Anyone have a proper Coffee Machine and Grinder etc ?

[Richie]

Hi All,
I've always been a fan of drinking coffee but have used instant all the time. I always love the smell when you go past the coffee shops and have been known on occasion to stand outside them for yonks, ( especialy the one just off the top of The Moor in Sheffield ) :wink: :wink: .

I really would like to have a go at making some from coffee beans ( I hear you may also be able to roast them yourself ? ). I think I'll have to get one of those grinder things ( the wooden ones you always see at Car Boot Sales ) and some sort of perculator machine, and also of course some of the beans.

Does anyone use one regularly and what ingredients / machines do you use?
Thanks for any Coffee related info in advance :wink:
Richie :wink:

[cricketer]

Hi Richie,

Another slippery slope you're standing at the top of :wink:

I had a handgrinder, got fed up of the effort involved and wasn't satisfied with the results (you need to grind really fine for espresso - the basis of all of the drinks you will make). Then I bought a 'cheap' (maybe £30ish) blade grinder,but again it didn't do the job and anyway for various reasons you should use a burr grinder not a blade grinder so eventually I forked out £150 or so and bought this -

http://www.anothercoffee.co.uk/products/item150100.aspx

Went through a couple of 'consumer type' espresso machines without acheiving the real thing (they dont get hot enough or reach/sustain the correct pressure) and eventually bought this beauty -

http://www.anothercoffee.co.uk/products/item100105.aspx

There's some good info on this site regarding brewing etc and you should also look at http://www.coffeegeek.com which is where I read the review of the Isomac. Unfortunately it's easy to spend £2-300 and still not be happy with the coffee, research is essential......

Buying watches is easy...... :wink:

:)

Alan

[dforgrieve]

I'm afraid I just have the beans ground at point of sale.

I use this great little shop that sells a huge range of coffee beans.

Dave

[Richie]

Thanks Andy and Dave,
Excellent info, funnily enough I was just about to add an addendum to my original post to see if anyone could point me in the direction of some decent "caffiene addict" related website :wink:

I can see I'll have to be putting some overtime in :)

Thanks again, off now to spend hours browsing CoffeeGeek, which is probably about to surpass Timefactors as my favorite website :shock: :shock:

Bye and Cheers,
Richie :wink:

[NikosF]

Hi Richie,

Another slippery slope you're standing at the top of :wink:

... and bought this -

http://www.anothercoffee.co.uk/products/item150100.aspx

... eventually bought this beauty -

http://www.anothercoffee.co.uk/products/item100105.aspx

Great advice, and taste.

I've got an Isomac Rituale espresso machine (the cousin to your Zaffiro) and upgraded the grinder you bought to this beauty : http://www.anothercoffee.co.uk/products/item150500.aspx (the Mazzer Mini).

Buying roast beans - I highly recommend the Bourbon espresso blend from this place : http://www.hillandvalleycoffee.co.uk/

Hmm - off to make a coffee :D

[deryckb]

There is also a mainly Europen forum http://www.toomuchcoffee.com.

Hasbean do green beans as well as roasted and lots of other toys to improve your coffee experience :) .

http://www.hasbean.co.uk/product_info.p ... cts_id=910

The Iberital MC2 is quite well though of £100 + VAT http://www.happydonkey.co.uk/shop/catal ... c-451.html

[brynglas]

I use a Bodum grinder, works great on all grinds from fine to coarse and usually make my coffee in a cafetiere. I often add cardamom or a cinammon stick to the beans before grinding, smells and tastes great.

[Si]

Some day I'll have me one of those Zaffiros...

But if you have been used to instant then even by using freshly ground coffee and one of these...

http://www.cudacoffee.com/catalog-product.php?p_ref=622

... you will already see a major improvement for little expenditure.

I do like my Bialetti...

[Bristolian]

Good grief that Zaffiro looks the mutt's nuts :shock: with price to match.

We make do with a Gaggia classic

http://www.anothercoffee.co.uk/products/item100301.aspx

(quite a good price too on that site)

And for griinding, a burr grinder is an essential. The krupps just about cuts it and is about the cheapest 'proper' burr grinder

http://www.anothercoffee.co.uk/products/item150600.aspx

Beans? Illy (not the ready ground. Nothing else comes close.

You'll have hours of fun. (You'll need bloody hours too). At work we have a Nespresso machine. At 23p per cup it isnt that cheap but is v quick, v good and zero hassle. But you want the real thing? And i thought watches were driving me potty :D :D

Regards

David

[swanbourne]

I have the Isomac Viper from anothercoffee which takes the ESE coffee pods. I use about 1800 pods a year .

Eddie

[quoll]

A whole new can of worms this...

