In search of the best Coffee experience 100 euro will buy

Khannie

That's my task. 100 euro total budget for equipment. Some flexibility, but not much.

We're getting a bit sick of our current coffee machine (have had ongoing trouble with the top of it). It's a really old style electric brewer and works fine after being out of action now for some time (one of many times). So.....

Obviously I could just spend 100 euro on a machine of some description (and I'm 100% open to this), but I'm thinking: popcorn popper (around 30 euro), bodum 8 cup cafetiere (around 40 euro) and a grinder (30 euro = crap grinder?).

Like I said though, I'm totally open to whatever you all think would get the best coffee experience for that budget.

rockbeer

Hmm, wonder whether it's worth trying to roast your own for use on such a modest rig when you could buy fresh-roast beans easily enough - which would give you more to spend on brewing equipment. Maybe you were thinking of roasting up exotic blends - I'm not convinced you would extract enough of the flavour to make this worthwhile unless you're brewing espresso.

You don't say what kind of coffee you prefer, but personally I'd invest in a Bialetti (around 30 - 40 Euro), and a cheap grinder (about 20 Euro), buy freshly roasted beans often in small quantities, and work towards buying better equipment later on.

I don't think spending all your 100 Euro will give you a significantly better experience than this, though others might have better ideas.

Khannie

Thanks for the reply.

Hmmmm. Fair enough then. I would have thought that a cafetiere would have given a decent enough brew. I'm not a big espresso fan. Mostly I just love a mug of delicious coffee with steamed milk (in fact, I'm going to go and make one now).

Is the Bialetti only for espresso? Or could you use a larger one for mugs of coffee too?

I should say that although I really enjoy coffee, I've only recently come to the conclusion that I'm missing out with my home brew. I'm no expert by any means.

rockbeer

As I said in my first post, it depends on what you like. My preference would be for a Bialetti over a cafetiere 'cos I like deep strong brews. What you get from a mocha pot isn't really espresso (see other threads for arguments about this!) but it's the closest thing you'll get at that price. You can adjust the strength of the brew by using different coffees and varying the amount. I've used mine to make mugs of coffee, but admittedly I was heavily into the caffeine buzz at the time

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing at all against cafetieres. I used one for a long time and was quite happy - it's still there in the press and gets broken out now and then. As I say, in the end it all depends on what you like to drink.

One thing that strikes me though... it was that feeling of "missing out" that led me from instant crap to the cafetiere, then to the mocha pot and finally to espresso. I wonder how many other people that's true for? Probably more than a few. Take care, it can get expensive

Mr Magnolia

Khannie wrote: »

Is the Bialetti only for espresso? Or could you use a larger one for mugs of coffee too?

The Bialetti will make near espresso strenth coffee. You can always add some hot water to make an 'americano' type drink.

The popcorn popper might be an interesting experiment but some roasting knowledge would be an advantage. It might be worth taking a risk for the sake of €30, but without the grinder...

TBH, I don't think one of the whirr grinders (which is all you'll get for this money) is going to be suitable for the Bialletti Moka Pot. You would need decent burr grinder consistency. These are considerably more expensive. Might be worth saving the shillings.

Good, freshly roasted coffee is widely available now. If I were you I'd buy a new cafetiere and a moka pot and see how you get on. If you're enjoying the pot then you could consider a grinder down the road. You should budget €200 for the entry level burr grinder.

rockbeer wrote: »

One thing that strikes me though... it was that feeling of "missing out" that led me from instant crap to the cafetiere, then to the mocha pot and finally to espresso. I wonder how many other people that's true for? Probably more than a few. Take care, it can get expensive

.0/

Khannie

rockbeer wrote: »

As I said in my first post, it depends on what you like. My preference would be for a Bialetti over a cafetiere 'cos I like deep strong brews.

Well it's for both myself and my wife. She likes weaker coffee than I do, so I do have to bear that in mind. I think the moka pot is worth a bash as an initial purchase to step up from the electric yoke we have now (I have no idea what to call it....it's a tall silver pot with a transparent cone shaped part at the top), then possibly a cafetiere (as magnolia suggested) if the moka pot doesn't work out as well as I'd hope.

From reading around a bit, it sounds like the cheaper grinders just aren't worth the money, but 200 lids is a _lot_ to part with for a piece of coffee hardware.

rockbeer wrote: »

Take care, it can get expensive

Sounds like it alright.

rockbeer

Khannie wrote: »

(I have no idea what to call it....it's a tall silver pot with a transparent cone shaped part at the top)

That sounds like what we used to call a percolator when I lived at home (longer ago than I care to remember).

Mr Magnolia

Khannie wrote: »

Well it's for both myself and my wife. She likes weaker coffee than I do, so I do have to bear that in mind. I think the moka pot is worth a bash

If you're buying the moka pot maybe go for the 6-cup (big enough for the 2 of you). You can mix some hot water for the wife's weaker coffee and drink it straight, or indeed mix hot water for yourself.

