SteveWinwood
Member
I'll head off to the gym in about two hours and try to work a bunch of this off thanks for the advice! I have a few meetings I have to attend first though so those are going to be a blast. This cold water feels amazing.
Coffee |OT| Taste as good as it smells
- Thread starter NewFresh
- Start date
I'll head off to the gym in about two hours and try to work a bunch of this off thanks for the advice! I have a few meetings I have to attend first though so those are going to be a blast. This cold water feels amazing.
TarpitCarnivore
Member
The only way I've ever been able to come down from excessive caffeine is exercise so good luck. In fact I'll sometimes have coffee before a bike ride and make sure whatever I'm eating during has some caffeine in it.
OfWhiteSkinOnRedLeather
Member
Someone's gonna be posting real late on GAF tonight. lol
bennywhatever
Member
Anyone into Decaf coffee? I love hot coffee, but I'm a lot more sensitive to caffeine than I used to be and one cup drives me up the wall.
Easystride
Member
Does anyone know of a durable coffee grinder for under $75? I've had really bad luck with those $30 grinders from Costco.
TarpitCarnivore
Member
Under $75 is tough, real tough. The Bodum Bistro is probably the cheapest one you'll find that is a burr grinder. Burrs are infinitely better than blades and finding a good burr grinder will be at least $100 (Bistro's price). If I were you I would keep an eye on Baratza's refurbished store for an Encore.
How big? Manual or electric?
I have a Hario slim hand burr grinder (2 cups) and it is fantastic. Only cost me ~30 from Amazon.
Easystride
Member
Thanks for the suggestions guys! Those hand grinders have always intrigued me. I'll only be grinding coffee for myself, so it wouldn't be too bad to have to do it manually. It's probably much more quiet than an electric grinder, too, so that's a plus.
How's the cleanup? My grinders have always left a mess.
I will also keep an eye out for those Barazta refurbs. I've read good things about them.
TarpitCarnivore
Member
I clean mine every time I buy a new bag. When I had a Mini Mill (hand grinder) it was really easy. Just unscrew the top, rinse with some soapy water and let it dry. With my Baratza it takes a little more time, but I'll rinse the hopper, container and rubber flange between the hopper and burrs. For the burrs I just use a wire brush. I'll then used canned air or just give the body a few taps to get any grinds out of the open area that drops grinds into the container. With both of them I always grind a scoop after it's all done to get any extra fines and oils out.
The Mini Mill and Porlex are both very good hand grinders if you wanna go super cheap. They're burr style, but require your muscle to get stuff ground. I only upgraded to my Preciso/Virtuoso because I was getting more brewing styles (kalitta, v60 and aeropress) and wanted to speed for grinding.
I'll second using the hand burr grinder.
I got this one as an upgrade from my blade grinder.
I know it's not the best, but it's a burr grinder at least, and easy on the wallet.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004T6EJS0/?tag=neogaf0e-20
You'll get some fine dust collecting at the top of the container (near the lid, it sticks to the walls), but the actual grinds you get at the bottom seem pretty uniform.
nicoga3000
Saint Nic
Sorry if this has been asked to death, but french press vs aeropress? I have heard french is much harder to clean and the taste difference is minimal. I'm thinking of grabbing one for christmas.
Real talk: they're both a pain compared to normal drip which can make fine tasting coffe just as well.
That said, French press is more difficult to clean but I think it produces a taste that's more unique compared to drip than an aero press.
nicoga3000
Saint Nic
Would you suggest a better setup for drip instead then? I had Intelegensia coffee done via cone drip (?) in Chicago once...And it was super delicious.
TarpitCarnivore
Member
It's 100% preference. Like a bit of sediment and more oily cup, then get a french press. If you like a cleaner cup that can be more concentrated, get an Aeropress. If you like the taste of a french press you can buy a metal disk filter for your Aeropress and get a similar taste profile. There is definitely a taste difference between them as one is cleaner and the other is more bodied.
