Espresso / coffee enthusiasts?

[airchitect]

Originally Posted by Maleg

You’re hired!



Decaf?!? Sacrilege.

I drink Swiss water decafs exclusively. Delicious. Currently use an aeropress. Will change to a Breville Oracle Touch asap. The most reliable “automatic”, dual boiler out there and makes a pretty nice cup of coffee.


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[AF_Rob]

I hand grind and Aeropress a couple cups each morning. I'm a medium/dark South America or Sumatra kind of guy.

[OmegaJJH]

Ok….

Question for the group.

I have a Jura super auto. Many years old now and just back from full service at Jura - good as new. Expensive machine but worth every penny!!

We drink a lot !! (Even more so with WFH)

When friends stay for the weekend it becomes ruinlessly expensive.

Makes me want to get a Mocchamaster for those occasions. My wife asked what’s the difference between this and the crappy £25 one my mother in law has and I was stumped.

I literally couldn’t answer. For all those Mocchamaster users….
What’s the justification?

(In my wife’s eyes it’s like why a Rolex over Casio)


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[RichardBartlett]

Originally Posted by 77T

I do harbor some thoughts that the rise of Starbucks and their roasting philosophy has “dumbed down” our appreciation.




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Many years ago I was on holiday in Phuket and one of the other guests chap called Rocco was a main board director of Macdonalds Canada.

The topic of coffee came up and how bad Macs coffee was and why didn't they change it yada yada yada.

He replied "we know but we blind test our coffee against the competition on a regular basis and Macs coffee came out top or near top every time.."

[BraveBold]

Originally Posted by RichardBartlett

Many years ago I was on holiday in Phuket and one of the other guests chap called Rocco was a main board director of Macdonalds Canada.

The topic of coffee came up and how bad Macs coffee was and why didn't they change it yada yada yada.

He replied "we know but we blind test our coffee against the competition on a regular basis and Macs coffee came out top or near top every time.."

Most people eat a very limited variety of food. Very limited palates. Appealing to the absolute widest cross-section of the population generally means keeping things very basic. Doesn’t mean bad (necessary) but usually means choosing generic flavor profiles over complex.

[BraveBold]

Originally Posted by OmegaJJH

Ok….

Question for the group.

I have a Jura super auto. Many years old now and just back from full service at Jura - good as new. Expensive machine but worth every penny!!

We drink a lot !! (Even more so with WFH)

When friends stay for the weekend it becomes ruinlessly expensive.

Makes me want to get a Mocchamaster for those occasions. My wife asked what’s the difference between this and the crappy £25 one my mother in law has and I was stumped.

I literally couldn’t answer. For all those Mocchamaster users….
What’s the justification?

(In my wife’s eyes it’s like why a Rolex over Casio)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It isn’t really Rolex over Casio because a Casio will keep better time. It is, however, Rolex over other mechanical watches… highly reliable, favoring consistency over complexity or features.

Consistency is about maintaining temperature within a tight tolerance. The MM does a great job and with consistency in other variables it produces the same (very good) coffee day after day.

It is also simple and while I’ve only had mine for a few years, I imagine it will last a long time.

There are other good machines that will last but from my experience the coffee made is often not quite as good, likely due to too hot or too cold brew temp.

[EEpro]

Originally Posted by BraveBold

It isn’t really Rolex over Casio because a Casio will keep better time.

Have you checked this for yourself?

[BraveBold]

Originally Posted by EEpro

Have you checked this for yourself?

A Casio quartz?

My relatively new DJ seems to run about +0.5 and my Daytona +2. Excellent performance vs my other mechanical watches.

My quartz watches I think are running more accurately. Insignificant amount though. That is all I meant.

[zengineer]

Originally Posted by RichardBartlett

Many years ago I was on holiday in Phuket and one of the other guests chap called Rocco was a main board director of Macdonalds Canada.



The topic of coffee came up and how bad Macs coffee was and why didn't they change it yada yada yada.



He replied "we know but we blind test our coffee against the competition on a regular basis and Macs coffee came out top or near top every time.."

Of all the commonly found places I can get a drive-thru coffee on a road trip, McDonald's is by far my preference. I get it, it's a fast food joint but I honestly never heard it singled out as particularly bad coffee. It's not at the level of great hand crafted coffee but to me it beats any other fast food chain and matches Tim Hortons. Starbucks kind of defines and dominates It's own category. It is the best of the over-roasted burnt bean variety.

[HHIslander]

Originally Posted by zengineer

Of all the commonly found places I can get a drive-thru coffee on a road trip, McDonald's is by far my preference. I get it, it's a fast food joint but I honestly never heard it singled out as particularly bad coffee. It's not at the level of great hand crafted coffee but to me it beats any other fast food chain and matches Tim Hortons. Starbucks kind of defines and dominates It's own category. It is the best of the over-roasted burnt bean variety.

The best coffee I’ve found on the road is at 7-11. I tell people this and they look at me like I’m some sort of peasant. They let you refill your own mug for .99. Beats burnt Starbucks drip by miles.

