De'Longhi Magnifica Bean Options

Barr · 23-03-2015 10:30pm #1

Hi All

I am looking to buy coffee beans for the above machine. I only have experience of buying one type of bean before. That was the Temple Bar espresso beans from Discount coffee.

Although they seemed good value I thought the coffee was too weak. Saying that I am after something better/stronger this time.

Could anyone recommend what beans I should be going for?

Thanks
Barr

Barr · 24-03-2015 2:27pm

Anyone ?

Padraig Mor · 24-03-2015 4:34pm

Kenco Italia beans are lovely - VERY strong and smokey. Available on Amazon.
Currently working my way through a bag of Alberto Espresso from Allaboutpods in Dublin (great prices) - also extremely strong.
Next up Segafredo Espresso Casa - you guessed it, extra strong!

Barr · 24-03-2015 4:48pm

Thanks Padraig , never considered Amazon. Will have a look

I have come across these two as well. What ye reckon of these as options. Has anyone had them before?

http://www.discountcoffee.ie/signature-whole-bean-4x1kg

http://www.discountcoffee.ie/lavazza-grand-espresso-coffee-beans-6x1kg

parttime · 24-03-2015 5:07pm

http://www.discountcoffee.ie/sumatra-mandheling-coffee-beans-1kg
http://www.discountcoffee.ie/ethiopian-djimmah
I've tried both of these, and they are really great. First one is a little bit stronger, and the beans are very oily to look at.
Serious coffee, for me anyway. I'm just starting down the path of coffee nerdery

Barr · 24-03-2015 6:51pm

parttime wrote: »

http://www.discountcoffee.ie/sumatra-mandheling-coffee-beans-1kg
http://www.discountcoffee.ie/ethiopian-djimmah
I've tried both of these, and they are really great. First one is a little bit stronger, and the beans are very oily to look at.
Serious coffee, for me anyway. I'm just starting down the path of coffee nerdery

I've seen the Sumatra recommended before somewhere. I dismissed it as it says the strength is medium.

I'm surprised to hear it is stronger that the Ethiopian Djimmah.

Think I am half the way to being a coffee nerd as well :pac:

cmac2009 · 24-03-2015 7:12pm

Barr wrote: »

I've seen the Sumatra recommended before somewhere. I dismissed it as it says the strength is medium.

I'm surprised to hear it is stronger that the Ethiopian Djimmah.

Think I am half the way to being a coffee nerd as well :pac:

How are you finding the machine Bar? Considering buying one but haven't pulled the trigger yet. It gets rave reviews on amazon.

Krusty_Clown · 24-03-2015 7:13pm

Hi Barr, are you sure it's the beans, rather than the brewing method? Can you adjust the grind settings on that bean to cup machine?
Like Padraig More's post above, I've been working through a bag of beans I got from allaboutpods, and it is great value (I use the 1kg bag of Segafredo Espresso Casa for making milk-based espresso drinks, and reserve my freshly roasted coffee for the Aeropress).

Barr · 24-03-2015 10:55pm

cmac2009 wrote: »

How are you finding the machine Bar? Considering buying one but haven't pulled the trigger yet. It gets rave reviews on amazon.

Must admit I am a bit disappointed with the coffee from the machine.I find the coffee weak even with all the settings at their max. We also have a dolce gusto which I am comparing it to.I find this makes a much nicer coffee. In my case I’m hoping it’s just the beans that are the issue.

Once I find better beans I hope this translate to a nicer coffee.

Coffee is not the hottest either if you like to use milk.

It was £199 at the time. Not sure what price they are fetching now.

Barr · 24-03-2015 11:04pm

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Hi Barr, are you sure it's the beans, rather than the brewing method? Can you adjust the grind settings on that bean to cup machine?
Like Padraig More's post above, I've been working through a bag of beans I got from allaboutpods, and it is great value (I use the 1kg bag of Segafredo Espresso Casa for making milk-based espresso drinks, and reserve my freshly roasted coffee for the Aeropress).

You can adjust the settings but it is recommended to stay with the default for grinding. I never tried to tinker with it to be honest.

The pour seems to be fine its just the strength that's a bit disappointing.

