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

cnocbui

The €15 machine I got from Lidl had the same side vents at the bottom set up and would happily blow stuff out the top, before it died.

Nice work. Mondo del cafe seem to have quite a selection of raw beans to choose from if you ever feel like finding or trying more varieties and sources.

stuchyg

Anyone here using a sage dose pro or smart pro. Any good?

Looking to move on from my 50 quid Melitta. Budget around 230 or so, won't be used for espresso

Weepsie

Got a timemore c2 and can't fault it, particularly at the price point. Going to be testing it against a 1zpresso q2 soon enough too.

Mostly v60, some aeropress and french press too.

30 grams in no time at all

stuchyg

Weepsie wrote: »

Got a timemore c2 and can't fault it, particularly at the price point. Going to be testing it against a 1zpresso q2 soon enough too.

Mostly v60, some aeropress and french press too.

30 grams in no time at all

Quietness would help too. Did you buy from aliexpress. Be v60 and possibly a sage precision brewer too in the next few months

Weepsie

I did. Took about a month (Jaffee coffee store). No customs. came in around 60 quid or so.

Hodors Appletart

Just ordered a Clever Dripper - anyone else using one regularly?

I'm going to start off with the Hoffman technique

15/250, Water first then coffee, 2 mins steep, break crust, 30 second wait, then draw down.

Anyone want to suggest a method to me?

Bigbooty

Hodors Appletart wrote: »

Just ordered a Clever Dripper - anyone else using one regularly?

I'm going to start off with the Hoffman technique

15/250, Water first then coffee, 2 mins steep, break crust, 30 second wait, then draw down.

Anyone want to suggest a method to me?

I've found you need to start the draw down at 3 minutes but if you go finer or coarser then obviously you'd adjust that. Just make sure you add the coffee to the water as the first few times I added water to coffee. Wasn't as nice.

Hoffman's method is fairly spot on though. I've done a separate bloom a few times then added that to the water which was nice but it's probably not worth the hassle. Better just to brew a v60 if you're going to go for that effort.

Usually brew 19/300 with a medium coarse grind. I got one for the other half as it's so easy to use and she loves it. It's kinda hard to make bad coffee with it I must say.

frink

Hodors Appletart wrote: »

Just ordered a Clever Dripper - anyone else using one regularly?

I'm going to start off with the Hoffman technique

15/250, Water first then coffee, 2 mins steep, break crust, 30 second wait, then draw down.

Anyone want to suggest a method to me?

Thinking of getting one for the OH as it seems like the easiest way to make a cup. Keen to see how you find it

Hodors Appletart

frink wrote: »

Thinking of getting one for the OH as it seems like the easiest way to make a cup. Keen to see how you find it

Ah I'll definitely lash up a review after a few weeks of use

My Aeropress has given up the ghost a bit, and replacing the rubber bung thing is sort of expensive - unless anyone can show me one in Ireland for cheap?

stuchyg

Hodors Appletart wrote: »

Ah I'll definitely lash up a review after a few weeks of use

My Aeropress has given up the ghost a bit, and replacing the rubber bung thing is sort of expensive - unless anyone can show me one in Ireland for cheap?

Do you have amazon prime. Only 9.70 on there plus it will be vat free so even cheaper in the end although obviously not in ireland

Bawnmore

Anyone have one of these on their milk pitcher?

https://badgeranddodo.ie/shop/liquid-crystal-thermometer/

Are they any use? I judge by hand at the moment but often get it wrong.

Hodors Appletart

stuchyg wrote: »

Do you have amazon prime. Only 9.70 on there plus it will be vat free so even cheaper in the end although obviously not in ireland

have you got a link for this please?

Hodors Appletart

Bawnmore wrote: »

Anyone have one of these on their milk pitcher?

https://badgeranddodo.ie/shop/liquid-crystal-thermometer/

Are they any use? I judge by hand at the moment but often get it wrong.

you'd be better off with one that you can immerse in the milk

stuchyg

Hodors Appletart wrote: »

have you got a link for this please?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08SQCRC9K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_Y5BWBDTRFN1QY2SQ8SJD

Thats ones a bit more expensive as the other won't ship here but again take 21% off the price

KnicksInSix

I find Brazilian & Colombian beans do better with a 2min 30sec brew time in the Clever Dripper and in general tasted much better (personal preference) than the Ethiopian and Rwandan beans I tried. I normally do 28g to 420g water for two people or 19g to 310g water for just myself. It's like a cleaner French press end taste. If I ever have to work in an office environment again I'll use it as my work brewer.

