Soldato
- Joined
- 8 Dec 2002
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- 21,267
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- North Yorkshire
I use this place http://www.e-coffee.co.uk/index.php cheaper than the above and the service is top drawer and the coffee ain't bad either!
Siliconslave's how to make espresso thread
- Thread starter Siliconslave
- Start date
Welcome to the club, happy Classic owner here, although making do with a Starbucks grinder.
Hasbean do some nice coffee, Jailbreak is their standard espresso blend and is quite forgiving. I will often get a bag of that and another I like the sound of, often something a bit different. Had one that tasted like blueberries recently.
Hasbean do some nice coffee, Jailbreak is their standard espresso blend and is quite forgiving. I will often get a bag of that and another I like the sound of, often something a bit different. Had one that tasted like blueberries recently.
Man of Honour
- Joined
- 16 May 2005
- Posts
- 31,297
- Location
- Manchester
Today I visited Cocoa-Cabana in West Didsbury (Manchester). They are a chocolatier and also use Has Bean coffee in their espresso/etc.
The first macchiato I had was pretty awesome. I wouldn't say it was perfectly done but it was very good and far above anything you'd get in a chain. The second one wasn't quite so good (made by the younger blonde girl rather than the older one that made the first drink...I'm afraid I didn't get any names)...in fact I'd say that the second one was really badly made - either due to the tamping or the grind and tamp combined it clearly ran through too quickly and was incredibly sour. It was a really good example of how different the same coffee beans can taste when they are dealt with well in one drink and badly in another.
That said, it was still a great experience and I'd definitely go back there again for the coffee alone
Further to that, they make the most amazing chocolate. Mostly truffles and you could be forgiven for looking at the selection and assuming you're purchasing something from Thorntons. However, the quality is far in advance of anything you'd normally get on the high street and sharing a £6 box (of 6 sweets) between 3 of us really set off the espresso/macchiatos well.
The first macchiato I had was pretty awesome. I wouldn't say it was perfectly done but it was very good and far above anything you'd get in a chain. The second one wasn't quite so good (made by the younger blonde girl rather than the older one that made the first drink...I'm afraid I didn't get any names)...in fact I'd say that the second one was really badly made - either due to the tamping or the grind and tamp combined it clearly ran through too quickly and was incredibly sour. It was a really good example of how different the same coffee beans can taste when they are dealt with well in one drink and badly in another.
That said, it was still a great experience and I'd definitely go back there again for the coffee alone
Further to that, they make the most amazing chocolate. Mostly truffles and you could be forgiven for looking at the selection and assuming you're purchasing something from Thorntons. However, the quality is far in advance of anything you'd normally get on the high street and sharing a £6 box (of 6 sweets) between 3 of us really set off the espresso/macchiatos well.
Can't be bothered to type all this again at the moment...
Read the descriptions on the beans and grab what interests you. Got one that's like lemon butter icing this morning. And an old favourite which is like hot ribena.
I tend to go for one that I'm pretty sure I'll like, and almost one at random... or one that's totally off that wall. Usually something that I've never tried before.
Thanks for that! I think i've found one that sounds right up my street here
I was just about to put my order down for my Gaggia Classic and it's literally (in the past hour or so) just risen from £180 to £200... pah, typical
Sounds nice. As a loose rule if you're looking for chocolately/smooth/nutty then South America is a good place to go. Brazil especially. If you're like me and drink with milk then all these namby pamby fruity and flowery beans are a bit wasted*Thanks for that! I think i've found one that sounds right up my street here
I was bored earlier so popped into our new local Harris+Hoole. It was.. alright. Coffee by numbers really. Cappucino was serviceable. I was about to post on here and ask what the deal was, as they have a lot of branches. But I just read up on their website that Tesco have a 'non-controlling' investment. Explains a lot. I've nothing against that per sé (companies need money to grow) but something just seemed very false with the whole set up there. The staff were crap, long queue, people having to repeat orders, no clean tables etc. Oh well, I'll stick with Electric Coffee as my local
*I just need an espresso machine to try them
The "big river" marketplace has some refurbs which are most likely fine (and I think many people have bought refubs from there, and they've turned out to be virtually untouched, with just damaged packaging).
Also if you get 2nd hand, you're more likely to get an older "pre-Philips" model, which some say are more reliable than the newer models.
