Ship of Fools: Coffee Machines

Thread: Coffee Machines Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by simontoad (# 18096) on :

I used to laugh at George Clooney and his Nespresso ads. "Ha Ha Ha", I said to myself, "I will never consume coffee in this expensive and over-packaged way. You are a damn fool, George Clooney, a damn fool... but I did like your turn in O Brother Where Art Thou, a film that bought Bluegrass music and Gillian Welsh into my life. I'll give you that, but I've got my eye on you."

Then, my mother-in-law bought a cheap machine from Aldi, not realising that it only made short blacks, and she didn't like short blacks. I like short blacks, and I'm not talking about James Brown here. How the hell did he get up off of that thing in those heels?

So she gave me the coffee machine, and I got a good two years out of it before it sprung a major leak and has to be shot. I decided that I wouldn't buy another Aldi machine, because there was no Aldi near me, so I bought one from my local supermarket.

Now, maybe a year later, the tray where you put the pod is getting sticky, so sticky that it took all of my caffeine-deprived strength to pull it open. I can see that in the very near future, I am going to either have to replace this machine or go back to plungers.

At present I drink flat whites, but I don't mean Tilda Swinton, who did a great turn in one of my favourite films, Orlando, all the way back in 1992. I heat up maybe a third of a cup of milk, then pour the short black from the machine into the cup. It is heavenly, but it costs $13AUD for 10 pods, and about $100 for the machine. For $13 I'd have 500 grams of top quality ground coffee and some change, or 500 grams of feel-good free trade coffee that is eminently drinkable. Don't go back to the early 2000's and get the free trade instant coffee. The guy in charge of supplies at my theology school did that. The stuff was poison. I switched to tea. The machine (ie plunger) costs maybe $2AUD and only breaks if you drop it on a floor that doesn't have cork tiles on it. We have cork tiles, and I have plungers for every occasion.

So from a cost perspective, and a moral perspective, plunger free trade coffee is the way to go. Coffee has been a moral issue from day one. Apart from the whole taking people's lives and land thing, the actual slavery on the plantations, and the economic slavery of the last few centuries.... I'm not going to get into that, I think it's a given that the production of coffee has been morally indefensible for centuries.

I am sitting here with my empty coffee cup beside me. When I sniff I get a whiff of that sublime milk coffee smell. I have no idea what I am going to do.

[ 06. April 2016, 02:21: Message edited by: simontoad ]

Posted by Demas (# 24) on :

Are you near a stove? Moka pots are very cheap, can use bulk bought ground coffee of your choice and create espresso like coffee which can easily be mixed with hot milk.

Posted by Humble Servant (# 18391) on :

I use an Aeropress and find it makes the best coffee possible. Not cheap for what it is, and it does use a lot of ground coffee per cup (15g - which is perhaps why it tastes so good). Tassimo manage to get a half decent cup out of 2/3 of the amount of coffee, but then you have to throw away a chunk of plastic and foil every time, which bothers me. Yes it gets recycled, but it's still waste.

[edit for typos]

[ 06. April 2016, 04:32: Message edited by: Humble Servant ]

Posted by Schroedinger's cat (# 64) on :

I use a stove-top pot, and but fair-trade ground coffee. Nice coffee, ethical qualms sated, and price is reasonable, I think (I don't calculate the price but I buy my coffee in bulk. About £50 for 12 packs, and I get 10 cups per pack maybe. I like my coffee strong).

The pot is cheap (£15 - £20) and reliable (no moving parts). And the coffee is good.

Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :

It's hard to answer this without becoming Heavenly, but I use this Italian percolator-thingy.

Posted by Not (# 2166) on :

I've just ordered one of These stainless steel refillable pods for exactly the reasons you describe (the pod machine is expensive, environmentally crap but makes lovely coffee). Will let you know how well it works when it arrives.

Posted by Eutychus (# 3081) on :

hosting/

quote:
Originally posted by LeRoc:
It's hard to answer this without becoming Heavenly

Nespresso-like, let me make this easier for y'all. What else?

/hosting

[ 06. April 2016, 07:55: Message edited by: Eutychus ]

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :

My son uses one of these by Rocket. It makes amazing coffee.

I can't afford one!

