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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Oct 31, 2018 - 01:09pm PT
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DMT, isn’t coffee a coefficient of those three pursuits?
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anita514
Gym climber
Great White North
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Oct 31, 2018 - 01:31pm PT
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Cue the #shitposting
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sos
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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Fuji R220 w/ ghost burrs + Aeropress. Nothing roasted past first crack. Nothing older than 7 days.
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G_Gnome
Trad climber
Cali
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Sorry Sredni, that was not my intention. But to pronounce that the Krups makes good espresso in a thread where someone is asking for advice is just wrong because it really doesn't. If someone is financially constrained but still wants to make decent espresso the used market has lots of equipment at really good prices.
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Delhi Dog
climber
Good Question...
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Does the Aeropress really deliver an expresso shot?
I really love the idea and the ease of the whole set up.
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Hardman Knott
Gym climber
Mill Valley, Ca
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As for the machine, choose a true E61 type group. Avoid the Breville machines as they have zero customer service.
What's interesting is that there are a whole lot of people on the Home Barista forum who see fit to pair the relatively inexpensive Breville Dual Boiler (BES920XL) with a $2000 Monolith Conical grinder or $2500 Monolith Flat.
So you recommend a "true E61" (presumably an HX type, as the E61-group double boilers are quite expensive) but then you write:
Essentially, espresso is impossible, as the more you use the machines (grinder and espresso machine) the more you change their heat and so the way they transfer this heat to the coffee.
It's a fun chase but be prepared for a lot of frustration. It's rewarding when you get a great shot, but with so many variables, getting great shots consistently is pretty much impossible.
That is precisely why I DID KNOTT get an E61 HX machine! Doing the "water dance" on an E61 HX to get the group temp to approx 200f seems like a huge PITA, and uses 4 to 6 oz of water per flush, and then you have to wait between shots a good bit for the temp to stabilize. And you never really know what the temp is; it's an approximation at best. Sod that! On my BDB I can bang out shot after shot in rapid succession at a precisely set temperature and they are consistently perfect without trying very hard; I can do this because the BDB has a heating element in the group head itself and a separate PID for it.
Regarding Breville's "zero customer service", it's well documented that many people have sent in their years-old, previous version (BES900XL) for the $350 out-of-warranty repair. They were sent brand new, latest version machines!
Here's an interesting and entertaining thread on HB started by a guy who put off buying a $7500 La Marzocco GS/3 because the BDB has the same temp stability and shot-profiling ability for a fraction of the cost:
https://www.home-barista.com/espresso-machines/breville-dual-boiler-five-years-on-t45361.html
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DanaB
climber
CO
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Does the Aeropress really deliver an expresso shot?
No.
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Hardman Knott
Gym climber
Mill Valley, Ca
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Sorry Sredni, that was not my intention. But to pronounce that the Krups makes good espresso in a thread where someone is asking for advice is just wrong because it really doesn't. If someone is financially constrained but still wants to make decent espresso the used market has lots of equipment at really good prices.
I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss it. If it can deliver water at the right temperature, and deliver sufficient pressure as it claims, it would certainly be possible to make excellent espresso. The crux of course would be getting a good, consistent grind, which you simply can't do without a significant outlay of cash (either relatively inexpensive high-end hand-grinder or a motorized home grinder). And then you need the optimum dose for the setup, and a level, firm tamp.
The OP was asking about "best bang for the buck" so it certainly fits the bill! I bet I could make a better espresso on it than what you'd get at a whole lot of coffee shops out there. I recently got back from 2 weeks in Spain, and unless I was at a renowned, high end espresso bar, almost all of the espresso drinks I had were absolute shite and undrinkable - despite being made with espresso machines that cost 5 figures.
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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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Man I thought I was a coffee snob! Because I've been making espresso at home for about 2 decades. But I guess I'm an amateur. I actually make Lattes so I'm not a real coffee drinker anyway, but I'd guess they are more tolerant of not perfectly made espresso.
I'd be careful about getting too hung up on what constitutes a "drinkable" cup of coffee, because then you wouldn't get any enjoyment out of a cup of regular coffee at a friends house, camping, etc.
I used to use a french press for camping, but recently switched to a drip thing with a paper filter because it's so much easier to clean. There's a balance between time/hassle required and quality IMO.
There's also the issue of trapping diterpenes with a paper filter, they supposedly are bad for you, and you get them if you drink unfiltered espresso.
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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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Whenever I watch Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, I need to make an espresso, no matter what time it is.
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Hardman Knott
Gym climber
Mill Valley, Ca
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I'd be careful about getting too hung up on what constitutes a "drinkable" cup of coffee, because then you wouldn't get any enjoyment out of a cup of regular coffee at a friends house, camping, etc.
Ha! It's pretty hard to screw up filter drip or press pot coffee - would still be acceptable even if the beans were past their prime.
However, a horribly bitter espresso (caused by over extraction, etc) whose bitterness can knott be tamed with any amount of milk is just that: horribly bitter and knott drinkable. My GF who is way less picky than me wholly concurs. ;-)
BTW, I usually make a latte for breakfast. Here's the one from this morning:
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sos
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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DelhiDog,
Aeropress isn't in the same category as espresso. If you want to drink your coffee and not merely sip an espresso (which, for me, takes about 30 seconds and then I sit there feeling very sad and wonder where it all went) -- aeropress is aces. A breville or a technivorm will brew just as well but those machines take up a lot of counterspace and if you drink just 16oz at a time, the AP does the job well. The other reason for AP as compared to mokapot or espresso is the paper filter..... cleaner cup passes fewer diterpenes and is better for the blood. I drink a lot of coffee or, as I like to say, "water is for amateurs."
"Life is just one cup of coffee after another, and don't look for anything else." ---Bertrand Russell.
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steve s
Trad climber
eldo
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This should be on the "first world problems" thread....but trying to find a good shot of espresso is probably universal, except the need to have an expensive machine. Carry on.
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anita514
Gym climber
Great White North
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Dec 15, 2018 - 07:14am PT
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Happy Hanukkah to me
Now what?!
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