Keep an eye on adverts.ie or ebay for a grinder. If you come across one at a decent price we'll take a look at it and see if it's worth it.

Let us know how you get on with the moka pot too.

Khannie

rockbeer wrote: »

That sounds like what we used to call a percolator when I lived at home (longer ago than I care to remember).

Yeah, bang on. It looks something like this alright.....

Mr Magnolia wrote: »

Keep an eye on adverts.ie or ebay for a grinder. If you come across one at a decent price we'll take a look at it and see if it's worth it.

Nice one. Cheers.

Mr Magnolia wrote: »

Let us know how you get on with the moka pot too.

Will do.

RE*AC*TOR

You don't like espresso, you probably won't like moka coffee.

Get a whirly blade grinder. (€25)
Get a pour over drip filter. (€25)
Get the freshest coffee beans you can get your hands on.

Watch these....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6V-1O2nqars

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEcMz4V7wuY

Mr Magnolia

RE*AC*TOR wrote: »

You don't like espresso, you probably won't like moka coffee.

Get a whirly blade grinder. (€25)
Get a pour over drip filter. (€25)
Get the freshest coffee beans you can get your hands on.

Watch these....

Great viewing!

Hmmm. Would the whirly blade suit a cafetiere RE*AC*TOR?

RE*AC*TOR

Mr Magnolia wrote: »

Great viewing!

Hmmm. Would the whirly blade suit a cafetiere RE*AC*TOR?

What do you mean by cafetiere?
Press pot? Then no. The filter leaves too much through.

Kitchen Complements sell reusable gold filter for pour-over drip filters.
Its cheap and effective. And as the filter is reasonably fine the irregularity of a whirly blade is ok.

This kind of thing:

Mr Magnolia

Yeah, a french press. Grand so, I'll keep an eye out for a pour-over drip filter. Thanks.

Khannie

Great vids reactor. Seriously enhanced the coffee I got from my 2 cup french press over the weekend. Think I will take your advice and invest in a drip filter + grinder. Cheers.

RE*AC*TOR

Glad to help.

Mr Magnolia

Let me know where you get your drip filter & grinder from Khannie. I had a look through the stickies yesterday and couldn't find much from the online resources.

You may have better luck.

Khannie

I'm going to try that place in Georges arcade that's listed in the stickies on Thursday (pay day ). I'll let you know how I get on, no worries.

Mr Magnolia

Thanks for that. M&D I assume. I'll drop them a mail and ask them if they have them in stock.

Gran Hermano

If it's a cheap filter system you're after, check Argos they might be cheaper
than M&D or the coffee shops.

Argos have an electric coffee maker for €25; catalog number 4223876.
It'll do the same job as the filter pot pictured above but will save you
having to boil a kettle.

Just don't leave the coffee stewing on the hot-plate once brewed.

Mr Magnolia

I know there's not much control needed but I was never keen on these type of coffee machines.

I think I'd prefer an aul manual pour-over effort. Am I being short-sighted?

Gran Hermano

Haven't used them in some years myself, but had them in an office
a few jobs back and they did the job ok. Didn't have to worry about
boiling the water and scalding the coffee grounds. Only problem I've had
with them is people leaving pots of coffee on the hot-plate for hours.

Khannie

That looks pretty decent actually given the cost gran hermano, cheers. Permanent filter = nice! I'll have a squizz in this M&D place too, see what they have.

edit: I must admit, the notion of the pour-over jobbie has me thinking that I'll get a better brew, but I've no idea why. Possibly because it's what they guy in the video that reactor linked is using.

RE*AC*TOR

Most of the automatic drip filter machines have two problems - a brew temperature that's too low and an inadequate shower (not sufficiently wetting all the grounds).
With a little bit of care you can probably achieve the brew on a manual pour over that would cost a couple of hundred on an automatic.
Plus those keep warm bases can be tempremental.

Khannie

Well....I suppose that's that then. I'll see what M&D have. There's a speciality tea place on my way to work (I walk through temple bar) that sells coffee gear too. I think it's called "The joy of cha" or something like that. May pop into them on the way to work if they're open.

RE*AC*TOR

if you can get down to Kitchen Complements they have manual pour-over stuff.

Khannie

Just got your post now reactor. It's probably a bit too far from where I work to get there and back in a lunch hour but if they're open later I may pop in after work.

Anyway...Got a bodum pour over jobbie (without packaging) for 30 euro (reduced from 35 because of lack of packaging) in M&D. They didn't have any grinders in today (said they should have some tomorrow) so I got the guy to grind me some coffee instead. Just about to brew some up. I will just be using unfiltered tap water as I'm in work, but I'm really looking forward to it.