Posted by LucyP (# 10476) on :

As an instant coffee drinker, I have started to ask questions about what constitutes good coffee, with the aspiration of becoming able to offer hospitality to those who are connoisseurs.

One keen coffee drinker of my acquaintance has a coffee machine (a gift) which is mostly unused (except when the giver comes to visit). He swears by both plungers (cafetieres) and even more by the Aeropress, but says the vital step is to grind the beans (selected for their quality) within 10 minutes of making the coffee. Anything else to him is substandard due to evaporation of flavour. And both the type of beans, and the grind, are different for the Aeropress versus the plunger.

Posted by Snags (# 15351) on :

The 'pod' systems all tend to make my environmental conscience very twitchy, leaving aside the rapacious cost.

Mrs Snags and I have therefore offered for fair trade ground coffee and a filter machine. Previously we had a filter machine that also did espresso, but I'm not a huge espresso drinker, and am too lazy to mess about with it for each cup, so something that makes 10 cups/5 mugs of pleasant coffee in one hit is a boon.

Posted by Tubbs (# 440) on :

We buy fair trade coffee and have two presses - a massive one for when we have visitors and a small one for when it's just us. Frankly, I'd just get a press. The coffee's fine, not fancy, but it is good coffee. There's not much waste, no complicated washing up and the glass beakers can be replaced if they break.

I won't have one of those pod things as the pods can't be recycled and they don't biodegrade. And it's Nestle. I don't buy Nestle. [Razz]

As well as blooming expensive and a space hog. (My kitchen is tiny. I have the only Manse in the world with a tiny kitchen!)

Tubbs

[ 06. April 2016, 10:39: Message edited by: Tubbs ]

Posted by L'organist (# 17338) on :

I've 3 different sized cafetieres, plus an old stove-top percolator. One of the children informs me that when camping he uses an ordinary jug and puts the coffee in an old sock [Eek!]

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :

Surely as we are discussing coffee, which is an evil and highly addictive substance this thread belongs in Hell!

Also, it gives me migraines, which may not be addictive but are certainly evil!

Posted by Eutychus (# 3081) on :

quote:
Originally posted by L'organist:
I've 3 different sized cafetieres, plus an old stove-top percolator. One of the children informs me that when camping he uses an ordinary jug and puts the coffee in an old sock

The French expression for horrible, weak coffee is jus de chaussette (sock juice). Makes me wonder if this is of WW1 origin.

Posted by Tubbs (# 440) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
Surely as we are discussing coffee, which is an evil and highly addictive substance this thread belongs in Hell!

Also, it gives me migraines, which may not be addictive but are certainly evil!

No it doesn't. Definately heavenly. (The coffee not the migranes. Those are grim. [Frown]

)

Tubbs

[ 06. April 2016, 11:39: Message edited by: Tubbs ]

Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :

Before you toss the old machine, give it a good clean. All the stickiness near the pod holder could be cleaned out. Cotton swabs dipped in vinegar. The internal piping can be cleaned by running more vinegar right through the machine. Rinse with a full load of plain water. You can also buy proprietary cleaners for your machine (google on it for names) which are quite cheap -- a bottle here costs $3.
My husband uses a French press at home for the two of us. For larger meetings we have a Mr. Coffee-style machine that makes ten cups. He is in computers, and once worked at an office where they simply plumbed the machine into the water supply of the building. Coffee essentially flowed from a tap. He drank ten cups a day, until he developed an ulcer and cut back.

Posted by Og, King of Bashan (# 9562) on :

We have a Bunn, which uses the filtration method, but stays plugged in and on all the time, so that you always have hot water, and can get a cup of coffee in less than a minute.

Honestly, I don't need it that fast, and it is probably a slightly higher draw on my electric bill (can't imagine more than a few dollars a month, but it's something), but it looks better on the counter than a Mr. Coffee, so I suspect that's why it has stayed.

I am the only coffee drinker in our house, so I am frequently tempted to just get a plunger for myself, but I suspect it would be perceived as another gadget that we don't need in our already crowded kitchen. Maybe if I offer to toss the Bunn?

As for the pods, I can't stand them. It's probably part that the landlords at the office buy cut-rate pods, but it just is a bit too grocery store coffee for me.

