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An Aeropress coffee with some frothed milk tastes pretty decent, maybe not quite a proper latte but better than a Costa imo. If you want to make proper espresso based drinks then you need an espresso machine which along with a grinder will be £600ish new (Gaggia Classic is a good entry level machine). I would try the Aeropress with decent beans to start with and see how you get on.
Wth regards to hand grinding, a good grinder makes a big difference to speed and quality. I had a cheaper ceramic burr grinder which would take minutes but my Aergrind will take less than a minute to grind for an Aeropress and is much more efficient.
I've got an Aeropress and Aergrind, but have so far only tried one Pact coffee and it's meh - must try some more
Well I prefer something horrible with loads of milk really, I’ve got a sweet tooth and I can’t seem to enjoy black coffee… Perhaps that’s because I’ve never had a decent one. Who knows…
Coffee with milk is what I have for breakfast though so I reckon I need the milk..
Then you’ll be grand with an aeropress. The people I know who like long black coffees all use Chemex or V60 and sneer at Aeropress. But I like a bit of hot milk in mine (equal parts coffee to milk) and that seems to suit the Aeropress brew nicely.
Hasbean are great. Order an espresso pack, and add a note and ask them to grind medium-fine for Aeropress.
It’s not super snob level at all, but that strictly for those who drink it black.
Looks like you can get one of the old version of Aergrind's on eBay for £75, bargain
That’s a very good PSA thanks! Ordered one! 😁
Oh dear - I’m on the slippery slope now…..
I’ll add to my comment that I can taste the difference between fresh ground and pre ground (if I buy the same coffee from the same supply as whole beans then ground), but it’s way less important than the coffee itself and how recently it was roasted/ground.
Something decent from Hasbean pre-ground is way nicer to me than even the best supermarket whole beans that were roasted a month or more ago. And Illy always tastes like burnt wood chippings.
I like having a hand grinder but it is a bit of a ball ache. I tend to use it more these days to make poorer beans nicer then get the very best out of better coffee. I’m sure I’d care more if I didn’t put milk in it!
I'm probably in the same boat as you, coffee curious! I got a Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser for xmas as a gift (dont judge me, hot choco is a guilty pleasure of mine!) and added an Aeropress to dip my toe into world of coffee that isn't instant.
I like a milky sweet coffee, so thought this would be a good gateway and so far it is, i've just been trying different pre-ground coffee's to find something i like before getting a grinder and i quite like Brown Bear Blue Mountain, not a bad price and a nice taste. With some warm frothy milk from the 'tiser it makes a pleasant enough Latte type drink, even getting the nod of approval from Mrs F! It's 'good enough' yet still 'special enough' for my uncultured taste buds at the moment, if I want to go deeper into it i can at a later date.
That's a lot of faff if you're then going to ruin it with milk
🤦
Out of interest what do I need if I want the same quality coffee as I get in the cafes?
my cheapo delongi (about £150 i think) does much better coffee than 95% of coffee shops. so much so that i try not to buy coffee out if i can avoid it as most of the time its mank.
hell - even a strong aeropress coffee is better than most cafes.
Hotel Chocolat
Their coffee beans are pretty good.
I much prefer an aeropress to a cafetiere, the coffee tastes smoother. Works well for the office and camping. I have a burr grinder at home so just grind some beans every couple of days to keep supplies topped up. Not a patch on my good old Gaggia classic though.
Hotel chocolat
Their coffee beans are pretty good.
The beans called Oh Hello are quite nice.
Late to this but advice given to me by a mate who has thrown himself into coffee big time.
First he reckons there's no absolute right or wrong as it's personal taste so if you like milk and two sugars then have it like that, and don't listen to anyone that says different. But, if you want the best milk and two.....
In order, he reckons the biggest factors are:
The coffee itself, there's many different varieties and roasts and if you don't like acidic coffees no matter how good it is or how well roasted you won't like it. Try some / many and see what you like (James Hoffmann did a piece covering some of this
The roast - a bad roast can ruin a good coffee. There's lots of good local roasters around and probably a few bad ones as well.
Fresh vs old - not necessarily beans vs ground - if you have a local roaster and can have beans ground for you there and then and you drink enough that it doesn't go stale, compared to something that's sat in a supermarket distribution centre for months.
