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Any Coffee Connoisseur's on here?


3PedalMINI

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SORRY MOOK! I never thought to ask, despite how courteous you are to me when I am a guest at your house/shop. Shame on me!!! Next one is on me, brother.

 

pfffffffffft. I'll make sure to have my coffee before heading over. :thumbsup:

 

:lol:

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I am down with the Keurig Vue.

When I am out,, Starbucks Venti Vanilla Latte straight up.. :2thumbs:

 

my keurig b60 just died. thankfully i have a full duty drip-maker. keurig is mainly for quick cup in the afternoon or night. Anyone have any negitatives to say about the vue. was thinking about replacing it with that

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After having lived in Italy for over five years, I've been on a constant search for a good espresso here in the States. I've pretty much given up on finding a really good espresso when I'm out and have just settled on Starbucks or whatever is close-by. But at home, the battle has been between quality and convenience.

I've had several machines ranging from the classic stove-top, top-quality Italian stove top, Gaggia semi-automatic, La Pavoni (with which I won an Adam's Forum photo contest), and now a DeLonghi Compact Magnifica S. All have been pretty good machines and each can deliver a great shot after you've found the right roast and grind that works best with the specific machine.

I still have and sometime use the stove-top makers. The Gaggia was a 220v machine I used when I lived in Belgium. I gave it to a friend when I returned to the States. The La Pavoni was a gift from my wife. One of the best ever received! After many years of loyal service it currently is not working but it just has such a classic look that it looks good just sitting out. That brings me to my current machine, the DeLonghi, which is my furst super-automatic. I've had it for just over a month now and really like it. After getting the roast and quantity dialed in, it will deliver a great shot every time. Crema is just right for my taste and the frother works really well on the rare occasion that I want a cappucino. The temperature can be a little inconsistent so I'd say that is probably the weakest point so far. I'll have to give it quite a bit more time before I can make a judgement on reliability but so far, so good.

I think the keys are always the bean and grind. And neither of these will always be the same for different machines and individual tastes. It takes some experimentation with different roasts and courseness to get the best out of the machine. I usually get good results with Lavazza or Illy but my all-time favorite roast is Cafe Kimbo but it can be harder to find.

We also use a Keurig for regular coffee. Been enjoying the Keurigs for about four years now. I don't care for the flavored coffees but I like being able to have different strengths and nuances for different times of day and also guests.

But when it comes to coffee, I wish America was more like Italy. I miss being able to just pop into a bar (cafe), get an excellent shot of espresso regardless of where you are, and be on your way five minutes later. Or, if you'd rather, you can sit there half a day and sip cafe while you watch the day go by. Either way, enjoying a coffee is a much more enjoyable experience.

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After having lived in Italy for over five years, I've been on a constant search for a good espresso here in the States. I've pretty much given up on finding a really good espresso when I'm out and have just settled on Starbucks or whatever is close-by. But at home, the battle has been between quality and convenience.

I've had several machines ranging from the classic stove-top, top-quality Italian stove top, Gaggia semi-automatic, La Pavoni (with which I won an Adam's Forum photo contest), and now a DeLonghi Compact Magnifica S. All have been pretty good machines and each can deliver a great shot after you've found the right roast and grind that works best with the specific machine.

I still have and sometime use the stove-top makers. The Gaggia was a 220v machine I used when I lived in Belgium. I gave it to a friend when I returned to the States. The La Pavoni was a gift from my wife. One of the best ever received! After many years of loyal service it currently is not working but it just has such a classic look that it looks good just sitting out. That brings me to my current machine, the DeLonghi, which is my furst super-automatic. I've had it for just over a month now and really like it. After getting the roast and quantity dialed in, it will deliver a great shot every time. Crema is just right for my taste and the frother works really well on the rare occasion that I want a cappucino. The temperature can be a little inconsistent so I'd say that is probably the weakest point so far. I'll have to give it quite a bit more time before I can make a judgement on reliability but so far, so good.

I think the keys are always the bean and grind. And neither of these will always be the same for different machines and individual tastes. It takes some experimentation with different roasts and courseness to get the best out of the machine. I usually get good results with Lavazza or Illy but my all-time favorite roast is Cafe Kimbo but it can be harder to find.

We also use a Keurig for regular coffee. Been enjoying the Keurigs for about four years now. I don't care for the flavored coffees but I like being able to have different strengths and nuances for different times of day and also guests.

But when it comes to coffee, I wish America was more like Italy. I miss being able to just pop into a bar (cafe), get an excellent shot of espresso regardless of where you are, and be on your way five minutes later. Or, if you'd rather, you can sit there half a day and sip cafe while you watch the day go by. Either way, enjoying a coffee is a much more enjoyable experience.

 

I hear you. Being from the Netherlands originally myself, coming to the US was a slap in the face on the coffee front. I actually gave it up altogether for a while, having left my 220V espresso machine behind. The Netherlands is the no. 1 country in terms of coffee consumption per capita in the world, so you can imagine what that meant...

