|
Does anyone have a grind size recommendation for the Aeropress when using a Hario Skereton? I'm not particularly inclined to wade through loads of cups to get the grind size right; I'd rather have a rough idea of what other people find a good grind to be and then fine-tune it.
|
#
?
Apr 2, 2013 16:33
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 5, 2024 13:51 |
|
|
polpotpotpotpotpot posted:So, I've considered getting a pour-over coffee maker (do they come in bigger than one-mug sizes?), or a Chemex or a vacuum brewer (are they awesome or just ridiculous?). Not sure if I should get one or those, or just stick with the french press (no real complaints) and upgrade my grinder. Hope me Chemex require a lot of babysitting but would strictly speaking be better for brewing multiple cups (since you asked for larger sizes). The Clever (L) that I use every morning brews a fairly generous cup though, certainly more of a yield than an aeropress.
|
|
#
?
Apr 2, 2013 18:04
|
|
|
porktree posted:Also, the oils are what make coffee taste good, driving them out of the bean and exposing them to air deceases the life of roasted coffee. I roast my espresso blend a little long just to get some oil out there, this gives more cohesion for the puck resulting in better crema. But my espresso roast gets used in 4 days so staleness is not an issue. Exposed oils also gunk up grinders. It's kinda sad that some people equate oily beans with good beans. I generally shy away from them.
|
|
#
?
Apr 2, 2013 18:55
|
|
|
Mandalay posted:Chemex require a lot of babysitting but would strictly speaking be better for brewing multiple cups (since you asked for larger sizes). The Clever (L) that I use every morning brews a fairly generous cup though, certainly more of a yield than an aeropress. I find the Chemex very easy to use. The thick paper filter makes it so you can use a pretty wide gamut of grind sizes. You don't even need a special pouring kettle. I think my Chemex owns and use it every day.
|
|
#
?
Apr 2, 2013 19:42
|
|
|
No one needs a special pouring kettle.
|
|
#
?
Apr 2, 2013 19:44
|
|
|
Well not *need* but it certainly makes using something like a Hario V60 a little easier.
|
|
#
?
Apr 2, 2013 19:49
|
|
|
I get gangster pours with pouring onto a fork as a guide when I do pour over with the v60; works like a charm and didn't have to spend 50$ on a specific pouring kettle. polpotpotpotpotpot: I don't have a chemex, but several people have said they're really nice and it sounds like that's what you're looking for.
|
|
#
?
Apr 2, 2013 20:08
|
|
|
So I got a myself a Gaggia Classic 'used' from Amazon Warehouse Deals for £95. It was listed as 'good' condition but apparently it's only the box thats damaged. We'll see when it arrives. I have a De'Longhi KG79 grinder atm. I'm not really in a position to buy anything better and this thing was ideal for the french press. I know it's not quite fine enough for espresso but am i better off using it or just buying preground. I think it ships with a pressurised portfilter so will that let me get away with my current grinder for a few months?
|
|
#
?
Apr 2, 2013 22:14
|
|
|
The sampler of green beans I ordered from Sweet Maria's arrived on my doorstep today. Unfortunately, there was a shipping mixup so I am still waiting for the Hario Mini Mill I ordered on eBay, and I haven't been able to find a popcorn popper anywhere in town. So I roasted some Brazilian beans in a cast iron skillet.  It went about as well as could be expected i.e. not a very even roast at all. I was super confused because the first crack started a few minutes in, then kept going... and going... for like ten minutes. There was never any real lull. It seemed like I just kept getting a pop or two every 10-15 seconds. Towards the end there were some louder pops which I suspect might have been a few beans hitting second crack, but I'm really not sure since this was my first time roasting. I got scared and took them off the heat for fear of Starbucksing them. I think the majority of the beans are Full City (they are fairly dark with a glossy sheen), with some variation to either side. But no beans look severely underdone or burned so... v  vI chopped my precious beans in my stupid blade grinder then made a cup in my french press. It was the best coffee I have had in a very long time. When I first opened my package of green beans I was surprised by the smell, because it was nothing like any coffee I have ever smelled. But I could taste that in the coffee and it was amazing. I can only imagine how much better it would be with a consistent roast and consistent grind. So was my weird super-long first crack just the result of the sub-par skillet roasting technique, too low heat (I had the stove set to medium-high), or did I likely just miss the break between the cracks?
|
|
#
?
