Coffee. Grinder and Cafetiere or Pods in a machine
Discussion
I've had espresso machines since the 90's, initially the sort which used a boiling pressure vessel to force water through (burning the coffee in the process) and then later a couple of pumped Gaggia machines. My last Gaggia Classic recently started tripping the circuit breaker and I was a bit sick of the mess from the external grinder, so I've bought a new machine;
https://www.johnlewis.com/sage-barista-express-bea...
I like it. It's not fully automatic, you have to put the basket under the grinder while it dispenses a dose of coffee and then move it into position, but it's good. I've found that I can easily adjust the grind to different beans and get very consistent results.
https://www.johnlewis.com/sage-barista-express-bea...
I like it. It's not fully automatic, you have to put the basket under the grinder while it dispenses a dose of coffee and then move it into position, but it's good. I've found that I can easily adjust the grind to different beans and get very consistent results.
Part of the 'problem' for most, is the compromise of space on the counter too for the "set up".
Look at NormalBloke and Paralla's set ups..... I accept my B2C is not caffeine nirvana, nor excels in the theatre - but does the job on a kitchen counter taking a foot print of circa 40cm x 40cm.
We are to reach a new level for PH - the 'Coffee room' annex to the kitchen
Look at NormalBloke and Paralla's set ups..... I accept my B2C is not caffeine nirvana, nor excels in the theatre - but does the job on a kitchen counter taking a foot print of circa 40cm x 40cm.
We are to reach a new level for PH - the 'Coffee room' annex to the kitchen
PushedDover said:
Part of the 'problem' for most, is the compromise of space on the counter too for the "set up".
Look at NormalBloke and Paralla's set ups..... I accept my B2C is not caffeine nirvana, nor excels in the theatre - but does the job on a kitchen counter taking a foot print of circa 40cm x 40cm.
We are to reach a new level for PH - the 'Coffee room' annex to the kitchen
You’re absolutely right, there is no way we could have had something like this in our last property,due to space but it works here. It also doesn’t get used all the time, for obvious reasons.Add in the fact it weighs almost 70kg, has to have a filtered mains water supply,a water drain and a 16A supply. I do like seeing everyone’s different solutions, and appreciate, they are ALL the right answer. Now, about the new San Remo Cafe Racer Machine....Look at NormalBloke and Paralla's set ups..... I accept my B2C is not caffeine nirvana, nor excels in the theatre - but does the job on a kitchen counter taking a foot print of circa 40cm x 40cm.
We are to reach a new level for PH - the 'Coffee room' annex to the kitchen
PushedDover said:
Part of the 'problem' for most, is the compromise of space on the counter too for the "set up".
Look at NormalBloke and Paralla's set ups..... I accept my B2C is not caffeine nirvana, nor excels in the theatre - but does the job on a kitchen counter taking a foot print of circa 40cm x 40cm.
We are to reach a new level for PH - the 'Coffee room' annex to the kitchen
We are "put things away" kind of people rather than leaving things out. It's all Scandi clean lines here. The coffee machine, grinder chopping board and knife block are all that live on our kitchen workbench, still lots of room to do what needs to be done to cater for two people.Look at NormalBloke and Paralla's set ups..... I accept my B2C is not caffeine nirvana, nor excels in the theatre - but does the job on a kitchen counter taking a foot print of circa 40cm x 40cm.
We are to reach a new level for PH - the 'Coffee room' annex to the kitchen
normalbloke said:
We bought our dream house last year. I’d always wanted a lovely feature machine, but fell over at the prices. I found a second hand SAN Remo Verona, and took it to my workshop as a project. It’s mostly old school inside, copper pipes,olives,mechanical blow off valves etc. So I did most of the legwork, repolishing,replaced a few parts and had the local specialist give it a final once over for safety. We love it, I’m not a coffee snob, but I do like a nice coffee now and again. If nothing else, it’s somewhere to keep the cups.... 
That's superb, you'll get great espresso from that!! It's a bit overkill for home, and it will take some time to get it to a stable temperature, but your shots will be world class if paired with an appropriate grinder!Edited by RobbieTheTruth on Monday 2nd November 14:53
otolith said:
I've had espresso machines since the 90's, initially the sort which used a boiling pressure vessel to force water through (burning the coffee in the process) and then later a couple of pumped Gaggia machines. My last Gaggia Classic recently started tripping the circuit breaker and I was a bit sick of the mess from the external grinder, so I've bought a new machine;
https://www.johnlewis.com/sage-barista-express-bea...
