well, they often do more milk than they need and dump the excess. I'm not into that as I don't like waste, so I tend to do what I need and scrape any stuck foam into the top. Current fashion for cappucino is to have crema round the edge and white foam in the middle, not latte art. My method is compatible with that so I'm happy with that!

On the baskets, i think posh baskets, like IMS precision, are specifically tuned so you don't need to change grind setting - i.e. the single IMS basket will create more pressure from the basket to mimic the extra pressure of the coffee in the double IMS basket. I imagine the same care has not been taken on the stock baskets that come with a machine.

I'm shit at latte art, but here are my tips for once you've got some passable textured milk.

You need a decent shot of coffee to pour into with a decent crema. Some beans are better than others for this I've found. Generally, using relatively fresh espresso roasted beans from a decent source is a good start.

Give the coffee a swirl in the cup before you pour. And give the milk a little swirl and tap on the counter too - just so you look like you know what you're doing.

Start pouring, but then lift the pitcher up so the milk falls from height - this makes it sink below the crema. Move the pour around the cup to keep/create a nice smooth crema on top.

Once you're over halfway, stop. Tilt the cup on it's side a little and start again with the pitcher nearer the cup. Give a decent splosh, slow down and try and let the milk float on top. A bit of side to side wiggling as you draw the pitcher to the edge, and then run it back up the middle should create something that looks a little bit like a leaf/corn head.

I still mess most of mine up, but doing more over lockdown has helped. Still baffled by people who can paint pictures across their flat white.

Hario Air Kettle is in stock here, I messaged them to check
https://machina-coffee.co.uk/products/hario-v60-drip-kettle-air

Late to the party but I've had duff bags on occassion from pretty much everyone YB/SqM etc where for some reason it would not behave itself at all and I'd be chasing the grind all over the show. then that bag would run out and the next one would be rock solid again.

I switched away from Red Brick when they changed the blend a couple years back and I didnt like it as much and have been sticking with the Yellow Bourbon since but there was a time when I had a run of literal months where red brick only ever needed one or two notches of micro adjustment to produce a shot bang on the money. the consistency was incredible so long as I consumed it at a regular pace and didn't let it get too stale.

Hardlines have 25% off their Houseparty espresso 1kg bags with 'BIGBAGOFBEANS'- it's a nice brew and even better at £22.50

Anyone know of a UK version of this

https://kansocoffee.com/products/bean-storage-tubes

Think they look great but £140 shipped excluding whatever I could get hit with on custom charges is steep

I would be super tempted at that price to decide what it was I liked about the look and see if you can DIY. At its heart it is just some test tubes

Our moka pot is filthy, OH hasn't been looking after it... I've ordered a new handle and funnel, managed to find a new screen and gasket locally... It's black, inside and outside...

I don't think bicarb and Puly are gonna be able to get this looking nice again... Any tips?

I've had this for over thirty years, total sentimental value... I used to drink actual caffeinated coffee from this thing back in the 80s!!!

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You’d be surprised, puly caff and boiling water then leave it to soak. Worth a go.

I've just moved to Penge. Any recommendations for decent coffee shops nearby?

I found a Maple rack on Etsy but that was £52 on its own.

Good looking coffee is not cheap

I reckon a couple of rounds of puly should sort that - not sure if boiling it through would help

Acid is your friend.

Start weak so you don't pit the metal. A soak in vinegar solution would be a good start.

I don't think bicarb and Puly are gonna be able to get this looking nice again... Any tips?

Find a container which is bigger. Fill with boiling water and add a dishwasher tablet and stir until the tablet is disolved. Leave until the water is cool enough to put your fingers in. Most of it will just rinse/wipe off. It works a treat.

I've been using it with cold water all these years, what a fool I've been... They've had two minutes in a bowl with boiling water and it's lifting already, thanks! Pics to come... 🙃

I get that it may be nice to have pre made doses ready but those are air tight containers. Beans slowly release gases which is why bags you buy from a roastery have a one way valve. I wouldn't recommend keeping beans in an air tight container.

one way degassing valve in the lid. I'd imagine the cost probably quite fairly reflects the cost of production of something so specific/niche/low volume