Apr 3, 2013 01:33
|
|
|
micnato posted:The sampler of green beans I ordered from Sweet Maria's arrived on my doorstep today. Unfortunately, there was a shipping mixup so I am still waiting for the Hario Mini Mill I ordered on eBay, and I haven't been able to find a popcorn popper anywhere in town. So I roasted some Brazilian beans in a cast iron skillet. Get a heat gun. Search for "heat gun" and you'll find a gang of posts about it.
|
|
#
?
Apr 3, 2013 01:35
|
|
|
micnato posted:So was my weird super-long first crack just the result of the sub-par skillet roasting technique, too low heat (I had the stove set to medium-high), or did I likely just miss the break between the cracks? Maybe too hot. Or you need to stir/agitate more. Sounds kind of like the ones in contact with metal were going really fast and everything else was not. withak fucked around with this message at 02:00 on Apr 3, 2013 |
|
#
?
Apr 3, 2013 01:57
|
|
|
Hey guys, I could use some help with dosing. I bought a digital scale to help me get a consistent method, and I've noticed that I'm dosing way more than I should be -- to fill my standard double 58mm basket, and get about 1.5oz in about 25 seconds, I'm grinding anywhere from 20 to 24g, depending on grind level. The beans are freshly roasted and I'm not tapping the basket to settle at all. Should I be grinding much finer and simply not filling the basket as much? It seems odd that most sites dictate 14-18g as the upper bound for a double shot, but that wouldn't even fill my basket pre-tamping. I'm also looking at picking up some VST baskets, but don't know which size I should get... If anyone cares I'm using a Gaggia Classic and a Compak k3t grinder. I should mention I've adjusted the OPV on the Gaggia using the flow test (getting about 130ml in 30 sec), but I figure if anything that would be lengthening the extraction?
|
|
#
?
Apr 3, 2013 07:51
|
|
|
Baron Dirigible posted:Hey guys, I could use some help with dosing. I bought a digital scale to help me get a consistent method, and I've noticed that I'm dosing way more than I should be -- to fill my standard double 58mm basket, and get about 1.5oz in about 25 seconds, I'm grinding anywhere from 20 to 24g, depending on grind level. The beans are freshly roasted and I'm not tapping the basket to settle at all. 20g for a shot is not unheard of, a lot of the blends I drink suggest 18-22g doses.
|
|
#
?
Apr 3, 2013 13:45
|
|
|
Been having a lot of luck with 18g in an 18g VST basket. I got a bigger E-61 group type machine though.
|
|
#
?
Apr 3, 2013 13:54
|
|
|
dema posted:Been having a lot of luck with 18g in an 18g VST basket. I got a bigger E-61 group type machine though. I typically use 20g in the 18g "Ridgeless" La Marzocco baskets.
|
|
#
?
Apr 3, 2013 14:36
|
|
|
My cruddy drip machine broke on me today after only about a year. I don't particularly hate drip coffee, but I've been debating to get a bodum french press to replace it once it died. Problem is I keep seeing reviews saying pretty much every single model has breaking/cracking problems of some kind or another. What's a realistic life expectancy of a $40~ fresh press that's used regularly? Is it worth the extra $30 on something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Frieling-Polished-Stainless-French-17-Ounce/dp/B0015VMKME/ref=pd_sim_k_3
|
|
#
?
Apr 3, 2013 21:26
|
|
|
Kerfuffle posted:My cruddy drip machine broke on me today after only about a year. I don't particularly hate drip coffee, but I've been debating to get a bodum french press to replace it once it died. Problem is I keep seeing reviews saying pretty much every single model has breaking/cracking problems of some kind or another. What's a realistic life expectancy of a $40~ fresh press that's used regularly? Is it worth the extra $30 on something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Frieling-Polished-Stainless-French-17-Ounce/dp/B0015VMKME/ref=pd_sim_k_3 It's mostly that the glass is thin and fragile on the carafe. I've been hella careful with mine so I've never broken one, I don't use it nearly as much as some of the posters here though. Of course, a stainless steel carafe is shatterproof :P I've seen those stainless ones on sale at discount stores like homegoods, Marshalls, etc. Might be worth swinging by one to see if they have any.
|
|
#
?
