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hbf
Jul 26, 2003
No Dice.

Astronaut Jones posted:

The fresh roasted beans part here is key. Don't assume that mail ordering good coffee is prohibitively expensive, as it really isn't too bad.

I am a big fan of ... Vivace (http://www.espressovivace.com). All of which will ship you coffee basically on the day they roast it, and can have it at your door within a few days for not a whole lot more than you'd be paying for stale beans that have sat on a shelf for an unknown amount of time.

Vivace is great. Just moved to Seattle and have been loving them. The guy who owns the place is an absolute coffee nerd scientist guy. Although if you ask them what machine to use in the store they recommend some $8K machine for home users, no thanks!

http://www.stumptowncoffee.com/ is another good Seattle roaster who ships stuff out super fast. They are more about geographic single plantation varietals which is kinda cool I guess.

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GrAviTy84
Nov 25, 2004

betterinsodapop posted:

whirly blade grinder...French press


MMMMMMM


If you have to go with a blade grinder, do yourself a favor and stick to pour over.

ThriceBakedPotato
Oct 25, 2010

by T. Butt
I'm kinda diggin on Robusta. My local roaster sells some straight and markets it as a super-caffiene bean. It's a little bland but in a smooth way and I like the kick.

I've been doing it about 60/40 with a french roast that is so oily it looks wet.

Speeeeeeeeeeed

Got a couple of neopolitan flip pots, they are cute but just a novelty, for anyone wondering. They make 'okay' coffee, but we have a half dozen better methods.

Joe Friday
Oct 16, 2007

Just the facts, ma'am.

hbf posted:

http://www.stumptowncoffee.com/ is another good Seattle roaster who ships stuff out super fast. They are more about geographic single plantation varietals which is kinda cool I guess.

Seconding Stumptown in a big way. They are probably my favorite roaster next to Victrola. Zeitgeist in Pioneer Square is also a great local Seattle roaster.

Tully's also can be very decent if you carefully select a single origin. I've gotten my parents hooked on it and send it back to them in the Midwest for every holiday.

hbf
Jul 26, 2003
No Dice.

Joe Friday posted:

Seconding Stumptown in a big way. They are probably my favorite roaster next to Victrola. Zeitgeist in Pioneer Square is also a great local Seattle roaster.

Tully's also can be very decent if you carefully select a single origin. I've gotten my parents hooked on it and send it back to them in the Midwest for every holiday.

Since it sounds like you also live in Seattle, who in your opinion is the best in town in terms of quality/price? I drink a fair amount of coffee and it adds up. Currently I get Stumptown from the coffeeshop on my corner and I think it's 13$/bag with tax. I'm not sure how big the bag is, it doesn't say anywhere on it, but I know it is not that close to a pound just from the feel. I just moved here so I haven't really explored everywhere yet.

Gravity Pike
Feb 8, 2009

I find this discussion incredibly bland and disinteresting.
Where in Seattle are you? There's a place in Fremont that just opened up two or three weeks ago, Milstead & Co, and they are really good. Like, "get beans in twice a week every week, refuse to brew drip coffee that'll sit in pots on moral grounds" good. It's not the cheapest, but it's by far the best coffee that I've ever had. Both the guys working there are frankly a little obsessive; last time I was there, they were talking about how they had to brew their new Kenya 15 seconds longer in order to get perfect results out of a Clever.

They're on 34th, just west of Troll, and are kind of hard to find since they don't have a sign up yet. It's right between the History House and Istanbul Imports.

Joe Friday
Oct 16, 2007

Just the facts, ma'am.

hbf posted:

Since it sounds like you also live in Seattle, who in your opinion is the best in town in terms of quality/price? I drink a fair amount of coffee and it adds up. Currently I get Stumptown from the coffeeshop on my corner and I think it's 13$/bag with tax. I'm not sure how big the bag is, it doesn't say anywhere on it, but I know it is not that close to a pound just from the feel. I just moved here so I haven't really explored everywhere yet.

Yes, they usually do 8, 10 or 12 oz bags depending on location. It is quite pricey, but I think it's worth it. If you're looking for a price to quality comparison, Cafe Ladro has pretty decent prices. The better Tully's stuff will also run around $12 but that's for a whole pound. If you go with a smaller roaster or a better coffee, that's about the going rate.

I'm definitely going to check out Milstead & Co next time I'm north of the ship canal. I don't get to that part of town unless I have a specific reason, but good coffee is reason enough.

lament.cfg
Dec 28, 2006

we have such posts
to show you




Can someone recommend storage containers for green and for roasted coffee?

