coffee-tea Coffee

[gasificada]

My ex father in law had a 3500 euro coffee machine (combo of a mid life crisis and a wellfilled bank account) and ordered vacuum sealed beans from all over the world. Including ones shit out by cats, birds, fermented beans, blends and rare varieties etc. I'm not lying if I say I only liked 10% of the coffees he brewed. Though he had a (imho) superb blend of arabica and robusta.. It was just a supermarket premium blend, lavazza super crema (he always declared me a culinary barbarian).

 
I am glad that it's not just me. Don't know if it's the same blend/diff name but when I had a machine my go to was Lavazza Crema e Gusto. It was convenient (already ground and available at pretty much any supermarket) but still tasted damn good. Far superior to anything else I ever got from a supermarket!
 

As mentioned before I have a capsule machine with "OK" coffee (They came a long way the past 5 years). Certainly not the best, and probably insulting to this topic. But I'm the only coffee drinker in the house, so I'm not investing in a quality machine. I'm afraid I lack the time to do a manual brew in the morning.

 
Ha... since my machine kicked it on me a couple years ago I too have been using a capsule machine for pretty much the same reasons and I really cannot complain either. It certainly isn't what I once had but it really does do OK. And the best capsules I have found for it...? Lavazza. I could not have been more stoked when I discovered Lavazza had started making capsules for my machine...
 

I really don't like paper plates and plastic silverware ... and I won't drink off plastic ... I use a glass, or a can even, but I don't like plastic ...
 
I'm kind of OK w/ the plastic Solo plates for disposables, but I don't like paper ... and those thick paper chinette or whatever, I don't like them either ...
 
What can I tell you, just preferences ...

 
I totally get that.
 
Me... paper plates and paper cups, no way. Plastic plates, no way, not even the Solo type. Plastic cups, no way, gotta be glass or a mug. Any other plastic vessel, no way, although sometimes it's impossible to avoid as far as food packaging goes--and I'm OK with milk bottle type plastic so that helps. And yup, plastic silverware, no way, *but*...... HELL YES to plastic spoons. Unless cooking, then wood.
 
And I also have this thing with glass bowls. I like glass bowls. Glass where possible is always good.
 
Just preferences.

 

[Jamison]

La Columbe..... Todd Carmichael.... wtf happened to that show?
 
Man I loved watching that.  The guy is a coffee bean guru!   I really should order some of his beans.

 

[organic pepper]

GM are you sure that's the correct usage for that contraption?  Cause it looks a lot like 

That kinda what I thought but didnt want to say. lol!

 

[Pfeffer]

 
I am glad that it's not just me. Don't know if it's the same blend/diff name but when I had a machine my go to was Lavazza Crema e Gusto. It was convenient (already ground and available at pretty much any supermarket) but still tasted damn good. Far superior to anything else I ever got from a supermarket!

 
Lavazza is the brand, Crema e Gusto is just a different blend that they market. To be honest I think Lavazza is one of the better supermarket brands, if not the best. It's quite expensive, but still affordable for daily drinking for the common people. It's also easy to get, which also helps. Didn't knew they also sold it in the US.

 

[grantmichaels]

La Columbe..... Todd Carmichael.... wtf happened to that show?
 
Man I loved watching that.  The guy is a coffee bean guru!   I really should order some of his beans.


It should be on soon - Spring season, I think ...

Seemingly great down to Earth dude on show, verified by following on Twitter, and coffees right up there w/ Intelligentsia and Verve and Stumptown, and Blue Bottle etc ...

In fact, this came yesterday ...

Cheers!

I totally get that.
 
Me... paper plates and paper cups, no way. Plastic plates, no way, not even the Solo type. Plastic cups, no way, gotta be glass or a mug. Any other plastic vessel, no way, although sometimes it's impossible to avoid as far as food packaging goes--and I'm OK with milk bottle type plastic so that helps. And yup, plastic silverware, no way, *but*...... HELL YES to plastic spoons. Unless cooking, then wood.
 
And I also have this thing with glass bowls. I like glass bowls. Glass where possible is always good.
 
Just preferences.


