dukas Senior Member Joined: 21 Oct 2012 Posts: 9 Location: Florida Expertise: Just starting
Posted Sun Oct 21, 2012, 10:16pm Subject: Re: Not black enough
Than you, everyone, for your suggestions.
So ... in addition to everything else, should I return my cheap Kenmore flat-burr grinder and buy a conical? If so, would I get significantly better results with a Capresso Infinity or Bodum Bistro, or would I have to spend a lot more?
calblacksmith Moderator Joined: 25 Nov 2007 Posts: 5,678 Location: Riverside, Ca, U.S.A. Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: ECM Veneziano A1 Grinder: Many different commercial Vac Pot: 40s era Silex Drip: Milita, Bunn&Curtis... Roaster: Cast iron pan, gas burner
Posted Mon Oct 22, 2012, 6:49am Subject: Re: Not black enough
Hi and welcome. There is a difference between the taste of flat v conical but with quality grinders in either flavor of burr design, the quality will be high.
There are many fake or PSUTO burr grinders on the market in the lower price range. It is hard for a new person to better coffee to know the difference. I was fooled by just such a grinder when I bought my first "burr" grinder.
The fake burr grinders have cast "burrs" mostly with nubbs or blocks on them, the blocks act in the same way that the blade of a blade type chopper works and there really isn't much difference between the pusto burr grinder and the blade chopper, neither will give you a good grind, rather they mash the beans into submission rather than grind them.
I think you should adjust the coffee ratio to advised above, use water that is at the proper temp of 195 to 205F (just off a boil) and steep for 3 to 5 minutes depending on the beans, the roast, the grind and if you start to taste a bitterness of over extraction in the brew.
In real life, my name is Wayne P.
Feed the newbs, starve the trolls and above all enjoy what you drink!
yakster Senior Member Joined: 25 Feb 2009 Posts: 1,006 Location: San Jose, CA Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Gaggia Factory / La Peppina... Grinder: Vario / Kyocera Vac Pot: Yama 8 + Pyrex Lox-in Rod Drip: Brazen / Kalita / Chemex /... Roaster: Behmor
Posted Mon Oct 22, 2012, 12:51pm Subject: Re: Not black enough
You may want to up your dose. With drip coffee, the coffee solubles are washed away during the brewing so the water retained by the grounds (roughly 2x the weight of the dry ground coffee) will be fairly weak compared to the coffee produced. With a full-immersion press pot, the grounds absorb and retain full-strength coffee which will not make it into your cup, meaning that you'll need to increase your coffee dose for the same strength coffee.
Posted Tue Oct 23, 2012, 7:12am Subject: Re: Not black enough
dukas Said:
So ... in addition to everything else, should I return my cheap Kenmore flat-burr grinder and buy a conical? If so, would I get significantly better results with a Capresso Infinity or Bodum Bistro, or would I have to spend a lot more?
I made almost exactly the same change you are proposing, 10 months ago and I've been very pleased. I had a $35 Presto Silex flat 'burr' grinder with 6 of those 'nubbs' that calblacksmith described on both the fixed and rotating disks.
My french press coffee improved very noticeably when I switched to the Bodum Bistro. It allows me to steep longer because of the reduced fines at a coarse grind. The Capresso gets some good reviews as well, but I would definitely expect more of a static problem because of the plastic grounds container. A refurbished Baratza is the most recommended by experts in this forum but can be harder to find, especially in Canada, where I live.
I cannot confirm this from experience, but my research indicates that for a little more money you can improve the espresso grind compared to these grinders, but you have to spend a great deal more to make a significant coarse grind improvement with a motorized grinder.
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