Café Acquisition Thread

[jzuzphreek]

The problem is that it takes them a good 45 minutes to a full hour to warm up and stabilize (if you get a prosumer model). You can get an industrial timer and have it turn on a couple of hours before you get up. Then IT will be ready when YOU are ready

The Pasquini is on its way to me... Got the shipping notice this morning. I am jonesing bad man.... real bad......

Most prosumer/commercial machines can just be left on. Of course your energy bill's mileage will begin to vary.

 

[Mick]

Most prosumer/commercial machines can just be left on. Of course your energy bill's mileage will begin to vary.

I was reading somewhere that the cost to leave them on is only a few pennies a day as the boilers are rather small (even on a large prosumer machine they are only 1 -2 liters) and they have a large temp swing before the heating element fires up again. Since it is under pressure the temp can swing 50 +/- degrees and you can still have steam. The newest dual boiler models have on/off controls for each boiler. An HX machine only need to keep the steam boiler above steam pressure level as the brew water just flows through the steam boiler to get heated to brew temp. The boiler heater may only turn on 3 or 4 times in 12 hours to keep the boiler temp up if the machine is not being used. Now if you are pulling 100 +/- shots an hour it IS going to cost a bit to keep everything up to temp

 

[Mick]

My Esatto weight based grind attachment arrived from Baratza today......

I will put it to use a little later today and shout back about what I think....

NIB (I just love that new car smell).....

Necked and with the Maestro plus mounted in it

Maestro plus still looks tiny next to the super jolly

 

[Sullybob]

Nice Mick!

 

[Redzone]

Mick you and I must have swapped obsessions. Your initial start to your coffee journey looks alot like mine did before I sold off my kit and now my wet shaving journey is looking like a bit like yours probably did at the start.
From memory (not good) I think I went through 10-12 espresso machine upgrades last being a twin PID $4.5k and probably a conservative 20+ grinders. I even bought an auction lot of 2 complete shelves of Syphons 25 ish? 7 coffee roasters? and Lord only know the cups and saucers. Today I have a humble Swiss gold pour over and a Pe De hand grinder and some good friends that roast for me. But the wet shaving AD.........

 

[Mick]

Mick you and I must have swapped obsessions. Your initial start to your coffee journey looks alot like mine did before I sold off my kit and now my wet shaving journey is looking like a bit like yours probably did at the start.
From memory (not good) I think I went through 10-12 espresso machine upgrades last being a twin PID $4.5k and probably a conservative 20+ grinders. I even bought an auction lot of 2 complete shelves of Syphons 25 ish? 7 coffee roasters? and Lord only know the cups and saucers. Today I have a humble Swiss gold pour over and a Pe De hand grinder and some good friends that roast for me. But the wet shaving AD.........

I've used the same Baratza grinder for years. Bought it right after they came out. It was the first and only burr grinder I had until I stumbled upon the super jolly a couple of weeks ago. I think these two are going to be about it. I got the weight based attachment for the Baratza as the wife was complaining that her coffee was too strong. The attachment will let me dial in what she likes and be able to give her a consistent cup instead of the "wandering brew" she now gets from me. I like my coffee stronger and a little more or less is no big for me but she hits a wall at a little over mild and complains.

I used Chemex makers when I was in college (late 60's early 70's) and still use them as my small pour over brewers. I have 1 automatic brewer (Bunn commercial) and a couple of French presses, most of them I have had for decades (some of the Chemex pots I have, have been around half a century now). I do have a vacuum pot but I don't use it much as it is a little too much PITA for me though it does make killer coffee.

The wife got on a Francis Francis kick and bought a number of them. They are nice espresso machines but the design/look is a little "wild" for me. I've used a Sirena for a number of years before ordering the Pasquini. I like the "auto" feature that requires "no thinking" (push the button and walk away). The Pasquini is out for delivery and should be here by the end of the day.

 

[Mick]

I like that slogan. "Not your average Joe"

Keep us posted on how the roast progresses over the next few days. Some people say the coffee should rest for 72 hours to degass. I wonder about your impressions from this first cup forward.

The Ethiopian settled down a few days ago. Had some this morning and it is fantastic. Was a little gassy for the first few days (slight sour) so I let it mellow and it is fine now. Good full body with a slight fruit back bite. It is mild/medium roasted.

 

[jzuzphreek]

The Ethiopian settled down a few days ago. Had some this morning and it is fantastic. Was a little gassy for the first few days (slight sour) so I let it mellow and it is fine now. Good full body with a slight fruit back bite. It is mild/medium roasted.

