Coffee Appreciation

Thanks everyone - lots to think about :)

Coffee related question.

My mum has just started running a pub in a Norfolk village, which currently just serves real ale and crisps. She is opening the kitchen and wants to serve tea and coffee. It's on national cycle route 1 so a fair few cyclists passing but it ain't exactly London, think more CTC than Rapha gentlemen's race. Otherwise it's combination of locals and moderately discerning tourists.

Anyway, she doesn't have a coffee maker apart from an aeropress that I bought her as a present. She has looked at the push button catering machines but the coffee is awful so has discounted those. She is reluctant to spend big money on a catering quality machine, and anyway there isn't much room.

So what kind of coffee should she serve, and how should it be made? The pub is fairly small and it would be just 2-3 staff to cover food prep, bar and drinks.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RANCILIO-ROCKY-DOSERLESS-ESPRESSO-COFFEE-BEAN-BURR-GRINDER-CAPPUCCINO-LATTE-/221274807123?pt=UK_Homes_Garden_Kitchen_Kettles&hash=item3385019b53

Rancillio Rocky Doserless Grinder - Buy it now with P&P for £129.

Too good to be true / legit?

Coffee related question.

My mum has just started running a pub in a Norfolk village, which currently just serves real ale and crisps. She is opening the kitchen and wants to serve tea and coffee. It's on national cycle route 1 so a fair few cyclists passing but it ain't exactly London, think more CTC than Rapha gentlemen's race. Otherwise it's combination of locals and moderately discerning tourists.

Anyway, she doesn't have a coffee maker apart from an aeropress that I bought her as a present. She has looked at the push button catering machines but the coffee is awful so has discounted those. She is reluctant to spend big money on a catering quality machine, and anyway there isn't much room.

So what kind of coffee should she serve, and how should it be made? The pub is fairly small and it would be just 2-3 staff to cover food prep, bar and drinks.

The Nespresso machines are used widely in restaurants, and reportedly in a few Michelin star ones. They aren't as good as a commercial set up with well trained staff, but they'll be easily more consistent than what you find on the high street and for a tiny fraction of the cost for the manual kit and training.

I would prefer a decent drip machine to Nespresso, cheaper to maintain too.
Coffee pods, wtf.

^^^^ A french press.

Life moves slow in Norfolk, maybe the wait is acceptable.

In other news... I managed to get an ok drink from Mark&Spencer own brand Colombian with a big dose, low strike temp and long (1min+) steep in an aeropress.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RANCILIO-ROCKY-DOSERLESS-ESPRESSO-COFFEE-BEAN-BURR-GRINDER-CAPPUCCINO-LATTE-/221274807123?pt=UK_Homes_Garden_Kitchen_Kettles&hash=item3385019b53

Rancillio Rocky Doserless Grinder - Buy it now with P&P for £129.

Too good to be true / legit?

Zero rep and free postage from Spain? If it's to good to be true it ain't true...

Coffee pods, wtf.

This.

I need that on a t-shirt.

So what kind of coffee should she serve

I think the first thing to establish is how good she wants the coffee to be... is the idea to have better coffee than your regular pub? Or do you just mean 'how can three people running a pub serve coffee at all'?

If the former I'd suggest getting an electric grinder, buying in beans from a nice local roaster (couple in Norwich I think), and brew in a Technivorm Mokkamaster. It's a simple drip process requiring minimal training, you brew a litre at a time, takes 5 mins. Could even run two if it's within the budget. Stays serveable in an insulated jug for an hour. (Don't use anything with a hot plate!)

I think pods in a small pub set-up is fine, my in-laws switched from a super-posh bean to cup machine and they much prefer it... Less hassle as far as they're concerned and tbh I've tasted much worse coffee in many cafés...

Just don't let her sign up to the whole Cult of Nespresso thing, that is truly weird...

I have drank coffee made with a Technivorm Mokkamaster and it was good. I feel like half the time I make worse coffee in my v60. Unless patrons need espresso, I would go that route.

So what kind of coffee should she serve.

If the former I'd suggest getting an electric grinder, buying in beans from a nice local roaster (couple in Norwich I think), and brew in a Technivorm Mokkamaster. It's a simple drip process requiring minimal training, you brew a litre at a time, takes 5 mins. Could even run two if it's within the budget. Stays serveable in an insulated jug for an hour. (Don't use anything with a hot plate!)

There are and I know a few of them.

oxfordtoff - if you want a contact name PM me.

Has she considered renting a machine? There are places that will rent you a commercial espresso machine with training and some coffee for £20 a week with a months contract or a Nespresso type pod system for £10.

Anybody had any luck getting a Rancilio Silvia repaired/serviced in or around London?

After 3 years of faultless service there was a large bang from mine last night, the water tank lid blew off and steam was flying out of the rubber tubes. The next time I switched it on it wouldn't heat, so I took it apart and reset the thermostat switch. This got it heating again but unfortunately it now just seems to heat continually (light is always on) and steam is produced from all angles rather than water.

Back to the stovetops I go... :(

For future reference, after several rejections, these guys did my repair...

http://www.coffeemachinecompany.co.uk/pages/about-us.php

@ £140 it wasn't cheap - but it included a full service and about £90 worth of parts, including a new boiler. Given my only alternative was to take a punt on what I thought was wrong, source the parts and try a fairly complex looking repair myself - and hope that I'd done everything correctly - it seemed the safest option.

It's come back looking like new and, curiously enough, working considerably more smoothly than it did when it was new (or since)!

^ result by the sounds of it

Septembers random blend by HB is Pirate. Goes in the hopper tomorrow, although probably better if rested a few days more I'm out of beans.

Grabbed some of Allpress' Brasilian beans. Really nice as espresso. It's not as dark as the Redchurch blend, but I think they've roasted it for espresso-based drinks. Still good in the Aeropress though, but as espresso it's fantastic; syrupy thick, with a dark chocolate acidity.

~~What grinder should i get?
I have a Krups Burr Coffee Grinder GVX231, which was revelation when I first got it, but as my tastes develop and i'm becoming more involved in my coffee making, i think i need to invest in a better grinder.
Ideally i would like to spend under £100, but i have no idea if thats me being unrealistic.
Thanks interneteers!

(apologies if this has been covered a lot)~~
MC2, on this page. /Facepalm.jpg

Have you tried modding the Krups. Might get a bit mre use out of it but it clogs easily. I got a used MC2 for £65 from coffee forums UK this week. There are one or two others for sale too on there.

Does the MC2 produce a noticeably narrower particle size distribution than a Porlex when set to a filter grind?

Grabbed some of Allpress' Brasilian beans. Really nice as espresso. It's not as dark as the Redchurch blend, but I think they've roasted it for espresso-based drinks. Still good in the Aeropress though, but as espresso it's fantastic; syrupy thick, with a dark chocolate acidity.
Sounds yum. Might have to swing by tomorrow.

Dark chocolate acidity?

Imagine the acidity you get from dark chocolate (like the tangy almost bitterness you get on your tongue), except it doesn't taste so much like chocolate. Really easy to brew this one.

Grabbed some of Allpress' Brasilian beans. Really nice as espresso. It's not as dark as the Redchurch blend, but I think they've roasted it for espresso-based drinks. Still good in the Aeropress though, but as espresso it's fantastic; syrupy thick, with a dark chocolate acidity.

I just don't rate their beans that much. The Redchurch makes rubbish espresso - no punch, no distinct notes to speak of and not even the kind of round chocolatey taste you normally get from a blend used for milky coffees. The Brazilian I had a month or so ago was OK, with a nice, sweet acidic hit- but still nothing to write home about.

Finding it hard to spend money on anything except Climpsons these days - the Baron and Daterra beans are both superb and their summer espresso blend consistently produced the best home-made espresso I've managed to make. I have 500g of the autumn blend arriving today.

I'm totally into Climpson's too. The Baron is pretty dark though, and maybe a bit soft for my taste. But then it does what it says on the tin. Their espresso blends are always great, and I've generally found to be lighter than Allpress. Suprised you didn't like the Redchurch blend though.