When you take your Coffee TOO seriously

[Michael Scott]

Ok, as a coffee "enthusiast" who owns a Hario V60, Baratza Encore with upgraded burrs, 3 French presses, multiple scales and a chemex, I feel personally attacked. Yet couldn't stop laughing at the truth of it

 

[Travis Ballstadt]

That guy is hilarious.
Over the holidays I upgraded my main machine to the Moccamaster and my grinder to the Bodum he uses in the video. A couple weeks ago I decided to try the Ode grinder by Fellow, which is impressively quiet and does a really nice job for drip through French press grinds- no espresso grind though.
Still researching an espresso maker that I can get without a loan.
My favorite is still my campsite percolator. It just makes the best coffee.

 

[Michael Scott]

The fellow ode is really nice. I still think it's slightly overpriced for what it is. But it still greater the 90% of the grinders out there. Good solid burr grinder

 

[Travis Ballstadt]

The fellow ode is really nice. I still think it's slightly overpriced for what it is. But it still greater the 90% of the grinders out there. Good solid burr grinder

They had a 15% off deal over Memorial Day which is why I bit the bullet and ordered. A $45 savings put it in my “Justifiable” range.

 

[Michael Scott]

They had a 15% off deal over Memorial Day which is why I bit the bullet and ordered. A $45 savings put it in my “Justifiable” range.

That's not bad then. At full price I was hesitating but at 15% off I might actually buy one.

 

[Travis Ballstadt]

That's not bad then. At full price I was hesitating but at 15% off I might actually buy one.

It looks like I can give you a referral and you’ll get 15% off, if you’re actually interested.

 

[Sonnie]

K-cup here... between 1 and 4 12oz Calcutta mugs every day. On average I'd say about 3 M-F and 1 on Sat/Sun.

Love the Solimo dark roast and Eight O'Clock's Dark Italian roast.

 

[Travis Ballstadt]

K-cup here... between 1 and 4 12oz Calcutta mugs every day. On average I'd say about 3 M-F and 1 on Sat/Sun.

Love the Solimo dark roast and Eight O'Clock's Dark Italian roast.

So much plastic waste. I dumped mine when it dawned on me how much single-use plastic was involved. I loved the Rocket Fuel cups tho.

 

[Michael Scott]

It looks like I can give you a referral and you’ll get 15% off, if you’re actually interested.

I may take you up on that offer sometime. At the moment I'm a little cash strapped as I'm pouring multi thousands of dollars into a couple of sub upgrades. But that fellow ode is a grinder I'm keeping my eye on kind of like the wilfa svart

 

[SRW1000]

Next step for you guys is roasting your own beans. The flavor can't be beat, and you can dial in the darkness you want, depending on origin, of course. Personal favorite: Costa Rician medium rosast.

 

[Michael Scott]

Next step for you guys is roasting your own beans. The flavor can't be beat, and you can dial in the darkness you want, depending on origin, of course. Personal favorite: Costa Rician medium rosast.

That's my next step. I've just been deciding whether I want to take a class on it or dive headfirst in after you watching videos

 

[SRW1000]

I got started after some internet searches. You can spend a lot to do it, or not so much. For me, the Nesco Professional Home Roaster was a good solution (although it was called Zach and Dani's back when I bought it):

Nesco Professional Home Coffee Roaster | Roastmasters.com

It wasn't a good machine for dark roasts, though, which is something to keep in mind. It didn't matter to me since my preference leans toward the medium side of things.

One of it's nice features is that it had a built-in catalytic converter, to help keep down the smell. That's one thing to be aware of, is that they produce a considerable amount of smoke/odor. Even with the catalytic converter and the kitchen fan on, the smell will linger for a few hours. And it doesn't exactly smell like roasted coffee. I don't find it offensive, but there are some who could (even coffee lovers).

It's a fun path to go down, though, and you'd be hard-pressed to find the same exact flavor from a commercial coffee roaster, unless your taste happens to align with one of their products.

If you do decide to go this route, I highly recommend getting a variety pack of different origin green coffee beans to help you pinpoint your favorite coffee/roast combination. A lot of the sites that sell the beans will offer their recommendations for a particular roast, which is a good starting point.

Scott

 

[phillihp23]

For me it’s cheap drip at work and k-cup out the door each morning.

 

[mechman]

You guys are nuts!

 

[Michael Scott]

You guys are nuts!

strange, that's what my wife told me last week when I got my new burrs for the Baratza encore grinder... I had made 12 cups using the same brew method with different grind sizes (was trying to dial in what grind setting I wanted) and was taste testing each to see the variances. ....I think she almost had me committed.

