[Tiresias]

If you like coffee, that is.

After talking to a coffee guy, I bought a Briel espresso machine ("Best crema", he said) and I cannot believe how damn good the coffee I make is.

I have officially lost all respect for coffee making people, whose offerings, by comparison, are crap. Coffee guy was not kidding. I'm getting about 3 cm of crema on a small cup of espresso. Smooth, hot, rich. Seesh, making coffee's easy. So why do people who make coffee for a living and charge like 3 to 4 dollars a cup suck so bad at it.

P.S.

Buy an espresso machine. Now.

[Andrew Stephens]

oh OK. I will then.

ta

[osiris]

It's on the list.

[paul w]

I got one of them simple italian stovetop jobs. I'm all set thanks.

[voodoo]

Hm yes I've got one of them Shitalian stove-top things as well, but that isn't real expresso. It's much thinner and less foamy.

That Briel machine looks very nice. Portugese coffee is very good. I might check this out.

V

[nonhuman]

How much was it?

[Stradlater]

My baby:

[Tiresias]

Originally Posted by nonhuman 

How much was it?

A little over 300 dollars, however, it'll pay for itself. I bet you spend more than that on coffee a year.

[Tiresias]

Originally Posted by Stradlater 

My baby:

Cool machine.

[DeathToWindows]

i've got a Gaggia Espresso (too lazy to find a pic) and a Mazzer Mini

the mantra of all obsessed espresso people is: first the grinder then the machine

[Stradlater]

Originally Posted by DeathToWindows 

i've got a Gaggia Espresso (too lazy to find a pic) and a Mazzer Mini

the mantra of all obsessed espresso people is: first the grinder then the machine

Second the Mazzer Mini.

[Tiresias]

Originally Posted by DeathToWindows 

i've got a Gaggia Espresso (too lazy to find a pic) and a Mazzer Mini

the mantra of all obsessed espresso people is: first the grinder then the machine

Forgive me Father, for I have sinned.

(Note to self: Buy grinder)

[nonhuman]

Originally Posted by Tiresias 

A little over 300 dollars, however, it'll pay for itself. I bet you spend more than that on coffee a year.

I bet I don't.

I almost never drink coffee. Don't really like the taste that much. I had one a couple days ago because I was meeting a client at a Dunkin Donuts and had only gotten about 3 hours of sleep the night before, but that was the first coffee I'd had probably in months and I only got it because it was convenient and cheap. I will have the occasional iced coffee during the summer, but in general I prefer tea. I also really like Starbuck's Chai Latte (iced and hot). I doubt I've spent $300 on coffee in my life.

[Tiresias]

Originally Posted by nonhuman 

I bet I don't.

I almost never drink coffee. Don't really like the taste that much. I had one a couple days ago because I was meeting a client at a Dunkin Donuts and had only gotten about 3 hours of sleep the night before, but that was the first coffee I'd had probably in months and I only got it because it was convenient and cheap. I will have the occasional iced coffee during the summer, but in general I prefer tea. I also really like Starbuck's Chai Latte (iced and hot). I doubt I've spent $300 on coffee in my life.

It makes tea too.

[nonhuman]

Originally Posted by Tiresias 

It makes tea too.

So does my tea kettle.

[KeriVit]

I drink Folgers, I guess I'm out.

[MacosNerd]

Originally Posted by Tiresias 

A little over 300 dollars, however, it'll pay for itself. I bet you spend more than that on coffee a year.

300 bucks for a coffee maker, I don't like coffee that much wow that's a little too pricey for me

[DeathToWindows]

Snort. $300 for a machine isn't that much.

My current setup cost around $700; the machine was $200 and the grinder was $500


...admittedly, the grinder will still be going when I'm 80

[MacosNerd]

Originally Posted by DeathToWindows 

Snort. $300 for a machine isn't that much.

My current setup cost around $700; the machine was $200 and the grinder was $500


...admittedly, the grinder will still be going when I'm 80

This kind of makes my $2.00 medium Dunkin Donuts coffee all the more tastier.

[Andrew Stephens]

right -o

I've bought that. What should I buy next.

[nonhuman]

Originally Posted by MacosNerd 

This kind of makes my $2.00 medium Dunkin Donuts coffee all the more tastier.

