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

caviardreams · 21-06-2021 3:42pm

Just got an email to say carrow coffee are doing subs now - their 6 month 1kg filter option is €276 euro though!

https://carrow.ie/shop-1/filtersubscription

adrian522 · 21-06-2021 6:17pm

I can't keep up with the amount of new roasters out there now, surely they can't all be making money.

The sub doesn't seem great value, the espresso works out at €35 per month. Which is not really any saving on just buying it individually.

I subscribe to 1KG of Forsa Gala from coffee angel which is €27 per month which I think is decent value. Only issue has been the roast date has been a bit early for my liking meaning by the time I get through the bag it'll be 5 or so weeks old.

caviardreams · 21-06-2021 7:25pm

adrian522 wrote: »

I can't keep up with the amount of new roasters out there now, surely they can't all be making money.

The sub doesn't seem great value, the espresso works out at €35 per month. Which is not really any saving on just buying it individually.

I subscribe to 1KG of Forsa Gala from coffee angel which is €27 per month which I think is decent value. Only issue has been the roast date has been a bit early for my liking meaning by the time I get through the bag it'll be 5 or so weeks old.

Wild that the espresso sub is 210 and the filter 276! Don't understand that. 46 per month for filter is way too steep.

Their seasonal espresso is €39 for a 1kg bag (plus delivery on top) so €35 per month for a sub price (incl delivery) is good. Once it goes over €40 (including delivery) it's too much for a sub imo, where you don't get to choose and where they benefit from guaranteed orders, timing and cashflow.

I think a sub price that is the same as the non-sub price is fair enough, if you get the benefit of free delivery each month thrown in.

I think a lot of cafes now do beans from Irish roasted compared to the lavazza / illy of yesteryear and this helps keep the roasters going, in spite of the growing number of them! Getting even 2 or 3 local cafes on board is probably a massive boost and makes them viable to run with online and direct sales on top.

adrian522 · 22-06-2021 9:27am

caviardreams wrote: »

Their seasonal espresso is €39 for a 1kg bag (plus delivery on top) so €35 per month for a sub price (incl delivery) is good. Once it goes over €40 (including delivery) it's too much for a sub imo, where you don't get to choose and where they benefit from guaranteed orders, timing and cashflow.

I don't think you get the seasonal espresso every month though, they mix in the standard espresso as well (€31 normally)

You will receive a rotation of our best-selling Serra do Cigano from Brazil, with beautiful notes of nuts and caramel, and seasonal coffees that will push your boundaries a bit further.

caviardreams · 22-06-2021 8:12pm

I have a wilfa uniform grinder and I find usually over the course of a 1kg bag a bean will get stuck in the burrs (ie. I need to open it up and take it out but not jammed)

Is this common with most coffee that you get a hard bean that causes an issue, or is it a grinder problem? The fact it only happens every 40-50 grinds makes me think it can't be the latter but I've only had the grinder 6 months so am still getting to know it!

Krusty_Clown · 22-06-2021 9:22pm

caviardreams wrote: »

I have a wilfa uniform grinder and I find usually over the course of a 1kg bag a bean will get stuck in the burrs (ie. I need to open it up and take it out but not jammed)

Is this common with most coffee that you get a hard bean that causes an issue, or is it a grinder problem? The fact it only happens every 40-50 grinds makes me think it can't be the latter but I've only had the grinder 6 months so am still getting to know it!

4 years, 2 different grinders (Sage Pro and Mazzer Super Jolly) and around 60kg coffee beans and I once got a pebble that got stuck in the burrs in the Sage. I reckon the Super Jolly would handle a fist-sized rock.

Seems very frequent. Has it happened since you got the grinder? Grounds clogging up the motor maybe? I strip mine down every 4-6 weeks and give it a good clean.

caviardreams · 22-06-2021 9:27pm

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

4 years, 2 different grinders (Sage Pro and Mazzer Super Jolly) and around 60kg coffee beans and I once got a pebble that got stuck in the burrs in the Sage. I reckon the Super Jolly would handle a fist-sized rock.

Seems very frequent. Has it happened since you got the grinder? Grounds clogging up the motor maybe? I strip mine down every 4-6 weeks and give it a good clean.

I clean it every two months with puly grind and a brush and give it a good shake out!

It has happened 6 or 7 times in the 6 months. A few times it will make a rattling noise hen grinding the next batch so I open it up and see there's a rogue bean, or when I go to clean it there will be a bean stuck there - maybe there for a while but not causing any noise issue?

I was wondering if there is an issue with the alignment of the burrs or anything? I figured it would be happening much more often if it was though?

caviardreams · 25-06-2021 8:46pm

Anyone tried McCabes coffee? I see they specify the roast type (dark, medium and light) which is nice to know - wish more places did.

The light roast starter pack at €29 looks good value.