Apr 3, 2013 21:32
|
|
|
dema posted:Been having a lot of luck with 18g in an 18g VST basket. I got a bigger E-61 group type machine though. And it's good to know my dosing isn't completely bonkers. I might pick up an 18g VST basket and see how that goes. I'd go 20 but I'm not sure it would fit in my portafilter. I don't suppose anyone here is au fait with Gaggia portafilters and VST? I have the old-style portafilter which can allegedly hold a larger basket.
|
|
#
?
Apr 3, 2013 22:01
|
|
|
Kerfuffle posted:My cruddy drip machine broke on me today after only about a year. I don't particularly hate drip coffee, but I've been debating to get a bodum french press to replace it once it died. Problem is I keep seeing reviews saying pretty much every single model has breaking/cracking problems of some kind or another. What's a realistic life expectancy of a $40~ fresh press that's used regularly? Is it worth the extra $30 on something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Frieling-Polished-Stainless-French-17-Ounce/dp/B0015VMKME/ref=pd_sim_k_3 Most of the time presses have glass problems is because the person is using metal to stir, which causes the glass to weaken by creating mini fractures and 'scratches'. I used to use a chopstick to stir, and never had a press pot break. Of course now if it ain't espresso I'm using a Cory vac-pot all old school.
|
|
#
?
Apr 3, 2013 23:10
|
|
|
What's the best way to clean a glass-lined coffee pot? I picked up a Bonavita drip machine with the thermal carafe, and it's oily as hell inside after a couple weeks of use. The instructions say to use vinegar or lemon juice, and never scrub it or use a bottle brush, but the vinegar isn't doing poo poo.
|
|
#
?
Apr 4, 2013 00:15
|
|
|
a handful of dust posted:What's the best way to clean a glass-lined coffee pot? I use Joe Glo to clean all my coffee equipment. I honestly have no clue what is actually in it but a little goes a long way and it seems to work great for me. I'm still using the container of it I bought over 2 years ago.
|
|
#
?
Apr 4, 2013 07:21
|
|
|
While we're on the subject of cleaning, I have a couple of thermoses with awful build-up atfter being left with coffee in them for at while. What over the counter cleaner is best?
|
|
#
?
Apr 4, 2013 10:38
|
|
|
I want to buy an electric kettle because waiting for water to boil on my stove takes too much time. Are they pretty much all the same so I should just go for the cheapest one? Also, what is a good (and cheap) thermometer to check the temperature of my water? Edit: Last question: How often should I clean out my grinder and how? Edit 2: OK, some websites say I should run rice through my grinder, so say this creates a bigger mess than it's worth. Some say I should buy these fancy products and use it once a month. I think I've owned this grinder for half a year and I've never cleaned it out. I have some rice at home but it's parboiled. Boris Galerkin fucked around with this message at 13:40 on Apr 4, 2013 |
|
#
?
Apr 4, 2013 13:31
|
|
|
Cafiza cleaner is like $10 on Amazon and magical at removing rancid coffee oils. Cheap digital probe thermometers are about $10 at places like Bed Bath and Beyond (but $90 for a Thermapen is totally worth it). Lawen fucked around with this message at 13:34 on Apr 4, 2013 |
|
#
?
Apr 4, 2013 13:31
|
|
|
Boris Galerkin posted:I want to buy an electric kettle because waiting for water to boil on my stove takes too much time. Are they pretty much all the same so I should just go for the cheapest one? You could kill two birds with one stone and get this one (or this one if you don't want a gooseneck or need a larger capacity).
|
|
#
?
Apr 4, 2013 14:42
|
|
|
I bought a $30 Hamilton Beach electric kettle and it works great. Heats up water in a minute or two to about 200 degrees. I use a $20 thermometer from thermaworks http://www.amazon.com/RT600C-Super-...words=thermapen
|
|
#
?
