Coffee - how do you drink it and why?

[bcrdukes]

ntan - Thanks for the detailed reply. Very much appreciated

I'll definitely consider this when I move into the new place. The placement for my plumbing isn't ideal, seeing as the general plumbing rule of thumb is "Shit doesn't travel up" applies. I need to figure out my plumbing situation due to the snakes and ladders of the setup, and ultimately where I want to put it. I'm in the middle of planning a kitchenette to accommodate my espresso setup, so it will depend on that. Your setup is quite an impressive investment, and by far, one of the best I've seen. cafe22's as well, given his constraints (I'm assuming he lives in a condo/townhouse.)

Re: Acme cups - I've lusted for them for a while, but given that I am the only coffee/espresso drinker in the household, I've never bothered to upgrade to nicer cups. The best cup is one that Expresso gave me, made by ANCAP Italy, and a gift set from BMW made by Kahla Germany. lol

Upgrading from the Rocket to a LM has been tough mainly because of 1. cost of entry 2. cost to maintain 3. I hate to admit it, but I still love my second wave coffee. While I do enjoy the occassional third-wave specialty coffee, my preferences lead back to second wave coffee. The Rocket does a great job of pulling second-wave espresso, and I love it for its simplicity and reliability. Edit: I used to leave my machines on 24/7, but that expedited the need to replace seals and gaskets and stuff, and if you've ever taken apart an espresso machine, you'll learn quickly that Italians are masochists. Don't ask me how I know.

[cafe22]

sick setup ntan! (I guess you were featured in one of Edmond's IG video recently?). Do you plan to change the burr or hopper setup for single dosing?

@hehe, if you are interested in the bean cellar, I could sell you 4 of mine. PM me if you're interested.

[roastpuff]

My very simple setup - nowhere near as fancy as you espresso drinkers lol. Switched to this from Nespresso to save on pod costs and have better coffee - I usually have two mugs, so half capacity here is just about right. 41g of coffee + 6 cups as marked by Moccamaster (about 750ml of water).

[Hondaracer]

Our friend is a potter and has made us some proper latte cups and also have the little duck handled espresso cups lol

[Hehe]

Originally Posted by cafe22

sick setup ntan! (I guess you were featured in one of Edmond's IG video recently?). Do you plan to change the burr or hopper setup for single dosing?

@hehe, if you are interested in the bean cellar, I could sell you 4 of mine. PM me if you're interested.

PM'd. Maybe RS coffee meet at Cafe22?

checking with a buddy who's also into coffee... he is also interested in 24 (I'm in for 24 too).

Anyone else in the group buy so we make 100?

[Kilinim]

Originally Posted by roastpuff

My very simple setup - nowhere near as fancy as you espresso drinkers lol. Switched to this from Nespresso to save on pod costs and have better coffee - I usually have two mugs, so half capacity here is just about right. 41g of coffee + 6 cups as marked by Moccamaster (about 750ml of water).

How do you like the Moccamaster? I'm actually looking at different machines and came across this one recently.

[ntan]

Originally Posted by bcrdukes

ntan - Thanks for the detailed reply. Very much appreciated

I'll definitely consider this when I move into the new place. The placement for my plumbing isn't ideal, seeing as the general plumbing rule of thumb is "Shit doesn't travel up" applies. I need to figure out my plumbing situation due to the snakes and ladders of the setup, and ultimately where I want to put it. I'm in the middle of planning a kitchenette to accommodate my espresso setup, so it will depend on that. Your setup is quite an impressive investment, and by far, one of the best I've seen. cafe22's as well, given his constraints (I'm assuming he lives in a condo/townhouse.)

Re: Acme cups - I've lusted for them for a while, but given that I am the only coffee/espresso drinker in the household, I've never bothered to upgrade to nicer cups. The best cup is one that Expresso gave me, made by ANCAP Italy, and a gift set from BMW made by Kahla Germany. lol

Upgrading from the Rocket to a LM has been tough mainly because of 1. cost of entry 2. cost to maintain 3. I hate to admit it, but I still love my second wave coffee. While I do enjoy the occassional third-wave specialty coffee, my preferences lead back to second wave coffee. The Rocket does a great job of pulling second-wave espresso, and I love it for its simplicity and reliability. Edit: I used to leave my machines on 24/7, but that expedited the need to replace seals and gaskets and stuff, and if you've ever taken apart an espresso machine, you'll learn quickly that Italians are masochists. Don't ask me how I know.

