Life is too short for bad coffee - The Off Topic thread

uck51js9zml2yt

Tried the decaffeinated today using my cafeteria.
Nice cup of coffee not quiet the punch of the fairy floss but drinkable!

murphyebass

Considering I very very rarely drink milky brews I don't think this is a bad effort.

J_E

I've started part time work as a barista! Hopefully goes well - although I find the cafe is more of a food cafe than a coffee one, the other staff seem to push some bad habits during busy hours. Stuff like refilling a pitcher that was already steamed and resteaming, not cleaning the portafilter fully each time, and the espresso is not great quality. As someone who is so picky at home about the correct practices, it is a little heartbreaking, but if that's how they want it, I think I will have to earn my place before I can suggest changes!

uck51js9zml2yt

J_E wrote: »

I've started part time work as a barista! Hopefully goes well - although I find the cafe is more of a food cafe than a coffee one, the other staff seem to push some bad habits during busy hours. Stuff like refilling a pitcher that was already steamed and resteaming, not cleaning the portafilter fully each time, and the espresso is not great quality. As someone who is so picky at home about the correct practices, it is a little heartbreaking, but if that's how they want it, I think I will have to earn my place before I can suggest changes!

Do you care to share the location s owe can go and criticise your barrista skills and substandard coffee?:D

J_E

Merrick Gorgeous Gynecologist wrote: »

Do you care to share the location s owe can go and criticise your barrista skills and substandard coffee?:D

Absolutely not :eek: It's a place that seems to emphasise the food over the coffee so I'm gonna play by their rules for a few weeks then try to bring the standard up - there is one barista there that does a great job and then some who just splatter the milk in, don't clean portafilters properly, etc. so hopefully it's a good chance to work on my own skills and impress in time and encourage better habits. I'm finding their 4-tip wand a little harder to work with compared to the Silvia single-tip but all in good time!

Edit: First day went great! Hopefully continues

Also should mention, had a GORGEOUS Ethiopian filter in Urbanity - stop by there and ask for it, it's so good, served in a Chemex too, nice.

adrian522

https://twitter.com/otherblackstuff/status/797424714553708544

BelovedAunt

Lads I've been using an Aeropress for a while now but with Black Friday upon us I want to get a proper machine. Are bean to cup's the best ones to go for? I'd say my max budget is €500. Thanks.

adrian522

Do you already have a grinder or are you using pre-ground for your aeropress?

BelovedAunt

adrian522 wrote: »

Do you already have a grinder or are you using pre-ground for your aeropress?

I bought a cheap grinder with the aeropress but to my shame I've never actually bought whole beans to grind in it

I should clarify my situation a bit better. Here in work we have a Costa Coffee and while it's decent, any time I've had a coffee in somewhere like Avoca or Dunne and Crescenzi it has blown the chain coffee stores away. I'd really like to be able to make my own coffee that can exceed the chains' coffee.

adrian522

Bean to Cup is great for people who want a minimum of fuss and just press a button and get a respectable cup of coffee. Nothing at all wrong with that IMO but if it was me I'd be thinking of something like this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gaggia-Classic-RI9403-11-machine/dp/B00P2I15ZY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479466733&sr=8-1&keywords=gaggia+classic

+

https://coffeeangel.com/shop/sage-smart-grinder-pro

Maybe a bit outside your budget but you could go with your current grinder for a while or else just go with a good hand grinder until you are ready to get a better electric one.

BelovedAunt

adrian522 wrote: »

Bean to Cup is great for people who want a minimum of fuss and just press a button and get a respectable cup of coffee. Nothing at all wrong with that IMO but if it was me I'd be thinking of something like this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gaggia-Classic-RI9403-11-machine/dp/B00P2I15ZY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479466733&sr=8-1&keywords=gaggia+classic

+

https://coffeeangel.com/shop/sage-smart-grinder-pro

Maybe a bit outside your budget but you could go with your current grinder for a while or else just go with a good hand grinder until you are ready to get a better electric one.

That's great thanks!

Bawnmore

adrian522 wrote: »

Bean to Cup is great for people who want a minimum of fuss and just press a button and get a respectable cup of coffee. Nothing at all wrong with that IMO but if it was me I'd be thinking of something like this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gaggia-Classic-RI9403-11-machine/dp/B00P2I15ZY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479466733&sr=8-1&keywords=gaggia+classic

+

https://coffeeangel.com/shop/sage-smart-grinder-pro

Maybe a bit outside your budget but you could go with your current grinder for a while or else just go with a good hand grinder until you are ready to get a better electric one.

