Topper's Grilling Advice!

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donlever
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Re: Topper's Grilling Advice!

Post by donlever »

So that's what Mick did, he left?

Oh wait, never mind....
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Meds
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Re: Topper's Grilling Advice!

Post by Meds »

Topper wrote: Sat Apr 09, 2022 3:38 pm I drink drip or moka pot coffee but thinking of a dedicated espresso machine.

Looking at a Gaggia Classic Pro, any others I should be looking at?
Rancilio Silvia.

Depending on budget and anticipated usage Tops, this is considered a prosumer quality machine, tho it is double the price of the Gaggia.

Gaggia is owned by Saeco and we has a very basic Saeco machine for 8 years that we really liked, it ran well. The wife put a ton of miles on it and rarely maintained it. It was just starting to wear out when we replaced it with a Breville…..which is a really good home machine but 2.5 years in the portafilter is leaking above the gasket and that’s something I’ve recently discovered is not uncommon with Breville machines after a few years of heavy use…..wife uses it about 4 times a day. I use it every few days.

I don’t know much about the Gaggia, but here’s a comparison between it and the Rancilio that I came across….

https://www.roastycoffee.com/gaggia-cla ... io-silvia/
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Re: Topper's Grilling Advice!

Post by 2Fingers »

Mëds what beans do you use? Where do you buy it? To me everything is in the beans.

Do you grind before every use or grind and leave in the cupboard?
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Re: Topper's Grilling Advice!

Post by Meds »

2Fingers wrote: Sat Apr 09, 2022 10:56 pm Mëds what beans do you use? Where do you buy it? To me everything is in the beans.

Do you grind before every use or grind and leave in the cupboard?
Right now we use beans that are locally roasted.

We usually grind daily.

Once you find a good bean it’s the water that makes the big difference.
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Re: Topper's Grilling Advice!

Post by Topper »

Thanks Mëds, I've read a bit on the Silvia and it has some advantages over the Gaggia Pro. Better portafilter and tamper, easier to hack the pressure, better milk steamer from what I've read. It is a hit on the budget as I also need a proper grinder than the one I currently use (another $500-$800)

Sitting on a shelf in my shop is a 1990's Cimbali Junior in some state of disrepair. Twenty years ago I inherited it from my brother who at one time ran a small cafe. I have no idea what shape it is in or what it would cost to refurbish. It has a pretty large footprint and needs to be plumbed into the house water supply which would require a dedicated line from the water softener. I have the portafilters/baskets/tamper from it so some of the weaknesses of Gaggia are addressed. I was weaned so frothing milk is of no interest.

The Brevilles don't much appeal to me. Odd size portafilter and they seem to be disposable.
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Re: Topper's Grilling Advice!

Post by Cousin Strawberry »

Nescafe Gold Espresso.

Put the kettle on Erroll
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donlever
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Re: Topper's Grilling Advice!

Post by donlever »

:?

Nescafe!?

:lol:

....now I'd say you're just trolling but after seeing those pods yesterday I admit to a sense of uncertainty.
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Re: Topper's Grilling Advice!

Post by Strangelove »

2Fingers wrote: Sat Apr 09, 2022 10:56 pm Mëds what beans do you use? Where do you buy it? To me everything is in the beans.

Do you grind before every use or grind and leave in the cupboard?
:crazy:

Gotta be fresh beans, gotta be ground just before use!

And as Mëds says, gotta be fresh (filtered) water.

I don't know how to use our expresso machine, but wifey makes me a cup most days.

(did I mention I'm spoiled?) :mrgreen:

Sometimes we get Starbucks instead.

And when I need extra energy, once in awhile it's a 5-shot (that's right Corn :mrgreen: ) venti Americano.
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Re: Topper's Grilling Advice!

Post by Cousin Strawberry »

donlever wrote: Sun Apr 10, 2022 9:48 am :?

Nescafe!?

:lol:

....now I'd say you're just trolling but after seeing those pods yesterday I admit to a sense of uncertainty.
I don't like espresso. I like my coffee like I like my women....blonde and sweet

...and no fat chicks!

