Coffee

[kotmj 1,308]

Was at myespresso cafe on Wednesday. Chan offered to make me a ristretto (on the house). If espresso is the essense of the bean, a ristretto is the essense of the essense of the bean. It is a shorter pull than an espresso. It was very extreme for me, too concentrated, too next level.

[carbman 13]

Ah...the ristretto, a 'restricted' pull. I have a hard time gulping down an espresso, much less a ristretto.

[kotmj 1,308]

Stella Napoletana by J. Mark Bertrand, on Flickr

[carbman 13]

I'm guessing here...but you put the grounds in the top compartment, flip the thing over and its drips down to the lower compartment, yes?

[kotmj 1,308]

Pretty close. The original version has you boiling the water in the thing itself before flipping, but I think most people boil it in a separate kettle.

[Guest scaredcloud]

Thanks for the review......I've never been there myself. You really work fast. Glad u bought the Aeropress.....the best thing is that its fairly portable. I wanted to buy it once, but was concerned about the availability of filters....any problems there? I see you going full-on espresso-maker in a few months....heh heh heh.

 

Oh yeah...check out the discount: its a way to reward loyal, regular customers.

 

Must drop in someday.

 

 

get an ABLE disk (stainless steel filter) for the Aeropress and you can stop worrying about filter replacement... and cleaner brew.

[F1refighter 50]

...

[ivanswk 52]

me coffee

 

[kotmj 1,308]

I bought myself a stove top 'espresso maker' and some ground coffee from Monmouth today at the Borough Market. Set me back for a pretty penny but I find the whole experience of making my own coffee using ground coffee is quite interesting.

 

I realized a few things:

1. Never pour the distilled/evaporated espresso into the cup completely because there are sediments at the base of the pot and if that gets into the drink, it will be a very sandy (and shitty) experience.

2. Never put too much milk - what the pot actually makes are not thick shots of espresso, but rather an Americano. Putting in too much milk would really fuck things up.

3. It's delish.

Is your moka maker by Bialetti? I have their most advanced model, the one with a high pressure valve. Do try the Aeropress -- order it off ebay. I used a Bialetti for years, then I tried the Aeropress and I never used the Bialetti even once since. I was deliberating recently about getting an espresso machine, but I'm so happy with the Aeropress (which I use everyday) I do not see how it would enhance the experience.

[Petepan 66]

Espresso makers using capsules are getting more affordable. With patents on the K-cups/Nespresso running out this year, you will not have a lack of choice in the coming year.

 

I have a cheapo Expressi machine bought from Aldi (about AUD$70- not quite double the price of Aeropress), and the capsules cost less than AUD$0.40 each. Early morning coffee routine is less than 1 minute which includes rinsing off the removable machine parts.

 

Coffee quality is much better than any you can get from manual gadgets, but just a notch or two below cafe quality.

 

Wife loved it, for obvious reasons, since she makes the coffee for me.

 

And it seems they have new sleeker version now which is slightly more expensive.

 

http://aldi.com.au/a...hine-silver.htm

 

p/s BTW, coffee grounds are amazing fertilisers. Waste not want not. Starbucks donates tonnes every year. I tested it- it is true. The only gripe I have with capsules is the wasted capsule container. Mine goes into the city council's recycling bin.

[F1refighter 50]

...

[kotmj 1,308]

Espresso makers using capsules are getting more affordable. With patents on the K-cups/Nespresso running out this year, you will not have a lack of choice in the coming year.

 

I have a cheapo Expressi machine bought from Aldi (about AUD$70- not quite double the price of Aeropress), and the capsules cost less than AUD$0.40 each. Early morning coffee routine is less than 1 minute which includes rinsing off the removable machine parts.

 

Coffee quality is much better than any you can get from manual gadgets, but just a notch or two below cafe quality.

 

Wife loved it, for obvious reasons, since she makes the coffee for me.

 

And it seems they have new sleeker version now which is slightly more expensive.

 

http://aldi.com.au/a...hine-silver.htm

 

p/s BTW, coffee grounds are amazing fertilisers. Waste not want not. Starbucks donates tonnes every year. I tested it- it is true. The only gripe I have with capsules is the wasted capsule container. Mine goes into the city council's recycling bin.

It's probably not as good as in the cafe because the coffee at the cafe is fresher. I live 15 minutes away from KF Chan's cafe and go there a few times a month. His beans are about 2 weeks old from roasting. He tells me freshness is ultimately important. I've checked the manufacturing dates of the beans sold at The Coffee Bean and Starbucks and supermarket Lavazzas. They are some four to nine months old.

