Espresso / coffee enthusiasts?

[piratfisk]

Originally Posted by Maleg

Coffee flavor decays quickly after grinding. You need a grinder with an adjustable grind. There are good grinders that have a small footprint. Look at Baratza, for example.

I'll check that out, thank you!

Originally Posted by uscmatt99

Don't be ashamed, this is why we have the Open Discussion Forum! The grinder is as important or more important than the espresso machine. The Niche Zero is a popular home grinder with a small footprint and works well for espresso and drip grinds. You'll notice a world of difference, even with the same beans you're currently using, if you grind them to the correct fineness immediately before pulling a shot. Alternatively there are many hand grinders that fit in a drawer, but require some effort for each shot. I did that for a few months until my electric grinder arrived.

I'll check this out, too!

Originally Posted by Rock

A burr-grinder is pretty much an essential accessory to an Espresso machine and should always be factored into the coffee budget. I know people are resistent to this idea and I get it but you handicap yourself in terms of coffee quality and production utility if you don't.
Breville (and others) build budget machines with built-in grinders for precisely this reason.
Not the best idea to have a grinder as an integral part of the machine but if you feel you can't spring for even a cheap ($100.) grinder then maybe a solution worth the risk.
I usually advise new enthusiasts to buy a cheap grinder and see what you think of the coffee you are producing with your set-up over the next 12 mths.

It was something we considered when getting this espresso machine. My brother & his fiancee lament us for not having a burr grinder. They are much more "into" espresso than we are. It now seems like a necessity versus a nice-to-have.

Originally Posted by BraveBold

There is a middle solution / compromise.

If you don’t have counter space you can grind every few days in multi-day batches and then store in an airtight container. Not ideal but it will allow you more control without permanently taking up counter space.

I’ve owned a few grinders and really like the Eureka mignon specialita.

Thank you, I'll check this out, too. We have an airtight ceramic flip-top container (with a rubber gasket) that we store our grinds in. It holds about a quart. I think we could manage to do our weekly grinding once per week & freeze the remaining whole beans until they're ready to be used.

Originally Posted by Watchdoyouwant?

This is good advice. Optimum grind size changes over time with the same bag of beans, and every bag is slightly different and needs to be dialed in.

I'd even venture to say you are better off spending bank on a super high quality grinder and doing pour over brewing versus a quality espresso machine and previously ground beans.

We've tried pour-over brewing before. We like the taste of espresso over drip or p/o coffee. I do agree with you that one should strive to "buy nice, not buy twice."

Thank you all for your input :) You are all detracting from my DD36 budget.

[Watchdoyouwant?]

Originally Posted by piratfisk

I'll check that out, thank you!
We have an airtight ceramic flip-top container (with a rubber gasket) that we store our grinds in. It holds about a quart. I think we could manage to do our weekly grinding once per week & freeze the remaining whole beans until they're ready to be used.
We've tried pour-over brewing before. We like the taste of espresso over drip or p/o coffee. I do agree with you that one should strive to "buy nice, not buy twice."

Generally, you should not freeze your beans. I don't recommend it. But if you do: https://coffeebros.com/blogs/coffee/...low-this-trick

I agree espresso > drip.

Plus, a grinder really doesn't take up THAT much space.

[piratfisk]

Originally Posted by Watchdoyouwant?

Generally, you should not freeze your beans. I don't recommend it. But if you do: https://coffeebros.com/blogs/coffee/...low-this-trick

I agree espresso > drip.

Plus, a grinder really doesn't take up THAT much space.

That's a good read, thank you! We don't store a bag in the freezer like that. We put beans in pint containers (think: restaurant take-out) so everything isn't frozen together. I didn't know about the room temp/thawing process, though. The previously-mentioned Baratza Encore may be what we get.

[Maleg]

Originally Posted by piratfisk

I'll check that out, thank you!
I'll check this out, too!
It was something we considered when getting this espresso machine. My brother & his fiancee lament us for not having a burr grinder. They are much more "into" espresso than we are. It now seems like a necessity versus a nice-to-have.
Thank you, I'll check this out, too. We have an airtight ceramic flip-top container (with a rubber gasket) that we store our grinds in. It holds about a quart. I think we could manage to do our weekly grinding once per week & freeze the remaining whole beans until they're ready to be used.
We've tried pour-over brewing before. We like the taste of espresso over drip or p/o coffee. I do agree with you that one should strive to "buy nice, not buy twice."

Thank you all for your input :) You are all detracting from my DD36 budget.