Apr 4, 2013 14:52
|
|
|
GrAviTy84 posted:It's mostly that the glass is thin and fragile on the carafe. I've been hella careful with mine so I've never broken one, I don't use it nearly as much as some of the posters here though. Of course, a stainless steel carafe is shatterproof :P porktree posted:Most of the time presses have glass problems is because the person is using metal to stir, which causes the glass to weaken by creating mini fractures and 'scratches'. I used to use a chopstick to stir, and never had a press pot break. Of course now if it ain't espresso I'm using a Cory vac-pot all old school. Thanks, makes sense. I'll keep that in mind and take a chance on the bodum. I just need to get the hang of getting a rougher grind on my grinder. Pretty excited about being able to use it for tea.  I hate tea balls.Also thanks a million to the guy who recommended the Contigo thermos, thing is GREAT. I wish had something like this in college.
|
|
#
?
Apr 4, 2013 19:06
|
|
|
Lawen posted:Cafiza cleaner is like $10 on Amazon and magical at removing rancid coffee oils. Hmm, has anyone used this stuff to clean their Clever dripper? there's a layer of brown stuff at the bottom 
|
|
#
?
Apr 4, 2013 19:13
|
|
|
Mandalay posted:Hmm, has anyone used this stuff to clean their Clever dripper? there's a layer of brown stuff at the bottom You may be able to use Oxi-Clean Free. Home brewers use it all the time to clean crud out of fermenters (plastic and glass) since it's cheaper than PBW.
|
|
#
?
Apr 4, 2013 22:50
|
|
|
fine-tune posted:You may be able to use Oxi-Clean Free. Home brewers use it all the time to clean crud out of fermenters (plastic and glass) since it's cheaper than PBW. This product is also generically called 'Oxygen Bleach'.
|
|
#
?
Apr 4, 2013 23:14
|
|
|
The old restaurant trick is to fill the coffee pot with ice/salt and fresh squeezed lemon juice and swirl it around. It really works well too.
|
|
#
?
Apr 4, 2013 23:46
|
|
|
Baron Dirigible posted:Hey guys, I could use some help with dosing. I bought a digital scale to help me get a consistent method, and I've noticed that I'm dosing way more than I should be -- to fill my standard double 58mm basket, and get about 1.5oz in about 25 seconds, I'm grinding anywhere from 20 to 24g, depending on grind level. The beans are freshly roasted and I'm not tapping the basket to settle at all. You can reach a lower bound on grind where putting the lowest "reasonable" amount of ground coffee in the filter and tamping yields an impermiable puck. So then you try backing off the amount of ground coffee even more and find you can't tamp because you're putting so little in that you're catching the tamper on the taper of the filter before you're really compacting the coffee. Anyway, a traditional double (and I mean old school European) comes in at the 14-18g of ground coffee. If you're getting 1.5 ounces in 25 seconds... and like the way it tastes, then I'd say you're fine. Now, the American tradition over the past 10 years is to overdose and now 20g is the new "14-18g", and this is taking off internationally in the competition circuits. Is it correct? Who the hell knows. Can you go finer to try to slow the pull down? Yes. Should you? Up to you. Could you up-dose to slow the pull down? Yes. Should you? Up to you. For me it's been what the bean wants to do. I've had 14g of beans pull 1.5 - 2 ounces sub 20 seconds and taste marvelous. I've had 14g of beans pull 1.5 - 2 ounces in 25 seconds and taste like butt. Sometimes tightening the grind is the solution, sometimes the dose is the solution. On the latter example that was pulling a classic equation but still tasting off, it was both. Run the grinds up to 18g, loosen the grind up and boom... sweet and aromatic. The measures are a guideline, the time is a guideline, the amount you pull is a guideline. It gives you a baseline to work from, but you're free to work it out however your tastebuds dig it.  Quick edit: Like right now my bastard blend I'm finishing up is suuuuuuuuper sensitive to grind. I have it parked where it's parked and there's no moving it because one bit up and shots pull in 10 seconds (and up-dosing to try to slow it down means I'm putting so much in I can't put the portafilter on the brew group), one bit down and it locks the filter (no matter how little of it I put in (lower bound on grind)). So what to do? 12g. Yes, 12g. 12g at this magical grind point that this blend can tolerate yields 2 tiny little rat-tails of creamy goodness flowing 1.5 to 1.75 ounces out in ~22 seconds. And it's marvelous. Alleric fucked around with this message at 01:33 on Apr 5, 2013 |
|
#
?