That's my exact setup actually. Keep an eye on CamelCamelCamel for both - I got the Smart Grinder Pro on that crazy drop down to £99.

J_E

Bawnmore wrote: »

That's my exact setup actually. Keep an eye on CamelCamelCamel for both - I got the Smart Grinder Pro on that crazy drop down to £99.

Darn, I'll never forget that one! Still holding out :pac:

uck51js9zml2yt

Bailies are doing a starter pack of 2x250g for £15.11 with free postage to ROI.

Works out at €17.50

BelovedAunt

Lads I remember a while back you listed a few good online sellers of whole beans. I forgot to bookmark them so just wondering if anyone could recommend me with some please.

caviardreams

Lately I have been using Bell Lane a bit - they seem to have reduced their postage to €3.80 which is reasonable (did find them pricey for postage in the past so props to them for sorting it out!)

Have also used Ponaire (good value) and Bailies (again depending on the sterling/euro rate can work out good value too and found them good too in terms of speed and quality. Have not used Hasbean in ages but used them in the past and found them good.

Badger & Dodo are often mentioned here too but have not taken the plunge yet myself (I am sure I will in the not too distant future though!)

Melodeon

BelovedAunt wrote: »

Lads I remember a while back you listed a few good online sellers of whole beans. I forgot to bookmark them so just wondering if anyone could recommend me with some please.

I rotate between
3fe https://www.3fe.com/
Bailies https://www.bailiescoffee.com/
Has Bean https://www.hasbean.co.uk/

alec76

Is there any chance to get decent/half decent double espresso shot at Dublin airport ? Can anyone recommend the place?

peasant

Tried this coffee and this seller recently...very happy with both
http://coffee.needa.ie/jolly-caffe-crema-whole-coffee-beans-1kg-bag.html

adrian522

alec76 wrote: »

Is there any chance to get decent/half decent double espresso shot at Dublin airport ? Can anyone recommend the place?

I don't think so. Butlers Chocolate cafe is about your best bet. At least you get a free chocolate with it!

All My Stars Aligned

Given a gift by Cloud Picker of two bags of Los Pirineos (El Salvador), one washed & one natural. Absolutely outstanding! If you see either of these in the shops grab one, you won't regret it.

https://twitter.com/joemacgiollari/status/812528459872354304

uck51js9zml2yt

All My Stars Aligned wrote: »

Given a gift by Cloud Picker of two bags of Los Pirineos (El Salvador), one washed & one natural. Absolutely outstanding! If you see either of these in the shops grab one, you won't regret it.

https://twitter.com/joemacgiollari/status/812528459872354304

Not had cloudpicker in a while. They tried out where I worked and the coffee was burnt!
They didn't get the contract.

Ordered Los Pirineos and decaffeinated to give them another go.

megaten

Anyone know what happened to the small coffee place that was in one of the the outside doors in the powerscourt centre in town?

BelovedAunt

I bought a load of beans from Bell Lane during their Paddy's day sale. I've just finished the bag of their house blend and I wasn't overly impressed. It was fine but no better than the Lavazza beans I usually buy in Tesco.

adrian522

http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/homes-and-property/interiors/home-brew-an-expert-guide-to-the-best-coffee-makers-1.3019006

Different Brew methods employed by coffee professionals.

caviardreams

Oh that's a really interesting article - had never heard of the moccamaster before. Looks kinda cool

Thebe

adrian522 wrote: »

http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/homes-and-property/interiors/home-brew-an-expert-guide-to-the-best-coffee-makers-1.3019006

Different Brew methods employed by coffee professionals.

Nice read. Does anyone know where the Moccamaster can be bought in Ireland?

Krusty_Clown

Thebe wrote: »

Nice read. Does anyone know where the Moccamaster can be bought in Ireland?

http://www.moccamaster.eu/dealers/ireland/

Thebe

thanks Krusty Clown

Planet X

adrian522 wrote: »

http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/homes-and-property/interiors/home-brew-an-expert-guide-to-the-best-coffee-makers-1.3019006

Different Brew methods employed by coffee professionals.

Prompted me to go to the kitchen and get a Cafetiere out, hasn't been out for about 5 years.
Rocky up to 25, lovely clean cup of coffee, just surprised. And there's me saving up for a Rocky or Quick Mill.

Don't underestimate pour overs, presses etc.