The french press is only difficult to clean if you're incapable of unscrewing something. It takes 30 seconds to get it cleaned.
No, the OP was correct. The french press offers a different taste because there is no paper filter. Paper filters take away some of the oils that are present when you brew coffee. Additionally the french press leaves some sediment in your cup which is something people enjoy. It's a preference.
That's more like a coffee flavoured smoothie.
Coming from an Italian background, it's what I use at home all the time. We always call it espresso, even though, like you said, it's technically not. My GF bought me a small Bialetti express moka pot for our place and I love it.
At work I stick with a Bodum french press and a Hario slim burr grinder.
For the guy asking about it and said he'd look into it, this is the one I have. ($30 CAD right now.)
Clean up is pretty simple. I empty out the lower chamber of grounds and usually just dust it out with a dry paper towel. I leave the upper chamber as is. If I'm ever switching beans (this happens maybe once every month or two once I finish a bag), I'll run some water through the top and leave it to dry for a few hours before putting beans through it. Dead simple.
grandwizard
Member
I have a Hario Mini Mill and I love it.
That's the same one I have as well. I want to get a proper electric one eventually since I do sometimes get tired of manually grinding but it does a really good job at least.
baby steps
Sounds like you still don't like coffee. But whatever floats your boat.
why does my coffee taste sour? I bought some new coffee just last week, had it grounded in the shop and the first day I made it it was the best coffee I ever had.
One week later and it's starting to taste sour. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I boil the water, let it sit for 30-60 seconds and the pour it into my french press. let it brew for 3-4 min and then simply pour it into my mug. I store the coffee in a glass jar with an airtight plastic lid. Maybe there's something wrong with my storage? I can't explain it. I want that good taste of the fresh coffee back :/
One week later and it's starting to taste sour. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I boil the water, let it sit for 30-60 seconds and the pour it into my french press. let it brew for 3-4 min and then simply pour it into my mug. I store the coffee in a glass jar with an airtight plastic lid. Maybe there's something wrong with my storage? I can't explain it. I want that good taste of the fresh coffee back :/
Well, coffee starts to lose its flavor rapidly (i.e., within hours) once it's ground, so that may be part of the problem. Also, if you're storing it in a glass jar, make sure it's not getting a lot of direct sunlight or anything, although I sincerely doubt that's impacting your coffee flavor or anything so dramatically.
Otherwise, I'd recommend just make sure you're cleaning your French Press between uses, especially if you're getting unwelcome flavors from past brews. You may want to try ratcheting down the temperature on your water -- it should be under a boil, not actually boiling -- and/or trying upping the water to coffee ratio to try to dilute some of the sourness you may be tasting.
Dice
Pokémon Parentage Conspiracy Theorist
If you keep your ground coffee in a well sealed canister, make sure to pack it down so there isn't a lot of air between the granules, and also keep it in the fridge. That should help prevent it from losing it's flavor so fast, but it needs to be a good canister so it doesn't let fridge flavors in. Still, grinding the beans as you need them will always be better, and in general being freshly roasted also makes a big difference, so if they were roasted in the shop before you bought them, that will be a factor.
I didn't know there was a coffee OT.
Over the past month I've pretty much been discovering coffee for the first time.
Aside from a few sips of an Americano and a mocha, I've pretty much had no experience drinking coffee my whole life. Just had no interest. But my dad was recently getting into quality coffee because his work has a K-cup machine, so I was determined to get him a decent set of hardware to make good coffee at home.
Our house only ever had instant coffee, I decided to finally try some. It was terrible tasting black, but adding enough sugar and milk made it palatable. So this mission to find something good for my dad led to me completely immersing myself in different methods of coffee making (drip, chemex, french press, etc), and figured Aeropress made a super clean cup and was easy to maintain.
I went for a manual Porlex grinder, aeropress kit, and a bag of whole-bean coffee ordered from Stumptown (Holler Mountain blend).
