Whew! I would be flying with that much caffeine. If I am tired and snoozy I can have coffee and sleep but if I OD on caffeine no sleeps for me.Lightweight!
I can have a few turkish-style demitasse and be snoring within an hour.
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Coffee - do you and how do you consume it?
- Thread starter spacevector
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Now this is a thread I can get behind! lol...
If I have time (and motivation) first thing in the morning, my typical method is Chemex. I've been using it with the Able KONE stainless steel filter; it felt so wasteful throwing away those massive paper filters every day. Yeah, there's still some sediment, but pouring carefully keeps it in the Chemex rather than in my thermal mug.
Coffee: Whole-bean Guatamala Huehuetenango (medium roast), ground with a Shardor burr grinder dialed down about 1/4 of the way from the coarsest setting.
Afterwards, I can contemplate doing something meaningful.
If I have time (and motivation) first thing in the morning, my typical method is Chemex. I've been using it with the Able KONE stainless steel filter; it felt so wasteful throwing away those massive paper filters every day. Yeah, there's still some sediment, but pouring carefully keeps it in the Chemex rather than in my thermal mug.
Coffee: Whole-bean Guatamala Huehuetenango (medium roast), ground with a Shardor burr grinder dialed down about 1/4 of the way from the coarsest setting.
Afterwards, I can contemplate doing something meaningful.
Does a finer grind increase the caffeine or does that get leached out of the bean whether the grind is fine or coarse?
I hear that. I have what is the equivalent of 2 to 2.5 cups when I get up. Any caffeine after about 2PM is considered a cardinal sin by my body, and it will remind me of this for hours past my usual bedtime.
I'm not entirely sure, but the fineness of the grind definitely affects the flavor. I'm not sure how much it affects the caffeine level, but I suspect the answer is "not so much".
TimW
Major Contributor
For a year now I have been learning to make great espresso using my cheap little Starbucks Barista machine. It has been heavily modified with a bottomless portafilter, precision screen and basket, 9 bar OPV, PID temperature control, and variable flow/pressure control using a dimmer switch. I can make great espresso with this machine but it requires some temperature surfing due to the tiny boiler size. Steaming capability is limited also.
Last month I found an ancient Mazzer Major grinder (83mm big boy burrs) for cheap and picked it up. I replaced the burrs with new Mazzer 251A's and installed a Daniel Wong doserless kit. I am very happy with the work flow and quality of grind with this grinder, especially when pre-grinding with a hand grinder first. Unfortunately It has made me want to upgrade my espresso machine even more.
Looking at the different options out there, it would be easy to upgrade to a larger machine with improved thermal stability. I could get one with standard 58mm portafilter, larger boiler, adjustable OPV, PID, and pressure gauge for just over a grand. I would however miss out on flow/pressure control unless I modified the machine, which I would be less inclined to do to a $1000 machine. If you want flow control built in you're looking at something that costs close to $2000 or more. Even then you're only getting manual control, the only improvement over my current machine would be appearance, thermal stability, and quality of craftsmanship. What I really want is something like the Decent DE1 with the latest espresso tech craze, pressure profiling.
Recently a DIY project called Gaggiuino that does just this has become popular. A Gaggiuino is basically a modified Gaggia Classic that has been automated, with a touch screen for control and programming. I have purchased a Gaggia Classic Pro and plan to do this modification to it soon.
Last month I found an ancient Mazzer Major grinder (83mm big boy burrs) for cheap and picked it up. I replaced the burrs with new Mazzer 251A's and installed a Daniel Wong doserless kit. I am very happy with the work flow and quality of grind with this grinder, especially when pre-grinding with a hand grinder first. Unfortunately It has made me want to upgrade my espresso machine even more.
Looking at the different options out there, it would be easy to upgrade to a larger machine with improved thermal stability. I could get one with standard 58mm portafilter, larger boiler, adjustable OPV, PID, and pressure gauge for just over a grand. I would however miss out on flow/pressure control unless I modified the machine, which I would be less inclined to do to a $1000 machine. If you want flow control built in you're looking at something that costs close to $2000 or more. Even then you're only getting manual control, the only improvement over my current machine would be appearance, thermal stability, and quality of craftsmanship. What I really want is something like the Decent DE1 with the latest espresso tech craze, pressure profiling.
Recently a DIY project called Gaggiuino that does just this has become popular. A Gaggiuino is basically a modified Gaggia Classic that has been automated, with a touch screen for control and programming. I have purchased a Gaggia Classic Pro and plan to do this modification to it soon.
Just facing that brand-name every morning... would probably make me...[ummm...] skip my morning Joe.
