Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with coffee and espresso

half a coffee pot

dhruva — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 06:34:33 -0800

How to make half a pot of coffee from a cafetera? I have a Bialetti Stove-pot espresso making device (cafetera). It supposedly makes 6 cups. How can I make half a pot, ie 3 cups? Half the water? Half the coffee powder?

A dark, rich cup of coffee creme, please!

backseatpilot — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 06:40:31 -0800

What makes European coffee different from American coffee? While in Europe the other week, I was reminded about how much different their coffee is from ours in America - darker, thicker, richer. I often saw it listed as "Kaffee Kreme" on menus, and regular "drip" style coffee seemed to be nonexistent.

I'd like to recreate that style of coffee at home, but I'm not sure how. It seemed almost, but not exactly, like a large espresso - but espressos were also on the menu, so it seems obvious that it's something different. What's the secret?

I have a normal drip coffee maker, a French press, and a stovetop "Tassimo" pot - can I make European coffee with these? Do I need other equipment?

Bonus: the single serve coffee machines I saw there were awesome - pick a coffee drink and the machine grinds beans and gives you a perfect brew, none of this K-cup crap. Is there anywhere I can buy one of those in the States?

What's the best coffee machine setup for the occasional espresso drinker?

insouciant — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 06:23:13 -0800

I drink an espresso a day and two or three cappuccinos a week. I want to get a new coffee machine. I value quality of the espresso and price about equally. And I don't want to turn home coffee-making into a science, so ease of use is important.

What's the most fitting system? Capsules - Nespresso, Tassimo, Illy, ...? A semiautomatic/automatic, with or without a grinder? A manual machine or even a stovetop macchinetta?

Espresso Con Panna will bow to my will

toni_jean — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 22:31:16 -0800

Help me become a kick ass Barista.

I just got a job at an awesome coffee shop. I have a little Barista experience from working at a café in high school, I can steam milk, pull a shot, do your basic barista work, but what I really want is to be the best Barista on the face of the planet. Not because I want a promotion or need to impress anyone, I just love the business that I am going to be working for and I would love to be an asset to them.

So great people of MetaFilter please give me any tips, tricks, or resources pertaining to being the world’s greatest Barista; I am not interested in competing, and going to Seattle for training is out of the question. However I would be willing to travel to San Francisco if it was worth it to do so. I will read anything and everything pertaining to this subject. Also, if you are an avid coffee drinker and have a favorite Barista, what is it that makes them your favorite? I have the sweet smile and intellectual small talk; I need the chops to back it up.

Thanks in advance!

Also, the shop uses a 3 group Conti XEOS & Swift Grinders

CoffeeFilter: Cheap descale/decalc solution for my coffee machine?

monkeybutt — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 17:42:30 -0800

Is there a cheaper alternative to the manufacturer-recommended descale solutions used to decalcify coffee/espresso machines???? I just got a nice fancy Delonghi full-automatic coffee/espresso machine for Christmas and i want to keep it running well forever, so that means faithfully descaling it. However those little bottles of "NOKALK" and similar products are expensive. I notice on the label that it says it contains "20-30% lactic acid" and some research on the web suggests that other descale solutions are primarily citric acid. That leads me to think i can use non-manufacturer (but food-grade) chemistry so long as i keep the ratios consistent. Is there a bulk source for the components i need to keep this machine reliably free of deposits that won't cost me an arm and a leg? Thanks in advance.

Delonghi Ec5 Espresso machine

arcticwoman — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 08:33:02 -0800

How much water do I put in my Delonghi Ec5 Espresso machine? I have the machine with all the parts, minus the manual and carafe. I found instructions online, but the only information on how much water to add is measured in increments marked on the carafe I don't have. Through searching, I found that the carafe itself is 8.5 ounces, but I don't know the volume measured by each of the increments. Does anyone have this model? Failing that, is there a rule of thumb for how much water goes in per espresso shot out?

