New coffee

[taughtmepatience]

Originally Posted by shnxx

i'm sorry guys.

i'm a huge fan of coffee and all this discussion about pre-ground coffee is making me hazy.
freshly ground coffee is essential to any serious attempt at good coffee.

it is akin to enjoying cut up fruits weeks or months after they were cut (which people do by drying them but while enjoyable, these are not as good as fresh fruits).

a good conical burr grinder for drip coffee can be purchased for not too much more than 200.

Flat burr grinders are better for drip than conical. The best drip grinders (Mahlkoenig EK43, Guatemala, Ditting kr 1203, Baratza... etc) are all flat burr. But you are correct about pre-grinding... it destroys flavor real quick. At my shop, we always grind within minutes of brewing.

[shnxx]

Originally Posted by taughtmepatience

Flat burr grinders are better for drip than conical. The best drip grinders (Mahlkoenig EK43, Guatemala, Ditting kr 1203, Baratza... etc) are all flat burr. But you are correct about pre-grinding... it destroys flavor real quick. At my shop, we always grind within minutes of brewing.

Ooh I did not know that about flat.
Which baratza would you recommend for home use drip grinder?
I'm trying to get rid of my bezzera bb003 because I just got a compak k10 and now get a nice drip grinder

[taughtmepatience]

Originally Posted by shnxx

Ooh I did not know that about flat.
Which baratza would you recommend for home use drip grinder?
I'm trying to get rid of my bezzera bb003 because I just got a compak k10 and now get a nice drip grinder

A compak k10 for home?!?! wowzers... you must seriously LOVE coffee!. If price is no object, than the Baratza Forte is pretty awesome. It is very precise on weighing of the grounds and has very little fines, which are evil on pour-overs. We sometimes use a Baratza vario for cupping in the shop. It also works real well and is cheaper than the Forte.

[Wesley Crusher]

Originally Posted by Demosthene

It’s actually completely different!
You’re using a much finer grind, shorter brew time (60 seconds) and a paper filter which eliminates oils and fines.

Interesting. I knew the general idea of how an aeropress works, but I never looked into it in detail. I can definitely see how there would be differences. I should buy one. I don't need another way of making coffee, but as a coffee lover, I cannot refuse.

Originally Posted by taughtmepatience

Baratza Virtuoso will be better for drip coffee than the Mazzer Mini, which is more of an espresso grinder.

Originally Posted by taughtmepatience

Flat burr grinders are better for drip than conical. The best drip grinders (Mahlkoenig EK43, Guatemala, Ditting kr 1203, Baratza... etc) are all flat burr. But you are correct about pre-grinding... it destroys flavor real quick. At my shop, we always grind within minutes of brewing.

At the time, I was still making my own espresso. I thought the Virtuoso was fine. Maybe some other grinders could have produced a more consistent grind, but for the price, I wasn't complaining.

I believe the Virtuoso is a conical burr grinder, not a flat burr (?). I didn't think there was a significant difference between the two.

[GB-man]

Funny how coffee is a lot like watches. You get a taste for the good stuff and then your wallet is open wide! Good news is you can always justify purchases of beans, espresso, machines and grinders against paying 3 dollars a day for x years blah blah blah Hahahaha

Funny thing is my favorite cups of coffee come from simple brewing methods and High quality freshly ground beans. Espresso sure is fun though.

[shnxx]

Originally Posted by taughtmepatience

A compak k10 for home?!?! wowzers... you must seriously LOVE coffee!. If price is no object, than the Baratza Forte is pretty awesome. It is very precise on weighing of the grounds and has very little fines, which are evil on pour-overs. We sometimes use a Baratza vario for cupping in the shop. It also works real well and is cheaper than the Forte.

Oh no. I rarely drink drip so I would like to keep the cost to around 200-300.
I will probably have to look for used.

[taughtmepatience]

I believe the Virtuoso is a conical burr grinder, not a flat burr (?). I didn't think there was a significant difference between the two.

It is. I'd get the Vario if you're looking for a good drip grinder.

[shnxx]

Wow those malkohnigs are expensive (1500 or more).
But they look so nice.

I think I've decided to look for either one of bunn, grindmaster, ditting or baratza vario with steel blades depending on how good the deal is.

[taughtmepatience]

A couple of my baristas use Capresso Infinity grinders at home. $80 and does a decent job.

[shnxx]

Originally Posted by taughtmepatience

A couple of my baristas use Capresso Infinity grinders at home. $80 and does a decent job.

