Coffee Catch-All

Anyone use a bottomless portafilter? Thinking about getting one but want to make sure it is worth the $60

polq37 wrote:

Earlier last year, my wife got me one of these:
IMAGE(https://www.sweetmarias.com/media/catalog/product/cache/7c26539f5db7a713bb2d1251c72bec75/f/r/fresh-roast-sr-540-1_1_.jpg)

I had realized that my complaints about coffee had far less to do with the quality of the coffee making equipment, and far more to do with the quality of the coffee bean.

For the year prior, I had been experimenting with daily roasts of small batches of coffee using a modified popcorn popper. The results were okay and allowed me to avoid the disappointment of stale coffee, but the results weren't that consistent. The SR540 has controls for air velocity, temperature, and time. And, it is viable for indoor use.

After years of experimenting with various coffee apparatus, the numerically controlled roaster is far and away the most useful.

For the rest, I use a cheap Bodum Chemex knock-off and a simple Krupp blade grinder.

You may already be doing this, but in the US I would definitely recommend getting green beans to roast from Sweet Maria’s. I’ve been ordering from them for close to 15 years and the quality has always been top notch. The only issue I’ve had was a poorly handled security breach around 8-9 years ago that I’m almost positive was responsible for my cc info getting stolen, but they seem to have shaped up since then.

If you ever feel the urge to upgrade from the Freshroast, I can definitely recommend one of the Behmors. Being able to roast a pound of coffee at a time was a game changer for me.

WellAdjusted wrote:

You may already be doing this, but in the US I would definitely recommend getting green beans to roast from Sweet Maria’s. I’ve been ordering from them for close to 15 years and the quality has always been top notch. The only issue I’ve had was a poorly handled security breach around 8-9 years ago that I’m almost positive was responsible for my cc info getting stolen, but they seem to have shaped up since then.

If you ever feel the urge to upgrade from the Freshroast, I can definitely recommend one of the Behmors. Being able to roast a pound of coffee at a time was a game changer for me.

I had been ordering off of Amazon. One of my neighbors recommended Sweet Maria's and I ordered their variety pack a few weeks ago.

I'm very impressed so far. All of the samples are very high quality and represent a lot of interesting flavors and profiles. I'll think I'll be ordering from Sweet Maria's from now on.

I'm not really interested in a larger capacity roaster. I roast 65 grams of beans a day and I like doing that as part of the morning coffee ritual. I like being able to have a different fresh varietal every day. If I were roasting a pound at a time, I would be worried about batches going stale as I used them up.

polq37 wrote:

I'm not really interested in a larger capacity roaster. I roast 65 grams of beans a day and I like doing that as part of the morning coffee ritual. I like being able to have a different fresh varietal every day. If I were roasting a pound at a time, I would be worried about batches going stale as I used them up.

I don't know if you're aware, but it's best to let the roasted beans "age" in an air tight, dark (or at least out of the sun) container for at least 3 days post roast. The flavour, and especially oil, expression is significantly stronger after letting it rest and settle

staygold wrote:
polq37 wrote:

I'm not really interested in a larger capacity roaster. I roast 65 grams of beans a day and I like doing that as part of the morning coffee ritual. I like being able to have a different fresh varietal every day. If I were roasting a pound at a time, I would be worried about batches going stale as I used them up.

I don't know if you're aware, but it's best to let the roasted beans "age" in an air tight, dark (or at least out of the sun) container for at least 3 days post roast. The flavour, and especially oil, expression is significantly stronger after letting it rest and settle

I usually let the beans sit for a day after roasting them. Coffee straight out of the roaster has a bunch of off-putting sharp flavors. I have noticed that beans that I've allowed to sit for a two or three days have gotten mellower and richer. I should probably enact a system where I'm roasting three days ahead, but then I would need a system that allows me to keep track of a three day coffee queue. Maybe this seems trivial, but organization is not necessarily one of my strong points.

Anyone try this yet?
“Hyper Fresh”

PaladinTom wrote:

Just bought a coffee maker with a k cup maker on the side.

Anyone have a recommendation for some “good” k cups - including decaf? (relatively speaking).

