[Muenchener]

I was indeed thinking about that, but have never used / removed a doser so wasn't sure how much hassle that might be.

[psychomansam]

Using a doser might well be annoying. The main issue would be keeping it clean and thus avoiding stale coffee grounds in your coffee. They're designed for high volume use. For home use, they're just a pain.

Removing the doser will probably be easy. Most probably 2-4 screws. This will then most likely result in a spout pointing straight out. That isn't a problem for grinding into an aeropress, filter, or another container. It's annoying if you want to grind straight into a portafilter for espresso, and in such cases, people tend to adapt a nozzle onto the end. (Tin foil or something more permanent!) Being a purist, I didn't want a nozzle, as without one you can more easily remove stale grounds from the grinder -  a few normally sit in the flat bit of the grinder before the nozzle.

[Fultonius]

I got a Expobar semi commerical one of ebay for £70 and it's really finely tunable and consistent. Big ugly brute of a thing though ha!

[SA Chris]

The things that come up in conversation in the office; I'd never heard of this before!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kopi_Luwak

[Fultonius]

I heard an interview with the first British person to "introduce" the UK to that shite. At the time he thought he was pretty cool, but now he totally regrets it as they basically keep the civit cats in cages and force feed them coffee cherries.

I'd recommend never buying it.

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2013/sep/13/civet-coffee-cut-the-crap

[SA Chris]

Yeah that wiki references "free range" civet poo coffee vs "battery farmed" stuff. I wouldn't touch it regardless. Drinking something made from what's been eaten by something once already has limited appeal.

[Fultonius]

I'm either inspired, or having an early 30s "mid life crisis".  I've been roasting my own beans for a while in a £10 popcorn popper. Sometimes it's great, other times not so but I'm keen to learn more and have some plans simmering away in the back of my mind about doing it semi or fully commercially in the future.

So, I've made an investment into this vague plan by getting myself some decent equipment. Firstly, a professional level espresso machine: 



And, secondly a more consistent and controllable roaster:



If anyone wants my old Gaggia Espresso Pure I'll be parting with it for the going rate (minus UKB discount).

 

[Fultonius]

I got a Expobar semi commerical one of ebay for £70 and it's really finely tunable and consistent. Big ugly brute of a thing though ha!

On re-reading this I realised that it wasn't actually that informative!  The grinder I have is actually a re-badged Cunill Tranquilo. It's semi commercial with 60mm burrs and a 270w motor and it's doserless. It has a spout that fires the coffee straight into the portafilter (or receptacle of choice). The only downsides so far are:

Ugliness / size
2-3g of coffee get stuck in in the chute - I clear this with a small brush at the last shot of a session
Lack of numbers on the grind dial (hard to remember which setting it was on if you switch between french press and espresso etc.

Otherwise, it makes a very consistent, fine and repeatable grind.

[Muenchener]

I considered going down the used commercial grinder road, but then found a decent deal on ebay for an Ascaso i1, which got decent reviews so I went for it.

Seems to work. There's more static than with my old grinder, and a bit of ground coffee gets stuck in the chute at the end of the grind and has to be brushed out later. And it took a bit of trial and error with the stepless adjustment to find a setting that wasn't so fine it clogged my filter.

[Fultonius]

Nice. It's a good feeling when you get past the learning curve and it all goes "aahhh". I can see why so many people dispense with all the faff and get a nespresso.

[fatdoc]

Ok, don't kill me here...

Instead of spending a fair few 100... If not more...

I bought an aero press.

Darn, for what it is.. It makes a fine coffee.. For a Luddite who just wants a quick shot before stumbling out of the house every morning. ( I only drink one coffee a day before going out every morning) its a marvel... Got to be careful though... If you put too much in it.. It's just toooo much. Spent one morning this week feeling off my tits..

[tomtom]

+1 for the aero press..

I have a nespresso machine at home and a bean to cup machine at work - which both (on balance) make a better cup - but for £20 it's great - simple and not messy.  (My tip is to draw the plunger back up a little after pressing - then you can undo the cap at the bottom and the filter and grounds have been drawn back into the syringe - as it where - then push it back through into the bin)

[Muenchener]

I used an aeropress for a while then switched to a Hario filter. I find both good and see no need to spend large amounts of money on impressive-looking machines (that I would then have to learn how to use properly)

[moose]

Re the aeropress, I use the inverted method - not because of any flavour considerations but because you end up with less leaks or explosions of coffee if you make a mistake putting the plunger in.  Details here (or in innumerable coffee nerd youtube vids):

http://ineedcoffee.com/upside-aeropress-coffee-brewing-tutorial/

[fatdoc]

I'm over that, like a rash. Nice one.

[fatboySlimfast]

Inverted is the way, coffee in press and  let water temp drop to stop scolding and then let stand and boom into cup. beans, grinder, press and into  to cup and out the door in less than 8 minutes!

[Sasquatch]

Inverted is the way, coffee in press and  let water temp drop to stop scolding and then let stand and boom into cup. beans, grinder, press and into  to cup and out the door in less than 8 minutes!

F-me 8minutes!!  What're you taking a toilet break midway.  I guess the limiter is how long to get hot water. 

I use mine at work and in 5 minutes I can make my coffee and a bagel egg sandwich.
Put water on(only amount needed), Dice onions and green peppers, bagel in toaster, microwave eggs with onions and peppers-2min, Grind coffee, put coffee in aeropress, slice avacado, bagel on plate, water in aeropress, eggs and avacado on bagel,  Press coffee, and back at desk working at UKB site in under 5 minutes.   

If I hand grind it does take a bit longer...

I love my aeropress

[andy_e]

Whoa, you had me until "microwave eggs".

[tomtom]

Whoa, you had me until "microwave eggs".

Works great - try it when you get home - just pop one in whole.

[andy_e]

Fortunately I don't have a microwave so I won't be able to fall for your prank...

[tomtom]

Fortunately I don't have a microwave so I won't be able to fall for your prank...

It's very quick and effective at scrambling...

[Sasquatch]

You think I jest.  I'd never think about it for anything other than a scramble with goodies (cheese, onions, salsa, etc.) or on a sandwich.  But it's fast and it works.....

My preferred home method is eggs au cocotte, but that's a bit tough at work.  I wonder if you could make them in a toaster oven 

[Fultonius]

Meunchener, I also have a Hario V60 and think it's great. I would never have bought those machines for home use - ludicrous!  Sooo good though! 

[shurt]

Well I finally got hold of a second hand Gaggia Classic and after a bit of practice am getting really great coffee out of it.   I would highly recommend it as an entry level machine. The person I got it from had upgraded to a Rancilio machine (the next rung up the ladder in effect) and he said he couldn't really tell a massive difference between the two.
Hopefully that wasn't sales chat.
The milk takes a bit of practice (I like a flat white sort of drink) but I'm starting to get a pretty amazing cup at home which is currently a big novelty to me.

[the_dom]

I bought an aero press.

I have 4 or 5 different methods of making coffee at home, from the Rok Hand Press to a French press to a Bialetti stove top and others, and the Aeropress is the one I use every day.