[Benz3ne]

As a coffee novice, I enjoy using my Delonghi 'Dedica' espresso machine. Slimline so fits snugly into a little corner, can change temperature settings (I err on the side of 'warm' rather than 'hot') and there are people who have upgraded theirs with a 'naked basket' or Rancilio wand. I'm tempted to go for the former 'upgrade' to see what it's about.

As for grounds (not beans, sorry) I go for Lidl Colombian (Blue packet for those in the UK). Small amount of Demerara sugar and top up with hot water, or just the sugar if I'm going espresso.
I would like to try beans, but would need to invest in a grinder and I'm happy enough with the system I've got going on.

[aslyfox]

. . . As for grounds (not beans, sorry) . . .
I would like to try beans, but would need to invest in a grinder and I'm happy enough with the system I've got going on.

whatever process you like is best but

hand grinders are not expensive

this is the type i use

Hario Ceramic Mini Plus Coffee Mill

remember that the more " surface area " [ ground coffee ] the quicker it goes stale

beans have less " surface area " and are intact, but still will go stale after roasting

proper storage helps

[ThorSanchez]

I've been roasting my own beans for almost 10 years now...... and have been using a Pavoni Profesional small expresso machine for over 25 years.... 6 coffees a day... (2 cups ... 3 times)....Madcap grinder.

I take it away camping with me.... runs off a inverter/lithium setup.



Green coffee beans are good for a year..... once roasted and rested for 3-7 days.... ground imediately before use.... then the roasted bean has ideal 7 day window to consume.... if I've done say 3 weeks worth..... by the end of the second week I need to adjust to a finer grind to keep the extraction time about right. I order about 25lbs of green beens twice per year.

I started roasting with modified popcorn makers...... now I use a modified bread maker to stir the beans with an electronic hot air gun ..... about 1lb of beens at a time.



I wheel this setup out of the shed (old cleaners trolley) and roast.... old duct fan sucks smoke and chaff away.... once beens are roasted then I place them in front of the fan to get cooled quickly... in a colander.

Generally, you loose 20% by weight of coffee by roasting.... so need 1.2lbs of green beens to get 1 lb of roasted coffee.

My wife and I preffer different coffee..... so 2 roasts about every 2 to 3 weeks for us.

FA43 shot



Everyone in our house likes their coffee

That's spectacular. One day I'll have to step up from my popcorn popper roasting method, which has some limitations. But unfortunately I'm now getting more caffeine-sensitive in my middle age, and don't drink quite as much as I used to.

[aslyfox]

I. . . I've been using Aeropress almost daily.

standard or inverted ???

[Chris_K]

standard or inverted ???

Usually standard - a bit more convenient and I never felt that much of a difference to go for inverted. Should I try again?

[aslyfox]

Usually standard - a bit more convenient and I never felt that much of a difference to go for inverted. Should I try again?

up to you

I do inverted all the time

now people will wonder what we are talking about

so here is a link:

https://www.beanground.com/aeropress-inverted-vs-normal/

[iheiramo]

I have been mainly using Pellini N9 Cremoso beans for years now. I had a period for small local roasteri beans before, but in the end decided, that Italy is where I learnt to drink coffee and that's the roast and style I like. These beans seam to fit my grinder, machine and taste.



I've had Ariete Cafe Retro for about 15 years. Grinder is not quite that old Ascaso i-mini. I would like to upgrade to better machine, but apparently waiting for this one to brake before I'm willing to pay the price.





I can't reach the average Finnish 12kg coffee consumption and don't like to drink that stuff they call coffee up here.

[Chris_K]

up to you

I do inverted all the time

now people will wonder what we are talking about

so here is a link:

AeroPress Inverted vs. Normal (Pros & Cons) ? Bean Ground

This way or the other, I'm impressed by the quality of the Aeropress set. I've been using mine roughly 6-8 times a week for the past ~ 5 years and it is still fine. The main container looks worn out but there is no leakage or any other problems.

[ChristianRock]

from what I have read

all coffee in the bean ( green unroasted ) remains fresh for a very long time

but once roasted, flavor begins to fade

so

How to roast your own coffee | Sweet Maria's Coffee Library

does anyone roast green coffee beans

do you agree or did agree with what is said in the link ?

Maybe when I'm old... and don't have 3 boys who are all doing sports... in addition to a job and a wife to tend to.

When I was a kid growing up in Brazil, I spent summers and school breaks at my grandmother's house (one of my older brothers was a bully and I was his favorite target... now we get along great, but at that time I had to be taken out of the house to avoid being beat up every day).