Thank you, Gasi - I knew it mustn't only be me

 

[SmokenFire]

Intelligensia is right down the street from me Grant.  Don't care for their product, I find it too bitter for my tastes.  I did try some La Columbe after you posted that aftermarket bong brewer thing - pretty good stuff.  If you like Intelligensia I'd suggest trying Julius Meinl.  Their Vienna roast is good and I really like the Atelier Panama as well.  

 

[grantmichaels]

Will try. The thing I buy always from I. is the Honey Badger Espresso ... I like the Black Cat too, but less. I also buy the El Diablo dark roast for our cold-brew ...

For Single origin I'm happiest between La Columbe and Temple.

 

[gasificada]

Lavazza is the brand, Crema e Gusto is just a different blend that they market. To be honest I think Lavazza is one of the better supermarket brands, if not the best. It's quite expensive, but still affordable for daily drinking for the common people. It's also easy to get, which also helps. Didn't knew they also sold it in the US.

 
Don't know about the U.S, but Lavazza is available in the supermarket here in Australia. Although, I don't think the Crema e Gusto is anymore... but it's been so long since I bought the stuff so I really haven't been looking. It would be sad if I got a new machine but couldn't get it anymore....
 
Totally in agreement, Lavazza is the best supermarket brand here too, by far. Even the standard "gold" blend doesn't do too bad. And yeah, I pretty much enjoyed the whole range at one time or another, just always went back to the Crema e Gusto. That was the one I was most in love with. And it's funny, I used to know this old Italian bloke that I would shoot the breeze with, talk food all the time. Absolutely knew his stuff. And one day we were talking coffee. Expecting to be shot down (because, well, supermarket coffee) I took a chance anyway and mentioned the Crema e Gusto. I had at least some confidence in my opinion of this one. And you know, he just smiled and told me that it was the one he used too haha.
 
But anyway...
 
Damn you all and your coffee thread! Got up this morning to make my cup o' capsule and just felt so unfulfilled today. My life has been lacking something lately and I think I now know what. Coffee... one of life's true pleasures! But it's not just the coffee on it's own... it's the journey. I finally get that expression. And while I will admit that my old machine was nothing special, quite sub-par even, it still allowed me to journey. Damn I miss that. Trying new beans, discovering new favourites, or even finding something terrible and swearing that you will never walk that road again, and of course, just sitting down to an old favourite... that's what makes it complete for me. And it's actually the process of making it too. Grinding those beans, packing that basket... it's like actually being part of the journey, even if such minor role, it wouldn't have happened without you. You are actually somewhere there in the process from plant to final product.
 
Why, yes, It's early and that first magical cup is still strong within.... journey or no journey. How did you guess...?
 
(And guess who's gonna be tearing their house apart today looking for their old stovetop maker........?)

 

[grantmichaels]

This. I am down with the wabi-sabi ...

 

[organic pepper]

 
Got up this morning to make my cup o' capsule and just felt so unfulfilled today. My life has been lacking something lately and I think I now know what. Coffee... one of life's true pleasures! But it's not just the coffee on it's own... it's the journey. I finally get that expression. And while I will admit that my old machine was nothing special, quite sub-par even, it still allowed me to journey. Damn I miss that. Trying new beans, discovering new favourites, or even finding something terrible and swearing that you will never walk that road again, and of course, just sitting down to an old favourite... that's what makes it complete for me. And it's actually the process of making it too. Grinding those beans, packing that basket... it's like actually being part of the journey, even if such minor role, it wouldn't have happened without you. You are actually somewhere there in the process from plant to final product.
 
Why, yes, It's early and that first magical cup is still strong within.... journey or no journey.
 
 

This is like a poem!     Just Beautiful!   *The Journey*   I could not have put into words that morning ritual more eloquently.     

 

[gasificada]

So I was rooting around the house today and found this...

(It sure has been a while...)

But alas! Are these things... are they aluminium?? This I just cannot have. I do not like them in a house. I do not like them with a mouse. I would not like them here or there. I would not like them anywhere.

Gas I am.

 

[grantmichaels]

I live mine, but use it sparingly because of the material ...

I bought a stainless model, but it's not as convenient and it's not quite the same (heats much more slowly) ...

That said, I love the Aeropress, despite it's material

 

[gasificada]

I bought a stainless model, but it's not as convenient and it's not quite the same (heats much more slowly) ...

