Let's hear what you guys are doing with your coffee.
I've done everything it seems. I started with drip, moved into a french press, then did pour over for a while. Now i'm using this el cheapo k-cup machine called a "Chulux" that actually make some pretty good coffee. It makes better coffee than any Keurig I've used, and I've used at least four of them at my office. That said, I hate the waste and I'd like to get back into shorter coffees.
What caused me to create this thread is that I recently finished up a bar addition that connects my kitchen to my dining room. It's perfect for an espresso machine or other coffee device. Especially since I effectively work from home these days and the bar has become my de facto work station since my wife uses the home office for her college work, and my son uses the kitchen table for his remote preschool learning (we are running out of spaces for computers/work).
Anyways... I've always loved a really solid cup of coffee. I figured the cultured 2t lovers here could tell me how it's done.
Espresso Machine!!! I make a french press every morning. For me, short of espresso, it's the way to go. I'd love an espresso setup though.
i have a high end keurig, its really good. in the past:
used to buy whole bean, grind, etc. then, had a melitta mill&brew. hands down best setup i ever had. however, they quit making it. My father, who is an avid coffee drinker, at the time, finally got thru to melittas office in Germany (he speaks fluent German so that helped) and it came down to they couldnt find anyone to make the machines and they suspected keurig had something to do with it. (this is when they really started taking off)
I have a french press as well. never use it.
if you want legit regular coffee: try the eight o clock cups. that's the old a&p brand from way back. solid no bs coffee.
thats how i roll.
Coffee lover here and like it black to get the true taste of the beans. Medium quality is fine for me using ground brands such as McDonalds, Dunkin, etc.
Anyone have a good recommendation on a good cold brew coffee?
Starbucks, Peets, or Don Francisco whole bean or ground in a 12-cup KitchenAid machine. I have a French press but never use it.
I go through a lot of coffee, straight-up-black with no pollutants! :dawg: I'm with Evans, I need to enjoy the rich flavor of the beans. Love the taste of a great cup of fresh coffee. Haven't yet tried the Kenny Roberts Roast but it's on the list.
My wife will only drink regular Folgers. A 12 cup B&D (our 3rd) gets emptied daily. I occasionally make special coffee supplied to me by a friend that runs Pedal Java in Knoxville. I like most all coffees, but afraid that I must have a sweetener in it. The absolute best that I have ever had was espresso at the Florian Cafe on Piaza San Marco in Venice. Supposed to be the world's oldest sidewalk cafe. My weekly visit to the Time Warp Tea Room always includes a medium Americano - in the summer iced.
Cuisinart with built in grinder for me that grinds the beans I get from Independence Coffee Company in Texas. I like flavored coffees and since finding this vanilla bean coffee that doesn't clog up the coffee maker, we've stuck with it for many years now. I have a french press I used to take on camp-outs when I was a Scoutmaster. Maybe I'll switch back to it one day, who knows.
Rob
Quote from: pidjones on September 11, 2020, 12:12:25 PM
My weekly visit to the Time Warp Tea Room always includes a medium Americano - in the summer iced.
Hey- thanks for that info as a group of us 2 stroke RD sometimes ride up from the Deals Gap meet annually to the Time Warp Tea Room. I got the bowl of chili with a coke last time but will try the Iced Americana next time. Wanted to stay longer in the retro game room but we needed to head back not wanting to ride at night. That return trip, one in our group had a shorting stator wire that caused several stops back with a 1 hr return trip becoming a 4-5 hr return. Realized from that trip, I needed a better headlight bulb in my RZ and also my low beam filament had burned out not delighting the rider who was in front of me.
(https://i.ibb.co/68rmw2D/11968-BE4-77-FF-4-C02-A68-E-31-CAC04-A6-D48.jpg)
I was a french press man for many years, but a few years ago, my lovely wife got me a Breville Barista Express espresso machine. Total game changer.
Once you get all the knobs and settings dialed in for the beans you are using, it makes a perfect coffee-shop quality espresso every time.
