What's Your Current Go-To Coffee Rig?

[DanvillRob]

3 minutes ago, CROWB8 said:

Dude! There aren't very many of us out there.

Not only that....do you know how FAR it is from the kitchen to our bedroom?

The coffee is actually even farther away in the bar.   The bar is in the family room....so you can't possibly get farther away unless I'm taking coffee to our bathroom.

[saturn]

2 hours ago, CROWB8 said:

Now that's a machine. Seperate boiler and pump. In the right hands, ooooo, me likes allot sir.

Yea. It's kinda Steam Punk 

[saturn]

4 hours ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

Looks like you need a Ph.d to operate that rig.

I just said to my wife this morning, maybe I can find a video tutorial on using this thing. My son was sent to barista classes by his job to learn all that stuff.  

[CROWB8]

The gauges let you know boiler/steam temp and pressure. If you froth or foam your milk and boiler gets topped off while doing that, the steam will crash creating a brief vacuum state in the boiler and all the milk will get sucked up the steam wand into the boiler. That is a serious issue. Makes all steamables taste sour and coats the inside of the boiler and element with burned milk. Some boilers can't be opened to clean. Need to access via element hole and or remove boiler and chem clean.

The middle is stand alone brewing functions. Water is heated by boiler but is isolated as it passes through it.

Don't steam with out your son there. Make shots all day and mess them up.

Respect sir. No doubt your son will suprise you with what he can do.

 

Edited July 16, 2023 by CROWB8

[Sheepdog1969]

On 7/16/2023 at 8:54 AM, CROWB8 said:

In Seattle. Employed with the company that imported La Marzocco machines for Starbucks when they first started. Trained many a Starbuck barista. Not stating the company I worked for as we separated with bad intent. The company ended up buying majority stock in La Marzocco so we could make the machines in the states as Starbucks damands were greater than La Marzocco/Italy could produce. Italians do thing differently. They don't hire and then lay off workers as damand changes. And not getting machines in March when the entire country goes to sleep was a hinderance for demand as well.

So my experience is with building and servicing espresso machines as well as training others to operate them.

Edit

Chose not to get into sales as I drove cab in my younger days and that made me not like the general public. Plus, I didn't like Howard Schultz. Not many ppl did.

After being in the USAF working with hydraulics and pneumatics on fighter aircraft, then having the opertunaty to get into the then very lucrative and fast growing ground floor in the espresso bizz, seemed like the thing to do. As boiler and steam tech seemed fairly elemtenary to me.

Learning beans, humidity effects, grinders, making the perfect shot with good crema, that was fun. Didn't get into serving and making the various types of espresso drinks. That's an entirely different animal. But one has to start with the perfect shot. Being a barista is an art in itself. Great respect for a good barista.

First, Thank you for your service! 

Secondly, I went all out and purchased an Italian made Espresso machine for the first Bar and Restaurant that I built and owned, (that was 30+ years ago, and I can't remember the brand name). It was over $3k, and way over budget, but it had two heads, two steamers, stunning brass work, fairly simple controls, and it came with 2 large (separate) adjustable bean grinders that were designed to accurately and easily, dispense ground espresso into the portafilter/handle filter. It never failed me and made awesome "espresso". Thankfully my "coffee" education from CCPC, and contacts from said internship, kept me flush with high quality, super fresh, beans. 

[Retired]

Back when I worked at BNSF, I got hooked on coffee. One cup in the mornings, still do. I tried a lot of coffee pots and grinders.  I just pour 1 scoop Amaretto in the filter and a tad bit of Coconut creamer in the top of my mug.  MMMMMM!

[DanvillRob]

23 minutes ago, Retired said:

Back when I worked at BNSF, I got hooked on coffee. One cup in the mornings, still do. I tried a lot of coffee pots and grinders.  I just pour 1 scoop Amaretto in the filter and a tad bit of Coconut creamer in the top of my mug.  MMMMMM!

Sounds wonderful!   I add cinnamon to my coffee.

[jdgm]

Which brings us to sugar or sweetener....?

I buy a block of raw cane sugar ('jaggery') and scrape a little into the cup beforehand.   Tastes great, a slight toffee or butterscotch overtone.

I would never add white sugar or artificial sweetener to my coffee.

[CROWB8]

I've taken to adding a teaspoon~ of honey. To my buds, all cane sugars have come to be too bright, if you will. Honey (clover) is more subtle and if not over done, still lets the richness of the bean/blend shine through. But, supose that's me gettin old. Buds change some.

Completely agree,

Artificials, ick...... Stuff doesn't disolve in my coffee, it ain't gonna disolve in my gut.

Edited July 22, 2023 by CROWB8

[CROWB8]

2 hours ago, DanvillRob said:

Sounds wonderful!   I add cinnamon to my coffee.

That's gonna make me break out the brandy. Hmmmm.🙃

[CROWB8]

19 hours ago, Sheepdog1969 said:

, but it had two heads

They're refered to as "groups". But who's counting. At 3K I couldn't begin to guess the maker. Typically that's the cost of a non-comercial single group machine. So maybe over budget, but a super good deal. Especially if that included two comercial grinders.

Around '95 or so, the american market started getting flooded with machines.

[Retired]

On 7/22/2023 at 11:35 AM, DanvillRob said:

Sounds wonderful!   I add cinnamon to my coffee.

That sounds good also.  I just can't drink it strong or plain. 

[Whitefang]

On 7/22/2023 at 12:35 PM, DanvillRob said:

Sounds wonderful!   I add cinnamon to my coffee.

I put a few dashes in the basket before brewing too.

