Coffee snobs

Discussion in 'The Mainboard' started by High Cotton, Jun 15, 2009.

  1. Drew Swinney Esq

    Drew Swinney Esq Successful Attorney in Atlanta
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    How are the new espresso folks getting along?
     
  2. Drew Swinney Esq

    Drew Swinney Esq Successful Attorney in Atlanta
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    Was hoping there would be some comments about the Bold Bean rare coffee club 1st delivery. Anyone brewing that yet, and how? Have the Rwanda dialed in from a shot flow perspective but not all that crazy over it. It’s good but nothing exceptional.

    From my Trade subscription. Sight Glass in SF, Steady State in Carslbad, CA, Alma in Canton, GA, and Methodical in Greenville, SC all nail whatever I order from them that look in line with my roast/taste preferences. I’m always adding their bags to my queue if I don’t see anything else I want to try.

    I have half a mind to move back to the Counter Culture Single Origin subscription, and then buy ad hoc from some of these roasters I’ve found via Trade. I really enjoy the access to all kinds of roasters over the country through Trade though.

    Are there subscriptions like Trade that would have different roasters to choose from?
     
    #3052 Drew Swinney Esq, Feb 24, 2023
    Last edited: Feb 24, 2023
  3. Drew Swinney Esq

    Drew Swinney Esq Successful Attorney in Atlanta
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    Hmmm. Missed this, but also don’t do pour over so doesn’t really mean too much to me when I read it. When I pull a shot with it, it’s just one note. Maybe I opened too early.
     
  4. Drew Swinney Esq

    Drew Swinney Esq Successful Attorney in Atlanta
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    Might be too open of a question for this thread.

    How much coffee do you need to brew at once, single servings or like a pot/carafe at a time? Are you looking for a drip coffee machine?

    If you want to step up the quality, first thing is to grind your own beans at home no matter what you brew them in.

    Then you need to find a brew method that will mesh the volume of coffee you’re brewing with the amount of tinkering and manual work you’re willing to do.

    If you are brewing 1 cup at a time, a burr grinder and an aeropress will get you going. With maybe a French press option for bigger brews.

    Or go crazy and chase pour over or espresso perfection like us idiots.
     
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  5. SpartanGA

    SpartanGA Well-Known Member
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    I am finishing another Bold bean offering in my grinder currently. Rare #1 is next in queue. I will be using it for espresso

    Interesting on Alma. They are local to me and haven't been too impressed with what I have tried.
     
  6. Drew Swinney Esq

    Drew Swinney Esq Successful Attorney in Atlanta
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    I’m pulling 3:1 on the rare from 15g, in low 30 seconds consistently.

    Right now it’s going side by side with Alma Pedernales and the Alma is winning.
     
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  7. AUShyGuy

    AUShyGuy Unbridled Enthusiasm
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    Who recently started with espresso? I lose track of who’s brewing what
     
  8. ned's head

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    Cancelled counter culture after a few months - I kept getting bags from the same region. I used to use gocoffeego many many years ago...that seemed pretty similar to trade in function
     
  9. AUShyGuy

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    Just started a bold bean single origin sub, excited and impatiently waiting for the first bag
     
  10. Drew Swinney Esq

    Drew Swinney Esq Successful Attorney in Atlanta
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    I couldn’t remember exactly, but there were a few here getting or buying machines for Christmas.
     
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  11. SpartanGA

    SpartanGA Well-Known Member
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    In my notes, I had Alma Essence and was not impressed. I'll try one of their brighter coffees.
     
  12. arrdub

    arrdub Well-Known Member
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    :cerealkiller:
    I’m doing espresso as of Christmas. Breville Bambino plus espresso machine and smart grinder pro

    I am mainly using local beans (lucky goat) and confess that I do add organic cane sugar, a little vanilla extract, and oat milk - so still a latte guy, not a purist. Nonetheless it is noticeably better than what I was getting out of Peet’s in the Keurig - though I will always have a special place in my heart for their dark French roast k cups (which have been my go to for a couple years)

    At first it was such a hassle and mixed end-product that I was kind of concerned I‘d stop bothering with it, but based on some encouragement here i stuck with it and can do it consistently without too much more hassle than a k-cup (and notably better result)

    also occasionally like to add cinnamon and cloves but figure that might go over like ketchup on a steak in here

    :chan:
     
  13. pratyk

    pratyk Arsenal FC, Rutgers Scarlet Knights
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    How long do you rest the beans?
     
  14. AUShyGuy

    AUShyGuy Unbridled Enthusiasm
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    Do you man
     
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  15. Drew Swinney Esq

    Drew Swinney Esq Successful Attorney in Atlanta
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    Opened 10 days after ship date. Presumably that was the roast date but it’s not labeled.
     
