Coffee Appreciation

Since were on the subject of Kaffeine I was a bit unimpressed with their flatwhite when I went the other week, willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and try again as I hear so many good things about them. On the plus though their banana bread was amazing!
Whats the general opinion of Fernandez and wells? Was really impressed with their house blend, very interesting flavours.

http://www.uk.jura.com/home_pt_x/products_commercial_use2/impressa_xs90_ot-cappuccino.htm

We broke this on the 3rd day, the technition was in yesterday and told people not to touch some frothing lever thing. It's fucking squeaky! Coffee result is quite pour (puntastic moaning) but it's free.

£2K p.o.s.?

Can you folks throw some opinion on a Gaggia Baby Espresso? I have some wedding vouchers left over for John Lewis, and its either a £200 coffee machine, or linen and feckin' crockery and cutlery.
Please note, i don't need the "if you've got another £100, you can get this, get that..." , thats very kind, but my missus is giving me an opportunity to spend on something* I* want and it feels like ive hit the big time....

Get a Gaggia Classic

http://www.dixons.co.uk/gbuk/gaggia-classic-ri8161-espresso-machine-04877680-pdt.html?srcid=867&xtor=AL-78&istCompanyId=4be69b13-f6de-4a80-8d9b-22e0185f57a7&istItemId=mrilxaw&istBid=t

£223 delivered

However........have you already got a decent grinder for espresso? Otherwise its not really worth buying a machine

I'm afraid I wouldn't really recommend the Gaggia Baby if you're looking to replicate the kind of espresso you get in the quality coffee bars, the minimum requirement for that is a Classic with a quality grinder.

I've said it before but espresso at home is a disappointing PITA unless you want a new money pit of a hobby. If I had £200 of John Lewis vouchers I would buy the KitchenAid grinder and a digital scale, then fall in love with the awesome brewed coffee I'd be able to make.

N.B. The KA grinder isn't great for espresso if you're planning to get a machine at a later date.

Edit - Beaten to it! ^^

in defense of the baby i have an older baby-dose. it has the same internals as the classic and the same group head. i had no problems with it and find it similar to the classic in use. it's the cubika that has the alloy group head and different basket.

i would get machine then grinder at a later date. i managed for a year or so by getting beans ground in the shop, but then i had decent places to go (monmouth/espresso room/flat white) even then every 5th bag might be to fine or coarse so went in the cafetiere.

I seriously need to get a grinder... you can only do so much with Illy.

What I want is an app that tells me if I'm near a decent coffee shop. Then it might be worth stopping whilst I'm out and about/stuck in traffic.

good advice, good advice.
I'm gonna get that grinder, and give my beautiful wife some change.
I do love a french press, and this will make it so much more exciting.
Cheers friends.

Maybe think about getting an Aeropress and V60 (check out hasbean.co.uk) and of course some lovely beans. They both make very different coffee to a french press. It's all about variety!
Sod giving change back to the wife

I paid £275 for the grinder, knock box/stand, bits and bobs and machine pictured below, it makes better coffee than anywhere I have found in Forest Hill so far:

Bainbridge, I like that.
the aeropress makes a good brew then?

Aeropress makes great coffee, as does the V60. Both are really easy to clean and more of a 1 cup option (though you can get a V60 in 2 cup). I have a very nice espresso machine/grinder and use my hand grinder and these 2 as least as much as it. For one thing you have to warm up an espresso machine in the morning! Aeropress is pretty much un-fuckup-able which is perfect for the morning. Loads of shit on the internet about it too

http://www.brewmethods.com/

Ok, I think its time to start saving for a rancillio rocky. Seems like a pretty safe option.

http://www.brewmethods.com/

Crikey, just followed that link and watched a couple of vids. One of them the guy had digital scales, filter paper, some sort of spectrophotometer and was using graphs to determine the brew strength. Next level coffee geekery.

Right, I've set my pressure using the guide on coffeegeek that bompcup gave us a couple of pages back. First time it produced 80ml of water in 30 secs, quick adjustment and it's now bang on at 100ml. Looking forward to cranking the machine up tomorrow morning :0)

Funny though, I thought they were always creating too much pressure. Hippy, did you do this once, or did you get the machine second hand?

What I want is an app that tells me if I'm near a decent coffee shop. Then it might be worth stopping whilst I'm out and about/stuck in traffic.

If youve got an iphone, both coffee map and beanhunter work pretty well and both are free.

Thanks!

If youve got an iphone, both coffee map and beanhunter work pretty well and both are free.

The best one is called "London's Best Coffee". Only the best, each one is curated and properly reviewed. Even has info about which beans, machine, and grinder each café uses.

Been using a Gaggia baby for a couple of years and it's fine. Obviously not as sturdy as the Classic since it's plastic construction but up to daily use no problems. Some folk find that it doesn't froth too well but it does quite well with the small rubber o ring placed on the bottom of the three grooves inside the steam wand.

Right, I've set my pressure using the guide on coffeegeek that bompcup gave us a couple of pages back. First time it produced 80ml of water in 30 secs, quick adjustment and it's now bang on at 100ml. Looking forward to cranking the machine up tomorrow morning :0)
Funny though, I thought they were always creating too much pressure. Hippy, did you do this once, or did you get the machine second hand?

I may have tweaked it. To be honest I can't really remember but it's likely since I had the top off so it'd be rude not to :)

I may have tweaked it... I had the top off so it'd be rude not to :)

giggles

Not sure if these will work but they are 3 coffee maps I have saved..

London's Best Coffee
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msa=0&sll=51.528183,-0.113468&sspn=0.081058,0.222988&ie=UTF8&ll=51.525727,-0.097675&spn=0.081062,0.222988&z=13&msid=218292097595236464265.0004653f4e1c981bdd0f2

London Coffee
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=51.52813,-0.113104&spn=0.162115,0.445976&z=12

Good Coffee London
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=54.661124,2.15332&spn=9.655963,28.54248&z=6&msid=208525610927351753545.00044d6c0a754e8848d58

I just got back from Monmouth with a kilo of orgasmic espresso blend.
2hr ride to get beans > 250k audax I was going to do.