Any baristas (coffee enthusiasts) among us? :-)

neil_g said:
is it worth getting the metal filter? £15 on amazon..
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What Tom said. Get the Aeropress - it has lots of paper filters in it. If you think you'd prefer a metal filter then upgrade later. Doesn't save you anything to do it all at once.
 
JonathanRyan said:
When I heard about an Aeropress I thought "pah, no way I'll spend 600 quid or whatever on a coffee machine". Then I found out theses mythcial devices were 20 quid so I thought "no way that will be any good".

Then I tried one.

Not sure why I'd pay more than 20 quid for any coffee machine now :D
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They don't replace one another though, the Aeropress makes great coffee but it's not going to give you an espresso.
 
simonbarker said:
They don't replace one another though, the Aeropress makes great coffee but it's not going to give you an espresso.
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That's true enough.

But for the money a decent machine costs, I'm happy to sponsor my local independents to make me espresso when I really want it and slum it with the Aeropress the rest of the time.
 
It's just not real espresso though is it :( I like the creama that sits on top of the shot!
 
Eddzz!! said:
It's just not real espresso though is it :( I like the creama that sits on top of the shot!
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I refer the honourable member to post #46 ;)

What does a proper home espresso machine cost? £600? (I'm not really counting the Nespresso type - nice but IMO different).. Plus maintenance, plus supplies (like coffee). Best coffee shop I know will do me an espresso for £2. I can buy an awful lot of those for £600+. Obviously I can't pop over there every time I want one but a decent home brew keeps the craving at bay until I can ;)
 
JonathanRyan said:
I refer the honourable member to post #46 ;)

What does a proper home espresso machine cost? £600? (I'm not really counting the Nespresso type - nice but IMO different).. Plus maintenance, plus supplies (like coffee). Best coffee shop I know will do me an espresso for £2. I can buy an awful lot of those for £600+. Obviously I can't pop over there every time I want one but a decent home brew keeps the craving at bay until I can ;)
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Point taken! I'll stick with my instant in the office for now :p
 
Jonathan, while the stuff that comes out of the Tassimo isn't "real" espresso etc. it's pretty damn convincing and has a good crema on top of it. We paid £60 or so for the machine and a pack of 16 pods of Crema Intenso Carte Noire is £3.39. Since my wife gets through about a pack a fortnight, I reckon we've saved a good few quid on shop prices and that's before my Lattes and her other coffees are taken into account! "Round pound" counting makes me guess that we get through 6-8 Tassimo drinks per diem and even my expensive Costa Lattes are only £4.49 for 8 (Makro prices) so 56p each compared to £1.85 for the cheapest Latte I've found in town (reasonable but not [IMO] as nice as the Costa Tassimo ones!). The other benefit of the pod machines is the ease of use. Make sure the reservoir's full, switch on, insert pod, hit button - done! (OK, Lattes need 2 pods but that's still a lot easier than making a "real" one!). Maintenance is dead simple too - wash the nozzle and stick a descaler cycle (automatic) through it when it asks for one.

Sorry to sound like an advert for Tassimo but it honestly is the best kitchen gadget I've ever used.
 
I'm actually tempted to get one for uni after the mentions in this thread :LOL:

No doubt all my flat mates would want to use it though
naughty-shifty.gif
 
JonathanRyan said:
What does a proper home espresso machine cost? £600? (I'm not really counting the Nespresso type - nice but IMO different).. Plus maintenance, plus supplies (like coffee). Best coffee shop I know will do me an espresso for £2. I can buy an awful lot of those for £600+. Obviously I can't pop over there every time I want one but a decent home brew keeps the craving at bay until I can ;)
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A second hand Gaggia classic and Iberital MC2 will set you back about £200, £300-400 new.
 
Eddzz!! said:
For your day to day I'd recommend Nescafe Gold, Nescafe Azera or Kenco Millicano - my office blend :p ! :)
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Is this the instant stuff plebs like me use?
I don't mind a cup of instant, but too much coffee of any sort gives be a headache.
I use to sell a very nice colombian blend (Fair trade too) in cafetieres when I had my pub.
 
We have a local whole foods coop in Northampton that has a decent range of organic whole beans. I love coffee, but like Dinners I have to limit myself to one cup a day as it screws with my adrenals.
 
Eddzz!! said:
You can get a second hand Gaggic Classic for around £120 :D They sell around that price all the time over on Coffee Forums UK (yes, it is a real place!)
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Yes, £120 for the Classic and £80 for a MC2 (electric grinder) so a total of £200.

Not much point going to the trouble of getting a proper espresso machine and not being able to use freshly ground coffee.
 
Id save a bit longer and get the Eureka Mignon. The MC2 is really cheap and flimsy. I was suprised how light and cheap it felt compared to solid Mignon. The Mignon's grind is far superior too. Plus it looks a hell of a lot nicer!
 
Used my aeropress again yesterday for the first time in ages thanks to this thread. Ive been drinking 2 double shot Americanos for the last few weeks, and the aeropress gives that same strong taste, but so much bolder and smooth... Lovely!
 
Small saucepan and a whisk, either a little hand one (hard work!) or a little battery powered one (MUCH easier!!!) Neither is quite the same - the bubbles tend to stay as bubbles rather than the foam you get with steam.
 
neil_g said:
46 quid??
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Wait until closer to Christmas. But a Nespresso with Aeroccino pack and get the coffee cashback. Buy the coffee. Sell Nespresso and coffee on eBay. Aeroccino will be roughly free.

Pretty sure mine was an essential business expense.
 
Now the La Marzocco GS3 is in my sights....

Although in the meantime an Aeropress will tide me over :)
 
Big coffee fan here! I don't get too adventurous though, I just have a fairly standard DeLonghi espresso machine and generally stick with Illy, which incidentally I've literally just opened a new can of and made myself a rather pleasant double espresso! :D
 
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