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Right now I like Andytown a lot. They are also just a mile from my house so I can get really fresh roasted coffee but I've also seen them for sale in some other stores like Bi-Rite. Four Barrel and Ritual are the other big names but I think they roast too lightly and they also cost too much. Most of their coffees are $18/12oz. I know Sightglass is popular but I had a bad experience at their cafe so I don't support them, smug pricks. There's really nothing wrong with Blue Bottle IMO. Despite them growing so much their quality is still consistently good. If you want another Oakland native you can check out Mr. Espresso. They've been around since the 70s and the coffee is still good. Mu Zeta fucked around with this message at 02:05 on Sep 3, 2015 |
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Sep 3, 2015 02:02
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Spent the last year with a hario mini mill, an aeropress, and heatgundogbowl. It was good. My Baratza Virtuoso / clever arrived today. It was amazing. /tripreport I think I'm going to have to get the v60 / goose neck soon...
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Sep 3, 2015 02:24
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dcgrp posted:Spent the last year with a hario mini mill, an aeropress, and heatgundogbowl.  Seriously though you can get a v60 for like $10 and a gooseneck for like $15 so it's not a big outlay and you can make loving amazing coffee since you alread yhave the most important piece of kit—your grinder.
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Sep 3, 2015 02:27
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Mu Zeta posted:Right now I like Andytown a lot. They are also just a mile from my house so I can get really fresh roasted coffee but I've also seen them for sale in some other stores like Bi-Rite. Four Barrel and Ritual are the other big names but I think they roast too lightly and they also cost too much. Most of their coffees are $18/12oz. I know Sightglass is popular but I had a bad experience at their cafe so I don't support them, smug pricks. Sightglass is what I'm drinking right now. It's ok. It's no Blue Bottle.  They were out of Blue Bottle at Whole Foods. 
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Sep 3, 2015 02:32
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Quidnose posted:Loving my hario and I'm getting better at my pour over technique with it. Went ahead and snagged an Baratza Encore off Amazon thanks to some giftcards and cashback. Excited to actually get my grinds right. I've tried a lot of the brands out here, and here are my thoughts. Note that I like light-roast Ethiopian coffees and the occasional Colombian, and that I've been making my coffee with a pour-over Hario for ages, and sometimes with a Kalita. Always look for the roast date, and don't buy coffees older than five days or so if you're spending a lot of money on beans. Blue Bottle: Quality has really gone down in recent years, used to be consistently superb, now it's consistently roasted coffee made with beans that aren't always anything to write home about. Worth buying if there aren't better options available. Four Barrels: I used to really like Four Barrels, like 6 years ago, but the last couple bags of beans I bought weren't very good. It may have been the way they were stored. Their packaging is really bad, paper bags with no protection for the beans, so unless you can get it where you know it hasn't been hanging around more than a couple of days I don't think it's worth paying the premium. I'd buy it sometimes if I lived near their shop. Ritual: This is my go to brand, very consistent, and they source really great beans. Their African coffees are awesome done via pour over. Definitely very light roast, so if you like a lot of body and roast flavor probably not for you. Equator: Beware the roast-date. Often found at my local markets with roast dates over a month old. If you can get it fresh, I think their Ethiopians are excellent, and very consistent quality. Better prices than Ritual, less transparent sourcing and variety. It can be hard to find fresh Equator beans, and I don't think they do a good job of protecting their brand. Intelligentsia: Darker than I like, and often one dimensional. Do they do a long, slow roast? I don't know. Not a big fan, but it's probably just me. I've definitely had good coffees from them but the last bag I bought was not good, despite being very fresh. Bicycle: Paper bag freshness problems and very limited selection. I'm not a big fan of Guatemalan coffee, and that's what they do. Scarlet City: Dark and somewhat inconsistent roasts. I stopped buying from them because the medium roast they do is on the edge of what I like, and it's not rare for them to roast it darker. Suffers from the paper bags sitting on the shelf, too. Catahoula: Darker than I like, have tried a few times. Nice folks in the Richmond cafe, but coffee might as well have been Peet's. Linea: I've only tried their decaf, but it was amazing. I haven't bought their beans otherwise because I've only seen them at Bi-Rite. Roast Co.: Middling. Wasn't excited about it enough to buy it again but if it's the only fresh thing on the shelf it's worth a shot. Philz: Garbage. Intentionally opaque blends and sourcing, mediocre coffee. If you like cream and sugar it's alright, but it has more in common with Dunkin Donuts coffee than 3rd wave. Highwire: Founded by Peets employees and it really shows. Very dark roasts. I can't stand their coffees.
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Sep 3, 2015 02:58
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Quidnose posted:Loving my hario and I'm getting better at my pour over technique with it. Went ahead and snagged an Baratza Encore off Amazon thanks to some giftcards and cashback. Excited to actually get my grinds right. Catahoula Coffee in Richmond and Berkeley is my favorite local roaster. Definitely worth checking out.