But again I've only ever tried the temple bar beans so perhaps something like the Segafredo could make all the difference (I'm hoping at least)

Padraig Mor · 25-03-2015 9:50am

Definitely do a finer grind if you can. What kind of drink are you making - espresso, Americano, cappuccino, 'just a mug of coffee'? If it's one of the 'large' drinks, very few bean to cups dispense a shot size large enough to give you a large volume, strong, coffee. Two shots of espresso are generally needed for a decent Americano, cappuccino, etc. If you're using a 'mug' or similar setting - i.e. it's firing a lot of water through one puck of ground coffee, it's the same problem: the machine cannot grind enough coffee in one go for a decent cup. I have a Schaerer machine now that will grind 18g at a go which is fine - but this is unusual; my previous Saeco always needed two shots for a strong Americano.

Barr · 25-03-2015 2:45pm

Padraig Mor wrote: »

Definitely do a finer grind if you can. What kind of drink are you making - espresso, Americano, cappuccino, 'just a mug of coffee'? If it's one of the 'large' drinks, very few bean to cups dispense a shot size large enough to give you a large volume, strong, coffee. Two shots of espresso are generally needed for a decent Americano, cappuccino, etc. If you're using a 'mug' or similar setting - i.e. it's firing a lot of water through one puck of ground coffee, it's the same problem: the machine cannot grind enough coffee in one go for a decent cup. I have a Schaerer machine now that will grind 18g at a go which is fine - but this is unusual; my previous Saeco always needed two shots for a strong Americano.

I'll have a go at adjusting the grinder. I take it that the finer the grind, the stronger the coffee.

Is there any disadvantage to having a very fine grind?

It’s mainly Americanos I make. What I'm doing is adding 4 expresso shots to a cup of coffee

Settings are at “maximum” for coffee beans and “minimum” for water for each expresso.

waraf · 25-03-2015 2:48pm

http://www.hasbean.co.uk/

For serious coffee nerds. Boutique award winning coffees with "in my cup" review videos. Well worth checking out.

keith_d99 · 25-03-2015 3:03pm

Barr wrote: »

You can adjust the settings but it is recommended to stay with the default for grinding. I never tried to tinker with it to be honest.

The pour seems to be fine its just the strength that's a bit disappointing. But again I've only ever tried the temple bar beans so perhaps something like the Segafredo could make all the difference (I'm hoping at least)

Barr have same machine (got the same £199 bargain!) .. made the same mistake as you initially - both settings up to the Max. Thought coffee was weak .. was wondering what the fuss was about (also had Dolce Gusto machine)

Try the following:
For the water put the dial @ 9pm - For strength @3pm

See how you get on with that.

Best Espresso (make sure you get an espresso blend bean) bean I have gotten is from Ponaire

Specifically:
European Espresso Bean

Also recommend a small frothing jug:
330ml frothing jug - fill just less than half of milk

And a frothing thermometer so you don't burn the milk!
€3 on Amazon

Edit: Above is for Latte/Cappuccinos

No sure the Magnifica is too good for Americanos ... I use an Aeropress for those

waraf · 25-03-2015 3:27pm

I've had a magnifica for the last four years or so. Great machines but expensive to repair when they go wrong.

I use it for espressos mostly so I leave the grind setting set to the finest setting and use the the quantity of beans knob to control the strength of the coffee.

One thing to note is that if you empty the full bag of beans into the machine they will start to dry out and the coffee will get weak when the beans have dried up too much. I only pour a small amount of the beans into the machine at a time (enough to last a few days) and leave the rest sealed in the bag they came in.

illdoit2morrow · 25-03-2015 3:52pm

Sumatra Mandheling Coffee Beans from discountcoffee.ie is very good, it was recommended in the original bargain alerts thread for the machine.

I've ordered a case of their Bellaroma Espresso to give it a go.

Lidl had an italian special a while back, in it they had 1kg bags of beans which were very good too.

cmac2009 · 25-03-2015 4:17pm

waraf wrote: »

I've had a magnifica for the last four years or so. Great machines but expensive to repair when they go wrong.