Do you think there will be noticeable difference in taste between that and a bunn grinder on French press/technivorm/chemex?

[cd1485]

Archer brand whole bean from Target is excellent. I use to drink one cup a day until I tried this. I think the Columbians add another one of their exports to the coffee that makes it addicting. :)

[powerfunk]

There are a lot of good independent roasters in the US now. I'm pretty loyal to uniquecoffee.com . Or bitbrew.net if I want to pay with bitcoins.

Sent from my SPH-D710VMUB using Tapatalk 2

[SUBversive]

I don't want to change the topic too much but we are spending tons of money at the office going out for coffee especially ordering higher end coffee drinks. So I've been thinking about the Keurig just for the office coffee fix. I would appreciate any feedback on the Keurig. Thanks.

[Demosthene]

Originally Posted by powerfunk

Or bitbrew.net if I want to pay with bitcoins.

Haha love that this exists!

[GB-man]

Originally Posted by SUBversive

I don't want to change the topic too much but we are spending tons of money at the office going out for coffee especially ordering higher end coffee drinks. So I've been thinking about the Keurig just for the office coffee fix. I would appreciate any feedback on the Keurig. Thanks.

My mom loves it, I despise it. Tastes like watery crap to me. I'm told there are better pod capable machines though. Why not just order some good coffee delivered weekly and brew it with a decent drip? If convenience is key and you just want Starbucks quality stuff ( read garbage) a k cup machine will probably solve your problem though.

[GB-man]

Originally Posted by shnxx

Do you think there will be noticeable difference in taste between that and a bunn grinder on French press/technivorm/chemex?

I have a capresso infinity that I use for French press only. Serves that purpose well for me but cannot comment on it v other grinders. I did however do a fair amount if research and the consensus was that it was more than suitable for French press. The expensive grinders really come into play for finer grinds, particularly espresso.

[mailman]

Maxwell House Dark Roast for me I don't have time to grind it up. I wish I did, but it ain't happening

[taughtmepatience]

Originally Posted by SUBversive

I don't want to change the topic too much but we are spending tons of money at the office going out for coffee especially ordering higher end coffee drinks. So I've been thinking about the Keurig just for the office coffee fix. I would appreciate any feedback on the Keurig. Thanks.

Decent but horrible value. The machine is cheap, but the pods are super expensive. I'd get a brewer like a Bonavita 8 cup brewer ($150), which makes great coffee and ground coffee from a local indie/roaster. The coffee will taste much better.

[taughtmepatience]

Originally Posted by shnxx

Do you think there will be noticeable difference in taste between that and a bunn grinder on French press/technivorm/chemex?

Which Bunn grinder are you looking at? Most are bulk grinders, which make a good (not great) grind, but are overkill for home use.

[T. Ferguson]

Wow, a lot of very knowledgeable coffee aficionados here. I'm not surprised.

I have a question that's been on my mind that perhaps you guys can help me with. I've always used the typical drip maker i.e. Mr. Coffee, Braun, etc. But even when I use good coffee house or "gourmet" coffee it doesn't come out as good at home. Maybe these mass produced home machines don't get the water hot enough or something?

Anyway, what coffee makers do you guys recommend to get the most out of quality coffee? What about the ones that get the water real hot and use a thermos type carafe and don't use a heating element? Are those the way to go?

I know about french press etc., but I'm talking about an automatic maker or similar that conveniently makes a pot at a time.

Appreciate any insight.

[Chiclet]

@T. Ferguson: Check out the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) page here: . They have set forth their criteria for acceptable coffeemakers and they recommend these:

Technivorm Moccamaster
Lance Larkin BE 112 Brew Express
Bunn HG Home Brewer
Bonavita 8 Cup Exceptional Brew Coffee Maker with glass or thermal carafe

I use a Technivorm with insulated carafe for drip and think it's great. However, I also think that a great coffeemaker can never compensate for stale beans or a grinder that can't deliver a uniform grind.

[Wesley Crusher]

Originally Posted by T. Ferguson

Wow, a lot of very knowledgeable coffee aficionados here. I'm not surprised.

I have a question that's been on my mind that perhaps you guys can help me with. I've always used the typical drip maker i.e. Mr. Coffee, Braun, etc. But even when I use good coffee house or "gourmet" coffee it doesn't come out as good at home. Maybe these mass produced home machines don't get the water hot enough or something?

Anyway, what coffee makers do you guys recommend to get the most out of quality coffee? What about the ones that get the water real hot and use a thermos type carafe and don't use a heating element? Are those the way to go?

