Coffee - do you and how do you consume it?

[Elitzur–Vaidman]

I went from an aeropress to an endgame espresso setup for ~1k all-in. I managed to snag my La San Marco machine from a restaurant owner who was selling the previous tenant's equipment for just under $800.

 

[majingotan]

It's... gorgeous

Indeed! It’s such a nice piece of gear on any coffee stable! I haven’t had any issues with overheating or stalling even on ultra light roast Nordic coffees. What I like about the motor is that it’s really powerful and I can feel that it doesn’t lose its RPM speed while grinding unlike my experience with Timemore 078 S that my coworker uses. Also, the burr chamber is super easy to access and easy to clean which I what I would expect for paying a premium coffee grinder.

If you’re into espresso though with occasional pour over, I’d go with the Mizen ES or OM instead of the SSP MP burrs since I’ve seen people having difficulty dialing in espresso with the narrow sweetspot with unimodal grinding. With pour overs using the SSP MP, expect intense upfront vibrancy with super clean cups, elegant presentation of clarity and semi-quick finish

 

[ryanosaur]

Interesting, hadn't seen the Turin yet. Have to say I'm tempted by the Lagom P64 based on the simplicity of the workflow and aesthetics alone. I'm getting tired of unclogging the chute on my Specialita daily. Retention only seems to be getting worse.

Any others you're looking at? Nice price on the Turin but it looks a bit bulky on the countertop.

I like the df64v, as well. More upright and much smaller footprint, similar to that p64.
The df64v would save me some dough, but then I’d always be wondering what if… that 83 comes with a silly-powerful brushless motor.

The timemore sculptor grinders are intriguing, too.

All seem to generally make the reviewers somewhat happy. Each has there pros and cons, but so do the eureka and the niche grinders.

Considering I’m going through my second Lelit Fred, I know where it will lead with another, if they are still available. Plus the retention is getting to me. All told it holds on to about 3g. These newer grinders are down to maybe 1-2 tenths of a gram!

 

[bluefuzz]

Because hand grinders are utterly pointless for home use

What a ridiculous claim! On the contrary a good hand grinder can outclass (and outlive) most motorised grinders anyday. My Knock Hausgrind can grind anything I throw at it from finest Turkish Coffee dust to big chunks for a French press. I'd only imagine needing a motorised grinder if I suddenly began drinking upwards of ten litres of coffee a day ...

 

[Somafunk]

What a ridiculous claim!

Nah, my opinion, purely subjective of course unless you have empirical evidence to the contrary that will prove me wrong

 

[Neddy]

I'm in the same hand grinder 'boat' - don't need the noise, and grinding ~20g or so for daily pourovers a couple times per day is fine.
I have several powered grinders - quite decent ones - but the hand grinder fits in the 'coffee' cabinet, and doesn't take up any (more) counterspace...and makes for a nice quiet meditative morning 'dialing up the coffee' routine.

But - the real reason is that I've been 'testing' the new Fellow Aiden coffee maker, and have to say I'm darned impressed.

See the sales pitch here:

Aiden Precision Coffee Maker

The easiest way to get a quality pour-over is here. The Aiden Precision Electric Coffee Maker puts your morning brew only a button press away. Reserve yours now.

fellowproducts.com

I've struggled for years (decades) to get that 'just right' aroma and taste (now diminished) for my morning brews - and finally someone has 'automated' it' with 'smart' technology!

My last best was a moccamaster (still have it), but the (irony) of never being quite awake while making first cups led to varying amounts, etc so very hit and miss...which usually made me even grumpier (if possible) on the drive to work.

The Aiden prompts you for bean strength, # of cups, and then tells you how may grams to grind.
Even half zombied in the morning I can read that little OLED display and 'follow instructions' from my newest robo-overlord.
And, once you hit the start buttom (prompt), you Just Walk Away.
Later, it will give the quietest little 'chirp' to alert you to it being Done.
How nice and polite.