[not willing to use the audio hardware analogy]
...It's like OP furniture that you throw out to get the Ikea kind and... then, you get buyer's remorse, until you find an excuse to get some 'good' furniture.
Show us a photo of that thing in the dumpster, when you buy your next rig.
The amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee varies wildly. High altitude beans typically have less caffeine than lower altitude ones. It also depends on variety - robusta has more caffeine than arabica (not sure about how various subtypes compare - catuai, geisha, etc). The type of drink matters too - 18g of espresso has les caffeine than 18g of French Press, as does the roast - the lighter the roast, the less caffeine extracted.
To answer your question directly though - grind size doesn't directly affect the amount of caffeine in your drink. It's the extraction that matters. A fine grind with French press will require less water or immersion time to extract the coffee. The longer you leave the water in contact with the coffee, the higher the extraction, and subsequently, extraction of caffeine you will have. If a fine grind causes your pour over or espresso to choke however, you may end with with less coffee and thus, less caffeine (not recommended if you want something that doesn't taste like dog shit).
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TimW
Major Contributor
Charbux is abysmal for sure. About a month ago I went there out of desperation. I ordered a blonde roast brew since I figured it would be the least burnt option. They told me it would be a pour over and asked if I was willing to wait. I figured hey this might actually be good and said sure. 15 minutes later I received a bland and bitter cup of coffee, I guess blonde does not mean lightly roasted.Just facing that brand-name every morning... would probably make me...[ummm...] skip my morning Joe.
[not willing to use the audio hardware analogy]
...It's like OP furniture that you throw out to get the Ikea kind and... then, you get buyer's remorse, until you find an excuse to get some 'good' furniture.
Show us a photo of that thing in the dumpster, when you buy your next rig.
To be fair to my current machine though, it is an Italian made Saeco from 2005 with Starbucks branding.
Count Arthur
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I'll interested to hear how you get on with that.
I've had a Gaggia Classic for about 18 months and I have made some minor changes; I changed the pressure spring to reduce it from the factory 12 bar to around 9, I bought a bottomless portafilter, some better VST baskets and a different shower screen.
There is a UK company that makes mods, including PIDs and pressure guages: https://www.shadesofcoffee.co.uk/post-2018?page=1, but as I only drink dark roats without milk, and I'm pretty happy with the results, I wonder whether it would be a worthwile addition.
TimW
Major Contributor
I actually bought several things from them for my inbound Classic. I got the spring kit to use with the machine before I get the Gaggiuino installation finished. The Gaggiuino uses a temperature probe in place of the thermostat like a PID and a pressure sensor instead of a gauge. It doesn't need the OPV mod since it controls the pump pressure using PSM (Pulse Skip Modulation). This way the computer can control pressure exactly, estimate flow, and keep the temperature even more stable than a PID since it can turn on the boiler preemptively when the pump is activated rather than reacting to a reduced temp.
I'll keep you updated.
Count Arthur
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I would try it out with just the spring mod, before modding it.
You can also try the pre-infusion trick, where you start the shot with the steam valve open and then slowly close it; as shown here:
I've seen and read so many variations that leave me bewildered. Some say Dark has more caffeine, others say the roasting breaks down caffeine and lighter roasts have more... Other studies are neutral toward this regarding roast level and caffeine with one saying you would have to take the beans up over 600º to break down the caffeine...
*shrugs
I've seen more argument in whether you measure beans by weight, volume or count... Light roast is heavier than dark roast, so by weight you will have more dark roast beans compared to the light roast version of the same type... But if you measure by volume there will be no difference...
Who is right?
Three of the most recent posts refer to the use of "bottomless portafilter" (w/o naming names) and said it was essential to have one.
I got as far as using a single spout version of a portafilter but I really don't see to what a bottomless one provides, after the 'wow' effect subsides.
Most importantly, does a bottomless portafilter make it taste that much better? Or
Is it just the visual-effects while brewing, like a ?VUmeter? Or
Some thing else, besides being for those who have a bottomless wallet @$100?
I got as far as using a single spout version of a portafilter but I really don't see to what a bottomless one provides, after the 'wow' effect subsides.
Most importantly, does a bottomless portafilter make it taste that much better? Or
Is it just the visual-effects while brewing, like a ?VUmeter? Or
Some thing else, besides being for those who have a bottomless wallet @$100?
I was led to believe that tea had more caffeine (re:coffee) but I gave up on your Q.
Count Arthur
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On the Gaggia which doen't have much space between the bottom of the group head and the drip tray, having a bottomless portafilter without a spout does give you a bit more room if, as in my case, you want to place scales underneeth your cup.
I also bought a shallower drip tray for even more space.
