Mmm...coffee...

[Reader]

Originally Posted by Yellow band

Ho Ho, some one who speaks my language.

Tell the truth, a Burr grinder, is actually a slicer!.....good coffee is never ground, it's sliced.

I too, am a cupper. I used to host cupping parties, where I'd roast and everyone would sip, swirl it around in their mouth, swallow if they wanted, spit it out....rinse and repeat. When attendance started to dwindle, I got the hint, just because that was *fun* to me....not so much for every one else. So, I did my roasting thing by myself, and took notes. Some beans like more heat, some beans require longer roasts, some combinations taste better with each other. For example, anything grown in South America make
great combination beans for espresso. Espresso is a roast by the way.

I have a Zach and Dani's roaster. They have since sold their name, but the roaster remains the same. I have a first generation and a second generation. It does a great job of controlling the smoke. (it has something like a catalytic converter on it) It puts off alot of heat. In the better weather, I roast out on the deck.....

Funny you mentioned travel mugs. I am a bit nutty about
travel mugs. I'm always looking at them. I have the same
attraction to nice slim aluminum thermos's too. I fell out of my kayak on the river this morning, the kayak took on water, I don't know how I didn't snap my leg in half, and I had a total melt down because the espresso kit got away.
a whole other story ( we were going to have an espresso break on the river)

I buy from Sweet Maria's on line. She's pretty good about telling you when good beans are available. I just picked up a 20 pound sack of Coasta Rican tarrazu. Purchasing green beans in bulk, coffee or espresso is about .05 cents a cup. (fifty cups
or espresso's to a lb)...how can you not want fresh coffee.
I'll drink water before touching starbucks.

I have a Mr. Coffee espresso machine.....and I think I have a Mr coffee coffee maker....it's almost never used. Once you've had my freshly roasted espresso....thats all you'll ever want. (seriously)

Every time we visit any of our friends, I always take coffee. I pay special attention to when some one says they like a particular roast, I make sure they get that. Recieveing this coffee is better than wine. And I'm not kidding.

Target sells the syrups. So we keep them on hand for the people who just haven't made that step to real espresso.
What ever you want, the beans are always fresh, and the shop is always open.

When you roast your own beans, the beans shed a skin. Store bought coffee grinds those skins into the coffee, you can tell by the sheen on top of the coffee. I take a hand help vacuum and carefully extract all of those skins, so my coffee is smooth as can be. ZERO bitterness.

When is the next cupping party?? I adore coffee and I hope to be a coffee snob one day myself!

PS-Please don't ever call me a ho.

[SecretAgentMa'am]

Yay!

I also buy our beans from Sweet Maria's. They have a such a great selection!

I started out with a Nesco roaster, which is I think the same one you have, only after Nesco bought them out. This one, yes?



That one lasted us a little over two years. We'd already paid a ridiculous amount to send it to the manufacturer for repair within the 1 year warranty, and then it started sounding like it was about to break again. It was no longer under warranty, and we realized the shipping costs alone sending it for repair once a year would buy a new, better roaster, so we upgraded.

Now, I have the Behmor 1600:



It's a workhorse and I love it. I was roasting every other day with the Nesco because we drink so much coffee. The Behmor can do a pound at a time and is a lot more capable of fine-tuning your roast. Also a *lot* quieter. I have no idea what kind of crack the Amazon reviewers are smoking. Especially the one who claims it "doesn't work" for espresso. I have no idea how that's even possible. I do roast in half pound increments if I'm trying for a dark roast, but that's the only limitation I've found with it.

Right now, our grinder is a Black & Decker. It's a piece of junk. We had a Cuisinart that my mom gave us for Christmas a few years ago, but it stopped working (we seem to kill coffee-related appliances really quickly). The B&D was the only burr grinder available at the store and it was on sale, so I bought it. We're replacing it as soon as possible with a Bodum:



That thing has fantastic reviews for less than $100!

My espresso maker is an Ariete Cafe Prestige:



I can pull a decent shot from it, but not fantastic. I don't think that's the machine's fault, though. I'm still not entirely sure what 30 lbs of pressure feels like, because we don't own a scale that will measure 30 lbs. I'm not at all sure if I'm packing my grind too hard or too loose. I should probably buy a scale and practice.

[Dominique]

Nice post! Thank you

Yes, that is the roaster I have. As I said I bought two, the difference between the two was a hinged lid, and that meant the catalytic converter,
i/e smoke catcher, fit more snuggly. In the very beginning, after I roasted
two batches of beans....I picked the roaster up to move it and the base
about burnt my hands. When it cooled, I saw 6 small screws on the bottom so I removed them. The entire machine is driven by a belt similar to one you'd find on a vacuum cleaner. This told me running this machine hot would ruin it. I rectified it by running two boards laterally across the bottom, from the rubber legs, this raised the heat unit an inch and a quarter, instead of just the quarter inch of the rubber legs. After that, the
unit ran much cooler, as the heat was able to escape.(so I still have both)

I drink one espresso a day. My partner, will drink 2, but is away 4 mornings of the week, (I send her off with coffee grinds), dare I say, she'd drink gas station station coffee

Thats a nice espresso machine. I have my original Mr. Coffee. It's about 8 years old, they still sell they same model, and I'm very happy with it. It was right around $100 when I bought it, and I thought it would be a good starter machine, and much to my surprise, it has exceeded my expectation.

