What’s on your coffee bench?

[merlinmurph]

Originally Posted by lavi

I just nabbed a Baratza Encore for the morning duties. I make drip coffee (Bunn).

Same here, using b3ans from a local roaster (Armeno) and an Aeropress.

I'm new to this, having used mostly store brand coffee and electric drip in the past. Still fiddling with my setup, trying to find what I like. Good stuff, though.

[muttley]

I've been drinking Kicking Horse 454 Horse Power coffee recently and really like it brewed both using drip and Aeropress.

Question for those Aeropress guru's, how to get crema? I've seen some videos and read some articles, tried a few different methods including inverted but can't get much of any crema, what's your method?

[jkbrwn]

Originally Posted by muttley

I've been drinking Kicking Horse 454 Horse Power coffee recently and really like it brewed both using drip and Aeropress.

Question for those Aeropress guru's, how to get crema? I've seen some videos and read some articles, tried a few different methods including inverted but can't get much of any crema, what's your method?

Said this a couple of times but the aeropress really isn't a device that does this well. Yes, it was 'designed' to make espresso-like drinks but it's widely agreed that it is a great filter coffee maker, not an espresso maker. With that said, if you really want crema, you need pressure. Lots of it. So you'll need a finer grind than you've got (which likely means a shorter brew time to avoid over extraction).

Or, you could buy a Fellow Products Prismo, which is essentially a valve that assists with the build up of pressure.

But yeah... in all honesty, if you want proper crema, you want a device capable of making espresso, not an aeropress.

[robertbb]

Originally Posted by lavi

I just nabbed a Baratza Encore for the morning duties.

Likewise.

Just sold my Breville Dual Boiler and Smart Grinder combo. Replaced with a Baratza Encore, Fellow Corvo EKG, and a 350ml stainless steel dual wall plunger.

And have $400 left over to buy bike stuff with.

[jh_on_the_cape]

How much difference will PID make to my Gaggia classic? I am sort of overwhelmed with internet info on this. I am satisfied with the espresso but am wondering. Or just save up for something like a rocket apartamento.

I sent, and then received as a gift a Mistobox subscription which is pretty cool. I got 6 month so will get 6 coffee chosen for me. I got Verve decaf and the roast date was 3 days before I pulled it from my mailbox!

It's a great gift for someone who loves coffee and has everything. It's not an amazing deal, but not overpriced.

And if it's OK... here is a coupon code for $10 if you do it. I get $10 if you use it so more coffee for me. Full disclosure.

http://mbox.coffee/BSL7

I have been doing well with 50/50 decaf/caf and mixing myself at home.

[charliedid]

Originally Posted by jh_on_the_cape

How much difference will PID make to my Gaggia classic? I am sort of overwhelmed with internet info on this. I am satisfied with the espresso but am wondering. Or just save up for something like a rocket apartamento.

I sent, and then received as a gift a Mistobox subscription which is pretty cool. I got 6 month so will get 6 coffee chosen for me. I got Verve decaf and the roast date was 3 days before I pulled it from my mailbox!

It's a great gift for someone who loves coffee and has everything. It's not an amazing deal, but not overpriced.

And if it's OK... here is a coupon code for $10 if you do it. I get $10 if you use it so more coffee for me. Full disclosure.

http://mbox.coffee/BSL7

I have been doing well with 50/50 decaf/caf and mixing myself at home.

PID?

thanks

[simplemind]

Originally Posted by charliedid

PID?

thanks

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)

PID- A proportional–integral–derivative controller (PID controller or three-term controller) is a control loop mechanism employing feedback that is widely used in industrial control systems and a variety of other applications requiring continuously modulated control. A PID controller continuously calculates an error value.

[jkbrwn]

Originally Posted by jh_on_the_cape

How much difference will PID make to my Gaggia classic? I am sort of overwhelmed with internet info on this. I am satisfied with the espresso but am wondering. Or just save up for something like a rocket apartamento.

I sent, and then received as a gift a Mistobox subscription which is pretty cool. I got 6 month so will get 6 coffee chosen for me. I got Verve decaf and the roast date was 3 days before I pulled it from my mailbox!

In response to the question above, in this scenario it regulates temperature. Adding a PID to a Classic will definitely make a difference, but at what, $200? I may be inclined to put that towards a 'nicer' machine/grinder further down the road. Not that there is anything at all wrong with a Classic, but $200 is just a lot when a built in PID machine, like the Lelit Anna, can be had for $629.

I also have a bag of Verve's Decaf and was suitably impressed. I'd never drunk decaf up until two weeks ago but it's very nice indeed. Would buy again.

[glepore]

It will make a real difference. The Classic is an excellent machine at its pricepoint if you don't make milk drinks. Machines with a e61 or heated group (ie the bdb etc) are certainly a step up, but not drastically.