Excellent!

 

[jzuzphreek]

I had the opportunity to try some local fare in St. Louis this past week. The LOTH, child, and myself were able to stop at Northwest Coffee Roasters for a bit. I ended up with a pound of Ethiopia Yirgacheffe, and a pound of Columbian (not sure which farm(s)) (a gift for the friend who watched our puppy while we were away).

Here's a few shots.

 

[Mick]

Got some new cups in the mail today.

Smaller ones are older ACF (Italy) cappuccino cups (6 oz). I think the thin red line at the rim and on the rim of the saucers is understated elegance. I've not come across this pattern before and I like it..... ACF went out of business this year so there is no more new ACF to be found anywhere

Larger one is a new Intelligentsia coffee (12 oz) cup

 

[Mick]

We had a UPS overnight delivery so the UPS man came early today and left me with the Vario-W and the overnight envelope.

It is a "referb" directly from Baratza but the box was factory sealed and had "refused" written across the top of the box. The label to me was stuck over top of another label to a coffee shop in Colorado which had "refused return" written on it. SO.... It looks like I got a new grinder that someone had a change of heart on before it was delivered. Now that is really something as I expected a pretty worn grinder as these are mainly used in pour over coffee shops and normally used heavily (hundreds of grinds a day). A real pleasant surprise to find an unopened new product sold to me at a discount. Now off to buy that lotto ticket.....

Already had a couple cups of espresso ground through it this morning and I like it... yea.. I like it

It is going to be our everyday espresso grinder. The one I will keep our favorite beans for espresso in. The Maestro plus with the Esatto weight attachment (to the right of the Vario-W) is now our pour over and press grinder. Both will be loaded with the beans we use the most for these brew types and the super jolly will be used for one off espresso grinds of other beans we have.

 

[StillShaving]

Nice addition. But isn't your Mazzer getting jealous, or is it getting a new assignment.

 

[Mick]

Nice addition. But isn't your Mazzer getting jealous, or is it getting a new assignment.

I used the Super Jolly to grind 2 double shots for tonight's after dinner coffee. Ground some Costa Rican La Amistad organic that the wife picked up last Saturday from our local roaster here in town (roasted on the 16th).

The Mazzer will get most of the evening and after dinner calls but the new Vario-W will be the one that gets hit in the morning as it has our favorite wake-up buzz blend in the hopper (french roast and Colombian blend).

 

[Mick]

My Hario Mini mill came in today.

Already made two 1 cup press grinds. Still dialing it in but it looks like it will be a decent "extra" set of wheels should I find all the hoppers filled

 

[StillShaving]

Nice pickup. Now someone needs to talk you or SWMBO into doing a blind taste test with those grinders, or even just a seat of the pants comparison as to how well this mini mill stacks up against the big electric grinders.

 

[KW Driver]

Hario Skerton Hand Grinder and an Aeropress arrived on my doorstep today. Figured out a fairly fine medium grind pretty quickly, and inverted a cup of LocknLoad Java's Double Barrel Black.

All I can say is oh my... and my press may get lonely. This may be the perfect solution based on the volume I drink daily.

edited for a picture, because.... pictures!

 

[jzuzphreek]

Hario Skerton Hand Grinder and an Aeropress arrived on my doorstep today. Figured out a fairly fine medium grind pretty quickly, and inverted a cup of LocknLoad Java's Double Barrel Black.

All I can say is oh my... and my press may get lonely. This may be the perfect solution based on the volume I drink daily.

 

[Stevew443]

I received my replacement Melita 10 cup pour over today. Last week I noticed that the old Melita was starting to chip, so I figured I better replace it. A decade and a half is long enough to use a coffee pot anyway. Either I made a huge mistake in ordering or Melita was feeling very generous, but when I opened the shipment, there were 2 brand new 10 cup pots in the box. Since I get about 15 years out of one of these pots, I think I should be set for coffee pots until I am about 91 years old.

 

[dex138]

Hario Skerton Hand Grinder and an Aeropress arrived on my doorstep today. Figured out a fairly fine medium grind pretty quickly, and inverted a cup of LocknLoad Java's Double Barrel Black.

All I can say is oh my... and my press may get lonely. This may be the perfect solution based on the volume I drink daily.

edited for a picture, because.... pictures!

View attachment 365720

Just found this thread, and have to ask, where did you find the lid for your Hario?

 

[jzuzphreek]

Just found this thread, and have to ask, where did you find the lid for your Hario?

indeed. I could use one-a-dem at work!