Not if you've had 350 of them or more over the expected lifetime of his setup.

[Tiresias]

Originally Posted by Andrew Stephens 

right -o

I've bought that. What should I buy next.

Nothing wrong with the MacBook Pros.

[Tiresias]

Originally Posted by DeathToWindows 

Snort. $300 for a machine isn't that much.

My current setup cost around $700; the machine was $200 and the grinder was $500


...admittedly, the grinder will still be going when I'm 80

Wait a minute—the machine was $200 and the grinder was $500? Wft?!

[DeathToWindows]

Yep. The advise that anyone who is serious about coffee will give you is to spend most of your money on the grinder - if you buy a $100 grinder and a $600 machine, you're crippling your coffee potential.

try coffeegeek.com or home-barista.com if you want to read stuff from people who are much harder core than me

[::maroma::]

Starbucks Barista brand. Yeah, I know its Starbucks, but I know someone who works there and they got a smokin deal. The whole unit, plus extras for $170. And I get free espresso. Gotta love friends.

My only complaint is how loud the damn thing is when steaming milk. I wake the neighborhood.

[Andrew Stephens]

good idea. I'm off to get one now.

gee this sure beats watching all those stupid adverts. All I bought after watching THEM was furniture polish, headache tablets and some cheese.

oh and I managed to consolidate all my repayments into one easy monthly fee.

[MacosNerd]

Originally Posted by nonhuman 

Not if you've had 350 of them or more over the expected lifetime of his setup.

Except that I don't know anyone who has a coffee maker and only makes coffee. Everyone I know especially when they go to work in the AM hits their favorite place to buy a cup of Joe. So while your logic is correct provided that you never buy any more coffee from dunkin donuts or anywhere else.

Heck I have a coffee maker, nothing so grandiose, I use it all of the time, but that doesn't stop me from hitting DD in the morning.

[nonhuman]

Originally Posted by MacosNerd 

Except that I don't know anyone who has a coffee maker and only makes coffee. Everyone I know especially when they go to work in the AM hits their favorite place to buy a cup of Joe. So while your logic is correct provided that you never buy any more coffee from dunkin donuts or anywhere else.

Heck I have a coffee maker, nothing so grandiose, I use it all of the time, but that doesn't stop me from hitting DD in the morning.

Sure, but you make one a day at home and it's paid for itself. [Edit: In a year...]

[peeb]

Originally Posted by Tiresias 

Nothing wrong with the MacBook Pros.

I have to disagree. My MacBook Pro has never made a decent cup of coffee.

[MacosNerd]

Originally Posted by nonhuman 

Sure, but you make one a day at home and it's paid for itself. [Edit: In a year...]

I make my own coffee several times a week and I still didn't pay 300 for a coffee maker

[Cold Warrior]

Maybe this thread needs to become a 'show your coffee setup' thread [picture orgy].
Here's my setup:

[euchomai]

I use an Aeropress for my coffee fix. It is a giant syringe of grounds that you pour hot water through. You press down on the plunger and it presses the espresso out of the filter. Look it up on Coffee Geek forums, pretty good reviews and hundreds of pages on the crazy thing.

By the way, it is under $30!

[JMan09]

I like to buy some dark roast coffee and use it in my French Press, and it tastes better than buying the same coffee at Starbucks or Joe Muggs.

[greene_hornette]

I will stick with my french coffee press as well (using starbucks french roast)


(it only cost $14.99 )

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by euchomai 

I use an Aeropress for my coffee fix. It is a giant syringe of grounds that you pour hot water through. You press down on the plunger and it presses the espresso out of the filter. Look it up on Coffee Geek forums, pretty good reviews and hundreds of pages on the crazy thing.

By the way, it is under $30!

I bought an Aero Press, and have to say, I'm utterly underwhelmed with the espresso it makes. It's just weak. My $ 30 el-cheopo espresso machine makes better espresso, and that says a lot.

The only use I have for the Aero is making regular coffee, so it's basically a glorified french press.

