I will definitely go with the burr grinder and the pourover method. Just out of curiosity, what price range would I be looking at for both of these? I just turned 18 and unfortunately I don't have a job yet, so cost is a bit of a concern. I'd prefer nothing fancy, just an efficient product that gets the job done. As for the Melitta, can I purchase that for retail anywhere? I'm from NYC, so I'm sure there has to be some place that sells it.
I'm looking forward to experimenting with different flavors, as I've stuck to dark roasted coffee recently. I looked at the different flavors on gocoffeego and was surprised to see that there are so many.
emradguy Senior Member Joined: 31 Mar 2011 Posts: 1,795 Location: Houston Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Izzo Alex Duetto II Grinder: MacapM4T, Macap M4, OE Lido,... Drip: Espro press; Aeropress Roaster: internet
Posted Mon Feb 11, 2013, 2:35pm Subject: Re: Upgraded to Freshground beans with no improvement in taste, please help
to most of us here the "blade grinder" would be better called a "bean hacker" (I know, I know...I started with one of those too, many years ago). When you get a grinder, keep your bean hacker and use it for spices. It's actually really good for that purpose. Anyhow, if you're open to the idea of a little elbow grease, you can get a hand powered grinder for a lot cheaper than an electric. The hand grinders tend to be portable too. Of course, you can also spend nealry 1k on a hand grinder too (but fortunately, the quality of those ones tends to rival the huge monoliths you see in professional artisan coffee houses). Anyhow, back on topic, a Hario Slim is like...oh, around $40 and very good quality. It's not as good as an Orphan Espresso Lido, but that grinder is $165 bfore shipping.
If you want to stick with electric, take a look at Baratza.com and check out the refurbs. They offer a one year warranty on those ones and, of course, they're cheaper. Given your desire for drip/pourover, you probably should look at the Encore. A new one is $145, but they don't have any refurbished ones right now (I just checked). They update the refurb section of their website every Thursday am.
I'd expect you to find a Melita in most places that sell coffee stuff. There are other brands that people who love pourover use...like Chemex and Hario to name a couple really popular ones. Those are getting available in many, many places that sell coffee stuff. I think you might even be able to get them from Bed, Bath & Beyond? Do a bit more reading here in this machines and methods section before you buy, so you can make an informed choice. I think there are a fair number of threads about pourover and it's related subtopics here.
Posted Mon Feb 11, 2013, 2:41pm Subject: Re: Upgraded to Freshground beans with no improvement in taste, please help
You're in NYC? There are plenty of shops there that can give you a good pourover if you're interested in trying the product before you buy it, so to speak. Granted, the grinder will be superior to anything you'll be looking at, which will make the overall cup better, but it will give you an idea of the strengths and techniques of a pourover. If you'd be in the area, I'd happily buy you a cup at Kaffe 1668's north cafe. Shoot me an email, if you're interested.
For coffee quality with a small budget, I completely agree on the aforementioned idea of a hand grinder. The slim is a great suggestion.
You can get a V60 and some kind of hand grinder, I believe the slim, at the Joe Pro Shop on 21st. You can also get an excellent cup of whatever you fancy. They have some great coffee in stock right now.
Posted Mon Feb 11, 2013, 2:56pm Subject: Re: Upgraded to Freshground beans with no improvement in taste, please help
Some of the cheaper conical burr grinders are OK for drip/pourover, French Press and Aeropress and the like (e.g. Capresso Infinity, Bodum Burr (although that's not much cheaper than the Baratza Encore)), but avoid the cheap flat burr grinders, which tend to smash rather than cut the beans on screws that stick out of the burrs - many of these are no better than the whirly blade of coffee bean death machines - the Black and Decker one I bought as my first grinder in the US was particularly bad for that.
Another point to hand grinder - it is possible to turn these into very ghetto electric grinders by using an electric screwdriver/drill and a bit that matches the 5 sided fitting on the grinder to the six sided chuck on the drill. It's also possible with care to not bother with the adaptor, but you need to be very careful to avoid damaging the grinder's shaft.
Just in case you were worrying you'll get fed up with hand grinding...
