Bean to cup machine questions.

[Profpointy]

I bought a cafe quality grinder secondhand and use an Italian type stove top pot to make the coffee. The coffee bore enthusiasts on t'internet all said to spend a good wodge of money on the grinder, and having done so, I concur that freshly ground coffee done in a good grinder is a lot nicer than buying pre-ground.

I also think not having all your eggs in one basket is a good move. With a separate grinder I do have the option of using different brewing methods: mokka pot, French press, grinding coffee to take away on holiday, and buying an espresso machine proper in the future. And if I do buy an espresso machine if grinder or machine goes wrong I don't have to replace the whole thing

Anyhow, that's what I did and would do again. Buy a 2nd hand Mazzer or whatever make grinder off ebay, ideally off a vendor who refurbs them, then use whatever method you want to make the coffee

 

[Dorset Boy]

We have a Sage Oracle Jet - very expensive but very good. Maybe a bit overkill for what the OP wants.

 

[MontyVeda]

...
I dont want espresso, I want a decent mug full.
I dont want loads of faff cleaning it out.
What are your thoughts ?

find an instant coffee you enjoy and stick to that.

 

[Shortfall]

find an instant coffee you enjoy and stick to that.

I think there's a clue in the title of thread that hints that ship may have sailed.

 

[T4tomo]

Given we've moved off answering the OP into posting picture of our own equipment and espousing wisdom....

I would say always use whole beans and grind just before you brew, rather than buying ground coffee.

You can get a hand grinder from about £30. Granted its isn't as good as a flashy £800 Mazzer, but bang for buck wise pretty decent and perfectly adequate for domestic one or two cups at a time brewing.

Similarly a mokka pot or aeropress or a humble cafetiere (although I find them a pain in the butt to wash) does a very decent brewing job, albeit not quite as good as an espresso machine, but at a fraction of the price.

 

[Binky]

find an instant coffee you enjoy and stick to that.

instant coffee and enjoy is an oxymoron.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Given we've moved off answering the OP into posting picture of our own equipment and espousing wisdom....

I think a couple of us answered Dave's question

 

[Binky]

Given we've moved off answering the OP into posting picture of our own equipment and espousing wisdom....

I would say always use whole beans and grind just before you brew, rather than buying ground coffee.

You can get a hand grinder from about £30. Granted its isn't as good as a flashy £800 Mazzer, but bang for buck wise pretty decent and perfectly adequate for domestic one or two cups at a time brewing.

Similarly a mokka pot or aeropress or a humble cafetiere (although I find them a pain in the butt to wash) does a very decent brewing job, albeit not quite as good as an espresso machine, but at a fraction of the price.

The OP asked for thoughts on coffee machines, not how how else we answer if not giving own experiences and what we do and have?

 

[T4tomo]

The OP asked for thoughts on coffee machines, not how how else we answer if not giving own experiences and what we do and have?

You're over thinking a throwaway comment, which may be the reason for your addled sentence construction.

 

[Electric_Andy]

At the end of the day (when all's said and done), it's all about personal preference isn't it? With our £20 jug machine, and the cheapest ground coffee I can find (£2.60 for 400g at Lidl), we are very impressed with the flavour we achieve. With heated and gently whisked milk, we can get a brew as good as Costa for under 40p a cup. And yes, I've had a few flat whites with oat milk from Costa, and other outlets, so I reckon I have a fairly good base for comparison. That said, we found a vegan cafe in town at the weekend and their coffee was awful. It wasn't that strong, but tasted of molasses. I don't doubt it was good quality, but sometimes better quality does not mean it's going to sit with everyone's tastes

 

[Bonefish Blues]

At the end of the day (when all's said and done), it's all about personal preference isn't it? With our £20 jug machine, and the cheapest ground coffee I can find (£2.60 for 400g at Lidl), we are very impressed with the flavour we achieve. With heated and gently whisked milk, we can get a brew as good as Costa for under 40p a cup. And yes, I've had a few flat whites with oat milk from Costa, and other outlets, so I reckon I have a fairly good base for comparison. That said, we found a vegan cafe in town at the weekend and their coffee was awful. It wasn't that strong, but tasted of molasses. I don't doubt it was good quality, but sometimes better quality does not mean it's going to sit with everyone's tastes

The best coffee is the one you like.

 

[Binky]

You're over thinking a throwaway comment, which may be the reason for your addled sentence construction.

Hmm seeing as only two of us actually posted a picture then I'd say it was more of a pointed comment than throwaway.
But again, not sure what you expect people to say towards a question asking for thoughts on coffee machines?
Surely better to give specific, first hand opinions than some vague musings.

 

[T4tomo]

Hmm seeing as only two of us actually posted a picture then I'd say it was more of a pointed comment than throwaway.
But again, not sure what you expect people to say towards a question asking for thoughts on coffee machines?
Surely better to give specific, first hand opinions than some vague musings.

I most definitely wasn't having a pop at anyone personally. it was more an irreverent / lighthearted comment on the usual cycle chat (and most forums tbf) thread drift and then using it as an excuse to go well left of the original topic field myself.