-t

[amazing]

French press is not a good way to make coffee: the hot water sits in contact with the grounds, thereby leaching the oils out. The oils are not good for you. Health studies were puzzled that Scandinavians had high cholesterol, because their normal diet would point towards low cholesterol. Turns out it was the percolated coffee that was responsible for the high cholesterol: The hot water constantly leaching the oils out of the coffee.

Now I'm sure someone will say that they drink their French press coffee too quickly for anything to happen, but that just isn't true: it doesn't sit there as long as percolated coffee, true, but it does sit there.

Espresso, or drip filter = better.

[JMan09]

Thanks for that info. I never knew that, but I only use my french press a few time a week at most. If I had the money I would buy an espresso machine.

[Tiresias]

Originally Posted by JMan09 

Thanks for that info. I never knew that, but I only use my french press a few time a week at most. If I had the money I would buy an espresso machine.

"French Press" sounds like some kinky European sex position.

[Tiresias]

Originally Posted by MacosNerd 

Except that I don't know anyone who has a coffee maker and only makes coffee. Everyone I know especially when they go to work in the AM hits their favorite place to buy a cup of Joe. So while your logic is correct provided that you never buy any more coffee from dunkin donuts or anywhere else.

Heck I have a coffee maker, nothing so grandiose, I use it all of the time, but that doesn't stop me from hitting DD in the morning.

If you drink three espressos for breakfast (and you will if you buy a machine, it's that good) you won't need to hit DD in the morning. You'll be bouncing off the walls.

[Kevin]

Druggies....

[tmpilling]

They suck so bad at it cause they don't truly love it. Really good baristas are completely addicted to caffiene as an occupational hazard.

It is all in the grind.

[wallinbl]

I have to go along with all the grinder comments - you really need to start with the grinder. What's the point of a decent espresso machine if you're using last week's grounds? The flavor goes downhill fast after you grind the beans.

[Cold Warrior]

Originally Posted by wallinbl 

I have to go along with all the grinder comments - you really need to start with the grinder. What's the point of a decent espresso machine if you're using last week's grounds? The flavor goes downhill fast after you grind the beans.

I worked with a guy once who told me a story about his father. His father, who liked coffee, would save the used grounds all week, and then on the 7th day, he'd put them into a filter for that morning's coffee, thus squeezing another pot from the week's budget. This guy was an immigrant, and his family had come to the US with nothing.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by Cold Warrior 

I worked with a guy once who told me a story about his father. His father, who liked coffee, would save the used grounds all week, and then on the 7th day, he'd put them into a filter for that morning's coffee, thus squeezing another pot from the week's budget. This guy was an immigrant, and his family had come to the US with nothing.

Maybe regrinding the grounds would have helped with the flavor

-t

[Tiresias]

Originally Posted by tmpilling 

They suck so bad at it cause they don't truly love it. Really good baristas are completely addicted to caffiene as an occupational hazard.

It is all in the grind.

True.

[scaught]

Originally Posted by ::maroma:: 

Starbucks Barista brand. Yeah, I know its Starbucks, but I know someone who works there and they got a smokin deal. The whole unit, plus extras for $170. And I get free espresso. Gotta love friends.

My only complaint is how loud the damn thing is when steaming milk. I wake the neighborhood.

I got one, too. The milk steamer is pretty F-ing loud. A friend of mine also works at starbucks, so I get a hookup occasionally Employees get a pound a week, that's a lot of fscking coffee!

The portafilter that comes with it is pressurized, but I hear a non-pressurized one can be found which supposedly increases the quality ( with a good grind and tamp obviously). Anyone have info? I read about it on coffeegeek.

I've been looking into grinders lately, and think I want a baratza virtuoso:


I can find them for $150 refurbished from the manufacturer. The mazzers are really attractive to me, but that's a lot of coin to drop. The virtuoso got pretty good reviews on coffeegeek.

[Jumbonium2007]

All this talk of espresso made me go out and buy one

Its a small one that I found at goodwill for 3.99 works great.. been steaming milk in it all day

[wallinbl]

Originally Posted by Jumbonium2007 

been steaming milk in it all day

It's that slow? No wonder someone gave it to Goodwill.

[Jumbonium2007]

No its not slow ive been playing with it it works quite well

[dlefebvre]

I got this one 3 years ago and I never regretted it.