Any other coffee shop aficionados have to rely more heavily on their home setup than before? My previous schedule had been:
- 7:30am pour-over at home
- 9:30am espresso at a local shop
- 2:30pm espresso at a local shop
Now I'm stocked up with two different Counter Culture blends, a bag from Birch, the Barista Espresso blend from Trader Joe's (not a bad value at $5.99), and my Krups spice grinder (not ideal but does a pretty good job).
Would love to see / read what others are enjoying at home.
I brew my own cold brew at home using the Toddy cold brew system and then use a moka pot for hot coffee. I know someone who works at Starbucks so I get free bags of beans from them and get to rotate out different blends all the time.
How long does your Toddy take? I've seen 18-24 hr cycles, but I've heard there are 8 hr ones too.
Recently I've been doing 12 hr cycles on the counter top/room temp which have been turning out pretty good. I used to do 20-24 hr cycles in the fridge, but sometimes they came out too bitter which is why I switched.
French press is a must if you like coffee on the stronger/bitter side
Love my French press, but when working from home I'm guilty of letting it sit too long. Then after 1-2 cups of the concentrated coffee I'm tweaked and ready to do my taxes. Again.
very true, if I’m going for a volume day I love my nesspresso for a couple espressos or just a regular brew pot (nice grounds with cinnamon mixed before you brew is the trick) if I want a one off good brew I do an 8oz pour with the fp
Been using my roommate's French press recently and like it a lot. Once that piece of shit is off the lease I'll definitely get my own.
I use the Elektra Belle Époque machine... it’s heaven every morning.
Impressive. I'd get myself the Linea Mini but I don't have the counter space (nor could I justify the $4900 for it).
https://home.lamarzoccousa.com/product/linea-mini/
I know the all in one grinders and brewers get some hate but if anyone has a recommendation that would be great
The all-in-ones aren't an issue per se, the issue is that people leave a whole bag of beans in the grinder's hopper and they'll go bad (the oils go rancid) before they're used. They aren't a problem if you just put in one serving's worth of beans at a time.
That said, I've never used an all-in-one I could recommend.
I have 4-12 shots per day of espresso (Starbucks Breakfast blend) with dark chocolate almond milk.
One giant drink, or split up in 3-4 drinks over the course of the day?
edit: typo
3-4 times during the day...
usually 1-2 cups in the morning
I have a Braun machine and shitty Great Value coffee. Definitely looking to upgrade to a proper Espresso machine in the next few years.
Honestly, the $50 machines are really all you need. I have a Krups that they don't make anymore, but it is very similar to these:
Yabano Espresso Machine https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WSTDVCR/ref=psdc_14162631_t1_B07FTWKJZY
Sowtech Espresso Machine https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FTWKJZY/ref=psdc_14162631_t1_B07WSTDVCR
Mr. Coffee Espresso Machine https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000U6BSI2/ref=psdc_14162631_t2_B07FTWKJZY
I've owned an automatic grinder machine (Jura Impressa F7) - $1,200 new - and it is nice to have freshly ground coffee, but the expensive machines require maintenance and it was a pain once it started getting dirty on the inside. The cheaper machines pasted above don't really have that many moving parts and clean up easy.
these look okay too for slightly more and if you want a water tank:
$100 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MJ7GNL2/ref=sspa_dk_detail_3?psc=1&pd_rd_i…
$150 https://www.amazon.com/DeLonghi-ECP3420-Espresso-Cappuccino-Machine/dp/…
I’ve been alternating Chemex and French press. Usually keep two or three different roasts on hand and grind fresh each morning. I keep a mason jar in the refrigerator and fill it up with the extra coffee leftover from brewing and make iced coffee once I have enough for a cup or two.
stauf’s coffee roasters has the best coffee I’ve ever had. I went there all the time during ug now I order beans online. still can’t find anything better. dark roast try the baba budan blend. flavored try the bourbon pecan. thank me later
I use a kitchenaid pour over machine and love it.
I'll have to try that TJ and Counter Culture.
