January 27, 20242 yr For anyone who cares, a long term impression of the Niche Zero and Breville Dual Boiler: I couldn’t be happier. My Breville issues were caused by buying used, nothing inherently wrong with the machine. It’s super easy to use and makes just absolutely delicious espresso. Temperature is spot the fuck on. I have no desire to do the Slayer mod, but of course I have a Flair 58. Regarding the Niche, it took me a little while. I didn’t love it compared to 64 SSP burrs, at first, but I have come around to it. Using it is of course foolproof. Workflow is perfect. Shots are round and unctuous and delicious. I honestly don’t want to “upgrade:” I’m perfectly happy. I have a routine that I go through twice every morning, and I enjoy the coffee every time, even when I fuck up on coffee selection (I found a light roast Yirgacheffe somehow so porous I have to grind on 0, but it just barely pulls a traditional shot: I normally just turbo it, though: it’s still good). Both machines are older, but quality hasn’t been affected by the appearance of competitors: I would buy both again, here in 2024. Maybe I would get the Duo, if I were buying new now, but I’m unlikely to “upgrade” from the Zero to one: it’s a great grinder. Edited January 27, 20242 yr by EdipisReks1
February 4, 20242 yr Love my niche zero. There's something about it...the design is simple. It weighs enough that it's substantial which for whatever reason one often correlates to quality. It's uber low maintenance. The wife hasn't said much so apparently it's not a big eye sore. Great purchase IMHO. I bought a bunch of Intelligentsia coffees. The Celebration has been really good....so much so I gifted a bag to our neighbors. Definitely better value for money than Onyx Coffee, but I keep going back to them now and again... HS
February 23, 20242 yr http://www.longearscoffee.com/ I love their medium roast aged coffee. I use a cheap glass and metal French press.
February 23, 20242 yr Holy moly....I feel so much better about my racy Onyx Coffee Labs purchases...LOL. HS
March 11, 20242 yr James Hoffman says the Niche Duo tastes the same as the Niche Zero, which is good enough for me to not “upgrade.” I’m sure the SSP burrs are better, but that’s an additional expense, of course.
March 12, 20242 yr I'm shopping for a new "full size" scale. Very pleased with the small Acaia Lunar that was an incentive to purchase my espresso maker a few years ago. I tried replacing my Amazon scale of 10 years with another and it drifts...not bad but I'm over it. Looking at the Acaia Pearl. Looks like plenty of scale for my needs (i.e. think pour over in a Chemex). I'm struggling to understand whether the Acaia Pearl S is worth the add'l cost, and I'm thinking it's not worth the delta. https://acaia.co/collections/coffee-scales Thoughts? Thanks in advance! HS
March 13, 20242 yr I don't have Grahame's 'this is head-case' meme... But this is HC! I don't think that you would regret getting the S with it's additional features. It really does seem to be setup for getting the best of a pour over. I cannot advise too much. I use this for my espresso... https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07L92G6CF .. I'll see myself out...
March 13, 20242 yr https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803466796803.html?src=google&aff_fcid=7fd79ca773f545d1a01db7379ef45df1-1710350337560-09989-UneMJZVf&aff_fsk=UneMJZVf&aff_platform=aaf&sk=UneMJZVf&aff_trace_key=7fd79ca773f545d1a01db7379ef45df1-1710350337560-09989-UneMJZVf&terminal_id=9485f0ff7cfd4abeb772d3c9a5bd6a06&afSmartRedirect=y&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa
March 17, 20242 yr On 3/12/2024 at 4:04 PM, HemiSam said: I'm shopping for a new "full size" scale. Very pleased with the small Acaia Lunar that was an incentive to purchase my espresso maker a few years ago. I tried replacing my Amazon scale of 10 years with another and it drifts...not bad but I'm over it. Looking at the Acaia Pearl. Looks like plenty of scale for my needs (i.e. think pour over in a Chemex). I'm struggling to understand whether the Acaia Pearl S is worth the add'l cost, and I'm thinking it's not worth the delta. https://acaia.co/collections/coffee-scales Thoughts? Thanks in advance! HS I have a pearl, a Luna, and the Pyxis. I would buy a timemore black mirror, honestly. The Acaia scales are great, and are nicer than the Timemore scales (I have the full size and the nano: I have a lot of scales), but it’s not $100 better. Attached is a picture of the Pearl, Black Mirror, and Luna, for scale (no pun intended). Edited March 17, 20242 yr by EdipisReks1
March 23, 20242 yr I think my art is getting better. At least more consistent, if still bad. I waggle the pitcher too much at the beginning. This shot was too coarse and spat a lot, as you can see the from the rim, but it was a tasty cup. Califia oat barista milk.
March 31, 20242 yr No idea how to do art properly but I'm having fun with my Breville Barista Express.
April 12, 20242 yr I’m getting better. It’s hard being even on both sides of the cup. Edited April 12, 20242 yr by EdipisReks1
April 30, 20242 yr I don't roast my own beans, but in case someone is interested... https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/roma-world-largest-capacity-home-coffee-roaster?utm_source=cordial&utm_campaign=240429_monday_2024-04-29&utm_medium=email#/ HS
April 30, 20242 yr i mean, it’s not any of the things it advertises. most home roasters can handle 300g, mine easily does 1kg. if you want 1 touch roasting the ikawa seems good
April 30, 20242 yr I figured someone better informed would chime in. I believe this is the one... https://ikawahome.com/products/ikawa-home-roasting-system?variant=40582517653679 HS
April 30, 20242 yr I exchanged some coffee with someone with an ikawa once, and I was impressed with the complexity of flavors it achieved. That said, my roaster isn't much more complicated, once you've dialed in your recipe. And I can roast a lot more coffee at once.
April 30, 20242 yr 3 hours ago, grawk said: I exchanged some coffee with someone with an ikawa once, and I was impressed with the complexity of flavors it achieved. That said, my roaster isn't much more complicated, once you've dialed in your recipe. And I can roast a lot more coffee at once. Dan, how are flavors added traditionally to coffee? For example our local grocery chain has something that is sold as: a medium bodied coffee with sweet cream and vanilla flavors inspired Inspired by the sweet, decadent flavors of a Tres Leches Cake.
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