Thanks.

Everything Burrito
Jun 2, 2011

I Failed At Anime 2022
I have the cheap-o blade grinder (it was a gift!) and I really don't have a lot of sludge problems with my french press. I will eventually replace it but I'm kinda waiting for it to die first. Does pulsing when you grind accomplish anything as far as keeping the beans from getting too hot? That's what I've been trying to do instead of just leaning on the button til they were done. It at least doesn't get that motor burning smell when I do it that way :v:

Also wanted to add that I got the clever coffee dripper on recommendation from the other thread for my tiny office coffee station and it's been great. I'm using paper filters; I thought about a permanent filter but I like being able to dump grounds & filter in the trash and have less to clean.

hbf
Jul 26, 2003
No Dice.
Hmm cool. I guess I will keep looking and trying stuff out. Been burning through these stumptown bags though. I can feel my addiction ramping up haha. I just found out a friend of mine works at a place with Cafe Vita stuff and can get me a bag or two at wholesale so I'm going to try some of those.

Definitely will check out Milstead and co, live pretty close and can get their easy enough on the Burke.

betterinsodapop
Apr 4, 2004

64:3

Ed Mungo posted:

I have the cheap-o blade grinder (it was a gift!) and I really don't have a lot of sludge problems with my french press. I will eventually replace it but I'm kinda waiting for it to die first. Does pulsing when you grind accomplish anything as far as keeping the beans from getting too hot? That's what I've been trying to do instead of just leaning on the button til they were done. It at least doesn't get that motor burning smell when I do it that way :v:
Yeah I never really had bad sludge problems when I was using a whirly blade and French press, either. I would pulse, shake the grinder around, pulse, over and over again until it was the right grind. I felt like I got a slightly more consistent grind with fewer fines by grinding this way, though it might not be right for everyone. Of course, you'll still have some fines and the resulting sludge, but it might help a little.

mattdev
Sep 30, 2004

Gentlemen of taste, refinement, luxury.

Women want us, men want to be us.

hbf posted:

http://www.stumptowncoffee.com/ is another good SeattlePortland roaster who ships stuff out super fast. They are more about geographic single plantation varietals which is kinda cool I guess.

:colbert:

Caffe Vita is some really good stuff for sure. People in Portland like to hate train on them for some reason but I've never had a single issue with their espresso.

hbf
Jul 26, 2003
No Dice.

mattdev posted:

:colbert:

Caffe Vita is some really good stuff for sure. People in Portland like to hate train on them for some reason but I've never had a single issue with their espresso.

haha thanks for correcting me, I just assumed they were from Seattle since it seems to be the go to here.

People in Seattle seem to like to hate on Cafe Vita as well. If you read yelp reviews people often mention in restaurant/cafe reviews something like "oh this place is great, but they have cafe vita, where's the stumptown?"

Joe Friday
Oct 16, 2007

Just the facts, ma'am.

hbf posted:

haha thanks for correcting me, I just assumed they were from Seattle since it seems to be the go to here.

People in Seattle seem to like to hate on Cafe Vita as well. If you read yelp reviews people often mention in restaurant/cafe reviews something like "oh this place is great, but they have cafe vita, where's the stumptown?"

In all fairness, Stumptown has both a Seattle and a Portland roasting location, but yes, they are based in Portland.

I don't understand the Cafe Vita hate either. It makes a good latte and I have never had issues with a cup from them. I honestly just think it's a load of bullshit snobbery to help keep up coffee elite appearances.


How often do rings on moka pots need changing? I've had mine for some years and although I use it probably once a month, it's still going strong. How can I tell if it's gone bad?

tlicalzi
Sep 28, 2011
I have a video on Youtube on how to roast coffee with a heat gun

http://youtu.be/VIAN8JxBxUM

betterinsodapop
Apr 4, 2004

64:3
...and my Baratza Virtuoso seems to be busted for no apparent reason. I tried cleaning, unclogging, disassembling and reassembling the burrs, and nothing gets it to work properly. It grinds, but it just grinds EXTREMELY coarsely (ie: totally unusable) on all settings. It's really frustrating as hell. I JUST got my home roasting operation together, and now don't have a grinder. Gah.

Does anybody have any experience with getting one of these things repaired? Any advice?

