Coffee Appreciation

Yeah results are reasonable, and consistent.

Did a little reboot of dosage and grind before I went out a couple of hours ago - pulling some excellent shots by the end. Still seem to be getting a little water layer, but certainly less than before.

This mornings update - up to 20g and backed the grind off, no water left at the end but shot was quite slow. Will back off the grind a little more I think.

I'm terrible at describing where anything is in the Wharf but it's South Quay, map and stuff here:
https://www.taylor-st.com/pages/south-quay

Has anyone made coffee soap before?

I think Mrs c00ps has made coffee face scrub stuff before. I will ask...

Is that the same? I have no idea.

Similar I think, its basically melting soap then letting it set with old coffee grounds in, it is abrasive too

Sounds like the stuff. She says it was 'OK'. Due to toddler tantrums, I can't get much more of an answer out of her!

I just unexpectedly received a Moka pot as a present - any tips for getting the best from it?

I just had a go with c.14g coffee that was pre ground for v60, brought the water to the boil relatively quick, then let it simmer for a bit. The result was pretty good actually - and fucking strong. I've had some horribly bitter stovetop brews and want to ensure i don't make whatever mistake resulted in those efforts.

boil?
simmer?

^ That's not how I make coffee with a moka - water in pot, coffee in filter in pot, screw down top, place on medium heat, wait for black gold.

I just meant i blasted it on high heat til i heard the water in the tank bubbling then i turned the heat down for a minute to keep it ticking over without going bonkers

I see.
One thing I've found is that different makers require different amounts of coffee/water. My Bialetti "Moka" (stainless) needs a bit of overfilling with coffee (no tamping) and my Bialetti "Kaliffa" (alu w/pressure disc) works best with half the recommended water and coffee.

^^It will probably be coming out over extracted that way.
Grind finer than for a v60. Boil water in a kettle but stop it before it 3/4 of the way though and then put in the moka pot. This will reduce the 'boiled' taste.
Have it on a low heat with the lid open so that it comes out of the central spout in a slow ooze. Turn off the heat before the crema whites out. Cool the pot in cold water to stop the extraction (if you're as picky as I am).
As ever, good freshly ground beans will improve the flavour immensely.

Has Bean Brazilian Cachoeira - so good these beans. Chocolate wafer / nutty chocolate thing.

Here's a quick summary of what James Hoffman's World Atlas of Coffee has on the moka...

Ratio:200g/litre. Grind: Quite fine/salt, not an espresso or very fine grind. Slightly coarser to minimize bitterness in the cup.

1. Grind coffee, fill basket so even and level, don't compress the coffee.

2. Boil a kettle of water (advantage of starting with hot water is the coffee doesn't get as hot, reducing bitterness).

3. Fill bottom section of brewer to just below the valve, don't cover it.

4. Put coffee basket in place. Ensure rubber seal is clean. Assemble brewer carefully ensuring a seal.

5. Put pot on low - med heat leaving lid up. The faster and harder you boil the water, the more pressure you will create and the faster the brew process will be, you don't want to go too quickly.

6. Coffee should appear in top chamber. Listen for gurgling sound and turn heat off when you do. This sound indicates most of the water has been pushed up. To carry on will bring steam up through the coffee, making it bitter

7. To stop the brew, run the bottom of the pot under cold water.

Hope this helps. I'd recommend the book if anybody is considering it. I find myself coming back to it again and again.

That is the kind of pro tipz i wanted! Thanks @jdp and @tomatoe. Will try it out tomorrow

Prufrock today. Top, top notch stuff from staff to food to espresso in EC1.

Any recommendations for wholesale beans for an office? Looking for about 5-8Kg a month

We use these guys: https://www.coffeebeanshop.co.uk/

We get a mixed box of random beans from them every now and again.

This stuff is the bomb: https://www.coffeebeanshop.co.uk/indian-tiger-stripes-espresso-blend-p-989.html

I get Weanie Beans for our office. Some espresso blend, some decaf and some filter for caffetiere.

Cheers, have already spoken with Pepe, looking forward to testing some samples :)

How do you make coffee in the office?

Relatively cheap bean to cup machine

Can someone tell me why the price of almost identical filter baskets varies so much from store to store? After a new Gaggia double filter basket.

Also, any thoughts on Puly vs Cafetto for cleaning?

Thanks!

Some will be official gaggia. Some will be oem. Add to that not all stores can buy from the Italian or Spanish exporter, many will have to go through a middle man in the UK.

Either works well. Cafetto is.better on the environment.

Just got a kilo of lavazza filter beans for the v60 for cheaps.
Might need to readjust my brew as first cup is pretty disappointing to say the least. Prefer the cheap tesco beans we normally buy :/