Coffee: we drink it or we get angry.

Discussion in 'Food and Drink' started by Jeb, Jan 16, 2016.

  1. ultrabike

    ultrabike Measurbator - Admin

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    You may look down on this $20 or so little guy:

    61583FaGdQL._AC_SL1500__small.jpg

    https://www.amazon.com/JavaPresse-Grinder-Conical-Brushed-Stainless/dp/B013R3Q7B2

    But with a simple man-mod, you can now say f**k YOU Baratza Forte Grinder, your dick is small:

    Turn it up to 11 and reallywatch the window load with mounds o' grounds
    By Matt on Mar 26, 2017
    Throw that handle away and get out to the toolshed. The Miluakee 8 amp Magnum serves me well in the mornin'. Who wants to quietly grind away at the pile of beans their little hand grinder for half an hour anyways? Turn it up to 11 and really watch the window load with mounds o' grounds. It's kind if like internet were to have suddenly jumped from dial-up to fiber. Is it the intended use? No. But is OSHA going to come issue a notice or something? I'm a man and I do what I please, structural integrity be damned. Its not like the thing cost $100.

    71yddtmoKQL.jpg

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-...ef=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B013R3Q7B2

    I shit you not:
     
    Last edited: Sep 23, 2019
  2. YMO

    YMO Chief Fun Officer

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    So I got my own @gixxerwimp certified Nescrappo™ machine from the Vertuoline series this week. Made ten servings of it between me, GF, and roomies. Ordered a bunch of pods from Nescrappo™ directly, then I got the first order gift with two cups, another return UPS bag for used pods, and more.

    Tried the various pods that I order, even the Cafecito de Cuba. I was expecting a lot more from the machine, including blandness coffee. I came away surprised that the coffee wasn't bland (but keep in mind it isn't fully fresh), and I was able to taste the difference/strengths of the different pods. Some had interesting notes!

    However, it will never beat a coffee that you grinned yourself and the whole nine yards. This is leagues better than the cheap basic coffee machines with the filters. So useful for work mornings and weekends where I have morning errands. Even helps when I wanted coffee when I work from home two days a week. My GF likes the decafe version of it.

    The weekends I'll save it by making Middle Eastern Coffee. Too bad I get the grinds pre-package and put it in the tin.
     
  3. ultrabike

    ultrabike Measurbator - Admin

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    I finally bought the Mr. Coffee ECMP50. I love it!

    A couple of things I learned:
    1. Do not leave the machine on if not in use. It can overheat and die prematurely otherwise. This is not a commercial espresso maker which should serve coffee all day long 7 days a week.
    2. Unlike what CNET says, I find the espresso machine is quite capable of delivering a consistent quality double shot in 20 seconds with lots of lasting crema.
    3. Unlike what CNET says, this machine does not clog if you take care of it.
    4. Unlike what CNET says, managing the water reservoir is brain dead easy.
    5. Unlike what CNET says, this machine is reasonably simple to operate. Not so different from other espresso machines from what I can tell.
    6. Unlike what CNET says, "thermoblock hardware" is quite common on espresso machines such as Jura and Ascaso, and have some advantages over other technologies. (Bottom line is that CNET sucks and should be avoided for all things, not just audio).
    7. The frothing wand works great. It is not Pannarello. It's a Classic. I'm still practicing my latte art skills with it. Makes great hot chocolate too! (Be aware that the Delonghi closest price model does have a Pannarello, which does not afford that much control over the steaming process).
    8. While the baskets are pressurized (which makes things easy), one can still mess up with the grind and amount of coffee and get a shot anywhere between 13 to 30 seconds for a double. Grind matters. But before that, get the amount of coffee right first. I get 18 to 21 seconds all the time. Again, plenty of awesome crema.
    9. Unlike an old 3.5 bar even cheaper shit Mr. Coffee maker, this delivers great taste. The other one seemed to use some plastic materials that fucked the taste of the coffee. On top of that my Bialetti proly produced more crema than that shit, and my Moka pots produce no crema. But at least they don't taste like plastic. None of that crap with this model. Its the real deal, and as low as one can go.
    10. The machine needs to be drained often because it cools itself immediately after use by running water and discarding it at the bottom. This is not an idiot proof machine. It will not baby sit. If one does what one is supposed to do then things should be fine. Espresso machines in general require a bit more attention. Otherwise proly best to get a drip, Keurig or one of those Nespresso thingys. All of which I rate well below this machine when used properly, but are much easier to use.
    So forget about the bullshit that you hear about this machine not being up to snuff.

    What you will NOT get for the price (it is on sale for like $69) is a machine that alone can provide awesome lattes to all the homeless in California every day. It's meant to be a house appliance. It is not a commercial power horse. One will not get a stainless steel chassis. It also does not have a 3-way solenoid contraction that will dry out the coffee puck. The puck will be pretty wet after use, and that is normal for this machine.

    Anyhow. So far so good with this machine.

    Here is a good not-bullshit video about this machine (for a change):



    This is not a flashy machine. Just a machine that does the job.

    One thing the video above did not show well is how to get micro foam. After aeration, the wand needs to be positioned so that the milk starts to stir and rotate around for a while until all the big bubbles disappear while keeping things at the right temperature. For lattes I aerate less than in the video (about half the time), and stir the milk quite a bit until I get a nice glossy white. He still managed a nice gloss on his milk though. But perhaps, as he said, a little more foam than the usual. It's how he seems to like it, and the classic wand affords the flexibility.
     
    Last edited: Oct 20, 2019
  4. winders

    winders boomer

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    I just got back from visiting France and Italy. I am now ruined for most Cappuccino and Latte prepared here in the USA. This is on my radar:

    pro_600_1.jpg
     
  5. Deep Funk

    Deep Funk Deep thoughts - Friend

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    Beautiful.
     