Hodors Appletart · 26-06-2021 9:51am

I just assume light to medium unless specified, from speciality roasters

caviardreams · 26-06-2021 10:12am

Hodors Appletart wrote: »

I just assume light to medium unless specified, from speciality roasters

It's often not the case though which frustrates me (that's what I assume too!)

I have had some medium/dark roasts from Bean West for example when none was specified. Would prefer if it was clearer or more explicit.

Weepsie · 29-06-2021 10:28am

I threw a bag of those Bradys beans into mym shopping in Lidl the other day. They are actually okay as a milk based espresso. They are perhaps the best bean I've had for the Rok presso too. Most others required fiddling with grinder settings to get it fine enough to get enough pressure, but these are great at my regular enough setting.

I also noted that they have a sticker with a batch code on the bottom, that looks like a date pretty much, so I'd wonder if they're sticking roast dates on them indirectly.

Krusty_Clown · 29-06-2021 3:24pm

Weepsie wrote: »

I threw a bag of those Bradys beans into mym shopping in Lidl the other day. They are actually okay as a milk based espresso. They are perhaps the best bean I've had for the Rok presso too. Most others required fiddling with grinder settings to get it fine enough to get enough pressure, but these are great at my regular enough setting.

I also noted that they have a sticker with a batch code on the bottom, that looks like a date pretty much, so I'd wonder if they're sticking roast dates on them indirectly.

Yeah, I had a bag recently too (around 3 weeks old, based on the 'batch date'). I thought they were pretty good for a cheap bean - best I've had in a long while for a sub €5 bag of coffee. I did have to adjust my grinder back as they were choking the espresso machine, but most of the other coffee I'd use would be < 1 week roasted, so not unexpected.

caviardreams · 29-06-2021 4:39pm

Yeah definitely an option if running low, though I still find the brown bag LIDL zambia ones not bad either if stuck, so I'm a pure philistine at this stage I guess!

caviardreams · 29-06-2021 10:28pm

Anyone using the peak water filters? Seem to be selling them everywhere now!

Hodors Appletart · 02-07-2021 11:19am

Picked up a bag of Upside Ethopian Guji Shakiso Natural process in Driftwood this morning, lad in the shop was raving about it as I was buying.

Also brought home a Latte for herself and an Americano for me, they really do great coffee there.

adrian522 · 02-07-2021 2:51pm

I'm not normally one to be too anal about roast dates, but bought a bag in store this week with a roast date of May 16th. Nearly 7 weeks old. This was from a fairly well known roaster who is generally at the higher price points too.

Brought it back today and exchanged it for one roasted on June 26th. I think 4 weeks should be around the shelf life of roasted coffee.

Hodors Appletart · 02-07-2021 2:55pm

I mean, did you not check it before purchase?

caviardreams · 02-07-2021 5:13pm

adrian522 wrote: »

I'm not normally one to be too anal about roast dates, but bought a bag in store this week with a roast date of May 16th. Nearly 7 weeks old. This was from a fairly well known roaster who is generally at the higher price points too.

Brought it back today and exchanged it for one roasted on June 26th. I think 4 weeks should be around the shelf life of roasted coffee.

Name them tbh!

I just got an order from PS coffee - roasted 21st June which is absolutely grand, but I'm spoiled with the likes of Bell Lane, WCC etc. and the next day delivery after roasting

:D

adrian522 · 02-07-2021 5:31pm

Hodors Appletart wrote: »

I mean, did you not check it before purchase?

I did, I checked this one coffee, saw a roast date in June, checked a few other coffees, went with the original one but obviously picked up a different bag than the one I had originally picked up. Only noticed when I got home.

caviardreams wrote: »

Name them tbh!

I just got an order from PS coffee - roasted 21st June which is absolutely grand, but I'm spoiled with the likes of Bell Lane, WCC etc. and the next day delivery after roasting :D

Yeah, its just buyer beware I guess. I'm generally fine with anything in the last 3 or so weeks.

Black Sheep · 02-07-2021 7:48pm

I picked up a Stone Valley in Lotts and Co. yesterday that was roasted in May, if I recall correctly. Obviously passed on it in favour of something more recently roasted. To be honest, when a roaster sells coffee on to a shop is it surprising that it stays around on shelves given the price point? It's in the store's interest to a certain point to push it, I presume. The people in this thread are probably more picky than most of the public. I'm not sure my wife would know to check a roast date if she was buying coffee for me.