I do a double double (double shot, extracted twice) every morning with a splash of 40% heavy whipping cream. No sugar. That keeps me going until it's time for a beer at happy hour :)
Right now I'm using TJ's Fair Trade Organic Bolivian medium dark roast. As some of you may know, the trend away from dark roasts toward lighter, brighter roasts started here in Portland almost two decades ago. I can't stand french roast anymore. Tastes burnt to me.
Not at all a fan of K-cups and the amount of waste they generate. There's no room in my world for all that unneccessary plastic.
(https://i.ibb.co/FVg1nTX/DAC19-BD4-FD22-4-F01-9488-47-B4-FDB4323-A.jpg)
... anyway just bite the bullet and spend the $500 on the Barista Express. You won't regret it. After almost two years, that's just $1 a cup :dawg:
Quote from: Evans Ward on September 11, 2020, 12:32:05 PM
Quote from: pidjones on September 11, 2020, 12:12:25 PM
My weekly visit to the Time Warp Tea Room always includes a medium Americano - in the summer iced.
Hey- thanks for that info as a group of us 2 stroke RD sometimes ride up from the Deals Gap meet annually to the Time Warp Tea Room. I got the bowl of chili with a coke last time but will try the Iced Americana next time. Wanted to stay longer in the retro game room but we needed to head back not wanting to ride at night. That return trip, one in our group had a shorting stator wire that caused several stops back with a 1 hr return trip becoming a 4-5 hr return. Realized from that trip, I needed a better headlight bulb in my RZ and also my low beam filament had burned out not delighting the rider who was in front of me.
Plan on Tuesday evening visits! That is when the local group gathers to correct the world's problems. I'm usually on an old GoldWing until the RD400 is on the road.
I use to be fancy with my coffee but now I just use the good old Mr. Coffee. I grew up with Vietnamese coffee and the nice little dripper that took a solid 20 mins for a small 4oz of concentrated coffee with condense sweeten milk. My personal favorite was the french press but it would leave that toxic coffee sludge at the bottom of my cup that was nasty. Cold brew has been a nice trend for awhile. WHIP coffee is pretty cool as well.
Those who are interested in a nice espresso coffee, check out my buddy's coffee shop and support his local small business. He has a flavor for all of our needs.
https://www.unioncoffee.co/
https://www.unioncoffee.co/shop/coffee/union-two-stroke-espresso
(https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/58013ec415d5db2f5fac81a7/1585334598040-TA15GKR4SJQCXH8KN6WB/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kFQQgP34qnCpeHaeAOzTt7pZw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWQUxwkmyExglNqGp0IvTJZamWLI2zvYWH8K3-s_4yszcp2ryTI0HqTOaaUohrI8PICHnXC1b9smDvYLPdL-DS7U1pkhCtl83kemXd5r3C5ngKMshLAGzx4R3EDFOm1kBS/union-12oz-coffee-boxes-iso-twostroke%40800px.jpg?format=1000w)
Yup, coffee and motos go hand in hand here as well.
https://www.seeseemotorcycles.com/pages/see-see-motor-coffee-co
https://twostrokecoffeeco.com/two-stroke
My bike night group meets at a coffee shop in Milford NH. Great crowd, AWESOME BIKES, and fantastic people. Not too many 2 strokes but when they do show up, people love it and always want to chat about them
I love the Vietnamese coffee maker also. But you have to have the proper Vietnamese coffee to put in it. They add some kind of flavor to it but I have never been able to get a straight answer about what it is. Takes forever to drip through... Right about that.
I have a Starbucks Barista Athena espresso maker from the 90's. $20 at an estate sale. One of my all time best buys.
I also like the old standby Chemex glass coffee maker.
Peet's coffee. Major Dickason's blend is a regular. I met Alfred Peet when I was a kid. My parents bought all their coffee at his original Berkeley store at Walnut and Vine St.
I also like Costco Starbucks French Roast. Great for espresso but a little harsh for drip.