My preferred bean is clean, light bodied, lightly acidic, and slightly nutty. The bean itself shouldn't be oily. This generally means a bean from the Americas. I was trying to stick to my continent, but the shop where I go has a nicely priced Brazilian bean that really hits the spot.

My parents like the opposite kind of bean- a dark, oily, acidic, complex, probably Indonesian bean. They went to Costa Rica, and I excitedly asked them about the coffee at the plantation where they did a tour. My dad said it was OK, but complained that it didn't taste like anything. Sounds heavenly to me.

Posted by Schroedinger's cat (# 64) on :

I get ready ground, and like the Cafe Direct Machu Picchu coffee (a hint of chocolate - mmm). But I alternate this with their espresso which if stronger (and a finer grind for my espresso maker).

I am not a coffee snob. I drink instant at work (it is either that or buy my own, and I am a cheapskate). But given that I can make my own, it may as well be nice.

A friend came round the other day and had a coffee. I asked her how strong she wanted it and she replied "as strong as you have it". So she got something like a 6 shot latte. I think she has stopped buzzing now.

Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :

One small technical improvement that gets you a difference you can taste is to grind whole beans with a burr grinder. We switched grinders and the flavor is discernibly more nuanced and delicate.

Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :

I've been a tea drinker for most of my life, but about thirty years ago started drinking (very bad) coffee at work to keep me awake. I'm a morning person and ended up working the 3:00-11:00pm shift.

For years I've had a filter coffee maker that got pulled out for company and holiday dinners. Then, when I was recovering from surgery, I stayed with a friend who has a pod coffee maker. It was so easy! No mess! No fuss! So I had to get one for my home. Now I use it almost every day (after my morning tea, which is made properly, of course) and find it is a nice addition to my regular routine.

I have no idea about the difference between nice and nasty coffee, I just know I like it dark and strong enough for the spoon to stand up in it.

Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Eutychus:

quote:
Originally posted by L'organist:
I've 3 different sized cafetieres, plus an old stove-top percolator. One of the children informs me that when camping he uses an ordinary jug and puts the coffee in an old sock
The French expression for horrible, weak coffee is jus de chaussette (sock juice). Makes me wonder if this is of WW1 origin.

Quotes file! [Big Grin]

Posted by balaam (# 4543) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Humble Servant:
Tassimo manage to get a half decent cup out of 2/3 of the amount of coffee, but then you have to throw away a chunk of plastic and foil every time, which bothers me. Yes it gets recycled, but it's still waste.

An espresso added to an americano = perfect strength.

Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :

quote:
Brenda Clough: the flavor is discernibly more nuanced and delicate.

Ooh, I get to brag again!

For the best coffee in the world, go to the Serra do Caparaó in Brazil. Pick, roast and grind the arabica beans yourself, in situ. The earliest possible morning, use a filter made of natural fibres to pour yourself a hot cup. Drink it slowly, while watching the clouds rise over the mountains.

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :

I remember when coffee was a milky drink made with this stuff.. Powdered instant coffee appeared in our house in the early 60s - I think my mother had the same solidifying jar for a couple of decades. For a time, we children introduced one of those perculators that bubbled and spat (and which, I discovered 30 years later, were still standard kit in a rented gite). But mostly we ran on freeze-dried granules. Mr Firenze introduced me to filter coffee and our life together has been marked by a procession of coffee machines - obsolete jugs from which still turn up in odd corners of the house. Latterly, we have become fancy, with an espresso machine and, recently, a burr grinder.

Posted by Moo (# 107) on :

My husband and I arrived in Liverpool in September, 1966, en route to Belfast. We had time before the Belfast ship left, so we went into a restaurant and ordered coffee.

The beverage they brought us bore no resemblance to any coffee we'd ever seen. We wondered if they'd misunderstood us. In Belfast we got used to being served this strange beverage, which was made by pouring boiling milk over instant coffee crystals. [Projectile]

Fortunately, we had brought a percolator with us from America.

Moo

Posted by Doone (# 18470) on :

Oh, I remember Camp Coffee as my Dad loved it!

Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :

Camp coffee - made with cold milk - always reminds me (and my wife) of summer picnics in the garden. We like it on hot days, but wouldn't drink it at any other time (we drink lots of "proper" coffee though). Most church instant coffee deserves to be anathematised.

Posted by Schroedinger's cat (# 64) on :

My mum had a long-lasting bottle of Camp coffee. I am not sure we ever drank it, it was more used for flavouring cakes etc.

We tended to drink tea, at least until we had instant coffee granules.

And then my kids don't drink ordinary tea or coffee at all. Which I find very strange. I know this is not uncommon in the younger generation - is the nation of tea drinkers going to become a nation of water drinkers?

Posted by Doone (# 18470) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Schroedinger's cat:
My mum had a long-lasting bottle of Camp coffee. I am not sure we ever drank it, it was more used for flavouring cakes etc.

We tended to drink tea, at least until we had instant coffee granules.

And then my kids don't drink ordinary tea or coffee at all. Which I find very strange. I know this is not uncommon in the younger generation - is the nation of tea drinkers going to become a nation of water drinkers?

Yes, we rarely drank coffee as far as I remember. Out of my 3 sons and 3 daughters in law only 1 drinks coffee. All of them drink tea, but mostly of the green leaf, peppermint or decaf [Eek!]

variety. All will mostly drink only filtered or bottled water [Roll Eyes]

. They don't know they're born, as my Nan used to say!

Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Baptist Trainfan:
Most church instant coffee deserves to be anathematised.

Indeed. After our Sunday service a large proportion of the congregation can be found in the local coffee establishment.

Here at Casa Nen we have only instant decaffeinated coffee and decaffeinated tea bags on offer. This means that going out for coffee (a duty I undertake on a regular basis to ensure the wellbeing of my family and friends) is a real treat and it wouldn't be so special if we had a machine at home. Our daughter and son in law have a coffee machine and it seems to take up an inordinate amount of kitchen surface space and maintenance. At work we have a jug and a plunger and allow ourselves one brew a day (Fair Trade, of course) unless things are particularly frantic and we're desperate!

Posted by Humble Servant (# 18391) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Tubbs:

I won't have one of those pod things as the pods can't be recycled and they don't biodegrade.

Tubbs

Specialist recycling.. But it's still recycling, which is quite far down the waste hierarchy - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Certainly a candidate for reducing and then composting the used grounds!

Posted by Schroedinger's cat (# 64) on :

I have just potted out a chilli plant I am growing from seed [Eek!]

using used coffee grounds.

Posted by L'organist (# 17338) on :

I concur that Camp Coffee is OK for cakes.

As for the younger generation not drinking tea or coffee, while my children do most of their friends don't drink any hot drinks at all; a quick ask around and it transpired that the only ones who did (a) had older parents and/or (b) had done Duke of Edinburgh expeditions (or similar) where you need a hot drink after 12+ hours in the wet Brecon Beacons or wherever.

Another use for coffee grounds is around hostas - slugs don't seem to like coffee; leaf tea remains are splendid for azaleas.

Posted by georgiaboy (# 11294) on :

L'O:

Thanks for the tip re: coffee grounds around hostas! Will definitely try it.

BTW, just recently found a plastic thing-y to use in pod coffee machines. You fill it with ground cofee, close its lid and put it where the expensive non-recyclable pod would go. though it's plastic and non-recyclable, it will last for a long time (at least I hope so), and it seems to be working very well.
(Sorry I don't remember the brand name, and I've thrown away the packaging!) [Frown]

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Schroedinger's cat:
And then my kids don't drink ordinary tea or coffee at all. Which I find very strange. I know this is not uncommon in the younger generation - is the nation of tea drinkers going to become a nation of water drinkers?

Depends what you mean by younger generation. At work our lot love their tea and coffee. They do also like their herbal and fruit teas, but it's a rare one who doesn't like a hot drink.

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :

quote:
Originally posted by LeRoc:

quote:
Brenda Clough: the flavor is discernibly more nuanced and delicate.
Ooh, I get to brag again!

For the best coffee in the world, go to the Serra do Caparaó in Brazil. Pick, roast and grind the arabica beans yourself, in situ. The earliest possible morning, use a filter made of natural fibres to pour yourself a hot cup. Drink it slowly, while watching the clouds rise over the mountains.

Dear. God.

Does it make you feel good, inducing mass jealousy like that? [Big Grin]

Posted by Qoheleth. (# 9265) on :

Having dabbled in all kinds of coffee makers, I've just acquired a second-hand pod machine to see how it goes. Any views on DIY pods, either refillable or disposable?

