Breville USA

Mikey081057

Water gets too hot in a percolator no?

joecoulson

And on the manual side I highly recommend that Breville Barista Express. Been very happy with it.

maxward

Thanks, Tony. I was looking at Jura’s ad featuring Roger Federer which got me thinking about a machine. They range from $799 to $5499. Boy, howdy!

tonyb

maxward wrote: »

Thanks, Tony. I was looking at Jura’s ad featuring Roger Federer which got me thinking about a machine. They range from $799 to $5499. Boy, howdy!

You can buy them used for under a grand. The nicer models like the Jura S8, while an older model can be had for like 700 bucks.

Some features you may want are.

A by-pass for ground coffee

One touch frother, so the machine will do it and you don't have to.

Adjustable grind settings, water temp, and cup ounces.

Adjustable height on the spigot or drip tray so you can get taller cups in there.

Easy access for cleaning

A good sized water reservoir, if you drink a lot or have guests a lot.

Jstas

Mikey081057 wrote: »

Water gets too hot in a percolator no?

Not really.

Then again, they are from a different time when you had to pay attention to what you were doing.

They work by building pressure in the shallow cone on the bottom through heating water. The hot water expands and travels up the tube to bubble out the top of the tube and into the diffuser which lets it all dribble through the basket and back down to the pot below.

The simplest way to do it is to set it up, turn your heat on high until the you hear the percolation happening. You only need like 150-170 degrees for it to start happening. Boiling will make the whole thing jerk around. But 170 is the optimal brewing temp. Anyway, you hear the percolation and immediately drop the heat to a low setting to maintain the percolation. Brew for 5-6 minutes and enjoy but it's going to be crazy hot.

I usually do about 6-7 cups in one shot, have done 10 and needed to let it go 7 minutes. Beyond that it will start to scorch coffee in the bottom of the pot so you gotta watch it. I don't use filters in my basket but some people do because they don't like grounds in the bottom. They don't bother me, though.

The only way I've gotten a richer cup of coffee is using a french press which is a colossal pain in the keister, especially to clean. The stainless steel pot can go in the dishwasher.

stangman67

The technivorm is a great drip machine as is the OXO on barista. I have the same Breville espresso maker that joe has. I have had it for a few months now, gets used every day and works beautifully

tonyb

My x-mother in-law used to make coffee in a pot. Talk about old school. She'd fill the pot with water, when it boiled she'd throw in the coffee grinds. After a few minutes she's turn it off and let it settle down. Grinds would settle to the bottom of the pot and she'd pour out the coffee into a cup. Called it "Hobo" coffee.....tasted like it too.

Mikey081057

I've perfected my grinding and brewing over time using JBM whole beans and the coffee has very good taste low acid and high caffeine.

I do like an occasional espresso but have no need for a maker... I find espresso to be a little rough on the esophagus and that a lighter roast gives me the caffeine I need with less stress and I can drink a whole pot without any issues.

https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/40d9ddcb-5af4-4019-9d98-d19502b5483a

Jstas

Darker roasts actually have less caffeine and higher acidity.

tonyb

If a few shots of espresso doesn't get ya going in the morning, check the obituaries, you may already be dead.

afterburnt

Why have your wife cut your steak for you?

Mikey081057

Jstas wrote: »

Darker roasts actually have less caffeine and higher acidity.

Yes and yes but i think oz per oz espresso does have more caffeine due to the process of extracting it.

joecoulson

Now if we want to talk actually coffee, the best in my book is Illy. Bar none. Forget that burnt Starbucks crap and any Seattle branded over-roasted coffee. Illy medium or dark blends are some of the best coffee in the world.

Willow

We recently bought the Cuisinart automatic Pour over machine and have had great success making coffee.
https://www.cuisinart.com/shopping/appliances/coffee_makers/cpo-850

halo

Coffee is very personal and subjective - everyone has their preferences. I am using a Bodum French Press. Filtered water. Freshly roasted coffee beans (I try to get them and use them within a week of being roasted whenever possible). I use a Hario Skerton manual coffee grinder and a Hario gooseneck kettle. I used to use the Hario V60 pour over but it is too challenging to get consistent results. The French Press is easy peasy.

Mikey081057

I prefer Melitta paper filters over a reusable goldtone filter.

Willow

Mikey081057 wrote: »

I prefer Melitta paper filters over a reusable goldtone filter.

I was informed that the paper tends to absorb some of the oils that you want in your brew.

joecoulson

Yep^

Mikey081057

I still prefer them...

maxward

Great thread. I’ve used Melitta filters and the reusable ones. There’s some subtle flavor differences and the reusable ones are easier if you want to compost the grounds. They don’t last forever and eventually tear from the stress of daily washing. Last time that happened I bought paper filters and never replaced the gold one.

