I find the coffee thread fascinating in that there are so many variations and equipment recommendations.
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Coffee - do you and how do you consume it?
- Thread starter spacevector
- Start date
Like many things it becomes a totem. Consumerism and utilitarism at their best.
yewneek
Active Member
Enema, cold. No other way if you rationalise the purging effect on body and caffeine absorption efficacy.
Agree.
I'm really aghast at all the random tools that are on the market. Some make sense, to be fair. Yet none of these are common in a cafe, and the best shots I've had did not involve WDT, RDT, Blind Shakers, Puck Screens, Puck Filters....
What good Espresso requires is consistent practice. Beans don't grind or tamp themselves. Milk doesn't steam or pour itself. For folk (like Pseudo), who like Levers, the Espresso doesn't even pull itself!
All of this is skill. Skill requires practice.
No different than baking bread.
@ryanosaur & @Odorb Had a few drinks and mustered up the courage to order the DF83 v3. Thanks for the input/inspiration
Nope.@ryanosaur & @Odorb Had a few drinks and mustered up the courage to order the DF83 v3. Thanks for the input/inspiration
Not yet.
Soon. And not the V3, rather the Variable Speed option:
MiiCoffee DF83V Variable Speed Single Dose Coffee Grinder
When you see "in stock" status products are truly ready to ship in 24 hours. There is no need to call us to confirm. MiiCoffee DF83V Variable Speed Single Dose Coffee Grinder is a significant upgrade from its predecessor, the DF83. The horizontal design of DF83V is specifically engineered to...
miicoffee.shop
Oh I know, was saying I did. The V seems interesting, but too bulky for me. For both, the price is right and I don't see them getting any cheaper in the future...Nope.
Not yet.
Soon. And not the V3, rather the Variable Speed option:
MiiCoffee DF83V Variable Speed Single Dose Coffee Grinder
When you see "in stock" status products are truly ready to ship in 24 hours. There is no need to call us to confirm. MiiCoffee DF83V Variable Speed Single Dose Coffee Grinder is a significant upgrade from its predecessor, the DF83. The horizontal design of DF83V is specifically engineered to...
That's my assessment as well.
The analogy I think of is carpentry/woodworking. Amazingly beautiful products were made long before power tools and high tech. That's because the people using the "crude tools" knew what they were doing, took the time to learn how to do it and that accounts for 99% of the end product.
So?
So it's less relevant today.
I gotta disagree. The extra steps have been proven to improve extraction, according to Lance Hedrick's experimentation at least. Not infallible but he consults the guy who runs Coffee Ad Astra at least. Extra extraction may not always equate to better taste but it gives the user the freedom to dial in better IMO.Agree.
I'm really aghast at all the random tools that are on the market. Some make sense, to be fair. Yet none of these are common in a cafe, and the best shots I've had did not involve WDT, RDT, Blind Shakers, Puck Screens, Puck Filters....
What good Espresso requires is consistent practice. Beans don't grind or tamp themselves. Milk doesn't steam or pour itself. For folk (like Pseudo), who like Levers, the Espresso doesn't even pull itself!
All of this is skill. Skill requires practice.
No different than baking bread.
They are extra tools which, as you say, require skill and practice. They've absolutely improved my coffee to the point that, if I go out for breakfast, I no longer order coffee, as I know I like mine better at home.
Busy cafes don't have the time to take the care to use these extra tools which is an advantage you have when making your morning cup.
That said, I haven't got one of the high extraction baskets yet (I am curious but they're expensive). I'm using a VST with filter paper on the bottom. Along with WDT (sworks with thinnest needles, pricey but quality) , RDT (cheap, filled with brita water from the kettle once cooled) and puck screen (cheapy from Ali Express).
I do like the idea of the blind shaker as I don't like doing WDT to the bottom of the basket but it's part of the ritual now lol.
And yeah YMMV because coffee making itself is so variable. If you live in a humid climate you might not get static so a plasma generator isn't required. I get loads of static in winter when humidity drops to under 50% so I'm glad for the generator.
Then there's the type of beans, water temp, pressure, water volume, etc. No wonder the machines can get so expensive striving for consistency, though the grinder is undoubtedly more important in my mind. I've given up on a consistent 20g in 40g out in 30s recipe, I'd go mad. Even a range of 26 to 32s can be tricky as the beans age and I'm forced to grind finer.
Then there's the type of beans, water temp, pressure, water volume, etc. No wonder the machines can get so expensive striving for consistency, though the grinder is undoubtedly more important in my mind. I've given up on a consistent 20g in 40g out in 30s recipe, I'd go mad. Even a range of 26 to 32s can be tricky as the beans age and I'm forced to grind finer.
I think that often it can FEEL like doing more must naturally equate to an improved or 'better' outcome, I will always challenge that. More extraction, sure. It wouldn't be difficult to do a blind test and come away with preferences among the testers, which would be insightful. Has that been done? I appreciate the thoughtful approach that James Hoffmann takes, very fair and intelligent. Lance Hendrick is probably less so, more of a reviewer than an educator it seems. My point is that these points of view are often picked up by Reddit where the hivemind reduces their ideas to the SINGLE BEST WAY to do things (RDT, WDT, puck screen, puck and filter etc,) which lacks any kind of nuance and is largely unproductive.
Lastly, order coffee at breakfast! It might surprise you or at least lead you to rediscover that you still enjoy coffee even without WDT. Perfectionism can deteriorate the experience overall, much like audiophilia. Where people might then avoid listening to music if not in the most optimum circumstances. Not great.
It's pretty simple. My coffee at home it better than most cafes I frequent. I'm from Melbourne and now live in Canberra and we have good coffee that I purchased for years and, yes, I still do buy the odd coffee, particularly when at work for the social aspect. But, busy cafes cannot compete. Unless you get the right barista with time, and even then it's only on par. I've experimented and practiced and I disagree with you... but it's all in my head right?
It's your preference. So yes. My point is not that your coffee isn't any 'better'. My point is that it probably isn't better because you use a puck screen, or because they don't.
No wonder I sometimes struggle with this bean counter’s music
For anyone interested, the Philos is available now at a pre-launch price: https://shop.mazzer.com/en-gb/products/philos-gb?variant=47954729107788Interesting. Thanks for posting that.
Would be great if it were available now, but I don’t know that I want to spend a grand on something I could get for a lot less in some other manufacturer.
Regardless, Mazzer is super respectable and I would expect you should have near lifetime support unless the machine doesn’t sell and they take it off the market at some point. *shrugs
Beyond all that… espresso shots you can chew!
Its Autumn. Here in Wine Country, we've already had some rain (which is nice). Winter is right around the corner and it will soon be time to start mowing the lawn.
Yet my SAD is kicking in.
I get my Seasonal Affective Disorder when I can't pull a consistent shot of Spro due to the humidity bouncing from 20%-85% RH and back every 2-3 days.
Grump, cuss, and more grump.
I've had one good shot in the last 3 weeks. And it wasn't today!
#first world problems
(Just had to get that off my chest. Thanks for 'listening,' guys.)
Yet my SAD is kicking in.
I get my Seasonal Affective Disorder when I can't pull a consistent shot of Spro due to the humidity bouncing from 20%-85% RH and back every 2-3 days.
Grump, cuss, and more grump.
I've had one good shot in the last 3 weeks. And it wasn't today!
#first world problems
(Just had to get that off my chest. Thanks for 'listening,' guys.)