OV9

I've got a grinder (Wilfa Svart) and a french press pot. That does me. And as the only coffee drinker (guests excluded) in the house, I don't need anything more.

Anyone tried a 9Barista? Probably expensive for what it is, but quite a clever device.

Swervin_Mervin wrote: Wed Feb 05, 2025 2:40 pm

Jobbo wrote: Wed Feb 05, 2025 2:39 pm

Swervin_Mervin wrote: Wed Feb 05, 2025 2:37 pm [...] even switching to an induction kettle. Still on the fence about whether to get a decent coffee machine.

I discovered you can get an induction plate for a Bialetti so mine might get some use again: https://www.johnlewis.com/bialetti-coff ... m/p6268977

Nice. Although you could just replace it with an induction Bialetti. We only had cheap Mokas before the induction hob, so didn't feel too bad about chucking them and getting a new one.

James Hoffman’s guide to how to get the best from your moka pot found that the induction plate works better on a gas hob - it spreads the heat better. If I drank much coffee I’d buy one

Decided to take my first tentative step into the world of home coffee:



Seems straightforward enough, been experimenting with it today and the JH advice also helped. Managed to get a respectable cup out of it just with some random ground stuff we had at home, tried a couple of different ones and definitely coarseness? of the grind is key. Fun to play with though.

I still get my coffee from Mancoco - stove top grind. It's so good that all but that last pour from the Moka is crystal clear, not cloudy.

Hmm, I need a coffee now.

The wife (maybe for not much longer) works for Starbucks in their HQ so she has plentiful access to all sorts of beans and grinding facilities for nothing. We also have an Italian deli in town whose espresso is amazing. He will sell you the beans so was thinking that we'd get some and the wife can grind them at work, if it's 50% as good as from his machine that wouldn't be a bad result, foam not possible though I guess...

What sort of difference do you reckon and home grind at time of making makes?

duncs500 wrote: Fri Feb 28, 2025 3:23 pm The wife (maybe for not much longer) works for Starbucks in their HQ so she has plentiful access to all sorts of beans and grinding facilities for nothing. We also have an Italian deli in town whose espresso is amazing. He will sell you the beans so was thinking that we'd get some and the wife can grind them at work, if it's 50% as good as from his machine that wouldn't be a bad result, foam not possible though I guess...

What sort of difference do you reckon and home grind at time of making makes?

What are you planning to do to your wife Duncs?!

You won't get a crema with a stove top. But I don't worry about that because the Italians don't worry about it

I've never bothered home grinding the beans - cba with the faff, so just get them pre-ground fine enough for the moka. The thing I love about Mancoco's product is that it's never dark roasted - always a nice tan colour. And that results in so much more flavour from the brew and not overly harsh.

We've had a cheapo Dolce Gusto machine for years which shat itself this week and although not a coffee connoisseur I was never that impressed with the results.

I only drink a couple of cups a week so going to try a french press for a change. Bodum Brazil on its way for Saturday brew.

Swervin_Mervin wrote: Fri Feb 28, 2025 4:04 pm

duncs500 wrote: Fri Feb 28, 2025 3:23 pm The wife (maybe for not much longer) works for Starbucks in their HQ so she has plentiful access to all sorts of beans and grinding facilities for nothing. We also have an Italian deli in town whose espresso is amazing. He will sell you the beans so was thinking that we'd get some and the wife can grind them at work, if it's 50% as good as from his machine that wouldn't be a bad result, foam not possible though I guess...

What sort of difference do you reckon and home grind at time of making makes?

What are you planning to do to your wife Duncs?!

You won't get a crema with a stove top. But I don't worry about that because the Italians don't worry about it

I've never bothered home grinding the beans - cba with the faff, so just get them pre-ground fine enough for the moka. The thing I love about Mancoco's product is that it's never dark roasted - always a nice tan colour. And that results in so much more flavour from the brew and not overly harsh.

Ha! They're laying off loads of staff and she's at risk (apparently it's in the news, but I've stopped looking at the news ).

Yeah, my missus says that a lot of Europeans prefer moka type over a proper machine.

duncs500 wrote: Fri Feb 28, 2025 3:23 pm We also have an Italian deli in town whose espresso is amazing.

Do they make you stand the while drinking it? They should do.

dinny_g wrote: Fri Feb 28, 2025 5:53 pm

duncs500 wrote: Fri Feb 28, 2025 3:23 pm We also have an Italian deli in town whose espresso is amazing.

Do they make you stand the while drinking it? They should do.

I didn't know that was essential, the proprietor is a bit curmudgeonly, he gets angry and moans about the UK when people read the menu he's put on the outside instead of coming in to chat about it. But he seems to like us and forgives our eccentricities such as having a plate of chopped up focaccia with our espressos.

The Italians have some proper rules for coffee

My Mokkamaster is still doing a great job. It must have lasted 4 or 5 years now so is probably already proving cheaper than the £50/60 plastic ones that lasted 18 months then phut.

@Gavin I was considering a Mokkamaster although am now looking at a Marco Ottomatic because of how gloriously wanky it looks.



@dinny_g The Italians are struggling with coffee right now, commodity prices have hit all time highs and it's challenging the viability of the €1 espresso tradition. It's already crept up notably in cities. However, being a stubborn bunch, a lot of Italians are saying they'd rather make coffee at home than pay more than €1 for an espresso.

Anyway, as a coffee machine running report, my Sage Duo-Temp pro gave up last year so I reverted to my aeropress and have been really enjoying it for a few reasons:

1. I have a decent grinder, which makes a huge difference to the quality of the coffee
2. It's slowed down my coffee consumption, because it's such a PITA to make a coffee now, I'm only having two a day, rather than the 4 x double espressos I was chugging previously.
3. I'm sleeping and dreaming more than I was as a result

That Marco Ottomatic looks lovely but realistically it doesn’t do anything my £25 curry’s filter machine doesn’t



I normally use the nespresso for making espresso on a morning, but lately I’ve been using the filter on timer more than my nespresso, quite nice getting up to a pot of nice hot black coffee

The Mokkamaster had a hige range of colours, some of which were pretty wanky TBF.

@Gavster

I've been reminding myself why I love my one of these


Seems to make the best cup of "sunday morning" coffee. Like soft clipping for the flavour profile.

With this being my current weapon of choice for the actual coffee

Nefarious wrote: Sat Mar 01, 2025 4:43 pm I've been reminding myself why I love my one of these


Seems to make the best cup of "sunday morning" coffee. Like soft clipping for the flavour profile.

With this being my current weapon of choice for the actual coffee

Only 2 years out of date!

IanF wrote: Sat Mar 01, 2025 5:13 pm Only 2 years out of date!

Lol. Photo pinched off their website!