Black Sheep · 06-07-2021 6:35pm

Interesting if depressing read in The Guardian today:-

https://www.theguardian.com/food/2021/jul/06/caffeine-coffee-tea-invisible-addiction-is-it-time-to-give-up

The invisible addiction: is it time to give up caffeine?
Caffeine makes us more energetic, efficient and faster. But we have become so dependent that we need it just to get to our baseline

I won't cut and paste the whole thing but it's mainly a discussion about the withdrawals people who drink a lot of coffee experience, usually avoided by the fact that their intake is daily ... Also an emphasis on the half-life of coffee, and its disruptive effect on sleep.

mad m · 06-07-2021 7:53pm

I probably have 1 or 2 americanos a day, probably more at weekends. I know when I would be on holiday and not have access to the usual cuppa in mornings or throughout day, I’d get serious headaches for a few days.

caviardreams · 26-07-2021 5:59pm

I see Bear Market are starting their own roaster now - another one to try in due course! Not sure who has been roasting their beans until now - they used to use silverskin I think, but that was a while back, not sure if still the case.

caviardreams · 28-07-2021 1:45pm

Velo now have 9 lines in Tesco and adding a second in Dunnes - seem to be doing well retail wise!

https://www.tesco.ie/groceries/product/search/default.aspx?searchBox=velo

jobless · 28-07-2021 1:47pm

have coffee prices gone up everywhere?... my local supplier has increased a bd by 4 euro on 1kg

The Nal · 28-07-2021 2:09pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117673456#Comment_117673456

Is it nice? Any whole bean recommendations?

caviardreams · 28-07-2021 3:23pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117673473#Comment_117673473

Yeah, there has been a global rise due to the weather in Brazil and other factors afaik. Time to take ut those one year subscriptions before the local prices rise! 😁

caviardreams · 24-08-2021 8:49pm

I know a few are into green beans here - I see Mercanta now have a Micro offshoot where you can order 20kg of a bean - some good prices here if a few green beans buyers wanted to group together!

https://mercantamicro.com/shop

Krusty_Clown · 24-08-2021 10:27pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117799143#Comment_117799143

You'd probably have to break it into four (buyers), as I'm not sure anyone would want more than 5kgs of a single bean, particularly sight unseen and you'd all have to agree on the same bean. I've been keeping three varieties on the go (two naturals and a washed). Good price though. They don't seem to ship to Ireland - but perhaps they might be persuaded for a 20kg lot. Thanks for sharing.

caviardreams · 25-08-2021 5:51pm

I see a newish range of single origin beans in Dunnes from two fifty square (branded as simply better though). Tried the Nicaraguan and wasn't really gone on it - €4.90 for 200g but on offer at €4 at the minute - Ethiopian, Brazilian (Natural!) and Colombian too.

https://www.independent.ie/storyplus/theres-a-lot-of-love-in-each-bag-how-one-dublin-coffee-shop-is-taking-the-nation-by-storm-40235269.html

megaten · 15-09-2021 12:45pm

Any recommendations of Filter coffee brewers with a hotplate? Using a cheapo yoke from lidil right now but its going funny.

I was looking at the Wilfa Svart Classic Plus Coffee Maker but Coffee Angel list its dimensions as 55 x 17 x 33.2 cm (W x D x H). Is there anything good in the same price range that's a bit tidier size wise?

WoolyJumper · 15-09-2021 10:54pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117894351#Comment_117894351

Just purchased the very same. Currently waiting for it to be delivered. I am a bit worried about the size as well but from what I could gather it was one of the cheaper brewers that has the approval of the ECBC. The big selling point for be over the other machines is the adjustable drip flow. I will mostly be brewing for myself so I should be able to adjust the brew time for smaller batches.

I really liked the look of the moccamaster but it was more expensive and not much smaller. Also they can only adjust for a half brew which is still to much when making coffee for just me. A lot of the machines I was looking at (that were awarded by the ECBC) were all on the expensive side and all seemed to be fairly bulky.

megaten · 16-09-2021 9:53am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117897500#Comment_117897500

Cheers, the Moccamaster seems a fair bit shorter to me (32cm in length vs 55cm unless I'm reading things wrong). Nothing else seems to stand out. Let me know how you get on once you've had a bit of time with it if you don't mind.

WoolyJumper · 16-09-2021 12:53pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117898314#Comment_117898314

I will do, I'll take some measurements as well as I have seen smaller measurements on amazon. Not sure if they are older models but part of me is hoping the 55x17x33 is the packaging rather than the product.

caviardreams · 16-09-2021 10:07pm

If you're mainly brewing a single cup is there any advantage to these machines over say the clever dripper of V60? Or is the real advantage just for batch brews?

megaten · 16-09-2021 10:35pm

For me its so I can drink 2-3 cups in the morning in succession without going through the whole rigmarole every time.

