So, £499 and you reckon it's worthwhile? I can't afford it at the moment but I've got some big sums coming. As I gonna be doing this for years, then I think that it's worth a go! It's cheap compared to a new Multistrada, so f*** it! If I have a fine motorbike then I should have fine coffee! If I go for the cheap Guzzi, then I'll go back to instant!
Definitely worth it, but it's not a miracle cure. Don't necessarily expect a huge jump in taste just from the grinder straight away. Your technique in making the coffee is the next most important thing. It's just that having a good grinder makes it at least possible to make a big difference.
I have to interrupt... This is all "The Emperors New Clothes" No normal person... not selling coffee needs to jump to a "Bargain" $500 grinder from their humdrum normal coffee. Fresh whole beans and using the correct amount is the first step. NO, not the cheapest beans, or the least amount that will make coffee. Buy a $100 pr less Burr grinder. Do your research. NO, do not get one that stores a pound of beans. But something that holds a couple cups of whole beans and has a decent cover will do. Buy decent beans from somewhere. a place that roast their own is better, but not needed at first. Just good whole beans from a normal sort of upscale grocer... Spend $150 or less for a good brewer that uses a carafe so the coffee is brewed once and that is it. The best coffee is brewed at the correct temp for the correct time. Period. Save $$$ for later when you can actually tell whats better of not. If you are using near any pre packaged crap any step with whole beans will be a win. Even a regular spice grinder with fresh, shiny, oily beans will be a win. THEN, with months or more of experience trying different beans from that regular store. Just regular whole beans from different countries with different roasts... (Please skip anything with flavor added like vanilla or other crap) Then go buy beans from the local place that roasts their own. Try their different types and roasts... A year from now you can buy your wife earrings for $250 and $500 in carbon for your bike... You will gave spent the same $$ your coffee will be awesome... BUT Your bike will look even better while drinking your coffee and your wife wont mind as she sips hers next to you... Rex Here is some science. These people really test the shit out of stuff independently https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=america's+test+kitchen+coffee+
If anyone has evidence of a more robust testing of grinders and brewers please post it. Maybe I will buy something new. Rex
Thanks for posting that. Useful and I'll have a study. I buy my coffee beans from Monsoon Estates and only grind what I need. I don't buy big quantities because I realise that beans don't keep.
Talking of coffee tasting like mud, I happened to be in Equatorial Guinea about 10 years ago anf the local coffee had an interesting taste - which I thought was good, but still like mud. This was after Mark Thatcher allegedly tried to instigate a coup d'etat (denied obviously) and helped secure a fekked up country remaining fekked up when they had previously enjoyed a successful coffee export trade which could have helped secure a decent economy and maybe even released it from dictatorship - who knows?
I'm reminded of a song by Green Day. You've obviously never made a decent espresso in your life and never had a 'good' coffee. 'America's Test Kitchen' is a bit like 'Which?'. They test what they've got, it's good enough for most people, and most of the time it's not too expensive. If you're happy with 'OK' that's fine. Please stop pretending that 'better' doesn't exist, though.
It's great that you buy beans fresh from a roaster. There are loads of roasters out there to explore, though (and a whole world of coffee)
“A good cup” is highly subjective. And largely depends on what you’re used to and your personal preference. I'm a coffee addict, but not in these guys’ league: I get fresh roasted beans delivered, grind some every day or two in a £100 burr mill grinder and very much enjoy the daily cup of coffee from my £20 Bialetti stove-top pot. For me, the result is waaaay better than supermarket “fresh ground coffee” and not expensive. The beans arrive every 20 days (£7 per 250g) and it’s easy / convenient. I’m not brewing espresso; more like a mug of coffee, but it’s damn good. Two scoops in the moka pot makes two mugs of americano-style white coffee. Different strokes as they say...
Just my twopenneth, but I'd suggest looking at Eurica grinders (google Bella barista). Commercial grade stuff IMHO is going to be better than supposed consumer grade. I have a Rocket Giotto Evoluzione machine and a Eurica Mignon grinder. Had them both since 2012 and not had any problems at all. The Mignon has subsequently been updated and the newer Specialita is what I'd go for. My only gripe with the grinder after nearly ten years of use is that the coffee clumps a bit nowadays during grinding. There are so many variables when it comes to coffee making from bean to cup and it's a case of methodically working through to get what you want. Assuming the machine is controlling temperature and it's got enough grunt to extract at the correct pressure, then it's down to coffee type, experimenting with grind and extraction time. I look for a grind which will yield a double shot quantity in approx 25 seconds - to the point where the extraction has changed colour and the crema is forming. Once you've got that dialled in you don't need to muck about unless you change the beans you use. I also always use a milk thermometer when steaming. We use soya, so temperature is really important to avoid it splitting - it needs to be no more than 60º. It's also worth learning to steam milk to a silky consistency rather than a bubbly one - that makes a huge difference to the taste too. When we first got our machine I was so bloody disappointed with the first few cups, but when I read up and did some methodical practise I quickly nailed the taste I was looking for.
A good cup is not entirely subjective. There's a global scale for how beans taste, created by very experienced tasters. Most people would agree that a bean with a score of 85 tastes way better than the best commodity bean (which scores under 80).
There's a 1 month old Eureka Mignon Specialita going for £290 on coffeeforums.co.uk https://coffeeforums.co.uk/topic/52644-eureka-mignon-specialita-all-black-hardly-used/
I’m sure you’re right about that. But I just meant that to most people it’s relative to what they’ve experienced up to that point. I didn’t even like coffee at all until I had my first proper espresso in Vienna many years ago. As you experience better coffee it naturally redefines what *you* think of as “a good cup”... It’s a fabulous thing though, good coffee
Yeah. Trouble is, good coffee is hard to come by in this country. Most people think Costa and Starbucks is good. Lol.
I am sure better Could exist. I am also sure that most people will be perfectly happy with these. Yes they could have bought more expensive machines but they are not doing this for commercial operations, or as show pieces in your kitchen to brag about. They test extensively, they used the standards that the professionals use, and they even brought in the pro's to taste it. The part that catches my eye is that it is as I and others have said. If you are going to start to improve your coffee game start with fresh beans and go from there. And that the brewing process is equally important VS the grinder. I use 3 different methods to brew depending on what I am looking for. The Bonavita they mentioned, A stainless press, and a 4 cup Farberware electric percolator for (None hotter or faster) when I am nostalgic for the old days. Good luck to all Rex
