Coffee buzz

[torquill]

I'm not a big coffee drinker. I suppose it was inevitable that when I went to the Pacific Northwest for college in the mid-90's, I'd pick up latte drinking, though. I've kept with the occasional cup since then, mostly to warm up or relax after a stressful class... I got a home espresso maker for Christmas one year, the kind that steams milk and yadda yadda, and used it occasionally. The last time I pulled it out (I was having a bad day), the pump quit. $100 for repairs? sigh. I don't drink them often enough to know who the good barristas are around here, which means that just going out (hard at 2am anyway) results in expensive undrinkable coffee half the time. I managed to fix the last latte from Panama Bay, but it took some doing.

I looked around, and didn't like the idea of paying $60-80 for a newer machine I'd only use once in a while, but all the stores had were basic coffeemakers and professional-style espresso machines. mactavish made the offhand comment that her espresso maker works on the stove, and that made me curious. So I went looking.

It turns out that, while such macchinettas are quite inexpensive ($10-20), and effective enough that the design has stayed the same for most of a century, no brick and mortar store carries them west of Manhattan. So I took a chance and ordered one, and waited 10 days for delivery. It came yesterday, and I played with it today.

After brewing and throwing out two rounds of coffee (to break in the aluminum finish), I made a mocha with the third. I have to say: it brews fast (2 minutes), it's easy to clean, it's quiet, it fits neatly on our smallest stove burner, and it's quite cute. It also makes very good coffee. I like my lattes and mochas to taste like premium coffee ice cream, the sort that has coffee grounds in it, without bitter or sour notes... this has a very slight bitter edge, but I suspect I can solve that by lightening the coffee blend a little. Otherwise it's at least as good as anything I've paid $3 for at a shop. I can brew good decaf rather than what the shop has on hand, sweeten it exactly as I like it, add chocolate or molasses (or not)... with no more hassle than the other machine gave me. Less, actually, as I don't have to worry about whether I've tamped it so firmly it'll burn.

So, all in all a good purchase. Thanks for turning me onto it, mactavish. :)

Comments

[amanda-nye.livejournal.com]

wow, I bought one of those at a thrift shop in Washington. It does make good espresso, but the seal between the parts eventually got to the point where I don't trust it to use anymore.

[luna-torquill.livejournal.com]

Replacement gaskets are cheap and easy to find these days... if you can find a brand name somewhere on it, really easy, otherwise just go with the most common brand (Bialetta, I think). Here's one site that offers replacements with precise measurements for matching (http://www.fantes.com/espresso-stovetop.html#gasket); there are many others.

I'm aware that I'll need to replace the gasket eventually, but I'm okay with that. As maintenance goes, it's not bad.

[hopeforyou.livejournal.com]

Cool. Want to come over and show me how to make coffee using it?

[luna-torquill.livejournal.com]

Sure. I just bought some Thanksgiving Coffee Co. organic decaf that looks pretty darn good from the description. :)

[foogod.livejournal.com]

On the subject of sour/bitterness, I was watching the first of the new season of Good Eats the other day and Alton was talking about coffee at one point and mentioned that he puts in a pinch of salt to reduce bitterness. Not sure how well it actually works, of course, as I personally never touch the stuff anyway, but might be worth a try. I'd certainly never heard of that technique before..

[luna-torquill.livejournal.com]

Now, that is interesting. A pinch of salt in the water, or in the finished brew?

I might try it if I get a bitter cup from somewhere, or if there's still a bitter edge to this new decaf I bought (I'm hoping not -- it's a mix of roasts, not French roast as I had before).

[foogod.livejournal.com]

He tosses in a pinch of salt (kosher, of course :) ) with the coffee grounds (before adding the water) when he's brewing his own coffee. Not sure if it would have the same effect if added after brewing..

[luna-torquill.livejournal.com]

The salt may retard the extraction of some of the alkaloids in the grounds, which are what make it bitter... it's why I was curious about when he adds it. I'll have to muck about with it a bit and find out. Thanks for the tip.

[kitabare.livejournal.com]

I've been known to add a dash of salt to Denny's coffee. I started doing it after someone decided they were going to threaten me with it as a joke. You know, one of those playing around things. Anywho, it does mellow it out a bit.

Then again, I've also been known to put strawberry syrup in coffee. I'm just weird.

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

It depends on what's causing the bitter notes. A bit of eggshell is canonic; if it's the acids.

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

Sur la Table carries them (I work at the one in Palo Alto).

For the bitter notes, a little lighter roast, and a slightly coarser grind; packed a little less densely, ought to solve the problem.

If you want to foam milk, there are a couple of devices for that, one of which is like a french-press, but specifically meant to foam.

Bodum makes one, which is really effective, and not too expensive.