Coffee Appreciation

As much as I love the name Department of Coffee and Social Affairs, I have so far found their coffee underwhelming and overpriced for what it is. The espresso's I've had there so far have been kind of bland in flavour in comparison to some of the great shots other London coffee shops are pulling. The flat white was more milky than microfoam perfection...

Also, no single espresso option on their menu?

If they can't pull a single then they don't know what they're doing.

I think they can, but they only have single ristretto on their menu ASFAIK, which isn't what I like. Weirdly, the first time I visited I ordered a double, and they brought me 2 singles by accident.

Who know's maybe it will improve, its only been a few weeks open, but right now it seems like they've jumped on the bandwagon of the minimal coffe house boom.

Dibs grinder please.

Also, if I could get some advice too-

I've just started at a new job with a La Marzocco and a propper grinder, and Hasbean beans.

However i'm getting quite differnet shots of Espresso. Fairly consistent extraction time, but some taste quite acidic, whilst others are pretty clean and citrus-y.
Would the fact that i'm still inconsitant/new to dosing and tamping be having that much of a noticable effect on the output?

Ta

Yes, you definitely need to be consistent with your dosing and tamping. If you don't fix these variables it will be impossible to set the grind, temp or water dosage. I'm sure Hasbean provide training for their wholesale accounts.

not been in caravan since it was Al's is the roastery going to be on site?

Yeah, they've been roasting on a 5kg electric Probat in the basement since they opened. You see it when you go to the dunny.

24hrs, oops. I might get some de-ionized water from work for the weekend but this may be a little too filtered and get a brita filter early next week. Are you sure the brita filter takes the limescale out of the water?

Don't use deionised water, it doesn't extract the coffee, use filtered tap water. Limescale is calcium, calcium is a mineral, mineral water's no good.

If they can't pull a single then they don't know what they're doing

I reckon they probably know what they're doing. I reckon they know that the dose that works well for their coffee won't fit into a single basket, and if they've made the decision to use naked portafilters to improve the texture of the espresso then they are unable to split the doubles.

I reckon they know that the dose that works well for their coffee won't fit into a single basket, and if they've made the decision to use naked portafilters to improve the texture of the espresso then they are unable to split the doubles.

Good point.

Yes, you definitely need to be consistent with your dosing and tamping. If you don't fix these variables it will be impossible to set the grind, temp or water dosage. I'm sure Hasbean provide training for their wholesale accounts.

Ok thanks. Sadly I'm still lightyears ahead of any of the other staff so i'm not sure i'll be able to get any training. That, and I'm leaving in a month. Still it give me somthing to focus on. Practice practice practice!

Took hippy's Gaggia Classic off him in the week, and made my first latte this morning. Espresso came out great (haven't done pressure adjustment yet), but I need to relearn how to steam the milk. When I used to do it according to vids on Youtube it would produce too much froth. I've only just realised today that the attachment on my old Cubika was actually a frothing aid!

Hello chaps,

How much of a difference would you expect a ludicrously priced decent quality tamper to make to an extraction time?

I had been using one of those crappy plastic things, which fitted badly, but was relatively consistent for a 25s extraction. However, since taking the plunge on a proper tamper this has more than doubled!

I have already coarsened the grind and reduced the tamp to a limp prod/twist but it's still too slow. Should I really have to change the grind that much to accommodate the tamper? I believe current thinking is that you should grind finer and tamp less in this scenario (although I'm already barely tamping!)?

Cheers

Which grinder are you using? The plastic tampers are bobbins so I'd say calibrate the shot using the new tamper and forget what you were getting with the plastic one. The resulting shots should taste better anyway.
Were you getting any coffee solids in your shots previously?

Nope, no solids in the previous shots.

Grinder is this...

... which admittedly is now the weakest link in my setup (it was probably the strongest link when I bought it years ago, but everything else has subsequently been upgraded).

Right, have perfected steaming the milk on the Classic. Next stop, latte art!

You getting some good results out of that? Sweet. I can still produce finer foam with the Gaggia+Silvia wand than with my Rancilio. Practice makes perfect annoyed I can't get it right. :)

Loving it, cheers hippy. Foam comes out like Imperial Leather lather. Make myself 4 triple shot latte's since I got back from a ride at around 3pm, I can't help it.

