Coffee Appreciation

You're not meant to drink the grounds at the bottom. snip.

Innit! Drinking coffee grounds promotes gastro intestinal distress (and its a bleeding horrid taste).

You're not meant to drink the grounds at the bottom. Leave it to settle before drinking, then when you tip the cup the sludge stays down. Once you've drunk all of the good stuff you then (traditionally) turn over the cup and the spent grounds are used in some sort of "reading" / fortune telling kind of thing.

Did that! Left it to settle so it was ready for me at the end of my meal. I think it's fair to say it just wasn't my cup of tea.

On a different note, descaled my Gaggia over the weekend and it's now pumping out oodles of crema-packed goodness. Unfortunately it's also blonding a bit. I can see now why so many people get obsessed with this sort of thing...

Did that! Left it to settle so it was ready for me at the end of my meal. I think it's fair to say it just wasn't my cup of tea.

On a different note, descaled my Gaggia over the weekend and it's now pumping out oodles of crema-packed goodness. Unfortunately it's also blonding a bit. I can see now why so many people get obsessed with this sort of thing...

I try to descale on a regular basis too. The best crema is produced (for me) by the freshest ground oily bean style coffee. I do not grind my own but buy fresh ground from Harrods ( number 7 option on their pre-printed list of goodies) and store in freezer.
Might spring for a half decent grinder one day...

I always used filtered water (Brita) in the kettle and my stove top. Saves on descaling.

I had my first Turkish coffee on Monday. What the fuck is wrong with you?

Got to agree with Tomasito...

I like Evin on the high street (or is that kingsland rd? whatever)... and the ladies in there are bloody lovely too!

I always used filtered water (Brita) in the kettle and my stove top. Saves on descaling.

me too. middle-class high five?

I try to descale on a regular basis too. The best crema is produced (for me) by the freshest ground oily bean style coffee. I do not grind my own but buy fresh ground from Harrods ( number 7 option on their pre-printed list of goodies) and store in freezer.
Might spring for a half decent grinder one day...

I might have to pop by Harrods next weekend...

I've been using Illy grounds (in the round tin with the red band) since day one, and I feel I really ought to try something different to see what works. I know that crema isn't the guarantee of a good shot, but it's still good to see it there.

My problem is that the crema really isn't as 'thick' as the stuff I tend to get from a 'proper' coffee shop. They seem to have about a centimetre of the stuff, while I have half that - maybe less.

As I said above, I'm having a problem with blonding too. My shots were really improving until the machine needed descaling, and since then the machine's been flowing much faster. I've tried harder tamps, but as the shots are blonding sooner, maybe I need a finer grind too.

Shit - I'm turning into a coffee geek...

to get an espresso that looks like guiness settling, then grinding your own is the way to go

get a burr grinder, not a blade one and experiment with how fine you grind

to get an espresso that looks like guiness settling, then grinding your own is the way to go

get a burr grinder, not a blade one and experiment with how fine you grind

The problem there is price - looking around it seems you can get hold of one for around £40, but the reviews of these when it comes to getting a really good espresso ground are terrible. What do you use?

one of these

have a look on t'bay

Thanks to all for the pimping of Monmouth. Short-ish walk from my office is now a daily thing.

I picked up some espresso for the weekend and they asked me "for the grind - what type of espresso maker?" I almost cried.

Problem is, the stuff's so nice my coffee intake has now doubled. I 'weirded out' a bit the other Saturday when I had two 6 cup stove tops to myself...

When the little man on the side of your Bialletti starts talking to you, that's when you stop.

Thanks to all for the pimping of Monmouth

?

Thanks to all for the pimping of Monmouth

?

Read thread.

"Thanks to all of you who recommended Monmouth Coffee as a place for getting really good coffee." [/translation]

what is 'blonding'? i know about crema but not 'blonding'
it sounds like some kind of chav ethnic cleansing in Essex

what is 'blonding'? i know about crema but not 'blonding'

Blonding is a sign of under-extraction or fast extraction. Basically it means that the water's passing through the grounds too quickly to get a decent flavour. It can also be watery. A decent espresso shot is supposed to have inconsistencies in colour, as below:

But blonding looks like this:

And you end up with an espresso looking like this:

In the end, it just means it won't have the smooth flavour that a good espresso is supposed to have.

it sounds like some kind of chav ethnic cleansing in Essex

Although I wish it was...

thanks, that explains it.

As you pull the shot the colour gradually lightens turning blonde.

The longer you leave it the more bitter it will be. You just want the juicy oily guts at the start :)

To cunting slow. I didn't see that other page of posts! I kill you!

As you pull the shot the colour gradually lightens turning blonde.

The longer you leave it the more bitter it will be. You just want the juicy oily guts at the start :)

To cunting slow. I didn't see that other page of posts! I kill you!

If it helps, I haven't got a facking clue what a 'flat white' is...

Check this place out.. it's got one of those fixiegear bikes on it!
http://www.flat-white.co.uk/

I'll see your

And raise you a

Cona Vakuum Coffee Maker is where its at

together with this

(legendary Zassenhaus Coffee Grinder)

at the moment I use the Espresso beans from Carluccios , which I can recommend

I have a bialetti stove top and don't ever get a satisfying crema. Is it because I'm using ground coffee rather than grinding it myself?

I also find it's very easy to boil the coffee if not taken off the stove immediately.

try a Bialetti Brikka, which features a patented crema pressure valve. It works.
manually grinding is best just before brewing because cheap electric grinders get to hot.