So my grandmother had a couple coffee trees and funny enough they were arabicas, though it was not a prime spot for arabicas. So the beans were a bit small, but still enough for her consumption. I would pick the beans, leave them on trays drying up in the sun and when they were dry enough, keep them in bags. Then every couple of weeks or so, I was in charge of roasting them over an open fire. The process took over an hour and of course I had to constantly turn them until grandma said they were done. There was an old cast iron manual grinder too, of course, that looked a lot like the meat grinder we had. The roast came out pretty thin, espresso style of course. It was extremely aromatic. The filter was, of course, made of cotton cloth, something I still love to do to this day.

I tried to find a picture of the roaster that we used but I don't think anything like it exists anymore, but it was basically a cilinder with a door that you would fill with coffee beans until about half, and it would rest on two tripods around the fire, with a handle for the turning.

If I were to ever roast my coffee again, I dont think it could live up to that experience, not with a toaster oven, not with a bread machine... it would have to be sun-dried hand-picked beans roasted on an open fire

[aslyfox]

This way or the other, I'm impressed by the quality of the Aeropress set. I've been using mine roughly 6-8 times a week for the past ~ 5 years and it is still fine. The main container looks worn out but there is no leakage or any other problems.

I have had to replace the rubber seal on the press section

then I read how to use the microwave to " repair " the problem

[Chris_K]

I have had to replace the rubber seal on the press section

then I read how to use the microwave to " repair " the problem

Mine is still fine, but good to know there is a repair solution!

[veato]

I picked up a bag of Taylors Christmas Blend recently. There's nothing Christmassy about the taste, it's not like it's full of cinnamon and ginger or anything, but it's a really nice blend.

[aslyfox]

Maybe when I'm old... and don't have 3 boys who are all doing sports... in addition to a job and a wife to tend to.. . .

to each their own as they say

for me, since I am now only an occasionally imbiber - my choice is an occasional single malt scotch whisky

and since I have cut back on coffee ( only two 15 oz mugs daily ) I have chosen whole bean, hand grinder and the aeropress

____________________

I have decided to give this brand a try though

green Tree Coffee from Lincolnville Maine, He roasts in 28 and 32 pound batches. Then I use his Kenya AA french roast, his Tanzanian Peaberry French roast, and his Dark Harbor blend . . . "

an pound of the whole bean Kenya AA french roast arrived late yesterday

[reeftool]

I'm using a Keurig. I know, ti's the lazy mans coffee maker and a bit expensive but since I'm the only coffee drinker in the house, the cost isn't much. My daily brew is the Donut Shop K cup. I like the flavor and it doesn't give me reflux as some coffee can.

On days when I have a lot to do and on little sleep, I break out my French Press and brew up some Death Wish, a locally made brand which claims to be the worlds strongest coffee. It doesn't taste strong but very smooth. It would be my daily cup but it tends to wind me up a little too much.

[aslyfox]

here something I couldn't understand at the time I first saw it for sale [ and still don't ]

decaffeinated espresso

and be aware like any decaffeinated coffee ( vs. caffeine free ) will have caffeine and that mount varies greatly

. . . Researchers purchased 10 16-ounce decaffeinated cups of drip coffee from coffee shops and restaurants and analyzed them for caffeine content.

They found all but one -- decaffeinated Folgers Instant, purchased at a Krystal fast-food restaurant -- contained caffeine. The caffeine content ranged from 8.6 milligrams to 13.9 milligrams.

That's about a tenth of the caffeine found in an 8-ounce cup of regular drip-brewed coffee, which contains about 85 milligrams of caffeine.

Next, researchers tested several samples of decaffeinated espresso shots and decaf brewed coffee from the same Starbucks location to determine if caffeine content varied in the same drinks from the same location

The results showed that the caffeine content of the decaffeinated espresso shots varied widely -- from 3 to nearly 16 milligrams; the caffeine content of the decaf brewed coffee ranged from 12 to 13.4 milligrams per 16-ounce serving.

Researchers say even though the caffeine content of decaffeinated coffees is low, people could develop a dependence on them.

"The important point is that decaffeinated is not the same as caffeine-free," says Roland Griffiths, PhD, a professor of behavioral biology and neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, in the news release. "People who are trying to eliminate caffeine from their diet should be aware that popular espresso drinks such as lattes (which contain two shots of espresso) can deliver as much caffeine as a can of Coca-Cola -- about 31 milligrams." . . .

- Decaf Coffee Isn't Caffeine-Free