  6. gixxerwimp

    gixxerwimp Professional tricycle rider

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    An expensive and fancy machine does not guarantee good espresso based beverages. I just came back from visiting my sister and tried out the Rocket R58 (which looks super smexy) and big Mazzer grinder my bro-in-law* upgraded to. Even accounting for differences in taste preferences, I was not impressed with the coffee he made me. I've never bothered to try making foam with the Rancillio Silvia I inherited from him, but I gave it a go with his R58. I have zero skills and got zero foam. Anyway, it's not what you have, but what you do with it that counts.

    *edit
     
    Last edited: Oct 21, 2019
  7. Deep Funk

    Deep Funk Deep thoughts - Friend

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    Was his basic espresso good? If not something is lacking.
     
  8. winders

    winders boomer

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    Of course not. But, if you want the best results, it helps to have the right tools. You have to learn how to use the tools and practice to get the desired results.
     
  9. gixxerwimp

    gixxerwimp Professional tricycle rider

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    Admittedly I didn't try a basic espresso, but I watched the pull and saw the result. Not so great. My sister said he was a bit disappointed himself but hasn't had time to properly tweak (he's a corporate lawyer). Their target is more of a strong French au lait, rather than something pseudo-Italian as is currently popular in N. America, so that's probably also a factor. If I've dosed properly I get a pretty dry puck that bangs cleanly, but theirs were on the goopy side.

    Anyway, I'll put my inverse elitism aside and happily pull nice shots from my ancient entry level machine and upgraded grinder :cool:
     
  10. DigMe

    DigMe Friend

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    It takes a knowledgeable and practiced hand to pull good shots from even the best machine.
     
  11. randytsuch

    randytsuch Friend

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    Takes good beans too. And a good grinder, but if he has a big mazzer the grinder part is covered. So maybe beans were his problem? Or maybe he hasn't really dialed in the grinder for the beans he was using.
     
  12. ultrabike

    ultrabike Measurbator - Admin

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    Congratulations! It takes courage to be upfront about these things. The usual response one gets is: your grinder is probably lacking, your coffee beans were proly not-up-to-snuff, and yes, practice. Have you mentioned a Mr. Coffee or Delonghi machine, many folks would proly point at your machine, and that you need to upgrade to at least a $400 Gaggia and then go up from there by modifying the steamer to a classic, and maybe install a PID temperature control, for more $$$.

    Good espresso based beverages require some skill, which makes the whole process fun.

    I'll attach a picture of my today's custom latte later. I pulled a 2 shot (2 oz) espresso + 2 oz almond milk + 6 oz 2% milk. This obviosly not the by-the-book latte. But that's what I like these days.

    Instead of calling out your machine, which IMO is bullshit. I will ask the following:
    1. Did you pull out a single (1 oz) or a double (2 oz) shot?
    2. How long did it take to pull the shot? From this one might need to adjust the grind and/or the quantity of coffee in the porta-filter. Also the tampering.
    3. For foam, did you allow a little bit of gap between the wand and the milk?
    The foam is tricky at first. If you leave too much space, the milk will just splatter all over. Too much in and no foam will form. No time to steer the milk, and the foam will be too thick and w/o micro foam for a creamy texture.

    Based on the answers above, one might be able to help.
     
  13. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    It's the man, not the machine. Applies to measurement gear too.
     
  14. winders

    winders boomer

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    Sometimes that is true. But, often equipment makes a big difference. That is the case with espresso and race cars.
     
  15. Priidik

    Priidik MOT: Estelon

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  16. ultrabike

    ultrabike Measurbator - Admin

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    Explain what you mean by big difference.
     
  17. Priidik

    Priidik MOT: Estelon

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    Anyways, wanted to share a short story:
    The BCG800 grinder I have crapped itself, so I opened it up.
    It is companion to the BES920 Dual Boiler.
    I graduated from a long list of inferior to similar machines/contraptions to this combo.

    After a long while the coffee started to suck a bit more and was more difficult to maintain consistency.
    Until the end. Fixed the beast, screwed to it's impeller some 'wings' and its better than it was from factory.
    More fluffy grind.
    As it is, there are thousands of things that matter to the coffee making.

    Man and the machine need to be in perfect harmony.
    Every setup provides unique outcome, just like in audio.
    A pot coffee to ultra freaky lever ristretto; it's a spectrum.
    All methods have merit and have a following for centuries. edited
     

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  18. ultrabike

    ultrabike Measurbator - Admin

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    This is the problem I see often in the webz:

    http://coffeegeek.com/forums/espresso/latteart/514933

    It is an old post, but right of the bat the dude claims the ECMP50 can't do proper steam milk. Bullshit! And then immediately jumps into suggesting at least a Gaggia. Dude is even recommended to get a manual grinder. Jebuz!!!

    Another dude piles up and even suggests that a Mokka pot is better. I know for a fact that's bad advice. The ECMP50 will run circles around any Moka pot. And then goes on to suggest a Baratza thingy for grinder, other stuff not on par in price is likely shit. Again, bullshit! Dude even goes into suggesting to use a French press and so on instead of it. WTF!!!!

    A few posts down we see the OP post a nice pic of a nice cup of coffee.

    I don't want to see this type of crap advice here. It's shit.

    I have nothing against nice and more powerful espresso machines. Nothing at all. But do not bullshit.
     
    Last edited: Oct 21, 2019
  19. winders

    winders boomer

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    I was offering no advice. I have learned not to do that very often here.....
     
  20. ultrabike

    ultrabike Measurbator - Admin

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    What did you mean by "big difference"?
     

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