Coffee help!

wongcorgi — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 20:59:10 -0800

Good/great espresso on the cheap... possible? Background:

My dad just got into coffee and bought a lever action expresso machine (Pavoni) and a nice grinder. I'm not normally a coffee person, but he made me an iced latte that was awesome. (Espresso, whole milk and some hazelnut syrup).

It was seriously the best coffee drink I've ever had (although I'll admit I'm not a coffee connoisseur), and after drinking that espresso, I'm hooked. I've been craving it the past few weeks, but I don't really want to shell out $1000+ for the equipment. I've gone around trying local coffee shops, and everything tastes pretty blah.

Are there any not-as-expensive ways to make good espresso? I'm only going to make 1 drink at a time, don't require any steaming of milk, and wouldn't mind a tedious manual process. I'd say the upper range I'd like to spend is $400ish for all the tools, but cheaper is always better.

Barista elbow?!

waltzing astronomers — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 19:23:11 -0800

Help! I am a barista and my elbow hurts! What should I do? My elbow started aching after shifts a couple of weeks ago. It was minor, it would go away within a couple of hours. I started using a lighter tamp, which seemed to help for a while. Yesterday, it hurt for longer. This morning, I adjusted my grind so that I could tamp very lightly, but still, by the end of my shift, almost each time I tamped there was a slight pain in my elbow, much like I had hit my funny bone, but nowhere near as severe. Also, sometimes there is a slight tingling in my hand.

My shift ended at 11AM, it is now 9:15PM and my elbow still feels weird. I suspect that this is a result of putting too much weight on my elbow with hard tamping (which I have quit doing, I've used wimpy tamps for my last few shifts), and from the forceful motion required to wrench the portafilter into and out of the espresso machine each time I pull a shot. I am scheduled to work again tomorrow! This will require much more tamping and wrenching! I'm worried about permanent damage.

What should I do (quitting my job is not really an option right now)?

Cheap Beans, Rich Flavor.

mccarty.tim — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 18:29:13 -0800

What's a good whole bean coffee I can buy in bulk online on a college student budget? I'm a college student with limited money. However, I do like good coffee and keep a coffee grinder and an aeropress in my dorm. What brands should I go for? I'm a big fan of pacific coffees and blends of them. I would say the two best varieties that I've sampled would be Dean's Beans Moka Summatra and the Summatra blend from Starbucks. Starbucks is widely available, but it is, of course, really expensive, about $11 a bag here, for a bag that isn't even a whole lb. Dean's Beans is more reasonably priced, but the shipping makes small amounts not worth paying for if I'm not also ordering something else, which I only do around other coffee-lover's birthdays.

Is there any supermarket brand or internet brand that ship affordably? I'd like to be able to pay about $4-6 a lb after shipping, in quantities that vary from 2-5 lbs. I know ordering that much at once risks the coffee going stale, but I can deal with slightly stale coffee on my budget. Fair trade, organic, and shade grown would be nice touches, but I know it's a bit much to ask on my budget.

Also, my school is near Trenton, NJ. I'm a bit scared to go into the city, but it's worth it if there's a cheap wholesaler of beans in there.

Going cold turkey on the bean brew.

Gordion Knott — Fri, 09 May 2008 05:16:41 -0800

I'm anxious to give up the Java, or switch to decaf. For health reasons. Give me hints on how to do this effectively. For me, caffeine is a migraine trigger. I've successfully given up daily cups of tea and coffee, switching to a morning cup of hot water and lemon. But on occasion--during long drives, on vacations, or when passing a local cafe with its bean roaster dialed to 11--the devil strikes, and I give into temptation.

I've tried switching to decaf, but I can't get enough of that jolt that comes with a shot of freshly brewed espresso. Just thinking about the energy spike makes me jones.

I've tried alternative eye-openers, such as daily 5-mile runs or weightlifting at the gym. With modest success. But what I'm looking for is a way to jump-start my nervous system, so that I'll be comfortable with decaf and not desperate for the real thing.

Are there any techniques, exercises, herbal supplements, et cetera, that approximate the caffeine high? Or any comes-from-experience advice on making a permanent departure from caffeine?