I use it for espressos mostly so I leave the grind setting set to the finest setting and use the the quantity of beans knob to control the strength of the coffee.

One thing to note is that if you empty the full bag of beans into the machine they will start to dry out and the coffee will get weak when the beans have dried up too much. I only pour a small amount of the beans into the machine at a time (enough to last a few days) and leave the rest sealed in the bag they came in.

HI Waraf, what problems did you have with your machine...you're putting me off!!

waraf · 25-03-2015 4:42pm

cmac2009 wrote: »

HI Waraf, what problems did you have with your machine...you're putting me off!!

I had to replace the grinder in it (but that may have been down to a stone in the bag of beans)

I've had to replace the power board and front control board as they both blew inexplicably at the same time (I replaced them both myself as the repair guy said it would have been cheaper to buy a whole new machine. In the end it cost me 110 euro to do it myself)

It's out of commission at the moment cause I brought it down to Galway in the boot of my car and some sensor has obviously shifted so it's not compacting the beans properly (there's a lesson in that for you - don't bring your coffee machine on holidays!!)

Barr · 25-03-2015 9:28pm

keith_d99 wrote: »

Try the following:
For the water put the dial @ 9pm - For strength @3pm

This is what I do to get the shots into the coffee. Takes 4 of these just to get an espresso

I was hoping to find beans , that if I turn the water dial to 3pm, it will make a reasonable strong cup of coffee. Just at the moment it is like drinking water with this setting (even with coffee at max setting)

waraf · 25-03-2015 9:44pm

Barr wrote: »

This is what I do to get the shots into the coffee. Takes 4 of these just to get an espresso

I was hoping to find beans , that if I turn the water dial to 3pm, it will make a reasonable strong cup of coffee. Just at the moment it is like drinking water with this setting (even with coffee at max setting)

Are your beans particularly dry by any chance? If they're dried out then the magnifica won't be able to make espresso out of them. Try to buy beans that have been roasted within the last week if you can. Beans start to degrade fairly quickly after roasting so you should by the freshest beans that you can.

Barr · 25-03-2015 10:49pm

waraf wrote: »

Are your beans particularly dry by any chance? If they're dried out then the magnifica won't be able to make espresso out of them. Try to buy beans that have been roasted within the last week if you can. Beans start to degrade fairly quickly after roasting so you should by the freshest beans that you can.

Don't think that's the issue. I don't fill it up very much so the beans don't get a chance to dry out.

I'm going to get a mix and try out different beans.

I got 8 Kilos of the temple bar last time - glad they are gone at this stage

waraf · 26-03-2015 10:03am

Barr wrote: »

Don't think that's the issue. I don't fill it up very much so the beans don't get a chance to dry out.

I'm going to get a mix and try out different beans.

I got 8 Kilos of the temple bar last time - glad they are gone at this stage

8 kilos!! How long did it take you to get through them all?

Barr · 26-03-2015 11:53am

It took about 11 months . I mainly use it only at the weekends as I get my coffe from work during the week.

waraf · 26-03-2015 12:15pm

Barr wrote: »

It took about 11 months . I mainly use it only at the weekends as I get my coffe from work during the week.

ok - I wouldn't rule out the dry beans problem then. Most coffee aficionados would say that beans should be used within 4 weeks of the roasting date for best results (and within 3 months at the latest).

hasbean label

Gran Hermano · 26-03-2015 1:01pm

If I'd hair I'd be pulling it out !
:-)
You can't bulk buy kilos of beans, keep them a year and expect them to tatse the same as when fresh. It is a false economy buying that quantity in bulk. You're not saving on your coffee expenditure over a year, you are paying for a month of fresh and 11 months of stale coffee in one go.

I try and limit the amount of freshly roasted I have in the cupboard at home at anyone time. I'd buy a couple of bags (each approx 250g) each week. I'd never have more than 2-3 bags at home. In simple terms try and buy coffee that was roasted within the last week or two and try and use it within a week or two of purchase.

Buy your coffee in smaller amounts and at more frequent intervals. Get to know where is convenient for you, either shops or online, to easily pick up freshly roasted beans. For many a postal subscription where you sign up for a weekly/monthly delivery of fresh beans works well.