 
Bummer... I was about to start on the hunt for a SS one. Does the slower heating affect the final product any, though? Because, provided the end result remained the same, I could live with slower heating. It would be a very small price to pay if the only alternative is, you know... one made out of the other stuff.
 
Or what else would you recommend? I'm open to new gadgets! Just nothing too complicated for, say, someone on a noob level....
 
(The one I have is probably too big for just me anyway... something else I must consider)

 

[Ashen]

what is wrong with aluminum ?   I haven't heard anything bad about it since they discredited the Alzheimer's link. 

 

[gasificada]

O.C... I mean... preferences.
 
Nah, I'm just extra picky about some stuff. Truth is, as much as I don't like aluminum--and I am actually skeptical of just how "safe" it is, I probably would start using the thing again on the odd occasion if it weren't so big (it's a 2 cup, IIRC?--I dunno but I remember I used to get a fairly hefty amount from every brew-up anyway). It was OK when I used to guzzle coffee like water but I much prefer only a cup or two a day these days--just seems to be more special that way or something. But I have seen smaller models around (1 cup?) so that's an option... would just prefer if I could get a SS one is all.

 

[gasificada]

Afternoon delight...
 

 
(I also love chocolate... this is a new one for me to try )
 
Nooo, don't boo me outta here because, you know... capsule. As well as the Lavazza ones, the MAP ones for my machine are pretty OK too. Especially the Java blend. Arabica/Robusta, indeed "strong", and with a decent enough crema. Actually a little impressive even. Considering. You know... capsule machine.
 
Yeah... it's nice.
 
*sigh*

 

[Ashen]

that is cool.. I was wondering it it was a taste issue maybe with the aluminium.  I have always toyed with buying a mokka pot but never pulled the trigger.    I certainly won't look down on you for the capsule machine.  My out the door fast cup comes from a keurig.     I recently found a very decent blend for it from Marley coffee company.  Buffalo soldier.   one of the best I have ever had from a keurig machine. 

 

[grantmichaels]

I use the Moka pot (small) on a burner stand over a microbutane burner ... it's about a 4-5 min process ...
 
My goto device is the Aeropress for quick, convenient - and still awesome - coffee ...
 
I can't recommend Aeropress ownership enough, really ...
 
Making awesome semi-espresso in an Inverted Aeropress that cost $25 is mind-blowing!

 

[gasificada]

I think I would like the Aeropress. Maybe not as a replacement for my "everyday" but I reckon I'd still be heaps down with it and flog it a fair bit. The heart is always going to be with machines but who says you can't have a bit of fun on the side, right? And like, espresso machines, there's just something about them that really turns me on (heaps moreso manual ones). So damn sexy. And I just love pushing the right buttons and pulling the right levers, and oh boy, the reward she gives when you do it just right.... Pure. Ecstasy. (I'm not lonely... really! )

Maybe why I am partial to my capsule machine too. She may not be the real deal but she still has some of that same sex appeal. Especially with that steam wand. She has that going for her. I believe there are some out there that don't even have that. And sure, the action on the bench may not be as intense as it could be, or even really great at times, but you know, she still tries her hardest to please me, every time, even when I only go in half-hearted, no real concern for her buttons at all, looking only for a quick hit of shamefully selfish relief. (But then she is automatic, so.....)

But anyway. Way off track! Aeropress. It's on. Gonna see if I can't track one down tomorrow. Or at least by the weekend. And this "Inverted Aeropress" you speak of... is this something you can do with a standard Aeropress or is it a separate gadget? TBH, I'm not sure if semi-espresso sounds good or bad... but it does sounds interesting. (Yeah, like I'm in a position to judge espresso quality at this point in time.... )

 

[grantmichaels]

Nobody is prying either of my Aeropress out of either hand.
 
The Aeropress, because of the rubber seal, has some pressure a la espresso ... it's noticeable, compared to pour-over or siphon, and different than french press ...
 
The inversion of the Aeropress is simply a technique that folks came up with along the way, and which happens to be the way I use mine ...
 
http://vimeo.com/67781954
http://stumptowncoffee.com/brew-guides/aeropress/
http://brewmethods.com/
 
That site is very helpful for brewing coffee w/ different devices ...