coffee anyone?

[xcoldricex]

Comet Coffee mocha in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Taken with an iPhone, sorry for the bad quality.

good stuff, ugly mug in ypsi is also a good place to go.

[xcoldricex]

fixed, i was kidding myself thinking my time was worth $7.50.

nobody wants to up their coffee game from pre-ground to cheaply self-ground? thing is just sitting in my living room waiting to go to the trash or whatever. if you live in south florida, we could even do a mini-sufu meetup whereby i teach you to use the thing.

pm'ed you - i was reading about espresso machines so i was talking about the barista in my pm, but meant the grinder hahaha.

[zissou]

I'm getting conflicting opinions on how fine to grind my beans when using a french press. I know they should generally be a bit coarser than when using a filter brewer, but just how coarse is coarse? I've seen people go ridiculously chunky and still have almost whole beans in there.

I say test out a few different grinds and see what tastes best. I used to grind mine fairly fine, but I'd have to watch out for that last sip- it would be mud.

I recently switched to an Aero Press, partly because I broke my french press, but also because I read that drinking unfiltered coffee can increase one's blood cholesterol levels by up to 20%.

[JackCrank]

Coffee setup for work/home. Works like a charm.

I'm absolutely in love with the Mypressi Twist.

[zissou]

What the... That thing is awesome. I just watched the vid on their website. Does it take Co2 cartridges? Oh, that crema!

[haploid]

I'm on a daily routine of 4 cups (around 6 fl oz per cup) with breakfast, 2 sometime around 3oclock and occasionally one before/after dinner. Amazingly enough, I have no trouble sleeping.

I have yet to buy a grinder, though. I use a french press, and generally buy a new bag of coffee every week and grind it all at once. Would buying a grinder really make all that much of a difference?

[zissou]

Let me ask you this- Do you notice a difference in taste between the end of one bag and the start of another? If not, then don't worry about it. I grind mine almost daily, and I can tell the difference. Then again, the beans I buy are roasted 10 minutes before I buy them so they are super fresh to start with.

[tmadd]

IWould buying a grinder really make all that much of a difference?

Yes, all the difference in the world. I would rather drink an 80 point coffee freshly ground, than an earth shattering 95+ coffee ground 3 hours earlier.

Also, if you are in or around Philly, you should check out Ultimo Coffee at 15th and Mifflin. Good dudes, and they are rocking Counter Culture Coffee, which means tons of delicious options.

[JackCrank]

What the... That thing is awesome. I just watched the vid on their website. Does it take Co2 cartridges? Oh, that crema!

NO2 actually, so even when you fuck up your shot you can still have a pleasurable experience! I'm pretty sure I'm one of the only people in the world who keeps a box of 50 whippits in my desk and has nobody blink an eye.

I really like it. It's totally changed my coffee drinking experience during the day. I was pretty avid about french press for a while but going back to it yesterday made me realize how much better having a fresh cup of espresso/americano whenever I want it is.

Also, shitty quality but here's the crema porn.

[JackCrank]

I'm on a daily routine of 4 cups (around 6 fl oz per cup) with breakfast, 2 sometime around 3oclock and occasionally one before/after dinner. Amazingly enough, I have no trouble sleeping.

I have yet to buy a grinder, though. I use a french press, and generally buy a new bag of coffee every week and grind it all at once. Would buying a grinder really make all that much of a difference?

World of difference man. I'm telling you, fork over the $70 for a refurbed Baratza Maestro and you'll be loving life. Lemme put it this way, when you grind, your coffee starts going stale within 30mins. Now imagine what that's gonna do by the end of the week.

[tmadd]

I say test out a few different grinds and see what tastes best. I used to grind mine fairly fine, but I'd have to watch out for that last sip- it would be mud.

I recently switched to an Aero Press, partly because I broke my french press, but also because I read that drinking unfiltered coffee can increase one's blood cholesterol levels by up to 20%.

I never use the press-pot anymore, but when I do, I go pretty fine, not quite a hand-pour/pour-over fine, but close...certainly not chunky with nearly whole beans. Though it doesn't necessarily solve the sediment problem, I think this press procedure is worth trying because it cleans up the cup immensely(I think I may have posted this here before, but it's worthy of a repost): http://www.jimseven.com/2008/11/13/french-press-technique/

Also, the Mypressi twist is pretty awesome...I don't think I have the patience that it would require to make good home espresso with it on a daily basis, and I am curious as to whether or not it is insanely grinder dependent (the only surprisingly good shots I've had from it were ground on top notch professional grinders), but for 170 bucks...it can make some very tasty espresso.

Also, what method are you using for the Aeropress, I am really interested to get one and start playing with it, but I feel like I need to get a little bit better grasp of siphon and hand-pour brewing first...I'm trying to stay focused on one or two things at a time.

[JackCrank]

I never use the press-pot anymore, but when I do, I go pretty fine, not quite a hand-pour/pour-over fine, but close...certainly not chunky with nearly whole beans. Though it doesn't necessarily solve the sediment problem, I think this press procedure is worth trying because it cleans up the cup immensely(I think I may have posted this here before, but it's worthy of a repost): http://www.jimseven.com/2008/11/13/french-press-technique/

Also, the Mypressi twist is pretty awesome...I don't think I have the patience that it would require to make good home espresso with it on a daily basis, and I am curious as to whether or not it is insanely grinder dependent (the only surprisingly good shots I've had from it were ground on top notch professional grinders), but for 170 bucks...it can make some very tasty espresso.

