chubbyone
Straight
Anyone else pulling shots for your players?? Usually it’s a beer-fueled night, but last game I had more than one person ask me to fire up the machine some time. So next game I suppose I’ll oblige!
Espresso on Game Night (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter chubbyone
- Start date
Anyone else pulling shots for your players?? Usually it’s a beer-fueled night, but last game I had more than one person ask me to fire up the machine some time. So next game I suppose I’ll oblige!
dew4au
Flush
Oh wow, that is a nice setup! When my players ask for espresso drinks, this is all I have to offer...
Polochris
Flush
Cubs fan, poker fan, chipper, and you like Espresso!? We have some things in common @chubbyone.
Great machine you got there. I have the Barista Express. One model down from yours. I love it, just wish it had the 58 size PF, compared to the 54 PF.
Just curious, why two grinders? One for espresso, and one for drip/press? Whats your favorite drink? I love my flat whites, but also just love my double shot
Great machine you got there. I have the Barista Express. One model down from yours. I love it, just wish it had the 58 size PF, compared to the 54 PF.
Just curious, why two grinders? One for espresso, and one for drip/press? Whats your favorite drink? I love my flat whites, but also just love my double shot
OP
OP
chubbyone
Straight
Cubs fan, poker fan, chipper, and you like Espresso!? We have some things in common @chubbyone.
Great machine you got there. I have the Barista Express. One model down from yours. I love it, just wish it had the 58 size PF, compared to the 54 PF.
Just curious, why two grinders? One for espresso, and one for drip/press? Whats your favorite drink? I love my flat whites, but also just love my double shot
Did we just become best friends? Lol.
I got a great deal on the Dual Boiler from a guy local that was moving in a hurry. Hadn’t ever pulled a shot before grabbing this... fell in love with all of it immediately. Really fun process!
The Baratza Sette 270 is for espresso duty yes, the smart grinder pro came with the machine and serves my drip/cold brew duties. Also have a Baratza encore grinder at work. I fell down the Coffee rabbit hole hard and fast, much like this one.
Go Cubs!
Edit: almost forgot, I am a 19.5gr in 30gr out in ~35 seconds kind of guy. Only have made 1 milk drink since grabbing this in May.
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Ellasdaddy
Flush
My games always feature a 40 cup coffee urn ready to pour and espresso from the Mr Coffee my wife so adores. Many cups end up also including Bailey’s, amaretto or some such flavored vodka.
Polochris
Flush
YUP!
Very nice. Great steal for sure. With my Express, the grinder is built in, so saves a lot of counter space. However if the grinder goes......I am SOL.
Very nice. Great steal for sure. With my Express, the grinder is built in, so saves a lot of counter space. However if the grinder goes......I am SOL.
Polochris
Flush
Bailey's...Mhmmm Creamy. HAHAH I had to.
RichMahogany
Straight Flush
I’m more of a drip coffee man myself, but a few of my friends are trying to get me to buy a roaster. One of my friends talks about nothing else than the new roasting techniques he’s trying whenever I see him and about how he gets high quality raw beans for peanuts. It’s tempting. Maybe I ask Santa to deliver one for Christmas.
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chubbyone
Straight
I’ve browsed around sweet Maria’s more than once. I’m still dialing in my espresso technique, maybe eventually I’ll ask Santa too. If you do get one, for sure let me know how it all goes!
There’s a growing number of good local roasters so I’m lucky I don’t always have to pay for shipping. That said, Red Bird is the best bang for your buck out there as far as traditional chocolate bomb espresso goes! I get that shipped somewhat regularly.
What are your favorite coffees?
RichMahogany
Straight Flush
Awesome. I actually used to sling coffee for a “living” in my younger days. The key to getting good espresso is of course, the grind, then making sure you don’t over pack the bowl(lol can’t remember what it’s called). Then, when you tamp it down, give it one firm press but the espresso doesn’t need to be packed super tightly in there. IIRC, packing it too tightly won’t yield quite as good crema for your shot. Also, if your machine has the automatic options for a short or long pull, always go with a short pull for more flavor and better crema.
