Coffee machines - whaddaya know?

[EskimoArapaho]

We have a DeLonghi Magnifica. It makes great coffee, and there's no sign of problems with the grinder. But the machine has started to mess itself internally.

Instead of the little curved arm sweeping the compressed 'cake' of grounds off the top of the infuser and into the little internal waste bin, it now breaks the cake up and spreads the grounds in the other direction and all over the inside of the machine. Takes ages to brush all of the crud out of every corner.

(This must be after about 2-3000 cups.)

[S6PNJ]

Mines started doing that as well - any ideas as to what is causing it?

[Chicken Chaser]

Need some advice on what to purchase. I'd like to think that I have a taste for coffee, and can tell the difference between good and bad however, I usually like mine as a Flat white or if unavailable, a latte. I generally dont drink it black.

Now, rather than start a new thread amongst the many for coffee machines, I'm looking for something to get consistent decent results. I'm not looking for perfection but good coffee all the same.

I've used cafetieres and have a Bialetti Stove top which i've used for the last couple of years. Coffee quality generally varies. I'm no Barista, and appreciate that there are many variables to creating a good brew.

I was tempted by a Gaggia Classic, but after reading elsewhere about consistency, and ease of use i'm tempted with a Nespresso machine. Is there any machine which can produce a decent flat white? I've had beans and tried grinding but its too much hassle when I want a coffee before work on a morning. I've gone back to grounds so you can see what kind of effort i'm prepared to use to get a certain result. The stove top is ok, but not quite the taste i'm looking for.

[crossy67]

I love my coffee machine but just for white coffee I'd stick with the cafetiere and good coffee. The most important key to making consistently good coffee is to carefully measure out your quantities of coffee and water. I use a table spoon scoop flat per 1225ml of water, good coffee every time. I particularly like Molongo's fare trade ground mixed with Lavazza Matino 50/50

[Bluequay]

Chicken Chaser said:

I've had beans and tried grinding but its too much hassle when I want a coffee before work on a morning. I've gone back to grounds so you can see what kind of effort i'm prepared to use to get a certain result.

Grinding and tamping takes about 30 seconds max with a proper grinder which gets you nice fresh coffee, as opposed to 15 seconds to spoon your stale already gone off pre-ground st, those extra 15 seconds will transform the quality of your coffee.

[giblet]

crossy67 said:

I love my coffee machine but just for white coffee I'd stick with the cafetiere and good coffee. The most important key to making consistently good coffee is to carefully measure out your quantities of coffee and water. I use a table spoon scoop flat per 1225ml of water, good coffee every time. I particularly like Molongo's fare trade ground mixed with Lavazza Matino 50/50

I thought the advised ratio was 60-70g of coffee per litre of water with a cafetiere?

[crossy67]

I will have to weigh it to see if that equates to 8 scoops

I have had reviews on our Trip adviser page saying how good our coffee was so I'm happy with the result

Ta for the advice/input

[giblet]

I must admit I was a long term instant coffee drinker until I was bought a cafetiere. I have seen the light, even with supermarket bought pre ground coffee. Not sure I want to get into roasting my own beans and grinding them though but a porlex hand grinder seems tempting. How long do roasted beans last before going stale?

I've been using the scoop that came with my "3 cup" cafetiere. Two scoops of coffee with 200ml of water, makes enough for a mug and enough space for a splash of milk.

Open to some suggestions for what coffee to try next. So far I've tried the following -

Illy - not a fan at all. Granted it was the espresso ground stuff but don't like the taste whatsoever.
Taylors Lava Java - quite like the taste and it has a hell of a kick, used on days when I need a proper jolt
Taylors Rich Italian - not bad, nice taste
Taylors Lazy Sunday - Go to choice for a few mugs in a day, really like this stuff
Devilish Hazelnut - fairly meh, using it up just so I don't waste the stuff

[crossy67]

I used Illy beans in my Bean to cup and to be honest, they weren't all that. I used Happy donkey that I liked but they were 30€'kg, I can buy beans from Auchan for 5€/kg and whilst I can taste the difference I can't taste 25€ worth. The other thing I found was the Happy donkey seemed really high in caffeine, I was buzzing round the ceiling like a fly after a cup, not good if you want to sleep that night but it did taste nice. Now I'm using 50/50 and happy with the compromise.

The Molongo fair trade is really nice at 5€ a tin (20€/kg), I'd definitely give it a go.

[Flibble]

giblet said:

I must admit I was a long term instant coffee drinker until I was bought a cafetiere. I have seen the light, even with supermarket bought pre ground coffee. Not sure I want to get into roasting my own beans and grinding them though but a porlex hand grinder seems tempting. How long do roasted beans last before going stale?

Roughly, 15-30 minutes for ground (from time of grinding), a month maybe two for whole beans (from time of roasting).

Stuff on supermarket shelves may be anything up to a year old before you even buy it, you have no way of knowing.

[Blown2CV]

hand grinders are immensely satisfying, something very tactile about it. Also it takes sufficiently long to prepare enough for a cup that it regulates the amount of coffee you drink.

[giblet]

Dropped my cafetiere and broke it

I can either spend £4 on another or buy this for £248 more. Hmmmm

[Dr G]

Flibble said:

giblet said:

I must admit I was a long term instant coffee drinker until I was bought a cafetiere. I have seen the light, even with supermarket bought pre ground coffee. Not sure I want to get into roasting my own beans and grinding them though but a porlex hand grinder seems tempting. How long do roasted beans last before going stale?

Roughly, 15-30 minutes for ground (from time of grinding), a month maybe two for whole beans (from time of roasting).

Stuff on supermarket shelves may be anything up to a year old before you even buy it, you have no way of knowing.

cqueen of smokey barn recommends using roasted beans within a month, ideally.

[IanA2]

Dr G said:

cqueen of smokey barn recommends using roasted beans within a month, ideally.

I think they freeze quite well.

[Blown2CV]

giblet said:

Dropped my cafetiere and broke it

I can either spend £4 on another or buy this for £248 more. Hmmmm

Hand grinder + eropress = £50. It definitely is not essential to spend £hundreds.

[IanA2]

Blown2CV said:

Hand grinder + eropress = £50. It definitely is not essential to spend £hundreds.

I'd spend a bit more on a burr grinder, hand grinding's a PITA. Kitchen Aid do a good one for around £120 and they're pretty robust.

But yes, I agree, a press or a Bialetti/Moka makes perfectly a perfectly good drink.

[itannum990]

Another aeropress user here. I have a spinner type grinder though, so never get good consistent grinds, that's my first step to improvement, a burr grinder.
However for americano coffees, is a machine a large Inprovement over aeropress? I can't seem to make consistently nice espresso, always a bit unpleasantly bitter, but by the time it's diluted with hot water it is quite nice. Not as nice as coffees (espresso and americano that I've drunk in italy, but way nicer than high street 'coffee' shops.

[Blown2CV]

my hand grinder is a burr grinder, well at least that's what it was sold as

[IanA2]

Blown2CV said:

my hand grinder is a burr grinder, well at least that's what it was sold as

If your response was directed at my comment, to be clear, I wasn't saying that hand grinders cannot be burr grinders, I was saying that hand grinders are a PITA. I know, I had one, which is why I now have an electric one

[Blown2CV]

IanA2 said:

Blown2CV said:

my hand grinder is a burr grinder, well at least that's what it was sold as

If your response was directed at my comment, to be clear, I wasn't saying that hand grinders cannot be burr grinders, I was saying that hand grinders are a PITA. I know, I had one, which is why I now have an electric one

quite like the time it takes myself, depends how quickly you want a cup of coffee!