New Coffee Set-up

[toxicavenger]

This is my super basic setup. My wife likes espresso longo so we use a bigger cup.

I tamp my grounds but my wife uses a pressurized porta filter.


It works for us.

[Steve O.]

We have a Keurig K-Cafe Special Edition. Nothing fancy, but works nicely.

[toxicavenger]

I can't believe I am saying this but my wife has been wanting a semi-automatic cappuccino machine for a while. I did not want to invest in one that would not get used. My wife took it upon herself to buy one. Yes it is a cheap Mr. Coffee version. I think she paid $200 for it. We got it yesterday and it has been used about 10 times already. I am biting my tongue saying this, but it works pretty darn good!

[HapaHapa]

I can't believe I am saying this but my wife has been wanting a semi-automatic cappuccino machine for a while. I did not want to invest in one that would not get used. My wife took it upon herself to buy one. Yes it is a cheap Mr. Coffee version. I think she paid $200 for it. We got it yesterday and it has been used about 10 times already. I am biting my tongue saying this, but it works pretty darn good!

Might just have to look into this

[matt.wu]

I can't believe I am saying this but my wife has been wanting a semi-automatic cappuccino machine for a while. I did not want to invest in one that would not get used. My wife took it upon herself to buy one. Yes it is a cheap Mr. Coffee version. I think she paid $200 for it. We got it yesterday and it has been used about 10 times already. I am biting my tongue saying this, but it works pretty darn good!

Hahaha you hipster. You try to resist, but you can’t help it.

[toxicavenger]

Might just have to look into this

It is really decent for the price. That is without dropping Jura money.

Hahaha you hipster. You try to resist, but you can’t help it.

i thoughts hipsters did pour overs???? i actually do pour overs when i feel a little sensitive

[SoCal C4S]

I do Black Rifle ground coarse, into our own K-cup reusable pods. Mix in some MCT oil, and have a cup first thing every morning at 530 am.

As much as I would love to dive into something else like this, I just don’t have the time.

[Captdave]

I can't believe I am saying this but my wife has been wanting a semi-automatic cappuccino machine for a while. I did not want to invest in one that would not get used. My wife took it upon herself to buy one. Yes it is a cheap Mr. Coffee version. I think she paid $200 for it. We got it yesterday and it has been used about 10 times already. I am biting my tongue saying this, but it works pretty darn good!

We’ve had an automatic for several years now. I’m impressed with the quality of coffee and the ease of use. We use the hell out of it. The wife uses it far more than anticipated. I love it for those early jobs when I’m leaving from home. My commute mug fits perfectly under the dispenser.


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[toxicavenger]

espresso pull I did today. not crazy impressive but for a cheap machine I am good with it.

[toxicavenger]

If I may Terry: the espresso you’re showing is “over extracted”, meaning you let water go through it for too long. You can see it because of the two white “eyes” on the foam.
Try letting it run for less time.

all good brother you know that. thanks for the info. I hope things are good

[andrema]

Just buy a French press...

[matt.wu]

Resurrecting this - after a little nudging by our resident enabler on multiple fronts (jtbenson), I’m an “espresso guy”.

I’m a couple months into using it (and a few months into the research) and I’m loving it.

This machine isn’t “old school” traditional, but it’s super programmable, and I’m loving the flexibility. I regularly rotate between “sprovers” (espresso in pourover style), allonge, and lever-style espresso.

Thoroughly enjoying the new hobby. (And yes, Apple Watch). Cup prob too big, but just reusing some Japanese ceramic cups (sometimes used for tea or sake) for espresso. Too big for double espresso shots, but just right for 135g allonges.

[jtbenson]

congrats matt!
that is a great looking shot. (too big'a cup' is of less consequence if you don't dally over the shot. i wouldn't serve one to an italian, but...)
you using local beans?

[justsellbrgs]

Just buy a French press...

OR drop $25.00 on an Aeropress.....one of the greatest inventions of all time.

I have the regular, and the travel version.

[dnslater]

Just buy a French press...

OR drop $25.00 on an Aeropress.....one of the greatest inventions of all time.

I have the regular, and the travel version.

Great if you are good for 1 cup at a time....

[matt.wu]

congrats matt!
that is a great looking shot. (too big'a cup' is of less consequence if you don't dally over the shot. i wouldn't serve one to an italian, but...)
you using local beans?

Right now, I've wanted to get comfortable with the workflow and basic skills before messing around with different beans too much, so I've just been sticking with Intelligentsia via their mail order program (freshly roasted beans get mailed out immediately). Keeping the beans consistent has helped me ensure that my prep is repeatable.

