Beginners advice request

dodgy said:
MJI said:
Hmmm aeropress. They get good press.
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Hi there,

Yeah, that contraption does get good reviews, although I'm not quite sure why. Not as much coffee taste as a French press, and only a small amount of coffee can be made at one time. Used one for a while but it wasn't for me.

French press isn't bad, but that flavor gets old after a while. Too much oils in the mix for my druthers.

I would suggest a simple pour through set up......either Melitta or Chemex paper filter system. Use a dark roast a little more finely ground than usual for this type of maker and pour the hot water over the grinds in a thoughtful manner. Delicious!

It ain't espresso, but it's a step up from the aeropress in my view. Been my favorite coffee making method for many years.

Clean up's a snap...just dump the filter and rinse the glass pot out and done deal. Right now I'm using a 6 cup one piece glass handle Chemex.

Martin
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For a less oily coffee you could try the cold brew method, soak medium grind coffee (usual 220 ish gram pack) in a litre and half of cold water overnight.
Strain it into a jug or bottle the next day (I did this thru a fine mesh sieve lined with a sheet of kitchen paper)

can then be diluted around a 1 to 1 ratio with hot water or milk for great tasting coffee with less of the gut rot
 
It sounds like you have your heart set on a proper unpressurised PF espresso machine, MJI. I'd just warn that RAD is pocket money compared to slippery slope that is Espresso Upgraditus. The level of enablement is unlike anything you've ever seen, other than possibly Hifi or car collecting. People literally go from a Gaggia Classic and MDF grinder to a full commercial setup within the space of months.. It's terrifying. Just so you know what you're getting yourself into :)
 
The secret to good coffee is to use good coffee, get that right and the rest is down to what you like. For me an Aeropress produces a very pure, clean tasting coffee and more than worthy to not bother firing up the espresso machine. Home machines such as the Gaggia Classic/Baby, make superb expresso shots (modded or not) but the milk foaming (never frothing!) is very hit and miss and you then have to wait for the machine to re-pressurise to pull your shot.

You've not even started on grinders yet!

If you're new-ish to making good coffee I'd suggest buy a good coffee ground to the correct consistency (look for a local roaster - they're springing up like microbreweries) and try an Aeropress and/or Cafetiere. Watch some YouTube vids to learn the most efficient method. You've then had a small outlay, satisfied your taste buds and curiosity, ready then to spend thousands on producing 1fl oz of coffee.

Enjoy your trip.
 
I've got a slightly cheaper dehlonghi coffee machine. The pressurised baskets are dead easy to convert to non pressurised. Only down side is my grinder can't grind fine enough!
 
'Lo again folks.

Thanks again for all your advice.

I think sense may have won the battle as I've pushed the button on an aeropress for now and will see what a nice clean brew tastes like with beans freshly roasted and ground from the local roasters.

I'm not saying sense will win the war though!

Grinders. Yeah. I could hand grind for a bit. Hario or Porlex maybe. Dualit burr grinders is around £70 and the Iberital MC2 is about £110.

Patience though young Padewan!
 
After reading through this thread and also looking for a new toy to play with :icon_razz: I have also ordered an Aeropress.
I think I am going to go with a Porelx hand grinder to start with too.
 
So cracked the aeropress out this morning and it seems pretty good.

Tried the straight up shot, then went americano.

I'd probably say it's really darn good. Trouble is the only thing I have to compare it to is hight street chain coffee. It was a good if not better than than anyway.

Was a very dark Mediterranean roast (ground locally) so maybe not as smooth but I like to be able,to taste my coffee!

Can only imagine what a fresh grind in a machine can do!! Hmmmmm haha!
 
Good to hear, MJI. It's worth spending some money on a good grinder – it feels like a lot to lay out to begin with, but a commercial mill can last several lifetimes in the domestic environment. Think of the grinder as being the centre of your coffee world and the preparation methods as secondary in importance.
 
I am and have been using:

Gaggia classic

Iberital MC2 (do not buy a cheap grinder!!)

Mods:

Got rid of Gaggia pressurised basket.

Took off strange Gaggia black wandy thing and put on Rancilio wand. Excellent.

I get very good results. And the grinder is blinding. This is now nearly 2 years of use and going well. I de scale and back flush on a regular basis. I do the machine too......

Cheers. TB
 
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