Coffee Appreciation

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  • Anyone know a good but reasonably priced coffee machine servicer? It's for a top-notch Astoria machine.

    Maxwell House?

  • Maxwell House?

    Sweet, I'll google the deets. Cheers boss.

  • My bad, that looks like an italian machine you've got thereā€¦

    try Maxicello Casa

  • So... what ridiculously good bean to cup machine should I buy? ;)

    gaggia titanium?

  • Free coffee at S*a*b*c*s today if you fancy that soft of tepid watery gruel they serve?

    http://wish.starbuckscard.co.uk/filtercoffee/voucher.html

    Did this; shouldn't have bothered.

  • Practice makes perfect with the aeropress it seems. Grinding also improved so I'm fairly consistently making very good coffee (by my standards).

    Used a blend of Illy and home roasted beans today. Really tasty.

    It's also improved my sex life. Five stars. Would buy again.

  • Happy days

  • we're looking for a bean to cup for the office as well, though only a couple of dozen of us so not huge volume

  • i-steel turned up today. took 3 shots to get it near enough dialled in. the dose is a lot less than with the stuff i was getting ground but the pour is very consistent and a good 20+ seconds, not timed it i just go on how long it takes to start and if the flow increases towards the end (it doesn't) masses of crema from the last of the hasbean beans so square mile winter espresso for breakfast.
    nicely made bit of kit it would certainly grind fine enough for a higher pressure home machine.

  • ^ Sounds good, thanks!

  • Been looking for a good coffee in central London all week, If you're working around Oxford Circus/Regent Street try here

    Kaffeine on 66 Gt Titchfield Street this morning - they're using Square Mile winter espresso beans

    http://www.kaffeine.co.uk/

  • I'll have to give that a try soon, been looking for a good spot for 2 weeks now.
    Have you tried HR Higgins on Duke Street at all?

  • Anyone been to Wild and Wood on New Oxford St? http://www.wildandwoodcoffee.co.uk/

    Never on any of the lists, but they're serving Monmouth at a very competitive price, really friendly and are pretty much always quiet...

  • Just ordered a Haro Mini-Mill and an Aeropress for a friend. I'm exited like a child before christmass. I feel such a geek!

  • Don't know much about b2c machines but look for something which has adjustable grinding, shot volume and milk temperature if possible. B2c machines can produce good results if somebody takes the care to keep it properly adjusted and cleaned, otherwise there's little point in putting good quality beans in it.
    I've heard good things about Jura machines, though that's more from a domestic point of view. La Cimbali make robust commercial kit.

    That's good. This is the machine in our new office. Some model of Jura..

    Looks like another Gaggia Classic will be leaving me..

  • i have a friend wanting a classic

  • Doesn't everyone..

  • Anyone been to Wild and Wood on New Oxford St? http://www.wildandwoodcoffee.co.uk/

    Never on any of the lists, but they're serving Monmouth at a very competitive price, really friendly and are pretty much always quiet...

    I always pass it on bike but have never been in, I think I'll head there now as it's close by and I am in need of a good coffee.

  • Tenuous for the thread maybe - had a bunch of 7 to 9 yr olds appreciating coffee today whilst learning about the bicycle machines of guatemala (mayapedal.org)

    They all wanted to take the beans and ground coffee (some el bosque i had left over) home by the end, a new generation of coffee geeks :)

  • if there's loads of crema which goes quite dark on top but has disappeared by the time half has been drunk what needs to change?
    pour time seems o.k 4-5 seconds start time after turning on then 18ish seconds.
    new grinder (see above) and the dose is a bit lower so i have a good 5-6mm from top of tamped coffee to top of basket.

    do i back off grind and up dose or just increase the dose and ease off the tamp (currently a fair bit of pressure)

    beans are square mile winter espresso roasted on the 4th, classic/ascaso i-steel
    previously been using shop ground (espresso room or monmouth) that always needs an overflowing basket and a hefty tamp as it's a bit too coarse but results have been good with lots of crema left up the sides of cup and smooth tasting.

  • Drink it quicker?

  • ^I know, I know...

  • How's it tasting? Should be getting plenty of ripe red fruit flavour from it (strawberry / raspberry / red cherry) and the acidity should just prick your saliva glands.

    My Agoga was really improved by leaving it to brew for ~5 minutes instead of 3 (got distracted at work). Much, much better flavour and a lot closer to what bombcup describes above.

  • if there's loads of crema which goes quite dark on top but has disappeared by the time half has been drunk what needs to change?
    pour time seems o.k 4-5 seconds start time after turning on then 18ish seconds.
    new grinder (see above) and the dose is a bit lower so i have a good 5-6mm from top of tamped coffee to top of basket.

    do i back off grind and up dose or just increase the dose and ease off the tamp (currently a fair bit of pressure)

    beans are square mile winter espresso roasted on the 4th, classic/ascaso i-steel
    previously been using shop ground (espresso room or monmouth) that always needs an overflowing basket and a hefty tamp as it's a bit too coarse but results have been good with lots of crema left up the sides of cup and smooth tasting.

    That all sounds fairly normal, you're probably experiencing the effect of freshly ground coffee. 11 days post roast is about perfect for espresso, it will still have some co2 to release when you grind it which causes the crema to dissipate. Preground will have released all the gas by the time you use it which gives you a stable but very lacklustre crema. If you were to make espresso with beans roasted a day or 2 prior you would see loads and loads of rich dark crema dissipating within seconds. Doesn't mean it's not a good shot, it'll taste very young with lots of zingy rapidly changing aromas which jump around on the palate, as opposed to a nicely degassed rested coffee between 5 and 14 days post roast which will be more smooth, subtle and balanced. I enjoy both.

  • bombcup, it's more than just a job for you isn't it? :)

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Coffee Appreciation

Posted by Avatar for justMouse @justMouse

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