After my dad received the gift (a couple weeks ago), we made two cups of coffee with it and the difference was pretty astounding. Instant coffee gave me a wash of coffee flavor before quickly disappearing so I could gulp the stuff down pretty fast. With a fresh cup of quality coffee, it took me almost half an hour to work my way through it because the taste from just a sip would linger for minutes -- and that was a good thing. Another big difference was that the sour bitterness was almost nonexistent. I thought people saying good coffee having low bitterness was mostly bullshit but it's real! I only grind the amount I'm going to use immediately, and the Porlex is perfect for that. I often finish grinding the beans before my electric water boiler is ready.
I'm a pretty big fan of coffee now and make myself a fresh cup a few times a week. I still never bought a cup of coffee, but I'm definitely curious to compare now.
Over the past month I've pretty much been discovering coffee for the first time.
Aside from a few sips of an Americano and a mocha, I've pretty much had no experience drinking coffee my whole life. Just had no interest. But my dad was recently getting into quality coffee because his work has a K-cup machine, so I was determined to get him a decent set of hardware to make good coffee at home.
Our house only ever had instant coffee, I decided to finally try some. It was terrible tasting black, but adding enough sugar and milk made it palatable. So this mission to find something good for my dad led to me completely immersing myself in different methods of coffee making (drip, chemex, french press, etc), and figured Aeropress made a super clean cup and was easy to maintain.
I went for a manual Porlex grinder, aeropress kit, and a bag of whole-bean coffee ordered from Stumptown (Holler Mountain blend).
After my dad received the gift (a couple weeks ago), we made two cups of coffee with it and the difference was pretty astounding. Instant coffee gave me a wash of coffee flavor before quickly disappearing so I could gulp the stuff down pretty fast. With a fresh cup of quality coffee, it took me almost half an hour to work my way through it because the taste from just a sip would linger for minutes -- and that was a good thing. Another big difference was that the sour bitterness was almost nonexistent. I thought people saying good coffee having low bitterness was mostly bullshit but it's real! I only grind the amount I'm going to use immediately, and the Porlex is perfect for that. I often finish grinding the beans before my electric water boiler is ready.
I'm a pretty big fan of coffee now and make myself a fresh cup a few times a week. I still never bought a cup of coffee, but I'm definitely curious to compare now.
the aeropress is doing more to remove the bitterness than anything else, it was a good choice
Ivory Samoan
Gold Member
I know it's sacrilege and such.. but sometimes I really prefer a solid instant coffee to a cafe latte or the like... I'm weird like that.
Yeah, watched a bunch of videos about different Aeropress techniques and most of them stressed that I should stop pushing just before getting to the remaining air in the press since doing that would over-extract, which is supposed to result in a less bitter coffee. It's kinda nuts how well it works.
I still like instant every now and then, but I basically want it to be fast candy coffee; I put significantly more sugar in it (about three teaspoons). It's good for when I just want something easy to gulp down in the morning if I'm pressed for time, or if I just want something sweet after breakfast.
i'm having an issue almost identical to this:
http://www.tested.com/forums/coffee/8013-aeropress-and-leakage/
and can't quite figure out if i'm doing something wrong or my aeropress is a dud. any ideas? have tried numerous grinds (finer and coarser) which hasn't made a difference.
http://www.tested.com/forums/coffee/8013-aeropress-and-leakage/
and can't quite figure out if i'm doing something wrong or my aeropress is a dud. any ideas? have tried numerous grinds (finer and coarser) which hasn't made a difference.
Nappuccino
Member
Anyone have any suggestions for a replacement coffee for Archer Farms Fair Trade Terra de Sol? I love the stuff, but my local store has gone to a small package and still charges 9 bucks for the thing. Something the same price or cheaper that's just as good would be amazing.
