Siliconslave's how to make espresso thread

thewanted said:
Paul @ ProPresso did a great job, with a remarkably quick turnaround time. The machine was very heavily scaled inside, despite me thinking I had done an okay job of descaling it. It turns out that even with softened water, you need to do it much more frequently than you'd expect to.
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Did they open up the boiler and send you pics, do they say what chemical they use
... if I had a boroscope I'd like to see what's happening in mine, through 1cm anti-vac valve hole, I remove , when descaling.

You dropped it off, I guess, would be $$$ to send by post/dhl ....
 
Had 2x1kg arrive from Wogan yesterday - Colombian and monthly Ethiopian. Two questions please just leave in dark cupboard or fridge ? And how long to leave before first using ? Roast date was Friday - I've read anywhere from 5 to 14 days (!)
 
Buckster said:
Had 2x1kg arrive from Wogan yesterday - Colombian and monthly Ethiopian. Two questions please just leave in dark cupboard or fridge ? And how long to leave before first using ? Roast date was Friday - I've read anywhere from 5 to 14 days (!)
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I think 3-4 days is considered ok for off-gassing.

For the fridge question I think the commonly accepted concepts are:

Getting cold beans out of a fridge or freezer lets moisture condense on them. It's best to only take things out once you need them, and not put them back.

Freezing beans is fine but again watch the moisture and temperature.

So the best practise could be to portion out your beans into say weekly or fortnightly amounts, freeze in airtight containers (even better if you can squeeze out the existing air like a bag), and take out one batch at a time to store at room temp.
 
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Buckster said:
Had 2x1kg arrive from Wogan yesterday - Colombian and monthly Ethiopian. Two questions please just leave in dark cupboard or fridge ? And how long to leave before first using ? Roast date was Friday - I've read anywhere from 5 to 14 days (!)
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If you're going to use it in a month just leave the other bag in the cupboard.

If not, 1kg is a lot and takes me about a month, mush the air out WITHOUT opening, sellotape the vacuum seal and stick it in the freezer. Wait until you finished your first bag then defrost over night and open in the morning

Dark roasts off gas quicker so 5-10 days is fine
 
What do we all think about robusta in blends? I have a sub with Hasbean for my single origins and occasionally top up with one of their blends (all arabica), but occasionally I've been to a local shop; https://doppiocoffee.co.uk/ Most of their blends are 20-30 percent robusta which is interesting. Their coffee is cheaper though, for my first early morning one it's fine. But definitely not as nice as Hasbean's for example.

Is robusta cheap filler, or does it have it's place for making better espresso etc? :) I only ever drink white americanos via Aeropress or moka pot.
 
LuckyBenski said:
I think 3-4 days is considered ok for off-gassing.

For the fridge question I think the commonly accepted concepts are:

Getting cold beans out of a fridge or freezer lets moisture condense on them. It's best to only take things out once you need them, and not put them back.

Freezing beans is fine but again watch the moisture and temperature.

So the best practise could be to portion out your beans into say weekly or fortnightly amounts, freeze in airtight containers (even better if you can squeeze out the existing air like a bag), and take out one batch at a time to store at room temp.
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thanks very much for the reply - really useful info.

I opened up the Ethiopian beans today - woah they are certainly different ! The beans themselves are much smaller than I've seen previously and had a distinct smell. On grinding I could tell my grinder was having harder work than normal.

Need more dialing in - but initial impressions are very positive but it is definitely "different" !
 
Scam said:
What do we all think about robusta in blends? I have a sub with Hasbean for my single origins and occasionally top up with one of their blends (all arabica), but occasionally I've been to a local shop; https://doppiocoffee.co.uk/ Most of their blends are 20-30 percent robusta which is interesting. Their coffee is cheaper though, for my first early morning one it's fine. But definitely not as nice as Hasbean's for example.

Is robusta cheap filler, or does it have it's place for making better espresso etc? :) I only ever drink white americanos via Aeropress or moka pot.
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thanks also for your reply some additional really useful info thanks :)
 
Scam said:
What do we all think about robusta in blends? I have a sub with Hasbean for my single origins and occasionally top up with one of their blends (all arabica), but occasionally I've been to a local shop; https://doppiocoffee.co.uk/ Most of their blends are 20-30 percent robusta which is interesting. Their coffee is cheaper though, for my first early morning one it's fine. But definitely not as nice as Hasbean's for example.

Is robusta cheap filler, or does it have it's place for making better espresso etc? :) I only ever drink white americanos via Aeropress or moka pot.
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Robusta is an easier coffee to grow, it survives in worse and less stable, doesn't get hit by as many diseases, grows in more climates and yields morer than Arabia (which makes up the vast majority of specialist coffee). Everyone knows that harder is better so historically Arabica was deemed to be the better coffee, even the likes of maccy-ds advertises 100% arabica beans :rolleyes:. Arabica tends to have a softer and fruitier flavour vs Robusta which is generalised as being more woody and earthy.

As Robusta is easier to grow it tends to be cheaper. As such it was used to bulk out instant and bad ground coffees before the whole 2nd wave of coffee kicked in (ie starbucks appearing everywhere).

All that being said arabica now makes up just over 1/2 the coffee grown world wide and so the general quality has dropped (don't get me wrong, the good arbica is still good, but the good stuff isn't going into instant coffee).

I guess in summary there good Robusta and bad Robusta, good robusta is better than bad arabica, but harder to find.
 