Although infrequently (due to me being a fairly novice barista), I've managed to pull shots just as good as any I've had from 9th st, Grumpy, Gimme!, or Everyman on my Mypressi. It's definitely as grinder dependent as any other espresso machine in that you have to have a sufficiently fine but not too fine grind to pull a decent shot. The stock virtuoso is more than fine and I've heard that even the maestro can handle it too for most beans. My friend uses a hand crank Hario Skerton and pulls great shots with his.

I give it, and Mypressi's customer service 5 big stars. Great to deal with, great product. Shit, if I can pull a decent shot on this thing, anyone can. It's way more a matter of grind/dosing/tamp than machine.

[zissou]

Crazy stuff, using scales.

I'm a bit out of the norm in that I usually grind fine (partly because I have a blade grinder) and brew a very strong cup of coffee, practically espresso-strong. But, I use a very mild bean (usually a peaberry) so I'm not overwhelmed by the acidity. The Aero Press uses small paper filters, so it's a very clean cup.

I wish I had a photo of the drink I created back when I was a barista. It had strawberry steamed milk, vanilla foam, with mocha espresso layered in between. I dubbed it The Neapolitan. Took about 10 minutes just to make the damn thing.

[JackCrank]

Crazy stuff, using scales.

I'm a bit out of the norm in that I usually grind fine (partly because I have a blade grinder) and brew a very strong cup of coffee, practically espresso-strong. But, I use a very mild bean (usually a peaberry) so I'm not overwhelmed by the acidity. The Aero Press uses small paper filters, so it's a very clean cup.

I wish I had a photo of the drink I created back when I was a barista. It had strawberry steamed milk, vanilla foam, with mocha espresso layered in between. I dubbed it The Neapolitan. Took about 10 minutes just to make the damn thing.

A former barista with a blade grinder! Well I'll be damned.

And that drink sounds like a PITA to make man. Prolly pretty tasty though.

[JackCrank]

Should I make my 4th cup today?

CC Toscana is so goddamn good.

[kiya]

On my fourth Mexican Chocolate and Espresso (with Tia Maria) of the day here in Cabo, it's not refined, it's just plain good.

[JackCrank]

On my fourth Mexican Chocolate and Espresso (with Tia Maria) of the day here in Cabo, it's not refined, it's just plain good.

You are a gentleman and a scholar. Now pass the fucking booze and make this goddamn workday end.

[zissou]

A former barista with a blade grinder! Well I'll be damned.

And that drink sounds like a PITA to make man. Prolly pretty tasty though.

Well, what can I say? I make what I think tastes good. I mostly enjoyed being a barista for the art of making espresso drinks.

[JackCrank]

Dear Mypressi,

Your customer service is the Jam. Props and much thanks.

- Jack

Just got a fixed endcap so the gas doesn't leak and 24 cartridges sent from cali 2 day shipping for free. That's nice.

Also just ordered a hario skerton handgrinder. Very excited for some portability.

[mofonyx]

bumping with pic

Guatemalan El Bosque beans. Grinder is Iberital MC2. Bodum Columbia presspot.

I need an Espresso Machine but can't possibly afford one or have the space for it right now

[readytoignite]

blue bottle brooklyn is apparently open, la vita e bella

[TN_]

introduced my sister to quality coffee by getting her a bag of this stuff:

http://www.stumptowncoffee.com/coffees/africa/burundi-bwayi

now she finds starbucks disgusting. mission accomplished

[madapaka]

never really noticed this thread, i don't know much about different coffees. all i know is i like coffee, and not starbucks (unless its free)

i'm sure this has been asked a lot, but can anyone recommend a good burr grinder for a reasonable price?

[triiiangle]

A good burr grinder for a reasonable price?

I use a Baratza Maestro burr grinder for my French press, and also for espresso. $99.

http://www.wholelattelove.com/Baratza/maestro.cfm

[ryder]

I'm all about Intelligentsia, Chicago's finest. Without a nice double shot of Black Cat espresso there's a lot of days at work I probably wouldn't make it through.

[kiya]

I'm about to buy a Mazzer Mini for home use, i feel crazy for spending that much on a grinder but i feel like it's an investment which i'm willing to take for something that should last me a long time and never go obsolete.

Right?

[echoepidemic]

keep telling yourself that you baller

[kiya]

I've got a coffee hook-up, i'm getting it at wholesale cost. (still not exactly cheap for something that only grinds beans)

[mpcec]

I dunno I'd never buy one (not like I can afford one) because I just enjoy patronizing small coffee shops. But if you got the money to spare it should be fun just to have, it's rewarding making really nice foam and pulling good shots but you might be frustrated at first when it comes to adjusting the grind for your espresso and figuring out how hard to tamp and et cetera. It's a fun skill to have though.

Also I'm so glad the weather is getting warmer, iced americano's are my all time favorite... been drinking way too much this past week.

e: I thought what you were talking about was an espresso machine, not just an espresso grinder.

[YaFlatHead]

I'm about to buy a Mazzer Mini for home use, i feel crazy for spending that much on a grinder but i feel like it's an investment which i'm willing to take for something that should last me a long time and never go obsolete.

Right?

Its the best grinder out there. They have almost no problems and the grinding quality is amazing. I came across the Mazzer Mini when i was looking to buy a grinder of my own (unfortunately I don't have the money for it :/).