Gran Hermano · 26-03-2015 1:18pm

Bean to cup machines & Americanos.

Set the grinder to run as fine as possible (adjust when motor running!).
Any bean to cup machines I've played with need you to set the grind as fine as possible on the machine.

Set the machine to use maximum amount of coffee per shot. They'll often have this under 'strength' adjustment.

Set the amount of water/shot/cup size to as small as possible.

This will allow you to determine what a single shot is for that machine and coffee is.
How much is dispensed? Aim for 25-30ml for a single. Adjust the cup size as needed and spend some time dialling it in correctly and use a measuring jug or US 1oz shot glass.

Pull two shots of this into a mug and top up with hot buy not boiling water.
What size Americano are you making? You're starting with approx 60 ml of coffee. How many ml of water are you adding? If you're using an oversized mug you may need more than a double shot.

Barr · 26-03-2015 4:17pm

Keep your hair on Gran Hermano

Who ever thought this coffee business is so technical :pac:

It’s a standard mug , think about 300ml. I’m not adding any water. Just 4 shots with minimum water , then 1 shot with maximum water to get the volume. The coffee level is always on max.

I could be wrong here , but I don’t recall any dates on the coffee bags ( I can’t check this now as they are gone)

So am I right in thinking if I buy the below bag, I should use it up within a month?

http://www.discountcoffee.ie/passion-italian-espresso-coffee-beans-4-x-1kg

Its just so much easier/cheaper buying in bulk. I didn’t realise there was an expiry to use them up.

eclectichoney · 26-03-2015 10:50pm

To be honest Barr, if there is no date on the beans it is possible (likely even) they were roasted some time ago and thus are already stale / not at their best. 4 shots in a 300ml mug is an awful lot - I make a long black coffee with 2 shots and top it up with hot water as described above. If you are finding it weak with 4 shots there is definitely something wrong!

alec76 · 26-03-2015 10:57pm

Barr wrote: »

It’s a standard mug , think about 300ml. I’m not adding any water. Just 4 shots with minimum water , then 1 shot with maximum water to get the volume. The coffee level is always on max.

OMG ,it is defenetly not americano

I could be wrong here , but I don’t recall any dates on the coffee bags ( I can’t check this now as they are gone)

Normaly, if u can't find roasting date , u don't want this kind of coffee .

So am I right in thinking if I buy the below bag, I should use it up within a month?

http://www.discountcoffee.ie/passion-italian-espresso-coffee-beans-4-x-1kg

Regardless , it is probably 3-6 months old already .

PS. If u prefer a strong coffee, u have to look towards ROBUSTA blends, not ARABICA .( arabica beans are more expensive , great taste , but very little caffeine in it )

waraf · 27-03-2015 10:00am

Barr wrote: »

Keep your hair on Gran Hermano

So am I right in thinking if I buy the below bag, I should use it up within a month?

http://www.discountcoffee.ie/passion-italian-espresso-coffee-beans-4-x-1kg

Its just so much easier/cheaper buying in bulk. I didn’t realise there was an expiry to use them up.

Try ordering online from hasbean.co.uk or 3fe.com. You're going to pay more for your beans than if you buy in bulk but if you want to drink good coffee then you have to buy beans that are freshly roasted.

If you really want to buy in bulk then I would suggest that you buy unroasted beans and roast them yourself as and when you need. Hasbean also sell all of their beans unroasted.

Hasbean has a much wider ranger than 3fe both in terms of price and quality because 3fe have only recently entered the online coffee sales business (they're still the best coffee shop in Dublin though - consistently great espresso)

flangemeistro · 27-03-2015 12:18pm

I don't have a bean to cup machine just a normal espresso machine and a burr grinder. I'm fairly new to the espresso making myself but after a lot of research and taste tests I found an amazing roasters in Fermoy in Cork http://www.badgeranddodo.ie/site/products/ I'm using the blackwater blend , red rock blend and Brazilian ipanema at the the moment and I'm getting amazing results. I was thinking about upgrading to a bean to cup but after reading this I have my doubts.

De'Longhi Magnifica Bean Options

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