I like it. It's not fully automatic, you have to put the basket under the grinder while it dispenses a dose of coffee and then move it into position, but it's good. I've found that I can easily adjust the grind to different beans and get very consistent results.
You'll get good coffee out of this.https://www.johnlewis.com/sage-barista-express-bea...
I like it. It's not fully automatic, you have to put the basket under the grinder while it dispenses a dose of coffee and then move it into position, but it's good. I've found that I can easily adjust the grind to different beans and get very consistent results.
As you've pointed out, although marketed as 'Bean to Cup' it's actually a more traditional espresso machine.
The Grinder is weaker than the machine, so if you ever wanted to upgrade, you can get a standalone grinder and still use the coffee machine.
PushedDover said:
Part of the 'problem' for most, is the compromise of space on the counter too for the "set up".
Look at NormalBloke and Paralla's set ups..... I accept my B2C is not caffeine nirvana, nor excels in the theatre - but does the job on a kitchen counter taking a foot print of circa 40cm x 40cm.
We are to reach a new level for PH - the 'Coffee room' annex to the kitchen
Agree - and if it's a choice between Nespresso and B2C for space and convenience, I'd go with B2C.Look at NormalBloke and Paralla's set ups..... I accept my B2C is not caffeine nirvana, nor excels in the theatre - but does the job on a kitchen counter taking a foot print of circa 40cm x 40cm.
We are to reach a new level for PH - the 'Coffee room' annex to the kitchen
RobbieTheTruth said:
normalbloke said:
We bought our dream house last year. I’d always wanted a lovely feature machine, but fell over at the prices. I found a second hand SAN Remo Verona, and took it to my workshop as a project. It’s mostly old school inside, copper pipes,olives,mechanical blow off valves etc. So I did most of the legwork, repolishing,replaced a few parts and had the local specialist give it a final once over for safety. We love it, I’m not a coffee snob, but I do like a nice coffee now and again. If nothing else, it’s somewhere to keep the cups....
That's superb, you'll get great espresso from that!! It's a bit overkill for home, and it will take some time to get it to a stable temperature, but your shots will be world class is paired with an appropriate grinder!Riley Blue said:
It seems there are as many ways to make the perfect cup of coffee as there are contributors to this thread 
For the perfect mug of black mid-morning coffee, what are the essentials?
It depends if you like filter or espresso based really.For the perfect mug of black mid-morning coffee, what are the essentials?
I lean toward espresso based, so when I want a mug of coffee, I'll use espresso.
Think of the espresso as like a 'cordial' for a mug of coffee - a thick syrupy shot that you add hot water to.
Raymond Reddington said:
Starbucks is terrible. I'm sure it was someone on here that told me that they intentionally burn their beans to get a consistent flavour all year round. It's always very bitter for me, prefer a cup from McDonald's/greggs than Starbucks. Not that anyone on this thread will ever set foot in such a place 
I'm very pushed for time and the Delonghi B2C I have is more than adequate. I love coffee and if I had more time to fanny around I'd probably end up spending tons of money on a grinder etc after reading this thread... But for now, B2C is fine for home and travelling to work, and my favourite coffee shop for something better at the weekend.
That's correct. Not just Starbucks - Costa, Illy, Nero, Lavazza etc all roast dark.I'm very pushed for time and the Delonghi B2C I have is more than adequate. I love coffee and if I had more time to fanny around I'd probably end up spending tons of money on a grinder etc after reading this thread... But for now, B2C is fine for home and travelling to work, and my favourite coffee shop for something better at the weekend.
It's not incorrect as such. Dark roast is the standard and what people are used to. If you've never been to a 'third wave' coffee shop, you might be surprised at how a light roast can taste, and it might take some getting used to at first.
It's catching on though, and I was pleased to see Starbucks offering up a 'Blonde' roast. I was devastated when I tasted it though! It's a lighter roast than their house blend but it's still very dark.
All depends on what taste you're after...
Closest to nero is for me stove top, topped up with water.
Easiest is cafetiere
Simplest pods
Quickest instant
I don't like the taste from pods very much.
Niecest coffee for me, Lidl french ground, chuck in cafetiere
Cheap, quick, when I break it, buy another!
Closest to nero is for me stove top, topped up with water.
Easiest is cafetiere
Simplest pods
Quickest instant
I don't like the taste from pods very much.
Niecest coffee for me, Lidl french ground, chuck in cafetiere
Cheap, quick, when I break it, buy another!
paralla said:
I have a HG one hand grinder and a Londinium lever spring machine. I consider the coffee made by myself while working at home one of the perks of WFH.
