[Closed] espresso / coffee making advice

I have a Delonghi. It works just as well as my mate's KitchenAid. Doesn't look anything like as nice, and actually I'm on my third in the period he's had the KA. I'm still ahead on cost...

The difference between the coffees labelled as filter etc is the grind. You need a much finer grind for espresso so that you can tamp it good and solid. Filter / cafetiere grind is so coarse that the water goes straight through. I always grind my own, and do it fresh.

IMO it's worth spending a lot on a proper grinder more than on the machine - 15 bar is 15 bar whether the machine costs £60 or £600, but a cheap grinder will wreck the coffee before it gets near the machine. The Kitchen Aid Grinder is worth the money.

Finally, I've yet to find a decent coffee at a supermarket, yet the cheap and cheerful beans at Costco makes a really good cup for everyday drinking.

I've yet to find a decent coffee at a supermarket

Lavazza Red is as good as [b]any[/b] thing else.

do i have to use espresso coffee in an espresso machine?

Grasshopper, your journey will be long and hard, if starting from this point.

I aint going to read all this sorry but here is my great advice

£50 on a 2nd hand 15 bar machine or one in the sale with manual control of the amount of water it puts into the beans

try and get a burr grinder if you can afford it but its likely another £50 minimum but this is the best thing you can do on a budget

dont get an electric grinder

and to answer your coffee question its all the same the difference is how fine you grind it, also effects the crema

dont try to squeeze too much water past the beans or it goes sour and you will have white speckles in the crema

das is all 🙂

Lavazza Red is as good as any thing else.

Try grinding Monmouth beans.

And don't start researching how to make the god shot. Its a long obsessional road. I've been there. And never made the god shot.

Basically as others have said, critical variables are temp, pressure, tamp, grind, pour and beans.

In my experience beans make the biggest difference, perhaps obviously perhaps not. Then the grind.

FWIW I have the Kitchen Aid machine and Grinder - is expensive but a decent machine. KA customer service is second to none - I've had 3 machines break (bad!) but all have been replaced FOC and next day.

Lavazza Red ?!?!? That is obviously a troll, and I've bitten. Lavazza Red is a blend FFS, and uses robusta ! You obviously have no taste buds whatsoever.

Also, a hand burr grinder makes a good grind but takes forever...

cheap hand burrs are temperamental tho, i wouldnt recommend
good shout on the troll

Gaggia Classic from Fleabay, repairable, tough, does a great coffee. Don't use it exclusively if you want to explore coffee. Filter coffee gets something different out of different beans so use that too.

Find a local roaster and experiment - I never met an Italian who used Lavazza when I lived there.

Don't use it exclusively if you want to explore coffee. Filter coffee gets something different out of different beans so use that too.

This is true. Try cold press too.

Some decent advice some rubbish.

First and foremost, buy good freshly roasted beans, don't bother with pre-ground heck don't bother with most of supermarket whole beans either as you have no clue how long they are on the shelves. Plenty of very reasonably priced roasters around that will mail you great coffee.

Second dont buy an espresso machine before you buy a grinder. 100£ for a decent burr one and you are set for.

Look into Gaggia Classic or Gaggia Baby, I think they are very similar and quite reasonably priced. If you can spend more spend it on a better grinder.

Good luck...

IMO a cafetiere is better than a filter. I use a cafetiere at work, espresso at home. If I use one exclusively I miss the other. The coffee maker, that is.
Much more caffeine out of the cafetiere...

Get a decent supply of beans. I use [url= http://www.hasbean.co.uk/ ]Hasbean[/url]. Beans are generally delivered within 2 days of roasting.

A secondhand Gaggia classic is a good recommendation. How about [url= http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/GAGGIA-CLASSIC-Espresso-Machine-Coffee-Maker-/170561206474#ht_546wt_1141 ]this[/url] one? I had one for a while.

And get a decent grinder.

You obviously have no taste buds whatsoever.

😆

You obviously have little understanding of what an authentic Italian espresso is about.

You obviously have little understanding of what an authentic Italian espresso is about.

Not pre-ground Lavazza that's for sure!

[img] [/img]

That'll put hairs on your chest - roasted in Pozzuoli on the edge of Naples - what the locals use.

roasted in Pozzuoli on the edge of Naples

which has sweet FA to do with anything

I have a gaggia classic in new condition that i would sell for a reasonable offer + postage.

alexxx - Member
I aint going to read all this sorry but here is my great advice

Very confident!

dont get an electric grinder

Really, prefer a steam or nuclear powered one?

and to answer your coffee question its all the same

..... so all beans are equal?

Sorry, it's bean (sic) a long day and I'm tired and a little drunk / cantankerous. Hic.

fresh beans are the key - http://shop.squaremilecoffee.com/ are good. I use a Bialetti stove top and love it.

which has sweet FA to do with anything

It does actually - an example of Italians not using Lavazza. Also, that local roasted beans are usually a better option - provided the roaster is up to scratch. Why not add to the discourse rather than just throwing poo like an angry wee monkey?

Gaggia Classic and beans from hasbean.co.uk here. All good.

You obviously have little understanding of what an authentic Italian espresso is about.