WoolyJumper · 17-09-2021 2:39pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117898314#Comment_117898314

It came this morning. The box wasn't even 55cm. The machine itself was around 33x32x17. Not sure where coffee Angel got those measurements from. As for the machine itself, it seems to be good quality. I haven't had the chance to really play around with it and I need to get a burr grinder. The coffee I brewed this morning was a disaster but that was probably down to my skill level and not using proper coffee at the proper grind 😅

WoolyJumper · 17-09-2021 2:43pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117901636#Comment_117901636

I was just looking for ease of use to be honest. I just want to put the coffee and water in and let the machine do its thing. I don't really have the time/patience or skill level to make a pour over coffee. The reason I chose that specific machine is because you can adjust for different brew sizes. The smallest is 0.25l which is just about a mug of coffee. Other machines you might start to lose in quality of brew if you brew too small a batch as it will brew too quickly

megaten · 17-09-2021 4:56pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117904241#Comment_117904241

Thanks for that. Was just about to pull the trigger on a moccamaster! I'll have a bit of a think now.

Hodors Appletart · 21-10-2021 10:37am

Last few weeks I've bought the Velo range in Tesco, had the Columbian, Ethiopian and El Salvadoran. I'd had, end enjoyed, the Indian one before, but they haven't had it in my local Tesco when I've been in

I made them all in the Aero and Clever. The BB dates indicated to be that the Roast Date was within the 4 weeks prior to purchase.

Someone else here said they thought the Columbian was nice, and it is, it's a nice easy drinker.

The Ethiopian is very disappointing, and I think you definitely get what you pay for with East African coffees, it was lifeless and had hadn't much going on flavour wise.

But, I really like the El Salvador, lovely flavour, high citrus acidity and a sweetness to sort of counter it.

DaveyDave · 21-10-2021 5:05pm

Christmas came early this year... (For those that haven't seen my posts in the last year, my Barista Express wouldn't grind fine enough out of the box)

Not even dialled in yet and there's a noticeable improvement in coffee and it's barely a 15 second shot at the moment. The grinds are so fluffy and they fall into place so evenly, it's very satisfying to watch.

Really not impressed that Sage's customer support did everything but send a shim kit considering the Barista Express isn't cheap but I likely would have upgraded anyway as the grinder is the weak point of the machine, although most people have a perfectly normally functioning grinder and wouldn't be so quick to upgrade!

Next year I'll probably replace the Barista Express with a Bambino or something similar just to tidy things up. I enjoy a nice coffee and want to make the effort to pull a decent shot but I'm not into it as a hobby so I'll probably stick with a machine that's easy enough to use like the Sage stuff.

alec76 · 21-10-2021 6:09pm

Congrats, you’ve got great grinder this time !

Probably same price as your Barista Express kit :)

ps. stay away from SAGE, there are plenty proper coffee machines .

something like this or better:

https://www.homecoffeemachines.ie/collections/lelit-espresso/products/lelit-anna-pl41em

caviardreams · 21-10-2021 7:58pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118052238#Comment_118052238

Must give the El Salvador a shot - the Colomban fan was me!

Definitely think the Velo single origins are the best supermarket beans out there - much better than the velo tandem blend. A good option if you need to pick something up, and refreshing not be dealing with roasts that are burnt to a crisp at least!

DaveyDave · 27-10-2021 8:41pm

What's the verdict on bottomless portafilters and different baskets? Aside from looking fancy on YouTube, is there much benefit to be had?

27-10-2021 8:43pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118082218#Comment_118082218

The main advantages is you can see channeling

DaveyDave · 29-10-2021 8:03pm

Emailed Baratza to get the longer portafilter hook for the Sette as grinds are spilling over slightly, 3 days later they're already sending one out. Just hope it doesn't take too long to get it from the US! 2 days to respond to the initial email and sent the next day after confirming my address. Not bad at all!

alec76 · 29-10-2021 8:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118091679#Comment_118091679

How did you get along with it in general ? Are you happy with the grinding , could you finally chocke machine up ?

alec76 · 29-10-2021 8:50pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118082218#Comment_118082218

Yes , if you seriously about the espresso, it must have , very important for learning.

Just a warning. If you thinking to change machine in near future, most of the proper coffee machines have a industrial standard 58mm portafilter unlike SAGE range( none standard size of portafilter probably the reason you have grinds spilling in the first place btw)

No point to invest in expensive VST basket, naked portafilter or tamper which won’t fit new machine.

DaveyDave · 30-10-2021 2:06am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118091795#Comment_118091795

Haven't dialed in much as I was waiting for my subscription to arrive, also been a bit busy so haven't really had time. I'll probably drop a notch or two to go a bit finer but I'll wait until I have the hook before I start with the weight out and time. Looks like I need to up the dose a bit but obviously I'm limited at the moment due to spilling!

Good shout on the portafilter, sure not essential but if it helps the process and it isn't too expensive I'll probably pick one up when we get a new machine.

alec76 · 30-10-2021 6:24am

https://www.bluestarcoffee.eu/parts-by-brand-21-c.asp

Goods source on spare parts , portafilters etc based in Galway .

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

Comments