Coffee Appreciation

I came into this thread yesterday to find the best place for AeroPress filters, by the end of the day I'd ordered a metal filter, a grinder and two bags of beans.

Thanks for nothing, forum.

But you could have a free water filter system!

I'm visiting London soon for the first time, would anyone care to recommend a few must-stop coffee places, thanks in advance

I was really tempted by that because our tap water is rank sometimes. Does it fit to a single tap or work for the entire water supply?

@Spratty94 if you're central, Taylor Street Gallery is worth checking out. I've been enjoying their filtered offerings lately. 2 Botolph Alley EC3R 8DR

@Spratty94,

download this app, will give you a list of their top coffee places, and will make sure you're always able to get coffee from somewhere good wherever you are in London

http://londonsbestcoffee.com/

Help me find a new grinder!
I'm no nerd with coffee so I have no idea what to ask for to find what I want.

We have one of those cheap blenders with a little dull steel knife that whirls around. It makes a jarring noise and the coarseness is completely inconsistent.

I want something that's more of a mill actually, this will hopefully be a bit quieter and more consistant, but I like the small size and easy use of the kind I have.

Any suggestions or hints, please?
Available in europe with EU plug and not too expensive...

Thank you.

Prufrock are still the best IMO, progressive in the industry, great for chats and obviously good coffee.
Then Workshop Holborn is just round the corner.
Noble Espresso at Kings Cross for unbelievably consistent delicious espresso and banter.
TAP Wardour St, quietly doing their own thing and the filter is always outstanding.
Association for a good representation of Square Mile coffee in a somewhat corporate setting.
Continental Stores if you're in Bloomsbury.
Esters if you're up there.
Browns / Daily Goods if you're down there.
Craft Coffee on Maltby St if you're at the weekend market.

There's decent coffee to be had in a lot of places but I've got to say a lot of the shops on the app are terrible. I'd like to know more must-visits, haven't done the rounds in a while!

Look at the Baratza range

Where can I learn more about different coffees and their origins. From Mendehling to Malabar, what are they, where from, how do different brewing methods affect their flavours, etc etc.

Is there an online resource with this kind of information including maps/links to beans to purchase etc?

Hi if your anywhere in east london try the Tin Cafe corner of Middleton Rd/Kingsland Rd E8 best coffee by far, its a small independent with great interaction between staff and customers......

Can you post links please? Interested for my classic.

http://www.theespressoshop.co.uk/en/Gaggia-Brass-Shower-Plate-Holder-57x14mm-Reviews/r-1976.aspx

http://www.theespressoshop.co.uk/en/IMS-Integrated-Shower-Screen-Gaggia-55mm/m-2010.aspx

just ordered today, happy to let you know how i get on before you buy if you like.

I have both plate and screen fitted to my Gaggia Baby - as recommended by @Colm89

Also did the steam wand modification while I was at it.

The machine works really well on filtered water and pulls espresso (nearly) as good as decent coffee shops.

I've obviously not been paying enough attention to the thread during the 2 years my machine was out of action, might have been inspired to get it working again sooner had I known.

If you reduce the operating pressure on the Baby you'll get textbook espresso thats at least as good if not better than a decent coffee shop. Its really easy to do and made a huge difference to mine when I did it.

I am wondering if the brass element will require a lengthened pre-heating before using the machine as its much denser (or whatever makes it retain heat better)

I doubt it. Most of the heating is getting the mass of the boiler plus water up to temp; the brass plate attaches directly to this and has a relatively small heat capacity.

Prufrock, Climpsons (amazing beans there) and Allpress for me. The latter two tend to have medium roasted beans, whereas Prufrock is more in the light roasted camp, in my experience.

Have a coffee meeting in Mayfair tomorrow 11ish.

Is there somewhere nice for a brew with some space to sit down at a table and not be drowned out by braying din?

I know the Department of Coffee place in Leather Lane has one in Regent Street. Is that a bit wanky? (Out of touch with London coffee scene).

Tips appreciated.

Piccadilly also a do-er.

Prufrock is also on Leather Lane if you're down that way.

That'd be great ta.

Thank you, not ready to pay over a ton for a grinder yet though.

Cafe manager here at work wants to improve our coffee offering, has just asked me test these beans for him, looking forward to giving them a whirl...

... I've already suggested that I could give him a list of roasters he could get samples from for me to further test. Keen to take him on a tour of local coffee roasters/cafes too if work would allow us the time.

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I was really tempted by that because our tap water is rank sometimes. Does it fit to a single tap or work for the entire water supply?

You connect it to the mains and it filters water that then comes out of a little tap (included) which you can fit wherever you want - if I had room inside my units I'd fit the little tap next to the coffee machine so I could fill it direct from that.

The box has everything you need, including mains-takeoff, pipework, filter unit, tap etc.