Cuttlefish Party
Mar 18, 2011

Cuttlefish: GO.
(They've advanced quickly.)

betterinsodapop posted:

...and my Baratza Virtuoso seems to be busted for no apparent reason. I tried cleaning, unclogging, disassembling and reassembling the burrs, and nothing gets it to work properly. It grinds, but it just grinds EXTREMELY coarsely (ie: totally unusable) on all settings. It's really frustrating as hell. I JUST got my home roasting operation together, and now don't have a grinder. Gah.

Does anybody have any experience with getting one of these things repaired? Any advice?

Did it stop working right after you disassembled/reassembled the burrs, by any chance? I've taken apart/cleaned my Maestro any number of times, but on one occasion I somehow put the thing back together wrong, and it did exactly what you're saying. I thought I broke it, but I just had to futz around with the parts to get it back to its proper operation.

Wish I could remember exactly what it took to get it working, but I think I had to manually rotate one of the inner ring parts to the correct position before putting the upper burr ring and hopper back on. Hope this is the case for you too, and you don't have to shell out cash for a repair.

Edit: there might even be a line marked in magic marker showing you where the rings are supposed to line up; I've seen that on another Maestro. The Virtuoso may be different.

Cuttlefish Party fucked around with this message at 19:43 on Sep 29, 2011

Bob_McBob
Mar 24, 2007

betterinsodapop posted:

...and my Baratza Virtuoso seems to be busted for no apparent reason. I tried cleaning, unclogging, disassembling and reassembling the burrs, and nothing gets it to work properly. It grinds, but it just grinds EXTREMELY coarsely (ie: totally unusable) on all settings. It's really frustrating as hell. I JUST got my home roasting operation together, and now don't have a grinder. Gah.

Does anybody have any experience with getting one of these things repaired? Any advice?

How to Troubleshoot A Grind Quality Issue (PDF)

If that doesn't help, their customer service is excellent.

mattdev
Sep 30, 2004

Gentlemen of taste, refinement, luxury.

Women want us, men want to be us.

Joe Friday posted:

I don't understand the Cafe Vita hate either. It makes a good latte and I have never had issues with a cup from them. I honestly just think it's a load of bullshit snobbery to help keep up coffee elite appearances.

We only have one Vita location down here and I don't think they serve their coffee anywhere else. The problem most Yelpers have with their spot here is that they go in and order a double skinny iced vanilla latte and Vita goes all :colbert: on them because they won't even taste the coffee underneath all of that poo poo. Yeah, they could handle it in a different way, but it still doesn't make them entirely wrong.

There's been a lot of Stumptown backlash down here because they were recently bought out by some unknown group of investors. I don't really care that they got bought out, but as long as their quality stays the same then I'll still be drinking there semi-regularly.

Do you guys get any of our micro-roasters up there? Specifically Coava, Water Avenue, Ristretto, Sterling or Courier? I head up to Seattle for work every so often so maybe we'll have to plan some sort of coffee meetup/exchange.

betterinsodapop
Apr 4, 2004

64:3

Bob_McBob posted:

How to Troubleshoot A Grind Quality Issue (PDF)

If that doesn't help, their customer service is excellent.
Thanks. I did use their troubleshooting guides, but was still unable to get the machine to work properly. I guess I'll be dealing directly with Baratza. Such bad timing... I'd just gotten my home roasting underway, too. Welp.

Harold Fjord
Jan 3, 2004
I was using a $20 Mr. Coffee until I shattered the carafe about a week ago. So I've taken to using the plastic cone inside as an improvised clever brewer and it's pretty amazing. A few spoons of coffee, a little more than a mug of boiling water, some hot water on the filter and in the mug to prep it for delicious, and 4 minutes later I've got some of the best coffee I ever made.

It helps that my cone stands up perfectly in my coffee mugs.

pnumoman
Sep 26, 2008

I never get the last word, and it makes me very sad.

Nevvy Z posted:

I was using a $20 Mr. Coffee until I shattered the carafe about a week ago. So I've taken to using the plastic cone inside as an improvised clever brewer and it's pretty amazing. A few spoons of coffee, a little more than a mug of boiling water, some hot water on the filter and in the mug to prep it for delicious, and 4 minutes later I've got some of the best coffee I ever made.

It helps that my cone stands up perfectly in my coffee mugs.

This is pretty much how I got my first taste of properly brewed coffee. Welcome to the world of coffee that tastes good.

betterinsodapop
Apr 4, 2004

64:3
The Baratza Virtuoso sucks. I had it for maybe a year, during which it wasn't heavily used or abused, and it has already crapped otu. I've been dealing with Baratza support, doing their troubleshooting, and now they want me to take the thing completely apart to diagnose it. I sort of just expected them to say "Just ship it to us, we'll fix it." Nope, they want me to completely disassemble the burr assembly, open the case, do this, that, and the other thing. I'm not a tech. I just want to drink coffee.

