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What's the learning curve like? Seems like it'd be a fun and cheap way to get into espresso. Also, I've read that the milk frother it comes with leaves a bit to be desired. Are there any other milk frothing options I should consider? I think a standalone frother would also be useful if I ever get a single boiler machine. Also, nwin: I also own an Infinity, and I was under the impression that it was in no way suited to be used as an espresso grinder, since it's only got maybe two clicks in the espresso range, and doesn't produce as consistent a grind as you'd need for espresso. This is all for traditional espresso machines, but I assume it would be similar with the Rok?
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Jun 6, 2014 16:29
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I keep hearing about putting coconut oil in coffee - does anyone have any thoughts on that?
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Jun 6, 2014 16:50
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dik-dik posted:What's the learning curve like? Seems like it'd be a fun and cheap way to get into espresso. Also, I've read that the milk frother it comes with leaves a bit to be desired. Are there any other milk frothing options I should consider? I think a standalone frother would also be useful if I ever get a single boiler machine. It's a piece of cake once you get your grind dialed in. I also had to learn how to tamp, so that can be a variable too unless you've already honed that skill. As for actual operation of the machine it couldn't be easier. I run a couple ounces of boiled water through it to preheat it, then grind into the portafilter, tamp, add a couple more ounces of water, raise the arms, wait a few seconds and then you just press and hold. I always do a second pump to get good crema too. I can't help you with your grinder since I'm not familiar with it and the Breville Smart Grinder is the only one I've used with the Rok. It seems to be designed with espresso in mind and even has a portafilter cradle. I have found the best setting on that one to be the 4th tick from the right in the espresso range. The "1 shot" setting is the perfect amount for the Rok portafilter too, so I don't use that strength adjustment thing they have. The milk frother that comes with it is way too much work. I just do straight shots or cortado 95% of the time but do have one of those electric heater/frother things for when a guest requests a latte. I think it overfroths though and you end up closer to a cappuccino. Short of a stand alone pump steamer I once owned that just took up too much space, I haven't found a good way to simulate steamed milk at home.
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Jun 6, 2014 17:00
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Does a cortado not require steaming the milk? What do you do for that?
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Jun 6, 2014 17:09
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dik-dik posted:Does a cortado not require steaming the milk? What do you do for that?
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Jun 6, 2014 17:12
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Fair enough. Can't argue with that.
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Jun 6, 2014 17:26
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dik-dik posted:What's the learning curve like? Seems like it'd be a fun and cheap way to get into espresso. Also, I've read that the milk frother it comes with leaves a bit to be desired. Are there any other milk frothing options I should consider? I think a standalone frother would also be useful if I ever get a single boiler machine. I made espresso with Capresso for a couple years and it'll do an ok job. I upgraded to the Breville Smart grinder about a year ago and that was a considerable jump in consistency for espresso. You can definitely get by with a Capresso though, but you'll need to get good at tamping to get consistent results.
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Jun 6, 2014 17:42
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And the tamper that comes with the Rok is poo poo. You'll want to find yourself a heavy 49mm as soon as you can.
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Jun 6, 2014 17:46
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Well I'm changing jobs and am going to bring my Capresso and CCD to work with me, so I'll be in the market for a new grinder anyways. I'll probably still do CCD at home, but could upgrade the grinder to be more in line with the espresso as well. I know the common thought is you should have a specific grinder for pour over and one for espresso, but what would be a good middle ground which would primarily be CCD with the every now and then espresso with that ROK? Maybe a virtuouso or the Breville?
