What’s on your coffee bench?

[NHAero]

Originally Posted by jkbrwn

Which 1Zpresso? It's likely a more capable grinder than your Encore, so I'd keep using that.

Re light roast, generally the rule of thumb is to use as hot a water as possible. I am at around 94c for medium roast espresso and 98c for light roasted filter. The inverted method is so flexible that honestly grind isn't that important, just because you can change brew time to suit the grind size. With that said, watch this video and you should be well on your way. You can very easily use this method inverted, or upright:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6VlT_jUVPc

My 1ZPresso is the most basic one, the JX. That video was great and I can see that there's a serious rabbit hole to go down - thanks! I have been using too low a water temp for one thing...

Thanks very much!
Yours in caffeine,
Marc

[jkbrwn]

Originally Posted by NHAero

My 1ZPresso is the most basic one, the JX. That video was great and I can see that there's a serious rabbit hole to go down - thanks! I have been using too low a water temp for one thing...

Thanks very much!
Yours in caffeine,
Marc

The JX is a great grinder as long as you're not grinding for espresso (that's what the Pro is for - though I think it may have been discontinued now). There are more basic 1ZPresso grinders than that now - including one with a plastic body - the 'Air'.

And yeah - water temp has a huge impact on extraction. I used to work at an office with no kettle (incredibly unusual in the UK), but boiling water taps instead. My coffee always tasted sub par and lackluster. I took a thermometer to work one day and the water coming out was about 82c - and I was used to 95c+ at home, where the coffee tasted way better.

[froze]

Originally Posted by jkbrwn

The JX is a great grinder as long as you're not grinding for espresso (that's what the Pro is for - though I think it may have been discontinued now). There are more basic 1ZPresso grinders than that now - including one with a plastic body - the 'Air'.

And yeah - water temp has a huge impact on extraction. I used to work at an office with no kettle (incredibly unusual in the UK), but boiling water taps instead. My coffee always tasted sub par and lackluster. I took a thermometer to work one day and the water coming out was about 82c - and I was used to 95c+ at home, where the coffee tasted way better.

Those 1Zpresso's are good grinders, but, they're made in China, I try my best not to buy anything made in China if I can avoid it...BUT, I haven't been able to find an equal or better grinder than the 1Zpresso brand, so my arm might be getting twisted to get one this year.

[NHAero]

Originally Posted by froze

Those 1Zpresso's are good grinders, but, they're made in China, I try my best not to buy anything made in China if I can avoid it...BUT, I haven't been able to find an equal or better grinder than the 1Zpresso brand, so my arm might be getting twisted to get one this year.

I think there's one that's as good, it's name escapes me now,I think it was named recently upthread. The question is, even though it's more expensive, is it still made in China?

[jkbrwn]

Originally Posted by froze

Those 1Zpresso's are good grinders, but, they're made in China, I try my best not to buy anything made in China if I can avoid it...BUT, I haven't been able to find an equal or better grinder than the 1Zpresso brand, so my arm might be getting twisted to get one this year.

Comandante's are made in Germany.

I don't want to get political, but there's a spectrum, right? If something is MiC so that's its dirt cheap and made in abhorrent working conditions then yeah - I don't want to support that either. But the most advanced manufacturing in the world is in China so it makes sense to buy stuff that is made there sometimes. I've had this grinder for 3 years and have used it daily. Grind consistency is as good today as it was the day I got it. And its bombproof.

[froze]

Originally Posted by NHAero

I think there's one that's as good, it's name escapes me now,I think it was named recently upthread. The question is, even though it's more expensive, is it still made in China?

Without knowing the brand there is no way to check. Some companies are now refusing to print where something they sell is made because more and more people are trying to avoid made-in-China stuff. So they'll say stuff like engineered in the USA or designed in the USA or made with global components (or say nothing at all), but neither of those terms means it was made in the USA.

So a lot of the time it is impossible not to buy something that was made in China but we can reduce the amount of things we get from them. And the way our legal FTC works "The Buy American Act" requires that a product must “be manufactured in the U.S. of more than 50% U.S. parts to be considered Made in the USA for government procurement purposes, which means the rest could be made anywhere and we would never know where that was.