Bought stuff to backflush classic when it arrives.
I thought that I will give it ago and flush gaggia baby that wasn't working...took pump apart and left in cup with water and powder.then put it all together and back flushed.
And baby is back alive!!!!
I was convinced that pump was dead....clearly it wasn't...
Will have 2 machines then ;;
I thought that I will give it ago and flush gaggia baby that wasn't working...took pump apart and left in cup with water and powder.then put it all together and back flushed.
And baby is back alive!!!!
I was convinced that pump was dead....clearly it wasn't...
Will have 2 machines then ;;
okay...
won Classic for £60 inc delivery...
questions...how to clean/descale. what do I need and whats best place to get it from ?
manual must be somewhere on the net so no problem there.
Thanks
Oh man thanks to your bargain hunting I'm now scouring the bay for a Gaggia!
Man of Honour
- Joined
- 16 May 2005
- Posts
- 31,297
- Location
- Manchester
Good to know. I'll have to get a backflush plate sorted.
Oh man thanks to your bargain hunting I'm now scouring the bay for a Gaggia!
Ive seen some going for around £80 plus postage.
not sure why I got so lucky lol
I do hope it works yes it is.
I descaled all before including pump and it wasn't good at all..
while googlong for answers, everyone said - it must be pump, it must be pump...
I was amazed what gunk came out after backflush :yuck:
Happydonkey has them cheap - backflush plates, but charges £4.5 for postage so make sure you get more than a plate
Man of Honour
- Joined
- 16 May 2005
- Posts
- 31,297
- Location
- Manchester
I descaled all before including pump and it wasn't good at all..
while googlong for answers, everyone said - it must be pump, it must be pump...
I was amazed what gunk came out after backflush :yuck:
Happydonkey has them cheap - backflush plates, but charges £4.5 for postage so make sure you get more than a plate
I should've got one when I ordered my MC2 a while back. Oh well
I should've got one when I ordered my MC2 a while back. Oh well
talking about mc2..what do lines on top cup mean ?? like a measuring stick ?? what are those for ?
I bought mc2 a while back but couldn't use it as coffee machine was not working...so have no clue how it works ;D
Man of Honour
- Joined
- 16 May 2005
- Posts
- 31,297
- Location
- Manchester
talking about mc2..what do lines on top cup mean ?? like a measuring stick ?? what are those for ?
I bought mc2 a while back but couldn't use it as coffee machine was not working...so have no clue how it works ;D
I think they're there so that you can get a rough idea of what setting you've got your grind on - it rotates as you loosen/tighten the grind knob.
To be honest I've found it kind of useless and I'm tempted to remove the sticker
I think they're there so that you can get a rough idea of what setting you've got your grind on - it rotates as you loosen/tighten the grind knob.
To be honest I've found it kind of useless and I'm tempted to remove the sticker
oh,ok.
this weekend my hands will shake like crazy from all coffee I will drink
will need to set grinder properly ;D
Man of Honour
- Joined
- 16 May 2005
- Posts
- 31,297
- Location
- Manchester
oh,ok.
this weekend my hands will shake like crazy from all coffee I will drink
will need to set grinder properly ;D
Be prepared to use up half your coffee supply getting it right
Be prepared to use up half your coffee supply getting it right
I think I have around 5kg of coffee...should suffice
so Classic was delivered.
From outside all casing looks like new.
Now so brilliant behind water tank and around the head....dont think it is rust just old coffee stains - I do hope so.
backflushed it straight away.
water flow got better - will back flush again tomorrow and sunday to get it as clean as I can.
below is link for a shot I pulled. it is from coffee grinded by cafe staff at my work place using big grinder. and this coffee was in fridge for good couple weeks in airtight container.
bit fast as it is around 18sec. I think it was bit sour as well...
linky
can it be coffee fault ?
From outside all casing looks like new.
Now so brilliant behind water tank and around the head....dont think it is rust just old coffee stains - I do hope so.
backflushed it straight away.
water flow got better - will back flush again tomorrow and sunday to get it as clean as I can.
below is link for a shot I pulled. it is from coffee grinded by cafe staff at my work place using big grinder. and this coffee was in fridge for good couple weeks in airtight container.
bit fast as it is around 18sec. I think it was bit sour as well...
linky
can it be coffee fault ?