Any fellow coffee enthusiasts on here?

JonnyTester

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I love coffee. I don't mean a cup of Mellow Birds a couple of times a day. I mean I LOVE coffee. To me, having a cup of coffee is an artform. Something to be prepared and executed in almost military fashion. I love exploring coffee, from the plant to the cup. And I only ever drink coffee I make myself. That way I know I'm going to get it the way I want.

I gave up on coffee houses when I realised they were more interested in a) profit or b) drawing pictures on the top of my cuppa. I want to drink and savour my coffee, not ooh and ahh over it.

But judging from the crowds populating coffee shops up and down the country, I seem to be in a very small minority.

Do any of you on here feel the same?

I'll get started on a cup while I'm waiting on replies...
 
Theres quite a few on here, some fairly large threads about coffee, machines and pod machines.

I personally use a Tassimo t65, I love having a proper coffee using ground beans and an proper espresso machine but I also needed the convenience and found my coffee machine underused which is why I moved to the Tassimo. I think its brilliant as a middle ground, still makes very good coffee and in a very quick fashion!
 
yes, I like coffee...got a gaggia - but like to experiment with different styles - like greek / turkish, korean, using a cafetiere etc

but also like to make a nice mocha... :)

used to buy my coffee from hasbean - but tend to get it from supermarkets now... :)
 
I have a DeLonghi bean to cup machine, one of the best things I've ever bought, I've tried tons of different beans but prefer a darker bean over most, I'm particularly fond of Starbucks dark roast beans which did surprise me as I wasn't expecting much from them and like the OP I don't really do coffee shops.
 
yes, I like coffee...got a gaggia - but like to experiment with different styles - like greek / turkish, korean, using a cafetiere etc

but also like to make a nice mocha... :)

used to buy my coffee from hasbean - but tend to get it from supermarkets now... :)

A man after my own beans lol.

I was in Makro at the weekend, an employees and friends evening. I got a 1kg bag of Rioba Platinum 100% arabica beans, no blending with inferior rubbish and only £7.49 with no vat. I ground enough for about 20 shots and its a nice smooth, rounded flavour, not overly sweet and no bitter aftertaste. I'm keeping that for myself :).

I also got a 1kg bag of the Rioba Gold 70% arabica blend espresso ground for when friends and family call :devil:. I think that was £4.50. And considering a 250g brick of Lavazza Rossa is around £4 in supermarkets, I reckon its pretty good value for money.

I was given a DeLonghi espresso machine last year for work. But I've been out since June following a major motorcycle accident so I got a workmate to bring it home and now my daughter and her beau have it and its getting well used. I like to think she inherited it from me.
 
I'm using Illy coffee beans at the moment, tins were on offer at the supermarket so I thought I'd try it. The coffee's not as nice as my usual brew though (Hasbean - Jailbreak).
 
I'm using Illy coffee beans at the moment, tins were on offer at the supermarket so I thought I'd try it. The coffee's not as nice as my usual brew though (Hasbean - Jailbreak).

Thanks

I'll treat myself to some of the Jailbreak when my current stock runs low.
 
I have a Delonghi too. I tend to grind myself but will happily use ground coffee.

At the moment I'm ploughing through around 8 different coffees from around the world. Always have some Lavazza/Sagafredo in stock at home which I tend to get from belgium and I sometimes do my own mixes with ground beans and Lavazza.

I must admit, I actually enjoy the ritual of making a Coffee so prefer not to use a Pod system although they do taste quite good as I'm often presented with a Pod menu at my customers houses to try various types.
 
I must admit, I actually enjoy the ritual of making a Coffee so prefer not to use a Pod system although they do taste quite good as I'm often presented with a Pod menu at my customers houses to try various types.

What have you thought of them when you have tried them?
 
What have you thought of them when you have tried them?

I'd say they were decent quality, a lot better than a Cafetiere but not quite on par with a freshly ground coffee IMO.

Obviously I might feel differently if I actually owned a Pod machine and experimented.
 
I haven't had instant in the house for about 7 years.
I actually roast my own beans, although green beans are becoming harder to find at a good price.
I am at work at the min but when I get chance will post a pic of my roaster, grinder and coffee machine.

I can't understand it when people say they don't have time to make one. My morning ritual is always the same, get up, go down and put machine on to warm up, go and have a shower, grind beans and make a coffee (usually latte). Doesn't take much longer than making a cup of instant and to me it is as automatic as brushing my teeth.
 
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Eventually I will have some sort of Bean to Cup solution. I think I am naturally on that path. At the moment I'm content with my Pixie for espressos and a large cafetiere in the mornings (I really love the Percol Americano blend).
 
