Coffee Appreciation

I’ve got that knock grinder. Not sure why I went for it in particular. Just liked it I think.

No issues, takes about 2 min to grind my 16g espresso shots but it does it well as far as I can tell.

Not sure if common knowledge, or if I can give back a little to fellow robot users, but a cork in the tamper makes it easier to get a nice position and push. (Also love the hands advice earlier!)

Managed to get my first single stream today too with grind settings. Very pleased.

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Has anyone flagged their espresso machine and gone to a filter machine? I've had my ecm for about 12 years now and I rarely make milk drinks, usually drink long blacks.
Any thoughts on breville precision brewer or moccamaster?

Is it worth picking up a basic V60/Clever Dripper/Kalita Wave or something to see if you'd actually prefer it in reality?

I've thought about picking up a small Moccamaster every now and then, but it feels like it's a bit of a waste when it's not that much effort to make filter with one of the above methods. No idea on the quality of the result vs a manual brew, this was a relatively interesting read though: https://coffeechronicler.com/moccamaster-review/

I'd buy a clever dripper or V60 first to see if enjoy it. They can be had for not that much.
I recommend the plastic V60, as it doens't require pre-heating.
And then maybe have a look at James Hoffmans V60 recipe on youtube - that has worked very nicely for me so far.

I have these: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brifit-Rechargeable-Temperature-Resistant-Sensitivity/dp/B0CLNPJGC7/ref=sr_1_6?crid=ZJF0QO7YEKD7&keywords=scales%2Btimer%2Brechargeable&qid=1707999907&sprefix=scales%2Btimer%2Brechargeable%2Caps%2C71&sr=8-6&th=1

Cheap and cheerful but rechargeable and do the job well, seems reliable and accurate (my grinder and cup tare is always recorded as the same).

Only annoying thing is, it won't tell you the battery is running low until it can't stay on anymore, so I just pop it on charge around once a month (it lasts longer to be fair) and forget about it.

I sold my Robot after getting bored of home espresso and just kept making filter. A couple of years later I missed espresso so bought a Flair 58. I do not drink milk drinks at home so manual espresso has always made sense for me.

I notice you don't havea pressure gauge or hands for the robot. That's fine. But the one upgrade I would recommend if you can is the self leveling tamper. Its really pleasant to use.

I have the precision brewer and it's my most used way of making coffee, purely due to the convenience. The filter coffee it makes isn't as good as a V60 but it's way quicker and easier, you just press a button and a few minutes later you have a good cup of coffee.
I use a La Pavoni at the weekend if I fancy an espresso/long black and have time but it's a much more complicated, involved process.
Would definitely recommend the precision brewer, if I could only make coffee using one method, that'd be it! A good balance of flavour and convenience.

Had a Moccamaster, now have the sage/breville precision brewer after the Mocca got broken in a housemove.

Both great IMO! The moccamaster looks nicer to me, but has far fewer bells and whistles, so if you like to play a bit more, the precision lets you do more things (I have never bothered!), and has a built in clock, so you can set in to come on in advance which is an excellent feature.

I went with Cafelats own advice of the standard model, especially as a non-expert user.

I did look at getting the hands as someone else recommended them for comfort, but where will i put the tamper now! I might get the self leveling one, do you think it makes much of a difference?

Strong endorsement for moccamaster (the thermos one) from me. I don’t particularly enjoy the process of making V60 or other manual methods at home, just want a litre of excellent coffee on hand without fuss.

The self levelling tamp is easier to use but you have to be conscious not to over do the pressure. I used the standard one for months before treating myself and the output is the same. I upgraded to hands at the same time.

I have an espresso machine and an Aeropress - the machine gets used to make on average four coffees every morning, I can’t remember the last time I used the Aeropress, would be four or five years ago I think.

Thanks all. I have a chemex which makes nice coffee but is too much faff. I like filter and the ease of the machines is appealing. I'm also very lazy, I don't weigh or use a timer, just use a electronic doser and keep everything consistent. 🤔

just want a litre of excellent coffee

Is that just for yourself Steve? That seems like a massive dose! I'm down to 500-600ml a day at this point. Does it keep for a decent amount of time?

Belated thanks to @NurseHolliday and @ltc for the Sage Precision Brewer recommendation. Partner is happy that I've finally decided. OR HAVE I?? I do really prefer the look of the MM.

@Stevethecoffee Do you tinker at all with the MM? Or is it as simple as shove it all in and hit play?

What’s the Aromaboy like for this kind of amount? Saw one on a shelf in 14g or whatever it’s called in Greenwich

No I just do it all as per the instructions, I can’t imagine there would be any positive or noticeable benefit from trying to hack it. I do it the night before and have it turn on with a timer socket thing.

Anyone got a Moccamaster they would like to move on? Interested to try and I have just enough space.

That’s for me and my wife. 2 cups each before we leave the house. I only usually have one more in the day not including cupping and all the technical stuff.

Edit - keeping for a while - yes, it starts to fall off after a couple of hours but it doesn’t often come to that. It will stay hot when it’s full and you’ve put the stopper in for at least 4 hours, maybe 6. It tastes pretty sad by then though.

the link above to the coffeechronicler has some suggestions for hack, like water distribution and added bloom-phase, which sound nice, but makes me think it is a lot easier to just use a V60 or a Clever Dripper

Wasn't actually aware of that to be honest!

It looks like a lovely little thing to have on your countertop, but I'd feel like I was wasting money on it given that I've already got a V60 (with a little 600ml server if needed). I'll have a look at some reviews and maybe pick one up anyway as they're not too pricey (and likely to fall into the category of aesthetically pleasing enough that my wife is happy to have it as another addition to the coffee corner...)

Edit: Looks like the Aromaboy has issues with getting up to temp and isn't great for getting an even extraction as it looks to dig a big hole in the middle of the coffee bed. Will stick with the V60 for the time being!

Yeah I went through a period of making 500ml in the V60 for the morning, so would make sense if I (and my wife) were consuming that much!

Brilliant. It has one job