 

[mechman]

strange, that's what my wife told me last week when I got my new burrs for the Baratza encore grinder... I had made 12 cups using the same brew method with different grind sizes (was trying to dial in what grind setting I wanted) and was taste testing each to see the variances. ....I think she almost had me committed.

I rest my case!

 

[SRW1000]

You guys are nuts!

I get the same reaction when talking to "normal" people about my home theater purchases and build details.

I guess our interests and passions can look a bit crazy or eccentric to outsiders, but that' OK.

 

[Michael Scott]

I rest my case!

I never claimed to be normal

 

[phillihp23]

So what’s a decent espresso machine in the $200 dollar max range?

 

[Sonnie]

One of it's nice features is that it had a built-in catalytic converter, to help keep down the smell. That's one thing to be aware of, is that they produce a considerable amount of smoke/odor. Even with the catalytic converter and the kitchen fan on, the smell will linger for a few hours. And it doesn't exactly smell like roasted coffee. I don't find it offensive, but there are some who could (even coffee lovers).

So... what a coincidence... our local Sheriff Terry Mears just announced that there has been a run on theft of catalytic converters in our area. Perhaps they are using them on their coffee roasters.

I have a buddy who buys a lot of beans and grinds his own. It's good as long as you either drink it on up right when you make it... or have a good mug to keep it hot for a while. Otherwise, if it sits in the pot for longer than 30-45 minutes, I'm no longer a fan, hence the K-cups for me. Plus I'm always in a rush, so I don't have time for things that take too much time.

 

[Travis Ballstadt]

Catalytic converters theft is up about 300% nationwide. Especially if you have a Prius. Apparently those contain the most precious metals and have the highest values.

I make a pot in the morning, drink a couple cups before my shower and pour the rest in my ceramic-lined travel mug to take to the office. A good, well-balanced, proper strength pot should stay good for at least 90 minutes.

 

[Michael Scott]

So what’s a decent espresso machine in the $200 dollar max range?

I hate to say it but you're not gonna get decent espresso for $200. The gaggia classic is probably the low end of "good". But it's not toooooo far past your budget. About $250 if you wait for sales

 

[phillihp23]

I hate to say it but you're not gonna get decent espresso for $200. The gaggia classic is probably the low end of "good". But it's not toooooo far past your budget. About $250 if you wait for sales

Who sells it? All I found were sites written in Italian and eBay.

 

[Michael Scott]

Who sells it? All I found were sites written in Italian and eBay.

It's sold at most online coffe shops, including amazon

Amazon.com: Gaggia RI9380/46 Classic Pro Espresso Machine, Solid, Brushed Stainless Steel: Kitchen & Dining

Shop Gaggia at the Amazon Coffee, Tea, & Espresso store. Free Shipping on eligible items. Everyday low prices, save up to 50%.

www.amazon.com

it's pricey, but it's on the LOW end of the price scale for a quality espresso machine. It goes on sale for like $250-$280 for refurbs usually. Not trying to play the snob game of "only this million dollar machine can do quality", but espresso is soooooooo difficult to get right on sub $300 machines. It's an intrinsically complicated process compared to drip coffee (where 90% of the tech is all in the grinder, the machines are usually $20-$80 depending on what you wanna do and the rest is just technique).... that being said, you CAN get DECENT espresso shots for sub $300, it just has compromises that you'll have to live with. in that range the only one I'd truly recommend is the DeLonghi EC702. It won't pull truly barista level shots, but for home users who aren't massively discriminating, they will do the job

Amazon.com: De'Longhi 15 bar Pump Espresso Maker, EC702, Metal: Espresso Machines: Kitchen & Dining

Shop De'Longhi at the Amazon Coffee, Tea, & Espresso store. Free Shipping on eligible items. Everyday low prices, save up to 50%.

www.amazon.com

 

[Michael Scott]

That guy is hilarious.
Over the holidays I upgraded my main machine to the Moccamaster and my grinder to the Bodum he uses in the video. A couple weeks ago I decided to try the Ode grinder by Fellow, which is impressively quiet and does a really nice job for drip through French press grinds- no espresso grind though.
Still researching an espresso maker that I can get without a loan.
My favorite is still my campsite percolator. It just makes the best coffee.

how are you liking the the Fellow ODE grinder now that you've had some time to play with it? I love my baratza, but I hear the ODE has better fines control on the coarser grinds for french press, which is my go to brew method along with a Hario V60