In praise of the Aeropress

[Renée Profile]

No I haven't tried Lavazza Rosso, but I see that they have the beans in Waitrose. What kind of coffee maker do you use?

[hungryhousewife Profile]

I have a little Gaggia Classic machine, which is good. We have had it since November, but the previous one we had for 10 years, which when you consider that we live in a very hard water area, is very good in this day and age!

If we have a crowd, I use a caffetiere.

HH

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I like Lavazza Rosso, much nicer than Illy (over roasted, over hyped & over priced for my taste)

My favourite of the "standard" brands I think is Segafreddo

I tend to buy my beans either from the local Italian deli (unbranded) or from The Algerian Coffee Stores on Old Compton Street (they do mail order), at the moment I am back on my old favourite, Veluto Nero (black velvet) but I have some Monsooned Malabar to try

I've been going there off & on for over 40 years.

http://www.algcoffee.co.uk/

[Renée Profile]

It looks a neat machine, HH. I was tempted by an Aeropress after Sakkarin enthusiastically talked about his, but I'll stick with my simple over the mug gold filter method and I have a double-walled stainless steel cafetiere.

I opened the link, Sue and it said "File not found". I should be able to find it online.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I like Lavazza Rosso, much nicer than Illy (over roasted, over hyped & over priced for my taste)

My favourite of the "standard" brands I think is Segafreddo

I tend to buy my beans either from the local Italian deli (unbranded) or from The Algerian Coffee Stores on Old Compton Street (they do mail order), at the moment I am back on my old favourite, Veluto Nero (black velvet) but I have some Monsooned Malabar to try

I've been going there off & on for over 40 years.

http://www.algcoffee.co.uk/

Corrected - it just had a stray full stop in there

[Renée Profile]

Thanks Sue. Got it! Lovely website.

[Sakkarin Profile]

Just opened down the road from me, roast their own coffee, although a bit expensive. I doubt they'll last, Watford is such a cultural graveyard, unless their online sales take off.

Fancy trying them, but I've still got a cupboardfull of beans to get through from that last splurge.

http://www.vientocoffee.co.uk/#!coffee/cfvg

[Sakkarin Profile]

Not coffee, but tea - but either way I don't think i'll bother with one of these Heston machines. It also makes me slightly worried about the Heston coffee-making products, the grinder of which I'd even considered, although still a hefty price tag.

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle ... blumenthal

[Stokey Sue Profile]

The tea maker seems entirely unnecessary

I have a Chatsford teapot, you take the tea holder out when it has brewed then every cup is the same, simple, same basic premise but much easier



The prices of the new coffee store are higher than those in Algerian Coffee Stores, so yes very pricey, and while you expect a premium price in places that roast on the premises (which the Alg doesn't) you'd think the difference between Soho and Watford would more than outweigh that

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

tell me please.
Is it worth getting the aero press for every morning coffee - 2 or 3 cups first thing?

Or should I get this from Lakeland: http://www.lakeland.co.uk/70560/Lakelan ... ee-Machine


I thought the Aerop was an expensive electric gadget. But saw one at a friend's house that isn't getting used.
Why doesn't she use it, even though they like the thing? They said it was a faff.

I've just smashed my single mug size cafetiere, and rather than buying another, wondered if I should rethink my morning coffee approach.

[Lusciouslush Profile]

AhHa Grillers - I see you've got back in touch with your coffee side again......!

That's a dinky gadget from L'side there - but did you see the reviews? Some not so good.

I use the aeropress - it's not faffy at all once you get in the swing of it - it's quick, very simple to use & clean up & makes a cracking coffee - you have to experiment a bit getting the right one ( coffee) have a read up-thread.

[Sakkarin Profile]

I think your french press gave up the ghost because it knew it couldn't face up to a head-to-head with Aeropress...

Much less bother, easier to clean (practically no cleaning as the grounds make a virtually dry puck which pops straight into the bin), better coffee. Remember I have been going to the additional trouble of grinding the beans each time, and have used up a whole pack of 350 filters over the course of a year, even though I have a cafetiere, an expensive expresso maker and a pretty decent percolator in the loft...

I just did a test using pre-ground coffee and a freshly boiled kettle of water, it took 1.75 minutes to make the coffee, and 2.5 minutes in total including running the kit under the tap. Even with grinding by hand it is just under 5 minutes. Honestly, I look at my redundant cafetiere now and wonder why anyone would bother. I never made a cup of coffee as good with it as the Aeropress one I am now drinking, and made with cheap and cheerful coffee beans, not one of the exotic blends I've got to hand.

I will say however that I'm sure anyone watching me make the coffee would say it's a faff - I have a little corner of the worktop put aside for all the bits and pieces.


EDIT: Sue, your comment on the teamaker prompted me to dig out my Bodum teapot. One disgusting cup of dishwater later, it went straight back in the cupboard

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Aeropress it shall be then.
Thanks for the recommendations - very helpful. I might even grind my own beans .... bzzzzzz bzzzzzzz.

Indeed Lushblush.
Whilst I'm still liking the buttermint tea specifically & the hibiscus leaf brew served from my funky tea-genie.
It does not replace the dusty joy that is my morning cup of coffee.

[Sakkarin Profile]

And don't forget, Kavey's bloke swears by it too...

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=2917#p37756

(Covering my backside in case you get it and decide it IS a faff - I'll blame him...)

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I certainly prefer Aeropress to cafetiere, and it's a really practical way of making one cup at a time

I don't use mine as much as I did because the thing it doesn't do is replicate espresso, which is my preferred coffee, so I use a DeLonghi espresso machine

I've given up on th stovetop moka pots, fiddly and very difficult for me as I don't have the right grip to do them up accurately. You can get little trivet thingies to make them sit on the gas safely, I had one from Whittards years ago

Incidentally, reporting back on the DeLonghi burr grinder the first one died after a week, in retrospect the main switch was a dud. I love it, now I've got it set right I just touch the button and get the right amount of perfectly ground coffee for my two morning cups of Americano

[Sakkarin Profile]

Which model is it?

Just storing this video for future reference if it's this one...

[Stokey Sue Profile]

That link doesn't work for me Sakkarin

[Sakkarin Profile]

It's a KG79, here's the YouTube video direct...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rf43mq-xmm8

EDIT: Anither article on modifying, the "screw heads" comment looks intriguing, there's a better mod suggested in the comments section than removing and supergluing....

[Stokey Sue Profile]

It's a KG79, here's the YouTube video direct...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rf43mq-xmm8

EDIT: Anither article on modifying, the "screw heads" comment looks intriguing, there's a better mod suggested in the comments section than removing and supergluing....

Sorry that's utter b****x IMO
That is indeed the machine, it works fine without messing around in order to invalidate the warranty it is capable of grinding finer than commercially ground espresso coffees as supplied

In fact I get a slightly finer and certainly more even grind than supplied when ground in the shop on their heavy duty macines

If you wanted the talc fine grind for Turkish coffee it might struggle

[kavey Profile Website]

And don't forget, Kavey's bloke swears by it too...

http://carta.co.uk/foodforum/viewtopic. ... 917#p37756

(Covering my backside in case you get it and decide it IS a faff - I'll blame him...)

Ha haaaaaaaaaa just saw this, Sakkarin!