Coffee thoughts

[LineController]

What do you grind with now? Or buy ground coffee?

I rarely buy a coffee in a shop (and only one halfway decent one locally, long drive otherwise) so the cost of a grinder I think pays for itself fairly quickly....and I'd much rather freshly grind my coffee.

I just recently bought the Aeropress so I just bought bag coffee, I like Starbucks blonde roast I am not a dark coffee drinker, but I do want to go to the coffee shop and get some fresh roasted and maybe get a grinder in the future

 

[lovinthehd]

I just recently bought the Aeropress so I just bought bag coffee, I like Starbucks blonde roast I am not a dark coffee drinker, but I do want to go to the coffee shop and get some fresh roasted and maybe get a grinder in the future

Well with a decent grinder you can vary the grind, and it does affect the brew. Grinder would also grow with you for other types of coffee making if you pick the right one. They aren't particularly inexpensive, tho.

I got a $55 cast iron hand/wood grinder. Crude, but rather foolproof. Either that, or it is just showing how we tend to overthink it. I rather enjoy the ritual. I roast it outdoors in a popcorn popper. Heard my neighbors across the fence noticing it and saying, "yum, someone is roasting coffee." Fills the whole back yard.

A friend set me up with the popper and some green coffee to try for a bit. I ran out of my regular during the early days of covid and didn't want to go to the store so, I lived on that fresh coffee for a couple weeks. Not a bad way to live.

Was that a new grinder or ? Got a link? I did do some roasting but don't think it smells all that great, especially if you try it indoors like I did the first time I partially melted my popcorn maker last time out....was thinking of somehow fixing up a rotating chamber in an old toaster oven....but just haven't returned to roasting my own but am thinking about it as the better beans aren't in town....but will definitely confine my roasting to outside

 

[Verdinut]

I just recently bought the Aeropress so I just bought bag coffee, I like Starbucks blonde roast I am not a dark coffee drinker, but I do want to go to the coffee shop and get some fresh roasted and maybe get a grinder in the future

If your coffee maker uses the basket type filter, I have a good recommendation for you. It's the Australian made Breville Smart Grinder Pro. I have had mine for about 5 years now and I use it every day. It is a very sturdy machine and works flawlessly:

https://www.amazon.com/Breville-BCG820BSSXL-Grinder-Brushed-Stainless/dp/B00OXGXW8O/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2K3C3DCTCXJWC&keywords=breville+smart+grinder+pro&qid=1657088474&sprefix=Breville+Smart+Grinder+Pro%2Caps%2C98&sr=8-1

 

[Swerd]

Always glad to see a thread on coffee, even if it starts out mentioning Keurig made coffee.

@LineController – You mentioned Starbucks blond roast. I'm glad to see that you don't like dark roast coffee. Some people do like it, so I recognize that as a preference. But Starbucks (aka Charbucks) has convinced a whole lot of people that coffee made from beans burnt beyond recognition is good. When you roast coffee that dark, all you taste is the carmelized beans, regardless of where the coffee was grown. Charbucks takes advantage of that by using cheaper grades of coffee, roasting them dark, and selling it at high prices.

When you roast to a medium level (city or full city) you can actually taste the beans. You can easily taste the difference among coffee grown in different parts of the world. And that's half the fun. I personally like coffee from Central America (especially Guatemala) and East Africa (especially Ethiopia and Kenya). There are plenty of other origins, and you can find different people who like them. I urge you to look for local roasters where you live. After it's roasted, coffee gets stale within weeks after roasting. I think 1-2 weeks after roasting is ideal, 3 weeks is passable, and 4 weeks or more is stale. Coffees sold in grocery stores can be beyond fresh, even if they are sold within 2 months of roasting. It's already lost most of it's flavor.

You also mentioned the Aeropress coffee maker. I don't own one, and have only once tried coffee made by one. It was decent, concentrated coffee. But it isn't espresso. Real espresso is made with very finely ground coffee and boiling water raised to very high pressure, at least 10-15 atmospheres. It takes some expensive hardware to do that. Someone mentioned a hand-operated espresso maker that costs less. I don't know many people who want to spend that much. And anyone who goes that route soon learns that expensive grinders are also required to make good espresso.

