Coffee Appreciation

Those are the best beans I can get locally.

Interesting - suspect it'd be nice over ice?

Hmm, could be.
I was drinking a friend stash so I'll have to see if he has any left to try like this.

That is because all those coffees are naturally processed. If you like that (I sometimes love it, sometimes it gets too much) then keep an eye out for any 'naturals'.

cheers, really should take time to learn more about effect of processing on flavours etc.

Amazon had a refurbished Gaggia Classic for £110...

I succumbed...

Amazon had a refurbished Gaggia Classic for £110...

I succumbed...

Yes! Great choice - fired mine up for the first time today and works great.

Only thing is, coffee has a bit of a bitter/water taste initially - there was loads of sediment in the water tank which I cleaned out, but I presume the machine needs descaling?

I know it's wrong, but I love this stuff - friend brought me back a couple of tubs from Newfoundland......ohhhhh it's so good

Timmys tastes like chicken to me.
This is in reference to their regular brew.
I don't look for chicken in my coffee.

Yes! Great choice - fired mine up for the first time today and works great.

Only thing is, coffee has a bit of a bitter/water taste initially - there was loads of sediment in the water tank which I cleaned out, but I presume the machine needs descaling?

Backflush aswell. Loads of info & expertise to get you started over on the coffeeforums gaggia section.

Anyone had Beans from Booths (northern supermarket)?

They had a wide selection of countries / blends / roast types that all get a score 1-5 1 = mild. Beans are in a hasbean style bag, but £3 for 250g.

BBE date on different packets ranged from 2 weeks time to Nov, so reckon going on Nov BBE probably not long roasted.

Came away with a Citrusy Guatemalan, will report back once I've tried it... could be good emergency coffee for when Square Mile / Hasbean runs out...

Machine descaled, cleaned, polished. Illy medium roast purchased to replace Qualitata Rossa.

Coffee no longer tastes like ass. All is well.

It's quite nice to have simplified the coffee situation by loosing the gaggia, tbh. Back to using the trusty old bialetti and have gained another square foot of worktop.

The Classic has turned up, it's sitting on the kitchen counter at work...

I'm on a late shift tonight so I might be practicing on the firms time! ;-)

Warming up for the first brew...

OMFG, that jug/kettle/WTF that is.... "CONA" couldn't be traded in Portugal.
Not good.

OMFG, that jug/kettle/WTF that is.... "CONA" couldn't be traded in Portugal.
Not good.

Ha, ha! I've just Googled that! :-D

I'm using it to keep the filtered water in overnight as Southern Water chlorinate the stuff.

I ♥ my Gaggia Classic, wish I'd got one years ago...

They weren't made in teh 40's dude...

I ♥ my Gaggia Classic, wish I'd got one years ago...

Wish I'd be able to make great coffee from the start.

Wish in one hand and shit in the other. See which piles up first... ;-)

(Extra points for which graphic novel I'm quoting)

Finally got to an Intelligentsia cafe – took myself down to the one in downtown Chicago two mornings in a row. They're refreshingly dorky in there, no pretense, just a really great selection of coffee. Lovely bright fruity espresso and a varied brew bar, even at peak times. The mind boggles at how so many people can walk past that place with venti soy caramel macchachinos or whatever it is they have in the buckets they sip from...

The mind boggles at how so many people can walk past that place with venti soy caramel macchachinos or whatever it is they have in the buckets they sip from...

If they enjoy a bucket of sugary puke I don't think they'd like anything from Intelligentsia.

Am I the only one who prefers Italian style espresso to all the new wave stuff that's out there now?
I've tasted from Victoria and Vancouver to Seattle and Portland to Chicago, and I just can't get on with that stuff; some of it seems virtually lemon-flavoured. I've heard the arguments about complexity et cetera but it just seems a little too too.

The brighter espressos work better in milk, in my opinion. I agree with what you're saying for straight espresso though.

Yup, I definitely need to take those coffees as macchiatos.

The staff in Monmouth are great, but their espresso is hugely disappointing and their bean prices are ridiculous. Sorry had to get that off my chest.

I want to do a coffee ride - pick our favourite/best/oldest/most interesting/most talked about coffee houses/roasters/baristas around London and do a highly caffeinated tour.

Just putting it out there. Not got much time atm to actually plan it.