Coffee

[kotmj]

Should have posted this earlier. Found this book at Pinto Coffee Janda Baik. Salgado is pretty much the no. 1 landscape photographer of our times. What a treat the book was. 

[carbman]

Is the Belantara good? 

[kotmj]

It's very good

["6"]

I have to endure some air travel during this pandemic nonsense; and weeks in quarantine. 

So I started looking for a way to bring coffee along with me. Most roads led to the aeropress as the ultimate ‘on the go’ solution for camping and such.

So far I’ve brewed maybe 5-6 cups using the aeropress. Results have varied from average to passable but probably due to technique. My last two cups were quite enjoyable. 

I find the caffeine content to be lower than stovetop and even frenchpress, probably due to the fast brew times. So I can easily have two cups made from about 30g of beans (when I use my usual Bialetti; 30 grams is more than enough caffeine for the whole day). 

Quite impressed with the press given its such a simple and portable device. Although I find it abit finicky now, it should go away I use it more and hone the variables. 
 

Cup and teaspoon are the hotel’s. The porlex grinder fits nicely into the cavity of the aeropress for easy transport. 
 

[kenterong]

The Aeropress is one of the most versatile coffee brewers around, in my opinion. You probably just need to get used to it, as you surmised. 

I kind of follow the Blue Bottle method for brewing with the Aeropress. Minimal fuss, though I attribute that to using the Fellows Prismo with my Aeropress (very worthwhile addition to your brewing arsenal). 

Eight clicks on the Porlex should be a good grind size setting for the Aeropress in most cases. Water temperature: off the boil. 

[kotmj]

I bring my own mug when in hotels. Makes a world of difference. I use a titanium Snow Peak mug. Titanium because light and undentable. 

I find a low brewing temperature to be very advantageous. Say 80 degrees Celcius for say 3 minutes. Gives the coffee that liquor taste. 

["6"]

On 2/21/2021 at 5:01 PM, kenterong said:

The Aeropress is one of the most versatile coffee brewers around, in my opinion. You probably just need to get used to it, as you surmised. 

I kind of follow the Blue Bottle method for brewing with the Aeropress. Minimal fuss, though I attribute that to using the Fellows Prismo with my Aeropress (very worthwhile addition to your brewing arsenal). 

Eight clicks on the Porlex should be a good grind size setting for the Aeropress in most cases. Water temperature: off the boil. 

The rabbithole of aeropress begins; with add on kit  
 

Coincidentally I did 7 clicks on the porlex; just by approximation. 

["6"]

On 2/22/2021 at 1:46 AM, kotmj said:

I bring my own mug when in hotels. Makes a world of difference. I use a titanium Snow Peak mug. Titanium because light and undentable. 

I find a low brewing temperature to be very advantageous. Say 80 degrees Celcius for say 3 minutes. Gives the coffee that liquor taste. 

Tried this morning, pretty good results! Definitely makes a stronger brew, which I like. And very aromatic. 

No kettle with variable temp so just left boiling water in a mug to sit for about 6 mins. 

Used about 30g of beans. Grounds filled up to one numbered notch of the aeropress to 1.5 numbered notches. 3 minute brew time. 

Need to invest in travel scales and a camping mug. 

 

 

[kotmj]

My camping mug has the function of a mug, a bowl, and a saucepan. Mine is 500ml capacity. 

I can eat cornflakes+soy milk out of it. I can make oatmeal porridge in it. One could cook softboiled eggs in it.

But, I no longer spend any time in hotels (used to be in one every weekend). 

[kotmj]

I absolutely hate the hotel room mugs. Sometimes, there is a teacup+saucer, no mug. 

["6"]

Bought an electric burr grinder today for my parent’s house. Breville’s entry model, the Dose Control Pro, about rm 900. 

My forearms may not get a workout in the morning, but when making multiple cups, this is great. 

Grinds 30 grams of beans in under 10 secs. 

[kotmj]

Cool. This is mine. Eureka Mignion Manuale. Bought from Lamarssa. 

["6"]

^ Looks very attractive. Screams build quality from the picture. 

["6"]

The Ode looks good too, and is quite well reviewed. But was not available yet. Super small footprint. 
 

https://www.lamarsacoffee.com/product-page/pre-order-special-fellow-ode-brew-grinder

 

[kotmj]

The Ode doesn't look like it would grind straight into an Aeropress, given how little clearance there is. 

