Any coffee/espresso nerds on here?

[Fab Foodie]

So coffee is on the agenda here !

We've been Nespresso drinkers for around 20yrs but it's been an occasional thing. Now Mrs Ridgeway likes her daily cappuccino and No1 daughter has a double expresso whilst i and No2 daughter drink 1-2 macchiato a week (Italian macchiato like a Spanish cortado). And our "macchina" is on it's way out......

So seeing the opportunity is now the time to ditch the pods

Looked at some been to cup machines like the Sage The Barista Express and inspired by this thread have been looking into the Gaggia Classic however it's becoming clear that "real coffee making " is a process and takes more than pushing a few buttons and i wonder if:

1) how long does it take from cold start to getting a first coffee in the morning
2) do your children and partners also use the machines and process or do they use something more simple and easier to use
3) any idea on coffee bean cost ie a from a decent bean, say a 500grm bag, how many expresso shots should i expect
4) what maintenance and cleaning is needed to keep it all working well (unfortunately we have super hard water here)

This is turning out to be a mini project

Having just gone for the full Gaggia experience, I would answer as follows!

If you want pretty good coffee, quickly, easily and repeatedly without too much faff for all the family, go bean to cup.
If you want Coffee as a 'hobby' or for your inner geek, then go the Gaggia Classic/decent grinder route. To be fair, it takes about 5 to 10 mins from switching the machine on to getting an espresso out, but it's s lightly messier business and requires a bit of practice and setting-up to get consistency. It's like using a turntable rather than streaming music.
But! It's more interesting to make coffee using the Gaggia if that what floats yer boat! I'm loving mine and am about to fire it up :-)

 

[Kajjal]

We have a Melitta bean to cup machine which is easy to use by just pressing a button. It has various adjustments like strength, water content and also the grind. It is easy to make anything from weaker black coffee to nice espresso. Also it runs a very quick clean when powered on & off and easy to remove & clean the drip tray etc. If you are less patient like myself this can be a useful alternative !

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Having just gone for the full Gaggia experience, I would answer as follows!

If you want pretty good coffee, quickly, easily and repeatedly without too much faff for all the family, go bean to cup.
If you want Coffee as a 'hobby' or for your inner geek, then go the Gaggia Classic/decent grinder route. To be fair, it takes about 5 to 10 mins from switching the machine on to getting an espresso out, but it's s lightly messier business and requires a bit of practice and setting-up to get consistency. It's like using a turntable rather than streaming music.
But! It's more interesting to make coffee using the Gaggia if that what floats yer boat! I'm loving mine and am about to fire it up :-)

Exactly this.

I CBA so B2C 4me

...but a good 'un, kept clean, with decent beans, so happy days - and BFB Jnr does her foamed milk solo, too.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Having just gone for the full Gaggia experience, I would answer as follows!

If you want pretty good coffee, quickly, easily and repeatedly without too much faff for all the family, go bean to cup.
If you want Coffee as a 'hobby' or for your inner geek, then go the Gaggia Classic/decent grinder route. To be fair, it takes about 5 to 10 mins from switching the machine on to getting an espresso out, but it's s lightly messier business and requires a bit of practice and setting-up to get consistency. It's like using a turntable rather than streaming music.
But! It's more interesting to make coffee using the Gaggia if that what floats yer boat! I'm loving mine and am about to fire it up :-)

EDIT @Ridgeway ~20g beans/cup

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

Ok, I use Nespresso mostly. But I have a couple of cafetieres, a drip filter machine and this stove top.

I always forget how much to put in so, for today's trial, how much coffee beans should I grind to make a coffee in the 300ml stove top? Medium strength would be fine.

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

....and @Fab Foodie answered as I was posting

 

[mjr]

I always forget how much to put in so, for today's trial, how much coffee beans should I grind to make a coffee in the 300ml stove top? Medium strength would be fine.

Rule of thumb for medium strength in any stovetop is to fill the filter basket with beans, slightly higher than the top but not heaped, then when ground, it should fill the basket without being compressed.

If you want strong, then heap the basket and push the ground down gently, but never tamp it hard espresso-lever-style else the pressure release valve will probably open before you have much coffee in the jug!

Of course, if you have precise scales, then you can be more precise and adjust in response to results, but you probably don't want to take those on a cycling tour!

ETA: is that a blade grinder? You may like to duck and cover now!

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

Tried it. Not particularly nice.

 

[Ridgeway]

Thanks for all the super useful feedback on this, really helpful

The 20grm p/cup is very useful as i'm calculating an ROI to convince Mrs Ridgeway (not really....) as it was actually her idea after she saw the last pod invoice, notice that i'm using the generic word "pod" and not the brand, i'm already in process of being sucked over to the dark side by you guys

I'm thinking bean to cup but like the idea of the Sage Barista Express/Pro as i can avoid the 2nd machine purchase of the grinder whilst still allowing me to play a bit with some parameters.

Some more research to do me thinks

 

[mjr]

Tried it. Not particularly nice.

If you describe what was wrong, someone may be able to advise (but probably not me. I get impatient and change too many things at once when it goes wrong, or forget by the next time I make an unfiltered shot...)

 

[OldShep]

I always forget how much to put in so, for today's trial, how much coffee beans should I grind to make a coffee in the 300ml stove top?

Beethoven used to count in 60 beans/cup. I use a handful which I counted once 70.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Beethoven used to count in 60 beans/cup. I use a handful which I counted once 70.

Anyone remember Gareth Hunt 'shaking the beans'?

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

If you describe what was wrong, someone may be able to advise (but probably not me. I get impatient and change too many things at once when it goes wrong, or forget by the next time I make an unfiltered shot...)

Dunno how to describe it. A bit "sharp", not "rich"? The wife thought it smelt like cat food gone off.

 

[mjr]

Anyone remember Gareth Hunt 'shaking the beans'?

Yes. Another cyclist I know frequently offers to shake the beans and make coffee for motorists when they err because they must need waking up... or at least I think that's what he's suggesting with his hand signal!

 

[Fab Foodie]

Yes. Another cyclist I know frequently offers to shake the beans and make coffee for motorists when they err because they must need waking up... or at least I think that's what he's suggesting with his hand signal!

As a student Foodie I was drinking in the Crooked Billet on Wimbledon Common, when Gareth came in for a pint ... a lot of bean shaking transpired. He died a broken man....