I wonder if you are burr grinding your beans rested? I read they are best, if ground 24 hours after they've been roasted. I'm on my second Burr grinder.
Zach and Dani had a Burr in the start up kit and that lasted a few years...
Now I have the Black and Decker.

Tamping down the product is important. I pitched that cheap plastic one and bought a nice restauraunt quality scoop/tamper. This helped with applying 30 pounds of pressure. Some say tamping on a slight angle is good too.....but I find when I pull my grounds outs, there is still water
in the grounds holder. Starbucks trains their baristas to empty the grounds cup immediately after making the coffee/espresso......because staining will bring an acidic taste. (I am friendly with a starbucks manager who saves some grounds and used filters for my worms).

Where do you buy your beans and have you purchased any AAA quality
lately? Sweet Maria buy fair trade beans, her prices can be beat (and really, can you complain about a nickel a cup?) I think fair trade is important. Costa Rica, (please don't think Juan Valdez novice readers/=
gas station coffee) Has had an excellent coffee growing season. I love the Costa Rica beans. It's the Zinfindale of coffee. It goes with almost anything, and can be roasted espresso. Smokey though.

[princessbelle]

I don't drink fancy coffee from a fancy machine. My life growing up revolved around good ole cups of coffee and food with great discussions around the kitchen table.

I can't see, think or hear without my coffee in the mornings. Just about any coffee will do from any coffee pot. Bring it on strong with a little bit of french vanilla creamer and my day is off to a good start.

I usually drink a pot in the mornings and one in the afternoons. I panic when i am getting low. Addicted? You bet i am.

[girl_dee]

the fanciest I get is grinding my own beans, and for a long time the sound of the grinder was too dang much before I had my coffee, so Medium Roast Community Coffee is what I had since my momma put it in my baby bottle with 2 sugars and some Evaporated Milk.. (I called it Cow Milk because it had a cow on the label ).. Now I just like it black, no sugar with a lil 2% milk in it.

So yes addict here, snob, not really, just give it to me and no one will get hurt.

[Dominique]

[QUOTE=Cajun_dee;411995]the fanciest I get is grinding my own beans, and for a long time the sound of the grinder was too dang much before I had my coffee, so Medium Roast Community Coffee is what I had since my momma put it in my baby bottle with 2 sugars and some Evaporated Milk.. (I called it Cow Milk because it had a cow on the label ).. Now I just like it black, no sugar with a lil 2% milk in it.

So yes addict here, snob, not really, just give it to me and no one will get hurt.




Hi Dee..... I love morning people. You have two coffees that I love. The community pictured. The jury is still out on the hickory. And Tim Horton's. I can get that in Ohio......and when I go to Ohio, that is the first place I head.

[Dominique]

[QUOTE=princessbelle;411994]I don't drink fancy coffee from a fancy machine. My life growing up revolved around good ole cups of coffee and food with great discussions around the kitchen table.

I can't see, think or hear without my coffee in the mornings. Just about any coffee will do from any coffee pot. Bring it on strong with a little bit of french vanilla creamer and my day is off to a good start.

I usually drink a pot in the mornings and one in the afternoons. I panic when i am getting low. Addicted? You bet i am.

Morning Belle!

I came from a family that drank *mud* that would perk on top of the stove.....it would smell great and taste awful. I was in my early thirties before I ever drank a coffee that I thought *Hmmm, I might like this* I became cross addicted to crappy coffee (black) and 20 ounce Mt .dew. I understand completely, how easy it is to become addicted.

Not any more. One espresso a day, no more Mt. dew. Just water....all day long. I don't even need the espresso first thing.
Withdrawl, was brutal.

[girl_dee]

They would have to commit me for a long period to detox me. I won't go willingly, besides I take coffee medicinally, for my asthma, Cough Cough ahem.

[Dominique]

Originally Posted by Cajun_dee

They would have to commit me for a long period to detox me. I won't go willingly, besides I take coffee medicinally, for my asthma, Cough Cough ahem.

I was taking it in pill form too, it was in my migraine medicine. Holly cow....just kill me why don't you? LOL, I went thru withdrawl when I was single.....6 friggin month headache no lie.

And bell's pink script writing makes me want to run for the migraine medicine.....just saying Belle.....

[betenoire]

Originally Posted by Cajun_dee

They would have to commit me for a long period to detox me. I won't go willingly, besides I take coffee medicinally, for my asthma, Cough Cough ahem.

I actually read once that coffee can help you snap out of it if you're on the edge of an asthma attack. Made me happy to read that.

I will not be giving up coffee or trying to detox from my caffeine addiction. Just not worth the, um, headache.

[Dominique]

[QUOTE=SecretAgentMa'am;411908]Yay!

I also buy our beans from Sweet Maria's. They have a such a great selection!

Sorry, I missed this. I immediately started to look at the pictures. Her selection is great and I love that I can buy in those 20 pound sacks. I used to staple the burlap sacks all over the walls of my garage, kind of a neat decoration. But supply and demand. My friends love these sacks.

One of my friends is an Executive Chef, and I give her my roasted beans (of course, and you can just imagine how much an executive chef appreciates the best of the best coffee) she carefully selected one of my burlap sacks from my garage wall and had it mounted and framed and gave it to me for my 50th birthday! What a cool gift. It certainly made me look at those sacks differently, and now everyone that see's that piece of *ART*, wants a sack.