The brewing method - a bit like the choice of milky vs black though; he reckons it's a taste thing so if you like aeropress or mokka pot then don't get hung up. What he means is how you do THAT brew. So if you're using a self brew as opposed to a machine preset, take care how you do it - Aeropress with boiling water will extract too many bitter flavours - boil the kettle and then add in a splash of cold water first. If you leave the Mokka boiling away on the stove you'll burn it, etc. (We're talking here about 'minor trangressions' clearly, you can absolutely **** up your coffee and put this right to the top of the list)
The grind - some types and machines can be very temperamental but if we're eg: saying we're aeropressing then honestly a blade grinder grinding fresh beans will be OK. He reckons for all the hundreds spent on grinders without addressing the preceding points, that it's not good use of resource. (Note though.... he's not disagreeing that grinding is an important aspect, just where it comes in the hierarchy, and if you've nailed the above then it is worth spending more for better grinder) Plus of course grinding your own is part of the ritual if you're really invested.
Right I’ve ordered some beans to grind, a taster kit of ground beans (AeroPress grind requested) from Hasbean and an old model Aergrind from eBay - not entirely sure what the difference is between the old and new but hey ho. Just waiting for them all to arrive now.
What settings do people use with their Aergrind for an Aeropress? Couple of turns back or more than that?
Out of interest what do I need if I want the same quality coffee as I get in the cafes? Is it even possible without a £3000 machine? Obv it’s a bit bean dependent for taste variations but they clearly just use the same beans for every type (flat white, espresso, americano etc) as there is no choice on offer. For clarity I’m not talking Costa or Starbucks as their coffee isn’t nice – I’m talking places like farm shops and small independent cafes who seem to be able to make delicious coffee mostly. I will ask what exact bean they use when I next visit one I like the taste of but I’m assuming from all the comments it’s not just as simple as buying the same type of beans….
Yeah - I've been on this road for a while now, and have finally cracked-it - my coffee is now better than all but the very best coffee shops here in Sydney. I've gone down quite a few dead-ends! My advice is:
Know what you like. There are lots of different ways to make coffee, and what's important for each has some commonalities, but also some differences. I like Espresso and espresso drinks, as does my wife - so thats what I have focussed on. If what you like is filter/immersion - thats good news as it's significantly easier to get right than espresso. I've tried Nespresso, bean-to-cup, stovetop, Aeropress and pour-over before I realised that what I really wanted was espresso and flat whites, and focussed on that.
In terms of beans - a coffee shop is usually just restricted by the number of grinders it has. Most will just have 2 (one for regular espresso, one for decaf), the grind settings for which are dialled-in each morning, and adjusted over the course of the day, as the hopper is refilled. Some coffee shops might offer a filter brew too - and that will always be a different bean to the one they are using for Espresso.
And that would be my advice in terms of beans - make sure you get one thats suited to your brew method. Generally speaking, lighter roasts are better for pour-over (sorry, not sure about aeropress), vs darker roasts which tend to be heavier, richer and more suited to espresso. Most coffee roasters have their beans marked as such.
Just a note on supermarket beans: It's all about freshness. A medium-dark roast bean is best about 2-4 weeks after roasting. It's obviously fine to drink outside of that - but it just doesn't taste as good. Generally speaking, the darker the roast, the longer the shelf-life. Aldi supermarket beans are excellent though - but I think we have a different type of Aldi (sud) here in the southern hemisphere.
I've heard good things about Monsoon roasters in the UK - I bough my mum a bean-to-cup machine and she really likes them - somebody bought me some ManCoco beans that were pretty good too.
Is it possible to make a coffee as good as your local coffee shop without spending 3000 quid?
Yes - although it depends how good your local coffee shop is. My setup was about half that. I can't compete with somewhere with a Slayer or a Synesso machine (or somewhere with a commercial lever machine) - but can do better than everywhere else. I'm sure some people will think thats an outrageous amount of money, oblivious to the fact they are posting on STW, where new bikes cost multiples of that amount. but unlike bikes, coffee machines/grinders tend to hold their value - I could sell mine tomorrow for what what I paid for it 18 months ago, so it's not real money...... or something.
The coffee itself, there’s many different varieties and roasts and if you don’t like acidic coffees no matter how good it is or how well roasted you won’t like it.
Quite. Everyone complains about 'burnt' coffe, however I like lattes (fight me) and I make them with whole milk. IMO you need a really dark roast to cut through the milkiness, and the result is lovely. It's a world away from Costa's efforts.
If on the other hand you like a long black coffee, then don't get a dark roast.