I tried Luwak coffee in Jakarta but it tastes like shit. :dawg:
IR8D8R
I like my Cuisinart with integrated grinder. It's a good blend of quality and convenience. I like coffee ready when I get up in the morning as an extra incentive to get out of bed. The program function and integrated grinder is a must for me.
I'm a dark roast fan and take my coffee black.
A roaster out of Madison, WI, Just Coffee, has their Skatepark blend- fair trade, organic, and reminds my of my teenage days grinding it out at the skatepark. Can't go wrong with that.
I also was a fan of Peace Coffee out of the Twin Cities, but haven't been able to find that in a while.
QuoteI like my Cuisinart with integrated grinder. It's a good blend of quality and convenience. I like coffee ready when I get up in the morning as an extra incentive to get out of bed. The program function and integrated grinder is a must for me.
the mill & brew was like that. it made a racket but was nice to come down to it. the keurig i have has a programmable timer to turn on, so i literally push a button and in less than a minute im ready to go
Once I get back from my bicycle ride I'll write a proper response, but I didn't expect this to blow up like this.
French press with coffee from a local roaster.
Every day.
Great responses from everybody, thanks for the excellent content!
I was looking at the Breville actually. Once upon a time I had a decent espresso machine and loved it. Something that can make a nice espresso is really enticing. I was thinking about the Bambino Plus but I'll have to look through all the specs to try and understand what the hell I am looking at.
That said, I love my french press. it makes great coffee, and I generally just drink it over the entire day. Locally, here in Pittsburgh, there is a never ending supply of freshly roasted beans. I try to buy lower quantities and purchase more often, that way the coffee is fresh. Most of the good roasters sell by weight so there's no penalty for buying lower quantity, you scoop it yourself. Of course, I need to get out of this nasty k-cup habit.
Either percolator, or cowboy coffee Kent Rollins style. Throw grounds right in pot and bring to rolling boil. Cold water over surface to settle grounds and pour coffee.
... yeah, I should get back to local beans.
When I was doing a french press every day, I was burning thru the beans like crazy, but another good thing about the espresso machine is you use waay less coffee.
Living where I do in Portland, there are gourmet boutique beans all over. The original Stumptown cafe is about three blocks from my house, and there are two other boutique roasters right down the street.
Another thing about the espresso machine: you gotta re-adjust the settings every time you change beans, so best to find a coffee you like and stick with it.
Total coffee Philistine here; 1 cup a day out of Mr. coffee, made with whatever coffee my lovely (and thrifty) bride finds on sale. HEAVY dose of whatever creamer the aforementioned sale shopper found. More than one cup gives me shaky hands.
I'm with m in sc on the old 8 o'clock bean. Cheap but good. Folgers tastes and smells like dookie. Will grind some beans now and then when I have time. Tim Hortons is also good, that may only be a northerners thing not sure.
I like Tim Hortons. Dave B (theotherdave on here) is kind enough to bring me some from Canadia when he comes to the states to visit.
Quote from: Striker1423 on September 11, 2020, 08:54:07 PM
Either percolator, or cowboy coffee Kent Rollins style. Throw grounds right in pot and bring to rolling boil. Cold water over surface to settle grounds and pour coffee.
I do this when I'm camping.
I was blown away the first time I had seen it done.
For those with deep pockets. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kopi_luwak
Quote from: quocle603 on September 15, 2020, 11:52:15 AM
For those with deep pockets. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kopi_luwak
And if you like drinking coffee that's been sourced from poop :brownseat:
"...after being defecated with other fecal matter, they are collected."
Luwak coffee... Using Palm Civets. I've tried it in Jakarta. It was $10 a cup. The Indonesians are very proud of it. I was underwhelmed.
Palm civets are sort of like a racoon. The Thais do the same thing using elephants. A lot of coffee is grown and consumed in the ASEAN nations. Some of it is really good. Especially Vietnam.
I have tried processing home-grown coffee. It ain't easy by hand without specialized equipment bean-by-bean. There's a coating on the seed under the fruit flesh that is really tough and a bitch to get off. Roasting in the oven is very stinky. It has a skunk-like odor.
