Where Are My Coffee Geeks At?

[BJRPorter]

Great thread for a newbie like me. I’m still crawling, but it is great to eavesdrop on you guys, being that we enjoy our beans with cigars.

[joshhooper7]

7 hours ago, Derboesekoenig said:

I don't think I can justify spending that much...I've been thinking about the Rancilio Silvia or Rocket Appartamento

The Silvia is a great machine but the Rocket is leagues above it. I love the classic look of an E61 grouphead machine. The Lucca A53 is in the price range of the Rocket and it’s added benefits are volumetric dosing and PID if those things interest you. I’m not sure if Rockets added a PID to the Apartamento yet. 

[joshhooper7]

1 hour ago, prodigy said:

I tried a lot of different coffee beans but have pretty much settled on counter culture. They are local and have an amazing array of any and all options. I actually signed up for their 2 bags/week single origin subscription last night.

 

I have a rocket Cellini classic, their older model heat exchanger espresso machine. Paired with a mahlkoenig k30 vario. It does the trick, only coffee shops with top of the line gear and the know how to make good espresso can beat my latte's.

 

I use a cheap grinder and a bunn coffee maker for my normal coffee. Every weekday morning I make a red eye for myself and a latte for my wife. She complained about the costs at first, but now that she gets a latte every morning she seems happy with the set up haha!

 

I'm already looking for a double boiler dual PID machine. They take the guess work out of having the right temperature that some heat exchanger machines that aren't PID require. I can't justify the cost of a new slayer, la marzocco gs3 or linea mini, so I have been casually looking at Craigslist and eBay for a good used one to pop up.

 

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That k30 is so beautiful! My ideal grinder is the Malkhonig Peak with the M1 Puqpress but that’s the same price as a Linea Mini lol. 

The machine I have was $1895 brand new from Clive Coffee, it’s custom made by La Spaziale for them. It’s got PID, dual boiler, volumetric dosing and a few other options. I truly love it, if I’m pulling four double shots in the morning I can steam milk while the shots are being pulled and it saves crazy time. 

My wife was the same, she saw the receipt when it came in the mail and was concerned... until she started getting lattes in the morning!

ill have to look into Counter Culture. I’ve really enjoyed Topeca lately, especially being that their 2lb bag of Signature Espresso is only $28

[joshhooper7]

25 minutes ago, Lotusguy said:

After over 10 years, we have finally retired our Jura Capresso all in one.

Now it’s an Aeropress for my wife and a Hario pour over for me. We have moved away from espresso drinks. We also drink only one cup per day now. I use a Capresso burr grinder.

Always Verve beans. They are in the neighborhood. I have a subscription to their Africa single origin beans and they get to my house within 2 days after roasting.

I aeropress daily, I don’t think there’s any way to get more clarity out of a coffee bean. What recipe do you use? My go to is the 2016 championship recipe. 35 in French press coarse, pour 150g of water at 84 degrees Celsius over the coffee for 15 seconds, stir with chopsticks from 15-35, cap it and press at 1 minute. 

I really enjoyed the Verve coffee I’ve tried but they’re super pricy. I go through almost 2 pounds a week so I look for more affordable craft roasters. Topeca has been amazing and they’re super cheap for their accolades. $28 for their signature espresso in a 2lb bag is insanely cheap compared to other third wave roasters. 

[Derboesekoenig]

10 hours ago, joshhooper7 said:

I aeropress daily, I don’t think there’s any way to get more clarity out of a coffee bean. What recipe do you use? My go to is the 2016 championship recipe. 35 in French press coarse, pour 150g of water at 84 degrees Celsius over the coffee for 15 seconds, stir with chopsticks from 15-35, cap it and press at 1 minute. 

I really enjoyed the Verve coffee I’ve tried but they’re super pricy. I go through almost 2 pounds a week so I look for more affordable craft roasters. Topeca has been amazing and they’re super cheap for their accolades. $28 for their signature espresso in a 2lb bag is insanely cheap compared to other third wave roasters. 

You go through 2 lbs of coffee per week???? It takes me 10-12 days at least to go through one 12 oz bag

[joshhooper7]

16 minutes ago, Derboesekoenig said:

You go through 2 lbs of coffee per week???? It takes me 10-12 days at least to go through one 12 oz bag

Yeah, I go through 80g of coffee at least each day. 4 double shots to make morning lattes for my wife and I and I usually have a ristretto when I get home from work. Typically a pound and a half in espresso alone, then around a half pound in pourovers and aeropress. 

A standard double basket requires a 20g dose per shot. 