A bit like the IPA beer market, where everyone is falling over themselves to try to make the hoppiest and bitterest beers, lots of roasters just seem really invested in making really strong dark, heavily roasted beans, and I think that's what folks end up with.
lots of roasters just seem really invested in making really strong dark, heavily roasted beans, and I think that’s what folks end up with.
it’s the opposite here - we are getting lots of really flowery/fruity light roasts - not good for milk drinks (unless you’re some kind of wierdo)
I think most folks get darker roasts because that’s what’s on the supermarket shelves.
it’s the opposite here – we are getting lots of really flowery/fruity light roasts – not good for milk drinks
This is my experience also. The coffees people rave about are really fruity, it seems. I'm not sure how they drink them.
The coffees people rave about are really fruity,
I got an Email from Rave about a new one, said something about cherries & almonds (or something).
Does anyone else just taste coffee or are my taste buds wonky? I'm the same with whiskies, liquorice & cinnamon? No, just a different taste!
Can I train my taste buds?
To me they just taste a bit "flowery". Not a fan personally.
Does anyone else just taste coffee or are my taste buds wonky? I’m the same with whiskies, liquorice & cinnamon? No, just a different taste!
Can I train my taste buds?
To me, this is the difference between a “good” cup of coffee and, well, everything else. In a well made cup of coffee, you absolutely can taste the flavours - assuming the roasters aren’t taking the piss. Some favour notes aren’t supposed to be literal, and are just an indication - but some are. My current beans are “dark chocolate and honeycomb” and you can absolutely taste those things (according to my wife - who hadn’t read the packet).
My finding is that hitting the sweet spot is usually a convergence between bean age and the optimal grind size - most other factors being held as constant as possible
Does anyone else just taste coffee or are my taste buds wonky?
It's your brain, not your tastebuds - probably. If you take a little sip then really think about the flavours then you can start to think of them. The coffee doesn't literally taste like almonds or cherries or whatever, but it has elements that evoke those things. And it's not definitive. One person might detect almonds, another might get salt and vinegar crisps or whatever.
Depends on the brew as well. A well extracted espresso is a very complex thing. My setup is currently pretty erratic (something to do with the grinder) and when it's under-extracted all the interesting flavours aren't there.
One person might detect almonds, another might get salt and vinegar crisps or whatever.
if you are tasting almonds - I think that’s a sign that somebody has slipped some cyanide into your coffee
I blame the cat.
A lot of tasting notes are more general, you might not get grapefruit but you might get a citrus like acidity.
I personally quite like lighter roasted coffee in a latte, it tastes quite different to "normal" coffee (darker roasted and more chocolate/nut notes) but I like it.
Hunda Oli from ManCoCo are one of my favourite
*puts DC1988 on the wierdo list*
We started getting coffee delivered during lockdown when the supermarket was out of stock or off-limits for fear of being breathed on, and I was surprised by a couple of things. Firstly that I thought I would be a manly man and prefer dark roasts, but in fact I don’t, I prefer the fruity flavors of light roasts. Secondly that I can taste the flavors that the tasting notes mention - contrast with wines where I can’t tell one from another. It has opened up a whole world of taste!
Light roasts are better - bumper stickers should be issued!
There is a roaster in italy (Gardelli) with ‘acidity is not a crime’ as their mantra, think they might do T-shirts but not bumper stickers 🙂
Does anyone else just taste coffee or are my taste buds wonky? I’m the same with whiskies, liquorice & cinnamon? No, just a different taste!
Can I train my taste buds?
The Hoffmann video covers some of this. If you just make a cup of coffee and drink it, chances are unless you are right at the extremes of acidity and roasts it's going to taste like coffee.
But comparative tasting of different types side by side, and then you can notice differences.
Kind of like giving you one cup of warm water and asking you if it's hotter
Tesco is offering new range of Lofbergs Swedish coffee that taste rather good.
All for £5 per 450g.
Lofbergs Brazil Medium Roast Ground Coffee 450G
Lofbergs Brazil Coffee Lovers Medium Roast Whole Bean 400G
Lofbergs Organic Dark Roast Ground Coffee 450G
Lofbergs Organic Medium Roast Ground Coffee 450G
Nice heads up Chewk!
Come on then, tell me how best to store the beans/grounds… Any recommendations for a storage canister?
Also how long after grinding before they go stale…?
In a sealable bag that you can squeeze the air out of, at room temperature.
I keep big bags sealed in the freezer and then a smaller tub in the cupboard that gets refilled by the freezer bag. Once ground, the coffee should be used immediately
Come on then, tell me how best to store the beans/grounds… Any recommendations for a storage canister?
Also how long after grinding before they go stale…?
Kind of a question I asked on this thread earlier but had no response.
Rave (probably among others) sell a storage container that purges the air out on sealing, are they worth using?
Yeah you can buy one of those - people like them and they’re relatively cheap ( for something coffee related).