Got a 6-cup Bialetti and some Sumatran coffee for Christmas. HOLY SHIT. Sumatra is my least favorite kind of coffee but it's still delicious. I've had coffee prepared every which way but an Aeropress, and so far this is my absolute favorite. Super easy to clean, too. I thought I'd keep using my Keurig for the convenience factor (even though it all tastes mediocre), but the Bialetti is incredibly easy to use and clean.
I'm blown away by how good it is. Should've gotten one years ago.
I'm blown away by how good it is. Should've gotten one years ago.
Thoughts on moka coffee, coffee-gaf? I got a moka percolater thing for Christmas along with a grinder and any tips would be nice!
Also, what's the benefits of a French press over what I have now? SO wants an aeropress thing (bit of a Francophile, that one
)eventually, but I think I can stave it off until birthday time unless there's some kind of crazy quality difference compared to what we're doing now (moka thing for quality brew + keurig for fast shit).
Also, what's the benefits of a French press over what I have now? SO wants an aeropress thing (bit of a Francophile, that one
)eventually, but I think I can stave it off until birthday time unless there's some kind of crazy quality difference compared to what we're doing now (moka thing for quality brew + keurig for fast shit).You have access to a Trader Joes? They have good coffee for reasonable prices.
Okay coffee people of GAF, I need some advice.
I'm gonna surprise my mum with a coffee machine since she's been going on about it for ages, but I don't have a clue which to get. There's a bajillion different ones that all look the damn same! And there's like a single number different D:
I can't afford the crazy expensive ones, so I'm looking for budget machines. These are the three I'm looking at:
http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/househ...25372d2e3d7&istItemId=qqpxmxaq&istBid=t#cat-0
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00LGVD7YI/
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00GZKOTJM/
I'm gonna surprise my mum with a coffee machine since she's been going on about it for ages, but I don't have a clue which to get. There's a bajillion different ones that all look the damn same! And there's like a single number different D:
I can't afford the crazy expensive ones, so I'm looking for budget machines. These are the three I'm looking at:
http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/househ...25372d2e3d7&istItemId=qqpxmxaq&istBid=t#cat-0
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00LGVD7YI/
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00GZKOTJM/
Well the first is an espresso machine so unless she has explicitly requested that, I'd mark it off the list. The others are single use things that only use pods (which make shit coffee IMO). Is that what she asked for? If she wanted just a general coffee maker then I think you need to look for something in the 8-12 cup range. Something like this maybe? Not familiar with the brand, but it has good reviews.
Also, drip coffee like that is good enough for most people, though you'll find that most of us here tend to do french press, chemex, pour over, or some such. I'm assuming your mom isn't into that and just wants a fairly typical coffee maker (you call them machines there? Interesting).
instant coffee O___O
Hmm. I'm not sure whether or not she specifically wants an Espresso machine. The one you've linked seems like a good possibility. I'll try and subtly ask what type of coffee machine (maker
) she thinks is good and get back to you. Thanks for the help 
Hmm. I'm not sure whether or not she specifically wants an Espresso machine. The one you've linked seems like a good possibility. I'll try and subtly ask what type of coffee machine (maker
Right, I think the key here is whether she wants something that's a single pod (1 mug) or ability to make multiple cups. Also, does she want something that's programmable? Meaning she can put everything in the night before and have it set to turn on at a certain time?
Right I'll get to work subtly working that out. I don't think she wants or would bother with anything technical as far as that goes.
Union Carbine
Member
Didn't know there was a coffee OT. I'm in!
I'm an espresso man myself, though usually in dairy-combined forms. I do fancy a good straight espresso on occasion. I'm certainly not averse to other coffee expressions. For espresso, I use an HG-One grinder (hand grinder equipped with industrial Mazzer grinder burrs) and a Vibiemme Double Domobar machine (double boiler, E-61 group head). Otherwise, it's pour-over via a modified Hario Skerton hand grinder (want to upgrade that soon).
I've gotta say, I feel spoiled in Brooklyn with all the new, good coffee around. I've got a Cafe Grumpy about 20 minutes from me that gets in locally roasted beans within a day or two of roast that I've had really good success brewing with. It's so great to bounce into the shop and pick out beans roasted yesterday. Like I said, I feel spoiled.
