Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 69 total)
  • Coffee-which one am bestest?
  • mattbee
    Full Member

    Been given a coffee machine for my wedding anniversary by the wife which was a bit of a surprise as she doesn’t drink it herself. Its a DeLonghi EXAM5600, so it will take either beans or preground. I’ve been drinking instant for years like a pleb so have no idea what to buy to go in it!
    I generally like my coffee white and reasonably strong but do take it black whenever I get the chance to have ‘proper’ coffee elsewhere. Any recommendations?

    Cougar
    Full Member

    Hot Lava Java. It’ll put hairs on your chest.

    poppa
    Free Member

    I am guessing this is an espresso type machine. If so, and if you plan on buying pre-ground coffee, just make sure you buy stuff marked ‘espresso’. It will be ground more finely, which is what you need for an espresso maker for various reasons.

    Beyond that, it’s a question of taste. Personally I don’t like anything roasted too far on grounds of flavour. My favourite espresso is M&S espresso, and it’s half the price of Illy.

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    trailmonkey
    Full Member

    if it’s an espresso machine then it’s got to be Lavazza coffee

    if its any other type then shop around and see what you like.

    Cougar
    Full Member

    Hell fire. Do you mean ESAM 5600?

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Delonghi-Perfecta-ESAM5600-Graphic-Machine/dp/B003DPSPE2

    That’s a lot of machine.

    cranberry
    Free Member

    *sits down with a nice cup of tea to await the niche-tastic one-upmanship that occurs with these coffee threads*

    Cougar
    Full Member

    Well, you’ve opened the gates of needless arsiness early, which is as good a start as any.

    poppa
    Free Member

    That’s a lot of machine.

    That’s what I thought…!

    TooTall
    Free Member

    Just buy some stuff and try some stuff. Find a local roaster if you can and try fresher coffee. What is lovely to you may be poo to someone else. Obviously, if it is civet poo then accept it!

    CaptainFlashheart
    Free Member

    Find your local Italin/French deli. Get trying ’em out! My local does a lovely blend for me.

    deadlydarcy
    Free Member

    Lavazza is good. Illy is better (but stupidly expensive these days) – I couldn’t afford to drink it as my daily tipple.

    Is there a coffee shop somewhere in town whose coffee you like? Most of them will sell bags of their blend of coffee.

    Nice piece of kit by the way. 🙂

    (If you like something strong, I’d suggest trying a blend of Java & Mocha. Java as a single blend can be a bit of a kick but the Mocha smoothes it out. That’s as anal as I’m going to get 🙂 )

    trailmonkey
    Full Member

    Illy is better (but stupidly expensive these days) – I couldn’t afford to drink it as my daily tipple.

    Buy it once then keep the metal tin to keep subsequent inferior brands in and wow your guests with your seemingly opulent lifestyle. 8)

    RichPenny
    Free Member

    You’ll want whole beans for that, since it grinds them itself within the machine. You can get some in most supermarkets, couldn’t judge them as I’ve not tried any, but wasn’t particularly impressed with any pre-ground stuff I’ve tried like Illy or Lavazza.

    We’ve got an independant roaster who sells on Salisbury market who I use a lot. Have to say though, I’ve had beans from somewhere online ( maybe Happy Donkey?) and that was a cut above anything I’ve had before. You have to buy in reasonably quantities to make it cheaper though I’d say.

    CaptainFlashheart
    Free Member

    +1 for the lot in Salisbury market.

    anagallis_arvensis
    Full Member

    Illy is better (but stupidly expensive these days) – I couldn’t afford to drink it as my daily tipple.

    Buy it once then keep the metal tin to keep subsequent inferior brands in and wow your guests with your seemingly opulent lifestyle.

    Damn 😛

    With my limited knowledge and skill combined with a budget maker, Lavazza pre ground is the most consistent and tasty

    RichPenny
    Free Member

    Talk to him about sailing Flashie, and you’ll be there until the market shuts!

    trailmonkey
    Full Member

    With my limited knowledge and skill combined with a budget maker, Lavazza pre ground is the most consistent and tasty

    also the no.1 seller in italy.

    but i’m sure they know nothing about it.

    CaptainFlashheart
    Free Member

    He sails? Oh man, that sounds dangerous! Trips to town take an age these days! Just getting out of Stonehenge isa mission in itself! 🙂

    deadlydarcy
    Free Member

    the niche-tastic one-upmanship

    And as night follows day…

    jedi
    Full Member

    i prefer coffee made from ground beans that have been shit out by a rhino then eaten by a pelican and then dried out and fine ground. if not lavvazza will do 🙂

    Edukator
    Free Member

    Am besten? Lidl GranArom.

    TooTall
    Free Member

    also the no.1 seller in italy.

    Stella Artois is the best selling lager in the UK, but I’d not recommend it to anyone. Caffe Kimbo is the best selling coffee in the Naples area – I’d recommend that if you want a belting cup of espresso.

    maccruiskeen
    Full Member

    Personally I’d get Lavazza or Ily (in bean format) to get started. Its good middle of the road, its also widely available and consistent. Use that to get good at making coffee with your machine – then start buying other stuff and see how its different and use those differences to guide you towards what you prefer. Buy different new beans before the old ones have run out and then you’ve got better comparisons to make.