[jtbenson]

10-4 on a baseline
give lusso a whirl when you’re ready
gmc is killer
and freedom

[matt.wu]

10-4 on a baseline
give lusso a whirl when you’re ready
gmc is killer
and freedom

On it. Always appreciate the recommendations!

[jtbenson]

so many great options local to you.

are you familiar with dayglow?
they compile offerings from many renowned roasters---both local and international---which makes it convenient to try some offerings that would otherwise be cost prohibitive to import in small amounts (and/or just combine shipping of multiple domestic roasters). the 'eli's choice' sub guarantees something 'special' every time. not always to my taste preferences, but never boring ; )
(this is the only sub i still get since i started roasting myself)

the 'rolling' la marzocco sub is fun too. different, featured roaster each month who sends two distinct beans, usually either an espresso blend + a single origin espresso, or one bag recommended for espresso, the other for brew, etc.
in the two years i got this one i never got beans from the same roaster twice.

oh, and the trick to optimally extracting multiple coffees at the same time is to have multiple grinders and espresso machines

[toxicavenger]

I thought I should update this since it has almost been a year with the Mr. Coffee semi-auto machine. It is still doing a good job, it was never great, I did not expect this from a low end machine. But my wife and daughter loves the latte's they get from it. I even like it for a quick fix. I keep a regular supply of fresh Guatemalan beans from a local roaster. The grinder is still doing good for being around 7 years old. I just have to take it apart for a good cleaning soon.

If your expectations are not high, this then might be the answer for you.

[matt.wu]

Started this convo in the other bean roasting thread where it didn’t really belong, so porting the update here.

(That’s what’s in the vials)

GS3?!

How do you like it? I'm looking to pick up a Micra in the next few weeks.

I could probably write a ton on this, but quick rundown since it's tangential to the thread.

First of all, I've tried a fairly broad spectrum of coffee roasts and brewing methods, and the traditional thicker, caramel/chocolate style Italian espresso is still what I prefer (with some water to make it a strongish americano). That's my go-to daily. So my preferences extend from there.

My first "nice" espresso machine was a Decent espresso machine (shoutout to Jason for turning me onto it). It's a machine that allows extensive customization of how you want your espresso shot to run (temp, flow rate, target pressure, hold times, etc... are all variables that can be manipulated). Some people say that it's too much of an advanced machine and shouldn't be your first, but I actually feel the opposite. I think having such a programmable machine allows you to play around with different style of shots and decide what you like.

In the end, traditional Italian espresso is still king for me. So as I looked for my next machine (the Decent has a lot of quirks I got tired of after a couple years of ownership - like the fact that sometimes it just doesn't work and has to be rebooted a couple of times), I decided to optimize for workflow within my preferred espresso style. La Marzocco was the obvious candidate, so it was between the Micra, Mini, and GS3. The GS3 AV allows me to pre-program shot parameters to a limited profile and perform a one-button brew (with somewhat of a preinfusion). This makes morning workflows very simple to get great espresso time after time. I only need to play with a scale when I swap beans.

All that said, it really is a dumb machine overall. Beautiful, reliable, but dumb. So I find myself wanting a little more programmability again, so I've been looking at some of the other options in the range that will give reliability and more control (Slayer, Sanremo You, Synesso ES.1, and even looking at used KvdW Speedsters).

(And the grinder is a Kafatek MC5 - conical pairs well with this machine. I had an Option-O Lagom P100 prior to this, but that is more indexed toward lighter roasts and faster shots).

[matt.wu]

And the GMC recommendation has stuck!

[toxicavenger]

Crazy how long this has been. My daughter is moving out next week and she is taking the cheap Mr. Coffee with her. So I starting looking around the see what I could replace it with. Luckily I found a used Gaggia Anima Prestige locally for $125. I think a few years back they were selling for around $1k. This one uses the same brew group as the Philips, and Saeco (all the same brand/owners). I did do a full service on it with new gaskets and heavy cleaning. It makes a smoother espresso pull than the old Mr. Coffee. All in all I am impressed. Even with the cheap 8 o'clock beans I am using.

[Captdave]

Great find T! Looks good. I’ve always like the automatics, especially at zero dark thirty.


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[AranaWhite]

Crazy how long this has been. My daughter is moving out next week and she is taking the cheap Mr. Coffee with her. So I starting looking around the see what I could replace it with. Luckily I found a used Gaggia Anima Prestige locally for $125. I think a few years back they were selling for around $1k. This one uses the same brew group as the Philips, and Saeco (all the same brand/owners). I did do a full service on it with new gaskets and heavy cleaning. It makes a smoother espresso pull than the old Mr. Coffee. All in all I am impressed. Even with the cheap 8 o'clock beans I am using.

That’s a great pickup, a sweat equity bargain! I Love that stainless. It’s nice to know service well. Cheers