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Sep 3, 2015 03:03
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Do they do anything other than dark roasts?
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Sep 3, 2015 03:23
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Ritual has been my favorite too. I don't live there, but I've visited a couple times in the last year and have hit all the major companies over that time and ritual has definitely been my favorite. Their recently renovated shop near the mission is pretty rad too.
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Sep 3, 2015 03:35
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I think they have Ritual's at the Whole Foods I keep mentioning because that's the only place I know that sells not garbage coffee. Apparently I need to figure out what a Bi-Rite is. I promise I'm not some sort of shill for Whole Foods I'm just remembering that Barefoot Coffee in San Jose has really good stuff so I'll probably snag some beans from them when I'm down there.
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Sep 3, 2015 03:48
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Quidnose posted:I think they have Ritual's at the Whole Foods I keep mentioning because that's the only place I know that sells not garbage coffee. Apparently I need to figure out what a Bi-Rite is. I promise I'm not some sort of shill for Whole Foods Bicycle is worth it for their cold brew alone. Nobody can beat it. I didn't see Red Bay or Chromatic get mentioned, try them. Allegro is the tits and always on sale for some reason at the Bay Street Whole Foods. Counter Culture is technically Bay Area now too. Peerless and America's Best are crap for office coffee pots, but they're in the area if you've done everything else and want to challenge yourself.
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Sep 3, 2015 06:42
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Quidnose posted:Sightglass is what I'm drinking right now. It's ok. It's no Blue Bottle. Blue Bottle doesn't wholesale anymore so you can only get it at Blue Bottle cafes or online.
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Sep 3, 2015 07:35
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AriTheDog posted:Do they do anything other than dark roasts? Most of their stuff is medium to medium-dark. There's still a lot of brightness in a number of their beans. I admit I'm not as heavy into coffee as a lot of posters in this thread, but their Ethiopian Harar and Costa Rican beans are really a treat.
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Sep 3, 2015 07:42
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I'll toss another vote in for Ritual. I like both them and Blue Bottle from what I've tried here.
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Sep 3, 2015 20:54
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krysmopompas posted:Bi-Rite is overrated and not worth the trip if you're in the easy bay. Between Whole Foods and the Berkeley Bowl, you've actually got some pretty good coverage of everything around here This is tangential to coffee, but while I love the Berkeley Bowl and think it's a big draw to living in Berkeley, their coffee stocking is loving garbage. Stuff is constantly left on the shelf for a month or more. Whole Foods works, but it's Whole Foods. Bi-Rite is a treat to shop at. They have awesome bread options we don't get in the East Bay (Marla Bakery, Della Fattoria) and a vast selection of quality coffees. It's also a pain in the rear end to get to, but totally worth a trip on occasion for ice cream alone. I go to the one at Divisadero and Hayes whenever I get work done on my cello because the luthier is pretty much across the street.
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Sep 4, 2015 07:53
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Berkeley Bowl is where you go for braunschweiger and horned melons.
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Sep 4, 2015 09:02
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Going to the Bi-Rite on Divisadero it's really hard to see anything common with the older one on Mission. It makes the old place look like a dump.
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Sep 4, 2015 12:05
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Hey Coffee Thread, has anyone done this? Trip report? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yc2J_Ay8fCQ
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Sep 5, 2015 23:51
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Quidnose posted:Hey Coffee Thread, has anyone done this? Trip report? Sounds interesting. Comments are  Might try this with an especially dark roast, but the thought of wasting an egg is 
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Sep 6, 2015 02:40
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Coffee is poison!
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Sep 6, 2015 17:08
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Quidnose posted:Hey Coffee Thread, has anyone done this? Trip report? If I was going to try something like this - something stupid - I would only use the egg white, a la consomme. Regardless, seems like a tremendous waste of time.
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Sep 7, 2015 01:02
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AriTheDog posted:If I was going to try something like this - something stupid - I would only use the egg white, a la consomme. Regardless, seems like a tremendous waste of time. And the coffee looks weak as poo poo, though I'm sure you could just use more.
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Sep 7, 2015 01:33
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I need help with my Chemex. I can't seem to get a brew time under 4:45. I'm using the coarsest setting on my smart grinder. I'm using 44g beans and 700g water. I usually pour to the brim (about 500g) and then as soon as there's enough room I finish pouring the rest of the 200g. I'm usually finished pouring by 2:30 and it doesn't finish until about 4:45. The coffee tastes really weak. I use the same coffee with my beehouse pour over and it's great so I know I'm doing something wrong here. Any ideas?
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Sep 7, 2015 20:20
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700 g is a lot of water and it should take about ~5 minutes. I would set it on medium coarse and not the highest. Your grinder probably sucks at doing the coarsest grind and it's making lots of little dust and uneven grounds as well. Also Chemex does taste weaker because of the thick filters, but it shouldn't be that weak. Grind it finer. 