Over the years, I've learned a number of lessons about making reliably good coffee:

• Use freshly roasted coffee beans. By freshly roasted, I mean within 3-14 days of roasting. You can buy it from local roasters, or roast it yourself.
• There are many varieties of coffee, both single origin and blends, that people like. It can be fun to find out what you like the best.
• Use tap water that is chlorine free. Boiling tap water, or passing it through an activated charcoal filter (such as Brita) both easily remove the chlorine.
• Grind the beans each day before you make coffee.
• Figure how you can measure out both the water and the coffee beans before grinding. It has to be reliable and repeatable. I weigh out both with an inexpensive battery powered kitchen scale. I used to use a measuring cup for water, but the coffee I made could vary too much, too weak or too strong. When I weighed out water that problem went away. One millilter (mL) of water weighs one gram (g), so one liter (L) of water weighs one kilogram (kg).
• To properly extract the full flavor of coffee, the water has to be hot, about 205°F, or just off the boil. If you boil water separately, as with an Aeropress, you're good to go. This becomes a problem with electric drip coffee makers. Many of the less expensive makers skimp on the electric heater, resulting in water that's too cool for extraction. Believe it or not, water heated to about 180-190° results in bitter tasting coffee.
• Note that I haven't mentioned a specific brewing tool or method. They all can work, but you do have to fine tune it to your own tastes. Too much internet bandwidth is wasted discussing the merits of various different brewing methods. They don't matter nearly as much as all the above points. The one exception is making espresso.

 

[LineController]

I do have a local roaster and plan on getting some from them when my blond roast is out. I realize grinding daily ups the game. I’m just not ready to drop $250 on a good (hand) grinder as it’s seems that’s the price point for quality and that’s just manual. Unless your aware of less expensive quality. I’d honestly prefer manual. I just ditched my Delonghi espresso machine for the Aeropress and enjoying the counter space

 

[Swerd]

I do have a local roaster and plan on getting some from them when my blond roast is out.

Good. I hope you like what you find. It does take some trial & error. It took me a while before I found local roasters who actually knew what medium roast meant. Too many around here were trying to appeal to the Charbucks crowd. That was maybe 5-10 years ago, and I think it's probably easier to find good local roasters now.

I’m just not ready to drop $250 on a good (hand) grinder as it’s seems that’s the price point for quality and that’s just manual. Unless your aware of less expensive quality. I’d honestly prefer manual.

$250 for a hand powered grinder!? That seems like way too much money. I wonder where you read that?

I had a simple electric twirly blade grinder that I used for decades. It was a wedding present. It always worked well, taking about ½ a minute to grind beans fine enough for a drip maker with a Melitta type filter cone. After 30-35 years it bit the dust. It was so old, that it said "Made in West Germany" on the bottom. And I bought another one, a Bodum Bistro, probably made in China. It was no good from the start. After about ½ minute of use, the grinds contained a wide mix varying from coarse hunks to fine dust, and everything between. The fine dust clogged the paper filters I used. So, I bought an electric burr grinder, a Baratza Virtuoso, which cost $200 at the time. I probably paid too much for that, but I still use it today, after 7 years of daily use. I also have a simple hand grinder as emergency back up in case of power failure. I paid about $25 for it 10 years ago. I've used it 3 or 4 times. By the time I finished grinding the beans, I no longer needed coffee to wake up.

If you make espresso with a high-pressure electric espresso maker, such as a Rancilio Silva M, I'm told you need to grind much finer, such as with a Rancilio Rocky Grinder. Those prices keep me, and others, away from ever going there. I have never heard of any hand powered grinder that costs $250.

I don't think an Aeropress needs anything like that level of fine grind. Here are some examples of electric grinders and examples of hand grinders recommended by a reputable online coffee product vendor. (Don't bother with that $25 Bodum Bistro).

I just ditched my Delonghi espresso machine for the Aeropress and enjoying the counter space.

I don't know if I made myself clear enough earlier, but I have nothing against Aeropress. It's another coffee brewing tool that works.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

I see expenses on nice espresso equipment as an investment in a better quality lifestyle. After a few early not very successful purchases, I've learned the lesson that cheap and good espresso is nearly impossible to achieve.
That said if you don't mind a small trip to Freehold, you could get a really good deal on espresso stuff, like this grinder. It's the only con that it is stepped, but it's not a show stopper at this price. This would be a much better grinder than above mentioned, notoriously unreliable, Breville

 

[j_garcia]

Read the other threads, lots of info. I bought the recommended Bodum burr grinder in one of those threads and I have been pretty pleased with it so far.