 

Also, once, the barista (his wife?) made me a coffee (on the house) from some special beans one of the partners sourced while on holiday/coffee sourcing expedition in Australia. For this particular coffee she used an Aeropress. It tasted like a hybrid of tea and coffee, very floral. She once said something about cutting off something to avoid acidity etc., from which I surmise the taste of the coffee is also influenced at the machine, based on the characteristics the barista wants to suppress or accentuate.

 

Yeah, capsule coffee is taking over the world. My office, when I was still there, provided free Lavazza capsules. When I started with the handgrinder and Aeropress and Highlander Supremo (there is also the Highlander Premio Blend, a darker roast, which is very likable and full bodied) was when I completely stopped drinking the Lavazza.

[joonian 164]

The Jiro of coffee: http://travel.cnn.com/fine-art-perfect-tokyo-coffee-684001

[boysdontcryy 434]

You find good coffee here yet? I don't want to be a wet blanket, but I haven't had a cup of good coffee here in London.

[carbman 13]

For milk-coffee lovers, I'd recommend Magnolia's fresh milk. I've come to realize that unless the milk is 'fresh', i.e. not reconstituted from milk powder, the froth you make will disperse almost immediately. Also, this milk gives some awesome, creamy goodness, and once properly steamed, becomes sweet. Making hot milo with steamed/frothed milk produces a sweetness that just like milo with condensed milk, minus the sugar.

 

[joonian 164]

I'm not a coffee connoisseur. I just drink the stuff because it's easily available, contains caffeine, and has minimal calories. That said, I've had nice tasting coffee at places all over East London. Ozone Roasters, Salvation Jane, this one Japanese place that uses Monmouth beans, etc.

[boysdontcryy 434]

I found those around Bloomsbury not too good. But I didn't go out of my way to look for good coffee. Just grabbed them around and about. Main problem, to me, is that the coffee is too diluted. I barely taste the coffee beans.

[kotmj 1,308]

For milk-coffee lovers, I'd recommend Magnolia's fresh milk. I've come to realize that unless the milk is 'fresh', i.e. not reconstituted from milk powder, the froth you make will disperse almost immediately. Also, this milk gives some awesome, creamy goodness, and once properly steamed, becomes sweet. Making hot milo with steamed/frothed milk produces a sweetness that just like milo with condensed milk, minus the sugar.

 

It's a whole milk, which is also what I look for. I normally go for the Dutch Lady with the green label which is a whole milk from New Zealand. There are 3 sorts of Dutch Ladys, the other two are reconstituted. Recently though, I've been drinking Fernleaf full cream milk powder, and I have to say I love it (not necessarily with coffee, just milk). They seem to have removed the lactose, because I can drink lots of that without problem.

[carbman 13]

Right....that should be the word: whole milk.

[kotmj 1,308]

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/02/dining/learning-to-create-the-perfect-cup-of-coffee.html?src=me&ref=general

[joonian 164]

Espresso is completely overrated. Filter is the best.

 

http://www.bostonmagazine.com/articles/2012/11/george-howell-coffee-connection-starbucks/

[carbman 13]

Honestly...HONESTLY....the best tasting coffe I make at home is not an americano (espresso + hot water) or a latte or espresso - its regular-joe brewed coffee. My method: heat water to just before boiling in a pot (200g of H2O per cup), add freshly ground coffee and stir (10g-14g per cup, depending on the beans), let it steep for 3 minutes, and strain with a cloth-like strainer (the one mamak stalls use). Cleanest cup of coffee I can produce (don't have an aeropress, so can't compare). But for milk-based drinks, the mother-coffee (espresso) is still the best, IMHO.

[kotmj 1,308]

Honestly...HONESTLY....the best tasting coffe I make at home is not an americano (espresso + hot water) or a latte or espresso - its regular-joe brewed coffee. My method: heat water to just before boiling in a pot (200g of H2O per cup), add freshly ground coffee and stir (10g-14g per cup, depending on the beans), let it steep for 3 minutes, and strain with a cloth-like strainer (the one mamak stalls use). Cleanest cup of coffee I can produce (don't have an aeropress, so can't compare). But for milk-based drinks, the mother-coffee (espresso) is still the best, IMHO.

 

Get yourself an aeropress already. They are cheap on eBay. I use mine almost everyday.

[kotmj 1,308]

 

It took me a while to get here. I have always drank my coffee with sugar and milk, then about a year ago dropped the sugar. Since three months, I've been drinking them black without sugar.

["6" 256]

Espresso is completely overrated. Filter is the best.

 

 

Whilst I enjoy my filter coffee - great espresso is never overrated.