Hodors Appletart

stuchyg wrote: »

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08SQCRC9K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_Y5BWBDTRFN1QY2SQ8SJD

Thats ones a bit more expensive as the other won't ship here but again take 21% off the price

Thanks for this

I went hunting on .de and found one delivered for less than a tenner

brownbinman

Bit of a lurker on this thread, but always great for few gems.

I recently got a mocha express, can one use french pressed beans in it for should I get specific mocha grinded beans? I ask as I use both mocha and french press

Hodors Appletart

I think those type of brewers need a finer grind than you'd use for a FP - maybe even as fine as espresso

Squidgy Black

Hodors Appletart wrote: »

Ah I'll definitely lash up a review after a few weeks of use

My Aeropress has given up the ghost a bit, and replacing the rubber bung thing is sort of expensive - unless anyone can show me one in Ireland for cheap?

Coffeeangel have the rubber bung yokes for 7 quid.

I have a clever dripper, can't fault it to be honest, usually do Hoffman's method. It's so handy for a quick brew, like an easier version of a french press but less clean up and a lot less sediment.

caviardreams

Hodors Appletart wrote: »

Just ordered a Clever Dripper - anyone else using one regularly?

I'm going to start off with the Hoffman technique

15/250, Water first then coffee, 2 mins steep, break crust, 30 second wait, then draw down.

Anyone want to suggest a method to me?

I use one all the time. LOVE it! Impossible to get a bad cup from tbh.

I use 20g/340ml

I am using big booty's 30 second bloom time, and then pour in the rest of the water technique lately. I find it quite forgiving if you leave it in longer than 2:30 mins. Really simple method and no grinds unlike french press.

Hodors Appletart

Clever Dripper arrived, with no bleeding filters. They were listed as part of the item on amazon.

frink

caviardreams wrote: »

I use one all the time. LOVE it! Impossible to get a bad cup from tbh.

I use 20g/340ml

I am using big booty's 30 second bloom time, and then pour in the rest of the water technique lately. I find it quite forgiving if you leave it in longer than 2:30 mins. Really simple method and no grinds unlike french press.

What is the most you get out of a Clever? I currently use V60 for 30g/500ml brews for two cups. I think the Clever might be slightly smaller in volume

Squidgy Black

frink wrote: »

What is the most you get out of a Clever? I currently use V60 for 30g/500ml brews for two cups. I think the Clever might be slightly smaller in volume

I've done a 450ml brew in mine, but it's really full to the brim and requires a long-ish bloom. 350-ish seems to be the sweet spot that most places recommend.

caviardreams

Squidgy Black wrote: »

I've done a 450ml brew in mine, but it's really full to the brim and requires a long-ish bloom. 350-ish seems to be the sweet spot that most places recommend.

Yep I normally go for 340-50 - a great big 12 oz mug full :-) You could do 400 ok but I'd say over that it gets trickier. - maybe get two if you want two mugs? AT least they are inexpensive (but I Know it's 2 filters!)

Hodors Appletart

Just bought 2 coffees in Driftwood, just outside Finglas Village - they use Upside coffee there, which is pretty good.

I also noticed recently that the Ice Cream shop next door to the off licence opposite SuperValu in the village uses B&D Blackwater Blend as their coffee, so I'll need to give that a go soon.

Great to have shops in a place like Finglas selling actual decent coffee.

Hodors Appletart

Got my Claver Dripper filters this afternoon, and did a 18/300 Hoffman Method, using some SO Ethiopian I'd been doing in the Aero.

Not too much difference really, so I'm happy with the outcome.

Weepsie

Hodors Appletart wrote: »

Just bought 2 coffees in Driftwood, just outside Finglas Village - they use Upside coffee there, which is pretty good.

I also noticed recently that the Ice Cream shop next door to the off licence opposite SuperValu in the village uses B&D Blackwater Blend as their coffee, so I'll need to give that a go soon.

Great to have shops in a place like Finglas selling actual decent coffee.

They also have ristretto from N. IReland. I've liked all the upsides I've tried, and the roast date in Driftwood always seem to be recent.

There's another place now in Phibsboro using 3fe (Filo on the corner a few metres from the actual 3fe)

Hodors Appletart

I had a look through the upside and ristretto bags for sale last week, all November roast dates.

is there a 3fe in phibs now? or do you mean the van outside the bernard shaw?

Squidgy Black

Hodors Appletart wrote: »

I had a look through the upside and ristretto bags for sale last week, all November roast dates.

is there a 3fe in phibs now? or do you mean the van outside the bernard shaw?

Nah across from the Brian Boru, think it used to be called the prospect cafe but it's under new ownership now and was all redone. Does unreal pastries, well worth a trip

Hodors Appletart

I see, beside the greek restaurant

must cycle down the canal one of these days, thanks!