I would bet there is pretty high correlation between being a serious wine drinker and a serious coffee drinker. Of course, there is a range and individual nuances in being “serious” in both avocations. But there is also some common ground for all of us that taste matters a lot, and of paying attention to what we are doing, and of continually developing our interests.
Here, without comment, is a photo of our current coffee arsenal that pretty much takes care of us. For now!
Rancillo Grinder
Expobar Office Lever Espresso Machine
Micro scale for weighing
Common Room Roasters Brunswick or Pilcrow Coffee Espresso and Occasionally I’ll pull a full 21 gram Pilcrow El Obraje Gesha
Can’t say enough about Common Room and Pilcrow. Bought Common Room on a whim at Eataly. Thought it was fantastic. Researched it and they came in 2nd at World Coffee Championship a few years back. Begged the question of who was first - Pilcrow. So now, I alternate between them.
Breville Grinder good but ‘under performance review’ , May post why later.
Breville barista espresso, ok, used more for Americanos or Café au lait than pure espresso, but does the job.
Oh and coffee is mostly a dark roast blend from a local Italian grocery store (Longos) . Or ditto from a coffee roaster downtown (Balzac), but frankly the grocery store is more to my taste. Not enough of a coffee nut to say which is ‘better’. And occasional forays into Kenya, Kona , or High Mountain (I’m not refined enough to get why Blue is sooo expensive) for a change in style.
To me the big step up was the Moccamaster. With a little tweak it makes great brewed coffee.
This thread is very timely for me and I probably should have started one myself. Two weeks ago my Jura died after about 10 years. It was even a refurbished model. I took care of it as called for by the manual and was very happy with it minus the temperature of drinks.
For 2 weeks, I do a ton of research on semi-auto machines. Go to a place in Brooklyn to look at the Rocket R58. Watched hours of YouTube videos. Picked out the ECM Synchronika with the Eureka mignon XL grinder. I end up falling asleep before I could order. Next day, Costco took $400 of the Jura Z6. Bought it and have been back with Jura. They fixed the temperature on the drinks and this machine has more programmability vs my old Jura. Flat white is a nice new addition to the machine. I figure with Costco’s return policy, I can return it and buy the semi-auto setup if I’m not happy. I really love coffee.
I love coffee but am pedestrian in my appliances (Encore burr grinder, Ninja drip, stovetop espresso maker). Intelligensia, Blue Bottle, GGET, MADLAB, LaMill, and if I get a great cup of coffee at a cafe I often buy a bag of the beans. The issue for me is tasting notes. I cannot tell anything from reading them. I try to guess by the descriptors and 50% of the time I end up confused. Apples? I was supposed to taste apples? I haven’t a clue what the coffee I like best tastes like, apparently.
Baratza Encore burr grinder here too. I either do pour-over with a Chemex or make cold brew. I love the single origin coffees from Speckled Axe in Portland, Maine. They usually have at least one that I haven’t tried yet, and I’ve been buying from them for quite a few months. Beans are usually roasted the day they mail them out or the day before.
More a tea drinker but any coffee made here is in a Chemex - my father taught me that it was the only acceptable coffee back in the 60s. Beans - currently La Columbe, but varies since there are so many good small sources. Used to help the Specialty Coffee Association with their sustainability programs and the cups at their events ruined most other options for me!
Fun thread, now I’ll need to get a burr grinder. I have a lot of low tech coffee and tea gadgets and +1 Craig on the Nespresso Vertuo (SO South American, and African choices) so I can make a ‘cino. Multiple milk frothers. Aeropress, bialetti moka, French press.
I’m pretty boring…I am way more passionate about wine than coffee. However, it is a daily fixture in my life and I enjoy it. I usually have one cup at home and then take a small thermos to the office. BUT…nothing more fancy than a basic drip machine and good beans. I don’t like light roasts and prefer medium to dark roasts. Yeah, yeah…yak palate, I know.