Siliconslave's how to make espresso thread

Help! The milk steamer on my coffee machine died and rather than buy a whole new machine, does anyone know if you can get a good milk steamer seperately? I've seen millk frothers, but I don't want to froth it, I want to steam it :).
 
Got some of the smallbatch coffee place home blend, really nice! The trouble is, I am using the aeropress and one cup is just not enough :(
Always feel the need for a bigger mug of it, I know starbucks coffee is far from great but it lasts aaaages so it is nice to have it and just sip away on it for like 20 minutes or so whilst reading.
 
FeFiDoh said:
Got some of the smallbatch coffee place home blend, really nice! The trouble is, I am using the aeropress and one cup is just not enough :(
Always feel the need for a bigger mug of it, I know starbucks coffee is far from great but it lasts aaaages so it is nice to have it and just sip away on it for like 20 minutes or so whilst reading.
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Grind a little bit finer, double the amount of coffee, brew for a little longer, press into a bigger cup and dilute with hot water. Job's a good 'un! You'll need to tweak as you go but you should still get a nice larger cup of coffee out eventually. I've got a pint coffee mug... :D I don't tend to use it to much anymore though.
 
haha glad I am not the only one then because a cup just isn't enough, it tastes so good I end up making two but that is kind of a pain so one bigger cup would be <3
I will do that on the weekend yey \o/
 
the clever dripper seem so much less effort than the aeropress if you want a long cup of coffee and it seems to do about 1 1/2 - 2 cups a sitting so i'm nicely wired by the time i've finished one off (unless i'm feeling magnanimous and give a cup away)

(honestly i'll stop pimping it eventually ;))
 
For anyone that makes a bigger cup of coffee that the Aeropress generally makes, what kind of measurements of coffee/brewing time etc.. are you using?
 
FeFiDoh said:
For anyone that makes a bigger cup of coffee that the Aeropress generally makes, what kind of measurements of coffee/brewing time etc.. are you using?
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Do you mean a larger cup of coffee or several cups worth of coffee at the same time?

You can dilute the result of the Aeropress. Some guides say 1:3 AP:water but I normally do half and half. I normally use 20g coffee to a full Aeropress non-inverted with 93C water. There are so many different ways to use an Aeropress and it's worth trying a few out to find out a preferred method to give you the taste that you like.

If I'm using the clever dripper, I use 28g coffee and 400ml total water (93C) which fills my favourite mug almost to the brim (2min15 seconds brew, 1min15 seconds draw, totalling 3min30s).

I've forgotten my V60 proportions as it's been so long since I've used it but I think it was similar to the Clever Dripper!

If I'm using the syphon for a few people, I'll use 8g coffee per 100ml water. 1 minute steep after wetting all the grounds, shallow stir before 'drawdown.'

For Chemex, french press and other methods, have a look at www.brewmethods.com. There will also be examples of timing which you were also asking about.

Sorry if I've not answered exactly how you may have wanted but, although there are certain do's and dont's, brewing coffee isn't an exact science so you will see lots of different methods for each type of brewing if you hunt around. I'm sure other regular brewers will let you know their favourite methods here later :)
 
Thank you Hamster.
Really all I wanted to do was enjoy a bigger cup, at the moment I am using around 15g of coffee and 200ml of water inverted in the press. I got this from the brewmethods site a few weeks ago. I just enjoy sipping on it for a while longer so it doesn't go very far.
I know there isn't to much to it but obviously brewing to long and it ends up tasting a bit bitter and nasty so didn't want to make that mistake. Also due to the size of the Aeropress it doesn't hold that much water so didn't want to add to much coffee and up with something resembling gravy :D
 
No worries :) You won't end up with a thick consistency with the Aeropress so don't worry about that. Did you try diluting and tasting the end result?

As I mentioned before, there are so many AP methods it's untrue so do experiment. Brewmethods isn't an exclusive list.

I think I may have mentioned my current AP method before but here it is:

1) Soak AP filter in boiling water to get rid of the paper taste.
2) Assemble AP upright and pour some boiling water in it to pre-warm.
(I combine 1&2 by putting the dry filter in and assembling the AP, then pour boiling water through it a couple of times)
3) Pour boiling water in your mug.
4) Clear any excess water from AP.
5) Pour in 20g ground beans.
6) Empty mug and place AP on top of it.
7) Pour 91-93C water vigorously onto the grounds and fill near to the brim. I normally shake my kettle to cause maximum disturbance of the coffee.
7) Wait 30 seconds (during this time some of the coffee will be falling into the mug, this is normal).
8) Stir slowly for 10 seconds.
9) Slowly press for around 15-20 seconds until just before it starts hissing (you will already know this point from looking through the AP)
10) Fill rest of mug with some remaining water from the kettle.
11) Enjoy!! :)

If you find there is a lot of resistance when you press (9) you may find your coffee quite bitter so grind a little coarser next time.

Looks like you already have scales and it's also worth getting a thermometer to control brew temperature.

When experimenting, try and change one variable at a time and over time you will hit on your favourite method. As I said before, there are loads of methods and this may not suit your taste but it's something to try :)
 
FeFiDoh said:
Thank you Hamster.
Really all I wanted to do was enjoy a bigger cup, at the moment I am using around 15g of coffee and 200ml of water inverted in the press. I got this from the brewmethods site a few weeks ago. I just enjoy sipping on it for a while longer so it doesn't go very far.
I know there isn't to much to it but obviously brewing to long and it ends up tasting a bit bitter and nasty so didn't want to make that mistake. Also due to the size of the Aeropress it doesn't hold that much water so didn't want to add to much coffee and up with something resembling gravy :D
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There were mentions a while ago of a larger aeropress that may be coming to market. :D


Yes please!


Oh, and a tip I picked up at the UK Brewers Cup. If you use the aeropress inverted, once you've put the lid on, press down gently to expel all the air before you turn it the right way up. Doesn't effect the brewing and also reduces the chance of making a mess when you turn it up onto the cup.
 
Edinho said:
I might be open to abuse here. But I am still loving my Nespresso machine. A machine that cost £80 delivering 19 bar and delivers a pretty good espresso while me toast is cooking.

For time/value/quality can't fault it imo. Although use it more than twice a day or have a family I can appreciate it would get too expensive. For a single bloke they are great.
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where I used to work I was seriously impressed with the Nespresso machine. Clearly no where near a good espresso place but much better than most sources of coffee and very easy to use. I am torn between buying a Rancillo Silvia + rocky grinder or just buying a nespresso for ease of use and cost effectiveness.

Unfortunately here in the US the nespresso capsules are hard o find. When I lived in Switzerland you could buy them form the supermarket and I also lived 3 minutes form a large nespresso store ( and lived 30 miles form the Nestle HQ).
 
Crikey that doesn't look right! Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will be along to answer however I'd be inclined to take that apart and have a look / clean myself.
 
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