I don't know about that...some people really enjoy the "hands-on" approach (no pun intended). Although I wouldn't want to do it all the time for espresso, I actually do enjoy using my Lido for single serve Espro Press and Aeropress at work. I use water from the hot dispenser on the "office cooler" to preheat the press (it's at about 175F), and then when I'm ready to start grinding, I put the water back into a pyrex pitcher and heat it in the microwave for one minute. Coincidentally, it's ready (at 200F) at about the same time I finish grinding (usually I'm transferring the grounds into the brew chamber when the microwave beeps).
TMiller Senior Member Joined: 28 Jul 2012 Posts: 24 Location: Queens, New York Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Mon Feb 11, 2013, 3:33pm Subject: Re: Upgraded to Freshground beans with no improvement in taste, please help
Thank you Dave, I appreciate it and about the Hario, I'll definitely look into it. I'm all the way in Queens, right on the Nassau/Queens border, so I don't get out to the city much to stop at a real cafe. They have places in Queens but I can't tell whether their coffee is made professionally or made the same way its made at corner stores and bodegas.
dyqik, thanks for the advice. I'm not bothered by the manual grinding of the beans, I am just kind of confused by all the different grinders and pourover coffe makers. I'm doing research trying to weigh out the pros and cons but it seems that everyone has their own opinion about each. Does a chemex extract the flavor as much as a French press or aeropress? These are the type of things that I find a bit confusing.
Does anyone know of a website that breaks down the different coffee making methods and their advantages/disadvantages or any other site where I will get some of the basics? If you can provide me with a link, that would really be great
germantownrob Senior Member Joined: 2 Dec 2007 Posts: 2,038 Location: Philadelphia Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Duetto 3, A Dead Oscar Grinder: Vario-W, Preciso w/Esatto,... Drip: Brazen Roaster: Diedrich IR-1, HT B
Posted Mon Feb 11, 2013, 5:10pm Subject: Re: Upgraded to Freshground beans with no improvement in taste, please help
TMiller Said:
Does anyone know of a website that breaks down the different coffee making methods and their advantages/disadvantages or any other site where I will get some of the basics? If you can provide me with a link, that would really be great
Grinding old stale whole beans will not taste any better then old stale pre ground, actually it can taste worse since a pre ground is usually a very even grind and therefore a more even extraction surface. The biggest thing you can taste is fresh roast vs anything else, spend the money on a good few day from roast bag of beans and brew the same way you do now. Moving from a blade grinder to a good burr grinder was the next big difference with fresh roast.
TMiller Senior Member Joined: 28 Jul 2012 Posts: 24 Location: Queens, New York Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Mon Feb 11, 2013, 6:14pm Subject: Re: Upgraded to Freshground beans with no improvement in taste, please help
I'm planning to buy a Chemex (6 cup classic), hario slim grinder, filters, and fresh roasted beans from gocoffeego that I am still undecided about. I need to ask my grandparents if they have a kettle, but is brewing doable without one as long as I have a thermometer? Sorry for all the questions, I just want to be sure before I go through with the purchase.
CMIN Senior Member Joined: 14 Jun 2012 Posts: 559 Location: South FL Expertise: I like coffee
Espresso: Crossland CC1 Grinder: Baratza Preciso
Posted Mon Feb 11, 2013, 6:46pm Subject: Re: Upgraded to Freshground beans with no improvement in taste, please help
Hario slim works great for coarse needs, I have one as well. That and fresh beans and the Chemex and you'll see a massive improvement in taste. You can go onto youtube and look up how people are using them and tricks etc, think Seattle Coffee Gear has a good video in it with hints.
You may just have to play around with the Hario in the beginning to figure out what setting (click) you need to use.
Posted Mon Feb 11, 2013, 7:46pm Subject: Re: Upgraded to Freshground beans with no improvement in taste, please help
TMiller Said:
I'm planning to buy a Chemex (6 cup classic), hario slim grinder, filters, and fresh roasted beans from gocoffeego that I am still undecided about. I need to ask my grandparents if they have a kettle, but is brewing doable without one as long as I have a thermometer? Sorry for all the questions, I just want to be sure before I go through with the purchase.
Well, you need a kettle for pourover brewing because you need some control over the pour. A gooseneck is the best, BonaVita has a great one that's not too expensive. I suppose, technically, you could boil it in a pot and pour it into some spouted receptacle, but that's more work than it's worth.
Overall, great setup. You'll love it. The Chemex is a great way to brew. It's elegant, tastes great, and it makes making coffee (even more) fun.
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