Siliconslave's how to make espresso thread

Got my motta tamper today, really don't know why I put off getting it for so long! it's beautiful.

I was wondering, i'm using Rave coffee at the moment with my mc2 + classic.. is it worth paying extra for square mile espresso stuff? Is the difference in quality noticeable when using my equipment?
 
manveruppd said:
Has anyone got a steel filter for their Aeropress? I've been recommended the Able Brewing fine mesh ones, but then I went on Amazon and saw that you can get Crucial steel filters for about half the price.
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So nobody's tried metal filters with their Aeropress and able to recommend anything?
 
I was out to Labotorio Espresso in Glasgow today. I had 3 Lattes and think I have my first Coffee Hangover!. Their Coffee is fantastic but I have really dehydrated myself despite taking in water between glasses.

I then came home to my just delivered double non pressurised basket, Group head brush and a Sylvia wand from 'myespresso' for the equivalent price of just a wand from happy Donkey. A bargain!.

After a couple of minutes I had replaced the wand and was soon frothing Milk for the Kids Hot Chocolate. The wand imo is much much better than the Panerello (sp) which to be fair does a great job of frothing the Milk.

@Vimpster - I had no problem having the milk constantly roll with mines. I personally found this video quite helpful for technique if of course your wand is in full working condition:

www.youtube.com/v/s7OEGkbYn_w

EDIT: Actually Flibsters video is pretty dang good.
 
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manveruppd said:
So nobody's tried metal filters with their Aeropress and able to recommend anything?
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Apologies, missed this.

I have the Able Disk and the Able Disk Fine - Prefer the normal Disk, it's sturdier and works very well.

However, I also have the Kaffeologie S Filter for the Aeropress and I think this is significantly better than either of the Able Disks.
 
Flibster said:
Apologies, missed this.

I have the Able Disk and the Able Disk Fine - Prefer the normal Disk, it's sturdier and works very well.

However, I also have the Kaffeologie S Filter for the Aeropress and I think this is significantly better than either of the Able Disks.
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I was waiting for an answer too, thanks. I've just started another pack of 300 paper filters, but I may look at a Kaffeologie S Filter now.

Although I've just seen this on one of the reviews....
The problem is that the disk is thicker than a paper filter. The suggested video for fitting the disk on Kaffeologie's website proposes adding successively more filter papers to the lid until it can be stretched into accepting a disk as thick as the metal one. It is not impossible to close the lid - but I have concluded that trying to force it closed while using the inverted Aeropress method - and thus dealing with a precarious syringe full of hot coffee and grounds - I would rather go back to using the papers.
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Is this actually the case?
 
I believe the current S Filter is thinner than the version I have.

Yes, it is thicker than paper filters, but I've never had a problem getting the lid on securely. Even if the tabs only interlock half as much as normal, it's still more than enough I've found.

I suspect it's only the inept that would have a problem. I've been using it since the Kickstarter ended and mine turned up and I've not scalded myself once. Which, as I'm a clumsy git, is surprising as hell. :D
 
Flibster said:
Apologies, missed this.

I have the Able Disk and the Able Disk Fine - Prefer the normal Disk, it's sturdier and works very well.

However, I also have the Kaffeologie S Filter for the Aeropress and I think this is significantly better than either of the Able Disks.
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Not at all, thanks for the advice! The Kaffeologie thing wasn't even on my radar, I'll keep an eye out on the bay of E for a cheap one! :)
 
Probably not as fine a mesh as a cafetiere. Seems to work by pumping the handle up and down right? If you don't have a steam wand I'd say the next best thing is a little hand mixer - much less effort. Can't get proper microfoam out of it but it honestly is the next best thing, plus you can use this to froth cold milk as well and make capuccino freddo! ;)
Just search for "greek frappe mixer" on the rainforest site, you'll find dozens.
 
I'm still trying to get a decent shot out of my Gaggia :(

I think I've got to a point where I've got the grind and tamp okay, but my shots still come out pretty sour. Recently i've been start dumping, which results in an "okay" tasting shot, but I don't want to have to use this workaround.

I'm wondering if it's something to do with the temperature. Does anyone else find that their Gaggia Classic seems to be pretty temperamental when it comes to the ready light coming on and off? Sometimes I end up waiting around 5 minutes for the light to go off again, after running some water through the group to flush it out/warm it up. Plus sometimes the light goes off and just before I start pulling the shot... it comes on again!

Pretty much does the same when I'm waiting for it to come up to steaming temp... the light goes off... then... ping! it's back on again... it's like it's trolling me lol
 
Popped into ManCoCo on Friday to pick up some house blend and Monsoon Malabar beans. Stewart that runs it seems like an friendly guy that is obviously enthusiastic about coffee - he suggested we come down for a tasting at some point which I think FrenchTart did fairly recently? Will have to make some time to go one lunch and do it. I really like the Monsoon Malabar, not overly earthy with a really nice bitter dark chocolate edge.
 
My grandma brought me some beans back from her trip to Hawai which means I have to take the plunge and buy a grinder. As I wont be using it daily I think a hand grinder will be fine.

It will be mainly used in conjunction with a Moka pot and occasionally a french press, I know there are two hand grinders that are regularly recommended on the forums, the Hario and the Porlex.

The question is, for my use case is there an obvious choice or are they both as good as each other? Also they seem a lot cheaper on Amazon but seem to be imported, I take it that these are trustworthy?

