[AudioCats]

quick review, 1zpresso J-max

the good:
-- has very very fine adjustment steps. Adjustment is done by rotating the top ring, total adjustment is four and half turns. each turn has 9 #'s, (8.8um per #, according to izpresso), and 10 click per # (0.88um per click).
-- solid build, very heavy duty.
-- fast grinding, less than 1 minute to do 18g of dark roast at very fine settings.

the not so much:
-- getting the ground out is kind of messy. I wish the metal is un-coated stainless so there is less electrostatic build up. grounds stick to the inside of ground container and around the burr area, requiring using a small brush to get them out.
-- This grinder is really only suitable for fine grinds. Grounds from large setting (*****0.0, which is 4x90x0.88=316um) have kind of a flake/slice shape.


The extra-fine adjustment capability turns out to be a must for my espresso experiments. For the kind of beans I am using, the usable setting range is **3.5 to **6.5 ( ** means the 2nd turn, **3.5 is (90+35) x 0.88=110um, **6.5 is (90+65)x0.88=136um), just 26um difference, in this j-max there are 30 clicks in between for fine tuning.

overall very good as a reference grinder for espresso experimenting

 

[AudioCats]

gear review, Cafflano Kompresso

simple yet effective design. Just a cup, a basket/portafilter assembly (non-pressurized, 46mm ID), a stainless screen, a water tube (28mm ID), and a piston/handle.

pressure #'s: the tube ID/piston OD is 28mm => cross section about 1 square inch
5 bars=5x14.7psi=73.5psi, need ~74LB of force on the piston
9 bar = 9x14.7psi=132psi, need ~132LB force.
doable when pressing down using body weight.

This little press requires very fine grounds, much finer than a typical espresso machine. When using the C-grind (USB rechargable grinder), My Flair Pro2 uses setting #3 or #4, while the Kompresso needs #1, the finest, (and even that is barely fine enough).
maybe the basket is too wide and too shallow.


The result:
(13g of Peets French roast, grinded using C-grind @ #1 (the finest setting);
60mL of hot water,
20 seconds pre-infusion;
actual press time: ~30 seconds using maybe 80LB of force.)
juice temp was 55C, measured in the cup, about 1 minute after pressing.
Juice yield was about 1oz, about a 1:2 ratio.

higher dosage than 13g requires double-tamp.

random photos:

shower-screen

 

[MeiLing]

I am a firm believer that there could not be life before coffee kind skeptical about the Adam and Eve story . The best coffee I have had was just roasted coffee on a Kenyan coffee farm , second to that a coffee shop in Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam a great coffee culture there . (All subjective though it was a beautiful day in the Kenyan Highlands and 6 months in Vietnam was an adventure) I usually use a Moka Pot or AeroPress or a Greek/Turkish stove top pot and prefer dark roasted coffee blends of robusta and arabica. I never pass a new coffee shop by some never to enter again.

 

[theredmantra]

Milk and sugar are like using eq.

I literally laughed out loud reading this. Thank you!

 

[theredmantra]

I read this entire thread from beginning to end over two cups of coffee grown in Burundi. Oro Yeast Natural Process with a medium style roast. Coffee is really something I'm passionate about and it's nice to see so many preferences here. It's a deep hole one can climb into. Some interesting things you might want to explore:

Origin - Single, mixed lot, blended etc. Some coffees are from a region and some can be traced down to a single farm.

Process - There are so many ways to process beans before they are roasted. Natural, Washed, Honey, Anaerobic combinations, Sugar Cane Decaf, etc etc. Explore these!

Roasted on date - A good rule of thumb is if a coffee has a roasted on date it may be a better quality roast. I buy coffee the day after roast and notice that the flavor can change for up to the first 8 weeks. I usually don't drink it for the first few days and grind each serving as I need it.

Oily beans - When coffee is roasted it goes through different phases. Browning, or Maillard Phase is when the green bean starts to turn brown like a tasty vegetable in a pan. Depending on how long your beans are roasted they can get darker and eventually release oils. That is not inherently bad but it does decrease shelf life for my preference. I like my beans dry. Some process like Sugar Cane Decaffeination do cause oilier beans but that isn't a bad thing if it's what you like.

Roast - Blonde, Light, Medium, Dark, Extra Dark, Starburnt (haha). Roasting a bean changes the flavor more than the caffeine content in any substantial amount. I don't roast coffee but I do have different ones custom roasted locally for my company. I've been able to learn quite a bit about different roasts and ultimately I find there is a preference for all of them. Think "sound signature" but with flavor.

Brew Method - Too many to name. Different brew methods do better with different grinds. I like to grind my coffee to angel dust when I use my Aeropress and a nice course grind is great for French Press. A good grind is the second most important thing after a good bean. Look at a cheap conical burr grinder instead of a spinning chop chop blade. Steep times also vary by method, grind and water temperature. Play around! You're dialing in YOUR favorite.

If I can leave you with one thing from this rant it would be support your local roasters/baristas. And I don't mean sugar-fat drinks with a splash of coffee that come from a shack on a corner designed to not block the flow of traffic. Try different coffees. Origins, roasts, brew methods. Engage with your barista. Try DIFFERENT shops. Support your local coffee scene.

My favorite setup for the money (and the scale is no longer in use, I found it to be unnecessary for me):
Aeropress
Electric Kettle - Bonavita (purchased on Drop.com! haha)
Burr Grinder - Capresso Infinity

 

[JadeEast]

I've migrated back to Hario V60 paper filter for the last bit from a flannel dripper. Been going higher ratio 20g to 250ml and *gasp* not blooming, doing a single pour, and agitating by stirring at the end of the pour with a chopstick. Weird.

