Coffee Appreciation

What’s the filter holder?

Have stopped going to a bakery/cafe because the new guy they hired is unfortunately just crap at making coffee. Flat whites end up incredibly milky with barely any coffee taste (maybe he's just making them with a single rather than a double?). Got a black americano the other day to try to at least have the flavour of coffee and it was unbearably watery and tasteless. It's not a great loss because there's actually a better cafe basically next door to work (Moko Made), but I liked going to the bakery because it gave me a bit more time away from my desk and let me stretch my legs in the morning, and plus their pastries are also delicious. Maybe I'll do a round trip, get a pastry and then get a coffee at Moko Made but it seems rude when they also sell decent cakes.
I know the forum suggestion would probably be that there's nothing wrong with actually saying you're not happy with a product, but I don't think I can take the expression on this guy's face if I do that.

Isn’t there a Hoffman video on this?

Not /s but /s

Etsy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Or58WJgO5w

I think it’s fine to get pastries from a good bakery and coffee from a good coffee shop.

I'd rather someone flips a table in rage than leaves a passive aggressive note saying the coffee isn't good because its not Italian

Going to finally get a cafelat robot - any recommendations of any spare parts/anything else to get with it?

e.g is there anything that I'm likely to need to replace quickly? Or anything that massively improves it e.g self levelling tamper?

I’m thinking of selling my gaggia classic to get a robot.

Finally got around to picking up a WDT (moving from the Sette to the Niche seems to be resulting more clumpy grounds, whether that's due to using a dosing cup I'm not sure), and wow, it makes such a difference.

To be honest I've stopped paying so much attention to the shot quality as for 90% of the cases, they're going into a flat white for my wife where the milk will mask most less than great shots. But yeah, definitely £25 well spent!

Good choice, I love mine!

I like the self levelling tamper as it is more comfortable and weighty so think it is worth getting but it isn't perfect at levelling, seems to have too much play to me.

I also think the hands are a nice addition for comfort. There are lots of wood ones that look quite nice made by various people but I just got the stock ones.

You get a spare seal and the silicon grease included so that'll see you for a good long while, had mine 18 months and still not needed to change the seal.

Only part I have had to buy extra of is the screen as it is quite small and easy to misplace... It is also possible to bend it apparently....

I got the pressurised basket, I use this to pre-heat the piston, I also got the self levelling tamper but this isn’t needed. I also got the hands and these help a lot with pressing the arms with less pressure on your palms. I got spare piston ring but haven’t needed it and spare nibs for the screen which are still in the cupboard.

Reading that I realise I bought everything, but I was in HK with no tax and £10 same day delivery.

Get the basket.

I’m around 3 years in and haven’t replaced anything yet, nor has the Robot required any maintenance. Mine has the bottomless portafilter, professional basket, and no gauge.
That being said, I would order a couple of extra gaskets and maybe one extra screen, that should do you for a looong time.
I think part of the reason I haven’t gone through gaskets like some is due to my buying dark roasted beans, which allows me to get away with lighter pulls on the arms.
Oh, and I’d recommend the mittens too, it’s easier on my hands.

Another go at roaster recommendations… Looking for a reasonably-priced, not too fruity bean option… My preferences tend towards the classic/‘Italian’/darker end. Any suggestions of where to even begin?

I lost the will to live looking at google and the endless swathe of expensive and all too similar brands offered up at various comparison sites, none of which were local enough to try out.

Where are you based?

depending on how dark is dark roast for you. if you are talking lavazza then most 3rd wave roasters will be too light. however, if you just don't like the really acidic fruit bomb styles (i don't like these either), then a couple to try - although maybe these were recommended previously, I can't remember

yellow bourbon espresso blend:
https://yellowbourbon.net/collections/shop/products/espresso-blend-2

square mile red brick:
https://shop.squaremilecoffee.com/products/red-brick

Edit - I missed the "local" bit. Are you looking for a coffee shop or supply of beans?

Wandsworth.

@ChasnotRobert thanks for those. Ideally I would be able to pop down and try out, but might just order some YB an and give it a whirl… Square mile I’ll have to keep an eye out for.

I have you been to the Algerian Coffee store in soho? Lots of darker type roasts

Here is obviously the best place to ask, but I was just watching a video last night where the guy was saying that results for searches in Reddit were way more useful than google ones, even tiktok and instagram were getting better hits.
This may be old news to everyone on LFGSS but me.

Really enjoying this at the moment: https://www.theclimbinghangar.com/blog/tch-exclusive-neighbourhood-coffee-blend
https://www.neighbourhoodcoffee.co.uk/product-category/coffee/

started my first bag of Red Brick in about 6 years, still bangs. wasn't intentional when I ordered it but made me think of LMNH

Thanks, that’s also a good shout. Having a look around I see they do a Monsoon Malabar, which I’ve enjoyed from elsewhere. Will report back!
Appreciate the advice, all.

Monsoon Malabar

I'm very much on the light-roasted African coffee side of the preference scale, but that coffee is the only one that I've ever had that I just couldn't finish the bag. Even cutting it with some medium-dark roasted South American stuff was too over-powering to drink.

Malabar definitely wasn’t one for me I have to admit.

Went to get some cheese from Neal's Yard on Essex Road yesterday and thought I'd try a cortado from Devotion a couple of doors down as I hadn't been before. I think I've been drinking 'just OK' to 'pretty good' stuff from coffee shops recently cos this hit me like a lightning bolt as soon as I took a sip; just phenomenally delicious. I have beans in the house so I didn't buy more but they have loads for sale from all over, including The Barn which I don't see that often in the UK.