In my case, old school for morning brew, French Press. Grind the beans (Peets or Costco House Blend) for the Press. Afternoon is from a Keurig (Peets or Varona). Rinse and repeat for the next day.

Similar to how magazines can make or break a 1911, a good Burr grinder is worth the investment.

Buy whole beans, a great grinder w ceramic “blades”, and a Technivorm Moccamaster. You won’t look back.

Update on my coffee journey.

The Breville the Bambino Plus espresso machine arrived today in good order.

Since my grinder, a Capresso Infinity, the all-stainless-steel one, cannot really do an espresso grind, I stuck with the included pressurized portafilter and did the same fine grind we've been using in the Aeropress. Based on Breville's guides, the extraction times are coming out right where they should with that grind.

I don't know as it's the best espresso I've ever had, but it's pretty damn good, IMO. Then again: While I am using decent Arabica beans, freshly-ground, it's not an espresso roast.

I am getting lovely crema





Made lattes for my wife and I this evening. They were pretty damn good if I do say so, myself. My wife remarked that her's was really tasty. I know I enjoyed mine.

The frother on the Bambino Plus is a breeze to use. In fact all aspects of the machine are a breeze to use.

So I'll use it the way it is, with the pressurized portafilter basket, for now. If I stick with this expresso thing I imagine I'll eventually upgrade the grinder to something that can do a good espresso grind. The Baratza Virtuoso+ is looking like a pretty good contender in this respect.

It's too bad CoffeeGeek's forums are gone. That used to be a great resource

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:

It's too bad CoffeeGeek's forums are gone. That used to be a great resource

They're poised for a "re-launch." But I agree, the forums are a big loss. And FWIW Mark Prince just did a "first look" of your machine on April 11, 2021:
https://www.coffeegeek.com/rev...eville-bambino-plus/

Too bad the Bambino has a 53mm grouphead instead of the more standard E61 58mm size. Probably consistent with the overall minimal size of the machine.

quote:

A proper (burr) grinder
An adequate espresso machine
The proper coffee
Good water
Practice

Okay, okay. I'll break down and get a good burr grinder. We have good water, and the Moccamaster does wonders with the local roasters' Trailhead blend. I dunno that I'll bother going to an espresso machine though. A couple of friends have silly ones (~3k), one of them took his with him to Iraq when he was deployed there.

The cream on a good espresso is a beautiful thing though...

Jim- another alternative coffee forum is at www.home-barista.com
The url I have posted might be wrong, so just Google the terms "home barista coffee forums", and the correct URL will come up.
It is a good forum, a lot of people who used to be on the CoffeeGeek forums have moved to the Home Barista forums.
-Sid

quote:

Originally posted by slosig:
Okay, okay. I'll break down and get a good burr grinder.

I can make three suggestions. One based on my own experience and the other two based on my past and recent research.

• Capresso Infinity model 565.05. This is the stainless steel one. About $150.
  
• Baratza Virtuoso+. About $250.
  
• Rancillio Rocky. About $450.
  

There are, of course, others, but these three cover the gamut from affordable, but good quality, to higher-end-ish home barista grade.

The Infinity is quite a capable grinder for drip, pour-over, French press, etc. It even suffices for espresso with pressurized portafilters.

If you think you're ever going to want to do espresso I would recommend the Baratza Virtuoso+, at least.

If you're never going to do espresso, the Rancillio Rocky is unnecessarily expensive. Even the Virtuoso+ is more than you need.

quote:

Originally posted by slosig:
The cream on a good espresso is a beautiful thing though...

Crema Yes it is.

quote:

Originally posted by sidss1:
Jim- another alternative coffee forum is at www.home-barista.com
The url I have posted might be wrong, so just Google the terms "home barista coffee forums", and the correct URL will come up.

Ok. Thanks. I'll look into it.

Though, TBH, I'm not that much a coffee geek anymore. I now buy my beans from Costco, whereas, once-upon-a-time freshly-roasted, while I waited, was the only way to go--short of roasting my own.

