Coffee Appreciation

ZP6 Special is on its way to me from Taiwan. Any top tips from anyone who owns one? I think there was at least a couple of people here who had them.

Oooh, nice. Lemme know your thoughts - I rate my Q Air a lot but I'm very aware it's boulder-heavy and always wonder if something even more consistent would be a level-up.

Will do my best to compare my JX-Pro to the ZP6. Have had the JX for coming up on four years so it felt like I could justify an upgrade considering I only drink lightly roasted washed coffee nowadays. The JX is great but it produces quite a lot of fines.

Just learned via fb that Jamie who founded/owned Ancoats Coffee has died.

RIP Jamie.

DF54 incoming (via Bella Barista rather than direct). I currently use a Fellow Ode (v.1) for pour-overs and a hand grinder for espresso. Hoping the DF54 will cope with swapping between both tasks. Won't miss hand grinding for more than one espresso but I'll be sad to move the Ode on.

I’m sending my made by knock feld 47 back for a refund. It’s nothing to do with the grinder. It’s just so much effort.

It’s not too bad for espresso but for brewing coffee 30g feels like an age.

It’s just so much effort.

I really like mine, but agree here. Tempted to get a Niche Zero, but they're so expensive. Is there a decent single does grinder that's not £500?

Fellow Ode can be had for half that if it's for filter etc.

The tricky bit is finding one that can switch between espresso and filter. If you just want espresso, there’s a few options. People really rate the Eureka Mignon.

https://df64coffee.com/products/df64-gen-2-single-dose-coffee-grinder?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw-O6zBhASEiwAOHeGxYgcqjfSWkMraZVB4Qj0hfOUxCkJ4pNgn39bla_q0OuCazPPq4RreBoC8EwQAvD_BwE this is what I will get to replace a eureka mingnon and sage grinder (which I used for filter)

Sage Smart Grinder Pro flicks between espresso and filter pretty easily. Also does 'single dose' if you just dump the desired weight of beans into the hopper. A big grinder like a Mazzer might struggle with single dosing like that, but not a small domestic grinder IMO.

You can pick up a niche for £300-£350 if you’re lucky. EBay or coffee forum.

I do like the idea of a hand grinder but again it’s effort.

I'd either be getting this or the Niche (which I have) from reading reviews these still seem like the best options at sub £500

I have a Mazzer I single dose with. I put a tamper in the top to stop popcorning and I blow it clear with a lens blower. Works great.

i struggled to get this to grind fine enough for espresso.

I have a rancillio rocky. I’m currently getting some parts 3D printed. A bellows, some sort of funnel for the top and a stand that puts the machine at an angle.

You weren’t doing it right or it was broken.

Yup, I've got the base level Mignon. Hardly ever use it for espresso anymore but it's easy to move the burrs when I need to. I bought an Etsy single dose bellows kit, much nicer than the OEM option which just looks daft to my eyes.

Ha all the different coffee chat for me looking back at my order history.

Started buying YB Espresso blend in may2020 and have continued to go through 1kg per month ever since..

Lelit Mara and Compak E5…dialed it in once and have not adjusted anything since…

Why change a good thing.

Amazed that grinder tweaks haven’t been needed considering the seasonal change in green crop, roast profile, roaster, temperature and humidity.
That and not cleaning the burrs in 4 years!?

Maybe they should have been, TBh I have never cleaned the burs in all of that time..

It’s still tastes great so I never really saw the need

Actually thinking about it, I take it all with me when we go to Cornwall in the summer so I guess I have to set it back up again each time, but I have marked the dial so just put everything back in the same place

I second this.

Had a Mazzer mini and now a major and a tamper works a treat. I need to remove the mesh on the chute to aid single dosing but it works well!

I always thought the processes were designed to avoid fermentation (drying in the sun, turning regularly) but this coffee suggests otherwise?

It is ok flavours, but a bit "thin" so I'm going to play with ratio e.g. 80g/l from standard 60g/l.

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All coffee processes use fermentation at some stage I think, but certain e.g. natural or black honey ones really want to encourage the type of flavours you'd associate with fermentation, like those boozy, overripe stone fruit-y anaerobic naturals. Washed coffee still has a fermentation period to break down the mucilage though.
The yeast process seems to involve taking more control of which yeast is present during fermentation, rather than I guess wild yeasts, and having specific flavours come from that.

I have a DF 83 on eBay at the moment. Would happily sell here for 250, collection sw11. For me the workflow is a little bit less clean than the niche which I owned previously, but the taste is much better