Coffee machine

[iteachcoffee]

Ok every now and then I pop in here, but I don't read the thread, page for page

 

So here is my question,,,,,a good coffee machine, not at a houses price, but it doesn't have to be cheap as checkers, BUT A MONKEY (me) must be able to make great coffee

 

Suggestions, literally walk in buy walk out make great coffee ,,,, if not into a shop, a model I can look for second hand

would you like a pink unicorn with that? Quality and convenience and price form a triangle, you have to decide which to prioritise

[BarHugger]

 

I have a dinky toy bialetti - 1 cup.... (that's 1 espresso cup worth) that I use for guests like you.... I put rooibos tea in it... (NOTE - I do not like rooibos tea.... rather drink whiskey...)

 

Peace doc........espresso junkie this side.....using it for medicinal purposes to keep the Alzheimers at bay ;-)........and having some seriiaaaas brain farts when combined with the smooth stuff (ie Bailyes Irish Cream). Just chilling out.......

 

PS: some Dinky Toys are quite expensive and collectable nowadays

Edited July 7, 2014 by BarHugger

[Frosty]

 

could you please elaborate on the freezing part? Do you place it in zip lock bags and what do you do when you defrost it? how long can you keep it in the freezer?

I can share, from experience having worked in the food industry, that freezing prolongs the shelf life for max 150 days before the taste, post-freezing, is altered.

 

The faster it gets to -18°C or less, the better. A chest freezer is ideal (home use) as close to the bottom as possible. Coffee affects the taste of other products more than other foods affect the coffee taste.

 

Defrosting was done at 4°C for 10 days, before use, to combat moisture through condensation. This is a bit of an over kill for home use, but for their standards it was non-negotiable.

 

Humidity plays a big factor, 50-60% RH being the optimal condition, vacuum packing helps prevent moisture from forming during the freezing cycle.

 

Does it change the taste when ignoring the basics? Yes

[V12man]

Peace doc........espresso junkie this side.....using it for medicinal purposes to keep the Alzheimers at bay ;-)........and having some seriiaaaas brain farts when combined with the smooth stuff (ie Bailyes Irish Cream). Just chilling out.......

 

Peace doc......I use espresso for medicinal purposes......keeping the Alzheimer at bay.......while having some seriaaaaas brain farts when a cuppa is combined with a knertsie of the smooth stuff (ie Bailey's Cream)

I am at peace.... Kelly Fleming peace.... 2009 Cab Sav... unusual for a weekday.... definitely not mixed with espresso...

[iteachcoffee]

Wow, that's heavy, have you looked at the Oscar? I'm very happy with mine, and paired with a solid grinder, I don't think you can go wrong, especially from a value for money point of view.

the grinder usually matters more. Start by not compromising on a good robust burr grinder...

[iteachcoffee]

Ok every now and then I pop in here, but I don't read the thread, page for page

 

So here is my question,,,,,a good coffee machine, not at a houses price, but it doesn't have to be cheap as checkers, BUT A MONKEY (me) must be able to make great coffee

 

Suggestions, literally walk in buy walk out make great coffee ,,,, if not into a shop, a model I can look for second hand

a good rocket or expobar will set you back 12-20k and a decent grinder 3k-8k then a tamper, milk jugs, filters etc another ±1k... PM me if you want specifics...

[iteachcoffee]

I don't open the packet till defrosted... Despite living within 5 minutes of several roasters, I often import beans, and they don't like to ship small quantities.... and I don't like to pay the courier fees...

buy local! (I am biased, but not without good reason

[iteachcoffee]

I just want to support V12man on the freezing issue. I get two or three kilos of beans roasted to my specifications and then I divide them into 250g batches, put them in ziploc bags, push out as much air as I can (squeezing the bags between two cushions) and freeze them.

 

When I defrost them (haven't found a time limit yet) I don't open the bag until it's at room temperature, so that condensation doesn't form on the beans. After defrosting I find the beans make as much crema, and taste as good, as the freshly roasted beans. The quality falls off quite quickly - maybe a little quicker than the never-frozen bean - but I get through 250g in about five days, so it's not an issue.

 

I do the same with caffeinated and decaf, and I've been doing it for years. I know the wisdom is/was that you shouldn't freeze beans, but there was a blind tasting published on one of the coffee websites four or five years ago, which clearly demonstrated that the tasters couldn't tell the difference between freshly roasted and freshly defrosted beans, although they had no problem identifying week-old beans, IIRC.

 

Brian Fantana mentioned that he found same-day-roasted beans had a bigger kick - and this is also my experience. In Ethiopia they roast the bean as part of the coffee-making ceremony, and the coffee is wicked! I made the mistake of having two cups one morning, and I didn't sleep for 48 hours. The only thing is, if you try to espress coffee using same-day beans, you get all crema and very little coffee. Tastes wonderful, though.

 

IMHO, of all the factors that go into a great cup of coffee, the absolute top of the pyramid is freshly roasted beans, closely followed by the quality of the water and milk (if you use milk - I don't). For my money, it's more important that a bean is freshly roasted than whether it comes from Ethiopia or Port Shepstone. I would much rather push a freshly roasted (and freshly ground, of course) bean through my Aeropress, than a supermarket bean through my espresso machine.

 

But I know lots of people who don't agree, and who prefer pod-coffee, made with water that reeks of chlorine and old pipes, topped with a wad of milk froth that looks like a bathroom sponge, as long as it's scalding hot and takes 1 minute to make. Or stewed railway coffee. Or (shudder) instant. It's all good.

same day may taste stronger, it isn't. fresh roasted coffee "off-gasses" giving off ±14x it's own volume in CO2, giving it an odd fizzy flavour, it tastes better when it settles. perhaps this is confused with stronger? I always leave coffee 24 hours before doing quality control testing, called cupping.

[niterider]

Maybe start with a good grinder + an Aeropress.

 

Always remember to use fresh beans & grind on demand.

 

+1. Cheap, simple and tastes great. Then get yourself an air popcorn popper and roast your own beans.

[Dirty Sanchez]

 

+1. Cheap, simple and tastes great. Then get yourself an air popcorn popper and roast your own beans.

How are the roasters in New Zealand?

[niterider]

How are the roasters in New Zealand?

 

There's lots of them, with quite a few choices online. Buying green beans and roasting my own is more fun though And cheaper.

 

http://www.greenbeanhouse.co.nz/

[Pieter1]

I'm not sure how to phrase the question but what does the size of the ground or coarseness of the ground bean do to the taste of the coffee?

[kosmonooit]

I'm not sure how to phrase the question but what does the size of the ground or coarseness of the ground bean do to the taste of the coffee?

 

Its more about getting the right water flow rate through the grind: Too coarse and the water flows too quickly and the coffee will taste flat, too fine, they water slows down to a drip. To get the grind right you measure the output into a marked espresso glass for a certain period, 20s I think it was.

[Pieter1]

 

 

Its more about getting the right water flow rate through the grind: Too coarse and the water flows too quickly and the coffee will taste flat, too fine, they water slows down to a drip. To get the grind right you measure the output into a marked espresso glass for a certain period, 20s I think it was.

Thanks! Makes sence. Is this also tru for perculators?

[LukeV-2]

And this is my new toy.... still in the box..... going to the office...

 

I am extremely jealous. Thats the exact grinder I dream of.

[V12man]

I'm not sure how to phrase the question but what does the size of the ground or coarseness of the ground bean do to the taste of the coffee?

How much do you really want to know about this? it's also about the particle size distribution of the grind.... Kosmonooit has the basics covered.... otherwise its complicated.....