So fed up. I might as well buy a Hario manual grinder.

Bob_McBob
Mar 24, 2007
Tell them you aren't comfortable taking it apart?

Baratza grinders are generally pretty reliable. I own three, and my close family members own several more, and I've never had any major issues.

Happy Pizza Guy
Jun 24, 2004

"Yeah, it was incredible, the drugs, the sex, the all-night parties. I really miss that Shining Time Station."
Grimey Drawer
Does anyone have any experience with the Baratza Esatto scale? I'd love to streamline my weighing process a bit in the mornings, but it does cost more than my actual grinder, so it's a bit of a tough sell.

Since I think it's been asked a few times in the thread, the Starbucks Barista from Baratza is a great grinder, and I am happy I got it. It has a nearly identical feature set to the Maestro, but it has a pulse button and a weighted base, which I'm pretty sure the Maestro doesn't have (it was also $.99 less for a refurb). I also like the colour scheme better.

hotsauce
Jan 14, 2007

betterinsodapop posted:

The Baratza Virtuoso sucks. I had it for maybe a year, during which it wasn't heavily used or abused, and it has already crapped otu. I've been dealing with Baratza support, doing their troubleshooting, and now they want me to take the thing completely apart to diagnose it. I sort of just expected them to say "Just ship it to us, we'll fix it." Nope, they want me to completely disassemble the burr assembly, open the case, do this, that, and the other thing. I'm not a tech. I just want to drink coffee.

So fed up. I might as well buy a Hario manual grinder.

Wow, this type of attitude (from the company) is what prevents them from going from good to great. Shame as they seem to make a good product. If they continue insisting that customers transform themselves into burr grinder techs when their warranted product fails, they will never breakthrough to a world class organization.

Then again, their website design and flow indicates they are just fine being a small local company. Confusing as the Starbucks branding and payday must have injected a ton of money into their organization.

I'll probably buy the refurb Starbucks one as it seems to be a good grinder, but if they give me the "take it apart" line if something goes wrong, I will never purchase from them ever again.

Ravingsockmonkey
Jan 24, 2007

Kharma police, arrest this girl
She stares at me as if she owns the world
And we have crashed her party
Jubala Village Coffee in north Raleigh, NC is a great little shop. They specialize in pour over and French press made to order coffees, and the guys can discuss the characteristics of the beans they use and where they came from. Oh, they also serve waffles all day long. :3:

betterinsodapop
Apr 4, 2004

64:3

hotsauce posted:

If they continue insisting that customers transform themselves into burr grinder techs when their warranted product fails, they will never breakthrough to a world class organization.
That is exactly how I felt. Why is the burden on the consumer to fix what is clearly a manufacturing defect/quality control issue?

Astronaut Jones
Oct 18, 2007
Destination Moon


betterinsodapop posted:

That is exactly how I felt. Why is the burden on the consumer to fix what is clearly a manufacturing defect/quality control issue?

Have you told them that you don't feel comfortable / are too lazy to take it apart because it is under warranty and that you'd prefer to send it in? I have seen Kyle from Baratza (the engineer behind all the grinders) help people with issues they were having and go above and beyond what I'd expect from normal customer service on Coffeegeek and Home-Barista.

Perhaps they are under the assumption that you would prefer to troubleshoot it yourself rather than having to package it up and send it in? The vast majority of coffee nerds I know would much rather spend a bit tinkering than have to go through the hassle of boxing poo poo up and posting it somewhere.

betterinsodapop
Apr 4, 2004

64:3
I've already taken it apart quite a bit, as instructed. I really don't want to remove the case and get into troubleshooting motors and electrical bits for a few reasons. I've no experience in that sort of thing and am afraid I'll irrevocably damage the machine. It's not really because I'm "too lazy" to do it. I've done absolutely all of the troubleshooting they've asked of me up to this point, but I'm not a goddamn engineer.

Llewellyn
Jul 26, 2010
I had the exact same issue with my Maestro Plus last year. For what it's worth, after checking the inside of the grinder as they suggested, they quickly sent out a replacement. If they're asking you to do the same check, I wouldn't get intimidated or worry about breaking it accidentally.

