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New Espresso Toys
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DeathToWindows
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Feb 8, 2006, 11:50 PM
 
Ok, those of you who drink DD's coffee or who think that Folgers makes a great cup may stop reading now.

I am an espresso freak (yes, I'm on CoffeeGeek forums) and just coughed up as much money as I was willing to in order to get a Gaggia Espresso and MDF Grinder. I'm really, really happy - kicks the pants off my old Estro Profi... I'm using Intelligensia's Black Cat espresso, which I love, but I will likely go over to Terroir's (George Howell's) Daterra when I run out of Black Cat.

*does a little happy dance*

Don't try to outweird me, I get stranger things than you free with my breakfast cereal.
     
hickey
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Feb 8, 2006, 11:53 PM
 
I heard of this Senseo contest, where if you take a picture of you and your machine doing something odd (other than making coffee) and send it in to the company, then they send you a free machine. no catch.

Im not sure if Senseo is espresso though...
     
DeathToWindows  (op)
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Feb 8, 2006, 11:58 PM
 
Not even close; its a pod-based system that wants to be espresso in a few years.

In actual fact, it sucks. I've tried it and subsequently chewed their rep for it.

Don't try to outweird me, I get stranger things than you free with my breakfast cereal.
     
hickey
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Feb 9, 2006, 12:01 AM
 
ok then. im not a coffee guy either way. I stick to my 40 ouncers for a little pick me up
     
DeathToWindows  (op)
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Feb 9, 2006, 12:02 AM
 
Oy. I'll stick to my 1.5-2.5 oz shots of espresso then...

Don't try to outweird me, I get stranger things than you free with my breakfast cereal.
     
Paco500
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Feb 9, 2006, 12:54 AM
 
Espresso is way overrated. No bang for the buck. I want caffeine in my coffee dammit!
     
SpaceMonkey
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Feb 9, 2006, 12:57 AM
 
Originally Posted by Paco500
Espresso is way overrated. No bang for the buck. I want caffeine in my coffee dammit!
Huh? Espresso has a ton of caffeine in it.

"One ticket to Washington, please. I have a date with destiny."
     
Stradlater
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Feb 9, 2006, 12:58 AM
 
Originally Posted by Paco500
Espresso is way overrated. No bang for the buck. I want caffeine in my coffee dammit!
"You rise," he said, "like Aurora."
     
Paco500
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Feb 9, 2006, 01:04 AM
 
Originally Posted by Stradlater
Caffeine is leached out of grounds in the brewing process. The longer the water is in the grounds, the more caffeine in the drink. Espresso is "brewed" by forcing compressed steam through finely ground beans. It's makes for a very rich flavor with relatively little caffeine. It's closer to the caffeine content in a cup of decaf than it is to cup of regularly brewed coffee.
     
Stradlater
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Feb 9, 2006, 01:09 AM
 
Originally Posted by Paco500
Caffeine is leached out of grounds in the brewing process. The longer the water is in the grounds, the more caffeine in the drink. Espresso is "brewed" by forcing compressed steam through finely ground beans. It's makes for a very rich flavor with relatively little caffeine. It's closer to the caffeine content in a cup of decaf than it is to cup of regularly brewed coffee.
Yes, this is true. Properly-brewed espresso actually has less caffeine than black tea per serving (i.e. a single shot vs. a single cup). The typical espresso shot you get at Starbucks is more likely to be over-extracted, though, and will have quite a bit more caffeine (still not as much as a mug of drip, though).

Regardless, what most espresso nuts love is the flavor, not any associated buzz. As far as flavor is concerned, espresso is far from overrated
"You rise," he said, "like Aurora."
     
Paco500
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Feb 9, 2006, 01:12 AM
 
Originally Posted by Stradlater
Regardless, what most espresso nuts love is the flavor, not any associated buzz. As far as flavor is concerned, espresso is far from overrated
eeewwwww.

That could just be me though.
     
Stradlater
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Feb 9, 2006, 01:16 AM
 
Originally Posted by Paco500
eeewwwww.

That could just be me though.
It's an acquired taste, like beer and wine. A good shot, a day, for a week or two, could win anyone over. A good shot isn't that easy to come by in America, though, which leads people like DTW, me, and other coffee geeks to our hobbies.

I freshly roast my own blend of beans almost weekly, grind with a high-quality burr machine (consistent size of grinds = consistent extraction of coffee) within minutes of brewing with a good machine. Have only once been to a café in America that even came close to tasting as good, and I paid over 10x the money it would have cost me to make one in my kitchen.
"You rise," he said, "like Aurora."
     
Nicko
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Feb 9, 2006, 07:51 AM
 
Just give me a



some fresh roasted beans.

some filtered water.

Coffee Perfection
     
DeathToWindows  (op)
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Feb 9, 2006, 09:15 AM
 
Ok, Nicko - I'll happily grant you that french press is a wonderful object (reminds me I need to make some at some point).

In regard to caffeine content, 1 standard espresso has ~60mg while a cup of drip has between 100-120mg.

Don't try to outweird me, I get stranger things than you free with my breakfast cereal.
     
