|
Mandalay posted:That poor, tortured man. Yeah, 1st world problems, I know. 
|
#
?
Dec 14, 2012 20:45
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 19, 2024 07:32 |
|
|
This Aeropress youtube... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVLdFbSgkyU
|
|
#
?
Dec 14, 2012 23:57
|
|
|
Mandalay posted:This Aeropress youtube... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVLdFbSgkyU Amazing.
|
|
#
?
Dec 15, 2012 03:34
|
|
|
I don't know if I've just got a weak batch of ground coffee, but I have a Bialetti moka in the smallest size, and it takes me two full pots of to feel an effect lately. If anyone ever goes to Bologna, there is an entire bialetti shop full of pots and other stuff, great place if you like coffee.
|
|
#
?
Dec 15, 2012 15:48
|
|
|
Mandalay posted:This Aeropress youtube... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVLdFbSgkyU That was unreasonably awesome.
|
|
#
?
Dec 15, 2012 19:45
|
|
|
Mandalay posted:This Aeropress youtube... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVLdFbSgkyU The ending was pretty rad.
|
|
#
?
Dec 15, 2012 21:22
|
|
|
I'm selling some coffee equipment (incuding a Vario grinder and Hario kettle) over in SAmart. Check it out: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3523046
|
|
#
?
Dec 16, 2012 02:53
|
|
|
Dear coffee thread, please hold my hand. I started using a simple french press two months ago, fell in love with it. I thought it made maxwell house taste not completely lovely. Did a little reading, found out that maxwell house is in fact poo poo, and that I owed it to myself to try some better coffee. Tried the starbucks medium blend in a bag from my grocery store, and it was pretty good. But it tasted good in a generic way, if that makes any sense. Then I remembered I work two blocks away from an awesome little coffee shop, so I went in and bought a bag of coffee there. It's a mix of Guatemalan and Ethiopian coffee, and to me it tastes amazing. Before now, I took my coffee dopefiend sweet. Tons of sugar, tons of cream. With this blend I cut way back on the sugar, and I'm not using any milk and it tastes good. My only complaint is that it tastes a little more bitter than I would like. Nothing unbearable, just a little sharp. This may be due to the way I'm making the coffee or the blend itself. I'm going back next week to try another blend. In the meantime, I'd like to order myself some fancy coffee from the internet. I'm looking for a light to medium blend that isn't bitter or acidic. Any recommendations?
|
|
#
?
Dec 16, 2012 12:25
|
|
|
First thing is first, what grind are you using and how long are you brewing for? Both of those can cause bitterness. You want a grind just a bit coarser than what you'd use for drip brewing, so something just above a medium grind. For brew time, I'd aim for about 4 minutes. Anything beyond that and you're going to overextract the coffee which could cause the bitter taste. As for lower acidity coffees. Try something from Brazil. Ethiopian coffee is actually one of the higher acidity coffees and usually has sort of a wine-like taste.
|
|
#
?
Dec 16, 2012 17:40
|
|
|
rockcity posted:First thing is first, what grind are you using and how long are you brewing for? Both of those can cause bitterness. You want a grind just a bit coarser than what you'd use for drip brewing, so something just above a medium grind. For brew time, I'd aim for about 4 minutes. Anything beyond that and you're going to overextract the coffee which could cause the bitter taste. That would explain why the back praises the wine like notes from the Ethiopian Harrar coffee.
|
|
#
?
Dec 17, 2012 01:10
|
|
|
Thanks guys! Just need to wrap it now...
|
|
#
?
Dec 17, 2012 18:04
|
|
|
Great present because you will reap the rewards of tasty coffee.
|
|
#
?
Dec 17, 2012 20:19
|
|
|
Oh, hey, a coffee thread, AWESOME. But there's not enough coffee porn. Here's last nights espresso... and my favorite shot glass...  I'm also a huge fan of the vac-pot, I make a pot at work every morning.  Of course I roast my own coffee - doh - I am using the best home roaster I've every found, the Behmor 1600; it's a drum roaster that runs about $300. I started with a Poppery II back in the days of alt.coffee, then a Hearthware Prescision, and have had the Behmor for about 3 years.
|
|
#
?