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Jun 6, 2014 18:01
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nwin posted:Well I'm changing jobs and am going to bring my Capresso and CCD to work with me, so I'll be in the market for a new grinder anyways. I'll probably still do CCD at home, but could upgrade the grinder to be more in line with the espresso as well. I know the common thought is you should have a specific grinder for pour over and one for espresso, but what would be a good middle ground which would primarily be CCD with the every now and then espresso with that ROK? Maybe a virtuouso or the Breville? Either of those are pretty good for dual use like that. Those are the two I narrowed it down to to cover me from French Press through espresso with my Gaggia. If I had a better espresso machine, I'd probably look at getting a dedicated espresso grinder, though I'm really impressed with the grind consistency on my Breville and the people at Seattle Coffee gear really like it after Breville did the burr shim adjustment about a couple years ago. They were running it with a Rocket and getting some really nice results. I went the the Breville based on that review. That and it also has portafilter holders and a push button where the holder is to start the grinder. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5E1O3hvAOI Edit: They also have a direct comparison video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DT7zmoQOJI rockcity fucked around with this message at 18:16 on Jun 6, 2014 |
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Jun 6, 2014 18:14
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rockcity posted:Either of those are pretty good for dual use like that. Those are the two I narrowed it down to to cover me from French Press through espresso with my Gaggia. If I had a better espresso machine, I'd probably look at getting a dedicated espresso grinder, though I'm really impressed with the grind consistency on my Breville and the people at Seattle Coffee gear really like it after Breville did the burr shim adjustment about a couple years ago. They were running it with a Rocket and getting some really nice results. I went the the Breville based on that review. Ok thanks, I was just checking those videos out. Also, it looks like BBB stocks the Breville, so there's 20% off if the coupon covers it. edit: the only thing I see myself not liking about the Breville is how the dosing works. For instance, in my Capresso, I just weigh out 25 grams of beans, put them in the grinder, and leave it on until all the beans are ground, and I use that for my CCD. However, it doesn't seem like you can do that as easily with the Breville, since it does it in shots. Thoughts?
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Jun 6, 2014 18:15
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CommonShore posted:I keep hearing about putting coconut oil in coffee - does anyone have any thoughts on that? It tastes good. Try it. If you don't like it, you still have something awesome to cook eggs in.
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Jun 6, 2014 19:53
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So since this thread continues to take me down the rabbit hole... I can pick up a new ROK for $125 today. It's manual and I've been told it does a decent job. However, from what I've read all the gaggia machines have the same internals? Why not just pick up a gaggia color for $200 through amazon and do that?
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Jun 6, 2014 22:03
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Just upgraded my setup today - my new Bonavita 1L variable temperature kettle came in, should be a huge upgrade from the basic widemouth kettle I had been using up until now. Also got a scale so I can stop eyeballing everything. Now all I have to do is get rid of my lovely Cuisinart burr grinder and pick up a Baratza Encore. I know I've asked before, probably here, but what's a good starting point for a coffee/water ratio in a Chemex, in terms of grams? Up until this point I just put a bunch of beans in the grinder, set it to a setting that seems ok-ish, throw the grounds in the chemex and pour water slowly and steadily until its full. It usually turns out good but it's different every time. e; Please feel free to talk to me like I'm dumb too - timings, weights, any Chemex details will be greatly appreciated 
Dramatika fucked around with this message at 22:11 on Jun 6, 2014 |
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Jun 6, 2014 22:07
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Bobx66 posted:What is the cold brew method with the easiest cleanup? Are there giant teabags I can buy? Get a cheap bodum and okay beans, put 5 tbsp of coarse grinds in for every 8 oz of water, put it in your fridge for 18 hours, press it out, pour into container, clean the press. Dilute concentrated coffee 25-50% in water or ice. GREAT iced coffee with no fuss. Not earth shattering, but you'll love it.
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Jun 7, 2014 02:56
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Dramatika posted:Just upgraded my setup today - my new Bonavita 1L variable temperature kettle came in, should be a huge upgrade from the basic widemouth kettle I had been using up until now. Also got a scale so I can stop eyeballing everything. Now all I have to do is get rid of my lovely Cuisinart burr grinder and pick up a Baratza Encore. Somewhere between 16:1 and 17:1 is usually the sweet spot. That's water-to-beans, in grams. You'll need to play with it to figure out exactly what you're looking for, but 17:1 is a good spot for a first batch. On my Chemex with paper filters, I am usually grinding fairly coarse and looking for a ~3:45-4:00 finish of my pour, with another ~45-60 seconds of drawdown. Using a Kone with my Chemex, I grind finer and shoot for somewhere around 3:15-3:30 finish, with a ~30 second drawdown. Spiral out, then go back to the middle and spiral out again. Repeat until you hit your ratio. Try to pour into the darker part of the slurry, and avoid the lighter part. Keep a log of your brewing parameters - if you can change it, log it. Write your thoughts on the coffee. This is really helpful when going back and trying to recreate that one magical brew. Walmart sells composition notebooks for 88¢, or you can class it up and grab a Moleskine at Target. I keep my log book next to my grinder.