My wife enjoys a (very rare these days) Bailey's coffee and she insists I make it with instant. God knows why. She's a tea drinker but almost always asks me to make her a "cup of your coffee" for when she arrives in from work. She's off out to the scouts with our son in a few minutes and she's asked for a latte with a caramel square (which I made last night :smashin:) when she gets home.
 
PCthug said:
I haven't had instant in the house for about 7 years.
I actually roast my own beans, although green beans are becoming harder to find at a good price.
I am at work at the min but when I get chance will post a pic of my roaster, grinder and coffee machine.

I can't understand it when people say they don't have time to make one. My morning ritual is always the same, get up, go down and put machine on to warm up, go and have a shower, grind beans and make a coffee (usually latte). Doesn't take much longer than making a cup of instant and to me it is as automatic as brushing my teeth.

Sounds like my father in law. Buys the beans, roasts them, grinds them etc...

He just blew £650 on a coffee maker...

I love the stuff but I can only drink decaf due to the fact that after a full caff I experience heart attack like symptoms!!
 
Roasting your own coffee beans you say?! Oh dear, someone has planted the seed (pun intended) :D

Gotta get me a roaster!!!
 
Sounds like my father in law. Buys the beans, roasts them, grinds them etc...

He just blew £650 on a coffee maker...

I love the stuff but I can only drink decaf due to the fact that after a full caff I experience heart attack like symptoms!!

About the same price as my machine.
I used to have a Gaggia that cost almost £300 but sold it to get my current machine a Fracino cherub. It may be twice the price but it is easily more than 3x the machine.

To roast beans on the cheap you can use a popcorn maker. It does quite a good job but serverely reduces the life of the machine.
My roaster cost around £180 and the grinder around £130.

When I told the wife I was going to buy the coffee machine (couple of years ago) I was waiting for the fireworks but to my surprise she said yes and she knew I would use it.
 
http://www.amazon.co.uk/DeLonghi-EC...NKPC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1364415680&sr=8-1
I bought one of these last year and it's superb. I thought I would use the steam frother more than I do but I have decided I prefer my coffee with no froth.
A picked up a bag of Taylor's christmas Blend for £1.50 on a special offer and it's delicious.



image-401677043.jpg
 
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I've recently gone back to using my frother, not necessarily for the froth which is an added bonus, it's also a good way to get the milk hot. I'm tending to add a lot more frothed milk these days, depending on my mood and time of day.
 
My wife says I should learn how to do "latte art". I call it "latte artsy fartsy". She doesn't get it. I try to tell her coffee's for drinking not for framing and putting on the wall.
 
I've recently gone back to using my frother, not necessarily for the froth which is an added bonus, it's also a good way to get the milk hot. I'm tending to add a lot more frothed milk these days, depending on my mood and time of day.

I agree wholeheartedly. Even the kids get me to steam the milk for their hot chocolate now, they say it tastes so much nicer. Myself, I prefer the natural crema of the coffee than the froth of the milk.
 
Wahreo said:
I've recently gone back to using my frother, not necessarily for the froth which is an added bonus, it's also a good way to get the milk hot. I'm tending to add a lot more frothed milk these days, depending on my mood and time of day.

I use the microwave to heat the milk.
 
I agree wholeheartedly. Even the kids get me to steam the milk for their hot chocolate now, they say it tastes so much nicer. Myself, I prefer the natural crema of the coffee than the froth of the milk.

Yes, I've been known to whack a small spoon of hot chocolate in with my milk.

I also like the coffee froth, especially if I'm after a big coffee hit to wake me up.

Shame it's so late, I could do with a coffee right now. Looking forward to tomorrow morning now:D
 
I have an espresso machine, I use it once or twice a week. Its makes a good espresso with a nice crema (sp?) and when I can be bothered to froth the milk it makes a nice cappuccino.

I use packet coffee and because I don't use it regularly I think it goes a bit stale over time.

I would like to try beans and grind them. Do beans stay fresh? What is the cheapest way to buy some beans and grind them.
 
Beans are good for 3-4 weeks once roasted (give or take, depending on the bean and roast). I buy 2 x 250g bags once a fortnight.

Decent grinders aren't cheap, the commonly recommended entry level grinder is the Iberital MC2 but that's around £135 (and it's an ugly beast in my opinion). I was getting by with a £40 Krups burr grinder for a while and it ground fine enough for espresso but the grind was clumpy and not very consistent (meaning shot quality suffered and I got a lot of fines which meant grit in the cup).

I eventually treated myself to a Eureka Mignon a few weeks back, huge difference. :blush:

http://www.sklep.cafesilesia.pl/_var/gfx/521bab1808f5ff9e224ec2049f199172.jpg

The best option for cheapness is a hand grinder like the Porlex:

http://www.coffeehit.co.uk/porlex-tall-hand-grinder/p401

Avoid blade grinders.
 
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