Dec 18, 2012 16:04
|
|
|
Over the past year, I've started getting more serious about making coffee. I've started out with starter stuff just to get experience with the basics. I was interested in advice on what I should think about upgrading first. Basically, where am I going to get the biggest bang for my buck? I currently have the following equipment: Pourover: Hario Kettle, v60, Clever Coffee Dripper, and just upgraded to the Bonavita electric kettle recently discussed Grinder: Baratza Maestro Plus (I calibrated it to get the finest grind possible) Espresso Machine: Delonghi EC702 Scale: Not sure about the brand, but its precision is to the nearest gram only Roasting: I don't roast at home. I usually purchase beans from local roasters here in Cincinnati or I get some online (e.g. Klatch, Cafecito Organico, and Redbird have worked well for me over the past year). Honestly, what I also need is to get someone to come to my house and look at how I make coffee and how it tastes. When I feel like I have done things correctly, the stuff I make usually tastes pretty good to my wife and me. However, we both tend to add cream and sugar, so that mutes a lot of the off tastes. When I am off with my extraction, it seems like it's off because it was underextracted (i.e. sour). However, I can't really say for sure when I overextract because I can't really tell what's bitter because of overextraction or what's bitter because of a really dark roast.
|
|
#
?
Dec 18, 2012 16:28
|
|
|
Well, you'll save money by drinking coffee black 
|
|
#
?
Dec 18, 2012 20:07
|
|
|
I think your best bang for the buck and a must own at your point is a french press. You can get a lot more practice with picking up flavors by making the same coffee in a pourover vs. french press. If you want to invest a bit more, home roasting is awesome. I have a Freshroast SR500 and for the money, it's awesome. That and my vac pot always make for good conversation with friends too.
|
|
#
?
Dec 18, 2012 20:14
|
|
|
disagree. The only real difference between a properly brewed cup of pourover and a press pot is the grittiness and assertive bitterness of the suspended fines. That said, sure get a press pot, it's a fun brew method and it's cheap, no real reason not to get one. Yes, the biggest thing to improve your coffee is to stop adding poo poo to it. I think homeroasting is the biggest improvement you can make with that setup, but like others have said, I would only do it if you are willing to 
|
|
#
?
Dec 18, 2012 20:23
|
|
|
Pour-over is a pretty cheap and wonderful way to make coffee. As long as your beans are fresh and your grinder is good, you'll have flavorful black coffee.
|
|
#
?
Dec 18, 2012 20:41
|
|
|
Maybe it's just me then, but I definitely taste a difference between my pourover, vac pot and french press. Less so between vac pot and pourover though. Maybe it's just the way my taste buds perceive the sediment in the french press. But yeah, start gradually cutting back on how much you add to your coffee and you'll really learn to appreciate it more. Fresh coffee is easily the best way to learn to like black coffee. To me, cream cuts away flavor a lot more than sugar does so maybe start there. I'd start by using milk instead of cream if you haven't already.
|
|
#
?
Dec 18, 2012 20:45
|
|
|
rockcity posted:Maybe it's just me then, but I definitely taste a difference between my pourover, vac pot and french press. Less so between vac pot and pourover though. Maybe it's just the way my taste buds perceive the sediment in the french press. A lot of people, from my experience, simply need a certain coffee to ease the transition into drinking black. Like I remember I was putting milk and sugar in my coffee when I was 20 and then I tasted a Kenya AA from a roaster near me and it was delicious black. Then I realized I DO enjoy black coffee as long as it's a coffee I like. That's a big step. I recommend an Ethiopian or Kenyan roast, actually, because they're tart and really layered and flavorful without anything.
|
|
#
?
Dec 18, 2012 20:51
|
|
|
i am not so sure posted:I recommend an Ethiopian or Kenyan roast, actually, because they're tart and really layered and flavorful without anything. Just to clarify the nomenclature, those are not roasts, they are regions. I'd actually recommend going the opposite route and getting something more mild at a lighter roast. It won't have nearly as much flavor, but I think that's what tends to work best for starting to take away cream and sugar. I will agree that finding the right coffee for your palette is definitely a huge breakthrough into really enjoying coffee for what it is though, but I think that Kenyan and Ethiopian are pretty aggressive and acidic though and may not appeal to everyone.
|
|
#
?