I have used presses and not so much a fan of them. They work, but tend to allow too much fine silt IMO. I use a dual stage metal filter pour over called the Clever Coffee Dripper that works extremely well. I got it at Sweet Marias linked above, but they don't sell it with the permanent filter anymore. There are some tea brewers which are essentially the same thing though. They do offer a new version of it apparently, setup for paper filters

 

[LineController]

Good. I hope you like what you find. It does take some trial & error. It took me a while before I found local roasters who actually knew what medium roast meant. Too many around here were trying to appeal to the Charbucks crowd. That was maybe 5-10 years ago, and I think it's probably easier to find good local roasters now.
$250 for a hand powered grinder!? That seems like way too much money. I wonder where you read that?

I had a simple electric twirly blade grinder that I used for decades. It was a wedding present. It always worked well, taking about ½ a minute to grind beans fine enough for a drip maker with a Melitta type filter cone. After 30-35 years it bit the dust. It was so old, that it said "Made in West Germany" on the bottom. And I bought another one, a Bodum Bistro, probably made in China. It was no good from the start. After about ½ minute of use, the grinds contained a wide mix varying from coarse hunks to fine dust, and everything between. The fine dust clogged the paper filters I used. So, I bought an electric burr grinder, a Baratza Virtuoso, which cost $200 at the time. I probably paid too much for that, but I still use it today, after 7 years of daily use. I also have a simple hand grinder as emergency back up in case of power failure. I paid about $25 for it 10 years ago. I've used it 3 or 4 times. By the time I finished grinding the beans, I no longer needed coffee to wake up.

If you make espresso with a high-pressure electric espresso maker, such as a Rancilio Silva M, I'm told you need to grind much finer, such as with a Rancilio Rocky Grinder. Those prices keep me, and others, away from ever going there. I have never heard of any hand powered grinder that costs $250.

I don't think an Aeropress needs anything like that level of fine grind. Here are some examples of electric grinders and examples of hand grinders recommended by a reputable online coffee product vendor. (Don't bother with that $25 Bodum Bistro).
I don't know if I made myself clear enough earlier, but I have nothing against Aeropress. It's another coffee brewing tool that works.

I suppose the $250 came from comments on the James Hoffman YT channel lol. The local roaster had been there probably 25 years. They have lots to choose from. https://www.talkncoffee.com/

 

[lovinthehd]

I suppose the $250 came from comments on the James Hoffman YT channel lol. The local roaster had been there probably 25 years. They have lots to choose from. https://www.talkncoffee.com/

The 1zPresso hand grinders was the range/brand I looked at the hardest and while I did get one of their more expensive models (the K-plus), they have some less expensive models. Just depends what capabilities/features/accessories you want. https://1zpresso.coffee/store/

Hoffman's channel and some others were definitely involved in my choice of both the Flair hand press and the grinder. One thing that came up was the pressure thing, that most actual brewing of espresso is more in the range of 6-9 BAR pressure as to the brewing process (as perhaps opposed to capabilities of the pump).

 

[fmw]

We have a Keurig machine sitting next to one that brews Nespresso type cups. We used to throw out some of the coffee from the french presses because we didn't want to drink that much. Single serving brewing is a good way to go.

 

[MrBoat]

Well with a decent grinder you can vary the grind, and it does affect the brew. Grinder would also grow with you for other types of coffee making if you pick the right one. They aren't particularly inexpensive, tho.



Was that a new grinder or ? Got a link? I did do some roasting but don't think it smells all that great, especially if you try it indoors like I did the first time I partially melted my popcorn maker last time out....was thinking of somehow fixing up a rotating chamber in an old toaster oven....but just haven't returned to roasting my own but am thinking about it as the better beans aren't in town....but will definitely confine my roasting to outside

Friend gave me the popper. I burned out a dog food can and it fit perfect for a chimney of sorts. I only add enough beans that they start spinning as soon as I push the on button. Around 3.5 oz. for this particular popper. Grinder was on scamazon. A little fiddly on initial setup dialing in a grind size, but it is effective for one or two people. I can pretty much count the cranks it takes for enough for a cup.

ETA: I prefer the Colombian at when the 2nd crack starts, or around a medium roast.