I have a “single dose” grinder, so have a cheaper version of one of these:
https://weberworkshops.com/products/bean-cellar-glass
Nice heads up Chewk!
I have the Lofbergs Organic Dark Roast which is rather good, later on today I am going to buy the rest to try them out.
Alternatively, TK Maxx has some Irish roast Slumber Jack coffee in stock and you can try that too. Make sure you get the one that won the award. Taste rather good but a bit sweet. Better than coffee beans roasted in Italy that has the wrong burnt profile taste (in SE Asia the coffee has burnt profile but they don't taste burnt but aromatic). Slumber Jack is £5 for 500g at TK Maxx which is rather good. They also have the Ugandan coffee beans/ground roasted in Leeds. That too is good. I normally buy coffee in kg if I can as I finish them rather quickly.
I drink a lot of coffee. Normally I tend to brew a litre in the morning with nearly 6 large full table heap spoons of coffee. Then drink two mugs in the morning and the remaining drink it cold.
As for the way I keep coffee beans or ground coffee I can't be arsed with some fancy stuff. Any airtight container will do. Taste remain fine for a week or two. I have frozen coffee that I forgot I had in the freezer for nearly 10 years! Drank it too. Not as good but it's coffee. LOL!
My coffee brewing style is from SE Asia. I tried the cowboy style brewing, Italian espresso style, French press, Vietnamese style dripping etc, all just too much hassle. SE Asia style still the best for me. Nothing fancy. Coffee with/without sugar, no milk.
At night I only drink cheap £2 for 100 bags Lipton yellow tea. Not bad but okay for me because it's cheap.
Come on then, tell me how best to store the beans/grounds… Any recommendations for a storage canister?
Oh ya ... currently I use this fancy container to store my coffee ground/beans.
Tesco Klipfresh Beaker 400Ml I should have bought a few more when they were on sale/promotion (think it was 2 for £2). Now it's £2.75 for one!
I used to store coffee in an airtight Nestle Milo tin like this one. (as for the Milo taste, the one from produced in Singapore taste much better than the one from S.Africa ... same goes to Maggi Curry Noddle - get the one from Malaysia). Yes, we store coffee beans/ground in an airtight tin in SE Asia too. Cheap, cheerful and effective. Nothing goes to waste and environmentally friendly. LOL!
In case no one’s posted this particular vid already, here’s 30 minutes of outrageous Aeropress geekery from The Hoff. Utterly brilliant.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jBXm8fCWdo8&feature=youtu.be
Rave (probably among others) sell a storage container that purges the air out on sealing, are they worth using?
Airscape, I think? I doubt they make much difference but I use one to keep ground espresso as I don’t use it up that fast. There’s a James Hoffman comparison of various containers and IIRC he suggested just keeping the beans in the bag 🙂
I decided they'd be fine in the bag for the 2-3 weeks it takes me to get through them. They do lose some flavour over time but still pleasant to drink.
A quick update.
Yesterday I went, bought and tried the Tesco's Swedish Lofbergs Brazil Medium Roast Ground Coffee 450G (£5). It's a single origin coffee.
I brewed my coffee this morning using 6 table heap spoons of the medium roast ground coffee in 1 litre of water.
For for my taste I find the medium roast rather weak but it is acceptable. Should be fine for most of you that love medium roast but I prefer stronger roast. I find most medium roast regardless of brands are pretty weak tbh. Anyway, the taste is acceptable.
But I still prefer the stronger Lofbergs Organic Dark Roast Ground Coffee 450G.
In case no one’s posted this particular vid already, here’s 30 minutes of outrageous Aeropress geekery from The Hoff. Utterly brilliant.
That bloke is a very "technical" coffee drinker LOL! Good on him. Rather entertaining to see the way he prepared all his coffee. LOL! I wonder how long it takes for him to drink a cup of coffee everyday.
He does a good one on strength, i.e. what makes a coffee "strong". It's interesting as I would suggest most people call a coffee strong if it's a fairly dark roast but it could still be low in caffeine and poorly extracted (or weak if that's how you're measuring).
He is fantastic - taking the nerdiest possible subject and making it engaging and interesting. I love it.
He seemed to take it for granted that you put a whole cup of water in the thing even if you are only making one cup, which is not as per the instructions. I've been making small amounts and diluting it all this time.
Yeah I switched to his aeropress method after trying the diluting thing and inverted and whatever other nonsense people came up with. It's nice that there's lots of ways to experiment and use different methods if you want but it's very simple and makes a nice cup of coffee with minimal fuss.