Reviving this wonderful thread to report that my Barista grinder has been sidelined until I get the bravery to take it apart and try to fix it. I have since acquired several manual burr grinders for various purposes and I’m really enjoying using them.
I started out with a Porlex Mini Grinder, which is stainless steel and as beautiful as it is functional – to use while camping and backpacking with an Aeropress. I use a mesh filter with the Aeropress so I don’t lose any of the flavor in the oils. Unfortunately, I inadvertently broke one of the ceramic burrs of the Porlex while cleaning and apparently the only North American supplier of that part is in Canada and the shipping alone would cost more than a new grinder.
So I replaced it with a GSI JavaMill that I got at a discount. It also has ceramic burrs, so it works great, but it’s plastic housing and parts lack the sophistication of the Porlex. Why this matters to me, I don’t know, but I generally value metal and glass designs over plastic. Both the GSI and Porlex are basically single serving gizmos but working a little harder for good coffee doesn’t bother me when I’m backpacking/camping. I wouldn’t want to use either for daily use for two people who suck down coffee like our lives depend on, so when the Barista died, it was time to buy a new grinder.
I’ve had my eye on the Baratza Virtuoso because I know when you use a grinder as much as we do for a variety of brewing styles from espresso to french press, you need a really good grinder. My last one lasted over 14 years, so I feel like it’s an investment. But my spouse has tinnitus and has been happy enough using a hand mill, so I decided to look for one with a larger capacity. The Hario Skertonis the ticket! And because I didn’t spend over $200 on a grinder, my dearest let me buy a 6-cup Bialetti! Oh joy! It came in yesterday and ever since I’ve been grinding and brewing trying to get it just right. Who needs sleep? It’s tricky and I burned by first batch, but it still tasted way better than the shitty thermal french press I’ve been stuck with. The grind for it is not quite as fine as espresso, but still fine and I’ve got it flowing nicely. The only problem I’m having is that it when it starts to sputter (the cue for removing it from the heat) there’s still an ounce or two of water left in the bottom. Is that normal or do I need to keep adjusting things? I’m starting with hot water and have my heating element set to 6. Any ideas from other moka pot aficionados?
By the way, I’ll need to upgrade to the 12-cup soon. Even though I’m making Americanos, 6 (Italian) cups is not nearly enough to get me and my spouse going. I think I might end up with a shrine to coffee in my kitchen.
ETA: freckafree, are you still evaluating coffees?
Grinder: Baratza Vario. This is now my favorite kitchen device, and perhaps my favorite mechanical device in my possession. It’s just this dense hunk of stainless steel. It’s really a fantastic grinder and I’m not sorry for spending ~$400 on it.
Espresso machine: Crossland Coffee CC1. Perfectly adequate and well made. The UI is a little finicky but I’ve gotten used to it.
Daily cuppa: Aeropress. I’m not sure if I should be embarrassed that this gets far more use than the espresso maker. It really is just a perfect little device for a cup of coffee. Nuke some water, grind the beans, set up the unit, and press. <5 min from start to finish.
Beans: Nice local roaster called Chromatic Coffee. Though expensive; I’d like to find one that’s a few steps above Peet’s but without costing twice as much. Might have to go mail order on this one… anything reasonable that I can get on Amazon Prime?
Sorry to hijack the thread, but I’m ashamedly a Starbucks drinker. I’m well aware of — and frankly agree with – most people’s complaints about the brand.
Has Starbucks always tasted “burnt”, dating back to the '70s in Seattle?
And if so, how did it rise in popularity and become so ubiquitous?
Hard to hijack a zombie, but yes, if you order drip coffee it has always tasted burnt. If you order an Americano, though, it’s tolerable, but you can order an American anyplace else at a bargain – except at other trendy places that want to sell you coffee-based drinks instead of actual coffee.
