Coffee Appreciation

Someone has been watching coffeetok

I don’t “do” ticktok, I’ve watched too much stuff on YouTube though that’s probably influenced it!

What do people think the chances are of getting a niche duo or eureka mingnon single dose Black Friday discount?

Hey I'm bringing an old Mahlkönig Columbia back into service, but can't find new burrs for it. They're a bit oddball - 50mm outside diameter, 30mm internal, and two mounting holes. Anyone know where I could get some?

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Just been sent some beans from exhale coffee - meant to be healthy coffee. Not tried them yet.

https://brewitgroup.com/ are the UK distributor for Mahlkonig and all the spares. If they don’t have them you might need to look at getting a machine shop to sharpen them.

I use the same machine for filter at the roastery, lovely piece of kit

Awesome. Thanks for the tip Steve. It's a reassuringly solid machine, lots of cast steel and a big old motor under the seventies plastic. I was surprised at how wee the burrs were when I pulled them out

Shop mills have a pretty easy life compared to espresso grinders - if you’re happy that you’re getting good definition of flavour from the coffee you can leave the burrs alone. They’re usually good for many hundreds of kilos.

Anyone know if LoFi Coffee in Crouch End has closed down? I normally go there without fail for a coffee and snack after the gym at the weekend, but hadn't been for a few weeks cos I got hurt at judo and then got Covid. Today I walked up there and it was closed, plus the espresso machine wasn't there and the counter space was very empty. Shame if they're gone cos I rated them the best coffee in the area; they always used Dark Arts beans and obviously knew what they were doing.

Edit: saw Sunday night that they announced on social media they're closing. Shame! There are other places nearby like Beam but I think they concentrate more on their food than the coffee.

Kev's Coffee Blog Competition this month is for a Sage Barista Touch Impress.

It's a simple email needed for entry at the link here

Thought it might be of interest to a few of you. You can easily un-subscribe from the emails end of November (after winner is announced etc).

Have ended up picking up a mignon specialita on eBay, it looks like a pretty clean one and cost £260, I’m not sure I actually need single dosing, as I tend to buy a small bag and use that up over a few days, and think the timed dosing should be accurate enough for me, and simplifies the process, which should now just be grind, distribute, tamp and drink. This does mean my lovely walnut organiser is potentially obsolete…

But if I’m not convinced with using the big hopper I can get the single dose kit and stand and use it that way…

Contrary to popular trends I ended up ordering the larger hopper for my Silenzio, haven’t looked back.

I’m perfectly prepared for ridicule given the level of stuff being recommended on here, but I was just given a Krups machine (XP5600 I think). Sure it’s beneath contempt for the pros but I’ve been having fun making macchiatos today. I have a ready source of good beans (I usually drink pour over or French press) and a Wilfa Svart grinder that does a decently fine grind. First shot was surprisingly good, despite my not weighing anything, not poking anything with a tiny poky whisk or any of the other things I’m supposed to do. Hope this isn’t the beginning of an expensive new hobby.

I was looking at nicer machines but I got offered this one as a freebie and thought it would be a good idea to see how much use I get out of it. It’s super easy and quick to use, and I haven’t had a bad shot yet.

I think starting cheap and enjoying yourself and the coffee is the best way. Where it gets tricky is when people are already espresso snobs/connoisseurs and then want to set up a rig at home that will produce the same shots as their local fancy coffee shop. That’s where the starter equipment needs to be a bit more spenny to avoid disappointment (but there’s usually quite a bit of disappointment anyway).

Very disappointed at the low quality of this little ulka pump. It gave up after a mere 23 years of use. And a new one cost a whopping £17 on Amazon, was super easy to install and means my old Brasilia Lady is now working perfectly again. Pah!

Edit: I shall send a fax of complaint to 74149 and wait for them to get back to me.

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Your calmness when faced with such abysmal components is commendable.

Yeah that’s my thinking. I’m by no means a snob (I can’t afford to be really) but I definitely favour quality over quantity when it comes to coffee. I’m lucky to have a couple of really good spots out here in (faversham, Kent)that do great espresso and a good selection of beans.

I used a Gaggia Cubika that cost £50 off ebay for over a decade. I still rate it, but @rhb had a Gaggia classic going cheap so I couldn't say no!

Dpd are killing me… 4 days to deliver on a 24hr service….

I bought some mancoco decaf beans. The brew tastes of very sugary instant.

The decaf process is "brown sugar cane". (Edited)

Am I grinding sugar coated beans through my machine, then dissolving it into the brew?

Bin & back to django decaf if so.

Yeah I saw their post about not renewing the lease. I'd found the whole crowfunding thing weird when they launched that and the fact they never made the target I guess meant this was on the cards.

Velazquez and van Wenzel over on Park rd do nice coffee if you're into lighter coffees (which LoFi also did well at), otherwise the old school Armoni a few doors down from LoFi roast their own beans and do a good, old school Italian espresso if you like stronger stuff.

Sourdough Sophia is said to have nice coffee but I've never tried it. Their croissants are some of the best I've had, but it's all pretty ridiculously expensive in there. Great for a treat though!

If i were going to upgrade my Silvia to a dual boiler machine what’s the forum approved model? I’m limited to a similarity footprint in terms of width…

Lelit Bianca or maybe just get a Decent?

Silvia Pro?

Lelit Elizabeth is the most similar in size.....price is reasonable and it's a fantastic machine