As a caffeine addict, I am a great fan of espresso. But the first question is do you like espresso? If you don't, then all these (quite expensive) machines won't be for you. Next major point - if you live in a hard water area (I do) then careful maintenance, cleaning and regular descaling of any espresso machine is essential. If you don't do it the boiler will die on you in a year or so.

I have had three good espresso machines - a Gaggia Baby, Rancilio Silvia and a Gaggia Classic. The Rancilio is easily the best, but is currently in pieces as I attempt to fix it. I am now using the Classic, which is just fine.

As to coffee - that is a personal thing IMHO. Drury Tea & Coffee have some great blends and roasts.

http://www.drury.uk.com/mail-order/uk-index.htm

If you are going to grind, I agree that a burr grinder is the way to go.

The Silvia machine and the Rocky grinder are highly regarded:

http://www.coffeemachinecompany.co.uk/e ... silvia.htm

[Pararescue]

I use a Bunn grinder and a Bunn commercial grade coffee maker. A bit costly but you'll get coffee house results.

I buy my beans unground from Berres Bros. of Watertown Wisconsin and do my own grinding.

http://www.berresbros.com/

[GeoffD]

If you really enjoy your coffee then save yourself a lot of time and trouble and get yourself a proper "bean to cup" machine. Consistent results and very little mucking about.
They don't have to cost a fortune. I have a Saeco Vienna at home (you can get them for about £275 with a bit of shopping about) and wouldn't be without it. Everything from espresso to Americas, variable strength control & variable cup size control.
Then it's just trying enough different beans to find your favourites. My current favourite is Monsoon Malabar.

[swanbourne]

Doesn't anyone drink "Camp" coffee these days?

Eddie

[Fitzer]

Doesn't anyone drink "Camp" coffee these days?

Eddie

I crook my little finger when I drink mine if that helps. :D

[brynglas]

I find that I get consistently good coffee from mt Bialetti stove top maker. no more bother than a larger machine and easy to clean and maintain. They don't cost too much either and come in a variety of sizes.

I'm in Turin a couple of times a year which is where I got mine from, but they're available in most supermarkets/department sores and Hasbean sell them too.

As long as you don't let the coffee boil in them they make a great brew.

[TimD]

I have a 3 cup Bialetti cofee maker (moka) cheap, simple and it's what 90% of Italians use. You can get them for around £15 http://www.bialetti.com/

Cheers,

Tim.

[Seamaster73]

I do like my Bialetti...

I used nothing but an Italian stove-top maker like that for years. Recently I have been converted to the convenience of a Philips Senseo pod machine (heresy, I know).

Doesn't anyone drink "Camp" coffee these days?

As a student I drank little else. You have inspired me to pick up a bottle the next time I see one.

"READY, AYE READY!" :lol:

[swanbourne]

In case anyone thinks "Camp" coffee is a Julian Clary brand, read here:

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/arti ... article.do

Amazing that the PC brigade had a go at it!

Eddie

[MikeB]

I have an Isomac, big, heavy chrome job with dials and levers - love mechanical stuff. I use Lavazza, ready ground - very cheap over the way in France, very expensive here in Germany (I am from Yorkshire, guess where I go to buy it).

Hate instant coffee!

I remember that Camp stuff, didn´t they put chicory in it?

[Chris_in_the_UK]

Doesn't anyone drink "Camp" coffee these days?

Eddie

How very dare you!

[quoll]

I remember Camp Coffee from my student days. There was a world-wide coffee shortage forcing prices way up, so an impoverished student couldn't afford the real thing. (Well not without diverting funds from the essentials, like beer, beaten up old sports cars and women, anyway..)

It was, and probably still is, absolutely horrible.

[Richie]

Hi,

Thanks for the info everyone, The Bialetti option is looking good at the moment. Will have to test out some different types of bean also, Anyone have a favourite Bean / Blend ? :) :)

PS. Regarding camp coffee, apparently with that and condensed milk and whisky you can knock up some Do-it Yourself "Baileys" I only know this because I was going to the Tesco in dinnertime at work and one of the blokes asked me to get him some Camp Coffee. I had to enquire what he wanted it for ? I knew he wasn't going to brew up with it as it tastes like shite :wink:

Or maybe it is an "acquired taste" :wink:

Cheers, Richie

[Griswold]

I gave up mucking about with coffee beans and grinders years ago and got myself a Nespresso capsule machine.

No mess, consistent excellent results and 12 blends to choose from plus specials.

Oh, and I used to drink Camp Coffee (with chicory essence) as a lad - awful. :twisted:

[kincardine]

I've got a Gaggia automatic espresso machine that consistently churns out amazing coffee.

We lived in Edinburgh for a while and I got hooked on Valvona and Crolla's Continental High Roast beans and now and then buy a bag on mail order.

http://www.valvonacrolla-online.co.u.../View/BEAN001A[/url]