Anyone here make Turkish coffee, with an ibrik? I had some recently at a Middle Eastern restaurant and loved it! It’s rich and strong and sweet. Can I grind the coffee fine enough on the finest setting on by burr grinder?
I guess this is a good place to lament that my burr grinder was DOA this morning, and I had to use an old blade grinder. On the plus side my coffee tasted a bit like cinnamon this morning, because I save the blade grinder for spices.
A Zojirushi drip, which makes excellent coffee, and consistently produces water over 200F.
A Breville burr grinder.
A great DeLonghi espresso maker that is only 6" wide, so fits perfectly on the counter next to the other two.
A French press in the RV. Takes up very little space and is quick and easy.
We used to buy local roast beans, but have gotten back on a piñon coffee kick after our last visit to New Mexico. We order the beans from New Mexico Piñon Coffee Company. They’ll ship any size order for a flat $10. Good stuff.
How many of you have ever done an actual “taste test”, drinking cups of coffee side by side, made completely differently or of different coffees? Is your preference for “your” coffee just confirmation bias?
I have done this several times. There is definitely an art to it, and I’ve made terrible coffee far more often than I’ve made the delicious kind that I had in Turkey.
Does anyone here make coffee with a vacuum pot? I found a beautiful old stainless steel Nicro vacuum system in a back cupboard at my parents’ house, and am eager to try it out. Unfortunately, I haven’t yet found the stainless steel filter that goes with it. I was in a biding war for one on eBay, but the price went too high, so I dropped out.
How’s the Breville work out for you? Last night I lamented the death of my burr grinder (a Cuisinart) right in this very thread, and today I unfortunately ended up stuck in a mall today where I fortunately remembered I needed a new grinder. My choices were a Breville for a hundred bucks, which sounds like a no-name brand, and a Cuisinart for fifty bucks.
Yeah, yeah, I ended up with the Cuisinart which is literally identical to the one that died yesterday and the one that died in 2011. If figured it it broke again, I was only out $50 rather than $100.
Serves me right for not using my Amazon Prime and reading reviews first, but, ya know, coffee is a right now thing.
I bought this one in 2012, and it’s still cranking out the coffee dust. It was expensive, but had good reviews, and amortized over the five years I’ve had it, it only comes out to just over $60/yr.
We have the same one; the only modification I made was after reading reviews on the CoffeeSnobs forum, that said it might not grind fine enough - the recommendation was to contact Breville and they would send a couple of washers which could be fitted to add a few extra dials - which they did without question. Had it about 4-5 years now, still going strong.
I really like my double walled stainless steel French press. It hits the sweet spot of great coffee without being too elaborate or expensive. For beans, there is a coffee roaster in Sperryville, VA that has great beans (http://www.centralcoffeeroasters.com). They are also some of the nicest people I’ve ever met, seriously; I stop in when I’m fly fishing in the mountains nearby and end up talking for like 30 minutes about whatever. So now, I associate coffee from there with brook trout and friendly faces.
I’ve found that the fine grind works well for espresso, but I’m not an expert on these things. I rarely use the fine setting, as we use a drip maker for everyday use.
My weekend coffee is made in a Bodum French press, beans ground in a Baratza Encore burr grinder (#30 setting), water heated to about 200 degrees in a Cuisinart water boiler. The second cup of coffee is kept hot in an Ikea insulated carafe that keeps the coffee hot for a number of hours. Most of my coffees have come from Raven’s Brew, currently enjoying their 3 peckered Billy goat. Just ordered some beans from Sagebrush coffee.
My Monday through Friday coffee comes from my Cuisinart coffee maker.
Got my Vario 60 and I’m on a quest this year to taste all 5 of the world’s best coffee. Taking extra special care to make sure I get the real ones so anyone with ideas let me know.
Jamaican Blue Mountain (done but it was HemiSphere. I may try again with a better brand)
Kona
Sumatra Mandheling
Ethiopia Yirgacheffe
Peaberry
And kopi luwak as a bonus.
