Coffee Appreciation

FCP in Bristol have just opened a new roastery, deffo's worth checking out

zis one?

Round Hill (obvs), Girls Who Grind (actually roasted in west Wiltshire), @Matisse of this parish has started roasting at his excellent gaff in Bristol, James Gourmet further west in Herefordshire for consistently great value, Colonna (originally from Bath, now in South Glos) if you want to fancy

Round Hill (obvs), Girls Who Grind (actually roasted in west Wiltshire), @Matisse of this parish has started roasting at his excellent gaff in Bristol, James Gourmet further west in Herefordshire for consistently great value, Colonna (originally from Bath, now in South Glos) if you want to be fancy

yeah though I get direct from bwt. think it's a bit cheaper?

I would definitely buy one if they made an completely over the top design with some F1-style wings on it:

Like a kettle version of this:

Anyone here know a good thermal bidon so I can take coffee on festive 500 pre-dawn rides?
This one looks good but it’s nice to have a recommendation. Ta.

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NSFW warning pls

@plasticniki has experience with this type of bidon I think ?

What’s the best thing to remove the krusty milk on a steam wand? It’s a Sylvia wand with the nut on the end and it just builds up after a while. I think I removed the nut and lightly scraped it last time, but I don’t really want to scratch the chrome up or it’ll encourage the milk build-up.

Descaler works. I used to run some through the steam wand into a jar and then let the wand sit in it for a few mins.

This was because i'd always used a dry tea towel after steaming, which just doesn't work. A slightly damp tea towel cleans it better so now my tip stays clean and shiny (oooooeeerrr).

Will give the descaler a go. Wondered if Puly Caff would strip it straight off.

Always use a damp cloth! It just starts to build up behind the nut and on the flats.

Another idea is to have a jug of water and immerse the tip and fire up the steam right after making your coffee.

Simple hot water and steam always worked better than anything chemical.

That’s a good point - I’ve just stuck it in a glass of hot water to soak. It might just wipe off later on once it’s softened.

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Yes - @StevePeel keeps drinks really hot if you use the metal lid rather than the plastic one. Recommended. I use one in winter on all my rides for a lovely 5 minute coffee break.

This is what I do - stops it drying on the wand

referral spam warning:
I have a Coffee Factory subscription, 2 x 125g bags of beans every 5 weeks (different options available) I have the roasters choice, which changes the coffee every 4 weeks, and means I get to try a number of different coffees.

Just saw a £5 discount for anyone wanting to try?
I also get £5 credit, so not entirely selfless.

You can cancel your sub before the renewal, so you could just get a bag of coffee for £1.95 (£6.95 less the £5 discount)

https://thecoffeefactory.co.uk/referral/REF-Y46K-WUHQ-FFF8

Krusty wand update: good as new

Just soaked it in water for a few hours and it wiped clean with a sponge.

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Staying at the in-laws for Christmas and they have a bean to cup machine. It might not be the best coffee in the world but it's pretty sweet to have decent coffee on tap (especially with an 8 month old in tow)

Just my partner and I spending time together over christmas so I've positioned it as the perfect chance for her to learn how to use the Classic to make coffee (and hopefully stick this time as we've done one off sessions a few times over the years but then she never took the initiative on her own to practice).

Walked her through the process and she took her own notes instead of me writing things down in my words and since then she can ask questions but I wont do anything to help, only provide instruction.

Tamping and milk steaming are the two main hurdles which will require practice but she's doing ok so far. The ONA OCD tool for distributing the coffee is helping a lot with consistency I think.

I doubt I'll be asking her for a coffee any time soon but if it means she can just make her own when needed I wont be hassled as much nor have to spend 15 minutes cycling the boiler between steam and coffee to make her a drink every time I fancy one.

I bought the timemore Black Mirror and it does t quite fit the Silvia drip tray - if I remove everything then it fits as it can sit slightly under the machine. Tried searching for solutions but though I’d ask here too

Happy Christmas to me

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Jealous that your arms stay up! Mine do not. Enjoy the espresso!

Wahay, brothers with arms! Mine is blue too.

Cheers for the earlier Wiltshire roaster suggestions, folks. I was caught browsing beans and given strict instructions not to buy any. As of Christmas Day I am now the owner of 4 x 500g of unroasted beans.

First roast was dark. Very dark.