No doubt the exercise led to indonesians trying the animal-process. They keep the civets in cages and feed them coffee cherries which they presumably relish. The little guys digest the fruit and expel the seeds sans the things that we remove with machinery. The seeds (beans) are undigested.
It wasn't worth $10 a cup. More like $1.50.
IR8D8R
I have bought green coffee beans and roasted 'em in a cast iron skillet on the stove.
Fun exercise, I guess, but much easier to let the pros do it.
Dark roasted whole bean ground for each pot. Percolated dark. Touch of 1/2 & 1/2 with sugar to suit.
Started drinking coffee at 4 years old with my great grandfather during summers working the farm. Lots of (fresh-dairy farm) cream and sugar and that habit stuck with me. My great grandmother got up at O'Dark thirty every morning to make fresh bread and cook breakfast when we came back from morning chores. She had suffered a stroke in the '30s and was partially paralyzed but still pulled more than her weight. A crusty tough old gal who I respected but feared as a child. She made it to her 90's.
Happy National Coffee Day! (Sep 29)
Quote from: SoCal250 on September 29, 2020, 11:12:22 AM
Happy National Coffee Day! (Sep 29)
I started off with three mugs. May have to make more this afternoon. And tonight is Bike Night at the Time Warp Tea Room, so medium Americano then!
I recently had to cut down on my coffee intake (kills me). I think it's linking me to my chronic canker sores.
It all depends. We use a French Press when visitors are around (remember those days).
We also have a really cheap expresso machine that makes great froth to put on top. My son went nuts and bought a professional grade expresso machine for his office, but I'm not sure the coffee is any better than from a cheap one like ours.
Most days we just use a stove top Stainless Steel Bialetti. We still have a couple of old Bialetti Moka pots but I'm sure the aluminum gets into the coffee, so we use the stainless one most days. Heat some milk in a mug, pour in the coffee. Instant flat white.
And every so often we make Lebanese coffee in a small pot with coffee from Lebanon with cardamom in it. Coffee and sugar in the pot. Bring it to a rolling boil and pour into small demi tasse cups.
Coffee comes in many flavors and varieties. Experiment.
Since I started this thread I have pretty much done what I always do, that being spend way too much time researching stuff and ultimately waffling on a decision. Just ask my wife, she'll tell you all about it.
I am definitely going to go the espresso route. I just have to pick a price point and feature set. Some of the $300-400 machines look awesome. But I'm hesitant to spend that much right now, we just have too many projects going on.
:guinness: coffee saved my life.
Chris,
if you value convenience, go with a Keurig type machine. If you value flavor and the ability to change the brew and don't want to spend a lot of cash, get a stove top espresso machine.
Unless you need froth and in that case get a cheap machine like this one: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mr-Coffee-Caf-Steam-Automatic-Espresso-and-Cappuccino-Machine-20-oz-Silver/169775663?wpa_bd=&wpa_pg_seller_id=F55CDC31AB754BB68FE0B39041159D63&wpa_ref_id=wpaqs:HG3cD2bRhssl5oKH806W2uahA-Sr_CvVp-CpPTSeVeNIYPgQAsp6jmUmkwzZFwGZ9YYJoTUwhNTE3zkULQJUA6gcg98ZMQ6G3R94cAgRma7ZHgO9D2XNv2rzTxASxY9F3aFZCMVRxXNGYPCn89XFvWtJJ-e48Xf7oqOk_3O2b7QWrq5LLJN_82rtEjyYEfeXlNjY_3WoYkVJIUxhnI3EXQ&wpa_tag=&wpa_aux_info=&wpa_pos=2&wpa_plmt=1145x1145_T-C-IG_TI_1-2_HL-INGRID-GRID-NY&wpa_aduid=b5d090cc-29ff-494d-8952-04bbc92df72d&wpa_pg=browse&wpa_pg_id=4044_90548_90546_1115306&wpa_st=Coffee%2B%2BEspresso%2BMakers&wpa_tax=4044_90548_90546_1115306&wpa_bucket=__bkt__
No bells, no whistles but good enough perhaps to get you through until some projects are finished
I took delivery of a Breville Bambino Plus today (and the matching Breville grinder), I'll keep you posted as to how it performs. We have a Breville Oracle Touch at the office and it's amazing, but too pricey for your average home espresso setup!