DeathToWindows  (op)
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Feb 9, 2006, 09:17 AM
 
Originally Posted by Stradlater
I freshly roast my own blend of beans almost weekly, grind with a high-quality burr machine (consistent size of grinds = consistent extraction of coffee) within minutes of brewing with a good machine. Have only once been to a café in America that even came close to tasting as good, and I paid over 10x the money it would have cost me to make one in my kitchen.
Agreed!

I'm not currently living somewhere where I can home roast, but I will this summer.

I've only found one espresso that made me happy in my area (everything else looks OK, but tastes like burnt paper) and that was over in Cambridge. $2 for a double.

Don't try to outweird me, I get stranger things than you free with my breakfast cereal.
     
IceEnclosure
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Feb 9, 2006, 01:14 PM
 
we charge $3.50 for a single espresso at my restaurant.

ice
     
wdlove
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Feb 9, 2006, 01:46 PM
 
Originally Posted by Nicko
Just give me a



some fresh roasted beans.

some filtered water.

Coffee Perfection
I really enjoy using a Hot Press to make my Starbucks coffee.

I'm not into Expresso. I do think that a person interested is very smart to purchase a good Expresso maker. Might as well enjoy the best.

"Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never - in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense." Winston Churchill
     
DeathToWindows  (op)
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Feb 9, 2006, 02:43 PM
 
yeah, but that is in a dining establishment... you expect to pay up to $4 for an espresso and I've heard of paying $8 for a capp or latte

Don't try to outweird me, I get stranger things than you free with my breakfast cereal.
     
subego
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Feb 9, 2006, 03:13 PM
 
Originally Posted by DeathToWindows
I'm using Intelligensia's Black Cat espresso
Good stuff!

Admittedly though, I'm lucky enough to have an Intelligensia a 1/2 block away, so I still shoot them the 3.50 for a large cappuccino.

Not as good as in europe, but if the right barista (you know who you are) is making it, very tasty.

All this talk has been tempting me to forego the middleman though. My GF used to work at Starbucks, so she's even said she'll do the prep.

It's the cleaning/maintenence (which would fall to me) that I'm worried about. What does it involve?
     
Angelo78
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Feb 9, 2006, 03:39 PM
 
Originally Posted by SpaceMonkey
Huh? Espresso has a ton of caffeine in it.

A cup of espresso actually has less caffine than other roasts.
     
IceEnclosure
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Feb 9, 2006, 03:55 PM
 
Originally Posted by DeathToWindows
yeah, but that is in a dining establishment... you expect to pay up to $4 for an espresso and I've heard of paying $8 for a capp or latte
true, just sayin'.

as for me, I've never drank an entire "cup of joe" in my life, but I've slurped down thousands of espressos/cappucinos.

been drinking a bit of cuban coffee lately.. cortalitos(sp?) and such as well. yum.
ice
     
Blue Flame
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Feb 9, 2006, 03:59 PM
 
1 shot of espresso generally has 100mg of caffeine

1 grande coffee from Starbucks generally has 300mg of caffeine


You can decide what bang for buck is
     
Shaddim
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Feb 9, 2006, 04:42 PM
 
Originally Posted by IceEnclosure
true, just sayin'.

as for me, I've never drank an entire "cup of joe" in my life, but I've slurped down thousands of espressos/cappucinos.

been drinking a bit of cuban coffee lately.. cortalitos(sp?) and such as well. yum.
Hell yeah. Café Cubano is where it's really at, I've been drinking that stuff since I was 5. Wonderful flavor and "kick".

My "daily drink" is Pilon Espresso made in an old-school stainless steel Bialetti (it brews on a stove eye). Pure heaven.
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Mike Pither
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Feb 9, 2006, 04:55 PM
 
I can get a good expresso for €0,80 in any bar where I live
iMac DVSE 400 640mb + AL PB 15" with 1 gig + iMac 2,8 with 4gb + MacBook Pro 2,53 with 4gb
     
subego
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Feb 9, 2006, 05:00 PM
 
Originally Posted by Mike Pither
I can get a good expresso for €0,80 in any bar where I live
Not that I'm not envious of how tasty that is, a single shot of espresso costs about $1.10 around here. Not that expensive. Things get out of control once you start getting into the massive sizes... like I do.
     
Stradlater
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Feb 9, 2006, 05:38 PM
 
Originally Posted by IceEnclosure
we charge $3.50 for a single espresso at my restaurant.

Suckers.

I've had some of the worst espresso in my life in some fantastically upscale restaurants. Espresso is almost ALWAYS an afterthought at these establishments, and most of the time no one is trained to properly use the machines they have. I've learned to save coffee for when I get home.
"You rise," he said, "like Aurora."
     
Stradlater
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Feb 9, 2006, 05:39 PM
 
Originally Posted by Angelo78
A cup of espresso actually has less caffine than other roasts.
Espresso is not a roast, it's a brew. As mentioned earlier, the extraction of espresso is so fast that most of the caffeine is left in the grinds.
"You rise," he said, "like Aurora."
     
Stradlater
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Feb 9, 2006, 05:41 PM
 
Originally Posted by Blue Flame
1 shot of espresso generally has 100mg of caffeine

1 grande coffee from Starbucks generally has 300mg of caffeine

You can decide what bang for buck is
1 shot of espresso should, if properly prepared, have less than 50mg. 1 shot at most places, however, is over-extracted and may be double that.
"You rise," he said, "like Aurora."
     
   
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