I used an Elektra Micro Casa a Leva in Waterloo/Toronto until Oct 2023, but I always knew I could get one good shot out of it, and that’s all I have each day. With meticulous work, I could get a second reasonable shot out, and I would sometimes make coffee for visitors in the afternoon/evening, when I wasn’t having any. It’s now on semi-permanent loan to a coffee friend, who in turn lent me the Uniterra Nomad, which I used for the last few months in Canada and the first few weeks in Lisbon (see my Apr 7 post). Hoffman uses it in a video comparing portable espresso machines, and makes a cup with it on the top of a tourist bus moving through Picadilly Circus. Anyway, I wouldn’t buy a lever machine again, despite the years I spent with one, and I don’t think I’d recommend one to anyone else.
I have been using this grinder since August and have been very happy with it. Only annoyance has been static electricity, which spreads the coffee grounds around the kitchen, especially with darker roasts. But now it seems that I have found a solution. Adding a couple of drops of water to the beans before grinding, known widely as the ”Ross Droplet Technique” and studied in the linked article, seems to work very well.
”Granular materials accumulate surface charges through triboelectrification and fractoelectrification—charging resulting from material friction and fracture, respectively. These processes occur during coffee grinding and impact coffee production at both the enthusiast and industrial-length scales. By sourcing commercially roasted coffee as well as roasting our own, we find that roast color and grind coarseness impact the charging; fine, darker roasts acquire charge-to-mass ratios comparable to those inferred from particles in volcanic plumes and thunderclouds. Furthermore, we elucidate the influence of residual internal moisture on electrification, concluding that moisture can tune both the magnitude and polarity of charge. In addition to possible technological applications, we demonstrate that the addition of external water simultaneously suppresses surface charging and clumping of ground coffee and results in notably different flow dynamics in espresso formats, likely yielding markedly different taste profiles and more concentrated extracts.”
https://www.cell.com/matter/fulltext/S2590-2385(23)00568-4
”The inspired reader is encouraged to experiment using the water addition technique but to further include both coffee mass (controlling the brew ratio and resultant strength) and grind setting (controlling flow restriction and resultant contact time) as variables. Wide implementation may reveal that a few simple squirts of water have solved the problems of clumping, channeling, and poor extractions while aiding in the pursuit of attaining the tastiest espresso.”
La Pavoni
I’ve started using a Hario Switch for filter coffee, better results than just filter.
Almost ashamed to post this here (haha) but I am taking some light meds for adhd and I found that I had to switch to decaf or else I got way too stimulated and my heartbeat gets a bit fast.
Not sure if anyone else here just drinks decaf. Probably not. I just wonder if there are any amazing beans for decaf. I found some locally that are not bad but this is a whole new world for me.
What’s interesting is I still get a very mellow boost from decaf.
this post came to mind.
I don’t know if this is sold in the US (where I am) but you could google it. If I don’t drink coffee at full strength there are consequences.
Yeah it’s a big time change for me. I will see if I can source this stuff or some other good beans. Thank you!
If I think of something else I’ll let you know. I seem to remember hearing this was good but I think I just laughed it off as straight edge propaganda.
Stuff that is made with swiss water method is quite good / actually true to the flavor one would expect from a good bean and roast. Chemical methods imo mess with the quality but maybe its just companies using those methods dont give a crap.
I read that Swiss water is the way too. I grabbed some ground coffee with Swiss water but ideally I need to track some beans down.
Sure there are! Nice recent video about decaf:
Key point I learned / recognised: decaf lasts less well than normal, so even more important to check the roast date is in the last few weeks.
This video is great, just watched this a few days ago.
Round Hill decaf is ok too, which is my regular.
I have liked also CO2 processed decafs, also no solvents in the process. Have been drinking this recently:
In my experience, these are better. But they’re harder to find, so I’m glad you have a source.
Rather than chase the elusive perfect decaf (especially when I drink primarily espresso, and was roasting my own beans until recently – roasting decaf is quite tricky), I decided to have only one double espresso a day, first thing in the morning, and to drink herbal tea at other times. (This can be tricky, as I have allergies, but chamomile and rooiboos seem okay so far.)
Jumping in because I see the thread title… but as a complete coffee noob.
I just discovered I like a dark roast. That’s it. That’s all I know!
We’ve got a $30 coffee maker that does its thing but later this year I’m hoping to buy whole beans, grinder, better machine and see what else can be done for a richer flavor.
I mix decaf and caf 50:50 if I want one more cup of coffee than usual. I found a combo from my local roaster which tastes great.
For the decaf… is it because you crave the taste in the afternoons?
Trying to cut back?
So I have been getting beans for my espresso from the same places I have been getting my beans for pour overs (black and white, onyx, passenger, sweet boom, etc.). I try to select the darker blends or the ones they recommend for espresso, but have never been totally happy with the results no matter what I did.
So I finally ordered some beans specifically blended for Italian-style espresso from Vivace in Seattle. Dolce and Vita. Dialed in a ristretto shot of the Dolce and it is amazing, so much better than any other espresso I have ever had.
I wish more specialty roasters would do blends for espresso like this instead of fancy single origins that are honestly just way better for pour-overs. Once tried a really funky anaerobic natural coffee for espresso and almost died lol.
Here in Lisbon even the roasts from smaller roasters that claim to be for espresso are under-roasted for my taste. Then there are the traditional espresso roasts which taste burnt to me. I can’t find anything in town that comes close to what I used to roast for myself, and have taken to ordering the Neunbar blend from Elbgold in Hamburg, which I found after talking to them personally while visiting the city, and telling them what I used to do. I can buy new roasting equipment here but there is no substitute for my former highly-curated source of green coffee beans in California…
If I drink coffee too late in the day it stops me sleeping properly. I have a friend who can drink all day and night and it has no effect on him.