Currently can't see the need to go to sleep. Oops...

If getting to Monmouth is now more painful for me and I wanted a regular supply of the same beans (once I've settled on something) who would you lot suggest? hasbean? 500g a week would be enough as it'll be supplemented with experimental bags. Does anyone else have something like that, that's not silly expensive?

Are you really pulling 5 shots/ day or more?
(500/14=35)

I get through approx 100-150g of coffee per week, although that's french press only.

Experience with Hasbean has been very good- good service, fresh, not too expensive. It's the delivery charge that made it seem like it cost a lot.

If getting to Monmouth is now more painful for me and I wanted a regular supply of the same beans (once I've settled on something) who would you lot suggest? hasbean? 500g a week would be enough as it'll be supplemented with experimental bags. Does anyone else have something like that, that's not silly expensive?

where is your place of work?
there are places you can buy square mile and hasbean over the counter,

If getting to Monmouth is now more painful for me and I wanted a regular supply of the same beans (once I've settled on something) who would you lot suggest? hasbean? 500g a week would be enough as it'll be supplemented with experimental bags. Does anyone else have something like that, that's not silly expensive?

Best bet would definitely be get intouch with hasbean and set up some sort of standing order every week, say one bag of espresso and one 'in my mug' coffee of the week. It'll just be a parcel of awesomeness dropping through your door each week.

Best bet would definitely be get intouch with hasbean and set up some sort of standing order every week, say one bag of espresso and one 'in my mug' coffee of the week. It'll just be a parcel of awesomeness dropping through your door each week.

'In my mug' is pretty fantastic, that usually sorts me out with occasional top ups from SQM.

500g of coffee a week? Is that for 2?

Are you really pulling 5 shots/ day or more?
(500/14=35)
I get through approx 100-150g of coffee per week, although that's french press only.
Experience with Hasbean has been very good- good service, fresh, not too expensive. It's the delivery charge that made it seem like it cost a lot.

Yep. But (I don't have scales I wonder how close I am getting to 14-15g?) I don't grind uber effeciently since I grind for a double shot and any excess goes into a tub that I take to work. Now that I don't have an espresso machine at work I will probably use less - good point.

There's also some test shots or failed shots early in a bag that I might grind wrong and chuck out.

It's still nice having a bit extra for the missus and visitors. Before and after a ride I could drink 4 doubles myself depending on what's on and Mal will usually have one or two.

I was buying Monmouth in 1kg bags and the thing is, when it's there, I will use it. If I see I'm getting low I stop drinking so much coffee at home and end up buying it near work.

Best bet would definitely be get intouch with hasbean and set up some sort of standing order every week, say one bag of espresso and one 'in my mug' coffee of the week. It'll just be a parcel of awesomeness dropping through your door each week.

Do you work for their sales dep? :)

"I could drink 4 doubles myself"
i have to limit myself to 2 and not have any after 4pm as that's me wired with no sleep.
if i had 4 doubles i would definately have the shakes and a massive headache.

the worst hangover of my life was caffeine based, mates wedding where i took it easy and drank water or coffee between the fizz or wine, had a few cappuccino's and espressos through the day as they had a decent machine in the bar, finished the evening off with an espresso martini.
i was quite sober on the way home but as soon as my head hit the pillow it was like the jump to light speed in star wars, didn't sleep well and sat at work next day trying to decide on shitting myself, puking up, passing out or all three. never again am i drinking that much coffee and adding a bit of alcohol.

I don't mean at once (although I have done) but 2 doubles before a ride, 6 hours later two doubles isn't anywhere near overkill in my book. Drinking espresso with Digger while cycling in Italy though, that's a recipe for heart attacks.. :)

Anyway, I know how much coffee I need. Looks like I will be giving hasbean some coin soon.

Get Max to fill that PAC up at Monmouth before he drops it off?

you can pick up hasbean coffee at espresso room (as well as square mile)
dose sells square mile and possibly hasbean
milk bar and flat white do their house beans roasted by square mile and other square mile beans