As to the question about what a PID is, the answer above helps. Its advantage is that it "learns" how to anticipate the need for heat and the amount of overshoot when you turn the heater on/off such that it controls temperature much better than a simple thermostat. A thermostat often has a swing of several degrees on either side of the setpoint, where a pid is tenths of a degree.

[jpritchet74]

Originally Posted by jh_on_the_cape

How much difference will PID make to my Gaggia classic? I am sort of overwhelmed with internet info on this. I am satisfied with the espresso but am wondering. Or just save up for something like a rocket apartamento.

It's all about if you are going to make milk drinks or not. The espresso from my Gaggia Classic and my Profitec Pro500 are about the same. To me, the difference between the Classic and a HX machine are the ability to brew and steam at the same time. Also the steam is so much better on the HX machine.

[LongtailRider]

Originally Posted by jh_on_the_cape

How much difference will PID make to my Gaggia classic? I am sort of overwhelmed with internet info on this. I am satisfied with the espresso but am wondering. Or just save up for something like a rocket apartamento.



I sent, and then received as a gift a Mistobox subscription which is pretty cool. I got 6 month so will get 6 coffee chosen for me. I got Verve decaf and the roast date was 3 days before I pulled it from my mailbox!



It's a great gift for someone who loves coffee and has everything. It's not an amazing deal, but not overpriced.



And if it's OK... here is a coupon code for $10 if you do it. I get $10 if you use it so more coffee for me. Full disclosure.



http://mbox.coffee/BSL7



I have been doing well with 50/50 decaf/caf and mixing myself at home.

I just added a PID last week and I was honestly astonished by the improvement in my espresso quality. I might have been able to achieve similar results with temperature surfing, but this particular PID also has pre-infusion programming available.

The only other changes from the stock Gaggia are a bottomless portafilter and a VST basket.

This Auber kit uses the same improved temperature sensor at the bottom of the boiler for both espresso and steam. It's programmed to turn the heater on as soon as frothing starts, which gives the steam wand a healthy boost.

So far, I've only tinkered with the pre-infusion timing parameters. The factory defaults for espresso temp and steam temp have been good enough for my tastes.

Pretty happy with this setup for a single boiler. Now I need to look towards a better grinding situation...



Sent from my SM-G970U1 using Tapatalk

[jh_on_the_cape]

Originally Posted by LongtailRider

I just added a PID last week and I was honestly astonished by the improvement in my espresso quality. I might have been able to achieve similar results with temperature surfing, but this particular PID also has pre-infusion programming available.

The only other changes from the stock Gaggia are a bottomless portafilter and a VST basket.

This Auber kit uses the same improved temperature sensor at the bottom of the boiler for both espresso and steam. It's programmed to turn the heater on as soon as frothing starts, which gives the steam wand a healthy boost.

So far, I've only tinkered with the pre-infusion timing parameters. The factory defaults for espresso temp and steam temp have been good enough for my tastes.

Pretty happy with this setup for a single boiler. Now I need to look towards a better grinding situation...



Sent from my SM-G970U1 using Tapatalk

How tough was the install?

[jh_on_the_cape]

Originally Posted by pritchet74

It's all about if you are going to make milk drinks or not. The espresso from my Gaggia Classic and my Profitec Pro500 are about the same. To me, the difference between the Classic and a HX machine are the ability to brew and steam at the same time. Also the steam is so much better on the HX machine.

I make cappuccino but only for one person so wait is tolerable

[crankles]

IMHO a PID is the best upgrade you can buy for a single boiler machine. I added one to my old Silvia about a decade ago. It was a simple install as it came with really good step by step instructions.

It's biggest advantage is consistency. I would get really-nice shots 70% of the time by surfing...that bumped up to 95% with a PID.

[johnnylarue]

I’ve been around the coffee block a few times, doing the home barista dance since 2010 or so.

My first “real” machine was a tiny Arrarex Caravel manual lever from the 60s. Still pulls some of the most amazing ristrettos you’ll find anywhere and sports some of the finest mid-century industrial design I’ve ever encountered. (The entire machine can be disassembled by hand, right down to the boiler element, zero tools required.)
DDD6E2C8-0A71-4A3B-A287-4CE00EC80D66.jpeg

I’ve since been through an array of pump-driven machines, but recently pared my setup down to a bomb-proof old ‘79 La Pavoni Professional I scored for $200 on craigslist and a manual grinder. I’m a huge fan of the quietness, control and easy maintenance of the manual lever + grinder combo, and the results in the cup speak for themselves.

Anyway, I don’t really need to pull more than a couple of shots a day anymore, and this handsome old codger handles the task with aplomb.
876C5BDE-2097-4A96-9747-947FC16D9A3A.jpg