I'm an espresso man myself, though usually in dairy-combined forms. I do fancy a good straight espresso on occasion. I'm certainly not averse to other coffee expressions. For espresso, I use an HG-One grinder (hand grinder equipped with industrial Mazzer grinder burrs) and a Vibiemme Double Domobar machine (double boiler, E-61 group head). Otherwise, it's pour-over via a modified Hario Skerton hand grinder (want to upgrade that soon).
I've gotta say, I feel spoiled in Brooklyn with all the new, good coffee around. I've got a Cafe Grumpy about 20 minutes from me that gets in locally roasted beans within a day or two of roast that I've had really good success brewing with. It's so great to bounce into the shop and pick out beans roasted yesterday. Like I said, I feel spoiled.
Hand grinders are going to give you the most bang for your buck. Very consistent grind, the only downside is you have to do a bit of work
So I did a little bit of prying and she mentioned that the Delonghi I linked was the one she was thinking of because of the fact it serves two people at once which would be a nice extra. And I'm pretty sure she likes Cappuccino's which is another reason.
So this one would be good because of the fact it could do multiple coffee's, and it seems like it can stay warm till you want more at all times which is sweet. But (I don't know the first thing about coffee) can it do Cappuccino? http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002NZC3ZA/
The other one I'm looking at is mainly because it has good reviews and she also mentioned that the T-Disc thing would be handy with the option to make anything on the fly. But it is a single serve thing right? http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00LGVD7YI/
So this one would be good because of the fact it could do multiple coffee's, and it seems like it can stay warm till you want more at all times which is sweet. But (I don't know the first thing about coffee) can it do Cappuccino? http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002NZC3ZA/
The other one I'm looking at is mainly because it has good reviews and she also mentioned that the T-Disc thing would be handy with the option to make anything on the fly. But it is a single serve thing right? http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00LGVD7YI/
Union Carbine
Member
No cappuccino. Generally speaking, espresso machines are completely separate from drip coffee machines.
What you win in convenience with these types of machines, you tend to lose in flavor and versatility-- in my opinion the pod based coffees are, at best, mediocre, and you're locked into using whatever type of pod (in this case, T DISC) that the machine uses-- there are typically one or more work-arounds to make custom pods but they don't usually work very well and might be more or less of a hassle to do.
The decision comes down to what sort of coffee you'll use the machine for most (drip or espresso) and how much convenience/ease-of-use you want-- just understand that there's a trade-off between convenience, price, and quality-- count on only being able to get two of the three.
My mother and sister both love the Nespresso machines and pods. Pods are not my thing but, I will say, I think they're the best of the pods I've tasted. That said, I haven't tried anything from the Tassimo.
The Melita looks fine. There are technical things you could look at, if you're so inclined, like how good the heating element is on the machine (important for heating the water and keeping it at the right temperature) or how the coffee grounds and water interact during brewing (spray heads, diffusion screens, etc.). You could compare its specs to something like the Moccamaster and see how it stacks up.
All of this is good advice. The pods are expensive per use, they taste like shit (marginal step above instant), etc. But, a lot of people love them because of the convenience. Personally, I think they're a fad that will fade out over time, a lot of people want a Keurig because everyone else has one.
I have heard good things about the Nespresso, FWIW.
I don't know if you can get this coffee maker in the UK, or how much it would be there, but it is a very good one. Looks like it does ship internationally, but I'm not sure how much that would be. It heats up the water to the correct temp and as far as a drip coffee maker goes, is probably one of the best you can get.
Looks like the Moccamaster is a similar coffeemaker to the Bonavita I linked above. Either would be great, though it looks like the Bonavita costs about half as much.
Winterfang
Banned
I'm back from my vacation on the Dominican Republic. No more Greka made, Mom prepared Black Coffee for me =(