This coffee machine from Aldi tomorrow? Washable filter, bean to cup machine, £40, what could go wrong? Currently enjoy IKEA coffee in a filter machine so not the most picky drinker…

You could buy a cheap burr grinder for £40 and just use a french press? The Krups one is reasonable.

Aeropress

+1 for the Krupps burr grinder and an Aeropress. Total cost IRO £65. It all takes up loads less space in the kitchen too.

What could go wrong?… Well lots really buy an Aeropress, a grinder and get your beans from somewhere like http://www.hasbean.co.uk and you’ll never look back.

Hmmm, was looking to save a little space on the worktop. Looks like an Aeropress could save a ton of space! Currently got a Krups filter/espresso double machine taking up quite a lot of space.

I take it the Aeropress is more like a cafetier than anything else, but with paper filters?

A grinder could come along later…

I take it the Aeropress is more like a cafetier than anything else, but with paper filters?

Sort of but the coffee gets presurised somewhat as it gets forced through the filter paper. Much nicer than filter and cafetiere.

OK, they don’t rip you off for the filter papers, it can come in the campervan and as I reminded myself this morning, diluting an espresso actually tastes OK (Americano?)
Anyhow, what actual shops carry them? Any department stores with massive sales? Wilco’s doing them for a tenner? Could buy online but why wait if I am going shopping anyway?

I received an aeropress from a friend at Christmas and I’m a total convert now. It sits in my office and two colleagues have since bought them after trying a cup from mine.

Currently using ground coffee but Mrs B has just got me a burr grinder and some beans for valentines day! 8)

I’m actually looking forward to work tomorrow!

If you want espresso/cappucino/latte then that won’t do it, it you just want “filter coffee” then fill your boots 🙂

what could go wrong?

I would argue not much could go wrong. it’s a filter type machine, so although it won’t be nearly as good as an aeropress, the machine isn’t totally dependant on the quality of the grind (like an espresso machine would be)

If you want a hassle free (until it breaks) quick cup of coffee, fill your boots I’d say.

for a bit of balance I have a gaggia espresso machine, an aeropress and a stovetop, with a chemex coming next month, and I’n about to buy a second grinder, but it’s horses for courses isn’t it..

allthepies, from reading the Aeropress stuff about diluting I wondered if what it made was like a diluted shot, which was plenty of excuse for a play with the coffee machine 🙂 Got an old stovetop but it always seems a bit rough and too small for the smallest ring. Sure it will come back in when my STW approved woodburner dream fulfills but half decent coffee and lots of worktop back…
Only thing that could save the Aldi special now would be someone telling me that coffee from beans is about a third-half the price of IKEA ground coffee.
I don’t see that happening…

It’s not about the price it’s about the quality.
Ground coffee is effectively stale when you buy it from a supermarket. Beans from a roaster where they print the roasting date on the bag so you can leave them for a week to de-gas and use in the 1-3 week sweet spot before they go past their best will be in a different league, they are more expensive.

If coffee to you is just a strong bitter beverage to wake you up keep buying from the supermarket and save a few pence.

I’ve an aeropress at work. Used to have it at home but replaced with a senseo machine and a coffeeduck to hold fresh coffee from a roasty place. It’s easier than the press and fresh coffee is way nicer than the senseo teabag things they sell for it. Haven’t tried it with mere supermarket coffee yet but will do, just for a reality check.
No way am I going to buy a massive espresso machine – guess I just have plebeian tastes 🙁

If your buying a filter machine get one with a vacuum flask rather than a hot plate, unless you like stewed coffee.

MrSmith, the price probably has some relation to the quality I suspect. I drink filter coffee because cheap filter coffee is more pleasant than expensive instant. I won’t bore you with my first world budget issues but a quick look at Hasbean would suggest a tripling of the cost for their cheapest beans. That presumes I am grinding the beans with my teeth as well! 🙂

Would love to treat myself but any kind of non-instant is already a treat.

That said, if I were to free up some cash I would need a grinder that was as silent as possible. Not risking waking the kids on my early departure so, hand grinder? Do you grind in batches of a few days worth or as required?
In which case, what grinder for a novice coffee drinker with silence as a priority?

Edit- cyve, got a filter (with a hot plate) already but that also thing had caught my eye and needed to save space anyway.

Anyhow, what actual shops carry them? Any department stores with massive sales? Wilco’s doing them for a tenner? Could buy online but why wait if I am going shopping anyway?

I bought mine in Tebay, the motorway service station.

I just spent a fair while on the HasBean Coffee web site as mentioned above …….. What a great site, videos and information galore ! Superb!

FAO Tracker – hand grinder

Thanks coolhandluke, although I don’t think my trip from Matlock to chesterfield tomorrow will take me that close to Tebay services 🙂

Gordy, thanks. Lots of good reviews and cheap. What could possibly go wrong 🙂

There are other roasters than Hasbean that sell good coffee a bit cheaper, I would say £15-16/kilo is roughly where the quality starts to show. That’s to my tastes (saying that sometimes I have spent 22-25 and not been that impressed)
Get a hand grinder as they are quiet and grind just before you need it. Porlex mini or a hario are the usual ones a lot of places sell. Ground coffee goes stale very quickly.

Instant coffee is way overpriced for what you get in return 🙂

Well I am not going to get through a kilo of coffee in a couple of weeks but grinding away at a mill whilst the kettle boils for a couple of minutes will help me wake up if nothing else. That mill that Gordy linked to apparently has the same milling stuff, burrs? as the little Porlex and it’s within experimenting budget so could be a goer. Might need to find a local bean supplier at this rate, or can you freeze roasted beans or does that just turn them to mush when they defrost?

Don’t freeze them just buy what you need, a 250g bag is only going to last a few weeks with 18g used per brew.

Oh, and thank you Brown Bear for the cheap (relatively) Aeropress… Now for the grinder.

porlex handgrinder is your only real option, IMO.

Sorry warton, went for the one in gordys link. Allegedly the same grinding bits so hopefully not too disappointing, or static inducing.

A 250g bag would only last me for four days at 18g a cup!

Do me two working weeks. Cutting down since “the headaches” on days I didn’t have a coffee started…

Good choice on the Hario, it’s nice to use, sits in the hand better than the Porlex and I’ve never had a problem with static.

I picked up one of the aldi filter machines as I needed one for work. I’ll let you know if its any good or not 😛

Always pleasant to get a decent review of something after you have bought it, thank you.

Can’t help but think it will make a decent brew chojin but saving space was my mission. Almost achieved with a collection of bits rather than one machine. Maybe I need a box of some sort…

Oh dear, after reading all the nonsense on coffee websites about hot chocolate flavour and brewing times and temperatures I can say… It would appear to be true.
As long as I keep the water temperature down it is as smooth as I could hope for and yes, ever so slightly chocolatey!
There is a whole world of faff in my future, I can see it coming, and I think I might enjoy it 🙂

I use a bodum coffee grinder and a cafetiere press thingy.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bodum-11160-01UK-Electric-grinder-Kitchen/dp/B004GOLCPS/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1392986461&sr=8-5&keywords=bodum+grinder+black

Does the job.

Got some beans from http://www.pactcoffee.com although had been using http://www.beanandground.co.uk

I’m sure that Aldi one would be fine, might just take up a lot of space.

EDIT: linked to some political pact site whoooops