Espresso Training?

Texasjake987 — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 10:29:55 -0800

What are the best barista training programs/schools around? I'm looking to get some real, professional training with coffee, espresso, and all other coffeeshop elements. I've heard good things about some of the schools in portland, but its a little far. I live in Boston, but am willing to travel if need be. Lets just say cost is no factor. Does anyone have experience with these programs? Or know anyone who does? Any and all responses welcome.

Latex-flavored coffee tastes horrible

Blazecock Pileon — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 15:04:31 -0800

How do I avoid burning coffee with a stovetop espresso maker? I have a Bialetti Moka Express, 6-cup espresso maker. I have had it about a year.

General advice is to replace the rubber seal and filter plate once a year. Which I did last week. I threw away the old seal and plate.

I made a batch of coffee, threw it away. I made another few batches, which tasted just fine.

Within the last week, every batch I make takes on a bitter, burned flavor. Distinctly unpleasant, with hints of rubber. I'm not changing my coffee or coffee-making process in any way.

Do I simply need to replace the seal again to fix this? What other possibilities are there before I spend more money?

Coffee Drinks beyond the Basics

mccarty.tim — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 08:53:55 -0800

What are good espresso-based drinks beyond the typical lattes, cappuccinos, and mochas? I love the coffee my aeropress makes (Yes, I know it isn't really espresso, but I don't care), but I'm getting a bit bored with just my typical drinks, which are pretty much just cappuccinos and lattes in the morning, straight espresso in the afternoon. Are there any good drinks that I can make with my Aeropress, a battery powered frother, milk, and whatever I can get from my campus convenience store? I'm not much of a mocha person and usually the natural sweetness of steamed milk is about as much sweetening I need. However, if you have sweet confectionary drinks you really like, go ahead and tell me. I'm curious, and it doesn't have to be traditional Italian either. These can be drinks made in an American mug or a demitasse.

What would be nice is for the drink to not require too much cleanup and be easy enough to make in under 10 minutes. But I'm partly doing this for my entertainment, so if you have any big, crazy elaborate drink that takes all morning, I'm all ears.

How should a college kid store his coffee?

mccarty.tim — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 20:48:24 -0800

Coffee beans behave like busses apparently. I went with preground for a year, and then I got a 5lb bag and a 1lb bag of roasted coffee beans and a grinder today for Christmas. How should I store them, accounting for my specific situation? Here's my situation, which complicates things: I'm a college student, and I am on break until the 23rd, practically a month. I'd freeze it, but I've heard letting beans thaw after their frozen ruins them, which they would do on the trip back to school, which is about 45 minutes. Keep in mind I have a tiny college freezer, so I couldn't keep much that way, even if I were to bring over the coffee in a cooler or something. Or is freezing so bad for the beans, I should skip it altogether? What should I do?

$4 a day for a steaming pile of crap

strangeleftydoublethink — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 13:47:24 -0800

Due to budgetary constraints, I've cut back on my daily quad-shot 16 oz. latte and am brewing coffee to take to work in the morning. I've noticed a difference in my moods and energy levels, but, more importantly, brewed coffee does not bring out the poop like the espresso drink does. I would always have an easy, complete BM after drinking my daily 4-shot latte, but do not get the same results after drinking two cups of dark roast coffee (with milk). I also don't enjoy the high as much and find that I crash harder.

I've tested it several times. I might go four days in a row with coffee and then one day will buy a latte. Boom! Instant results with the BM. Isn't caffeine just caffeine? Why the big difference?

Looking for high quality espresso beans in Silicon Valley

spiderskull — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 11:51:24 -0800

GiftFilter: Where can I buy high quality beans for an espresso lover in Silicon Valley? I'm looking for recommendations for beans for a good friend's personal espresso machine. I am, unfortunately, grossly ignorant on the fine art of choosing the right beans.

I'd prefer a local joint that roasts their own beans -- organic would also be nice.

Thanks!