Posted by fletcher christian (# 13919) on :

At the moment I am in love with my Moka pot and my milk heater/frother.

Posted by Jengie jon (# 273) on :

quote:
Originally posted by balaam:
An espresso added to an americano = perfect strength.

Ask for an Americano with an extra shot, this is exactly what you will get. I am afraid my morning coffee is a double espresso with and extra shot then about a shot volume of water. I guess it is a strong black.

Jengie

Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :

The number of flavors available in pod form is just about infinite. It is a nice way to shop around and try different brands/flavors/roasts. You don't have to commit to an entire packet of beans, but try sampler boxes of pods. Once you fix on a favorite or two, you can probably acquire the coffee in a larger cheaper format and use the refillable thingy.

Posted by Alex Cockell (# 7487) on :

Ahhh - vendor lock-in with coffee.

I remember when work used Flavia... very useful for ensuring there was always a supply (swipe a few of the fave pouches).

Posted by la vie en rouge (# 10688) on :

For Nespresso, we tried buying the pods and filling them with high-quality ground coffee, but it never worked well. The coffee always came out much too weak. We think they must add some chemical something or other to the ones you buy.

Posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider (# 76) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Baptist Trainfan:
instant coffee deserves to be anathematised.

FIFY

Posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider (# 76) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:

quote:
Originally posted by Baptist Trainfan:
Most church instant coffee deserves to be anathematised.
Indeed. After our Sunday service a large proportion of the congregation can be found in the local coffee establishment.

Here at Casa Nen we have only instant decaffeinated coffee and decaffeinated tea bags on offer.

Ye gods! How do you manage to do anything before midday?

Posted by Doone (# 18470) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider:

quote:
Originally posted by Nenya:

quote:
Originally posted by Baptist Trainfan:
Most church instant coffee deserves to be anathematised.
Indeed. After our Sunday service a large proportion of the congregation can be found in the local coffee establishment.

Here at Casa Nen we have only instant decaffeinated coffee and decaffeinated tea bags on offer.
Ye gods! How do you manage to do anything before midday?

Posted by Padrehuw (# 18557) on :

I have a serious coffee addiction. So much so that I have several solutions for making good coffee, from a stainless steel press (no breakages when in remote locations, and it's insulated) to a handpresso I use to produce fantastic espessos in the wilderness.

However I was banned (by the long haired general) from getting a pod device because of the environmental considerations - and they are huge if you consider aluminium production, waste and landfill.

However, being a practical woman, she instead bought me a Gaggia Classic for not much more than the cost of a pod machine. It is wonderful and I use it regularly.

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :

Welcome to the Ship Padrehuw; we can always do with more serious caffeine addicts.

The rules are few and simple and to be found under the link to 10 Commandments. The Crew are few and always ready to help...

Happy sailing.

Firenze
Heaven Host

Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :

Gaggia is good.

But we're happy with our simple cafetiere (used several times each day).

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :

I very rarely make coffee unless we're entertaining, but for my 40th birthday a friend in Belfast gave me one of these little green chaps, so if I do, he's what I use.

D. thinks he's hideous, but I think he's rather cute, in an alien sort of way. [Smile]

Posted by Ariston (# 10894) on :

How'd I miss this thread for so long?

Just got an Aeropress, mostly to come on biketrips with me; while I like the practicality (it's portable, packable, kinda easy to clean, doesn't use much coffee, brews quickly, and you don't have to heat the water as much - so not as long!), I'm not a big fan of the coffee. It kills the acid development, which is one of my favorite parts. Now, I understand why it has its devotees—if, like many people, you're a fan of darkly roasted, heavy bodied, Sumatran chocolate/nutty/hazelnut coffees, it's great. There's a reason those are known as "crowd pleasers" in the biz.

I still lean towards my Clever dripper, though, and not just because I can get more out of it. Yes, I have to be a bit more precise with my measurements, timing, temperatures, etc, but it pays off with sharper, brighter, and cleaner cups. Oh, and cleanup's a joke.

French press...still my favorite, but Dear Lord, what a pain to clean. For special coffees and liters of 36-hour cold brew only.

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