As far as what I like, I go for single origin coffees when I can. I prefer medium bodied, fruitier, lighter flavors so I love Ethiopian and Kenyan coffees. Indonesian coffees sometimes. I don’t care for Latin American coffees so much because they tend towards bitterness. Same for dark roasts. You can also dark roast a low quality bean and make it passable, so I especially avoid the pre roasted dark roasts from most non specialty coffee purveyors. That being said, I won’t say no to the dark roasts and LA coffees if that’s what’s available. I am an addict after all :coffee:
We have a lot of great local roosters here in SF too. We have such grey, overcast weather for so much of the year that good coffee is a must!
Will definitely update on the roaster situation
Edit: just in case you didn’t know, for your espresso, the finer the grind, the thicker the coffee. So if you like it sludgey, grind it on the lowest setting possible. It’s called a Turkish grind.
Always!
But it's painfully obvious that you need a new custom tamper with one of your custom chips in the handle...
The portafilter?
When I was spending a lot of time in SF, my go-to shop for espresso beans was Caffe Roma, on Columbus up by Washington Square (also Graffeo for general purpose coffee beans and Caffe Greco for pastries!). Haven't had anything from there for a few years, but I've heard Roma is shipping beans now, so may have to try them again.
RichMahogany
Straight Flush
Ooh, yeah, I like Roma. Used to stop in there for cookies before I quit eating processed sugar. Great location near the park, great pizza options in 2 directions, nice place. Could always stop in and pick up some beans for you
Awesome. I actually used to sling coffee for a “living” in my younger days. The key to getting good espresso is of course, the grind, then making sure you don’t over pack the bowl(lol can’t remember what it’s called). Then, when you tamp it down, give it one firm press but the espresso doesn’t need to be packed super tightly in there. IIRC, packing it too tightly won’t yield quite as good crema for your shot. Also, if your machine has the automatic options for a short or long pull, always go with a short pull for more flavor and better crema.
As far as what I like, I go for single origin coffees when I can. I prefer medium bodied, fruitier, lighter flavors so I love Ethiopian and Kenyan coffees. Indonesian coffees sometimes. I don’t care for Latin American coffees so much because they tend towards bitterness. Same for dark roasts. You can also dark roast a low quality bean and make it passable, so I especially avoid the pre roasted dark roasts from most non specialty coffee purveyors. That being said, I won’t say no to the dark roasts and LA coffees if that’s what’s available. I am an addict after all :coffee:
We have a lot of great local roosters here in SF too. We have such grey, overcast weather for so much of the year that good coffee is a must!
Will definitely update on the roaster situation
Edit: just in case you didn’t know, for your espresso, the finer the grind, the thicker the coffee. So if you like it sludgey, grind it on the lowest setting possible. It’s called a Turkish grind.
TIL not only does @RichMahogany have great taste in beer, but also in coffee.
I just sipped down a nice Ethiopian Natural, brewed at work with the Aeropress.
If you coffee fans aren't turned on to the Aeropress yet, do yourselves a favor and pick one up. Only about $20 on Amazon. The best easy way to make a single cup serving of coffee IMO. Second only to a good Americano.
I also used to sling coffee at a shop that actually cares about their quality (they have since started roasting their own). One of these years I'll dive into the home espresso rabbit hole. For the time being the Aeropress and drip get me through at home and at work.
I do have a Spinn coffee machine on order though... Very interested to see how that thing turns out.
I haven't yet offered coffee at my games, but it's not a bad idea to get a pot brewing!
You can always start with a hot air popcorn popper and see if you want to dive into it further from there.
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chubbyone
Straight
Awesome. I actually used to sling coffee for a “living” in my younger days. The key to getting good espresso is of course, the grind, then making sure you don’t over pack the bowl(lol can’t remember what it’s called). Then, when you tamp it down, give it one firm press but the espresso doesn’t need to be packed super tightly in there. IIRC, packing it too tightly won’t yield quite as good crema for your shot. Also, if your machine has the automatic options for a short or long pull, always go with a short pull for more flavor and better crema.