My espresso should be a ninja because the taste is kickin

235w103 — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 11:14:32 -0800

Why is my espresso nasty all of a sudden? Let me paint a picture for you. I get up, longing for the delicious espresso I made earlier this summer. I wash out my Bialetti Moka Express, one of those stovetop ones. I note that the rubber gasket is NEW- I just replaced it. I fill the bottom part with filtered water. I grind fresh beans in a burr grinder, to extra fine, and fill the little part that goes on top of the bottom part- to the top, and then I gently tamp down. Then I screw on the top and set it on the stove. I set the heat low, and wait. As I wait, I remember the slow, velvety crawl of the espresso down the tube into the carafe- how slow, how silent! I remember the rich flavor and aroma. And then....SPT SPT SPT SPT!
Instead of the silent slow exodus of primo bean juice, the espresso is spitting out of the nozzle into the carafe, a thing that usually happens only after the carafe is mostly full! And what comes out- burnt, painful to drink! What am I doing wrong? Too much heat? Too little heat? Too much grounds? Too finely ground? These questions HAUNT me. Please, hivemind, release me from this brakish hell! What can I do to return to the espressos of old?

What happened to my espresso maker?

jefficator — Sat, 19 May 2007 10:46:45 -0800

What did my dishwasher do to my stovetop espresso maker?? I purchased a relatively inexpensive stovetop espresso maker and decided to wash it before use. When I removed it from the dishwasher this morning, there was a bizarre powdery substance all over it. What is that, and how do I get rid of it?

Miss Silvia in the UK!

dance — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 12:01:23 -0800

I'm looking into buying a Rancilio Silvia & Rocky combo... Drury seem to have them at around the £480 mark and via a reputable swimmer for about £440
but...

I was wondering if there is a second hand market for these things in the UK (or better, somewhere that sells them cheaper)? They seem to last so long that it would be worth investing in a second hand unit, but I can't find any via Googling, perhaps because people like them so much they want to hang on to them! I'm just having trouble justifying the huge cost even though I really love my coffee. I'd also want to add a PID...

Anyone have any thoughts, anecdotes or tips they'd like to share?

Thanks so much

Working on that barista cred

zadcat — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 21:23:59 -0800

I've been fortunate to come into possession of an older La Pavoni Europiccola, but there's no manual. So I have three questions for anyone who's got experience using this kind of machine. First and most pressing: how do I make sure the water's really boiling? Just listen to it? This machine doesn't have the gauge on top and I need a way to judge that moment to start pulling.

Secondly, cleaning: I know water hardness varies, but how often does one need to run vinegar through to keep it from clogging up?

Thirdly: will the coffee be better if I buy a tamper? I'm a little appalled to find that you can buy handmade and designer coffee tampers for large sums on the web. But researches have also suggested that evenly tamping the coffee does give better results. Thoughts?

(Any other hints from old Pavoni hands welcome.)

Home Espresso Machines: How Good is the Nespresso System?

dclawyer — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 17:45:15 -0800

I just bought a Nespresso C100 expresso machine. I don't know much about espresso machines but find that the coffee tastes great and the machine, which uses pods, doesn't make a mess in my kitchen. I would like to know what people who know a lot about making espresso and love espresso think generally of the Nespresso system. In the few days I've had the machine it has produced reliable espresso with a beautiful crema and excellent taste.

Which of these 3 espresso machines is best for us?

mdion — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 11:28:43 -0800

Which of these 3 espresso machines is most likely to make both my partner and me happy? My partner and I are in the market for a semi-automatic espresso machine for our home, but we each have different needs or expectations.

We are trying to decide among these three options: Rancilio Silvia, FrancisFrancis!X5, and Gaggia Classic. Cold-press, french-press, etc. are not options we're going to consider.

I want fast, clean, fool-proof, and decent espresso that I can make at home to avoid stopping at the coffee shop on the way to work. I do not want to have to fuss over my espresso and am unwilling to spend a lot of time learning how to produce a perfect crema. I just want coffee that doesn't taste burnt, is quick, and doesn't leave a mess on the counter. I value convenience over coffee-perfection. I think I want the option of using PODS, even though some people think they are evil.