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Jun 7, 2014 05:56
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In case anyone else was looking for a stand alone steamer, here's a stovetop option for $65. E: Couple more questions for you other HGDB folks: I did another batch today, this time on high the whole time, making sure to keep the heat gun within one inch of the beans throughout the process, and first crack still didn't arrive until about 15 minutes. I've got a few ideas on what might be causing this, let me know what you think:
dik-dik fucked around with this message at 02:45 on Jun 8, 2014 |
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Jun 7, 2014 07:31
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Do you guys ever get sloppy making a batch/cup of coffee and it turns out to be amazing? I hate it!!! It's like, holy poo poo this coffee is amazing, but I'll probably never be able to recreate it because I was totally careless. I made a batch yesterday in the V60 02 and it turned out to be incredible. I'll summarize, in case anyone wants to try it for themselves:
This made an AMAZING two cups. I replicated it today with different, fresher beans and it was awesome. I think discarding the brewed coffee from the bloom helps get rid of any sour taste. It tastes pretty full-bodied without any real bitterness or sourness. I think I might make a batch... Edit: Made a batch with the Wave. 305mL / 19g / 22 Virtuoso / 25g bloom for 35s / 3m15s total brew time. It's actually awesome. Gonna have to do this again tomorrow morning. I've been drinking so much coffee lately... but it's so good. It's so good it makes my gums tingle! mr. yolk fucked around with this message at 03:52 on Jun 8, 2014 |
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Jun 8, 2014 02:45
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So I had some pre-ground dark roast Lavazza beans from the grocery store layin about and decided to do a cold brew with it instead of using my 'good' beans since I need it to last for just one more week. I weighed out 50g of this stuff with 400g of water, following Becoming's 1:8 recipe but just cut in half. Somehow I got it all to fit in one of those Starbucks Frap glass bottles my roommate had around, unfortunately I couldn't find the cap so I had to rubber band+saran wrap it. I just put it in the fridge now but I'm worrying how it'll turn out since the grind is so fine, it's ground to be used for espresso/moka pots. I'm expecting it to be crazy bitter, which isn't too big of a deal anyways since I plan on diluting it with milk (I have a soft-spot for iced coffee with milk). So let's hope all goes well! 
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Jun 8, 2014 05:44
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Maybe if you don't let it sit for more than 8 hours? Yeah it's probably going to be rear end. But hey if you add enough milk to anything it can taste good.
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Jun 8, 2014 06:26
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becoming posted:It tastes good. Try it. If you don't like it, you still have something awesome to cook eggs in. Or pancakes. Coconut oil pancakes are loving amazing.
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Jun 8, 2014 16:44
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Coconut oil can be used to make delicious delicious curry. Also it's 100% good fats as decided by current nutrition people.
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Jun 8, 2014 17:00
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So I'm sidelined with the flu and have absolutely nothing else to do at the moment, so I decided I might as well jump in on the deep end and make a spreadsheet. If anyone wants to take a look at what I'm tracking and see if there's anything else I should make a column for it'd be pretty cool So far, I have date, bean name, coffee weight, coffee grind setting, water weight, water temp, bloom time, bloom water weight, pour time, total brew time, subjective taste score, tasting notes (ie a little bitter, a little sour, overextracted), and suggestions for next brew.
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Jun 8, 2014 20:27
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Coconut oil is also mandatory for proper popcorn popping.
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Jun 8, 2014 21:40
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Dramatika posted:So I'm sidelined with the flu and have absolutely nothing else to do at the moment, so I decided I might as well jump in on the deep end and make a spreadsheet. If anyone wants to take a look at what I'm tracking and see if there's anything else I should make a column for it'd be pretty cool Awesome idea. I'll chip in on the spreadsheet if you share it via Google Docs or something.
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Jun 8, 2014 22:16
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You guys should take a look at this http://www.roasterthing.com/ You can even enter the SKU of your Sweet Maria's beans and it will grab all the information from the site for you.
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Jun 8, 2014 23:00
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mr. yolk posted:Awesome idea. I'll chip in on the spreadsheet if you share it via Google Docs or something. Here's the link to mine if anyone wants to shamelessly rip it off- https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1IJz_Kgw_E0tx671qJU2NXdKPaeTtQReJewZEtfLmVQU/edit?usp=sharing No excel wizardry or anything going on, it's really just the same thing I'd put in a notebook, but I end up screwing around on the forums every time I make coffee anyways so might as well have a spreadsheet I can fill out while tasting the coffee.
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Jun 9, 2014 02:19
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mr. yolk posted:... ^coffee fueled post. That combo is good. For me it produces a cup with no sour or bitter aftertaste. Even when the last bit cools to room temp I still want to drink it. Starting temp for me is 204/203f.
