RE: Coffee Connoisseurs

We use a De Longhi bean to cup machine. Bought it about 3 years ago, and it’s still going strong, it gets some hammer too.
It cost in the region of £800, but it’s one of the best things we have ever purchased.
Neither of us drink tea, so it’s just right for us along with our velvetiser!
 
Just to add my opinion as another person coffee obsessed. I think the focus has to be on what flavours you enjoy out of coffee and how to best achieve them.

I love coffee in loads of different forms from espresso to milk drinks and from coffee cocktails to painstakingly dripped filter.

So for me I bought a decent grinder and then lots of options to experiment with. I think grinding is the most important step to better coffee. I got through to the final of the British aeropress championships a year back and so that always has a soft spot for me.

If you like the darker roasted coffee/bitter flavours I think you get less benefit from more expensive equipment. It is the fruity, acidic flavours that really get clarity from a good grinder and detailed dialing process.

(PS - the espresso set up I want will set me back over 3 grand... I can't justify it... yet)
 
Ravshoutsatbeck said:
I love coffee in loads of different forms from espresso to milk drinks and from coffee cocktails to painstakingly dripped filter.

I got through to the final of the British aeropress championships a year back and so that always has a soft spot for me.

(PS - the espresso set up I want will set me back over 3 grand... I can't justify it... yet) .
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Same as me, love espresso, black (Aeropress), latte, cappucino, espresso martini's. Funnily enough though I cannot stand coffee chocolates, so much so that they make me instantly sick :LOL:

Aeropress Championships? I never thought there could be such a thing, as there seems like only one way to do it, but now I think about it, there probably isn't knowing coffee folk!

If you think about that 3k spent like how much would you get for it when you sell it (2k?), and then split the difference over 5 years. Probably talking £200 a year, and if you had say 600 coffees then you're only talking about 30p each. Then justify that further by comparing that to two costas and a cake and you're £10 worse off per day, by not having it :LOL:
 
Andy_W said:
Yeah, it's been good, but nowhere near what I expected for that price, to be fair.

The wand blocks up a lot, despite flushing and cleaning each time and using the tool to clean it out, to the point where no matter what I do, only two of the holes seem to work within about 5 seconds of using it. It's probably the worst wand of any machine I've used in all honesty.

I might just have a duff machine, I've already my money's worth out of it now mind, just would have expected a bit more.

It's available for <£500 now though, so I'd still recommend it at that price, but would need to know what the alternatives are in that price range too.
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Sorry to hear that, I can honestly say mine been great, the best of the espresso machines I've owned by a mile.

The biggest problem with the previous machines (Gaggia, Rancilio) was the lack of consistent temperature, which meant it was pot luck as to how the shot came out, whereas the Sage is perfect every time.
 
Jonny Ingbar said:
Sorry to hear that, I can honestly say mine been great, the best of the espresso machines I've owned by a mile.

The biggest problem with the previous machines (Gaggia, Rancilio) was the lack of consistent temperature, which meant it was pot luck as to how the shot came out, whereas the Sage is perfect every time.
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Not your fault mate, glad yours is great (y)

I use my £25 Aeropress probably 5x more than my Barista Pro nowadays, which is a bit mad.

The funny thing is though, most of the time I use the barista pro is when we have guests/ workmen doing bits n bobs on the house (almost daily being in a new build). I actively encourage them to have latte's/ Cappucino or whatever, so I can get some use out of it. Everyone I make I know it's not quite right, yet they all say it's amazing :LOL:

I'm starting to think it's all a con, and nobody knows what they're on about, either that or there's something wrong with my tastebuds, probably a combination of the two! :LOL:

Yeah, I've not checked the temp on the pro to be fair, it's the only thing I've not really fiddled with or checked. It might be worth looking into that.
 
I have way too many coffee makers, a delongi bean to cup which is great, especially for espresso.
, also wacaco pipamoka and nanopresso, the later makes great espresso, but I quite often go back to using a moka pot after years of practice.
And it's got to be bialetti.
 