I much prefer it to the B2C stuff at the office. No snobbery, do what works for you. I enjoy the process and WFH allows me the time to do it more often.
https://weberworkshops.com/products/hg-1
https://londiniumespresso.com/
That's a magnificent set up. I'd love a go on a Londinium.I much prefer it to the B2C stuff at the office. No snobbery, do what works for you. I enjoy the process and WFH allows me the time to do it more often.
https://weberworkshops.com/products/hg-1
https://londiniumespresso.com/
That grinder is very good! The hand grinding is one step too far for me, which is why I went for the Niche but I bet you get fantastic results from that set up.
It's an end game set up almost, any improvements on that would be very marginal at a huge expense!
I drink milk coffee, only one cup a day so Aeropress works for me.
With the Aeropress from fresh ground beans, you can get that blend of flavours from the beans.
I also have a Moka if I feel like an espresso. This gives a sharper more bitter taste than the Aeropress.
I had a friend who started up a cafe and got carried away with the bee knees connoisieur machine and matching grinder.
The difference is that with the latter, you get the full cream of the beans forming a top layer to your coffee. The granularity of the flavours of the bean is more pronounced. The length and depth of flavour gives more character.
It depends how far you want to go and how much you want to spend but yes, you can taste the difference.
With the Aeropress from fresh ground beans, you can get that blend of flavours from the beans.
I also have a Moka if I feel like an espresso. This gives a sharper more bitter taste than the Aeropress.
I had a friend who started up a cafe and got carried away with the bee knees connoisieur machine and matching grinder.
The difference is that with the latter, you get the full cream of the beans forming a top layer to your coffee. The granularity of the flavours of the bean is more pronounced. The length and depth of flavour gives more character.
It depends how far you want to go and how much you want to spend but yes, you can taste the difference.
leef44 said:
I drink milk coffee, only one cup a day so Aeropress works for me.
With the Aeropress from fresh ground beans, you can get that blend of flavours from the beans.
I also have a Moka if I feel like an espresso. This gives a sharper more bitter taste than the Aeropress.
I had a friend who started up a cafe and got carried away with the bee knees connoisieur machine and matching grinder.
The difference is that with the latter, you get the full cream of the beans forming a top layer to your coffee. The granularity of the flavours of the bean is more pronounced. The length and depth of flavour gives more character.
It depends how far you want to go and how much you want to spend but yes, you can taste the difference.
Aeropress have nice thick bonded filters, and you get a really 'clean' cup with one.With the Aeropress from fresh ground beans, you can get that blend of flavours from the beans.
I also have a Moka if I feel like an espresso. This gives a sharper more bitter taste than the Aeropress.
I had a friend who started up a cafe and got carried away with the bee knees connoisieur machine and matching grinder.
The difference is that with the latter, you get the full cream of the beans forming a top layer to your coffee. The granularity of the flavours of the bean is more pronounced. The length and depth of flavour gives more character.
It depends how far you want to go and how much you want to spend but yes, you can taste the difference.
If you want to really extract those tasting notes from a light roast in a filter style way, the Aeropress is perfect.
RobbieTheTruth said:
That's a magnificent set up. I'd love a go on a Londinium.
That grinder is very good! The hand grinding is one step too far for me, which is why I went for the Niche but I bet you get fantastic results from that set up.
It's an end game set up almost, any improvements on that would be very marginal at a huge expense!
Thanks, I know it's not for everyone due to cost, space and convenience, you have to be pretty committed. Beans are sourced from a local roaster and have a "Roasted On" date hand written on each bag. The HG-One grinder does take some effort but it's a pleasure to use. I'm aware of how I must sound as I write this but you really can get a feel for the beans and the roast while you are grinding by hand. If we didn't have the HG-One we would have a Niche Zero.That grinder is very good! The hand grinding is one step too far for me, which is why I went for the Niche but I bet you get fantastic results from that set up.
It's an end game set up almost, any improvements on that would be very marginal at a huge expense!
The Londinium takes 15 minutes to come up to temperature so it's plugged into a LightWaveRF smart socket that's set to come on 20 minutes before we get up in the morning.
http://www.colemancoffee.com/
cqueen said:
Wrong! Starbucks tastes awful because the coffee they use is terrible, prob nothing wrong with their equipment.
Yes, it's burnt and stale. Their equipment was fine, however they've changed their process to a more automatic one so it's even worse.You'll get equally bad coffee spraying water at 15 bar pressure into a pressurized portafilter using a Delonghi, at an unstable temperature.
Edited by RobbieTheTruth on Monday 2nd November 23:43
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