I've been buying a blend from starbucks and coarse grinding it in a Baratza Virtuoso which I highly recommend. Then french press. I usually do bulletproof style (butter + MCT) and then add chocolate powder.
Philz Coffee Tesoro is also a great one for anyone with a Philz near them (SF for sure, I'm in DC).
One day when I have the time I want to start roasting my own. Even with a $20 popcorn popper I bet its better than anything I can buy.
I like the bulletproof, but the butter or MCT has me running to the bathroom 30 mins later.
Several friends (coffee shop owners) have done the self-roasting. Sounds like a lot of fun, but you have to keep logs of everything. Keep us posted if you ever do, I'd look forward to following.
MCT is something the body needs to get used to. Use very little at first and work your way up.
Just a french press the other day actually because I ran into this problem too. I got some Lavazza coffee, but its normal ground and not course. It hasn't been too much of an issue though.
No one has mentioned that the kitchen countertop looks good . Good work OP
The countertop's got nothing on the backsplash. That's the money shot.
Anyway, I've got an older Saeco Incanto Deluxe. The Rancilio Silva used to be regarded as the gold standard for semi-autos, and there was even a modding community to improve it, but I've been out of that game for a while.
Seattle Coffee Gear used to sell used Incantos for $400 including shipping, and its a good machine if loud. Once you do a little fiddling, it's a 'hit a button, get an espresso' type deal. That suits my life a lot more, and routine maintenance is basically taking the relevant parts out and sticking them in the dishwasher once and a while. (turn heated dry off) It's treated me well for almost a decade and 10k coffees. (it counts them, which is neat) Going hardcore is cool, but the best timecost/benefit analysis for you is what you should think about.
Before all this started I'd have a bit less at home and a couple coffees/espressos and some cold-brew at work. Now the Incanto is my best friend.
I wish I could take credit for it!
That's a great price a machine that does all that, didn't realise a real countertop 'spro machine could be sub-$3000.
Haha thank you, it's also my office for the time being, so gotta keep it 100.
Anyone have recommendations for an inexpensive coffee grinder?
Technivorm Mocca Master - silver was on sale at Nordstrom for ~$200 and worth saving up for.
They're made in the Netherlands, it's tested and built well. They have great customer service. Coffee brews 195-200. It's expensive but you'll hold onto this thing and won't regret it, because it should last 5 years (the motor mechanics for the heating component are legit. You also won't be trashing bad plastic 2-3x on another.
Otherwise, if you have time and want to pour-over, that's a great option.
Nice, I appreciate the Technivorm rec.
I got a home setup if you like espresso: La Marzocco GS3 + Ceado E37S Grinder. $10K but buy once for the rest of your life. Or consider the EG-1 single dose grinder if you gonna impress your MD.
That's a beautiful set-up! Can I come over? Really missing professional espressos nowadays.
Do you watch Billions? While he's a bit of a buffoon, I appreciate Spyros' in-office set-up: https://www.wholelattelove.com/products/rocket-espresso-giotto-evoluzio…
And Axe has this at his Hamptons house: https://www.wilfa.us/wilfa-precision/
I was eyeing Rocket machines but apparently they're a bit more branding than product (although their product is still very good). Nice looking machine.
The Wilfa brewer looks cool. It retails at $350 but has sold for $99 apparently.
My wife boasts about her Nespresso machine quite a bit. I have not tried it yet. Does anyone here have one and do you like it?
I inherited one when a friend who was moving back to Australia didn't want to bring it back. I really like it and used it exclusively for about 18 months.
I stopped when I felt limited with the coffee pod options, and I didn't want to get into buying reusable ones and stuffing my own grounds into them.
I have one in my dorm room which I got as a present. I love pressing the button/watching the thing work, which is why I end up using it quite a few times everyday. Can't comment on coffee itself though, as my tastes aren't very refined at this point.
They make pretty good drinks - coffee snobs will scoff but there's nothing like pushing a button and having a shot with good crema 10 seconds later. I haven't used it in a bit - got tired of trying to source the pods. Always felt like I was getting ripped off no matter where I ordered them from.
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