 

[MrBoat]

I have used coffee for most of my life and used to carry a Coleman thermos full of it to work each day when I was still a piecework drywall man, but we used to work12-18hrs/day. For about the last 10 years, I haven't needed coffee to wake up. Not sure I ever really did. It was more of a morning quality ritual. It's pretty much my only source of caffeine these days, the effects of which I got over, many years ago.

Used to have a coffee after dinner but replaced that with a Guinness instead, the last 5 years. Sometimes I switch to green tea at night, iced tea in the hottest summer months.

What has turned me off to mainstream coffee in recent years, of all things, is the amount of single-use plastic/plastic foil packaging, the reduced weight to 11oz., instead of 16. Same with bottled water. I end up carrying a filter for work instead. I have changed most of my otherwise convenient, plastic bearing habits to handmade options that get rid of most of that, or do without entirely.

 

[j_garcia]

I try to cut down on plastic and single use products wherever I can too. I have about 20 double walled water bottles and cups because every place seems to want to give you one, so I make use of them. Philz Coffee here used to allow you to bring in any mug and they would make your coffee in that at a reduced cost, they stopped with Covid however. Hopefully they bring that back.

For the same reason, Nespresso and Keurig are not on any part of my landscape. Nespresso does offer the ability to use your own coffee pods though, not sure about Keurig. Her mom has a Nespresso and I bought the little silicon pods that you fill yourself. Sort of more trouble than it is worth because I could easily have just made coffee other ways with less complexity.

 

[3db]

I don't think Im addicted but I need it to shock my heart into beating and sweep out the cob webs from between my ears that accumulated during my sleep.

 

[Trell]

I don't think Im addicted [bold added] but I need it to shock my heart into beating and sweep out the cob webs from between my ears that accumulated during my sleep.

If you say so.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

I try to cut down on plastic and single use products wherever I can too. I have about 20 double walled water bottles and cups because every place seems to want to give you one, so I make use of them. Philz Coffee here used to allow you to bring in any mug and they would make your coffee in that at a reduced cost, they stopped with Covid however. Hopefully they bring that back.

For the same reason, Nespresso and Keurig are not on any part of my landscape. Nespresso does offer the ability to use your own coffee pods though, not sure about Keurig. Her mom has a Nespresso and I bought the little silicon pods that you fill yourself. Sort of more trouble than it is worth because I could easily have just made coffee other ways with less complexity.

this may help a bit:

Nespresso Recycling | Recyclable Coffee Pods | Nespresso USA

With Nespresso pod recycling you can recycle your capsules easily. Just order your Nespresso recycling bag for free and drop it to the nearest recycling point.

www.nespresso.com

and speaking of reducing plastic waste AND at the same time decreasing maintenance (descaling) requirements of your coffee machines and increasing their lifespan - do yourself a favor - get yourself a water filter and softener.
The metals and minerals in the tap water create a bunch of small problems, which with time invariably become large problems. It's also illuminating the need of buying bottled water. You can enjoy clean filtered water at home even if your tap water is less than ideal.

Water for Home Espresso Machines - La Marzocco Home

An introduction to water - How it affects espresso’s taste and a home espresso machine’s life

home.lamarzoccousa.com

 

[LineController]

Finally picked up a hand grinder. Hoping to up my Aeropress game. Got an inexpensive Timemore C2 max.

 

[Teetertotter?]

I buy the bagged ground coffee[12oz] for use in my 1 cup Keurig. I am currently buying Caribou "Day Break."

I have my eye on White Bear Coffee, "Columbian Blend," from Arabica beans, used in restaurants. I was given a 4oz bag and recently made 3 or 4 brews. It truly fit my taste buds! End of story

 

[LineController]

I buy the bagged ground coffee[12oz] for use in my 1 cup Keurig. I am currently buying Caribou "Day Break."

I have my eye on White Bear Coffee, "Columbian Blend," from Arabica beans, used in restaurants. I was given a 4oz bag and recently made 3 or 4 brews. It truly fit my taste buds! End of story

My favorite for the Keurig was Mcaffe. I just wanted to get away from the plastic and aluminum. I have the Keurig that also makes espresso and lattes so the only thing I use it for now it frothing milk if needed. I have a local roaster. Actually 2 of them and can’t wait to start using fresh grind