[Maleg]

Originally Posted by OmegaJJH

Ok….

Question for the group.

I have a Jura super auto. Many years old now and just back from full service at Jura - good as new. Expensive machine but worth every penny!!

We drink a lot !! (Even more so with WFH)

When friends stay for the weekend it becomes ruinlessly expensive.

Makes me want to get a Mocchamaster for those occasions. My wife asked what’s the difference between this and the crappy £25 one my mother in law has and I was stumped.

I literally couldn’t answer. For all those Mocchamaster users….
What’s the justification?

(In my wife’s eyes it’s like why a Rolex over Casio)


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I’ll send you my Moccamaster. It’s in a box in the basement collecting dust. It has a great boiler that produces the right temperature water, but it doesn’t distribute the water uniformly over the grinds. The residual grinds after brewing have a nice bloom in the center with some dry grinds on the edge - it’s not wetting all the grinds. I fiddled with it for a while to try to achieve a consistent brew and it never got there for me. Now, I’m in the pour over camp with a simple thermostat controlled gooseneck kettle to provide the perfect brewing water.

After brewing your grinds should not have a residual bloom. Pause in the middle to allow the coffee to offgas for 30 seconds or so. Then finish the pour. The finished grinds will settle in the filter with a flat top when properly brewed.

[Zaslice]

Takes more effort than drip but results are definitely worth it


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[enjoythemusic]

^^^ niiiiice.

[77T]

Originally Posted by RichardBartlett

Many years ago I was on holiday in Phuket and one of the other guests chap called Rocco was a main board director of Macdonalds Canada.

The topic of coffee came up and how bad Macs coffee was and why didn't they change it yada yada yada.

He replied "we know but we blind test our coffee against the competition on a regular basis and Macs coffee came out top or near top every time.."

If that was after the launch of their McCafé 100% Arabica lineup, I agree.

But McD’s coffee history is a good example of following consumer choice. Their history of transition is an interesting one, marked by a series of significant changes that mimic US coffee preferences.

1960s-1990s: Basic filter coffee, a standard offering in many fast-food restaurants at that time. However, the coffee did not stand out as a key component of the McDonald's experience. Burger, shake, fries…

Late 1990s: McDonald's marketing saw the growing demand for specialty coffee. They experimented with Green Mountain Coffee’s "Newman's Own Organics Blend." A move aimed to attract customers who preferred higher-quality coffee.

2006: McDonald's took a branding step by launching the "McCafé" concept. Dark flavor-noted espresso-based beverages, such as lattes, cappuccinos, and mochas, alongside the existing coffee options. They move aimed to increase market share against coffee chains like Starbucks & Dunkin.

2009: McDonald's introduced “100% Arabica beans” - a change aimed to enhance the quality of their standard coffee offering.

But a cup at any random McD’s mainly depends upon the store’s people who produce it.


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[BLACKHORSE 6]

I’m not really an espresso guy. Freshly ground coffee beans and my French press have been serving me well for a while now.

My father in law has a Nespresso and I can see the appeal.

[enjoythemusic]

Paul G is right, and my hazy memory recalls years ago someone designing a great machine. It got web followers... and he sold the design to McD... web followers were outraged.

I could be wrong, but I do recall it was a great design.

PS: Like others, I totally do not understand the Starbucks fanboys. And at those prices... puh-leeeze!

PPS: McD USA locations may be different than (usually better) McD Cafe European counterparts.

[RichardBartlett]

Originally Posted by enjoythemusic

Paul G is right, and my hazy memory recalls years ago someone designing a great machine. It got web followers... and he sold the design to McD... web followers were outraged.

I could be wrong, but I do recall it was a great design.

PS: Like others, I totally do not understand the Starbucks fanboys. And at those prices... puh-leeeze!

PPS: McD USA locations may be different than (usually better) McD Cafe European counterparts.

Living on a small Spanish island we have 2 Starbucks I believe.. I've never been in either.
We don't really have international coffee chains as there are so many independent cafes here doing far better coffee and food there isn't a need.

We do have several Macs but tbf their version of Macdonalds food is pretty bad. I bought my daughter a meal about 6 years ago and had a bite

[ChaseATX]

I’m getting pretty deep into espresso. Found out about Weber Workshops EG-1 and just had to have it. Got it all dialed in nicely these days.

The Micra by La Marzocco isn’t bad either.

Nothing like a fresh shot pulled before a long run.

[JownHowever]

Originally Posted by ChaseATX

I’m getting pretty deep into espresso. Found out about Weber Workshops EG-1 and just had to have it. Got it all dialed in nicely these days.

The Micra by La Marzocco isn’t bad either.

Nothing like a fresh shot pulled before a long run.

I've been using The Micra for the past six months. This is a very good device.

[dubins930]

Originally Posted by OmegaJJH

Ok….

Question for the group.

I have a Jura super auto. Many years old now and just back from full service at Jura - good as new. Expensive machine but worth every penny!!