Thanks in advance :)
 
One More Solo said:
Popped into ManCoCo on Friday to pick up some house blend and Monsoon Malabar beans. Stewart that runs it seems like an friendly guy that is obviously enthusiastic about coffee - he suggested we come down for a tasting at some point which I think FrenchTart did fairly recently? Will have to make some time to go one lunch and do it. I really like the Monsoon Malabar, not overly earthy with a really nice bitter dark chocolate edge.
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Yeah.. I've been back quite a few times for coffee from ManCoCo. I'm a bit bored of his stuff though and when in Chorlton Green the other day a friend found some coffee from a newish roaster in Ancoats. Pickeed up the Zamorana and it is pretty damn tasty:

http://www.ancoats-coffee.co.uk/

cymatty said:
My grandma brought me some beans back from her trip to Hawai which means I have to take the plunge and buy a grinder. As I wont be using it daily I think a hand grinder will be fine.

It will be mainly used in conjunction with a Moka pot and occasionally a french press, I know there are two hand grinders that are regularly recommended on the forums, the Hario and the Porlex.

The question is, for my use case is there an obvious choice or are they both as good as each other? Also they seem a lot cheaper on Amazon but seem to be imported, I take it that these are trustworthy?

Thanks in advance :)
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I imagine they're both similarly good. I have the porlex myself (before I got an Iberital MC2) and it's pretty good. Hand-grinding is a pain though :)
 
Oh btw, decided to get a butane burner for my syphon (and also for Turkish if I can find a decent stand), is the really cheap ebay one that some of you bought a while ago still available? The cheapest ones I can find are £22 from Hasbean or £25 from Coffeehit (plus P&P) and that's cheaper than anything I could find on ebay, whereas I think the one Flibster found back in the day went for under £20 total.
 
i'm using the gaggia classic and now pulling a half decent espresso in around 26 secs with nice crema. I make sure the PF is clean and the surrounding area is all clean. Somehow everytime pull a shot i end up with a small degree of coffee grinds at the bottom of the glass. It's really bugging me especially when it gets caught up in the microfoam at the end of the drink.
 
yimpster said:
i'm using the gaggia classic and now pulling a half decent espresso in around 26 secs with nice crema. I make sure the PF is clean and the surrounding area is all clean. Somehow everytime pull a shot i end up with a small degree of coffee grinds at the bottom of the glass. It's really bugging me especially when it gets caught up in the microfoam at the end of the drink.
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you will almost always get a few grains that are a bit too fine for the basket that will slip through the holes, also standard baskets holes vary is size and the grind will also have a fair range in the way of actual grind size distibution, not greatly but enough to allow a few tiny bits to get through into your cup, this will happen in all units to a degree.

i always pull my shots into a pair of 1oz shot glasses and allow it to settle for a few seconds before pouring into my cup, this removes the problem for me.

i am tempted to pick up a VST basket but they get mixed opinions on the effectiveness they have on the final product.
 
GTanny said:
you will almost always get a few grains that are a bit too fine for the basket that will slip through the holes, also standard baskets holes vary is size and the grind will also have a fair range in the way of actual grind size distibution, not greatly but enough to allow a few tiny bits to get through into your cup, this will happen in all units to a degree.

i always pull my shots into a pair of 1oz shot glasses and allow it to settle for a few seconds before pouring into my cup, this removes the problem for me.

i am tempted to pick up a VST basket but they get mixed opinions on the effectiveness they have on the final product.
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i also pull into shot glasses and leave on the heating plate for a minute whilst i sort out the milk. i bought the gaggia double basket from happydonkey. i overfill it slightly, smooth it off then tamp it down. the tamp i have (Kitchen Craft Le'Xpress Stainless Steel Coffee Tamper) isn't a really tight fit so there are slight bits on the inside wall of the basket. perhaps a faulty basket? or maybe something else i'm doing wrong?

i am quite fussy and don't want to have these bits at the bottom :)
 
yimpster said:
i also pull into shot glasses and leave on the heating plate for a minute whilst i sort out the milk. i bought the gaggia double basket from happydonkey. i overfill it slightly, smooth it off then tamp it down. the tamp i have (Kitchen Craft Le'Xpress Stainless Steel Coffee Tamper) isn't a really tight fit so there are slight bits on the inside wall of the basket. perhaps a faulty basket? or maybe something else i'm doing wrong?

i am quite fussy and don't want to have these bits at the bottom :)
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you could drink somthing not espresso based :p

unfortunatly the process of grinding a bean means you will always get smaller particles, this is unavoidable and the only way to really block any of these would be to use a pressuried basket where the holes are so small the bits that do get through are very very small.

its very difficult to get a shot without any at all that get through but im not an expert by any means so if there is a way that doesnt involve passing the grounds through some sort of sieve prior to extraction i would be interesting in knowing.

i will be limited on my coffee front for a bit anyway as my group seal needs replacing on my Cherub very soon so ill be taking it easy until a new one arrives... on the good side it gives me an excuse to strip the machine down a bit and give it a very good going over as im sure backfulishing and Puly Caff can only do so much that a little elbow grease wont add too :)


also, for those with the polsihed machines, how do you stop water marks/dull surface on the polished bits as i clean mine and in a couple of days time it has the usual dull(ish) finish on it again... makes me glad i didnt get the all stainless cherub atleast. any advice welcome :)
 
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