 

[ThEvil0nE]

Place of business back room is my little corner of Japanese machines. Top (teal) is a totally silent drip brewer. It is a hefty under 2 minutes tiny little brewer. Bottom is a steam press brewer. It’s like a french press and aeropress but using steam pressure, even fits aeropress filter. Brew time around 3-4 minute depending on bloom time setting.

Also, 2 blocks down from me is an air roaster/coffee shop.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Milk and sugar are like using eq.

Indeed, and you will find further measurements here https://www.head-fi.org/threads/coffee-fi.421368/post-16955618

<FACEPALM> coffee is exactly like hifi

 

[ThEvil0nE]

Indeed, and you will find further measurements here https://www.head-fi.org/threads/coffee-fi.421368/post-16955618

<FACEPALM> coffee is exactly like hifi

Without the snake oils.. it don't work with coffee lol

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Without the snake oils.. it don't work with coffee lol

What do you think they use at the factory to lubricate the steel grinder burrs? If you buy ceramic, you can avoid this problem

 

[ThEvil0nE]

What do you think they use at the factory to lubricate the steel grinder burrs? If you buy ceramic, you can avoid this problem

 

[JadeEast]

B
You have to use a nonconductive method of attachment when using a crystal on your grinder or it won't work

 

[TimSchirmer]

gear review, Cafflano Kompresso

simple yet effective design. Just a cup, a basket/portafilter assembly (non-pressurized, 46mm ID), a stainless screen, a water tube (28mm ID), and a piston/handle.

pressure #'s: the tube ID/piston OD is 28mm => cross section about 1 square inch
5 bars=5x14.7psi=73.5psi, need ~74LB of force on the piston
9 bar = 9x14.7psi=132psi, need ~132LB force.
doable when pressing down using body weight.

This little press requires very fine grounds, much finer than a typical espresso machine. When using the C-grind (USB rechargable grinder), My Flair Pro2 uses setting #3 or #4, while the Kompresso needs #1, the finest, (and even that is barely fine enough).
maybe the basket is too wide and too shallow.


The result:
(13g of Peets French roast, grinded using C-grind @ #1 (the finest setting);
60mL of hot water,
20 seconds pre-infusion;
actual press time: ~30 seconds using maybe 80LB of force.)
juice temp was 55C, measured in the cup, about 1 minute after pressing.
Juice yield was about 1oz, about a 1:2 ratio.

higher dosage than 13g requires double-tamp.

random photos:




shower-screen

 

[TimSchirmer]

only talking about COFFEE itself, not gadgets or preparation or milk/sugar etc.

were talking brands/varieties within same brand, or just 'types' for lack of a better word.

Okay, so I have a little contribution here. As many of you know, my second home is Colombia. I just returned with some amazing coffees from the Sierra Nevada mountains such as Finca Tawa, Divino de la Sierra, Mina Rica and Cafe San Rafel. One of the bigger issues finding coffees from Colombia without actually being there is that there are very few places you can get the good stuff shipped overseas, as many of the better coffees are only sold domestically there. (Think of how the Japanese Domestic Market works, but with Coffee instead of good Audio-Technica, Luxman and Denon). So I'll leave a few good options that ship overseas here because it breaks my heart to see you guys paying lots of money for stuff like Peet's with all this fancy coffee gear!

Juan Valdez
This not one particular company but is actually the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia and has been around since the late 50's. They were formed to promote Colombian Coffee around the world. Nowadays, they operate cafes all around the country and are as popular as Starbucks there, and are kind of like Colombia's coffee mafia, so the majority of coffee goes out of the country it gets their stamp of approval. That said, they have some incredible coffees and cafes all over the country and are probably one of the easier ways to get the good stuff exported. This goes double if shipping anywhere outside the U.S. and Canada.
https://www.juanvaldezcafestore.com/

Cafe Colo
This is a newer company, but they stand out to me because their primary purpose is to preserve the cultivation of non-commercially viable coffee strains. Their fanciest coffees are the "Ancestros" line with very difficult to find varietals like trapiche, geisha.etc. The "Diversos" line has coffees from growing areas around different parts of the country, and the "contempporaneos" are coffees made with cutting edge manufacturing techniques. They also offer operate two of the best cafes Usaquen in Bogota. They have varieties that are nearly impossible to find anywhere else.
https://us.colo.coffee/collections/

Mina Rica
This is a cool woman-owned coffee company that sells lovely coffees from Los Andes. I'm sipping a cup now and it's truly wonderful. I had the opportunity to try it at their cafe in Medellin, and while their page is a bit minimal, they roast very fresh and they do free shipping to the U.S.!
https://minarica.co/

Cafe Tio Conejo
I haven't been there myself, but have tried their coffee which came highly recommended by friends I trust in Manizales, and they ship to the US at a reasonable price.
https://cafetioconejo.com/

Good luck and I hope you guys enjoy some Colombian Coffee. I'll edit this post every few months as I find more myself, but getting this stuff shipped here has been a great life hack.

*One quick note about brewing methods... The fancier coffee places in Colombia have all sorts of pour over gear, crazy glass hario contraptions.etc, but the standard nationwide is the old school Italian style stovetop brewer. Think moka pot by Bialetti. This is what you'll see most Colombians using for their morning coffee with arepas.

 

[whitedragem]

B
You have to use a nonconductive method of attachment when using a crystal on your grinder or it won't work

I have read that ‘dampening’ in this way can kill the ‘highs’.