Well, nothing like bringing back old threads from the dead. My sole experience with coffee was from MaccyD's. Hm,
I have an aeropress! And one in my office they are great. I also recently got a metal filter for them both.
Another HasBean advocate here. Either the Finca La Fany or the Fazenda Cachoeira(when it's in stock), straight up in an espresso. I used to use a vac pot for longer coffees, but whilst the coffee it made was miraculous, it was just too much faff, so swapped it out for a filter machine. During the week in the day though, I'll typically just have an instant if coffee takes my fancy instead of making an entire pot of filter. Kenco Millicano is surprisingly drinkable. I still need my espresso first thing though.
I normally drink an espresso in the morning from the X1 (though this is a new thing as I've only had it since the weekend) Aeropress throughout the day. Then I treat myself to my favourite when I get home, the percolator! I also have a bialetti hand milk frother, percolated coffee with some hand foamed milk is my favourite one - but this is a real ritual and faff as it takes about 20 minutes to make a couple of cups, but it's worth it. I have a burr grinder so I can grind for different applications, but I tend to just buy 1KG sacks of beans, there is a couple I get I circulate through them month on month as 1KG lasts about 1 month in my house. I also normally get a couple of small bags from the small batch coffee house near me, as they often have some adventurous beans. i quite fancy getting a subscription for hasbean their coffee looks like it could be nice - and you guys speak highly of it.
As a new espresso initiate, I'd recommend getting yourself a bottomless portafilter and a properly weighty tamper (Reg Barber clone for instance, you don't need to spend £60 on a real one IMO) The former will teach you a good tamping technique (as getting it wrong frequently means coffee spraying all over your kitchen). I'd recommend reading the tasting notes on the coffees on HasBean and making your own choices. You might find that the subscription, while it gives a varied selection, might have you ending up with a few months where you can't stand the coffee. E.g. I like a thick, sweet and caramelised espresso and can't stand the nutty, acidic or floral ones - not because they're bad coffees, just not to my taste. You'll likely try a few decent ones until you find a couple that you'll stick with.
I was assuming the Illy/Francis Francis X1 http://www.illy.com/wps/wcm/connect/en/coffee-at-home/ground-coffee-machine-x1 EDIT: ^^ what he said Another note, ignore what it says in the manual about how long to let it heat up. Leave it at least 30 mins with the basket in.
I've been using an aeropress for years (with a metal filter) but recently got one of the Kalita wave drippers, quite impressed with it, definitely produces a different brew to the aeropress anyway!
Sorry again for the thread revival but I wanted to ask a question and who better than the coffee connoisseur's I've been tasked with finding a coffee percolator for my sister & hubby for Christmas. Now I know nothing about coffee as I only drink black tea so any recommendations from anyone? Don't really want to spend more than £100 but also don't want something that will break within 6 months. Thanks in advance.
