Siliconslave's how to make espresso thread

Shame about the new Classic, hope parts keep flowing for existing ones.

Just ordered a Silvia wand off Amazon, seemed like a good buy at £20 "pre-modded" with a nut already on.
 
Anyone know what blend on hasbean is a good all-rounder for espresso without being too weak or too strong? Ive used Pact before but I find their coffee's a bit geared to too many varieties and finding a good rounded one difficult.
 
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Edinho said:
Anyone know what blend on hasbean is a good all-rounder for espresso without being too weak or too strong? Ive used Pact before but I find their coffee's a bit geared to too many varieties and finding a good rounded one difficult.
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What would you describe as too strong? To be more specific - what aspect of coffee do you find too strong sometimes? Bitterness, roasted notes, acidity, etc?
 
breakfast bomb was pretty good last time i had it - there only £4.50 each so grab a couple of the blends and see which one you get along with.

Alternatively just get some Redbrick from squaremile :D
 
I've inherited an old Delonghi machine from my mum, bought some coffee from Tesco and started understanding how an espresso comes together, and how to properly foam milk. I started pretty cautiously, and every coffee I make tastes better, and looks better in terms of crema and milk consistency. I'm thoroughly enjoying the experience!
 
Karl said:
I've inherited an old Delonghi machine from my mum, bought some coffee from Tesco and started understanding how an espresso comes together, and how to properly foam milk. I started pretty cautiously, and every coffee I make tastes better, and looks better in terms of crema and milk consistency. I'm thoroughly enjoying the experience!
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good stuff, enjoy!

biggest thing you can do now to step up your game is grab a (decentish) grinder and some beans from a good roaster :)
 
I inherited a Nespresso machine around two years ago, I think its on its way out and the milk frother has just packed in the other day too. After hearing all the fuss about Aeropress I'm looking into getting one. I take it all I need is an Aeropress, filters, coffee beans and a grinder?

Is this grinder ok? http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hario-Mediu...423219782&sr=8-1&keywords=hand+coffee+grinder

Has anyone tried any of the hand frothers?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bodum-1446-...1423219980&sr=8-1&keywords=bodum+milk+frother

Any recommendations on where to buy beans from?
 
Richy, the aeropres should come with filters (I've had mine for over 6 months and still using what it came with). The grinder looks ok, I've seen people using them.

I went for a porlex grinder and the filter bean 'deal' on HasBean for my first batch. 5 different bags of beans to try to see what you prefer. Now upgraded to a MC2 and a Gaggia classic... Oops.

I'd recommend getting some scales too, the scoop is useless.
 
That hario grinder is pretty decent and good value for the money.

Can't stand milk in coffee i'm afraid so no use on the frother i'm afraid :(

beans wise there are loads, a few good ones to start with are:
http://shop.squaremilecoffee.com/
http://www.hasbean.co.uk
http://ravecoffee.co.uk/

but read back a few pages to find reviews / general chit chat about various roasters :)

edit: Good call on the scales as well - biggest thing for consistency is measuring and timing everything, means you can experiment while keeping all but one variable static :) I resisted for ages but recently got a £15 Salter digital scale from the high street and use it religiously now :)
 
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Really don't see the point in scales, i think some people just get carried away. If your going for the coffee brewers world record fair enough.

I just use a heaped scoop full of beans.

I think the most important thing is to grind your own beans as your about to use them, it has the most impact. Then the age of the beans. I'm using some Costco lavazza beans and they're fine. I like the Taylors beans as well, fresh beans arent worth it for me i just dont use them fast enough for them to be considered fresh for long.
 
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richyfingers said:
I inherited a Nespresso machine around two years ago, I think its on its way out and the milk frother has just packed in the other day too. After hearing all the fuss about Aeropress I'm looking into getting one. I take it all I need is an Aeropress, filters, coffee beans and a grinder?

Is this grinder ok? http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hario-Mediu...423219782&sr=8-1&keywords=hand+coffee+grinder

Has anyone tried any of the hand frothers?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bodum-1446-...1423219980&sr=8-1&keywords=bodum+milk+frother

Any recommendations on where to buy beans from?
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For an extra £15 this looks like a good buy too, just about to buy it after ordering beans rather than pre-grinded! It's electric, burr and cermaic.

Also, http://ravecoffee.co.uk/collections/special-selection/products/nicaragua-finca-el-bosque-micro-lot

Is one of the best coffees I've ever tasted if not the best.

robj20 said:
Really don't see the point in scales, i think some people just get carried away. If your going for the coffee brewers world record fair enough.

I just use a heaped scoop full of beans.

I think the most important thing is to grind your own beans as your about to use them, it has the most impact. Then the age of the beans. I'm using some Costco lavazza beans and they're fine. I like the Taylors beans as well, fresh beans arent worth it for me i just dont use them fast enough for them to be considered fresh for long.
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Doesn't see the point in scales, uses Lavazza beans ;) Scales are important for consistency, and fresh roasted coffee over any other bean.
 
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I think some people in here get carried away telling people what to buy when there just after a step up from freeze dried stuff.

Lets say for instance i take your advice and buy that rave coffee, how long does it take before its no longer fresh.

I buy 2KG of the lavazza stuff for about £8 and freeze it in bags that last me a week each, the one im using stays in the fridge. It suites me just fine i get a nice brew that i think is miles better than the freeze dried stuff while still at low cost and minimum faffing around.
If my brew took as long as some of you lot must take i would get bored within a week.
 
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Thanks for all the replies and advice, it can get a bit confusing when you see everyones conflicting opinions. Got scales already so think I'll just go for the grinder I was looking at and try a selection of beans and see how I get on.
 
robj20 said:
I think some people in here get carried away telling people what to buy when there just after a step up from freeze dried stuff.

Lets say for instance i take your advice and buy that rave coffee, how long does it take before its no longer fresh.

I buy 2KG of the lavazza stuff for about £8 and freeze it in bags that last me a week each, the one im using stays in the fridge. It suites me just fine i get a nice brew that i think is miles better than the freeze dried stuff while still at low cost and minimum faffing around.
If my brew took as long as some of you lot must take i would get bored within a week.
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Keeping coffee in the fridge/freezer is really bad.

Buying coffee freshly roasted every week or two isn't exactly onerous. And grinding beans/making an espresso is what, 60 seconds of work? Not exactly the end of the world.
 
"Storing Larger Quantities of Coffee
If you've purchased a large quantity of coffee that you will not use immediately, small portions, wrapped in airtight bags, can be stored for up to a month in the freezer. Once you have removed them from the freezer, however, do not return them. Instead, move them to an air-tight container and store in a cool, dry place."

Which is what i do. Worked fine so far. Im not after coffee perfection. Hasbean and the likes work out way to expensive.
 
Exactly, just because it's too expensive for you doesn't mean you have to belittle other peoples hobbies. Some people enjoy the process the, effort it takes to make a good (perfect) cup of coffee. Also takes me about 2minutes from the kettle being boiled to making a coffee, hardly time consuming.

You can order fresh coffee in each week for £6pw which is much cheaper than my previous smoking hobby.

Also freezing coffee is not a good thing, it can be used but the quality of the coffee will massively deteriorate as coffee itself is porous it will absorb moisture. Also a good chance of breaking down the oils within the bean. This is obviously not important, if your just looking for a cup of coffee though as you've stated previously :)
 
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