coffee gadgets...

[Bob_McBob]

Hottop Roaster - Fresh roasted coffee beans, need I say more?
Yama Vacuum Brewer - Makes a ridiculously clean-tasting cup that is very different from French press coffee. Plus, it's damn fun watching the water go up and coffee go down.
Bialetti Brikka - The only moka pot that brews with enough pressure to produce crema. See photo and video. The 2 cup version is the one to get.

I also have a Solis Maestro grinder as well as various French presses. Nothing special there.

[Daveze]

Originally Posted by kugino

that's a mighty fine la pavoni you've got there...one of these days i'll get a nice used one. i have a francis francis that my wife wanted to get b/c of how it looks...but alas, it pulls a good shot maybe 1/3 times. part of it is the barista, part of it is the machine...the beans are faultless

just saw the movie of the presso on their website and...well, that crema on the espresso scares me

Thanks, the La Pavoni's look the part, they're just a fiddly sod to get used to.

Same applies to the Presso, that video is a pretty bad example of how to pull a shot. This one is a much better [and more amusing] example.

Bob, which control version do you have? I've been pretty tempted by the home roasting process, I just have difficulty with the prospect of dedicating hours from the already scarce Saturdays towards something I can conveniently order from the internet.

[Bob_McBob]

Originally Posted by Daveze

Bob, which control version do you have? I've been pretty tempted by the home roasting process, I just have difficulty with the prospect of dedicating hours from the already scarce Saturdays towards something I can conveniently order from the internet.

I have the analog model. The "digital" one is not really worth the extra money. The new programmable one is a very nice option if you're interested in the finer points of roasting, like adjusting roast profiles and such, but it is pretty expensive.

With the analog one, I pre-heat it, toss in a measure of beans, keep an eye on it for 15 minutes to make sure it doesn't catch fire, and eject the beans when they're at my preferred roast level. You can do 250-300g at once, depending on the coffee. I roast a couple of batches per week, and each batch is maybe 10 minutes of work if you do something else while keeping an eye on the roaster.

Green coffee is so much cheaper than roasted that you can drink practically anything you want and still end up paying less than for pre-roasted (especially from a nice place).

[diogenes]

Originally Posted by jeremynwolf

I've tried a number of them, but the hands down winner for me is a the Aeropress:
http://www.aerobie.com/Products/aeropress_story.htm

I have been playing with one of these for a little less than a week.
It can make a nice “Americano” type drink.
Just finished a cup based on Yemen Mocca Sanani (from Doubleshot Coffee), that really brought out the smooth characteristics of the this origin.
Novel toy, but not likely to stop someone from going to an (prosumer) espresso machine.

For what it is worth here is a good deal on a grinder, that is espresso capable:

http://sovranastore.com/esgrin.html

[c0mfortably_numb]

Back when I could drink coffee, I used a Yama Vacuum Brewer, with fresh roasted beans from either a local micro roaster, or online source.

For Espresso I used a Saeco Via Veneto espresso machine, it has the same Ulka pump as the much more expensive Rancilio Sylvia I have the older model with out the stupid pressurized portafilter and frother attachment.

Also enjoyable is Turkish coffee with cardamom, to brew it you'll need an Ibrik pot, and a grinder that grind really fine. Natasha's cafe sells a good Turkish blend.

[drp]

Also have and love the Technivorm, pared with a Rancilio Rocky grinder. Makes an excellent cup. Weekday mornings are rushed but on weekend mornings, coffee service is more of a ritual. Good coffee; good music. Ahhhh!

Oh kewl; the Aeropress. I have three of them; one for home, one for the office, and one that goes to the fishing camp with a little water burner. It makes the smoothest (sometimes almost too smooth) cup.

I use the tea water tap from the office coffee machine. We recently picked up a 5 gal water bubbler with hot and cold taps for home water. It's wicked convenient to just grind into the little filtered chamber, fill from the tap, stir, and then press.

I still swoon over the Rancilio Silva when I visit the local bean house. Supposed to be a very nice entry level espresso maker. Have yet to graduate to that level.

[c0mfortably_numb]

Originally Posted by drp

I still swoon over the Rancilio Silva when I visit the local bean house. Supposed to be a very nice entry level espresso maker. Have yet to graduate to that level.

O so do I even though I don't drink coffee anymore, an even nicer machine to drool about, the Pasquini Livia

[drp]

Oh man, the pressure gauge; the switches and levers. Thing of beauty!

It almost looks like it needs to be on spiked feet, no?

Originally Posted by c0mfortably_numb

O so do I even though I don't drink coffee anymore, an even nicer machine to drool about, the Pasquini Livia

[mrwinick]

Love my Technivorm. One thing to try--keep the drip valve closed until all of the grounds are soaked. Stir the grounds and make sure everything is uniformly soaked, then open the drip valve and see if you notice a difference.

[Absorbine_Sr]

Originally Posted by c0mfortably_numb

Also enjoyable is Turkish coffee with cardamom, to brew it you'll need an Ibrik pot, and a grinder that grind really fine. Natasha's cafe sells a good Turkish blend.

Thanks for the links - I ordered a half-pound of Turkish coffee and a dented (discounted) Ibrik to give it a try.

A_Sr.