This recent espresso machine purchase was more to scratch a long-existing itch than a rediscovered interest in coffee geekery

quote:

Originally posted by sidss1:
It is a good forum, a lot of people who used to be on the CoffeeGeek forums have moved to the Home Barista forums.
-Sid

*hmph* I don't know what the owners of CoffeeGeek thought they were accomplishing by ridding the site of the vast trove of knowledge, etc., that used to be there, and dumping the forums.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ensigmatic,

quote:

Originally posted by houndawg:

A true coffee snob would turn their nose up at beans that that have been roasted longer than a week.

A true coffee snob would grow his (her? its?) own beans.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by houndawg:
A true coffee snob would turn their nose up at beans that that have been roasted longer than a week.

A true coffee snob would grow his (her? its?) own beans.

A bit impractical in the northern hemisphere

True coffee aficionados generally find it sufficient to buy green beans grown on coffee estates and roast them to their own profiles.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
A true coffee snob would grow his (her? its?) own beans.

A bit impractical in the northern hemisphere

You might want to tell that to the coffee growers in Kona Hawaii and other islands. (Northern Hemisphere)

quote:

Originally posted by Flash-LB:

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
A true coffee snob would grow his (her? its?) own beans.

A bit impractical in the northern hemisphere

You might want to tell that to the coffee growers in Kona Hawaii and other islands. (Northern Hemisphere)

*sigh* Ok, fine, you got me Yes, there's coffee grown in Mexico, too. That's also in the northern hemisphere.

Seen any N. Dakota coffee?

Practical coffee growing requires a temperate climate.

Anyway... trouble in paradise. Found my shiny new Breville the Bambino Plus was leaving puddles of water under the drip tray. I've even found small amounts under the front of the machine. Worse: Said water had a brown coloration.

Looks like a design flaw . See: Breville Bambino Plus Problem - Water UNDER Drip Tray After Each Use.

I've submitted a support request to Breville, but, from the comments in that reddit thread I suspect this thing's going to end up returned and I'll have to wait until another small, capable machine appears on the market.

Too bad, really. It's otherwise a neat little machine.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
Anyway... trouble in paradise.

That stinks.


I've been using a Breville Barista Express for a few years now. I did have to send it back once to Breville near the end of the warranty for repair. Other than that I've been really happy with this machine. It gets used nearly every day. I was able to use a 20% off coupon when I bought it from a local kitchen store (which put near the price of the Bambino Plus).

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:

True coffee aficionados generally find it sufficient to buy green beans grown on coffee estates and roast them to their own profiles.

Imposter!
I'm no coffee expert, but even I know green beans make lousy coffee. Lima beans too.

quote:

Originally posted by cas:

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:

True coffee aficionados generally find it sufficient to buy green beans grown on coffee estates and roast them to their own profiles.

Imposter!
I'm no coffee expert, but even I know green beans make lousy coffee. Lima beans too.

Did you read the second part of the sentence?

quote:

Originally posted by houndawg:

quote:

Originally posted by cas:

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
True coffee aficionados generally find it sufficient to buy green beans grown on coffee estates and roast them to their own profiles.

Imposter!
I'm no coffee expert, but even I know green beans make lousy coffee. Lima beans too.

Did you read the second part of the sentence?

*cough* "Green beans?" "Lima beans?"

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:

Baratza Virtuoso+. About $150.

Is this a typo ($250), or am I shopping in all the wrong places?

Amazon has a used one with cosmetic damage for $186.75, and a new one for $279, but most everyone else seems to be around $249. Well, except Wallmart, which is at $336.

And here I am with my Bunn drip coffee maker and my Chemex.
I do grind my own beans but I have a small Cuisinart two blade grinder. It works tho.
Chemex is weekend, Bunn is weekday.

quote:

Originally posted by slosig:

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:

Baratza Virtuoso+. About $150.