As far as what I like, I go for single origin coffees when I can. I prefer medium bodied, fruitier, lighter flavors so I love Ethiopian and Kenyan coffees. Indonesian coffees sometimes. I don’t care for Latin American coffees so much because they tend towards bitterness. Same for dark roasts. You can also dark roast a low quality bean and make it passable, so I especially avoid the pre roasted dark roasts from most non specialty coffee purveyors. That being said, I won’t say no to the dark roasts and LA coffees if that’s what’s available. I am an addict after all :coffee:
We have a lot of great local roosters here in SF too. We have such grey, overcast weather for so much of the year that good coffee is a must!
Will definitely update on the roaster situation
Edit: just in case you didn’t know, for your espresso, the finer the grind, the thicker the coffee. So if you like it sludgey, grind it on the lowest setting possible. It’s called a Turkish grind.
I should have clarified a bit... I did master the basics... now I’m working on particle distribution and brew temp. Been using a skewer to keep the grinds free of any clumps before tamping. My machine allows me to set the water temp so I’ve been playing with that a bit too... lastly, I can manually preinfuse, and almost do some pressure ramping like the slayer machines (albeit much simpler). There’s about 1,000 different routines and none of them necessarily wrong when pulling shots I’ve found.
And, on this grinder, the finest grind completely chokes my machine. In fact, that’s my starting point for dialing in a new bean, I choke the machine the dial back until I get my desired ratios.
Can I send you the invoice? Tampers are silly expensive, like chips.
This!! I aeropress at work too. Love it. Once everyone gets past the coffee enema jokes (for those that don’t know it looks like a giant syringe) they all want me to make their cups. I did for a hot minute but that got old fast. Love all the aeropress recipes too. I stick to inverted and simple though.
I want to try this! Though most people say it’s wildly Inconsistent haha.
And. More coffee photos.
I have way too many Coffee toys. Out of everything though, I’d chose straight espresso if I had to pick one drink forever.
Yes, I also just use the inverted method. I do let the grounds "bloom" though for 30s with just enough water to cover them while stirring. Then pour, cap, and press. It's my favorite recipe that's quick and simple so far.
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chubbyone
Straight
I have to try one of these. Lotta positive reviews and cheaper than cheap.
Yeah they are great. I have a friend from Italy that gave me one and showed me how to use it. Apparently everyone in Italy uses these at home.
The nice thing is there are no moving parts so it won't break. There are a couple rubber seals so you need to treat those nicely and NEVER put it in the dishwasher.
Also pro-tip that my friend told me: when filling with coffee fill it so there is like a mountain of coffee in the tray. Do not press down at all just let it sit in there loose.
Fill the thing with cool water and cook on low heat until you hear it kind of hiss.
If you look up on youtube how to use it you will get a lot of mixed information on how to do it.
Also probably goes without saying but make sure you get a good quality espresso coffee. You can usually get Lavazza even in North America which is pretty good.
EDIT: to clarify you should buy Espresso coffee.... don't just try and use normal coffee grounds. You can buy bags of Lavazza that are specifically for using in the Moka.
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chubbyone
Straight
Thanks for the tips!
Just to lend some back, espresso coffee can be any coffee, as long as it is ground correctly. Traditional espresso is darker roasted and blended towards earthy chocolatey organic flavors that cut through milk well for lattes and caps. Recently though, a lot of shops are pulling single origin “fruity” coffee beans as espresso. They are much more acidic and bright and better enjoyed straight rather than with milk.
I have this in our pantry and it does everything but scratch your balls. You put the expression beans in the grinder hopper on the top left and the cream or milk in the carafe that’s plugged into the machine and you can get automatic single or double shot expresso, latte, etc. Delonghi.
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Mr Hanky
Pair
nice topic!
We're always playing poker veeery long and keeping us awake with this baby
We're always playing poker veeery long and keeping us awake with this baby
Mr Hanky
Pair
very nice machine (y) :thumbsup:
is it a grinder on the right side of the picture too?
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chubbyone
Straight
Mr Hanky
Pair
when the day is there you should check out ECM espresso machines.
Rocket is a real italian product with italian quality. Like Alpha Romeo Cars.
Beautiful but....
I'd go for the full-blown ball scratcher version. Link?
Had me wanting as well. I had mixed results with my google image searches...
nice topic!
We're always playing poker veeery long and keeping us awake with this baby
View attachment 134491
10/10 for style points, very nice looking machine.
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