I won't go into the 'sales pitch' but, it does create that special aroma and flavor Every Time; the Menu structure (from a former apps dev PM here) is a joy to use (actually makes sense, and Just Follows the Workflow (duh); is almost completely intuitive (took me a week to bother with the manual), and even has an App!
(Latest is that profile editing, and sharing and 'other features' are coming - as is, it's a bit basic, but does include some alerts).
It also accounts for altitude and other such things.

My point is - for about the same price as a moccamaster (which I still revere) - you get a machine that pauses during brews, prompts for type and amount (from single cup up to a Lotta Cups -8?), walks you through it every time (you can set up a quick version ), and appears to be able to offer More Features in future?

(I use mine almost exclusively for 2 to 2.5 Cups, but it does have a nice insulated pot to hiss into for larger amounts.)

And it makes delicious brews every darned time (If you follow the prompts).
And is no more (even less, in ways) fussy than the MM.

Clearly they either had large focus groups advising, or effing genius designers - as I've not been able to find very often in new products, and real product misses (almost too common today - for the most part I hate reviewing new products (and stop hiring teenagers to write your damned apps for you!)...but this one hit all the points dead on.

I guess my biggest 'gripes' would be that a) it still drips after finishing the (single cup) brew, so need to leave a cloth under (or remove) the basket, and b) while the machine fits very nicely under a (US) upper cabinet fine, the brew basket, when opened, does not.
(But the water container can be filled either directly or by removing -that's very clever by itself!).

I still use the B2C machine for espressos, but this is my new main machine.

Worth a look, for those seeking a better daily brewer.

 

[egellings]

The point is simplicity, durability, reliability and longevity. No electric motor or gearing that can fail. And no need for electricity.

During a power outage, I still make coffee using my hand grinder and natural gas stove. I have to use a cigarette lighter to light the stove's flame during an outage since the stove uses an electric arc lighting mechanism. I, a non smoker, keep one of these lighters around just for that purpose.

 

[A Surfer]

What I want, but probably cannot afford is an automatic machine that has no plastic parts that hot water or coffee sit in. I find any heated plastic, no matter what they claim, adds an unpleasant taste to coffee. That leaves me with my trusty French Press only.

 

[holdingpants01]

What I want, but probably cannot afford is an automatic machine that has no plastic parts that hot water or coffee sit in. I find any heated plastic, no matter what they claim, adds an unpleasant taste to coffee. That leaves me with my trusty French Press only.

for similar reason I got ceramic V60 drip, what I like more than french press is the paper filter, the coffee is clear with zero gunk plus there's few more variables to refine the brew to taste

 

[ryanosaur]

During a power outage, I still make coffee using my hand grinder and natural gas stove. I have to use a cigarette lighter to light the stove's flame during an outage since the stove uses an electric arc lighting mechanism. I, a non smoker, keep one of these lighters around just for that purpose.

That's why I have a generator! Keep my fridge running and to make Espresso in the morning!!!

 

[A Surfer]

for similar reason I got ceramic V60 drip, what I like more than french press is the paper filter, the coffee is clear with zero gunk plus there's few more variables to refine the brew to taste

I was doing pour overs for a time. I liked the results using some Chemex paper filters. Just a little more time than I prefer dedicating to coffee preparation. Although the slowness of it is very tranquil so perhaps I'll get back to it.

 

[egellings]

That's why I have a generator! Keep my fridge running and to make Espresso in the morning!!!

I have been lucky with power outages. The few I had were short in duration, less than an hour, and very seldom. Often the outage was due to infrastructure work, and a notice would be given about the outage ahead of time so that I could plan ahead for it.

 

[ryanosaur]

I have been lucky with power outages. The few I had were short in duration, less than an hour, and very seldom. Often the outage was due to infrastructure work, and a notice would be given about the outage ahead of time so that I could plan ahead for it.

Our power company is so twitchy after causing several fires, including 1 that burned out a whole town, that now when there is a +5mph wind gust they shut off power to half the state just so they don't get sued again.



Hyperbole? Yes.

Truth? Pretty d@mn close.

There was a point several years ago that we had a 2-week outage as a "precaution." They evacuated half of wine country for fear a fire up north would jump protection and burn unchecked through all of the western half of the county.