  16. Drew Swinney Esq

    Drew Swinney Esq Successful Attorney in Atlanta
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    I’m liking it better at 2:1 fyi

    Which is what they say to use if I would have followed the QR code on the bag.

    For these beans, it’s approaching the limit of my Breville smart grinder pro for me to get the right flow rate for 2:1 pull

    Going down too much finer would choke the grinder.
     
  17. AUShyGuy

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    Could up the dosage if you can’t go finer
     
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  18. John McGuirk

    John McGuirk member of the blue tiger club
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    Just didn’t register the temp. Thought it was always 0 degrees so I found it boiling over one day in the kitchen. They sent a full replacement
     
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  19. pratyk

    pratyk Arsenal FC, Rutgers Scarlet Knights
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    Fellow with an interesting drop today, from The Barn in Berlin. 22$ for 9ish oz shipped is a pretty solid price point for a roaster like them if anyone likes tart fruity notes.
     
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  20. SpartanGA

    SpartanGA Well-Known Member
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    Grabbed one. I tend to like that profile
     
  21. Jorts

    Jorts "Ask about my Mortgage Services"
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    Same
     
  22. John McGuirk

    John McGuirk member of the blue tiger club
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    Is the V60 still the gold standard of pour over? Thinking about ditching the Chemex for one
     
  23. Jorts

    Jorts "Ask about my Mortgage Services"
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    It’s finicky, but my favorite. My wife is not into following recipes or instructions, but is still capable of making a pretty great cup with the V60.
     
  24. pratyk

    pratyk Arsenal FC, Rutgers Scarlet Knights
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    Finally got the chance to stop by Mame on this trip .. Drank a "flight" of coffee, bought some more and spent too much $$. Just like last time.

     
  25. pratyk

    pratyk Arsenal FC, Rutgers Scarlet Knights
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    Took 1 shot to dial in.. pulled a 40g yield at 6bars and getting some sweet and tangy strawberry notes.
     

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  26. AUShyGuy

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    Interesting, do you normally pull at lower pressures?
     
  27. pratyk

    pratyk Arsenal FC, Rutgers Scarlet Knights
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    Not always but for lighter coffees, I've been tinkering with the flow to run the shot at lower pressures for when the grind has been finer than the usual range - I am still using the Niche so the clarity isn't quite you'd want for light roasts but it definitely felt like a sweeter shot vs. the first one & less bitter.

    I did pre-order the Variable RPM version of DF64 to try get on the flat burr bandwagon.
     
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  28. AUShyGuy

    AUShyGuy Unbridled Enthusiasm
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    Was Weber out of EG-1s?
     
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  29. pratyk

    pratyk Arsenal FC, Rutgers Scarlet Knights
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    Ha! Never had the budget for one. I was on the list for a Lagom P64 but an unexpected home project put me out of that game. Figured at 500$ with a coupon, the DF64V was a decent punt. If it works out, I can make most of that money by selling off my Niche.
     
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  30. Drew Swinney Esq

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    Do you grind into a dosing cup or is there a portafilter attachment?

    I’ve never really read too much about equipment past the entry level stuff, so I don’t know the major brands for home brewers at those higher price points.

    > closes the thread before I start pricing a nicer setup
     
  31. AUShyGuy

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    Niche comes with a dosing cup that fits quite nicely into a 58mm basket
     
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  32. pratyk

    pratyk Arsenal FC, Rutgers Scarlet Knights
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    This but i grind directly into the portafilter. There are various sellers of 3D printed thingamagics on Etsy et al but I have a portafilter holder from Decent espresso

    [​IMG]
     
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  33. SpartanGA

    SpartanGA Well-Known Member
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    I’m a coffee snob but yet I often feel the messages on here aren’t in English.
    And love that lol
     
  34. SpartanGA

    SpartanGA Well-Known Member
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    Opinions of latest fellow drop? $28 for 12 oz

    can’t recall sweet pastry as a tasting note
     
  35. Jorts

    Jorts "Ask about my Mortgage Services"
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    I’ve grabbed the last 3, but haven’t opened any yet
     
  36. pratyk

    pratyk Arsenal FC, Rutgers Scarlet Knights
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    I passed as my Sightglass pre-order of Finca La Salsa, Benjamin Paz just shipped and I've got a couple more bags to go through in the mean time..
     
  37. thechristmaself

    thechristmaself Well-Known Member
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    Alright guys my Kuerig finally broke and I want to advance to the world of pour overs or French press. Any suggestions?
     
  38. Jorts

    Jorts "Ask about my Mortgage Services"
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    Just scrolled the 1st page of this thread... We've come a long way Gents
    [​IMG]
     
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  39. AUShyGuy

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    What kind of grinder do you have (or plan to get)? French press is pretty forgiving and I think it does a good job with darker roasts. v60 is great but more finicky, great with lighter roasts. (All in my opinion).