RE*AC*TOR

make sure you allow the water to cool off boiling.
otherwise that bodum jobbie should do the trick nicely

Khannie

I let the water cool before boiling (remembered from your video), but either put in too much water, or not enough coffee (depending on your perspective ). I didn't have a scoop with me so was estimating both water and coffee. In short, it was weak but tasty. I expect the next brew to be much better.

RE*AC*TOR

http://coffeegeek.com/guides/howtouseapourover

another useful guide - with quantities

Khannie

Hmmmm. I followed that guide. Stirred the slurry and I got lots of crap in my coffee. Wont be doing that again. Nearly got the quantities right. I suppose it's a learning process (that's made harder by not having a scoop in work...should be much easier at home).

eclectichoney

I'm fascinated by this thread! I normally use a french press, would changing over to a manual pour over thing make a big difference? In what way?

Khannie

Well.....Today I got it right. I made a nice smooth mug of coffee with the drip filter. My wife was not impressed (at all). I'm not sure that the grind is right as there was a bit of sludge at the bottom of my mug.

I've tried the same coffee from our percolator (right this minute) and it's also very nice, but not /as/ nice as from the drip filter.

I'll be trying our 2 cup french press later on and will report back.

RE*AC*TOR

A certain amount of sludge in unavoidable. Grinding less fine or using a paper filter might help.

Khannie

It was the guy in M&D that did the grind for me (specifically for the dripper). I may give the paper filters a lash too. No harm in trying I suppose.

Khannie

Well.....Today I got the best cup of home made coffee I've ever had. :eek:

Used the drip filter again. Got the blend of coffee and water right. Stirred the slurry very gently (no crap on top this time....I actually don't mind the stuff at the bottom at all). My wife loved it too.

Overall: 8.5 / 10.

Definitely sticking with the drip filter for now. Hoping to enhance the experience with my own grinder. I'll report back later v's the french press, but I can't see it being any better than what I had with my breakfast this morning tbh.

Thanks for all the help ladies and gents.

Khannie

Another update: Tried the same coffee in the french press.

My score: 7 / 10.

L31mr0d

RE*AC*TOR wrote: »

You don't like espresso, you probably won't like moka coffee.

Get a whirly blade grinder. (€25)
Get a pour over drip filter. (€25)
Get the freshest coffee beans you can get your hands on.

Watch these....

thanks for those vids Khannie, learnt a lot about coffee and brewing there. His generalization about the flavours of coffee from different regions was actually pretty spot on. I had some Sumatran Coffee this morning and the best way to describe it would be Funky (and not in the bad way, lol)

JIZZLORD

Great vids re*ac*or

Khannie

Just thought I'd report back on this after using the kit for a while.....

I've found the drip filter to be good, but my wife's not lovin' it. She finds the coffee too strong / generally not to her taste. Personally I think it's great. I had some trouble getting a consistent brew at the start, but got the hang of it.

Bought a cheapy blade grinder off ebay and have to say that this has really been a winner. Well worth the money.

Mr Magnolia

Khannie wrote: »

I've found the drip filter to be good, but my wife's not lovin' it. She finds the coffee too strong / generally not to her taste. Personally I think it's great. I had some trouble getting a consistent brew at the start, but got the hang of it.

Have you tried varying the quantity of coffee used? Sometimes more coffee in the filter can lead to a milder tasting coffee.

There is a major difference in taste between a filter/brewed coffee and an americano type drink. If you have any money left over from your original budget you could try a moka pot or an aeropress. Brew, then add hotwater to taste. This will produce an americano type drink, which it sounds like your wife may prefer.

I got my aeropress in from hasbean.co.uk for €40 includining P&P. Well worth it.

Khannie

Considered an aeropress alright. My wife said recently that she has concerns over the amount of press space the coffee gadgets are taking up.

I've varied the amount of coffee I'm using in the drip filter alright, but generally upwards. I use one of the bodum scoops per cup as recommended (I'll use 5 scoops of beans for 2 mugs as this grinds down to around 4 ground scoops). I might try adding more, but I'm using quite a bit as it is.

Best home made mug so far has come from using the 2 cup cafetierre with freshly ground kilimanjaro blend from M&D's. Absolutely savagely tasty.

Gran Hermano

Khannie wrote: »

Considered an aeropress alright. My wife said recently that she has concerns over the amount of press space the coffee gadgets are taking up.

Now where have I heard that before...I'm getting that deja-vu feeling...
You can always free up some space by throwing the teapots in the bin.

:D:D

Mr Magnolia

The missus and me are having a laugh at this now. It's not just me so.

I've been trying to point out that we never really use the toaster.

TKK

My better half was getting to this stage rapidly. Then I went and got some decent beans and worked on the milk frothing side of things. She came around when I started making her cappuccinos and steamed-milk hot chocolate

She views it as one of my hobbies and is happy enough to let me continue. I have already mentally prepared her for a grinder upgrade and possibly, though farther down the line, a roaster.