Thanks man. Appreciate it. Yeah I recently moved and did a massive renovation, so I was able to build a coffee bar to how I wanted with minimal compromises.

I've had to take apart the GS3 several times (I had display issues several times in the first year of ownership... was honestly quite disappointed w/ the quality) and man, it took a lot of elbow grease, haha. But I really don't look forward to paying someone $500+/year just to maintain my machine.

Originally Posted by cafe22

sick setup ntan! (I guess you were featured in one of Edmond's IG video recently?). Do you plan to change the burr or hopper setup for single dosing?

@hehe, if you are interested in the bean cellar, I could sell you 4 of mine. PM me if you're interested.

Wow. I'm surprised you were able to recognize the setup from his IG video, haha. I actually became friends with Edmond (owner/roaster of Moving Coffee for those who don't know him) a few years back when I was fanboying his coffee. My fav was his Guji espresso back in 2018... literally tasted like a blue berry smoothie from Jugo Juice.

Burr I'm unsure as they're quite expensive and I'm not sure if there's any noticeable difference in quality (I haven't looked too much into this, so I might be wrong). I really want the smaller hopper but forking out $200 seems quite steep. I've always single dosed anyways, so it's more of an aesthetic thing if anything.

The next purchase on my mind is maybe an OCD v3?

[ntan]

Originally Posted by Hondaracer

Our friend is a potter and has made us some proper latte cups and also have the little duck handled espresso cups lol

Speaking of custom pottery, I really like the cups they have at Single V Coffee. Does anyone know where they get theirs made?

[cafe22]

Originally Posted by ntan

Speaking of custom pottery, I really like the cups they have at Single V Coffee. Does anyone know where they get theirs made?

I believe Jason (the owner of Single V) got them made in collaboration with Burnaby Potters Guild.

Regarding burrs, I would say you will see a noticeable change/improvement with burr alignment and geometry from light roasted espresso beans. I could attest to this when I changed my mazzer SJ burrs to SSP reds.

[ntan]

Originally Posted by cafe22

I believe Jason (the owner of Single V) got them made in collaboration with Burnaby Potters Guild.

Regarding burrs, I would say you will see a noticeable change/improvement with burr alignment and geometry from light roasted espresso beans. I could attest to this when I changed my mazzer SJ burrs to SSP reds.

Hmm interesting. Where did you buy your SSP burrs? Any distributors that have it for cheaper? I'll need to read a bit more about SSP burrs and the different combinations (high vs low uniformity vs different coatings) first...

[roastpuff]

Originally Posted by Kilinim

How do you like the Moccamaster? I'm actually looking at different machines and came across this one recently.

Very simple, consistent machine. I love the simplicity - but if you like fiddling with features it's not for you. Build quality is great, like a tank, and you have confidence in this thing lasting for a long time.

I like it a lot, and I think it produces good-to-great coffee, but hand pourover will still extract the most flavour.

I got it on sale from Transcend Coffee, so I didn't pay full price, and that helps - it's not cheap.

[cafe22]

Originally Posted by Kilinim

How do you like the Moccamaster? I'm actually looking at different machines and came across this one recently.

Highly recommend it if you are looking for a brewer that will last until we all die lol. I have one for my workplace and it has been going strong for the past 8 years without a single issue.

An alternative would be from Bonavita. Similar technology minus the higher end components inside.

https://eightouncecoffee.ca/products...smart_campaign

[ntan]

@cafe22, I'm curious if you service your GS3 yourself? Do you find yourself replacing the vacuum breaker/the o-rings every 6 months or so? And if you do service it yourself, do you buy a new vacuum breaker or just the o-rings? I would like to just change the o-rings but haven't had any luck sourcing them locally.

[bcrdukes]

Originally Posted by ntan

@cafe22, I'm curious if you service your GS3 yourself? Do you find yourself replacing the vacuum breaker/the o-rings every 6 months or so? And if you do service it yourself, do you buy a new vacuum breaker or just the o-rings? I would like to just change the o-rings but haven't had any luck sourcing them locally.

Do the local retailers and the distributor (i think 1?) not sell the o-rings to service the machines? Or are you bound by their service regimes?

I'm lucky that parts are readily available for the Rocket, but oh man, such a pain in the ass to take apart any kind of espresso machine.