    Buying beans from a local cafe you like is an idea – but don’t get carried away, they’ll have chosen the beans to suit their kit, what tastes great when they make it might not work out when you make stuff yourself with it. Fell for that recently when had a particularly nice cup from a local cafe – asked to buy some of the beans and they offered me about 50gms in a little paper bag. Wanted something bigger and as they didn’t have any other paper bags ended up walking out the shop £20 lighter with a 2kg catering bag under my arm. Couldn’t get a good cuppa out of the stuff to save my life, although trying to improved my coffee making a good bit.

    sslowpace
    Free Member

    Personally like Jamaican Blue Mountain beans, but I prefer ground to espresso.

    EarlofBarnet
    Free Member

    Hot Lava Java. It’ll put hairs on your chest.

    It’ll certainly make your pupils twitch and talk gibberish. First cup is ‘interesting’ 🙂

    MrSmith
    Free Member

    if it’s an espresso machine then it’s got to be Lavazza coffee

    really? mass produced and past it’s best by the time it gets to you.

    *sits down with a nice cup of tea to await the niche-tastic one-upmanship that occurs with these coffee threads*

    nothing wrong with using recently roasted (in small batches) beans from a coffee retailer like hasbean, monmouth etc that tastes better than old
    lavazza monmouth/hasbean/square mile house blend expresso is much better (imho) and the same price or cheaper.

    illy smells great when you open the packet but stale after a few hours because it’s old coffee.

    BigJohn
    Full Member

    Happy Donkey sell very good beans, low cost if you buy about £30 worth and the postage gets split between the 10 packs.

    Otherwise http://www.azorieblue.com/ and http://www.hasbean.co.uk/ do good beans too but the advantage with happy donkey is the courier they use gives very accurate delivery times.

    Brans are 100 times better thabn pre ground.

    grahamb
    Free Member

    +1 to what MrSmith said.

    Beans from the decent roasters are about 20 quid a kilo, cheaper than Illy & loads fresher. You’ll notice the difference.

    If you’re in that London, pay a trip to one of Monmouth’s shops. Their organic espresso blend is my personal favourite.

    deadlydarcy
    Free Member

    It’s getting nichier by the post.

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    Whats the big deal with illy – only ever had it at illy coffee shops in france and i must say bitter – very bitter !

    Hot java lava is what kept me alert when i worked in africa – 14 hour shifts wired !!!!

    I like taylors cafe brazilla in my cafetiere – but tastes different when done at pressure 🙁

    MrSmith
    Free Member

    home roasting green beans and modifying your machine is ‘niche’.
    picking up some fresh roasted beans on the way home or ordering them over the internet is just good coffee.

    RichPenny
    Free Member

    home roasting green beans and modifying your machine is ‘niche’.

    Am considering machining the bottom off my filter to save £27 🙂 And the mate who gave me the beans from the net has roasted before and considering doing it again, which I’m encouraging.

    And finally, the bloke who runs the coffee stall on the market used to work for Monmouth Coffee, just to complete the circle of nicheness.

    matthewjb
    Free Member

    I’d recommend Hasbean.

    Massive variety of beans and fast delivery.

    You generally get the beans within a day or two of roasting.

    2unfit2ride
    Free Member

    trailmonkey – Member
    Illy is better (but stupidly expensive these days) – I couldn’t afford to drink it as my daily tipple.
    Buy it once then keep the metal tin to keep subsequent inferior brands in and wow your guests with your seemingly opulent lifestyle.

    Oh ****, busted!

    Anyway, the first beans I bought were the cheapest M&S beans I could get, TBH they were nicer than the rest of the supermarket available stuff I can find, well bar Illy, but that’s expensive 😉

    mtbmatt
    Free Member

    I’ve been getting my Coffee beans from Small Batch Coffee recently and I really like both blends I’ve tried so far. Great service and quick delivery from them every time.

    MrSmith
    Free Member

    Lavazza is good. Illy is better (but stupidly expensive these days) – I couldn’t afford to drink it as my daily tipple.

    it works out about 25p for a double shot, i think i spend about £4-6 on coffee a week (for home espresso’s) hardly excessive and way cheaper than starbucks.

    either you are a tightwad or have a serious caffeine addiction.

    neilsonwheels
    Free Member

    Try the coffee subscription from hasbean. A different coffee every month and there are some damn good coffees.

    mccann.ben
    Free Member

    + 1 Big john
    + 1 matthewjb
    + 1 nielsonwheels
    I have a weekly subscription to hasbean called “in my mug”. A good way to try different coffees every week.
    Have tried all of thier espresso blends and can reccomend.

    Also liked
    http://shop.squaremilecoffee.com/
    They have some pretty intense coffees and usually always delivered close to roasting.

    Finally I like Red Roaster in Brighton if you happen to be in that neck of the woods…
    Try before you buy as you can get a cafeterirerrerererer made up
    http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/red-roaster-coffee-house-brighton

    deadlydarcy
    Free Member

    either you are a tightwad or have a serious caffeine addiction.

    Are you normally this thick or are you just getting a bit sandy fannied about coffee.

    MrSmith
    Free Member

    sorry, i didn’t allow for being unemployed or on the minimum wage and not being able to afford 25p to make a coffee, everyone on this forum seems to ride around on £2.5k bikes so i wrongly assumed everyone was rolling in it.

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