Nano said:
I had a Bialetti but it got ruined (accidentally left grounds in without washing for several months) so even after a good clean the coffee was horrible. I used that before I really understood what the different coffees were. I used to make a much of coffee with one which now I look back was probably 5 or 6 espressos at a time.

I need a new one but for a double espresso what size is best? Would it just be the 2 cup? 9/10 I'm the only person drinking a coffee so I don't need a mug full.
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For a double I would get the 3 Cup, bialetti have tweaked the brikka and it now produces excellent creama
 
Got a Siemans B2C machine. Does Coffee, Cappa, Latte, Moch, Espresso, can give you warmed milk or steamed milk all at the touch of a couple of buttons. No need to learn how to foam the milk, it does it itself. Yes need to spend 10mins cleaning it every 7-10 days, but that's a trade off worth doing if you want to have great coffee at the push of a button
 
Muttley said:
Oh I don't mean that you will never drink Nescafe again after you have tasted "proper" coffee, as you say needs must. But if I was to offer you Nescafe OR a filter coffee I strongly suspect that you would not choose the instant?
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I actually don't mind instant. I like the Nescafé Azera and I don't mind the regular Kenco but the stuff I bought at work is several steps below that. It's this stuff:

Infinity Selected Arabica 100 Whole Bean India Instant Coffee, 100 g https://amzn.eu/d/2okqxYi

There are 2 reviews on Amazon. A 1 star and a 5 star. I presume the 5 star has either never tasted coffee before or is using it as paint or something.
 
Jonny Ingbar said:
I've got the Sage Barista Pro after a lot of research and I can't fault it. It's obviously got an adjustable built in grinder, wand and a lot of adjustable settings too, although I've still found it a doddle to use, which was an important factor for me.

I managed to get a decent discount online too, from a guy called Kev Lewis who does the coffee blog channel on YouTube - not sure if this applies, but I can dig his email out if it helps.

Edit: just read your more recent posts.

I've had a Gaggia Classic Pro before and more recently a Rancilio Sylvia - the Sage makes better coffee more consistently than both in my experience.
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Oooh that's interesting re: Gaggia and Rancilio. Thank you 👌
 
The_Lizards_Jumpers said:
We have a subscription with these guys, who ethically source their coffee and estimate the growers get more than 30% than the Fairtrade price.

It's also a great way to explore difference beans whenever a delivery arrives.

www.bluecoffeebox.com

The Independent, Ethical Coffee Subscription | Blue Coffee Box

Blue Coffee Box are a speciality coffee subscription club, offering beans or ground coffee hand-roasted by the UK's best. Letterbox-friendly, free delivery.
www.bluecoffeebox.com www.bluecoffeebox.com
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I'll get some of that 👌
 
Jonny Ingbar said:
Depends what type of milf you're qfter, but generally a wand is needed for the more glossy milk; flat white, latte, whereas cappuccino milk is a lot easier to create.
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Cappuccino is the way I go. You are right about the glossy finish but I want froth I can stick a flake in. My wife runs the plunger slowly one more time to get thick milk rather than lumpy, for want of another word.
 
borolad259 said:
One thing to ponder. If you take milk, even with the best beans, home coffee from a bean to cup doesn't quite match up to continental cafe coffee. It took me a little while to figure it out. If you really want that Italian/Spanish cafe taste, then use UHT milk. It somehow adds a little sweetness.
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The milk is different in Spain and Italy, as the cows are grain fed and not grass fed as over here. Their milk is vvank in tea, but I agree much nicer in coffee.
 
Cardiffdaffs said:
Talking of coffee the doc has told me to stay off caffeine for a while. Anybody got good tips on the best decaf? Taylor’s coffee for the cafetière is the best I’ve found so far.
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Aldi does what I think is a highly palatable decaf ground coffee. Doesn't cost a fortune, either.
IMG_20221214_204741.jpg
 
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