I think you get better crema from the bottomless. It also will reveal any flaws in your tamp technique.
I know you still get crema through a spout, but running over all the surface area of that whole situation will degrade it.
As always, YMMV, and if you enjoy what you are experiencing there may be little reason to change.
I know you still get crema through a spout, but running over all the surface area of that whole situation will degrade it.
As always, YMMV, and if you enjoy what you are experiencing there may be little reason to change.
I had the same problem like Sir @Count Arthur.
I finally found a small (Kyerlish-rechargeable) scale/timer.
My 5th one, after destroying (w/meat mallet) the last one, in a fit of frustration with it.
The current one is under 1.7cm (<0.75") that fits perfectly under my height restricted space.
Best part is that it does not spazz-out when it is not perfectly level.
I finally found a small (Kyerlish-rechargeable) scale/timer.
My 5th one, after destroying (w/meat mallet) the last one, in a fit of frustration with it.
The current one is under 1.7cm (<0.75") that fits perfectly under my height restricted space.
Best part is that it does not spazz-out when it is not perfectly level.
I've seen and read so many variations that leave me bewildered. Some say Dark has more caffeine, others say the roasting breaks down caffeine and lighter roasts have more... Other studies are neutral toward this regarding roast level and caffeine with one saying you would have to take the beans up over 600º to break down the caffeine...
*shrugs
I've seen more argument in whether you measure beans by weight, volume or count... Light roast is heavier than dark roast, so by weight you will have more dark roast beans compared to the light roast version of the same type... But if you measure by volume there will be no difference...
Who is right?
As a member of ASR and therefore someone who probably values empirical data, I think you’ll love the video I posted. It’s not comprehensive, but he runs tests, measures caffeine, and provides the results. If you have some free time, give it a look and see if any of it surprises you!
Count Arthur
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I bought a really cheap one on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Digital-Kitchen-Function-Batteries-Included/dp/B083D9PXPL/I had the same problem like Sir @Count Arthur.
I finally found a small (Kyerlish-rechargeable) scale/timer.
My 5th one, after destroying (w/meat mallet) the last one, in a fit of frustration with it.
The current one is under 1.7cm (<0.75") that fits perfectly under my height restricted space.
Best part is that it does not spazz-out when it is not perfectly level.
I did fit some extra feet to it, so that it sits level on the drip tray even though it hangs over the erdge; it's not the slimmest, but it's worked fine so far.
The shallower drip tray helps: https://www.shadesofcoffee.co.uk/search/products?keywords=drip+tray
NakEnthusiast51
New Member
Greetings, my first posting at the Audio Science Forums
A coffee aficionado mini-thread within an audio topics forum ...... Where am I, perhaps discovering a cyber nirvana ???
My coffee enjoyment is three or four 12 oz mugs early mornings, with a touch of cream to smooth out the light roasted ground beans.
Brewing Gear - Krupps hand-held grinder, CuisineArt Drip w/ 64 oz stainless carafe.
Coffee Beans - Fair Trade Organic whole bean ...... Ethiopian and Peruvian Arabica are my favorites.
Mail ordered from the European Roasterie, Twin Cities, Minnesota USA
My wrap-up should be more audio gear oriented though ......
Here's hoping for more enlightening interactions with like-minded audio enthusiasts here at ASR.
My interests are analogue gear, Marantz, Nakamichi, Thorens, Acoustic Research round out my gear possessions.
Good & Plenty Coffee Rules !!!
Cheers and Peace
NakEnthusiast 51
Update: Good & Plenty Coffee - Water Quality
Of course, the quality of water utilized to brew up superior coffees is quite important. I tend to used filtered water with minimal mineral content.
Below is a bit of guidance, if you're looking to improve your brewed beverages :
" For brewing, the Specialty Coffee Association recommends using water with a total hardness of 50 to 175ppm and a carbonate hardness between 40 and 75ppm. “You can also have water which is low in carbon but has a high TDS level, which means it won't deposit limescale.”
| Characteristic | Target | Acceptable Range |
|---|---|---|
| Odor 1 | Clean Fresh / Odor Free | |
| Chlorine | None | None |
| Calcium Hardness | 50-175 ppm CaCO3 | 50-175 ppm CaCO3 |
| Alkalinity | 40 ppm | At or near 40-70 ppm CaCO3 |
| pH | 7.0 | 6 - 8 |
https://www.ncausa.org/About-Coffee/How-to-Brew-Coffee
https://www.ncausa.org/About-Coffee/How-to-Brew-Coffee
https://www.ncausa.org/About-Coffee/How-to-Brew-Coffee
That's enough coffee related chit-chat, on to some audio stuff !!!
Cheers and Peace !!!