Lavazza Red is a ground blend. Using cheap/nasty Robusta beans. Not sure what an authentic Italian espresso is about but if it was meant to be good it would be with freshly roasted and ground Arabica surely with maybe a littel Robusta for crema?

Lavazza Red is a ground blend

You can buy as beans or pre-ground. Maybe my pallet just isn't refined enough for nicher end of the market. Good luck with it though, I'm sure the extra expense and effort is worth it if it's your thing.

Italy is a big country, so beans roasted in Naples means bugger all in Livigno - was my point.

I'd buy a Gaggia Classic if I could but have bought a stove espresso maker. Good enough to replace blood with coffee.
The coffee you asked about, pour some hot water into a cup, say 100ml of it, and then and only then set your espresso onto it. Don't do the opposite as it'll burn the crema.
For a starter I'd advise two different beans/blends, you need to see the difference. I have two Lavazza bags - red and blue. I prefer the red from a cafeteri e whilst the blue is great for the espresso maker. Horses for courses, as they say.
BTW You won't make a perfect coffee anyway, there'll always be somebody "better" than you here.

its all about the beans:

[url= http://www.happydonkey.co.uk/costaricanbeans.html ]beans[/url]

[url= http://www.happydonkey.co.uk/coffee-bean-advice.html ]bean advise[/url]

a Gaggia classic from here

[url= http://www.homewares.co.uk/gaggiaspecialists/10080.html ]classic[/url]

"I'm sure the extra expense and effort is worth it if it's your thing."

It is and it is.

Maybe some of us are [url= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supertaster ]supertasters[/url], we're all different.

Stove-tops about 3-4 bar I believe. That's why they're called mocha, i.e. it's a mock-espresso. However, much better than nothing when camping.

I'm sure the extra expense and effort is worth it if it's your thing.

certainly is
gaggia classic and coffee from monmouth or square mile.
an ascaso grinder to be purchased soon.

i don't understand why people have a good machine at home but use overpriced coffee that's possibly months old like illy or lavazza when you can buy coffee/beans for the same price (or less) that was roasted in small batches by hand on days before.

Ignoring the beans - just experiment and drink what you prefer, even if someone on the Internet thinks you're a peasant for it - I have the cheap de Longhi (the Caffe Treviso), it works ok although I find a good thick crema still just about eludes me. Keep an eye on prices, you can often find it for £40 which makes it a bargain - I'm sure a Gaggia is better but the diminishing returns must kick in pretty hard.

However, a stovetop pot will do just as well. A Bialetti is probably as much as the Treviso, but a Chinese copy will set you back £10-15. It takes up less space in the kitchen so is ideal for occasional use and still makes great-tasting coffee, but you won't get a crema.

If you're grinding your own beans then a blade grinder is no good unless you want piss-weak espresso, you'll need a burr grinder.

If you don't want to grind every time you have a coffee, you can stick grounds in the freezer in a sealed pot - they'll be fine for a week at least IME.

The long coffee you're asking about is an Americano - espresso with added hot water.

2nd mr smith , small artisan roasters are often cheaper an streets ahead in terms of quality

I'm gonna make a coffee...

good idea MF...

However, a stovetop pot will do just as well.

it works ok although I find a good thick crema still just about eludes me

this is why i was happy to pay fro a decent home espresso machine.
if you like perfect coffee why compromise.

a s/h gaggia is only £150. i have a babyD that i only paid £50 for as it was missing a drip tray cover and the lid to the water tank, it makes perfect espresso. the group head/boiler are the same as a classic but i wanted a stainless body not plastic.

The SS stove jobbie can be had from Whittard for £24 IIRC. I'll be buying one tomorrow or on Tuesday. The cheaper copies corrode, mine did after only 7 weeks.

Don't get a Dualit Expresif - had on on holiday and it was shite

freddy you are...
its called
sarcasm
missing word - blade
and related to grinds... not beans
now please have a nice day

Advice?

Do want you want to get a cup of coffee that you enjoy. There's so much snobbery and bollards talked about beans and coffee and crema and espresso than nearly anything else.

not as much as in mountainbiking.

do i have to use espresso coffee in an espresso machine?

Did this get answered? I can't see a reply.

The difference is in the coarseness of the ground coffee. Espresso grounds are finer than grounds designed for filters / cafetieres. Other than that, it's the same stuff.

Other than that, it's the same stuff.

Apart from, perhaps, the beans themselves and the roast. So, not the same stuff.

Oh good grief.

The difference between (brand and type)'s espresso grounds and (the same brand and type)'s filter coffee grounds is the coarseness of the grind.

The difference between (brand and type)'s espresso grounds and (a completely different brand and type)'s filter coffee will be considerably more.

The difference between STW and other forums is on most other forums pedantry isn't considered a competitive sport.

Just about coming to the end of my first bag of espresso and dabbling with what to get next... Have tried Lavazza red (which is quite pleasant) and am wondering about asking for a Hasbean subscription for xmas. Has anyone tried that?

Grinding beans is not an option so what source of ground would anyone recommend?

Ask for a grinder as an Xmas gift 🙂

HasBean espresso beans are normally very very good so you can't go far wrong.

what source of ground would anyone recommend?

The closest one to your house. Find your local decent coffee supplier and get it ground there. Or save for a grinder.