Eureka has many models in the Mignion line, each to solve a specific problem. The Manuale solves the cost problem. The Silenzio solves the noise problem. The Specialita makes dosing automated. The Perfetto when you've just received your annual bonus and want to splurge. 

However, the one problem I want a grinder to solve is the grind residue problem. That is, about 20% of a spoonful of grounds is left within the burrs as residue, which only comes out the next time you use the grinder. 

So far, I know of only one brand which is zero residue. 

[kotmj]

The residue problem is negligible in a cafe environment, since the time between when the grinder is used is counted in minutes. 

In an office environment it is a disaster. You make a cup for yourself on Monday, but 20% of the grounds were ground on Friday. Somebody needs to be punished for this. 

[kotmj]

Currently, enjoying a beautiful cup of Belantara at home. I tried so many beans from so many places. Turns out the best one is produced near my house. 

["6"]

Damn - need to find some fresh roasted Belantara.

I just pulse the grinder after the bulk of the beans are ground, and gently tap the grinder. I find I get most of the beans I put in, less than 1g out of 30g of beans goes missing. But given I grind daily, not really an issue either way. 

 

["6"]

Belantara is indeed amazing stuff. Made some using an aeropress this afternoon, and found it produced a satisfyingly rich, fragrant, and sweet product. Like nectar. I only wish the aeropress could make like 500ml’s of this coffee. I think the yield currently is closer to 150-180mls at the consistency I like. 
 

Since I’m out of hotel quarantine, I have access to a mokapot again. It is still my preferred home coffee method by far. I like my kopi kao. 

There are some tips and tricks I’ve found to making more fragrant coffee with the mokapot, and less the thick/bitter stuff people associate with mokapot.
 

The obvious ones apply to all coffee brewing methods:

1) Use fresh ground coffee (espresso blends with some robusta also come out great for mokapot, dont really need 100% arabica single origin stuff). 

2) Get the softest best tasting water you can get / can be bothered sourcing. I just use tap water passed through a double filter. Klang Valley water seems pretty good, soft, relatively neutral once it goes through filtration. 

Then: 

3) Use boiled water before you put it on the stove- to reduce time the pot sits on the fire. (grounds exposed to high heat for prolonged periods get bitter)  

4) use super low heat, and take the pot off the boil as soon as it starts sputtering. 

5) Stir! When using the 6 cup size and larger - I find giving it a stir before you pour it out of the pot makes for a more even product. This has less impact if you just use the 3 cup size. 

The coffee which comes out of the pot is pretty hot. So you can’t get all the aromas until it cools to drinking temp. For me, its best drunk from an espresso cup. Apart from the la dolce vita vibes, it cools the coffee you are drinking down quicker = hence better flavour.  Enjoy with a beautiful cornetto con crema. 
 

Experiment with ground size and dosing according to the beans you use. In general, I ground pretty fine for mokapot just slighty courser than espresso. Darker blends generally requires less beans. I will always make a little mound of ground coffee in the basket.. the neopolitan way. 

[kotmj]

I need to re-acquire a mokapot. My old one has dried-out gaskets. 

Went to Pinto again this morning to get a packet of beans after gifting my previous one to 6. Sebastiao Salgado's Scent of a Dream is a great monograph for when enjoying coffee. 

See how they roast beans! 

["6"]

Can buy replacement gaskets. 

[carbman]

On 3/8/2021 at 6:08 PM, kotmj said:

The residue problem is negligible in a cafe environment, since the time between when the grinder is used is counted in minutes. 

In an office environment it is a disaster. You make a cup for yourself on Monday, but 20% of the grounds were ground on Friday. Somebody needs to be punished for this. 

I just realised, from FB, that you've procured the Eureka Mignon Manuale. I like Lamarssa (the shop); the espresso machines and grinders there are beautiful. 

Anyway, regarding the residual coffee issue, I have a doser-type Simonelli MDX grinder (cafe-sized machine bought secondhand) that retains grinds like a stingy uncle. My solution was to get a 3d-printed flexible bellow, replaceing the hopper. I pump the bellow several times once the grinding has completed, but with the burrs still running to eject out the retained grinds. My grind retention is now less than half a gram. Since your machine is doserless, if you do go the bellow route, you may want to position your receptacle close, in anticipation of a massive fart of coffee grinds at the grinder's anus.

[kotmj]

Yeah, I've seen those bellows you mention. The problem I have with grind retention has been moot for many months already, since I am nearly daily in the shop.