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Siliconslave said:
I guess in summary there good Robusta and bad Robusta, good robusta is better than bad arabica, but harder to find.
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Cheers. So no need to be a snotty elitist and turn my nose up at a 30% robusta blend. I had it this morning from the AP and it was actually very nice. Not bad £7.50 for a 250g which is cheap nowadays (London shops, hence why I buy online). They had other blends that were more like £6.50 too.
 
Mr_Orange said:
I've inherited a mocha pot. I'm experimenting with whatever ground coffee I can get from Lidl as a cheaper way of seeing what I like best and then I can go down the rabbit hole a bit.
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step 1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfDLoIvb0w4 & check the seal & pressure release valve, both are easy to replace but if they fail you can have a very bad day

step 2:
hand grinder (~£50 for a timemore chesnut is a pretty good start)
or
electric bur grinder (~£130 Wilfa Svart. ~£200 Fellow Opus / Eureka Mignon Crono) You'll also see the sage grinders for around £160 but there are better grinders on the market from a longevity and grind quality point of view.

step 3: v60 / aeropress / jump up to a full blown espresso machine :D


Scam said:
Cheers. So no need to be a snotty elitist and turn my nose up at a 30% robusta blend. I had it this morning from the AP and it was actually very nice. Not bad £7.50 for a 250g which is cheap nowadays (London shops, hence why I buy online). They had other blends that were more like £6.50 too.
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oh, but snotty elitism is fun :D Like with most things if you enjoy it then great - thats all that matters :)
 
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Siliconslave said:
oh, but snotty elitism is fun :D Like with most things if you enjoy it then great - thats all that matters :)
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Scam said:
Cheers. So no need to be a snotty elitist and turn my nose up at a 30% robusta blend. I had it this morning from the AP and it was actually very nice. Not bad £7.50 for a 250g which is cheap nowadays (London shops, hence why I buy online). They had other blends that were more like £6.50 too.
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The bottom line IMO with coffee is, if YOU enjoy it, you're making it right :)

Some of my favourite coffee I've had over the years was a 50/50 mix of supermarket decaf (Waitrose Swiss water) and another supermarket blend. The ritual plays a big part here, it was my final year of uni and I had a morning routine of measuring, grinding and brewing a full litre cafetiere then decanting it into a thermos. Middling coffee, but consistent, and tweaked to my taste. And I always had acceptable coffee to hand during lectures :D
 
I just toured the Baltics and found this little gem in Latvia.

S1VlxuD.jpg


It was as good as it sounds. After exchanging a few giggles, I had a 40g (2xdouble baskets) tonic which was amazing. Best I had over the 7 country stint over the last few weeks.
 
DarkShadow said:
I just toured the Baltics and found this little gem in Latvia.

S1VlxuD.jpg


It was as good as it sounds. After exchanging a few giggles, I had a 40g (2xdouble baskets) tonic which was amazing. Best I had over the 7 country stint over the last few weeks.
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Magic Pussy is our most well-known Rocket Bean espresso. And not
only because of its name, but it is also complex by nature. It is always
sweet and juicy and has floral notes at the end of the enjoyment. It is
a flavour explosion in your mouth. Once you try it, you will never forget it.
It has such a long-lasting, divine aftertaste, which gives your throat
a comforting sensation, like the one that makes little kittens purr whilst they enjoy their warm milk.

www.rocketbeanroastery.com

MAGIC PUSSY | Ethiopia, Guji, BIO ORGANIC

MAGIC PUSSY | Ethiopia | BIO ORGANIC Region: Guji The Guji Highland Coffee Plantation Manager: Wadessa Yachisa Magic Pussy is our most well-known Rocket Bean espresso. And not only because of its name, but it is also complex by nature. It is always sweet and juicy and has floral notes at the...
www.rocketbeanroastery.com www.rocketbeanroastery.com
:cry:
 
Scam said:
What do we all think about robusta in blends? I have a sub with Hasbean for my single origins and occasionally top up with one of their blends (all arabica), but occasionally I've been to a local shop; https://doppiocoffee.co.uk/ Most of their blends are 20-30 percent robusta which is interesting. Their coffee is cheaper though, for my first early morning one it's fine. But definitely not as nice as Hasbean's for example.

Is robusta cheap filler, or does it have it's place for making better espresso etc? :) I only ever drink white americanos via Aeropress or moka pot.
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I ordered this coffee a couple of years ago by mistake. I was pleasantly surprised as I thought robusta was bitter. This is not (with milk anyway), but I'd drink this as a black coffee at your discretion :D

lalicocoffee.co.uk

Uganda NKG Kaweri Colobus

Uganda Kaweri Colobus Premium Speciality Coffee. Whole coffee beans or ground coffee beans hand-roasted to order to guarantee freshness. For individuals, cafés, coffee shops and restaurants. Free delivery.
lalicocoffee.co.uk lalicocoffee.co.uk
 
chaparral said:
Guys am thinking of buying my first bean to coffee machine

What do you guys think of these beans ?

STARBUCKS Pike Place Roast, Medium Roast, Whole Bean Coffee​


I have no idea what beans to order or try :confused: :o Looking for beans on amazon or what beans waitrose sell due to my location
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Avoid anything without a roast date imo. Check out online roasters in your area and aim for a developed roast to begin with. Avoid anything light roast or with fruit forward profile as they're harder to extract. Glgl
 
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