Apr 5, 2013 01:28
|
|
|
Keyser S0ze posted:The old restaurant trick is to fill the coffee pot with ice/salt and fresh squeezed lemon juice and swirl it around. It really works well too. It's also a great way to crack thin glass pots.
|
|
#
?
Apr 5, 2013 02:32
|
|
|
So I finally found a popcorn popper (would you believe that yesterday was the first time I've ever set foot in a Target?), and I used it to roast beans this morning. It worked a hell of a lot better than the skillet. First crack was pretty consistent all the way through and fairly short (I didn't time it, but maybe a minute or two?) This morning was also my first time using my new Hario mini mill. I wasn't sure where to set the grind, so I kept grinding a little bit, putting it on my french press screen, then rubbing my finger on it to see if any fell through. Normally, with my blade grinder, the grounds just float on top of the water in my press, even after giving it a couple stirs. But this time, the water immediately turned opaque instead of just translucent, and the whole time I could see grounds sinking and rising with convection currents. Just finished my cup, and there is very little sludge and it is extremely fine. The second to last sip was quite grainy. What do these things say about my grind size? Too fine?
|
|
#
?
Apr 5, 2013 11:51
|
|
|
Mr. Glass posted:You could kill two birds with one stone and get this one (or this one if you don't want a gooseneck or need a larger capacity). This is great but it's a bit expensive and I'm weary of how accurate it is. Either way, is this available in Europe? I don't see it on the Amazon UK/Germany/France/etc websites.
|
|
#
?
Apr 5, 2013 13:30
|
|
|
For those of you really into Espresso, wondering what your thoughts are on this project: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/uniterra-nomad/nomadtm-the-go-everywhere-espresso-machinetm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-d57r3QV7M
|
|
#
?
Apr 5, 2013 15:29
|
|
|
Baratza has the Starbucks Barista on refurb for $69. I'm using a Clever and an Aeropress, currently have some kind of blade grinder and have no plans to get into home espresso. Is this a worthwhile purchase, or should I skip and go with something else. I'm also looking at the low end Capresso (product #585) for $60, the infinity for around $90 or so, and I guess there's waiting around to see if other Baratza products go on refurb. Any suggestions?
|
|
#
?
Apr 5, 2013 22:00
|
|
|
Thanks Alleric, that was a helpful post. I started a new batch of beans last night, and pulled a double-shot in about 20 seconds, but it started blonding very early on and was fairly bitter. This morning I tightened the grind, used the same 20g dose, and choked the machine. Pulling back the grind still choked the machine, until I was about at the same level I was last night. I think from here I need to tighten the grind and simply dose less. It's also possible I'm adjusting the grind by much larger increments than I think. One thing I've noticed is that, depending on the grind level, 20g of coffee can sit anywhere from just below the rim of my portafilter, to a decent mound above. I'm guessing this is something to do with how coffee clumps together at different grind levels? Is clumping a sign that I'm going too fine? What I really need is a big bag of beans and a morning to myself where I can play with all the different adjustments and see how they change the shot. My other expensive hobby is photography, and I've heard comparisons between the correct espresso and the correct exposure -- that is, you can change variables (aperture, shutter speed, ISO) to create many different "correct" exposures, but only one of those might actually work as a photo. I just need to work out how changing each variable works for me.
|
|
#
?
Apr 5, 2013 23:53
|
|
|
Jik Waffleson posted:Baratza has the Starbucks Barista on refurb for $69. I'm using a Clever and an Aeropress, currently have some kind of blade grinder and have no plans to get into home espresso. Is this a worthwhile purchase, or should I skip and go with something else. The Capresso infinity's go on sale quite often on Amazon. I got mine for $60 or so not too long ago. If you have a Bed, Bath & Beyond nearby, you can use a 20% off coupon on one. I think they retail for $90-something, so 20% off will get you 70-something. It's a decent grinder. It works fine with my Aeropress.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2013 00:56
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 5, 2024 13:51 |
|
|
Kerfuffle posted:Thanks, makes sense. I'll keep that in mind and take a chance on the bodum... As someone who has shattered several bodums, I would recommend the bodum knockoff that target makes. It's $12 bucks and has a more robust carafe - although it only comes in a plastic frame, not stainless steel.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2013 11:09
|
|