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Jun 9, 2014 03:03
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Bronze posted:^coffee fueled post. Guilty as charged. I've had 3 or 4 cups of coffee today... no regrets. Thanks for sharing your recipe! Even though it's a fairly basic 1:16 recipe, it helps to know other people are getting good results with it. Makes me more confident that I'll hopefully start making really good cups consistently.
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Jun 9, 2014 04:30
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CommonShore posted:I keep hearing about putting coconut oil in coffee - does anyone have any thoughts on that? I did this (w/ OMG UNSALTED GRASS FED butter) on the weekend and it was awful. True, it made me not feel like eating as the articles claimed, but that was mostly because it was vile and I wanted to barf.
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Jun 9, 2014 06:09
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mirthdefect posted:I did this (w/ OMG UNSALTED GRASS FED butter) on the weekend and it was awful. True, it made me not feel like eating as the articles claimed, but that was mostly because it was vile and I wanted to barf. Did you use a high powered blender?
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Jun 9, 2014 07:14
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Google Butt posted:Did you use a high powered blender? Yeah it all emulsified properly but was just nasty.
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Jun 9, 2014 07:20
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mr. yolk posted:Edit: Made a batch with the Wave. 305mL / 19g / 22 Virtuoso / 25g bloom for 35s / 3m15s total brew time. It's actually awesome. Gonna have to do this again tomorrow morning. I've been drinking so much coffee lately... but it's so good. It's so good it makes my gums tingle! Are you doing a pulse pour or continuous with this? I don't think I'm good enough at pouring to get a 3m brew time with a continuous pour.
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Jun 9, 2014 15:49
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Alright, over the past few days I've immersed myself in various forums/product review videos searching for a decent espresso/grinder setup for less than $600 that will still allow me to use the same grinder for my daily CCD use with the espressos being made on the weekends. I've found a few things and please feel free to weigh in with your thoughts 1) Coffee people are spergs, but I think we already knew this. 2) It seems no matter how much you go to spend, there is always something better and people are always trying to get that perfect shot. 3) It seems no matter how much you say you will spend, people always suggest something more expensive, out of your price range. Maybe because they have the more expensive items and they are just saying, based on their experience, that the lower end stuff doesn't compare to the more expensive things they have now? I've gotten away from the ROK Espresso, I think. It seems for what I'm willing to spend, I could go and get a semi-automatic that will enable me to steam/froth and have more control than the ROK. Right now I'm looking at the Gaggia Classic. The Gaggia Color just doesn't seem as well built and I'd like this to stand up to moving every few years without the need for thinking there is something better out there. I think the Classic will meet that. I had played with buying the Saeco Aroma, but it just doesn't seem to compare to the Gaggia Classic. One guy, upon hearing my budget, immediately said to save up and just spend $600+ on the espresso maker and suggested the Crossland Coffee CC1, but that's not going to happen. For the grinder, I'm still at a loss. I suggested the Breville Smart Grind, but everyone on Coffeegeek seems to think that's the wrong way to go. One guy pushed me towards the Baratza Preciso, but then said I should buy a hand grinder for my CCD needs, because it will cause a lot of wear/tear on the burrs by moving the settings around so often (Realistically, it would only get changed twice a week so I'm thinking he might have thought I was going to CCD AND a shot every day, which won't be the case). I know I need a new grinder since I'll take my Capresso Infinity to work with me and it's not made for espresso, however the Baratza Encore is out and it seems the Virtuouso doesn't allow me to play with the grind setting as much as the Preciso (40 steps vs 440). I've got as much time as I need to buy these things. I definitely don't have to pull the trigger today and can take some time to do some research and maybe wait for a Classic to come up used on some forums that I could go for. However, on Wholelattelove.com they have a new Gaggia Classic for $325 (which includes a $25 off coupon for father's day...)not sure if it's worth jumping on or not. Any other suggestions on things to look at, other items to consider? nwin fucked around with this message at 19:49 on Jun 9, 2014 |
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Jun 9, 2014 19:46
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I'd agree with most of that and yeah, people almost always suggest spending more money when it comes to espresso. There are a lot of people out there who just flat out won't recommend a setup for much less than a grand which would be something like a Rancillo or the CC1 and whatever dedicated espresso grinder they like. When I first started doing exactly what you're doing about 6 or 7 years ago, the go to grinder anyone recommended on a budget was the Capresso, but that was back before all these other options existed. That's what I bought when I started and it made reasonably ok espresso. Not s super velvety crema, but it tasted pretty good aside from that. I personally, use a Gaggia Classic and the Breville Smart Grinder now and I'm pretty happy with it. I think the shots I can get out of it are pretty solid. Would I prefer to have something like a Racillo or the CC1, hell yeah I would, but it's just not in the cards for me right now, especially since I drink more non-espresso based drinks than I do espresso ones. The bigger reason that I'd want to upgrade would mostly be for milk frothing because it's really hard to get really well frothed milk out of something that isn't a dual boiler with a really powerful steam wand, it just takes too long. I still get pretty good results and it tastes perfectly fine, but it's just not quite as silky as it should be. I can't even really feel that it's not as silky so much as it's not as easy for me to pour latte art. But that's me just wanting to make cool looking poo poo more than me caring about the perfect cup. Eventually I will step up my espresso machine, most likely when I stumble across someone unloading a nice one on craigslist because they just didn't use it enough. I do a quick search maybe once every other week just in case I get lucky, but I'm not really looking hard. I really don't plan on getting a better grinder at the moment though. Since the Breville was shimmed to grind finer, I find it does a really nice job at getting a consistently fine grind. I'm well off the finest setting to pull a 30 second shot.
