Why would allergies prevent you from grinding your own coffee beans?

 

Not really. Using the same ground stuff you use now it's going to be way better than the drip machine. I used to grind my own, but then experimented with preground for days I was running late and realized the difference isn't worth the 3 minutes of turning that crank by hand.

 

I tend to sneeze a lot when coffee shops are grinding beans.

 

I know a few people who use french presses and just get fresh beans each week at trader joes or somewhere with a nice grinder.

 

So a mild update:

I am loving the aeropress.

Been trying all sorts of different coffee/beans/roasts, and experimenting with different temps, different brewing methods, proportions, etc. Tried many of the Peet's beans, and some fancy Cona or Kona or however it's spelled.

We also picked up a Bialeti Moka-Pot, and also love the little thing. Really delicious coffee if you do it right.

About to order a manual burr grinder too, since most electric ones at the stores suck and I don't want to spend 300+ for a proper one.

I'm really getting into this stuff

 

We've also been enjoying our Aeropress. We've been using it exclusively for the last month.

We use fresh roasted beans from our local yokel coffee shop / roaster.

I won't say it's the absolute darned best cup o joe I've ever had but it sure does make a good cup of coffee.

We use the inverted method and brew at 180F.

We're using a cheap crappy electric grinder...that's probably our next biggest opportunity for improvement.

Yay good coffee

 

Yeah blade grinders are supposedly turrible.
Also I disagree with most that say the grind should be just above drip coffee (coarse).
I make it as thin as the machine can possibly grind it, espresso/powder like, it's richer that way. If 180* I do inverted and "brew" for about 3-4 minutes. If hotter (at work don't really have time to cool it off) then about 1 minute and still inverted.

Have you tried the Vietnamese coffee/method? with condensed milk, and using their own funky version of a "press". The press is only a few bucks, and results are DELICIOUS.

 

It's funny cause we ran out of the good stuff (fresh Peets) and wife got some crappy walmart pre-ground coffee yesterday just to drink until I pick up more of the good stuff.

This morning she texts me saying "OMG how did we drink this garbage before? I was wondering who pissed into my coffee cup, it's that bad. I need the good stuff"

We're coffee snobs now, I guess

 

We've used this grinder for a few years now. Very consistent.

 

Does it not make a mess?

This is our grinder we have now that we got from our FIL:

pretty decent, but super loud and super heavy, and the worst part:
MAKES A MESS.

I mean, the powder gets all static-ey, and when you take out the little cubby and pour it out, it just flies everywhere. You simply cannot get the grinds out of the cubby and into the press without having to wipe down the counter afterwards. That's my biggest gripe.

It's also why I ordered a really compact manual burr grinder that is cylinder shaped.

 

No. I usually tap the receptacle a couple times before I remove it (to knock the loose coffee grinds off the walls). The "chute" area (eg, where the receptacle goes) gets dirty since a few grinds will always get knocked loose after you remove the receptacle, but that's easy to wipe down every few days with a wet papertowel.

Beyond that...nothing to speak off. Every couple weeks I'll remove the top bin and pull the metal burr out to wash off any oil.

 

interdasting. does the bottom cubby that pulls out have a lid?

 

Nope, no lid. Just an open plastic bin.

 

That may be the biggest problem with ours I guess

 

I havent used the habrio grinder in a while. Because lazy. Whatever this south american espresso grind that the super market has is pretty decent, especially in the coffee vault. I also do espresso grind for the aeropress, because it filters fine.

 

We got this one a couple months ago and love it. It probably doesn't pass the coffee snob certificate of greatness. It does grind coffee pretty well. I tend to just rinse out the filter/coffee grounds parts in the evening when I get home and make sure it has water and enough beans in it before bed. The wife gets up and out about 45min before I do. She just gets out of bed, hits start, and poof coffee a few minutes later. There is a timer, but we forget to turn it off for lazy sleep in sundays. I will say it ain't quiet. I sleep through it and/or I got use to it.

 

Doesn't look too bad. My two areas of concern would be how much plastic is used internally, and how hot it gets the water prior to brewing.

 

The grinder is metal, but the post grind shoots are plastic and high temp silicone. I'll see if I can get a temp probe in it this week and see what the water gets to.

 

Datalog is only half the story, dont forget to post the MSQ

 

Pfffft. You jest.

The only reason I haven't put a PID on my espresso machine is that I don't want to ruin the aesthetics of it with a giant project box.

Also. The gal saw this thread and found it fitting that guys who geek out on Miatas and turbos are geeking out on coffee as well.