I know about french press etc., but I'm talking about an automatic maker or similar that conveniently makes a pot at a time.

Appreciate any insight.

I'm willing to bet your beans are playing a big role in why your coffee is not coming out too good. Keep in mind, your beans should always be freshly roasted. I wouldn't keep beans that are over 2 weeks old from when they were roasted. Ideally, under 1 week is best. Also, you need to grind the beans right before you make your coffee.

[T. Ferguson]

Originally Posted by Wesley Crusher

I'm willing to bet your beans are playing a big role in why your coffee is not coming out too good. Keep in mind, your beans should always be freshly roasted. I wouldn't keep beans that are over 2 weeks old from when they were roasted. Ideally, under 1 week is best. Also, you need to grind the beans right before you make your coffee.

Well, maybe that's part of it but even when do have have fresh roasted beans and grind them myself just before brewing it just doesn't seem as good. I just thought I might need to upgrade my machine. But maybe not.

Just that I notice when I get coffee at Starbucks for instance (not saying it's the best coffee) it is always a lot hotter than my typical home machine makes, and it does taste better than when I make that same coffee fresh ground at home.

[Wesley Crusher]

Originally Posted by T. Ferguson

Well, maybe that's part of it but even when do have have fresh roasted beans and grind them myself just before brewing it just doesn't seem as good. I just thought I might need to upgrade my machine. But maybe not.

Just that I notice when I get coffee at Starbucks for instance (not saying it's the best coffee) it is always a lot hotter than my home coffee machine makes.

It's entirely possible that your machine just isn't heating up to the ideal temperature. If that's happening, your coffee won't come out as good (same goes for if the coffee is too hot). I've never used this machine, but I've heard many good things about it:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005YQZT92

[taughtmepatience]

Originally Posted by Wesley Crusher

It's entirely possible that your machine just isn't heating up to the ideal temperature. If that's happening, your coffee won't come out as good (same goes for if the coffee is too hot). I've never used this machine, but I've heard many good things about it:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005YQZT92

I second this machine! Make sure you get the one with the glass carafe. The coffee will not stay hot nearly as long, but we've been hearing of durability problems with the thermal carafe.

Wesley:
Where in LA are you located? You should stop by my shop sometime (Long Beach).

[shnxx]

Originally Posted by taughtmepatience

Which Bunn grinder are you looking at? Most are bulk grinders, which make a good (not great) grind, but are overkill for home use.

Hi I'm looking at bunn lge and the g series like g3.
Comparing them to baratza flat steel burrs.

It's not clear to me that there will be major difference though and none of these are top notch like the mahlkonig Guatemala for instance so I may just go with a baratza vario type which looks better and smaller.

[shnxx]

Originally Posted by T. Ferguson

Well, maybe that's part of it but even when do have have fresh roasted beans and grind them myself just before brewing it just doesn't seem as good. I just thought I might need to upgrade my machine. But maybe not.

Just that I notice when I get coffee at Starbucks for instance (not saying it's the best coffee) it is always a lot hotter than my typical home machine makes, and it does taste better than when I make that same coffee fresh ground at home.

First u should buy a grinder that has burrs and not blade (for instance baratza)
Next you should control temperature settings which you can do manually or by buying a better coffee machine such as the ones mentioned above.

I have a behmor brazen which is less beautiful but allows for slightly more tuning than say a technivorm.

[shnxx]

Originally Posted by taughtmepatience

I second this machine! Make sure you get the one with the glass carafe. The coffee will not stay hot nearly as long, but we've been hearing of durability problems with the thermal carafe.

Wesley:
Where in LA are you located? You should stop by my shop sometime (Long Beach).

Which is your shop?
We should have a TRF meet there for la :)

[taughtmepatience]

Originally Posted by shnxx

Hi I'm looking at bunn lge and the g series like g3.
Comparing them to baratza flat steel burrs.

It's not clear to me that there will be major difference though and none of these are top notch like the mahlkonig Guatemala for instance so I may just go with a baratza vario type which looks better and smaller.

Baratza vario will be your best bet. The Bunn G3 is huge, more expensive, overkill for a home, and the grind is not as good as the vario.

[Wesley Crusher]

Originally Posted by taughtmepatience

Wesley:
Where in LA are you located? You should stop by my shop sometime (Long Beach).

I live in Ventura County. I'm originally from the SGV and I'm there all the time, though I don't make my way to Long Beach too often. Next time I go, I will stop by. What's the name of your shop?

Originally Posted by shnxx

Which is your shop?
We should have a TRF meet there for la :)

Great idea!