[Str8BlkCoffee]

14 hours ago, Derboesekoenig said:

Ha I know most of the coffee roasters out of Kuwait. I lived there feb 2016- feb 2017

Lol there's plenty of booze there. You must not be Kuwaiti

Nope. Definitely not Kuwaiti. I know there is booze and everything else here too, but not really worried about it. I am on year #2. I'll stick with coffee, it isn't that big of a deal.

[Lotusguy]

I aeropress daily, I don’t think there’s any way to get more clarity out of a coffee bean. What recipe do you use? My go to is the 2016 championship recipe. 35 in French press coarse, pour 150g of water at 84 degrees Celsius over the coffee for 15 seconds, stir with chopsticks from 15-35, cap it and press at 1 minute. 
I really enjoyed the Verve coffee I’ve tried but they’re super pricy. I go through almost 2 pounds a week so I look for more affordable craft roasters. Topeca has been amazing and they’re super cheap for their accolades. $28 for their signature espresso in a 2lb bag is insanely cheap compared to other third wave roasters. 

12oz of beans last us basically exactly a week

My wife likes her coffee weak, so 16g of medium ground beans. Pour 100ml at 208F sit for 15s, stir for about 15s. Press at 1 minute mark. Fill with half milk and half water.

For my pour over, 29g medium ground, 60g of 208F water. Wait 30s. Pour to 400g slowly. Give one stir with a spoon. I take mine black.

I think the main thing you need for a good coffee (other than good beans) is a kettle with a temperature gauge and a scale.

$28 for 2 lbs is insanely cheap!

[Derboesekoenig]

My god. The A53 with the custom wood options--wow! A fraction of the cost of a Slayer.

7 minutes ago, Str8BlkCoffee said:

Nope. Definitely not Kuwaiti. I know there is booze and everything else here too, but not really worried about it. I am on year #2. I'll stick with coffee, it isn't that big of a deal.

Do you have a favorite roaster yet?

I used 2, and had them deliver to my apartment about once a week. 

[Derboesekoenig]

1 minute ago, Lotusguy said:

12oz of beans last us basically exactly a week

My wife likes her coffee weak, so 16g of medium ground beans. Pour 100ml at 208F sit for 15s, stir for about 15s. Press at 1 minute mark. Fill with half milk and half water.

For my pour over, 29g medium ground, 60g of 208F water. Wait 30s. Pour to 400g slowly. Give one stir with a spoon. I take mine black.

I think the main thing you need for a good coffee (other than good beans) is a kettle with a temperature gauge and a scale.

$28 for 2 lbs is insanely cheap!

I'm making coffee for only me, so that makes sense. I go through a lot, I suppose. All pourovers though

[joshhooper7]

5 minutes ago, Lotusguy said:

12oz of beans last us basically exactly a week

My wife likes her coffee weak, so 16g of medium ground beans. Pour 100ml at 208F sit for 15s, stir for about 15s. Press at 1 minute mark. Fill with half milk and half water.

For my pour over, 29g medium ground, 60g of 208F water. Wait 30s. Pour to 400g slowly. Give one stir with a spoon. I take mine black.

I think the main thing you need for a good coffee (other than good beans) is a kettle with a temperature gauge and a scale.

$28 for 2 lbs is insanely cheap!

Tell me about it! And it’s from the 2018 US Roaster Cup winner!

 

I have a Bonavita Variable Temp Gooseneck and it’s absolurely a vital tool in my arsenal. 

[joshhooper7]

5 minutes ago, Derboesekoenig said:

My god. The A53 with the custom wood options--wow! A fraction of the cost of a Slayer.

I told my wife to get me wood panels for my birthday lol, it’s truly a piece of art and it’s so durable!

[Derboesekoenig]

5 minutes ago, joshhooper7 said:

I told my wife to get me wood panels for my birthday lol, it’s truly a piece of art and it’s so durable!

How easy is it to learn how to pull shots? I know every method of coffee brewing, including the extremely difficult Japanese method of pourover via Hario Woodneck Drip Pot with the cloth filters? There was only one video on youtube at the time, and it took quite a bit of searching to find it.

[joshhooper7]

9 minutes ago, Derboesekoenig said:

How easy is it to learn how to pull shots? I know every method of coffee brewing, including the extremely difficult Japanese method of pourover via Hario Woodneck Drip Pot with the cloth filters? There was only one video on youtube at the time, and it took quite a bit of searching to find it.

Once you get the hang of dialing a new coffee in its super easy. The new levy tamp that I have and the wedge distributor take out all guess work and give you a perfect tamp every time so it’s one crucial  skill you don’t have to master and you still get delicious results. The hardest part is dialing in a grind and finding the perfect tamp. I’d get a new levy and never have to worry about tamping. 

[Str8BlkCoffee]

I thought about getting one of these ROK Manual Espresso  I thought they were pretty cool but read some complaints of quality issues and breakage. They seem to stand behind their product however.