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Jun 9, 2014 20:34
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rockcity posted:I'd agree with most of that and yeah, people almost always suggest spending more money when it comes to espresso. There are a lot of people out there who just flat out won't recommend a setup for much less than a grand which would be something like a Rancillo or the CC1 and whatever dedicated espresso grinder they like. When I first started doing exactly what you're doing about 6 or 7 years ago, the go to grinder anyone recommended on a budget was the Capresso, but that was back before all these other options existed. That's what I bought when I started and it made reasonably ok espresso. Not s super velvety crema, but it tasted pretty good aside from that. With the Breville, do you often jump between espresso and drip coffee settings for the grind? If so, do you notice extra wear/tear?
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Jun 9, 2014 20:39
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Growing up, I hated coffee, due to cheap choices. In college, however, I was introduced to a cup of Kenya AA from who knows where and this all changed. Could not get enough...but for the life of me (my poor ignorant little life), I couldn't get a machine to replicate what I wanted. And then I found a pour over deal...a local potter had made an imitation of what I now know as a classic plastic Melitta. I've alternated between this, and another just like it, both fired clay, until within this year, they've both broken...the second broke within the last month. My boyfriend is an avid S.A. reader, so I turned here for wisdom, out of the horror of having to go back to the machine/no coffee, and fortunately I found this thread! Then I learned that I'd been partially snobbing it up, making delicious pour-over for ages...while still knowing nothing to little about coffee. Flash-forward a month, I'm now reading this thread often, I know more than nothing about coffee, I've got a grinder wishlist, and I am using the Bonavita Porcelain Immersion Dripper. I'm really digging the control. I didn't immediately go with the CCD, mostly because plastic, and I've got a crazy-level paranoia/aversion to consumables/plastic/odor-flavor retention. I highly recommend the Bonavita, however, though I don't see it mentioned here often. I see a lot of this sort of post, concerning Pour-Over: DoBoMi posted:What did I do wrong? My two cents worth: I generally prefer a full city/medium, though I've gone city/light a couple of times over the years and I have noticed that when I use a city/light, it doesn't stick to the edges as well. Has anyone else noticed this? Is this science or coincidence? I haven't done much research, because, like I said, I don't prefer it, but I wonder if that's part of the problem when people are having this issue.
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Jun 9, 2014 20:40
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I've never had much issue with my v60. It's way easier to use than I was lead to believe. Prewet filter, pulse pour, 1:16, 2:30 total time. I've pretty much retired my ccd at this point.
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Jun 9, 2014 20:44
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Google Butt posted:I've never had much issue with my v60. It's way easier to use than I was lead to believe. Prewet filter, pulse pour, 1:16, 2:30 total time. Pulse pour? Also how does it compare to the CCD and why do you use the v60 over the CCD now?
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Jun 9, 2014 21:02
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^Pulse pour meaning not pouring at a consistent, low flow rate, i.e. pour a little wait 10 seconds, pour a little, repeat.nwin posted:With the Breville, do you often jump between espresso and drip coffee settings for the grind? If so, do you notice extra wear/tear? Pretty often. I make coffee pretty much every day, sometimes twice if I'm working at home. I do espresso probably 1/3 of the time. The one thing I'll note is that when you go between the two, I run a few beans through after changing the setting to clear out any of the remaining grinds from the previous setting. For pourover it's probably unnecessary, but I can definitely see a few of the coarser grinds come out first into my portafilter if I don't when I'm doing espresso.
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Jun 9, 2014 21:28
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