[N.V.M.]

yea or nay?

https://coffeeforwellness.com/

"Created by pro-golfer Phil Mickelson and world-class performance coach Dave Phillips, Coffee for Wellness is an exceptionally high-quality coffee blend: ethically sourced and roasted to preserve coffee’s natural antioxidants. When combined with ‘The Good Stuff’—Phil and Dave’s tried and tested combination of adaptogens, nootropics, and superfoods—you get the best tasting and best performing cup of infused coffee in the business. So, you can be a better you, every single day."

[Kilinim]

Originally Posted by cafe22

Highly recommend it if you are looking for a brewer that will last until we all die lol. I have one for my workplace and it has been going strong for the past 8 years without a single issue.

An alternative would be from Bonavita. Similar technology minus the higher end components inside.

https://eightouncecoffee.ca/products...smart_campaign

I had a Bonavita previously. I wasn't a fan and ended up returning. I'm considering the Moccamaster KBT, Breville BDC450BSS, and the Zojirushi EC-YGC120 right now.

[cafe22]

Originally Posted by ntan

@cafe22, I'm curious if you service your GS3 yourself? Do you find yourself replacing the vacuum breaker/the o-rings every 6 months or so? And if you do service it yourself, do you buy a new vacuum breaker or just the o-rings? I would like to just change the o-rings but haven't had any luck sourcing them locally.

I also had no luck sourcing locally the food-safe/grade o-ring inside the vacuum valve. I ended up buying a new steam vacuum valve from here:
https://coffeeaddicts.ca/products/la...i-vacuum-valve

It's a pretty easy DIY if you have the right wrenches and a bit of muscles cause those things are screwed in tight.

[bcrdukes]

Originally Posted by cafe22

I also had no luck sourcing locally the food-safe/grade o-ring inside the vacuum valve. I ended up buying a new steam vacuum valve from here:
https://coffeeaddicts.ca/products/la...i-vacuum-valve

It's a pretty easy DIY if you have the right wrenches and a bit of muscles cause those things are screwed in tight.

Getting food safe o-ring grease is a pain in the ass. I had to order some from idrinkcoffee.com.

[SkinnyPupp]

Originally Posted by N.V.M.

yea or nay?

https://coffeeforwellness.com/

"Created by pro-golfer Phil Mickelson and world-class performance coach Dave Phillips, Coffee for Wellness is an exceptionally high-quality coffee blend: ethically sourced and roasted to preserve coffee’s natural antioxidants. When combined with ‘The Good Stuff’—Phil and Dave’s tried and tested combination of adaptogens, nootropics, and superfoods—you get the best tasting and best performing cup of infused coffee in the business. So, you can be a better you, every single day."

If it tastes good and isn't too expensive, go for it

[ntan]

Originally Posted by bcrdukes

Do the local retailers and the distributor (i think 1?) not sell the o-rings to service the machines? Or are you bound by their service regimes?

I'm lucky that parts are readily available for the Rocket, but oh man, such a pain in the ass to take apart any kind of espresso machine.

They push you really hard to get the machines to be serviced by them (vacuum breaker service ~$150), but since my machine is now out of warranty, they'll sell me an entire vacuum breaker replacement (like the one cafe22 linked), but not the o-rings themselves. Reading forums, it seems like it's just the o-rings that fail.

[bcrdukes]

Originally Posted by Kilinim

I had a Bonavita previously. I wasn't a fan and ended up returning. I'm considering the Moccamaster KBT, Breville BDC450BSS, and the Zojirushi EC-YGC120 right now.

Do share with us your experience should you decide to get the Zojirushi. I don't expect Japanese appliance companies getting into the game, so it was neat seeing Zojirushi stepping up.

[Kilinim]

Originally Posted by bcrdukes

Do share with us your experience should you decide to get the Zojirushi. I don't expect Japanese appliance companies getting into the game, so it was neat seeing Zojirushi stepping up.

Zojirushi has 5 models of coffee makers currently, as far as I can see. I know they make quality products based on how much people seem to love their rice cookers. I'm leaning towards the Breville at the moment, still undecided though.

[MG1]

Speaking of Zojirushi, I love my VE Hybrid Boiler and Warmer................ to make perfectly good instant coffee in a huge root beer mug. Add Bailey's, sip it, let it cool down for a few hours, then in the fridge it goes.


Oh, no tap water ever goes into the Zojirushi. Only bottled water from Costco - the 20 litre stuff.

[whitev70r]

In terms of grind .. Umbria for the win.

[bcrdukes]

Do you mean blend?