I’ve been roasting green beans for more than a decade and it’s hard to beat fresh beans. Some roasters post the roast date on their bags of coffee and it’s worth paying attention to that. When I’m out of beans, Trader Joe’s has an organic Ethiopian Yirgacheffe that works for us. I get most of my green beans from Sonofresco in Washington. They offered a day-long class on roasting, brewing and cupping in Vancouver, only an hour from here, so I signed up. I’d never been to a coffee cupping and it was shocking how much flavor variation is the result of the roast and brewing method. I’m planning to take more of their classes, if offered. As with most hobbies, there is a lot to learn and also a lot of variation in personal preferences.

tonyb

maxward wrote: »

Great thread. I’ve used Melitta filters and the reusable ones. There’s some subtle flavor differences and the reusable ones are easier if you want to compost the grounds. They don’t last forever and eventually tear from the stress of daily washing. Last time that happened I bought paper filters and never replaced the gold one.

I’ve been roasting green beans for more than a decade and it’s hard to beat fresh beans. Some roasters post the roast date on their bags of coffee and it’s worth paying attention to that. When I’m out of beans, Trader Joe’s has an organic Ethiopian Yirgacheffe that works for us. I get most of my green beans from Sonofresco in Washington. They offered a day-long class on roasting, brewing and cupping in Vancouver, only an hour from here, so I signed up. I’d never been to a coffee cupping and it was shocking how much flavor variation is the result of the roast and brewing method. I’m planning to take more of their classes, if offered. As with most hobbies, there is a lot to learn and also a lot of variation in personal preferences.

Great man. Maybe you can talk more about what you learned. We coffee addicts would be very interested.

Clipdat

joecoulson wrote: »

Now if we want to talk actually coffee, the best in my book is Illy. Bar none. Forget that burnt Starbucks crap and any Seattle branded over-roasted coffee. Illy medium or dark blends are some of the best coffee in the world.

Illy is good, but it's too bad they don't offer any organic beans.

joecoulson

Mmmm

tonyb

Clipdat wrote: »

joecoulson wrote: »

Now if we want to talk actually coffee, the best in my book is Illy. Bar none. Forget that burnt Starbucks crap and any Seattle branded over-roasted coffee. Illy medium or dark blends are some of the best coffee in the world.

Illy is good, but it's too bad they don't offer any organic beans.

Maybe they do, they just don't want to pay for the label. Call and ask.

Jstas

I typically get Peet's Major Dickenson's Blend which is pretty good, smooth for a very dark roast.

Otherwise, I will go for 100% Kona straight from the plantations on a 3-day shipment. They usually ship the day of or day after roasting. Ordering whole beans means they will fill the vacuum bags right out of the roaster after they cooled. They get it done early enough and it ships same day. Ain't cheap at $25-$35 a pound but I'm the only one who drinks coffee in the house so a pound lasts me the better part of a month.

tonyb

A pound last me a week, I drink a lot of coffee. Keeps me out of jail and off the nightly news.

Mikey081057

Same here TB make a pot in the morning and finish it by lunchtime...Travelling means coffee out which is nowhere near as good but DD does the job.

Willow

maxward wrote: »

Great thread. I’ve used Melitta filters and the reusable ones. There’s some subtle flavor differences and the reusable ones are easier if you want to compost the grounds. They don’t last forever and eventually tear from the stress of daily washing. Last time that happened I bought paper filters and never replaced the gold one.

I’ve been roasting green beans for more than a decade and it’s hard to beat fresh beans. Some roasters post the roast date on their bags of coffee and it’s worth paying attention to that. When I’m out of beans, Trader Joe’s has an organic Ethiopian Yirgacheffe that works for us. I get most of my green beans from Sonofresco in Washington. They offered a day-long class on roasting, brewing and cupping in Vancouver, only an hour from here, so I signed up. I’d never been to a coffee cupping and it was shocking how much flavor variation is the result of the roast and brewing method. I’m planning to take more of their classes, if offered. As with most hobbies, there is a lot to learn and also a lot of variation in personal preferences.

Very interesting as we've been drinking this lately:
https://www.bridgehead.ca/collections/coffee/products/yirgacheffe-adado-natural

It is so good!! we switched from Latin American to the Ethiopian a couple weeks back and we are hooked.

Mikey081057

Try the Jamaican Man!

tonyb

Clipdat wrote: »

joecoulson wrote: »

Now if we want to talk actually coffee, the best in my book is Illy. Bar none. Forget that burnt Starbucks crap and any Seattle branded over-roasted coffee. Illy medium or dark blends are some of the best coffee in the world.

Illy is good, but it's too bad they don't offer any organic beans.

The word "organic" has become a laughing stock of sorts. Know why ?

In 2005, congress deemed toxic synthetic ingredients acceptable substances in organic foods. In 2006 the USDA stacked the national Organic Standards Board with corporate and special interests. Food bearing the USDA Organic seal no longer needs to be natural food.

Your best bet is to do your own due diligence and research any product/food your interested in.