It's unfortunate that America and China can't get along because we are good for each other, but I can't support a bully who threatens America and small countries around them with nukes and war, I also can't support a country that steals intellectual property or has human rights issues, but human rights issues are more of an internal thing, I'm not sure if that's something outside nations should be involving themselves with.

[C40_guy]

Just ordered a sampling of 4 oz beans from Farm House Roasters.

Looks pretty interesting...

[donevwil]

Originally Posted by C40_guy

Just ordered a sampling of 4 oz beans from Farm House Roasters.

Looks pretty interesting...

Very nice selection of decafs (all I drink), gonna do a similar sampling. Thanks for the link.

[C40_guy]

I'm part way through my Atomic Coffee Roasters order; haven't found exactly what I want. I really liked the Whole Foods Vienna Roast, so I ordered a couple of Vienna roasts from Farm House...

Nice that they have a four oz option...it allowed me to build a nice sampler pack.

[C40_guy]

Originally Posted by jkbrwn

I took a thermometer to work one day and the water coming out was about 82c - and I was used to 95c+ at home, where the coffee tasted way better.

We were in Florida last week staying at a Residence Inn and while I took a small pourover filter holder, I left my kettle at home. Used a sauce pan to boil water. Also not impressed...probably not hot enough.

[jkbrwn]

You'd hope so given they're one of the largest, if not the largest, specialty roaster in the U.S., but I received my first order from Onyx this week. Price to quality ratio is good. Think I was $58 down for these three 10oz bags shipped to my door. No taxes as they're in Arkansas. Have paid that much for two bags in before when buying from a local roaster.

[rockdude]

Originally Posted by jkbrwn

You'd hope so given they're one of the largest, if not the largest, specialty roaster in the U.S., but I received my first order from Onyx this week. Price to quality ratio is good. Think I was $58 down for these three 10oz bags shipped to my door. No taxes as they're in Arkansas. Have paid that much for two bags in before when buying from a local roaster.

If you like these and have not tried Dak or Manhattan, spend a little more and treat yourself. Especially, if you like light roast and like berries and fruit in the cup. To me, they are at another level.

[jkbrwn]

Originally Posted by rockdude

If you like these and have not tried Dak or Manhattan, spend a little more and treat yourself. Especially, if you like light roast and like berries and fruit in the cup. To me, they are at another level.

Sigh.. would love to but I have a real moral issue with ordering coffee from Europe when there's already so many air miles on green coffee when it arrives at the roaster. Next time I'm back in the U.K., I'll maybe order some.

Or maybe I'll just cave and order some anyway because Dak particularly does sound right up my street. Its cliched, but my favorite roaster probably is Tim Wendelboe and Dak sound like they're on the same spectrum as him.

[benb]

I'm always screwing with temperature.

I've noticed if I go to high the coffee is more likely to upset my stomach.

But there is a real delicate balance on flavor too.

Been using 202F/94C lately for light roast pour over, 200F/93C for darker pour over, and going all the way down to 195F/90C for the fairly dark espresso stuff I have right now.

Weirdly some coffee I can go higher on the temp without my stomach complaining.

I think some of the "bad" cafe coffee that always makes me feel ill (e.x. Starbucks drip) must be brewed at a sky high temp for how burnt all that coffee already is in the roast process.

[jkbrwn]

Originally Posted by benb

I'm always screwing with temperature.

I've noticed if I go to high the coffee is more likely to upset my stomach.

But there is a real delicate balance on flavor too.

Been using 202F/94C lately for light roast pour over, 200F/93C for darker pour over, and going all the way down to 195F/90C for the fairly dark espresso stuff I have right now.

Weirdly some coffee I can go higher on the temp without my stomach complaining.

I think some of the "bad" cafe coffee that always makes me feel ill (e.x. Starbucks drip) must be brewed at a sky high temp for how burnt all that coffee already is in the roast process.

Higher temp equals higher extraction which will result in higher caffeine content, so perhaps you're very caffeine sensitive? Wonder what would happen if you brewed a light roast decaf at 98c?