Coffee Appreciation

I know this is heresy, but this morning I'll be walking over to Starfux and getting myself a Caramel Macchiato.

I just can't resist it.

I know I'm a bad person.

No! don't do it. Go to AMT instead and get a Latte with cinnamon or a hot choc with marsh mallows.

1. where can i get a pressurised stopper for my pavoni europicola? (the big black one that goes on top)[/quote]
   
   

youve prob already found them, but Fairfax carry Pavoni spares

No! don't do it. Go to AMT instead and get a Latte with cinnamon or a hot choc with marsh mallows.

Love it! You've got me salivating......

Until.......I find out that the closest AMT is Liverpool Street.

Not close enough. :(

The handle for the Gaggia Baby D arrived yesterday.. that's machine 2 ready..

My Gaggia water reservoir arrived today.. that's machine 3 ready..

Picking up a Aristarco grinder from Twickenham on Saturday..

How's life with the grinder Hip?

wotcher Bcup - just ordered some of the luchadores espresso, be giving that a blast next week [got my eye on a mazzer mini at the mo…]

Nice. And nice.

How's life with the grinder Hip?

Train fail. The guy didn't make it to Twickenham today due to weather-related train cancellation so I have to wait a bit longer for it. Bought another pack of cheap pre-ground to tide me over.

Unlucky. Get yourself a kilo of the cheapest whole beans you can find to get the grinder dialled in. Gets you in the ballpark so you don't waste too much of the good stuff finding the correct setting.

Will do.. once i have the grinder. :)
Thanks for your help.

Wayne: Did you still want me to order some of the Square Mile stuff for ya?

Coffee and cycling seem to go hand in hand, but then I guess cycling and stimulants always have. Stumptown and Intelligentsia, two of the most forward thinking roasteries in the States sponsor Cyclo X teams. One of them has a female team member who says something in their pofile about a tandem reacharound. Everything else got jettisoned from memory.

Dunno what the ettiquette around here is about outing e-bay items but with al the talk of Mazzer grinders I should point out that almost any commercial grinder will be a welcome addition to the kitchen worktop. Here's an auction for a Compak K5. I had one of these and they're excellent, if slightly ugly. It's cheap at the mo, sorry if anyone is already watching this.

BTW I don't know the seller, just pointing out a good looking auction. Buyer beware.

bombcup: The timing glass below.. are you supposed to use two of them with the double portafilter basket and get them both up to the line? Or, should you only use one and a single spout portafilter with, I presume, a single shot basket?

Timing Glass: http://www.happydonkey.co.uk/hd0371.html

Signed,
Confuzzed, Ealing

i just dug my old stovetop thingo from a box in my mum's garage. that baby's definitely coming back to London with me :) (the stovetop, not my mum).

+

on route..

Anyone got any experience with decaf expresso? I'm trying to cut down on my caffeine intake but as ive already got a Silvia and a decent grinder i dont want to cut out coffee drinking altogether........

If its shite though I might have a decent second hand set-up for sale!

While we're on the decaf coffee can anyone give me tips on good alcohol-free beer and the best brand of electric bike? ;)

I know................. :-(

Last week I picked up some Sumatran decaf beans from Monmouth St Coffee. It's dead nice, very rich and smooth. Still beans so you can grind away, get the freshness and taste. Yet it's decaf.

I've become so addicted to the taste of coffee that I'm drinking way above what I should be... hence my switch to decaf in the machine for 90% of the time and the remaining 10% I'll carry on with the full strength stuff. Very little difference between the two.

The beans are basically £18 per kilo.

^^ that sounds promising VB, I too have a serious addiction to the taste of coffee but find decaf gererally lacking. Good tip, I will look into it. :)

bombcup: The timing glass below.. are you supposed to use two of them with the double portafilter basket and get them both up to the line? Or, should you only use one and a single spout portafilter with, I presume, a single shot basket?

Timing Glass: http://www.happydonkey.co.uk/hd0371.html

Signed,
Confuzzed, Ealing

Hmm, doesn't say the volume on that link. Basically, and this is what we use in our customer espresso training, the rule of thumb is a double basket should deliver 60ml (2fl oz) in 25-30 seconds before the shot turns very pale and transluscent (blonde). So if the glass is 30ml, you should fill one from each spout in 27ish secs, or 1 60ml glass from both spouts.

Confused? You will be.

i drink coffee with the grains in the cup....
just started doing it lately and it's a lot easier than filtering the coffee using a machine or whatever.
you have to remember not to gulp that last part though cos it's full of the grains :)

why not just chew on the coffee grinds and cut out the water? you could save even more time...

Hmm, doesn't say the volume on that link. Basically, and this is what we use in our customer espresso training, the rule of thumb is a double basket should deliver 60ml (2fl oz) in 25-30 seconds before the shot turns very pale and transluscent (blonde). So if the glass is 30ml, you should fill one from each spout in 27ish secs, or 1 60ml glass from both spouts. Confused? You will be.

bombcup, that glass is 2oz.
(need to go up a level: http://www.happydonkey.co.uk/shot-glasses-coffee.html)
I only have 2-spout portafilters and don't want to buy a single one just for this so may have to do some juggling or something to get this right.

I could just buy a couple of 30ml whisky shot glasses and use them. Who's a clever cookie? ;)

i drink coffee with the grains in the cup....
just started doing it lately and it's a lot easier than filtering the coffee using a machine or whatever.
you have to remember not to gulp that last part though cos it's full of the grains :)

That's how my gf's parents drink it. Grind into cup, hot water, stir, settle, drink.
Similar to Turkish coffee. It's ok but I pefer to be able to down the cup without having to eat part of it :)