GrAviTy84
Nov 25, 2004

betterinsodapop posted:

I've already taken it apart quite a bit, as instructed. I really don't want to remove the case and get into troubleshooting motors and electrical bits for a few reasons. I've no experience in that sort of thing and am afraid I'll irrevocably damage the machine. It's not really because I'm "too lazy" to do it. I've done absolutely all of the troubleshooting they've asked of me up to this point, but I'm not a goddamn engineer.

As mentioned, you should really just have told them that it is under warranty and that you aren't comfortable taking it apart. Baratza actually has one of the best customer service reputations in the industry. I think you're overreacting.

Mr. Wiggles
Dec 1, 2003

We are all drinking from the highball glass of ideology.
So what is it in Trung Nguyen coffee (besides the chicory) that makes it so amazingly good even for preground coffee? I'd like to replicate this, you see.

oRenj9
Aug 3, 2004

Who loves oRenj soda?!?
College Slice
All this talk about the tools for making a perfect cup of coffee, but no mention of the best tools for drinking that perfect cup? I received a Starbucks Tumbler from my sister for my birthday, and I have to admit it is one of my favorite gifts ever. Of course, it is vacuum-seals to the coffee hot for hours, but the best part is the lid.

The lid is designed so that if you tilt it too much, hardly anything will come out. I've knocked this over on my laptop several times and each time it just lets out a few drops. The drinking lip is tapered in such a way that the coffee comes out in a thin sheet to encourage slurping and prevents burning. I've had a dozen or so coffee mugs over the years, this one is miles ahead of them all. And it is reasonably priced.

As an added bonus, you only pay $0.50 for a fill up at Starbucks.

mattdev
Sep 30, 2004

Gentlemen of taste, refinement, luxury.

Women want us, men want to be us.
:smug:



But really, for the rare occasion that I'm actually drinking non-espresso, there's nothing better than a Contigo. This thing seriously keeps coffee hot for like 8 hours.

Tig Ol Bitties
Jan 22, 2010

pew pew pew
I work in a kitchen supply store. We sell Chemex, Aeropress, various french presses, mokapots, and Capresso automatic drips that seem to always break. Last night, I had a man ask for a unique coffee maker. I offered him the Aeropress, and told him one of the cons was the clean up. He scolded me and told me that "One should never clean any coffee maker! It builds a patina! Never tell your customers to clean theirs again!"

Is this a thing? I have heard of never washing tea mugs, but never cleaning your coffee maker?

Thufir
May 19, 2004

"The fucking Mayans were right."

Tig Ol Bitties posted:

I work in a kitchen supply store. We sell Chemex, Aeropress, various french presses, mokapots, and Capresso automatic drips that seem to always break. Last night, I had a man ask for a unique coffee maker. I offered him the Aeropress, and told him one of the cons was the clean up. He scolded me and told me that "One should never clean any coffee maker! It builds a patina! Never tell your customers to clean theirs again!"

Is this a thing? I have heard of never washing tea mugs, but never cleaning your coffee maker?

I've heard that about moka pots.

AriTheDog
Jul 29, 2003
Famously tasty.

Tig Ol Bitties posted:

I work in a kitchen supply store. We sell Chemex, Aeropress, various french presses, mokapots, and Capresso automatic drips that seem to always break. Last night, I had a man ask for a unique coffee maker. I offered him the Aeropress, and told him one of the cons was the clean up. He scolded me and told me that "One should never clean any coffee maker! It builds a patina! Never tell your customers to clean theirs again!"

Is this a thing? I have heard of never washing tea mugs, but never cleaning your coffee maker?

It builds a foul tasting patina, he's correct.

Godlessdonut
Sep 13, 2005

Tig Ol Bitties posted:

I work in a kitchen supply store. We sell Chemex, Aeropress, various french presses, mokapots, and Capresso automatic drips that seem to always break. Last night, I had a man ask for a unique coffee maker. I offered him the Aeropress, and told him one of the cons was the clean up. He scolded me and told me that "One should never clean any coffee maker! It builds a patina! Never tell your customers to clean theirs again!"

Is this a thing? I have heard of never washing tea mugs, but never cleaning your coffee maker?

Are you saying that an Aeropress is hard to clean? :psyduck: I find it to be much easier than cleaning a french press, and just as easy as cleaning a Clever coffee dripper. Though he is crazy about wanting a patina on it.

Hey, does anyone have a recommendation for a good hot water kettle that lets you control the temperature? I'm looking at this Cuisinart model and was wondering if anyone had a better idea. I'd like to keep it at or below $100.

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Grandmaster.flv
Jun 24, 2011
Do any of you brew and then make your own iced coffee? Any tips aside from 'just add water and chill'?

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