Coffee beans/blends help required

  • Thread starter Thread starter Zip
  • Start date Start date
I'm probably not the best person to ask, as I'm something of a coffee nazi,

however its like most things you get out what you put in, I have a separate grinder and although I got a good deal (mate of a mate)

the grinder at retail is circa 350-375 GBP
and the coffee machine at retail is circa 600 GBP

I wouldnt suggest going anywhere near that level to start

the most important thing for the coffee machine is to be able to maintain a consistent brew temperature, so that you can make every cup the same, then its about adjustments as to how you pack the basket etc.

for the grinder you are trying to have as much adjustability as possible so you can grind as fine or as coarse as you wish, consistently.

I would advise getting separate grinder and machine even if entry level, as then if you need to replace or upgrade you dont need to do the whole rig in one go.
 
Zip said:
One of the Gaggia ones i looked at had an Inbuilt Grinder, Even though it has one of those would it be better just to by a Grinder on its own and not use the in built one if we choose to get one of them?
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We were looking at a Gaggia coffee machine but decided it was a little cheap looking and whilst it was capable of doing an excellent job (and it should at that price) we opted for a Juma Impressa F70 w/ Hot Milk and Steam dial, which lasted for a gargantuan 30hours before packing in.

It's a hell of a coffee machine and I am sure the fault is a one off, and I would recommend it whole heartedly.

Unfortunately being only 30hours old we were unable to test it with better beans and were left only trying illy (and an unopened bag is Lavazza). When we are fully settled with the house move we will use better beans, but if you're looking for a good machine thats better than the Gaggia then you could do a lot worse than this one.
 
Thanks all :)

Just out of Curiousity.

Would it be worth while doing a few day courses on coffee making if i decide to get a really good coffee maker so i can make the most out of it? :)
 
Cookie-Monster said:
the grinder at retail is circa 350-375 GBP
and the coffee machine at retail is circa 600 GBP
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Bloody hershleys, I thought *I* was a coffee nazi and I'm satisfied with my £16 stove-top and my used Zassenhaus hand-powered grinder dating from 1937 and bought for £14 off the 'bay! :p

Would it be worth while doing a few day courses on coffee making if i decide to get a really good coffee maker so i can make the most out of it?
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Wouldn't think so, it'd be good if you knew the basics and someone told you some of the little tricks there are to it, but that's the sort of thing you can get off forums like coffeegeek (when they work:p), not something I would personally pay for. Out of curiosity, did you find any good (r)etailers near you?
 
Zassenhaus.com?

I'm joking actually, back before the summer when I got mine I found out that the company had suspended production due to some problems with their suppliers. I haven't checked lately to see if their production lines are rolling again, but I'm sure it'll say on their website. I got mine off ebay directly from Germany. From what I was told on the coffeegeek.com forums the old (I mean OLD!!) models actually have a better grinding adjustment mechanism than the current models so you might be better off following my example than buying a new one. Mine looks sort of like this one and it apparently dates from the 1930s.

When searching ebay remember to check the "search title AND description" box and "search within the European Union". If "Zassenhaus" doesn't yield much try "coffee grinder", "Kaffeemühle", "Mokkamühle" and "Kornmühle" (though mind that last one can refer to pepper as well as coffee beans!;))

Also bear in mind that international bank transfers cost a mint so try and find a seller that has Paypal. The guy I bought it from didn't which was why it only cost me £14 - no-one wanted to bid on it. I only did because my mother works at a bank and I knew I could get her to transfer the money for me at a preferential employee rate.
 
manveruppd said:
Wouldn't think so, it'd be good if you knew the basics and someone told you some of the little tricks there are to it, but that's the sort of thing you can get off forums like coffeegeek (when they work:p), not something I would personally pay for. Out of curiosity, did you find any good (r)etailers near you?
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Yeah i found a few good links and a couple retailers :)

I think that Hasbean website ships to Australia aswell IIRC :)(paying for shipping could be a pain in the arse though :p
 
there are a couple of nice auz coffee growers as mentioned in this thread - skybury being my prefered one :)

and your first purchase should be a decent grinder - makes all the difference regardless of if your caffetiering your coffee or using a couple of grand machine :) a good cheap coffee makeing method is the aerobe btw - v-cheap and makes some very nice coffee
 
Siliconslave said:
there are a couple of nice auz coffee growers as mentioned in this thread - skybury being my prefered one :)

and your first purchase should be a decent grinder - makes all the difference regardless of if your caffetiering your coffee or using a couple of grand machine :) a good cheap coffee makeing method is the aerobe btw - v-cheap and makes some very nice coffee
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Thanks :)

Ill go have a look for the aerobe thing on the interweb now :)

Edit: Do you have any links to the aerobe thing :o
 
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for me i go for;

1) Arabian beans
2) Costa rican beans
3) Colombian beans


in that order.

Then you have the strength of each one too think about. Turkish coffee is like hot mud, USA is like drinking tea, very weak.

In the UK is a shop called Wittakars tea and coffee, or something like that. they do small packs of tea and coffee for you to try too.

hope that helps.
 
Siliconslave said:
:) a good cheap coffee makeing method is the aerobe btw - v-cheap and makes some very nice coffee
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You tried it then? What advantage does it have over a french press or a normal filter machine? And why does it describe itself as a "Coffee and Espresso maker"? :confused: Surely it would be even worse than a stove-top for espresso since you can't possibly get much pressure just by pressing down the top of it!

ah ebay eh, i bet it grinds good .
( i mean consistent)
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I call it Abbadon, Destroyer of Beans! :D It's very good, only problem is it takes a while :p

I think that Hasbean website ships to Australia aswell IIRC
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Nah man, don't do it, wouldn't it take like a week for it to get to you? Even if the shipping isn't too expensive, it won;t be as fresh by then, defeats the point of buying online!
 
manveruppd said:
You tried it then? What advantage does it have over a french press or a normal filter machine? And why does it describe itself as a "Coffee and Espresso maker"? :confused: Surely it would be even worse than a stove-top for espresso since you can't possibly get much pressure just by pressing down the top of it!
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I've not had a chance to try it yet, but i know (well online friends) a couple of guys in the business and they totally rave about it. It apparently does get a pretty good amount of pressure up.

a blog post by James Hoffman, uk barrista champion 06:
http://www.jimseven.com/2006/07/28/aerobie-aeropress/
Now I know I am something of a latecomer to this, and I confess that it took Steve giving me one for free (very kind) before I discovered the joys of it.

And what makes it so special is not the clarity of flavours or the cup quality, it is the fact that it is so damned easy and clean to use.
...

I enjoy making aeropress coffee and I enjoy drinking it. I don’t need to compromise to get something I can really enjoy. This can only be a good thing.
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edit: plus the too much coffe thread on it:
http://toomuchcoffee.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=2714&highlight=aerobie
 
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Hmm... interesting! Sounds like something halfway between a drip and an espresso. I'm curious to try it, but I'm turned off by what they say about how it's only big enough to brew 1-2 shots of espresso at a time - I drink more than that in one go, let alone if I'm making a cup for a friend as well!
 
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