Any coffee/espresso nerds on here?

[SheilaH]

Not sure I’m getting the hang of this....

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All the gear and no idea!

Depends what you are trying to make.

You made a cappuccino. Did you want a cappuccino or something else?

If you wanted a flat white then you need to put the steam tip much lower in the milk and steam it so there is noise and no splashing, and the volume of milk only increases by about 20%. For cappuccino it doubles.Have the steam top at an angle so the milk spins

 

[mjr]

I get my beans from a family run roasting place in King’s Lynn as they are so good.

Tropic?

 

[slowmotion]

Well, the Krups grinder and a kilo bag of beans turned up today and I'm scratching my head wondering what to do. I've read that the beans should be stored in an airtight container in a cool, dark place, but I don't know how much coffee to grind at a time... just enough for one brew, or enough for three or four days at a time? What do you experts do?

 

[SheilaH]

Literally just enough for your drink...if you want the best flavour. I'd suggest getting one of those tins with an airtight seal that you push down as the tin empties

 

[slowmotion]

Literally just enough for your drink...if you want the best flavour. I'd suggest getting one of those tins with an airtight seal that you push down as the tin empties

What about a decent (genuine) ZipLoc bag, squeezing the air out after each opening?

 

[stephec]

I got one of these free with my bean to cup machine, it does a good job but after five years the seals are going, and it seems to work better the fuller it is.

 

[SheilaH]

What about a decent (genuine) ZipLoc bag, squeezing the air out after each opening?

AIUI there are volatile oils in coffee which account for much of the flavour. As soon as you grind you are massivelyincreasing the surface area of the coffee, so out come the oils. It's up to you. It's a balance between what is practical for you, and what tastes nice.

Maybe try an experiment: grind some coffee, stick it in an airtight bag for 3 days, then make some coffee and taste it. Then grind some fresh beans and compare. Ideally you'd make both coffees simultaneously and identically and sip tasting it without swallowing.

 

[SheilaH]

Be careful though, because the first coffee of the day tastes much better than the second

 

[slowmotion]

AIUI there are volatile oils in coffee which account for much of the flavour. As soon as you grind you are massivelyincreasing the surface area of the coffee, so out come the oils. It's up to you. It's a balance between what is practical for you, and what tastes nice.

Maybe try an experiment: grind some coffee, stick it in an airtight bag for 3 days, then make some coffee and taste it. Then grind some fresh beans and compare. Ideally you'd make both coffees simultaneously and identically and sip tasting it without swallowing.

Sorry, I didn't explain clearly. I was suggesting storing the beans in ZipLocs, not the ground stuff. Anyway, I'm now looking at vacuum containers and vacuum pumps...... is there no limit to the gadgets that this coffee habit demands? All I wanted was a step up from Gold Blend.

 

[SheilaH]

Ah, I see. Well the less exposure to air the better. I use an Airscape tin.

 

[Salty seadog]

I've done that and chucked the Bailetti out. I only discovered that spares were available later. A kind parishioner on CC told me but I've forgotten who it was.

It wasn't me if that helps narrow it down.

 

[Tenacious Sloth]

Ah, I see. Well the less exposure to air the better. I use an Airscape tin.

I’ve just ordered the large sized one of these as it bugs me that my current kilner style jar won’t quite hold a 1kg bag of beans.

Damn this thread!

 

[SheilaH]

I’ve just ordered the large sized one of these as it bugs me that my current kilner style jar won’t quite hold a 1kg bag of beans.

Damn this thread!

You won't be disappointed. Mine is still going strong after at least 15 years

 

[FishFright]

And this, ladies and gentlemen , is why I drink tea .....



'_

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

Fun factoid - coffee drinking is associated with a decreased risk of dementia. Drinking 3-5 cups of coffee per day in midlife is associated with a decreased risk of dementia by about 65%.