 

I did Starbucks for a while, getting either straight espresso's or triple shot tall latte's, but as I saw their price go up and up (a triple tall latte is now almost 5 bucks!) I figured that in the long run it would be cheaper to invest in a good machine. I wanted to get one that doesn't use cups, since you will end up spending a small fortune on those over the life of the machine. Better to spend the $1,500+ up front and be done with it. Well, not that a pound of good espresso beans comes cheap, but still...

I have the Saeco Syntia super automatic and like the Illy beans best in it. Since I have it sitting in my office at work, I don't really make latte's since it's just too much of a hassle and mess. Whenever my colleagues comment that my office smells like Starbucks, I just smile and try to hide being offended. After all, they don't know any better... ;-)

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... Whenever my colleagues comment that my office smells like Starbucks, I just smile and try to hide being offended. After all, they don't know any better... ;-)

 

Well, Starbucks does SMELL pretty good. And one good thing about Starbucks is that they are pretty consistent. You have to lower your expectations a little but you know what you're getting regardless of where you happen to be (DC, Dayton, OH, Seattle, etc.).

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My sister speaks fondly of espresso when she was in Italy. It was about going into a cafe, ordering a single shot of espresso, and SITTING down to enjoy it. I bet drive through cafe's are non-existent in Europe! I am all about sitting down and pausing from the real world to enjoy coffee and a good read, or good conversation with a friend. America is all hustle bustle and not enough 'get off the escalator of life and ENJOY where you are.' Coffee is a great reminder that it's OK to pause from your day and enjoy the little things in life!

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But what about someone like me who just wants a good cup of coffee, nothing fancy. I love my Keurig but I stopped buying the Kcups and started using the My Kcup for more variety and easy of buying. Plus someone did make me feel guilty about all of those little plastic cups I was sending to the landfill every day :(

 

I only drink 2 or 3 cups a day and never after noontime. What is a decent machine for someone like me ? Is there anything decent under $500 ???

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But what about someone like me who just wants a good cup of coffee, nothing fancy. I love my Keurig but I stopped buying the Kcups and started using the My Kcup for more variety and easy of buying. Plus someone did make me feel guilty about all of those little plastic cups I was sending to the landfill every day :(

 

I only drink 2 or 3 cups a day and never after noontime. What is a decent machine for someone like me ? Is there anything decent under $500 ???

 

Sell your mac gear and get a Jura :jester: Seriously, you will be in love with it, worth every penny :) if you have some time over the weekend go into a Sur La Table in your area and try it out. We would of liked to of purchased the Jura from a local coffee shop but every one around us didnt carry them :( also Sur La has a sweet deal on them, plus a free cup warmer. They also have an awesome return policy should the machine kick the bucket.

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You know that ain't going to happen :lolsmack:

 

Everything I have been reading it says temp is one of the most critical factors. I measured the temp coming out of the Keurig and it was only 170 :(

From what I have been reading 195 to 205 is what you are looking for to get a good cup.

I think I'm going to grab a Technivorm or a Breville. Great reviews on them, all of the other features on the more expensive machines would be lost on me. I just like a good cup of regular coffee :thumbsup:

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I tend to be more old school (or chemist-like) for my good coffee. I like coffee brewed with just off boiling water (205 degrees) through a Chemex. It's manual, but it's excellent coffee. I have even used ordinary coffee through it and it seems that whatever coffee you use, the Chemex makes the most of it. The bitterness seems to stay in the filter.

 

Yes, it's manual. You pour the 205 degree water through the grounds in the filter. You pour a little in, do some other kitchen tasks, and add water a couple more times while you are in the kitchen. Presto, great coffee.

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You know that ain't going to happen :lolsmack:

 

Everything I have been reading it says temp is one of the most critical factors. I measured the temp coming out of the Keurig and it was only 170 :(

From what I have been reading 195 to 205 is what you are looking for to get a good cup.

I think I'm going to grab a Technivorm or a Breville. Great reviews on them, all of the other features on the more expensive machines would be lost on me. I just like a good cup of regular coffee :thumbsup:

 

The most important thing about a good cup of coffee is your opinion. I suggest you not get wrapped up in the technicalities. If it is good to you, drink it. My Keurig has different temp settings and I can't tell the difference in the quality regardless of what temp it is at. In the winter I make it hotter and then I drop it down in the summer. Nothing to do with quality. That's just the way I like to do it.

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My sister speaks fondly of espresso when she was in Italy. It was about going into a cafe, ordering a single shot of espresso, and SITTING down to enjoy it. I bet drive through cafe's are non-existent in Europe! I am all about sitting down and pausing from the real world to enjoy coffee and a good read, or good conversation with a friend. America is all hustle bustle and not enough 'get off the escalator of life and ENJOY where you are.' Coffee is a great reminder that it's OK to pause from your day and enjoy the little things in life!

 

 

You are soooo right! There were many times when I would sit at a sidewalk cafe for hours and purchase one or two espressos. I sure wish I had that kind of time to waste nowadays! And in the parts of Europe I've lived and travelled, you don't see drive-thrus for anything. Even a drive-thru at McDonalds is rare (but not unheard of). At least it was when I left four years ago.

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Bill, take a look at the Keurig Vue.. it has different brewing temperatures, recyclable plastic from the cups, and there will be the My Cup adapter shortly.. you can also brew frothy lattes and whatnot with it.. It looks like a decent machine..

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