I have an aeropress as well. I'm not grinding and I usually make some sort of latte so I wouldn't say I'm much of a coffee aficionado. I like it but will always put cream/milk and sugar in.

I usually get Cameron's coffee pods. Generally decent and a little more eco-friendly than standard. My wife gets a variety pack of decaf from amazon. Maud's is the brand.

When we first got our Kuerig we got a variety pack on Amazon that had different brands and kinds of coffee. Helped us experiment and see what we liked.

I took the plunge and tried the discounted first time offer for Cometeer. You get four boxes of 8 capsules each in their starter deal, $1.50 a pod, free shipping. They’re making the coffee on their end and flash freezing a concentrated shot. Many different varieties of coffee offered, including decaf, single source, etc. They are using lots of different roasters, and they’re offering different ways to mix and match them when you make the order.

For convenience, this seems pretty great. Capsules are kept in the freezer, and you can thaw them out really quickly in a glass of hot water, or put them in the fridge the night before you want to use them. Then just pour them into either 8 ounces of hot water, or mix them with frothed milk for a latte. Their standard pricing comes out to two dollars a cup, and the pods are completely recyclable, made of aluminum. The claim for sustainability is pretty convincing, given that they recycle the coffee on their end, and you recycle the pod on your end. The carbon footprint of shipping is the concern, but I could see you keeping a selection of this in the freezer for a quick coffee option, as it looks like it keeps for a couple years.

Brewed up a jug of cold brew coffee using a bunch of random grounds and beans I had strewn around the pantry. Mixed it all up in a 1oz grounds:1 cup water ratio. Let it steep in the fridge for 24 hours.

Man the cold brew concentrate is STRONG. I like my coffee dark and strong but this packed so much of a punch I nearly gagged. Straining was a bit of a PITA, ran it through my drip coffee filters, took 3 filters to clear about 6-8 cups of concentrate. May need to work on that filtering process so I don't generate so much waste. Ended up diluting it down by half, made it much less of a punch in the mouth. I've been really enjoying having some chilled, caffeinated goodness on tap in the fridge! Excited to experiment more!

staygold wrote:

Brewed up a jug of cold brew coffee using a bunch of random grounds and beans I had strewn around the pantry.

Sounds like you are about to create a new movement in craft coffee: the infinity bottle of cold brew!

(Akin to a whiskey infinity bottle.)

Sad that my Baratza Sette grinder stopped running this week while prepping my morning espresso. #sad

I’m going to open up the case to see if a fuse is blown or there’s some other electrical issue. Anyone else have a Sette and seen this issue?

5000brians wrote:

Sad that my Baratza Sette grinder stopped running this week while prepping my morning espresso. #sad

I’m going to open up the case to see if a fuse is blown or there’s some other electrical issue. Anyone else have a Sette and seen this issue?

The one time that happened with my grinder (also a Baratza), it turned out to just be jammed up. A good clean out of the burrs etc and it ran fine again.

Anyone have a recommendation for an inexpensive portable grinder? Manual is perfectly fine if not preferred. Mostly looking for something small (not an appliance that sits on the counter) that will do 1-2 espressos per day.
I looked back a few pages and saw one person using this Mr. Coffee one but that seems a bit big for my needs (though it's priced well enough).

EvilHomer3k wrote:

Anyone have a recommendation for an inexpensive portable grinder? Manual is perfectly fine if not preferred. Mostly looking for something small (not an appliance that sits on the counter) that will do 1-2 espressos per day.

This maybe. $12. Ceramic core manual grinder.

Okay. I know it makes me a bit of a twee douchebag, but I am very much enjoying my Trade(tm) subscription.

EvilHomer3k wrote:

Anyone have a recommendation for an inexpensive portable grinder? Manual is perfectly fine if not preferred. Mostly looking for something small (not an appliance that sits on the counter) that will do 1-2 espressos per day.
I looked back a few pages and saw one person using this Mr. Coffee one but that seems a bit big for my needs (though it's priced well enough).

polq37 wrote:
EvilHomer3k wrote:

Anyone have a recommendation for an inexpensive portable grinder? Manual is perfectly fine if not preferred. Mostly looking for something small (not an appliance that sits on the counter) that will do 1-2 espressos per day.