    Probably need a gooseneck kettle for v60, need a scale for both, and the best grinder you can afford. The v60 and filters or French press itself are pretty cheap
     
  40. thechristmaself

    thechristmaself Well-Known Member
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    Thanks. I like the idea of the v60. Any suggestions on a grinder?
     
  41. AUShyGuy

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    Baratza makes great grinders at reasonable cost, fellows ode v2 seems to be well thought of now that they’ve worked out the kinks
     
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  42. Jorts

    Jorts "Ask about my Mortgage Services"
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    Chemex is similar pour over style & more forgiving than the v60... both are amazing options
     
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  43. Jorts

    Jorts "Ask about my Mortgage Services"
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    Personal favorite from page 1

    So happy that 13 1/2 years later, the sugars haven't gotten him
     
  44. Drew Swinney Esq

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    Alright pratyk AUShyGuy SpartanGA @teamespresso

    Hit me with the premium level home espresso grinders I should check out, or something to read. I’m not really even up to speed on the brands at that level, much less models.

    It will be a while before I upgrade my Breville machine, but I’m on the struggle bus with some single origin light roasts and the smart grinder. Would like to get something that will set me up down the road to not upgrade again (lol).

    $500-$700 would be my target but might go more if worth it.
     
  45. AUShyGuy

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    I really enjoy my niche. Might be better options for my split of pour over to espresso (weekday vs weekend) and maybe flat burrs would bring more flavor to the table but for ~$700 it’s been great for me.
     
    #3095 AUShyGuy, Mar 18, 2023
    Last edited: Mar 18, 2023
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  46. AUShyGuy

    AUShyGuy Unbridled Enthusiasm
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    I’ve been drinking my 1st bag of bold bean for a week now (Hayissa Olocho).

    Awesome pour over, a lot of berry, but dialing in for espresso has been a bear. It’s a pretty light roast, 1st shot I pulled a 18g 1:1 in about 1 minute, the 2nd 36g 2:1 again about a minute.
     
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  47. pratyk

    pratyk Arsenal FC, Rutgers Scarlet Knights
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    What's your timeline? How open are you to fidgeting and tweaking?

    If you like medium to medium-dark roasts and chocolatey + nutty notes / full bodied shots, there's nothing better than the Niche for the price and workflow.

    If you prefer lighter roasts and prefer flavor clarity over body + plan on using the grinder for pourovers, flat burrs maybe the way to go.

    I've pre-ordered two flat Burr grinders, the timemore 64s (Kickstarter for 299, won't ship until June I think) and the DF64v (599$, a couple months away).. I'll cancel one of the two orders but the initial impressions look promising for the price.

    I've seen a lot of posts about DF83 and how it still provides more clarity than Niche on its stock burrs, but there maybe a few mods needed for the declumper / chute but supposedly getting fixed in the V2 that'll be out in April.

    There are a few others like Eureka Atoms, Mahlkonig x54 (I think) and some Ceado models but I like the single dosing workflow so I can go back and forth between a couple of beans and not waste a lot of coffee and time on dialing them in again.

    If you prefer easy and convenient, nothing like the Niche out there and there will be a lot of them on sale (used) once people start getting their hands on the newer models in the near future.

    I think I'm going to keep my niche alongside whichever one of the two flat burrs I end up getting.
     
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  48. Drew Swinney Esq

    Drew Swinney Esq Successful Attorney in Atlanta
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    I have a baratza encore and the smart grinder, so would be good on non-espresso grinds. My other brew methods are french/aeropress, moka pot, percolator, cold brew. Besides espresso it’s usually just one of the presses or cold brew. Both of those are fine for those, and will probably get rid of one. I’ve hesitated to get into pour-over, I already get the evil eye on the amount of shit I have now. Might be time to toss some other stuff and start pouring too.

    I tend to tinker in all my hobbies, but want something pretty much now.

    I like light roast fruity and acidic profiles over the rest, but still like the classic espresso profile. Usually always keep something in both realms. To me there’s nothing like hitting it on a fruity light roast and sipping that americano as it cools. Definitely want the single dose workflow for shots.

    Is there anything flat burr I should check out now, over the Niche? (edit, skipped over one section. Seems like the Niche and then getting in on the timemore kickstarter might be the way)
     
    #3098 Drew Swinney Esq, Mar 18, 2023
    Last edited: Mar 18, 2023
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  49. Drew Swinney Esq

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    Does the Niche get coarse enough for French Press and cold brew?
     
  50. AUShyGuy

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    I’ve not made either with it but I can’t see why not. You can turn past the numbers, I often brew 4:6 pour over at 180 degrees past #40

    edit: not sure how much coffee you need for cold brew so that might be an issue, it’s a true single dose grinder, more than 30g might be a problem
     
    #3100 AUShyGuy, Mar 18, 2023
    Last edited: Mar 18, 2023
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