My partner wants a nice crema and is willing to take the time to grind his own and perfect his coffee technique. He doesn't need perfect coffee everytime, but he wants to be able to make perfect coffee when he wants it. He thinks POD coffee is probably as bad as that made with a cheap consumer espresso machine.

I have read all these ask MeFi threads.

My partner wants the Rancilio Silvia b/c it's old-school. But it doesn't have PODS. One good thing about the Silvia is that if we get the Rocky to go with it, my partner is likely to make less mess when he's grinding the beans/filling the portafilter. This is a plus for me.

My partner doesn't want the FrancisFrancis!X5 b/c he suspects it's style over substance and likely to break. I like it b/c it can do either pods or ground. The Illy deal looks good, too.

The Gaggia Classic also can use either ground or pods.

So my specific questions, to help answer my general question, are these:
1. Does anyone have first hand experience with POD coffee from the FrancisFrancis or Gaggia machines? How does it taste? Is it really less mess?

2. Is there some Rancilio model that will easily switch between loose ground and pods?

3. If we got the Rancilio Silvia and the Rocky, could a coffee neophyte (me) learn to make decent coffee quickly without a lot of fuss and mess? (To avoid the POD issue.)

4. Is the Gaggia a good compromise between my partner's desire for an old-school machine and my desire for a POD option? Could I use any PODs with it, or only certain brands? Is there a grinder that we could pair with the Gaggia that would load the portafilter and reduce mess?

Frothing milk is not important and won't affect our decision. We're willing to spend the $600 or so it would take to get a coffee/grinder combo or buy the espresso machine now and grinder later.

Thanks for your help, MeFites.

Call me confused . . .

Gordion Knott — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 05:58:53 -0800

Is it my imagination, or is Starbucks espresso on a long road to suck? Okay, I'll fess up. Chalk it up to bad habits, but for a long time, I've been into an occasional Starbucks espresso as a break from my preferred lighter roast, Italian style espresso brew. Somehow, the carbonated, burnt Starbucks blend scratches a primitive itch.

But lately, I've been dissatisfied. No, not with the burnt taste, still as vulgar and unauthentic as ever. With the thickness. I've sampled espressos (okay, espressi for you Italian speakers) at about six New York Starbucks, and for god sakes, this sh*t isn't *even espresso*. It's a watery brew that's about as viscous as drip coffee.

Is this an east coast, New York thang? Have the espresso machines at Starbucks gone kerfluy? Has the company cut back on workers with the right mojo to pull a good espresso? Is the watery blend all about less coffee grounds and lower costs?

Yes, yes, I know. Starbucks these days is about confectionary drinks and all of that jazz. But sometimes, when I'm jonesing for an espresso, they're my best fallback.

What's the deal here, guys?

A hot cup of science, please, no room for milk.

mzurer — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 12:48:06 -0800

I am looking for actual science of coffee to improve my home espresso making. The two specific things I am curious about are freshness of the bean and the creation and composition crema in the brewing of espresso. In other words, what chemical changes occur when coffee beans get stale, and what can be done to mitigate that. And what is crema made of and how do different variables effect its production.

While professional-level anecdotal evidence is welcome, I don't want to hear "coffee gets stale after 7 days and freezing doesn't help," I want to know why that is the case, backed up by at least nominal research.

Nothing That Came from A Lemur's Ass, Please.

Danelope — Sun, 09 Apr 2006 13:10:52 -0800

Where does one find the best whole-bean espresso in Seattle? I recently picked up a good espresso machine and a well-reviewed burr grinder, just shy of taking the prosumer Rancilio hit. Since I am loathe to subject my newfound kit to Starbucks, I need a regular source of high-quality beans in Seattle. I have heard the name Espresso Vivace bandied about. Yea or nay?

(And, Kramdar help me, since I'm already headed down this inviolable path, bonus points if they also sell fresh beans for aftermarket roasting.)