I see they have a burr grinder as well.

@Derboesekoenig 

I don't have a favorite roaster yet, however I would take any recommendations you may have to offer.

[DaBoot]

Good coffee makes all other "brand" coffee taste burnt to me. Using whole bean from a roaster in Boise, form and function, absolutely perfect ??. Fresh fine grind, pour over style is how I roll. If looking to try something new, try them. Description on bag is pretty spot on. 

[prodigy]

I think my next machine will be a profitec pro 700. It'll be a step up from what I currently have and it won't break the bank like a slayer or gs3 would. I'll still keep a look out for used ones though. Have you seen the kees van der westen machines?

 

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[heftytome]

On 5/4/2019 at 8:42 AM, Lotusguy said:

After over 10 years, we have finally retired our Jura Capresso all in one.

Now it’s an Aeropress for my wife and a Hario pour over for me. We have moved away from espresso drinks. We also drink only one cup per day now. I use a Capresso burr grinder.

Always Verve beans. They are in the neighborhood. I have a subscription to their Africa single origin beans and they get to my house within 2 days after roasting.

Love the Verve beans as hell. But what I truly love is Heart Coffee based out of Portland. Those are my two go-to with a pour over or Aeropress as well.

[daleighan]

On 5/3/2019 at 10:50 PM, joshhooper7 said:

I am a massive fanboy of Geshas, have you tried S&W’s Guatemala Acentenango Gesha? I think second to Ethiopias for me my favorite is any Kenya AA+

LA has so many good roasters, I remember the first time I drove up from San Diego i stopped by Intelligentsia and felt like I was in the coffee Mecca lol

I have not tried anything by S&W. Where are they located? Another Gesha I have liked recently was the Camilina Gesha from Bird Rock in San Diego. There definitely are a lot of good roasters here, but I generally tend to obsess over one until I get tired of it, and then I move on to another one.

[Earthwarden]

On 5/3/2019 at 9:59 PM, SmokyFontaine said:

Raising my hand over here! I actually roast my own for small batches. I enjoy an espresso from time to time but give me a french press cup of light roasted coffee and I'm a half step away from levitating with crossed legs in the middle of a trance. 

I'm probably one of the very few here who doesn't drink any alcohol, so if I'm pairing a cigar it's almost exclusively tea or coffee (I usually prefer just a bit of milk mixed in). Happy to snob out and talk about which origins I like the most if that level of detail is meaningful to anyone).

Just starting my cuban cigar adventure and finding that I prefer tea with a Cuban more than coffee. Coffee goes great if you (gasp) enjoy Nicaraguan flavor bombs or Dominican milds. 

I have a Breville Barista Express. Worked well. For $500 it's a very good entry machine. I go to La Marzocco Cafe often. From what I've heard, you can pull a shot as good as a La Marzocco mini, at least for the first one.

[joshhooper7]

36 minutes ago, Earthwarden said:

I have a Breville Barista Express. Worked well. For $500 it's a very good entry machine. I go to La Marzocco Cafe often. From what I've heard, you can pull a shot as good as a La Marzocco mini, at least for the first one.

That was my first machine as well and I loved it. The on board grinder isn’t very good but I had a smart grinder pro by breville to pair with it. I only got rid of it because the steam wand lost pressure after two years and there were no accessories that would match their breville only grouphead. And like you said, the first shot was always perfect but it would cool a few degrees between shots, wasn’t ideal for making multiple quad shot lattes and serving guests. Definitely got the job done and opened the rabbit hole for me!

[joshhooper7]

1 hour ago, daleighan said:

I have not tried anything by S&W. Where are they located? Another Gesha I have liked recently was the Camilina Gesha from Bird Rock in San Diego. There definitely are a lot of good roasters here, but I generally tend to obsess over one until I get tired of it, and then I move on to another one.

They’re out of Coatesville, IN. You’re here in San Diego as well?

[Monarch]

speaking of the Hario V60, any opinions about the material for the funnel? Plastic, ceramic, glass or metal? I'm about to order one, not actually too fussed, but I may as well make a solid decision.

[Oscar300]

I have a early la pavoni europiccola, love it to bits.   I have tried lots of online roasters, not keen on any yet, the only beans I do go back to is lucaffe, lovely stuff.   

[inter4alia]

3 hours ago, Monarch said:

speaking of the Hario V60, any opinions about the material for the funnel? Plastic, ceramic, glass or metal? I'm about to order one, not actually too fussed, but I may as well make a solid decision.

I decided on metal for my kalita wave. To me, I would never consider plastic for anything involving hot liquid. No hard evidence but I feel the metal holds the heat better in the brew.