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Sep 7, 2015 20:54
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The smart grinder does a good job at grinding evenly but it's coarsest setting is not all that coarse. It's on the fine side for a french press, though usable. I would also try not pouring that much water in at a time. Try doing 100g doses. Seconding a slightly finer grind and agreeing that 4:45 is completely normal if not fast for that amount. It shouldn't take the same time ad a single cup pourover.
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Sep 8, 2015 01:57
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Mu Zeta posted:700 g is a lot of water and it should take about ~5 minutes. I would set it on medium coarse and not the highest. Your grinder probably sucks at doing the coarsest grind and it's making lots of little dust and uneven grounds as well. Thanks. I'll try a finer grind and not worry about the brew time as much. The guide on Blue Bottle said it shouldn't be longer than 4 minutes so I thought I was doing something wrong and kept going coarser and coarser to try to speed it up. rockcity posted:The smart grinder does a good job at grinding evenly but it's coarsest setting is not all that coarse. It's on the fine side for a french press, though usable. Thanks! Will experiment with the grind size and dosage tomorrow and report back 
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Sep 8, 2015 06:26
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Coffee goons, whats the general opinion on a Bonavita 1500TS?
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Sep 8, 2015 16:58
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It's highly likely that they use the same internals for all of their brewers, so it should be as good as any of their models. In other words, better then most other options on the market. They also have excellent customer support.
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Sep 8, 2015 17:45
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I just have to say, the local coffee bean shop just gave me some Tanzania Peaberry coffee and holy poo poo this is good. As someone who's go to bean is a Guatemalan that gives a purely chocolate taste, this is like that with extra fruity notes of currants and the like.
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Sep 8, 2015 21:01
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I need another pour over cone. I travel between sites for work and I am interested in trying something other than the plastic V60 that I currently use. I was thinking I would switch to a cone that used the Melita #2 filters since they are easy to find in stores. Does anyone have a small Bee House?
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Sep 15, 2015 13:15
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The small bee house is too small for the #2 filters. The normal size fits it perfectly. e: I have both sizes.
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Sep 15, 2015 13:17
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Mu Zeta posted:The small bee house is too small for the #2 filters. The normal size fits it perfectly. If you had to pick one for traveling to different locations would you choose the small or large Bee House? Ropes4u fucked around with this message at 17:37 on Sep 15, 2015 |
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Sep 15, 2015 16:42
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Ropes4u posted:If you had to pick one for traveling to different locations would you choose the small or large Bee House? It's going to very hard to beat a plastic Melitta unless you're bringing a gooseneck kettle with you on these trips. In my experience, the Melitta is hardest to screw up and easiest to make with any old kettle or water pouring situation. Otherwise look at the Clever Coffee Cupper for a method that will work great with any kettle, or microwaved hot water, or whatever. The Hario and Kalita are too sensitive to pouring method, and the Beehouse or any ceramic doesn't really have any advantage over plastic other than being cute. You could consider a stainless steel Kalita dripper, but I don't see the point.
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Sep 15, 2015 23:08
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AriTheDog posted:It's going to very hard to beat a plastic Melitta unless you're bringing a gooseneck kettle with you on these trips. In my experience, the Melitta is hardest to screw up and easiest to make with any old kettle or water pouring situation. Otherwise look at the Clever Coffee Cupper for a method that will work great with any kettle, or microwaved hot water, or whatever. was hoping for sexy and cool but plastic it is. Thanks
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Sep 16, 2015 02:20
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Clever Coffee Dripper is the most flexible option. It DGAF how the water gets to the right temperature.
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Sep 16, 2015 03:02
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For travelling I'd go for an aeropress just because it's a lot more compact
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Sep 16, 2015 09:13
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Andre Le Fuckface posted:For travelling I'd go for an aeropress just because it's a lot more compact Than a Melitta cone or a Clever Cupper? Not really. It's thinner but longer when put together, sure, but you end up with 4 parts to wash and thoroughly dry after making each cup and it's really best for the rubber if the Aeropress isn't stored compressed which makes it take up a lot more room.
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Sep 16, 2015 16:04
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Andre Le Fuckface posted:For travelling I'd go for an aeropress just because it's a lot more compact For traveling on planes with suitcases, yes I'd go with an Aeropress. But if I were traveling between customer sites in a car/truck, I'd go with a Clever because it's easy and you have the space.
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Sep 16, 2015 18:06
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Also, good luck pressing it against a disposable coffee cup.
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Sep 16, 2015 19:16
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rockcity posted:Also, good luck pressing it against a disposable coffee cup. I've actually had good luck with this. Not sure if the paper cups I used were just particularly stout or what. That having been said, I also got a spare CCD for travel and wound up using that a lot more, though for no good reason other than it's just what I felt like using most of the time.
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Sep 17, 2015 20:17
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Hey, I'm looking to get into espresso at home. Is a refurb Saeco Aroma still the cheapest way to get something with some measure of quality? Would a Baratza Virtuoso be a passably good grinder?
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Sep 18, 2015 18:23
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