The wife just got the doctors order to cut out caffeine. So, hot brown water for her now.
Enjoying this morning
Quote from: Halmic on October 07, 2020, 11:08:04 PM
I took delivery of a Breville Bambino Plus today (and the matching Breville grinder), I'll keep you posted as to how it performs. We have a Breville Oracle Touch at the office and it's amazing, but too pricey for your average home espresso setup!
Why did you choose the Bambino + grinder over the Barista Express with built in grinder?
From experience, I can tell you consistency is everything when it comes to these machines. Getting the grind coarseness and amount just right is crucial to a successful pull.
With the Barista Express, the grind and amount comes out exactly the same every time.
Locally roasted free trade beans
Hario Skerton Pro ceramic burr hand grinder
Kalita 155 stainless pour-over dripper
Cusimax gooseneck kettel
Each cup takes about five minutes to hand grind and drip. I enjoy the process. Often I can get raw cream from a local farmer, and I add a bit of that.
Day to day we use a Cuisinart 12 cup. It's a work horse that has lasted over ten years and when set up properly every night gives us a consistently good cup of coffee ever morning. We were recently gifted a Nespresso machine. It's expensive as hell to run every day but there's no ignoring that it produces a wide variety of really good coffees. Maybe I'm wrong but the coffee choices lean towards Italian varieties. It's not like running to Peet's for a pound of Sumatra. The coffee is great though and when we have pods on hand we generally take that over the drip stuff. We have a french press that I really like. It produces a delicious and robust cup of coffee and setup isn't too much trouble. We use it for camping as well. Last, we have a stove top espresso maker. It's mostly for when I need espresso for a recipe (tiramisu). The all have their redeeming qualities and not one can be termed "best".
I've been pounding away with our Chulux (K-cup). It makes pretty good coffee and the off brand pods from Aldi's actually make some good coffee.
Of course since posting this my TV has blown up, my car ended up back at the stealership for (going on) ten days, and so realistically it's just not the right time to drop $500 on a new espresso machine. Hopefully I will soon though.
Quote from: Evans Ward on October 08, 2020, 08:28:31 AM
Enjoying this morning
I bet the coffee tastes better in that mug! :celebrate:
I am so far very pleased with my Bambino Plus and Smart Grinder combo. If anyone here is going the Bambino route go ahead and get the Pro vs the Plus. I recently added a non-pressurized basket to the Plus (the Pro comes with one), and the results are night and day better. The pressurized basket is safe and you can get a "good" result without much worry or tinkering, but the non-pressurized basket rewards your tinkering with a "great" shot of espresso! I'd say I'm getting results as good as the Oracle Touch we have at the office.
Getting a nice coffee machine is such a "want" for me. I keep looking hoping for a deal on maybe a nice used machine.
The other day I bought a tapping fixture because I'm always really annoyed when I tap a hole slightly crooked. I should have saved that money and put it towards a coffee machine.
Black & Deckar 12 cup drip and Folgers. Sometimes a local Pedal Java grind. Simple tastes for simple minds.
Don't sell yourself short. Tinkering with coffee is a lot like tinkering with motorcycles.
Quote from: sav0r on December 03, 2020, 02:13:11 PM
Don't sell yourself short. Tinkering with coffee is a lot like tinkering with motorcycles.
Absolutely!
Fresh ground good beans (just before making) and a Melitta filter. Been working for 30 years for me. I do not often find a better cup than in my kitchen.
You guys going to hate me, but 4 sigma insta mushroom coffee. It's quick, cold and tastes good.
I've actually cultivated gourmet mushrooms for years. I love mushrooms of many varieties.
But yes, I'd rather just have actual coffee. I liken these mushroom coffees to be more of a tea. I don't know. It's hard to describe.
