Lets talk about COFFEE

[R.O. Thornhill]

Still settling in, but first impressions are very good - both on build quality and espresso-delivery

 

[cchen]

Still settling in, but first impressions are very good - both on build quality and espresso-delivery

This looks like the setup we had in our previous office...... but I never learned how to use it

 

[supermang]

Still settling in, but first impressions are very good - both on build quality and espresso-delivery

Looks amazing in that counter space with the led lighting! Glad to hear it's pulling sick shots right outta the box crate. Now go get a bottom-less portafilter

 

[Newcomer]

Howdy.

So, my wife has asked for an espresso machine for a "push present". In my youth, I was opposed to such a concept. However, after watching her carry my child for the past 6 months, I'm beginning to think it is merited. Plus, I am digging the permission structure that she gave me for an espresso machine.

Leaning towards an E61 machine of some sort. Something in the $2,000-ish range. Fine with going a little more, or a little less. Also will want a grinder, and understand that grinders are also expensive. Would appreciate any suggestions.

Just for some background - wife and I are huge coffee drinkers, and love espresso / espresso drinks when we can get one. I am the coffee-maker in the household, and am comfortable with a learning curve - I tend to nerd out with these sorts of things. I WFH, and so does my wife, so I am fine dedicating some time every day to making a drink (I drink 2-3 big cups of coffee per day). It will mainly be used by my wife and I. However, I want to be able to make more if I need to. We have a decent sized kitchen, so space is not a huge issue.

This sounds silly, but would like something that is aesthetically appealing.

 

[BigBadBernard]

If you’re drinking mainly ‘big‘ cups of coffee then you will get more utility from using the pour over method so spend your money on a good grinder and pour over gooseneck kettle and spend a bit less on the espresso maker.

I make espresso a couple of times a week and use Hario filters daily for pour over. Makes more sense then blowing out on an espresso maker and using it to make americanos.

 

[Despos]

@Newcomer
How do you make coffee now? Do you want to steam milk with this machine?

 

[cb200]

Makes more sense then blowing out on an espresso maker and using it to make americanos.

If a pregnant person suggested an espresso machine... my gut is telling me a Hario V60 might not be met with a parade.

 

[Newcomer]

@Newcomer
How do you make coffee now? Do you want to steam milk with this machine?

Right now, drip coffee.

I would like to be able to steam milk with the machine.

I had a manual espresso machine for a while and I loved it. Lost it in a move.

If a pregnant person suggested an espresso machine... my gut is telling me a Hario V60 might not be met with a parade.

Yeah, you are correct. This is the decision over diamond earrings.

 

[stro]

as i like to say on here and most places, i'm extremely uninformed and not to be trusted, but! a thing i greatly appreciate about my profitec 300 is how quickly the tiny little baby boilers heat up when i decide i need a coffee right now. and as much as i personally appreciate that feature, the lady to whom i find myself legally bound (and to whom my ~2 month old now finds himself physically attached) appreciates it even more.

 

[aragon765]

Right now, drip coffee.

I would like to be able to steam milk with the machine.

I had a manual espresso machine for a while and I loved it. Lost it in a move.

Yeah, you are correct. This is the decision over diamond earrings.

Breville Double Boiler and Niche Zero Grinder fits well inside your budget (diapers are expensive!) and is a pretty deadly combo for espresso and milk-based drinks. Then buy a cheapo pour over for your mugs of "regular" coffee.

If you prefer "Italian chrome" over the Breville "light industrial" look, you can get a machine from Bezzara, ECM, Rocket etc etc etc and spend as much $$$ as you want. But you won't get a better quality espresso than the Breville DB. Lots of good resources out there if you really want to go down the rabbit-hole at home-barista.com forums...

 

[R.O. Thornhill]

Looks amazing in that counter space with the led lighting! Glad to hear it's pulling sick shots right outta the box crate. Now go get a bottom-less portafilter

Have now been using the bottomless portafilter for a few days - and you are right, it makes a huge difference. Couldn't be happier with the results I am getting. Only issue is the sheer volume of espressos I am now drinking

 

[A Y]

I've been trying out a new V60 method for the last few weeks. Previously, I'd used the Hoffman/Rao method, which is a high-ish agitation method and got it dialed in so it was really sweet and consistent, but it made different coffees less distinct even though the cup was always pleasurable. I've been using the plastic Hario holder as well as the original tabless filters, and Third Wave Water classic profile on RO water.

Switching grinders from a Kinu M47 with the brew burr to a OE Lido 2 made the flavor a little spikier and not as smooth (the brew burr on the Kinu has a really freaky way of smoothing everything out), and that was different but not better or worse. What was worse was going back to a Baratza Encore, which is not bad by itself, but definitely inferior when you compare it to either of those hand grinders. I tried to match grind size as closely as possible.