Dec 18, 2012 21:26
|
|
|
I only started drinking coffee of any kind about a year and a half ago (I'm 40). While I've gotten better at cutting back on what I add to it, I still have a way to go before I cut out cream and sugar completely. With that said, I would still have the question of what to change with my setup. I do have a french press, by the way. From what it sounds, I should either try to find a blend or single origin I might eventually enjoy black and/or I should roast my own? As for origins, I'm not a fan of African origins because of the higher acidity and more melony tastes. I've liked Central American, Brazilian, or Sumatran more often because of that lower note chocolate, caramel, and tobacco that tends to linger in the aftertaste. Then again, those flavors blend better with cream and sugar.
|
|
#
?
Dec 18, 2012 21:43
|
|
|
I have a standard stove top kettle right now and I don't bother measuring the temperature...I just wait for it to whistle, take it off, wait 10 seconds and then pour. Having said that, I have some money burning a hole in my pocket and am looking to see if there are any necessary upgrades... I use a capresso infinity and am not planning on upgrading anytime soon. For the kettle though. That programmable Bonavita looks nice, but is it $100 nice? Or would I be good just getting a stovetop Bonavita for $30? I also saw a programmable kettle at target yesterday that was $35 made by oster. However it had a lovely spout that is similar to what I have now. If the spout isn't a problem, I'm inclined to go with the oster. However, if I will notice a huge difference with a better spout (I switch between aero press, CCD, and French press) then it's a question of spending 30 vs 100. Suggestions? Link to oster: http://www.priceviewer.com/target/248613/Oster-1.7-L-Variable-Temperature-Electric-Kettle-[MODEL-BVST-EK5967]
|
|
#
?
Dec 18, 2012 21:54
|
|
|
You only really need the gooseneck spout for pourover where a controlled pour is important. A standard spout will be just fine for any of the brew methods you listed.
|
|
#
?
Dec 18, 2012 22:21
|
|
|
EVG posted:Hey I decided to go with the Hario v60 single cup pourover, but having trouble picking a kettle. They seem awfully expensive for the stovetop models but I bet he'd like the gooseneck. The guys at my favourite local coffee shop recommended using something like an olive oil pourer on a bottle. Seems like it wouldn't go disastrously wrong...
|
|
#
?
Dec 19, 2012 05:14
|
|
|
Mandalay posted:This Aeropress youtube... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVLdFbSgkyU I may have just pulled a muscle from laughing too much.
|
|
#
?
Dec 20, 2012 23:54
|
|
|
get the gently caress out of here cat!
|
|
#
?
Dec 21, 2012 05:59
|
|
|
How can I get my pourovers to be less acidic? Im using an Encore grinder, on #12 grind and my coffee has been turning out more and more acidic everytime, and while Im okay with a little bit of acidity, the GF is kind of getting sick of it. Should my grind be more coarse? But if its more coarse, I dont really get the 4min brew time for a pourover as the water just runs straight through the coffee it seems.
|
|
#
?
Dec 21, 2012 22:12
|
|
|
swagger like us posted:How can I get my pourovers to be less acidic? Im using an Encore grinder, on #12 grind and my coffee has been turning out more and more acidic everytime, and while Im okay with a little bit of acidity, the GF is kind of getting sick of it. Should my grind be more coarse? But if its more coarse, I dont really get the 4min brew time for a pourover as the water just runs straight through the coffee it seems. What roast and region is the coffee? Try something Asian and roasted darker if you want a less acidic cup. Stay away from African coffees and light roasts. A city roasted Kenya AA is your worst nightmare if you hate a bright cup.
|
|
#
?
Dec 21, 2012 22:25
|
|
|
EVG posted:Thanks guys! Just need to wrap it now... I bought one of those kettles and it completely changed the game. We use it for everything (my gf even uses it for heating water to make bread since we can get perfect temperature water for yeast activation). The control when you're making coffee, whether pourover with your Hario or go the Aeropress route like I did, it makes everything easier.
|
|
#
?