I can get a Bambino Plus for $230. Does this seem like a good deal?
Quote from: sav0r on December 08, 2020, 10:46:55 AM
I can get a Bambino Plus for $230. Does this seem like a good deal?
That's a steal!
You can get a Black & Decker for around $25 US.
Quote from: pidjones on December 09, 2020, 07:23:18 PM
You can get a Black & Decker for around $25 US.
And think of how much good coffee you can buy with the money you saved! ;D
Quote from: sav0r on December 08, 2020, 10:46:55 AM
I can get a Bambino Plus for $230. Does this seem like a good deal?
Go for it!
Build quality is fantastic on Breville machines.
My Barista plus was like $500 and I have no regrets.
I went for it. My old lady gave me the thumbs up last night, not that I really care in this instance, but we were talking about putting the final touches on our bar addition and she agreed that it would be an awesome setup for that. Now I need to come up with a grinder lol.
My wife also told me to buy a lathe last night. She's asking for trouble.
Quote from: pdxjim on December 10, 2020, 12:06:36 AM
Quote from: sav0r on December 08, 2020, 10:46:55 AM
I can get a Bambino Plus for $230. Does this seem like a good deal?
Go for it!
Build quality is fantastic on Breville machines.
My Barista plus was like $500 and I have no regrets.
I mention the expense, not to brag, but because it is a ridiculous amount of money to spend on a coffee maker when there are so many other options at a fraction of the cost.
After almost two years, I wake up in the morning thinking not about how else I could've spent the money, but about the amazing cup of coffee I'm about to enjoy.
Congratulations, Chris! :whoop:
Thanks! I am going to grab some fresh coffee at one of the roasters in the next few days. I'm looking forward to some espresso! I used to grab coffee all the time pre-covid, but working from home has kind of ruined that since I don't really go out as much.
Quote from: sav0r on December 10, 2020, 10:00:34 AM
I went for it. My old lady gave me the thumbs up last night, not that I really care in this instance, but we were talking about putting the final touches on our bar addition and she agreed that it would be an awesome setup for that. Now I need to come up with a grinder lol.
My wife also told me to buy a lathe last night. She's asking for trouble.
The Breville Smart Grinder Pro is the perfect companion for your Bambino! And as I mentioned in an earlier post, go ahead and order a non-pressurized basket, 54mm if I remember correctly.
The machine is lost in the mail currently...
The Bambino finally arrived and I made my first espresso's with it. Excellent! I really couldn't be happier!
Once I get my technique and grind under control I'm really going to make excellent espresso with a push of a button. Hell, the first try produced coffee better than I have bought on many occasions. It's hard to believe how easy it is. It's faster than my pod machine with only slightly more fussing. And I get coffee while social distancing, so it's a win!
French Roast (from Henry's House of Coffee in San Fran / whole beans) made in a French press for 35 years. Never fails, perfect every morning, I'm lucky we have very good water here in Michigan. I keep the press parts clean with my ultra-sonic cleaner. Some day I'll bite the $$ bullet for a Pavoni Lever machine, the gold standard for Espresso.
Cheers, 50gary
Edit; Merry Christmas.
Quote from: sav0r on December 19, 2020, 04:19:54 PM
The Bambino finally arrived and I made my first espresso's with it. Excellent! I really couldn't be happier!
Once I get my technique and grind under control I'm really going to make excellent espresso with a push of a button. Hell, the first try produced coffee better than I have bought on many occasions. It's hard to believe how easy it is. It's faster than my pod machine with only slightly more fussing. And I get coffee while social distancing, so it's a win!
It is amazingly fast, the Oracle Touch takes forever to warm up. Are you using a pressurized or non-pressurized basket?
If you power it up before you grind the beans and fill the basket, there is no waiting.
Maybe 15-20seconds and it's ready to go.
My wife puts coffee grounds and some other goop in a jar and uses it in the shower to keep her butt and things smooth and soft. It works really well, and smells great, too! :drool: :whistle: :twocents: