Coffee Appreciation

http://www.happydonkey.co.uk/hd0866-iberital-mc2-auto.html

This is the cheapest electric grinder that is any good for espresso.

You can sometimes pick up used commercial grinders cheaply however they can be pretty big (although less huge without the hopper on top)

£114 gets me the cheapest thats any good? Fair enough...thanks for the advice...off to raid my kids money box.

Unhelpful for grinder purchase, but just as a shout out: There are a lot of factors that go in to an espresso's crema. Freshness of beans, time of shot (and therefore grind size/tamping/etc), pressure, roast, bean varietal, probably other stuff (I think humidity even factors in).

It all goes in the mix.

Have my work cut out...thats clear. Hope this is not an emperor's clothes situation.

The dualit's a decent grinder in as much as it has proper conical burrs. It grinds quite fine and can be modded (link) to grind even finer and to take out some of the wiggle-room in the burrs to be more consistent. Mine produces decent espresso as long as the coffee's fresh, although I have to use quite a lot of coffee and double-tamp.

Might be worth a look if you can get a second-hand one for cheap like this (mine's lasted for ages).

Go to coffeeforums.co.uk and pick up a used mc2 for £70 or so. Happy Donkey cheekily show price exl VAT.

Ps - anyone got an espro calibrated tamper they want to sell on? PM's please.

D-goods: it's a never ending persuit for a better cup, for me the process of trying to make better coffee is just as enjoyable as drinking it

Hand grinder? Bit of excercise, and you are away. Also if you are lazy you can adapt it so you can use an electric screwdriver/drill to wind it.

Anyone taken an Aeropress, grinder and coffee on a plane before? As in, with your carry on luggage?

I think xDOMx has, saw it on his Instagram. Saw it on someone's Instagram anyway.

I guess you just ask for some boiling water.

Damn good idea.

Anyone taken an Aeropress, grinder and coffee on a plane before? As in, with your carry on luggage?

Yes. It was fine.

I wouldn't like to have someone go through my bag and ask me what an aeropress was though. It doesn't really look like a coffee maker.

Anyone taken an Aeropress, grinder and coffee on a plane before? As in, with your carry on luggage?

Yes several times. No problem. Only time they checked (Luton), they could smell the coffee on it, so we're totally fine.

Cocaine?

If you're offering.

I think xDOMx has, saw it on his Instagram. Saw it on someone's Instagram anyway.

I guess you just ask for some boiling water.

Damn good idea.

Yes. It was fine.

I wouldn't like to have someone go through my bag and ask me what an aeropress was though. It doesn't really look like a coffee maker.

Yes several times. No problem. Only time they checked (Luton), they could smell the coffee on it, so we're totally fine.

Thank you all very much - I've packed it all ready to go. I just didn't want to get to the scanner and have my coffee lifeblood stripped from me!

Just reading up about descalers, and Happy Donkey say that the Puly stuff is okay for Alu boilers, just don't leave it in too long (20 min max)

Puly Baby works fine on Aluminium boilers so long as you don'e leave it in there for too long, suggested amount of time is no longer than 20 minutes.

http://www.happydonkey.co.uk/hd0588-puly-baby.html

You know there's that link to Aluminium and dementia? Is this TRUFAX? Do not want dementia. But do want awesome coffee. Anyone able to shed some light on this?

According to this : http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_myths_about_alzheimers.asp - no. But they can't spell aluminium so I'm not sure you want to trust them.

Just got my knock top tamper and it's lovely. First shot pulled with it was spot on, which seems like a good omen. Thanks for the recommendation.

^^^ just spat out a mouthful of toasted aluminos

Just got my knock top tamper and it's lovely. First shot pulled with it was spot on, which seems like a good omen. Thanks for the recommendation.

huzzah!

All sources I have read say that our good, American, aluminum is fine for brain health. I am not sure about that weird stuff you guys have though.

If you're offering.

Nah just teasing, but wasn't ground coffee used to disguise coke and heroine smugling.....yeah I watch Beverley hillbilly cops

You know there's that link to Aluminium and dementia? Is this TRUFAX? Do not want dementia. But do want awesome coffee. Anyone able to shed some light on this?

Aluiminium sulphate is used in water treatment, Look up camelford where the sulphate was put in the wrong tank and 20,000 people were poisened.

Aluminium is highly reactive and the outer coat is the oxide, so you have to be careful not to remove the oxide. Or go to a brass boiler.

If it is a stove top use the pot a few times to get rid of the metallic flavour using old spent coffee. You are not drinking the coffee just cleaning the insides out.

Just replaced my old Dualit with this, and holy hell it's much better, no longer I have to coaxed it in getting me coffee, or spend ages holding the jug to get the milk to the right temperature.

Ahh, this is going to be an easy life...