We drink a lot !! (Even more so with WFH)

When friends stay for the weekend it becomes ruinlessly expensive.

Makes me want to get a Mocchamaster for those occasions. My wife asked what’s the difference between this and the crappy £25 one my mother in law has and I was stumped.

I literally couldn’t answer. For all those Mocchamaster users….
What’s the justification?

(In my wife’s eyes it’s like why a Rolex over Casio)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Honestly you can probably get the same quality with something like a Bonavita for like 150…
However, the Moccamaster parts are easily replaceable…. And honestly I love the way it looks. The orange is beautiful a bit of a kitchen statement piece. I told myself it’s a buy once cry once coffee maker. I lie to myself a lot about these things tho….

[JownHowever]

Originally Posted by dubins930

Honestly you can probably get the same quality with something like a Bonavita for like 150…
However, the Moccamaster parts are easily replaceable…. And honestly I love the way it looks. The orange is beautiful a bit of a kitchen statement piece. I told myself it’s a buy once cry once coffee maker. I lie to myself a lot about these things tho….

[Rock]

The best coffee machine is the one that makes coffee that tastes good to you.
If a Capsule-machine works for you, that's great, but there IS a heirachy of equipment that determines the quality of the coffee produced.
Likewise "super-automatics" regardless of cost, won't produce coffee comparable with a high-quality manual machine operated by someone who knows what they are doing.
Obviously the quality of the bean is a major determinant in the outcome.
Great coffee is part science, part black art, but it all starts with a great bean.

[SearChart]

Originally Posted by ChaseATX

I’m getting pretty deep into espresso. Found out about Weber Workshops EG-1 and just had to have it. Got it all dialed in nicely these days.

The Micra by La Marzocco isn’t bad either.

Nothing like a fresh shot pulled before a long run.

I really want that EG-1, but it's the same price as I've paid for my Rolex
How do you like it?

[alllexandru]

Count me in

changed the OPV spring from stock to 9 bars

[Yobber76]

I like coffee, we have Breville Barista Express we use regularly, we do Kuerig pods on occassion, brewed coffee daily (Gevalia, Seattle's Best) , and I have to say, I like McDonald's when I'm traveling. My wife enjoys a Latte from the Breville almost daily.

We have french presses, I only seem to use them during power outages, when I boil water on my gas grill. In general, I wake up, coffee goes on, I drink it.
A plebian approach I guess, but it works for me.

[m3tek44]

My entire family drinks coffee. Over the decade I tried different machine/grinder ended up with Rocket/Eureka grinder.

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[JownHowever]

Originally Posted by m3tek44

My entire family drinks coffee. Over the decade I tried different machine/grinder ended up with Rocket/Eureka grinder.

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Wooooow! You have a very beautiful setup!!!

[Blansky]

I get the whole connoisseur thing and some people can get as carried away on this much like wine, scotch and other products.

But we have to remember that most people drink coffee for the drug. The caffeine and other goodies in the mix. The coffee in the cup is just the delivery system.

For me I don't like/need/want the caffeine buzz all that much so we drink green tea (which has a bit of caffeine) then we have coffee afterwards in the morning. My wife takes it straight and I do the decaff.

Some of this has to do with lifestyle, and I was self employed for all most all my life and she was corporate. I never needed morning pick me ups and she did. When she traveled she was only getting maybe 4 hours of sleep a night. I always get 7-8, so no need for the morning blast of energy for me.

We just use the Breville Grind Control Coffee Maker and Kona Coffee.

It almost looks like some people have sent their kids off to boarding school or the military just so they can take over their room and turn it into a barista's wet dream.

[BraveBold]

We love the process of making good coffee / espresso. Wife and I drink it together and it’s a nice reprieve from our hectic schedules (and kids).

Similar to cooking. Some people are okay with frozen dinners or eating out every night. Different preferences and priorities. All understandable.

[Maleg]

Originally Posted by Blansky

I get the whole connoisseur thing and some people can get as carried away on this much like wine, scotch and other products.

But we have to remember that most people drink coffee for the drug. The caffeine and other goodies in the mix. The coffee in the cup is just the delivery system.

For me I don't like/need/want the caffeine buzz all that much so we drink green tea (which has a bit of caffeine) then we have coffee afterwards in the morning. My wife takes it straight and I do the decaff.

Some of this has to do with lifestyle, and I was self employed for all most all my life and she was corporate. I never needed morning pick me ups and she did. When she traveled she was only getting maybe 4 hours of sleep a night. I always get 7-8, so no need for the morning blast of energy for me.

We just use the Breville Grind Control Coffee Maker and Kona Coffee.

It almost looks like some people have sent their kids off to boarding school or the military just so they can take over their room and turn it into a barista's wet dream.

Years ago coffee replaced alcohol for me. When I retired I explored coffee as a hobby. I don’t drink a lot of it, but I enjoy exploring single origin coffees. There are some truly amazing beans out there. If you appreciate the terroir of wine you’ll appreciate the terroir of coffee.