So I got a bunch of things including an OE Apex grinder, which is a manual grinder that uses ghost tooth burrs that is supposedly very unimodal in its output as well as producing very few fines, and a Melodrip, and after a week of frustration, things seem to be coming together nicely. I'm not sure I have something that's very different yet, but I can at least get to the same level of sweetness as the previous methods, using a slightly modified form of the Melodrip C recipe. For a 20g coffee/333 g water brew, I bloom with 60ish grams, then another 60 with a stir, and then a bunch of 50 pours with no stirs to get to the final weight. Total brew time is a little under 4 minutes from the start of the pour of the bloom to when the coffee bed has mostly stopped dripping.

The resulting acid character is very round, and balanced in the flavor profile, and sweet. A spikier acidity is probably the biggest difference I notice between different grinders, and this is an aspect of coffee that I enjoy the most. Any of the great Kenyas is my kind of acid and fruit structure.

Anyway, I'm not sure there's too much to report other than having fun exploring a new method. I've been spoiled with so much great coffee recently (various Paradise and Howell Ethiopians, as well as Howell's Kenya Mamuto AB) and discovering a great new roaster: Regalia in Queens. They had the most amazing washed Ethiopian Gesha selling at normal coffee prices with the most floral, perfumey notes I've had as far as I can remember. They have a Kenya coming up next, and I'm looking forward to seeing what they'll do with that.

 

[Despos]

@A Y
Curious to use a V60. They make them in plastic, glass, porcelain and metal and in 3 sizes.
What size do you use?
Do you prefer plastic model?
What filters do you use?
What would you recommend to try from Regalia besides geisha? Floral coffees don’t do it for me .

 

[A Y]

@A Y
Curious to use a V60. They make them in plastic, glass, porcelain and metal and in 3 sizes.
What size do you use?
Do you prefer plastic model?
What filters do you use?
What would you recommend to try from Regalia besides geisha? Floral coffees don’t do it for me .

I have the decanter version, mainly because I saw James Hoffman used one and it looks cool:

https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Drip-Coffee-Decanter-700ml/dp/B00755F9Z4

Since then I've discovered that the plastic filter holders will soak up less heat than the ceramic ones so they're faster to heat up. Speaking of heating up, I recently started doing a trick where I put the filter holder with the filter in it on top of my kettle while the water is boiling so I heat the whole thing up. The cap of the kettle (a Stagg EKG from Fellow) sits on the filter to hold it in place. Filter size is 02.

For filters, I use the original tabless ones which drain faster than the replacement tabbed ones. Prima Coffee has a pretty reliable supply of the tabless filters, and Amazon is kind of hit and miss with its description. It's also good to support a specialty coffee retailer instead of the Borg, and their shipping is very fast. (Prima is out of stock of the Hario decanter otherwise I'd have linked it above.)

I've only tried two Ethiopians from Regalia, neither of which are available anymore, but I have their Colombian Pink Bourbon in the queue, and I've liked this varietal when I've had it from other roasters, like my local one (Dune).

 

[sam67]

Howdy.

So, my wife has asked for an espresso machine for a "push present". In my youth, I was opposed to such a concept. However, after watching her carry my child for the past 6 months, I'm beginning to think it is merited. Plus, I am digging the permission structure that she gave me for an espresso machine.

Leaning towards an E61 machine of some sort. Something in the $2,000-ish range. Fine with going a little more, or a little less. Also will want a grinder, and understand that grinders are also expensive. Would appreciate any suggestions.

Just for some background - wife and I are huge coffee drinkers, and love espresso / espresso drinks when we can get one. I am the coffee-maker in the household, and am comfortable with a learning curve - I tend to nerd out with these sorts of things. I WFH, and so does my wife, so I am fine dedicating some time every day to making a drink (I drink 2-3 big cups of coffee per day). It will mainly be used by my wife and I. However, I want to be able to make more if I need to. We have a decent sized kitchen, so space is not a huge issue.

This sounds silly, but would like something that is aesthetically appealing.

Entry level as it is, I have used a Breville Barista Express since 2016. Paid for itself in a year. They are now about $700-800. Three of us in the house and does fine. I clean and descale as prompted. I've sent it in once for the group head seal to be replaced and they did it no charge. Last week I was cleaning the grinder and sucked up two washers in the vacuum. Their custom service is sending those and replacement upper grinder to me for free. They offered, I didn't ask! I have found Breville to be a dependable machine with top notch customer service.