Is this a typo ($250), or am I shopping in all the wrong places?

Typo. Apologies.

quote:

Originally posted by joatmonv:
And here I am with my Bunn drip coffee maker and my Chemex.
I do grind my own beans but I have a small Cuisinart two blade grinder.

That's not a grinder. That's a basher

My journey:

• Mr. Coffee or whatever. Supermarket, pre-ground coffee
  
• Gevalia subscription. Brewer free with sub. Whirly-blade "grinder"
  
• Upgraded to burr grinder
  
• Upgraded the brewer and switched to metal mesh filter
  
• Cancelled the Gevalia sub and switched to local roaster
  

Roaster subsequently moved too far away to make it practical to stop in there regularly. Down-graded to whole-bean coffees from Costco.

Upon retirement, stopped using the Cuisinart Brew Central brewer and switched to an AeroPress. (Using a metal mesh filter in that, too.)

And now I have the Breville the Bambino Plus espresso machine. At least for now.

Here's why whirly-blade grinders should never be used on coffee beans: They don't grind the beans. They don't even effectively cut them up. They more bash them to pieces than anything else. They generate appreciable heating of the bean in the process, which subsequently adversely effects extraction, and they produce a "grind" that's all over the map, size-wise.

That being said: The results they produce in a brewer, using more-or-less fresh, whole-bean coffee and paper filters in the brewer are much better than super-market shelf pre-ground coffee.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:

quote:

Originally posted by slosig:

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:

Baratza Virtuoso+. About $150.

Is this a typo ($250), or am I shopping in all the wrong places?

Typo. Apologies.

quote:

Originally posted by joatmonv:
And here I am with my Bunn drip coffee maker and my Chemex.
I do grind my own beans but I have a small Cuisinart two blade grinder.

That's not a grinder. That's a basher

My journey:

• Mr. Coffee or whatever. Supermarket, pre-ground coffee
  
• Gevalia subscription. Brewer free with sub. Whirly-blade "grinder"
  
• Upgraded to burr grinder
  
• Upgraded the brewer and switched to metal mesh filter
  
• Cancelled the Gevalia sub and switched to local roaster
  

Roaster subsequently moved too far away to make it practical to stop in there regularly. Down-graded to whole-bean coffees from Costco.

Upon retirement, stopped using the Cuisinart Brew Central brewer and switched to an AeroPress. (Using a metal mesh filter in that, too.)

And now I have the Breville the Bambino Plus espresso machine. At least for now.

Here's why whirly-blade grinders should never be used on coffee beans: They don't grind the beans. They don't even effectively cut them up. They more bash them to pieces than anything else. They generate appreciable heating of the bean in the process, which subsequently adversely effects extraction, and they produce a "grind" that's all over the map, size-wise.

That being said: The results they produce in a brewer, using more-or-less fresh, whole-bean coffee and paper filters in the brewer are much better than super-market shelf pre-ground coffee.

Hahahaha, I know my "grinder" isn't that good but I'm a cheap bastard.
I've been using Peet's beans and Death Wish beans for the Chemex and Bunn.
I'll bash the beans a little more for the Bunn though.
Its kinda funny because when I go to work, we use Folgers for the drip maker there. Compared to what I make and what's at work, mine's definitely better and stronger.
Then again, I'll buy gas station coffee also. It's usually hot, black and strong after sitting a few hours.

quote:

Originally posted by joatmonv:
Hahahaha, I know my "grinder" isn't that good but I'm a cheap bastard.
I've been using Peet's beans and Death Wish beans for the Chemex and Bunn.

Apparently not that cheap, since Bunn brewers are on the pricier end of the drip brewer price spectrum, and the beans you're buying aren't the cheap stuff, either

$150 for the good, stainless steel Capresso Infinity would give you a much better grind. Then, with the more consistent grind, and a lot less powder, you could switch to metal mesh filters and get some of the oils in your brews. Makes a big difference in the taste.