Extremely Off Topic: Anyone obsessed with coffee too?

[omegapd]

For these I think the plain old Cafetiere is hard to beat (perhaps that is what all you on the other side of the pond call a french press?)
and my favourite ever Expresso Machine was a 'La Pavoni' machine I bought 35 years ago for $40 - it lasted me 20 years - but it noe costs a prohibitive $900

Yes, the French Press is the same as the Cafetiere, just easier for us Americans to spell.

I used some extra work money this week and ordered a Pavoni grinder. I figured that's as close as I could get to the Pavoni espresso machine. I've had bad luck with a few inexpensive espresso machines and decided to save the ridiculous amounts of money and just stick with the stovetop Moka. It's not true espresso but I'm not enough of a connoisseur to notice.

[Herb_Master]

Yes, the French Press is the same as the Cafetiere, just easier for us Americans to spell.

I used some extra work money this week and ordered a Pavoni grinder. I figured that's as close as I could get to the Pavoni espresso machine. I've had bad luck with a few inexpensive espresso machines and decided to save the ridiculous amounts of money and just stick with the stovetop Moka. It's not true espresso but I'm not enough of a connoisseur to notice.

I think the bialetti produces excellent coffee, and though the Italians seem to have kidnapped the reputation for the best coffee over the last half century the Greeks, Turks and Middle Eastern countries were producing excellent coffee in the previous millenium without an expresso machine.

I am not a great fan of Bodum but I do think their milk frother is the best coffee accessory to emerge in the last few years. A Bialetti Stove Top coffee with milk from the Bodum hand frother is better than from any sub$400 Cappucino / Expresso machine.

[greenisgood]

horrah for coffee! although i will always prefer tea, there is definitely a place in my heart for a fine french pressed coffee and some top quality 'spro made by an especially nerdy barista.

tea is amazing and provides for endless exploration and enjoyment but coffee, at least in the u.s., is a much more easily accessible connoisseur-grade beverage. i think that perhaps some of the problem with tea-heads hating coffee is that people don't find that whole next level of quality and enjoyment that we have all probably found at least to some degree with tea. just as a coffee snob may scoff at tea as flavorless bags of leaves and bottled drinks that supposedly cure cancer (we know it is much more than that), many tea people i would guess look down at coffee as a bitter and overwhelmingly strong drink of which the pinnacles of quality and enjoyment rise no higher than the local starbucks.

go, my tea-drinking friends: have a shot of espresso at Stumptown, buy a bag of beans from CounterCulture, watch a youtube video of a barista competition... a whole world awaits, in many ways parallel to that of tea, but definitely separate.

[silverneedles]

all coffee tastes the same to me
with variations of burnt and less burnt
i do prefer the less burnt ones, tho harder to find

[trallis]

thanks for all the responses guys. I've never been much of a coffee fan myself, but I wonder sometimes if that's only because i've never dropped $5 on a cup. maybe if i tried brewing some at home i could have some fun with it and impress my coffee drinker friends when they come by. i'm thinking about investing in one of these french presses

[omegapd]

I've never dropped $5 on a thin mocca-chino Charbucks espresso either, or whatever they're called. That isn't coffee drinking to me, but if others like it, more power to them.

A french press, fresh roasted beans and a grinder sounds like a perfect way to start on your coffee career. Let us know how it goes.

EW

[guitar9876]

i love coffee, hard to say no for me when i smell it. good coffee that is... when i buy coffee, i get it from local places that roast it in small batches. i'll drink straight espresso, americano, cappuccino, and i also appreciate good drip coffee. the stove top espresso makers make really good coffee! i try to lay off the coffee though, because the caffeine makes me jittery.

[RandomCaribou]

Coffee and tea are my passions

I definitely definitely recommend seeking a local roastery to buy your beans from. If you've had Starbucks, you probably notice the very burnt flavor of their roasts. This is because the darker you roast, the longer your coffee's shelf life will be, and since they ship their beans all over, they naturally want preservation. Local, artisan roasters will roast to the specific nature of the bean. Some beans perform better at different roasts, and at different brewing methods! It's fascinating! It's science!

Pardon me, I have to go hug my peaberries now. <3

[Geekgirl]

I have to go hug my peaberries

[greenisgood]

I've got some Kenya peaberry right now from Stumptown that's Really good.

[Tea Noob]

I have never been into coffee. I used to use Mountain Dew for my morning fix. I have never felt an urge to have caffeine so quitting was quite easy. I read somewhere that an apple in the morning gives you just as much of a wake up jolt as coffee. The lingered coffee breath is enough of a deterrent for me. In small doses (not in my house) I do enjoy the smell of some freshly roasted beans. Also, I don't mind a little espresso after a nice meal but I will not go out of my way to have it. I have also been one to enjoy a Quad Mocha Grande. If you want to push your heart to the limit without doing illicit drugs, pound one of those babies.

With all that being said, I wanted to hit up a few local coffee shops to give coffee a chance. One in particular has a Clover. Supposedly this machine makes the best coffee but the catch is Starbucks bought the rights after the store owner bought his. $11,000 later, the owner has a machine that he doesn't want to advertise because it is distinctly associated Starbucks. The owner is one of only a handful of people in the world that will be able to use this machine without being forced to use Starbucks beans. It makes one cup at a time and is similar to a french press. I am curious to see what the hype is about. Anyone have experience with it?

[omegapd]

Anyone have experience with it?

Just what I've seen on You Tube. It is a coffee nerd's dream, though. Supposed to make coffee similar to a french press, but more fun to watch.

EW

[Thé Vert]

If I have to drink any kind of coffee, it has to be so mixed with Chocolate and Whipped Cream that it can't be considered coffee at that point XD;

[thejamus]

Love the aroma; despise the taste.