coffee anyone?

[herpsky]

three n00b questions

1) manual burr grinder vs blade grinder.

is there a noticeable difference in the taste?i've been drinking some expensive-ass beans that I robocopped from stumptown for the past week or s. Though it's a huge upgrade from the regular machine, i feel that i can still do better.

2) how long does it take to grind 3 tbsp of coffee beans for french press with a manual burr grinder?

3) what kind of water are you guys using? distilled, tap, or "spring" water?

[wayoutwest]

1) manual burr

2) a minute maybe. I grind 6 tbsp every morning.

3) filtered tap water. we have really good water in central kentucky. I don't really even need to filter it.

Seriously? There are little nubbins on the inside of the Swan Neck that make it ridiculously easy to determine how much water you have inside. If you want to be super technical, use a scale to ensure the correct weight.

I understand being accurate and all, but that just seems extraneous.

it's not extraneous. that's why I said it takes 30 seconds or less. and it prevent's discoloration of the kettle, but that's not why I do it. just a bonus.

[mpcec]

Use filtered water, NEVER distilled. Distilled will make your coffee taste like shit, no matter how good your beans or technique. I did a cupping that compared the two and it was night and day.

[herpsky]

Use filtered water, NEVER distilled. Distilled will make your coffee taste like shit, no matter how good your beans or technique. I did a cupping that compared the two and it was night and day.

filtered water = tap water filtered with brita???

[mpcec]

Use that or buy one of these for like $5 or something.

[herpsky]

Use that or buy one of these for like $5 or something.

thanks. i wasn't sure whether poland spring was actually filtered... i've always preferred dasani or smart water over poland spring. maybe it's the container.

[concealed]

dasani > poland springs > smart water imo

[JackCrank]

Burr grinders are night and day to blade. Blades have extremely inconsistent grinds and mix fine and coarse all over the place. Leads to very inconsistent extraction. Also, bummer on the refurbs being up to 70, musta raised the price in the last few years. Still worth the cash in my opinion. Only reason I spent the cash on a hand mill is because i travel for business a bunch. Other than that, it's a pain in the ass.

[islandboi8204]

Any good coffee shops in Boston I should visit while I'm here?

[mpcec]

Barismo in Arlington

[ajchen]

Any good coffee shops in Boston I should visit while I'm here?

Yes, do share.... I'm headed up there for work next week. Anything worth checking out in Boston proper?

[JackCrank]

Anybody know a decent coffee spot in San Diego? I'm here right now staying in downtown area for work and it's pretty fucking barren. I've got my mypressi with me but I'm probably gonna need to top up on beans during the week.

[mpcec]

ajchen, barismo is worth the ride, its really close to Boston but if transportation is limited you should tweet @barismo and ask Jaime for her recs. I'm sure they have a decent amount of accounts, same goes for Terroir coffee but they don't do as good a job protecting their product representation.

P.S. If you stop by The Tannery, pass on the espresso.

[renski]

@jack. I wish I saw this earlier but zanibar on G between 7th and 8th is good. there's a few places but I forgot the names and I only know if I were downtown. if your spread somewhere else in this city it's kind of difficult to find decent coffee.

[Kemosabe]

i had sterling coffee roasters yesterday. not too bad, but they should stick to fashunz

lol

http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bXtJZZv75sX2ilFhtwJIWQ?select=2YdsLTNT8umppDhGcNRibQ

[ajchen]

ajchen, barismo is worth the ride, its really close to Boston but if transportation is limited you should tweet @barismo and ask Jaime for her recs. I'm sure they have a decent amount of accounts, same goes for Terroir coffee but they don't do as good a job protecting their product representation.

P.S. If you stop by The Tannery, pass on the espresso.

Appreciate the input. I'll make the drive to Barismo...

[kiya]

i had sterling coffee roasters yesterday. not too bad, but they should stick to fashunz

lol

http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bXtJZZv75sX2ilFhtwJIWQ?select=2YdsLTNT8umppDhGcNRibQ

What the hell is that? Those guys work at a cafe dressed like that?

[mpcec]

Lol you should see the dudes at the Stumptown at the Ace.

[kiya]

Lol you should see the dudes at the Stumptown at the Ace.

I've stayed at that Ace and saw that, but these guys above look like investment bankers. Everything from the hair to the tie screams downtown.

[Kemosabe]

ace in ny or portland? the girls in the stumptown ace here are.....ace....

[mpcec]

i meant ACE in NYc everyone was on some weask asss "americana" shit, but ...........

[blm14]

I really need a new burr grinder. Can anyone suggest a good one?

[pepper davies]

I'm saving for a Rancilio Rocky. It may be a little silly to spend that much on a grinder, but I figure I'd rather spend 300 on something I'll be really happy with than 100 on something that probably isn't that great.

[kiya]

I really need a new burr grinder. Can anyone suggest a good one?

I got the Baratza Virtuoso and absolutely love it.

[renski]

What the hell is that? Those guys work at a cafe dressed like that?

Lol you should see the dudes at the Stumptown at the Ace.

There's a spot in SD called craft and commerce where the servers dress very similar. The only difference is that it's a bar not a cafe.

[grilled cheese]

I really need a new burr grinder. Can anyone suggest a good one?

check back a page or two--kiya suggested the baratza virtuoso here, back there i wrote a little bit about the baratza virtuoso preciso. i compared it to the rancilio rocky, and the baratza was better for my needs. there have been a lot of grinder recommendations over the last few pages; the baratza maestro comes up a lot.

ajchen, barismo is worth the ride, its really close to Boston but if transportation is limited you should tweet @barismo and ask Jaime for her recs. I'm sure they have a decent amount of accounts, same goes for Terroir coffee but they don't do as good a job protecting their product representation.

P.S. If you stop by The Tannery, pass on the espresso.

Barismo is probably worth the ride from a pure coffee perspective, but I have mixed feelings about the place. The neighborhood (Arlington) is uninspiring, and the folks there tend to be "uncompromising" about coffee in a way that seems a bit too rigid and inflexible (and sometimes just odd). Depending on when you go, it may be worth it to check out Hi-Rise as well. The Harvard Sq shop is closed, but they'll be opening up a new one soon near Harvard/Porter. They serve barismo, and the baristas can be inconsistent but a few are quite good. Other decent " if you're in the neighborhood" (not worth a special trip) options include: Thinking Cup downtown, Espresso Royale on Newbury St, and Flat Black downtown/Dorchester.

[kiya]

There's a spot in SD called craft and commerce where the servers dress very similar. The only difference is that it's a bar not a cafe.

There's about 25 places in SF now where the bartenders dress very 20's dapper, but the guys above don't look vintage-y.

[renski]

i want the first goth ninja bar/cafe....

[JackCrank]

i want the first goth ninja bar/cafe....

Fuck that, where is the Conan themed café? Seriously, isn't this fucking California? I call bullshit.

Also, if you're gonna get the rocky then just save up another hundo (or less) and get a Mazzer Mini. Honestly, for 9/10ths of home baristas the virtuoso is more than enough grinder.

[blm14]

Guh - aren't there any grinders that aren't $250?!