Now we are looking at a second, more powerful, generator. Something we can use for work beyond just powering our internet and computers. Sad part is I have to buy gas daily to keep us running in the instances.
*sighs.

Fortunately they are truly not that frequent, but they do happen.

 

[ThatM1key]

As a proper adult, I've been drinking coffee. I use a Keurig machine with off-brand coffee pods (Donut/Vanilla Medium), its about $0.25 per cup (Not great compared to pure grounds). I can drink them without creamer but I do use those sugar free liquid creamers (Pure until the coffee turns a light tan). I've had Folgers Classic before but the cost difference, just isn't for me. I even thought about stop using creamer because all the extra chemicals and money.

I would like to use coffee grounds for the cost and better taste but nobody really makes cheap single-serve machines. I don't need to brew a pot. I've tried those K-cup adapters, very messy and have to clean every time.

 

[Petrushka]

As a proper adult, I've been drinking coffee. I use a Keurig machine with off-brand coffee pods (Donut/Vanilla Medium), its about $0.25 per cup (Not great compared to pure grounds). I can drink them without creamer but I do use those sugar free liquid creamers (Pure until the coffee turns a light tan). I've had Folgers Classic before but the cost difference, just isn't for me. I even thought about stop using creamer because all the extra chemicals and money.

I would like to use coffee grounds for the cost and better taste but nobody really makes cheap single-serve machines. I don't need to brew a pot. I've tried those K-cup adapters, very messy and have to clean every time.

My son just bought a Baristina. Fun to use, but I prefer a French press.

 

[Somafunk]

I would like to use coffee grounds for the cost and better taste but nobody really makes cheap single-serve machines. I don't need to brew a pot. I've tried those K-cup adapters, very messy and have to clean every time.

Try an aeropress, very simple to use and makes a very decent coffee if you have freshly ground beans

https://aeropress.com/products/aeropress-coffee-maker?srsltid=AfmBOoo5RgBP4yguVe48vmyFizD-IffpFZy6UZX9QEeG2siBKx1GQE1g

 

[Count Arthur]

As a proper adult, I've been drinking coffee. I use a Keurig machine with off-brand coffee pods (Donut/Vanilla Medium), its about $0.25 per cup (Not great compared to pure grounds). I can drink them without creamer but I do use those sugar free liquid creamers (Pure until the coffee turns a light tan). I've had Folgers Classic before but the cost difference, just isn't for me. I even thought about stop using creamer because all the extra chemicals and money.

I would like to use coffee grounds for the cost and better taste but nobody really makes cheap single-serve machines. I don't need to brew a pot. I've tried those K-cup adapters, very messy and have to clean every time.

Try a V60: https://www.hario.co.uk/collections...ario-v60-coffee-dripper-plastic-size-02-white

 

[TK33]

for similar reason I got ceramic V60 drip, what I like more than french press is the paper filter, the coffee is clear with zero gunk plus there's few more variables to refine the brew to taste

I also use a ceramic V60. Didn't like the thought of plastic even though people seem to recommend the cheaper plastic version for heat retention. I use the white Harlo paper filters. Been trying the Volcanica Papua New Guinea Peaberry recently (in search of a coffee that my wife likes better than our Starbucks Blonde Roast K Cups) and this may be a winner. Grind using a Fellow Ode2 grinder on the 4.1 setting and a 1:16 ratio and it has been pretty great. Rarely use my Chemex anymore unless brewing for multiple people. The Chemex is a bit more forgiving in my opinion but it a pain to clean.

 

[TK33]

I was doing pour overs for a time. I liked the results using some Chemex paper filters. Just a little more time than I prefer dedicating to coffee preparation. Although the slowness of it is very tranquil so perhaps I'll get back to it.

The V60 is much faster than the Chemex. Usually brew a cup or two in under 3 minutes with the V60.

 

[Count Arthur]

My V60 tips.

1. The plastic V60 works just fine.

2. Buy a size 02 v60, you can use it with size 01 filter papers if you're only making 1 cup, but not vice versa.

3. You can rinse and re-use the filter papers 2 or 3 times for added cheapness.