A good quality adjustable burr mill is $200-$300. I’ve had a Baratza Virtuoso for ten years. The brand has maintenance instructions on Youtube and sell all the spare parts that you might need. Search on youtube to see if it’s something that works for you.

Avoid air tight storage containers. Coffee needs to off gas. Look at Airscape on Amazon. There are other good brands too. You are looking for a excess gas out, but nothing back in.

Coffee doesn’t get better with time. Freshly roasted coffee beans are good for about two weeks. Buy quantity to consume in this time.

Freshly ground coffee is good for hours, not days.

[BraveBold]

Originally Posted by piratfisk

That's a good read, thank you! We don't store a bag in the freezer like that. We put beans in pint containers (think: restaurant take-out) so everything isn't frozen together. I didn't know about the room temp/thawing process, though. The previously-mentioned Baratza Encore may be what we get.

I have an encore. Great grinder but not great for espresso…

[Naples09]

Encore ESP will work fine for espresso. It's a slight upgrade from the base Encore.

[Watchdoyouwant?]

Originally Posted by piratfisk

That's a good read, thank you! We don't store a bag in the freezer like that. We put beans in pint containers (think: restaurant take-out) so everything isn't frozen together. I didn't know about the room temp/thawing process, though. The previously-mentioned Baratza Encore may be what we get.

A grinder will last you over a decade. Spend a bit more for a lot more quality. Trust me.

[Rock]

Some thoughts on storing bean.
In hot climates (where I live) or climates where summers are hot, it is necessary to store your bean in a cool place. Mine stays in its airtight bag wrapped in a handtowel in the bottom of the 'fridge. "Airtight" containers are not a problem if you are opening them daily to get your bean. Beans at room temp do need to de-gas.
I never freeze bean - can't see the point - I'm not storing it for a long time - I'm drinking it. I buy a quantity I can consume in about 4 -6 weeks.
Bean stored in the fridge - as mentioned above - is good for 6 weeks but it must be in a sealed (ziplock) bag as air is the enemy of bean freshness.

[Boopie]

Originally Posted by Maleg

A good quality adjustable burr mill is $200-$300. I’ve had a Baratza Virtuoso for ten years. The brand has maintenance instructions on Youtube and sell all the spare parts that you might need. Search on youtube to see if it’s something that works for you.

Avoid air tight storage containers. Coffee needs to off gas. Look at Airscape on Amazon. There are other good brands too. You are looking for a excess gas out, but nothing back in.

Coffee doesn’t get better with time. Freshly roasted coffee beans are good for about two weeks. Buy quantity to consume in this time.

Freshly ground coffee is good for hours, not days.

Agreed.

We have had our Baratza grinder for a number of years, and it’s excellent.

We buy about a pound of freshly roasted whole bean coffee every week. It’s definitely not something for long term storage. We weigh it on a scale to use it. We have no ground coffee in the house, no beans in the freezer, etc.

That being said, when I recently remodeled my kitchen, I couldn’t do the coffee thing (no sink), so I broke down and got a coffee pod machine. The Hawaiian coffee pods (blue box) are pretty tasty. When my remodeled finished, I set up a coffee bar station.

I enjoy the morning coffee ritual so much that I bought a hand forged copper coffee scoop from Etsy (Wicks Forge). I enjoy using it very much, and keep it out on the counter. The handle feels great in the hand, like a tool.

A good friend is an espresso fan at the highest level, like some of you guys, and so I got him the scoop as well. He loves it.

[piratfisk]

Originally Posted by Naples09

Encore ESP will work fine for espresso. It's a slight upgrade from the base Encore.

Originally Posted by Watchdoyouwant?

A grinder will last you over a decade. Spend a bit more for a lot more quality. Trust me.

After speaking with my financial advisory team (wife), we've decided on the Baratza Encore ESP. https://www.baratza.com/product/encoretm-esp-zcg495 I'll BOLO for one that's cheaper than $200, likely through a third party retailer. Too bad we don't have a "trusted grey dealer" section for these...

[Maleg]

Originally Posted by piratfisk

After speaking with my financial advisory team (wife), we've decided on the Baratza Encore ESP. https://www.baratza.com/product/encoretm-esp-zcg495 I'll BOLO for one that's cheaper than $200, likely through a third party retailer. Too bad we don't have a "trusted grey dealer" section for these...

Good luck! Retailers usually match the Baratza price for current models. Baratza ships quickly. If you pull the trigger at their website you’ll have it in less than a week.

[SharodTimes]

I used to be big on coffee (still am just not as big) but not I just make a daily iced matcha and enjoy doing so