Whitefang

[surfpup]

During the work week I use a Cuisinart coffee maker with a timer so the coffee is ready when I get out of the shower.  But on the weekends I use a simple pour over rig like this one.... 

[CROWB8]

2 hours ago, surfpup said:

During the work week I use a Cuisinart coffee maker with a timer so the coffee is ready when I get out of the shower.  But on the weekends I use a simple pour over rig like this one.... 

Actually window shopping for one of those pour overs. I use a press for me and the wifey. But lately I've been getting up at 5-530 AM to feed critters and such. I need a cup. But fixing a pot that early. Wifey gets tepid coffee by 8 er 9. Doesn't care for micro'd coffee. How she can tell, dunno.

Kinda hard to find a good stainless bodied and screen type for 1-2 cups that's not from China. No plastics for me. Glass and ceramic require filers. And those with paper filters, upon final top off, can go a little slow. 

[surfpup]

59 minutes ago, CROWB8 said:

Actually window shopping for one of those pour overs. I use a press for me and the wifey. But lately I've been getting up at 5-530 AM to feed critters and such. I need a cup. But fixing a pot that early. Wifey gets tepid coffee by 8 er 9. Doesn't care for micro'd coffee. How she can tell, dunno.

Kinda hard to find a good stainless bodied and screen type for 1-2 cups that's not from China. No plastics for me. Glass and ceramic require filers. And those with paper filters, upon final top off, can go a little slow. 

My oldest son worked in a coffee shop and that's what he used at home and recommended. No complaints. Makes a perfect two cups. 

[CROWB8]

11 minutes ago, surfpup said:

My oldest son worked in a coffee shop and that's what he used at home and recommended. No complaints. Makes a perfect two cups. 

Just ordered one of these,

https://a.co/d/3PDQDdU

 

Edited July 27, 2023 by CROWB8

[CROWB8]

I was in the coffe bizz for a while way back when,

https://forum.gibson.com/topic/176110-whats-your-current-go-to-coffee-rig/?do=findComment&comment=2194842

[Whitefang]

13 hours ago, CROWB8 said:

Actually window shopping for one of those pour overs. I use a press for me and the wifey. But lately I've been getting up at 5-530 AM to feed critters and such. I need a cup. But fixing a pot that early. Wifey gets tepid coffee by 8 er 9. Doesn't care for micro'd coffee. How she can tell, dunno.

Kinda hard to find a good stainless bodied and screen type for 1-2 cups that's not from China. No plastics for me. Glass and ceramic require filers. And those with paper filters, upon final top off, can go a little slow. 

Must have one of those makers with an auto turn-off warmer.  Shuts itself off in two hours, most of them.

Try a Bunn coffee maker.  Their warmers don't shut off automatically.

Whitefang

[CROWB8]

1 hour ago, Whitefang said:

Must have one of those makers with an auto turn-off warmer.  Shuts itself off in two hours, most of them.

First off, we prefer a press. Not drip. That said, that is the problem. Fixing a batch of coffee for just me at 530, be it press or drip, leaves it to steep, or cool down, shut off, from whatever method, by 8 or 9. Then micro to warm for wifey. She no like. Single pour allows me to have mine, go about my bussiness, then fix and serve hers fresh in bed when she wakes.

But tnx for the thought Ken.🙃

Edited July 27, 2023 by CROWB8

[surfpup]

13 hours ago, CROWB8 said:

Just ordered one of these,

https://a.co/d/3PDQDdU

 

That's nice! Love the metal filter. That's the only thing I don't like about mine.

[CROWB8]

34 minutes ago, surfpup said:

That's nice! Love the metal filter. That's the only thing I don't like about mine.

If you preheat your ceramic, or glass under hot running tap, the temp will stay up. Those are effected by that. Be it slight, adds up if adding a dairy creamer. If the filter is what you'r refering to, me thinks I'll likely end up using those as well with the metal screen as they aren't as efficiant in holding back sediment. So, likely you'll be in good company. Another advantage of stainless is is doesn't sap heat heat from the water like ceramics or glass. But as I said, warming either under hot tap water solves that issue quite nicely.

And no one should ever use plastic. Even if it's PB whatever free. Ick..... Not intended to insult. Respect.......

Edited July 27, 2023 by CROWB8
And no one should ever use plastic. God forbid I leave out the word "ever."

[CROWB8]

One of the other reasons we like french press as opposed to most any other method, is that the proccess does not combine hot water with plastics. Our press is stainless through and though.

Edit,

Odd, the latest method of drip in households, largely consists of plastics. The previous methed from way back when, like percolation, does not. And we all know what plastics are doing in the wild. And we, if using drip method, involve really hot water. Heat has a leaching effect on porous materials such as plastics. 

Edited July 27, 2023 by CROWB8
My spelling sucks. Still does..... I quit. 🙃

[Whitefang]

But considering the plastic baskets in most drip coffee makers aren't porous.........

porous

adjective

 

US 

 

 /ˈpɔːr.əs/ UK 

 

 /ˈpɔː.rəs/

 

Add to word list 

Something that is porous has many small holes, so liquid or air can pass through, especially slowly:

porous soil with good drainage

porous brick walls

a porous polymer membrane

[CROWB8]

Obviously incorrect on the usage of that word. Ty.

Still, there's leaching effect. It's only argued as to what effect that has on us. 

Most if not all materials that can absorb flavors are also subject to leaching. Especialy when heat is applied.

In the end, it's a personal choice. There was a time when we thought plastics did no harm at all.

Edit

Now we're removing what we know are bad properties out of our plastics. Still, there maybe other properties that are bad. It's only after exausted studies that manufacturers are forced to act.

But all thats a path you and I don't wanna go down. It's exausting and futile.

Edited July 28, 2023 by CROWB8