Coffee Appreciation

Hi everybody, first post.

I'm as geeky about coffee as you lot are about bikes, I ride a SS converted alu road bike which wouldn't win much acclaim round these parts so forgive me for not posting in the pictures thread.

Anyway, @ Mooks, try buying some really fresh beans. Illy is roasted several weeks or months before you actually use it and despite the nitrogen packed sealed can much of the CO2 and aromatic compounds vital to achieving rich crema have dissappeared by the time it reaches the cup.

When I have used Illy (whole bean and ground with a Mazzer) I can get reasonable crema for the first day after opening the tin but after that the beans stale incredibly quickly. The best espresso is made with coffee roasted between 1 and 3 weeks before use.

BTW, I've got no bike porn but plenty of coffee kit porn. Here's the home setup:

Espresso grinder

Espresso machine. KitchenAid (read unipack) grinder since upgraded.

Brewed coffee grinder

Christ...I am green with envy!