Dec 22, 2012 14:52
|
|
|
I've just bought myself a "KitchenAid Artisan Burr Coffee Grinder" off of ebay. It wasn advertised as new and I got a really good price on it (sniped for $100), but it's obviously been used (found remnants of coffee on the burrs). Given the price I wouldn't mind buying it used if there were no problems with it, however the grind it produces is ridiculously coarse. Even on the finest setting the grind looks like something straight out of a blade grinder. I could return it, but if it's fixable I'd rather fix it, even though I don't really have any idea where to start. Help me troubleshoot this bastard!
|
|
#
?
Dec 22, 2012 17:03
|
|
|
Mecharasputin posted:I've just bought myself a "KitchenAid Artisan Burr Coffee Grinder" off of ebay. It wasn advertised as new and I got a really good price on it (sniped for $100), but it's obviously been used (found remnants of coffee on the burrs). Given the price I wouldn't mind buying it used if there were no problems with it, however the grind it produces is ridiculously coarse. Even on the finest setting the grind looks like something straight out of a blade grinder. I could return it, but if it's fixable I'd rather fix it, even though I don't really have any idea where to start. Help me troubleshoot this bastard! That's because Kitchenaid is not a coffee grinder company. Not to be harsh, but even at the price you got it for which is a good deal compared to the normal price, you could have taken that same $100 and bought a much better grinder elsewhere. I've never used that grinder before, but I'd be willing to bet a Capresso Infinity which can be found for $80 is a far better unit. For starters, it uses flat burrs, not conical ones which are the preferred burrs for coffee grinding. In all honesty, that's probably about as good as a cheap $30 burr grinder.
|
|
#
?
Dec 23, 2012 02:18
|
|
|
More good coffee, less talkie talk. 
|
|
#
?
Dec 23, 2012 02:59
|
|
|
How does that work on an induction stove?
|
|
#
?
Dec 23, 2012 03:52
|
|
|
Mecharasputin posted:I've just bought myself a "KitchenAid Artisan Burr Coffee Grinder" off of ebay. It wasn advertised as new and I got a really good price on it (sniped for $100), but it's obviously been used (found remnants of coffee on the burrs). Given the price I wouldn't mind buying it used if there were no problems with it, however the grind it produces is ridiculously coarse. Even on the finest setting the grind looks like something straight out of a blade grinder. I could return it, but if it's fixable I'd rather fix it, even though I don't really have any idea where to start. Help me troubleshoot this bastard! I have a new set of burrs you can try.. The gears are plastic in that unit,so it will not stand up to heavy-duty use. Mine stripped the gears in about a year (~300 lb) . There's an allen screw you can adjust to get the gap down to zero , at which point it will make powder. Coffeegeek.com archive should have the info.
|
|
#
?
Dec 23, 2012 06:02
|
|
|
withak posted:How does that work on an induction stove? I think it is a hot top non induction stove. unrelated: I updated the OP adding some specific espresso gear stuff.
|
|
#
?
Dec 23, 2012 08:13
|
|
|
flacoman954 posted:I have a new set of burrs you can try.. The gears are plastic in that unit,so it will not stand up to heavy-duty use. Mine stripped the gears in about a year (~300 lb) . There's an allen screw you can adjust to get the gap down to zero , at which point it will make powder. Coffeegeek.com archive should have the info. Now I regret not paying the coffee thread a visit before making a purchase. I adjusted the gap to one notch before the burrs start making an ungodly scraping sound, and it did not help at all. I've asked for a quote on having it serviced, and depending on the price I'll either have it fixed or return it. Any recommendations for a better grinder in a similar price range I could buy in the UK that'd suffice for aeropresses? I don't think Capresso or Baratza sell their grinders here.
|
|
#
?
Dec 23, 2012 17:54
|
|
|
withak posted:How does that work on an induction stove? I don't know, I don't think thats what I have. But it works well on whatever glass top stove I own.
|
|
#
?
Dec 24, 2012 05:29
|
|
|
Monsoon Malabar: awesome. It's really smooth with a soft smoky taste that's not at all overpowering. Easily the best coffee I've tried yet. Definitely going to order some more when I finish this batch.
|
|
#
?
Dec 24, 2012 11:22
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 19, 2024 07:32 |
|
|
porktree posted:I don't know, I don't think thats what I have. But it works well on whatever glass top stove I own. Yeah I thought that a glass top meant an induction range, but a I guess they make regular electric ones out of glass too.
|
|
#
?
Dec 24, 2012 17:19
|
|