OV9

Modding a coffee machine? What?

DeskJockey wrote: Sat Jan 21, 2023 8:08 pm Modding a coffee machine? What?

It seems like people will do anything to improve and control the water pressure, temperature and flow. They all can make small improvements to the way the espresso brews.

Sounds like they've got too much time on their hands.

We just upgraded from a Bialetti stove top to a Breville Barista Express BES870.

I'll be honest I found the instructions impenetrable like I have ADHD or something so it sat unused for the first two weeks we had it while I blamed that on still having plenty of pre-ground espresso for the stove top left. I forced myself to work through it all yesterday though, and after about eight test coffees got something we were happy with. First run this morning with the half awake bleary eyed version of me and it's worked a treat.

I am now a coffee ninja wanker AICMFP

Gaggia Classic at work, makes a lovely cuppa.

New setup installed some patient sniping on eBay got these for a bargainous £216+postage.

Makes a completely different espresso to my DeLonghi bean-to-cup machine, there's more depth and breadth of flavour, it's definitely getting more out of the beans. It's pretty bitter right now, I need to play with the settings to tweak the brew. Time to watch more James Hoffman

Update on the refillable Tassimo pods.

Too messy, too small. Will stick to the pods I like and recycle

We've just got even more low-tech than previously in the brew-making stakes. Still have a stove-top for coffee, which makes awesome coffee every time. However, we've just added a stove-top kettle - can be used on induction hobs, so mucho-boilio-pronto. Means more space on the worktop now we don't have a plug-in one. Which means we can swap the sink drainer to the other side if required and max out worktop space in the main prep-area.

Less than a day with the new machine and it's incredible how much the flavour of the espresso can be tweaked with the different variables.

The first ones were intensely strong and bitter. Tweaking the grind size, weight and brew time slowly removed the bitterness and got to that sweet, rich espresso flavour. Super pleased

in general , a very small pinch of salt can remove coffee bitterness

What if I only drink hot chocolate?

Simon wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 10:27 am What if I only drink hot chocolate?

My three favourite are Cool Chile's Oaxaca, To'ak's Dark Chocolate and some random Taza de chocolate that I bought in a supermarket in Guatemala that I can't seem to find anywhere online here.

dinny_g wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 10:21 am in general , a very small pinch of salt can remove coffee bitterness

If it's bitter, it's more than likely shit coffee. Most are over-roasted.

Simon wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 10:27 am What if I only drink hot chocolate?

Get a Velvetiser, I got one for my wife at Christmas and I thought it would be a shit gimmick but it's very good.

The 70% Hotel Chocolat shavings are the best so far, especially with a drop of their Chocolate Liquer added to it.

Swervin_Mervin wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 11:13 am

dinny_g wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 10:21 am in general , a very small pinch of salt can remove coffee bitterness

If it's bitter, it's more than likely shit coffee. Most are over-roasted.

That's true for cheap coffee, however excessive bitterness can also be caused by the grind size being too small or dose too high

So what you're saying is that you shouldn't grind your beans too hard, or too much.

16vCento wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 12:37 pm

Simon wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 10:27 am What if I only drink hot chocolate?

Get a Velvetiser, I got one for my wife at Christmas and I thought it would be a shit gimmick but it's very good.

The 70% Hotel Chocolat shavings are the best so far, especially with a drop of their Chocolate Liquer added to it.

I have one, it's awesome!

Just surprised someone hasn't made a 'chocbar-to-cup' machine yet

Gavster wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 1:41 pm

Swervin_Mervin wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 11:13 am

dinny_g wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 10:21 am in general , a very small pinch of salt can remove coffee bitterness

If it's bitter, it's more than likely shit coffee. Most are over-roasted.

That's true for cheap coffee, however excessive bitterness can also be caused by the grind size being too small or dose too high

I wouldn't know when it comes to machines tbh. Obviously using a stove top you tend to use the finest grind anyway. And the dosage (I like the use of that word in this context ) is fixed. Which leads me to my comment

Swervin_Mervin wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 2:55 pm

Gavster wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 1:41 pm

Swervin_Mervin wrote: Thu Jan 26, 2023 11:13 am

If it's bitter, it's more than likely shit coffee. Most are over-roasted.

That's true for cheap coffee, however excessive bitterness can also be caused by the grind size being too small or dose too high

I wouldn't know when it comes to machines tbh. Obviously using a stove top you tend to use the finest grind anyway. And the dosage (I like the use of that word in this context ) is fixed. Which leads me to my comment

Yes I've just learned this setting up the Breville for the first time. Grind size, amount of it in the filter basket which then impacts how far you mash it down had massive impacts on the taste, and extraction time. For the first hour I felt like I needed 10yrs experience at NASA to get my head round it, but as you dial it in and think it through it all makes sense.

On the running costs front - we bought a single bag of beans, thinking it would relate to the single bag of espresso grind we use in the stove top and it ran out pretty quick. Those grinding their own - do you rattle through beans quicker than pre-ground coffee?

Regarding consumption it's been several years since I used pre-ground bag coffee.

I suspect the bean-to-cup machine that's retired made weaker espresso than my new grinder/espresso machine setup does. Yesterday I was off my tits, and I didn't drink any more coffee than usual. If I'm making 4x18g double espressos per day, x 7 days a week, that would be up to half a kilo of coffee per week, which would be higher throughput than my bean-to-cup, where I was using around 3-400g per week.