Lets talk about COFFEE

[Mannion]

What would be an electric grinder of similar quality to an Aergrind?

 

[A Y]

How long can I expect the Encoré to last for with regular use and care?

A good long time. Baratza is also great about servicing their grinders, and besides the price/performance of their grinders, their service is another thing that really stands out about them.

What would be an electric grinder of similar quality to an Aergrind?

Baratza Encore is comparable. I have a 1st gen Aergrind, and it is agricultural in build quality: sharp edges on the crank arm, that can catch and tear off your nail, bottom floor of the catch can falls off, etc. I understand it's improved since then.

 

[chobochobo]

I've had my Rocky for around 14 years of daily use for coffee and espresso. Still works like the 1st day I got it...
Once in awhile I'll throw a Grindz in it, and that's it. Bullet-proof.

I had a Rocky for a long time too. It was okay. Main problems were a tendency to clump if you like to dose directly into the portafilter for espresso, and the retention in the machine - I had the doserless model, and you would have a small mountain of ground coffee stuck inside.

my hand grinder was a no name cheap crap, though my habit of violently shaking it so I get all the grinds out probably have something to do with how it broke so quickly...

That's probably the biggest factor that confuses the picture. Good grinders cost a lot of money. I went through that whole weighing pros and cons - I wanted the Zero Niche grinder which would have been about 6000HKD vs one of the best handgrinders the Commandante c40 which was 2000HKD. I'd be thinking, why would I want to pay so much for a hand grinder. Of course there are a host of decent electric grinders in between. I was considering the Baratza Sette 270Wi which is about 4000HKD. In the end, I picked a 1Zpresso hand grinder, a new kid on the block, which has been pretty good so far, built like a tank so I challenge @clee1982 to break that one.

I also see it as 2-4000HKD saved that I can spend on the espresso machine - probably a Robot.

 

[MrG]

Got some maui when i was in Hawaii that blew my mind. Basically all of it is good so long as the beans are not burned. Btw @MrG if you ever go to Your Dekalb Farmer's Market they have a good Kona even if it's a bit toasty. Their other beans are good but you can't get anything above i think it's the classic roast because man they roast those beans....

Hula Daddy, Rusty's, and Paradise are great ways to try out good Hawaiian coffee beyond the traditional Kona profile. For Kona, I've really liked what I had from Kona Coffee Purveyors: their coffee actually has some acid unlike the boring smooth profiles Konas usually have.

And as Ed points out, using 1st world labor, they are much more expensive than coffees from other places in the world. It really makes you think about how sustainable coffee is in the long term.

Thanks, dudes. I'll put these on my list. I don't mind paying the premium for Kona, but it certainly helps to have some guidance so I don't waste my money.

https://www.sunergoscoffee.com/products/mexico-chiapas-mayan-harvest

Thanks for this. I bought a bag of the Chiapas and threw in a bag of their Ethiopian since I was already placing an order.

 

[Ambulance Chaser]

I guess this isn't the thread to post how much I like my Nespresso?

 

[edinatlanta]

I guess this isn't the thread to post how much I like my Nespresso?

Dude nespresso is ******* awesome. The quality to cost at a push of a button? Phenomenal. Dudes hating on nespresso are looking for things to **** on.

 

[edinatlanta]

Thanks, dudes. I'll put these on my list. I don't mind paying the premium for Kona, but it certainly helps to have some guidance so I don't waste my money.



Thanks for this. I bought a bag of the Chiapas and threw in a bag of their Ethiopian since I was already placing an order.

Next time you head to the office stop at East Pole. Probably the best roaster in Atlanta and on the way to your work.

 

[chobochobo]

I'm okay with Nespresso too. In fact, I neglected my Rancilio Rocky and Silvia for many years, because it's just so convenient and very predictable. Plus you can get non-Nespresso capsules easily since they lost the patent. I could get capsules from Cafe Terzi or Sant' Eustachio when travelling. A water leak in my el cheapo basic Nespresso machine prompted me to look at alternatives.

Grinding today. 1Zpresso JX-Pro. Espresso grind @ setting 2.9. 38g of beans took 200 revolutions of the handle and about 2.5 to 3 minutes. No retention. 1 minute to clean with brush and the rubber bulb air blower thing.

 

[A Y]

Nespresso is fine. You should only do home espresso if you want another hobby.

 

[mhip]

reported

 

[chobochobo]

It can be an exercise in frustration. I got my Rancilio's out after several years of neglect. Cleaning out, descaling etc and then taking almost half a bag of beans to dial in the grind. I drink maybe one or two cups of coffee a week when at home. Obviously not worth the hassle.

 

[clee1982]

Definitely not making espresso at home (or in general not an espresso drinker unless I’m in Italy, or I would just get the cheapest nespresso model... didn’t know you can get 3rd party bean these days good to know.


@chobochobo, yea don’t think I’ll break a proper hand grind, it was the cheapest crap I could find

 

[chobochobo]

Definitely not making espresso at home (or in general not an espresso drinker unless I’m in Italy, or I would just get the cheapest nespresso model... didn’t know you can get 3rd party bean these days good to know.


@chobochobo, yea don’t think I’ll break a proper hand grind, it was the cheapest crap I could find

You could have gotten them many years ago, at least 10 if not more. I think their patents lapsed in 2001 but they were trying to reclaim some protection, but it was all made final in 2016 I think. The first batch of capsules from Sant Eustachio that I got in about 2008 were terrible in that the capsules didn't really work, half the time you got a watery shot. (Sounds urological).

 

[Gibonius]

What's a third party Nespresso capsule maker that doesn't suck? I tried one, can't remember what it was, and it was a decided step down and not much cheaper.

 

[chobochobo]

Can't help you there. I've never looked for an alternative per se. I tend to just get them whilst travelling. The ones from Cafe Terzi are very nice. I've had them from fairly nondescript cafes eg in Palermo, where the inhouse drink was good and it was also good at home, sans the holiday atmosphere.