This maybe. $12. Ceramic core manual grinder.

Courtesy links for those avoiding Amazon.

hbi2k wrote:

Courtesy links for those avoiding Amazon.

I've been scammed once or twice on Amazon and they've always made me whole. I was defrauded on Ebay back around 2015 and they left me holding the bag. As a matter of personal choice, I refuse to do business with Ebay and Paypal.

polq37 wrote:
EvilHomer3k wrote:

Anyone have a recommendation for an inexpensive portable grinder? Manual is perfectly fine if not preferred. Mostly looking for something small (not an appliance that sits on the counter) that will do 1-2 espressos per day.

This maybe. $12. Ceramic core manual grinder.

Decent reviews and $12. Thanks. Should be here in a few days.

polq37 wrote:
hbi2k wrote:

Courtesy links for those avoiding Amazon.

I've been scammed once or twice on Amazon and they've always made me whole. I was defrauded on Ebay back around 2015 and they left me holding the bag. As a matter of personal choice, I refuse to do business with Ebay and Paypal.

Comparable burr grinder by Bodum, direct from the manufacturer.

There's no such thing as ethical consumption under capitalism, so my intention isn't to judge your choices, just to provide options.

EvilHomer3k wrote:
polq37 wrote:
EvilHomer3k wrote:

Anyone have a recommendation for an inexpensive portable grinder? Manual is perfectly fine if not preferred. Mostly looking for something small (not an appliance that sits on the counter) that will do 1-2 espressos per day.

This maybe. $12. Ceramic core manual grinder.

Decent reviews and $12. Thanks. Should be here in a few days.

Late, but I did a lot of research looking for a good manual one. Ended up with this one. Super happy with the build quality and performance.

Really like my Timemore Chestnut C2 MAX. Glad I got the Max for a big cup of drip coffee, probably not as necessary for espresso though. There's a bunch of good ones at that price point, I just got what was on sale at the time. I wouldn't cheap out too much, especially for the fine grinds needed for espresso. And some videos that enabled me on getting a hand grinder (keep in mind they're 3 years old now, new models, lower prices, etc.):

Thanks for all the suggestions and the non-amazon links (even if I'm don't use them someone else might). tuffalo that grinder looks like a big step up in quality over the super cheap one I ordered. We'll see what it looks like when it arrives but I may return it and get the one you got.

I have an old Black & Decker grinder model CBM210 that I take on trips. This model was probably discontinued years ago. It's also got lousy reviews on Amazon, though I haven't had any problems with it.

Been putting chocolate chips or peanut butter chips in my coffee.

Not the cheapest, but very nice.

https://www.hario-usa.com/collection...

I love my Cafetiere at home but I always struggle in the office to make a decent coffee. I don't usually have time to make a thermos in the morning and don't fancy dealing with the washing out of even a small Cafetiere in the office. There seem to be a few gadget type ones about has anyone tried anything they could recommend or should I just bite the bullet and shell out for a café bought one 3 days a week?

I find that getting a real espresso maker has actually reduced the amount of coffee I drink, but I drink better coffee.

bbk1980 wrote:

I love my Cafetiere at home but I always struggle in the office to make a decent coffee. I don't usually have time to make a thermos in the morning and don't fancy dealing with the washing out of even a small Cafetiere in the office. There seem to be a few gadget type ones about has anyone tried anything they could recommend or should I just bite the bullet and shell out for a café bought one 3 days a week?

For that, I recommend (and have used) single cup pour-overs. I have a hario v60, but there are plenty of similar designs.

Quick, doesn't require special fuss. Just add filter, coffee, and water. They also don't need much clean up, just dispose of the filter & coffee and rinse out the holder.

I use the Clever Dripper daily. It's a single cup immersion brewer. Immersion brewers are very forgiving as far as grind coarseness and brew times. Easy to brew a great cup, quick, easy to clean, and takes up little space.

I have found a v60 quite cheaply, should make it back in not paying for coffee 3 days a week quite quickly (until i spend too much on some small batch of course)