:scowl:

Despite the narrative I like em voluptuous with healthy cans and a nice arse
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Re: Topper's Grilling Advice!

Post by BladesofSteel »

Topper wrote: Sat Apr 09, 2022 3:38 pm I drink drip or moka pot coffee but thinking of a dedicated espresso machine.

Looking at a Gaggia Classic Pro, any others I should be looking at?
Whatever you do, do not by an espresso machine as built-in to your cabinet system. It will fail.

Countertop machine only.
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Re: Topper's Grilling Advice!

Post by Per »

Mëds wrote: Sun Apr 10, 2022 7:15 am Once you find a good bean it’s the water that makes the big difference.
Or you can pick beans that suit your water.

The biggest coffee brand here in Sweden is Gevalia, made right here in Gävle (Gevalia is a latinized form of the city name) where we have very hard water. They have roughly 40% of the market share. The second biggest brand, with roughly 20% of the market, is Löfbergs, from Karlstad, where the water is very soft. I've heard it explained that Gevalia is roasted in a way that tastes better if your water is hard and Löfbergs tastes better if your water is soft. Of course, it also has to do with your personal preferences, but I think it makes sense.

Hard water has high levels of calcium and/or magnesium whereas soft water has low calcium and higher sodium levels. It has an effect on how the water interacts with other stuff, so logically it also affects the taste of your coffee and since the blending experts of each roastery will typically taste the coffee as brewed with the local water, having a completely different water will give you a different, less perfect, experience.

So yeah, if you have found a good bean, find the water that suits it, or in reverse, find a bean that suits the water you have.

I used to buy ground coffee and make it through a drip filter, but I have switched to using a machine that I fill with beans and then it grinds the coffee right before brewing. So much more taste! :look:

I've been thinking about an espresso machine, but it turns out drip coffee is healthier. Coffee is very good for your health in a number of ways, but it also contains colesterol. Now, the funny thing is that the colestorol molecules are so big that they get stuck in the filter, so the much derided filter coffee is actually a brilliant piece of work that allows you to enjoy the many benefits of coffee while eliminating the colestorol that could be bad for you.
Especially if you average five big cups a day, as I do. Image
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Re: Topper's Grilling Advice!

Post by 5thhorseman »

I usually make cowboy coffee so I guess I'm maxing the cholesterol then :) Unfortunately I can't fine-grind the 2 tbsp I need for a big mug as the grinder needs more than that to not leave chunks, so I have to grind a bigger batch for several days. Not ideal. All this talk has got me thinking about grinding daily. Anyone use a standalone grinder for small amounts or do you all have fancy machines?
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Re: Topper's Grilling Advice!

Post by Topper »

5thhorseman wrote: Tue Apr 12, 2022 6:47 am I usually make cowboy coffee so I guess I'm maxing the cholesterol then :) Unfortunately I can't fine-grind the 2 tbsp I need for a big mug as the grinder needs more than that to not leave chunks, so I have to grind a bigger batch for several days. Not ideal. All this talk has got me thinking about grinding daily. Anyone use a standalone grinder for small amounts or do you all have fancy machines?
I've been looking as part of my espresso machine research, Looking at the Eureka Mignon line of grinders, $500-$800. Liking the Specialita for the larger flat burrs.
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Re: Topper's Grilling Advice!

Post by 5thhorseman »

Thanks Topper but I think those $$$ are wasted on my palate at this point in time. I am probably looking for a decent starter burr grinder I guess.

One of my suitcases is half filled with Kenyan coffee.
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Re: Topper's Grilling Advice!

Post by Topper »

5thhorseman wrote: Tue Apr 12, 2022 7:35 am Thanks Topper but I think those $$$ are wasted on my palate at this point in time. I am probably looking for a decent starter burr grinder I guess.

One of my suitcases is half filled with Kenyan coffee.
I'm currently using a $70 Cuisinart I'm not overly impressed with, but much better than a blade grinder though.
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