Espresso Coffee at Home- Thoughts and Ideas

• 

  Gunnar on 17/01/2023 - 09:12

  but I was anticipating lots of friends coming over to check out the device

  I think you need new friends

  In all seriousness I did it maybe 15 years ago and have not looked back.

  Dunno how you got those figures but you need about 20 grams of coffee for a shot of espresso (most roasters will tell you 20g in basket and 40 grams of yield from the machine) which give you around 50 cups (I've never kept track of how many coffees I make from a kilo though)

  Also get better beans, the single biggest change you can make to your coffee is good, fresh beans (it's also the cheapest). If you want to stay cheap get Aldi beans (I like the medium or medium dark ones). Better than that is to go to a roaster and get beans from there. Look around here and you can get beans from a roaster for about $33 a kilo

  Since doing it, and especially though lockdown, there are only a small handful of cafes that I like now. I can still drink instant coffee (I have a way of making them which is all milk and that is the only way I'll drink them). Oddly enough the coffee I really don't like is pod coffee

• 

  eortho on 17/01/2023 - 09:25

  +1

  Welcome to the dark side.
  Making coffee at home is certainly a rabbit hole.

  You will need to prepare to learn a lot of things to achieve a good cup of coffee. But once you do, you will never want to drink a coffee outside.
  Be prepared to learn about water quality, bean selection, grinding, puck preparation, extraction timing, milk frothing, latte art, etc.
  You may find yourself spending more and more money. But I guess it is ok if it becomes your hobby.

  Generally 18-20g for a double shot of coffee + milk.
  There is a shelf life for coffee beans for their optimal flavours. Generally from 10 days to 30 days from roasting.
  So, I would recommend buying local and buying small amount.
  This will also allow you to try different types of beans / roasts, etc

  But it will ruin your life. Because you will never be able to drink coffee outside. (apart from a very few selected speciality shops)

• 

  Banj0 on 17/01/2023 - 09:28

  I came to coffee late. Would occasionally have one, but usually would go months between. I was exposed to a pod machine a few years back and then after some research decided to get a cheap Sunbeam like yourself. It promptly developed a leak and so I sent it back. My wife then suggested getting something that wouldn't have to go into landfill anytime soon, and so we picked up a Rancilio Silvia.

  Not a fan of the pod machines such as I originally tried BTW…I just don't like the waste implications (even if I used reusable pods, I think eventually I would be tempted to choke a sea turtle with a tiny plastic cup, so I ruled it out).

  Added a sub $400 grinder, and various other hardware items, and I'm probably into this for $1,500 so far. Had I been a coffee drinker to begin with, I would probably call that a year of coffee. Not so bad.

  Of course, the scope is there to spend much, much more of you want to. I like the machines at the level of the Silvia because at that point you start to see a commercial style build, and parts are replaceable. Your big box store machines will, usually, become unrepairable, and that is another reason we did not replace the Sunbeam with another Sunbeam/Breville/whatever.

  On the flip side, a machine like the Silvia can be much harder to learn to drive. The likes of your Sunbeam will probably come with double walled baskets and a higher pressure pour than commercial machines have (15 bar on the consumer machine is not uncommon, vs 9 bar on a commercial machine). There will be a lot more leeway in your process - so you can get a reasonably decent cup no matter variation in grind, tamping, beans, whatever. There is a bit of fun in learning to do it on a more difficult machine though.

  I like milk coffees, and I would say that the steaming technique/quality is just as important as other factors. The texture of the milk goes a long way towards producing a truly excellent cup of white whatever. My Sunbeam couldn't approach the Rancilio in this regard (and in turn my Rancilio is not really up to the standard of a commercial machine with a big steam boiler).

  As for Nescafe, I never had a taste for it, but certainly would not be tempted by it now. A good pourover is nice though.

  Edit: Some talk about dosing quantities here, so I'll add my bit. My double basket takes about 17g - more and it becomes difficult to seat the portafilter in the group head. Different baskets will have different specs and different requirements for dosing. Different roasts will also vary things by a gram or two (light roast generally takes up less room than equivalent weight in a dark roast, but bean freshness and prep comes into it too). 14g is probably more like a traditional double does but like many things we are gradually upsizing!

• 

  thrillhouse on 17/01/2023 - 09:34

  +1

  Purchased a Rancilio Silvia and Rocky grinder around 8 years ago, still have it. Looking at a Linea Mini this year (but the prices have continued to go through the roof).

  As the other commenter suggests, beans are important - as is the grinder. $13 per kilo is likely supermarket beans, and they're not going to be fresh. Go to a local cafe, ideally one that roasts their own beans, and get yourself a 250g bag each week. Check the roast date, avoid anything older than a couple of weeks where you can (it's not the end of the world, but you should be able to get some beans roasted in the past week or so quite easily). Store them in a vacuum sealed container out of direct light.

  I'm also incredibly picky with coffee now, which is probably the drawback of investing into this hobby. But I also enjoy it, though I'd be foolish to say I'm doing it purely for cost savings anymore (given how much some coffee equipment and speciality beans cost).

  but I was anticipating lots of friends coming over to check out the device

  Agree with needing new friends, haha. No one is making the trip for a Sunbeam consumer machine coffee.

• 

  Fergy1987 on 17/01/2023 - 10:11

  Bambino Plus and Kingrinder K4 - yes its saved me money

  I buy my milk from the local coffee shop 39 bucks a carton

  I think any coffee should turn you away from Nescafe

  I also dont think it needs to be as complicated as others make it either - especially if you're drinking milk drinks. The milk will hide most of your flaws in your brewing anyway because you didnt "light the moonlight candle and hold it at exactly 47 degrees towards the blood moon at 11:55pm"

  • 

    87percent on 17/01/2023 - 11:59

    39 bucks a carton!? high roller

    • 

      Fergy1987 on 17/01/2023 - 12:03

      $3.25 each? need my oat milk lol

      • 

        kiitos on 17/01/2023 - 18:50

        He probably thought (as did I) you meant a standard 1l carton.

  • 

    Banj0 on 17/01/2023 - 15:38

    +1

    If you're not doing the candle thing you're really missing out!

    • 

      kiitos on 17/01/2023 - 18:52

      Even better if you get a spring loaded candle lighter. I can't afford that, so I'm using a 3D printed match holder. Definitely improves the quality of the flame.

• 

  barbarella on 17/01/2023 - 10:17

  +1

  definately could NEVER go back to Nescafe

• 

  Ocker on 17/01/2023 - 11:18

  Bought a Saeco machine about 10 years ago and it has finally given up. Counter shows is has made 13,500 coffee's so it has well and truly paid for itself.

• 

  pom on 17/01/2023 - 11:37

  I bought a Sunbeam Cafe Series emm7200bk and Eureka Mignon Specialita grinder during the black Friday sales after missing out on the 40% delonghi sale where I wanted a fully automatic machine. I'm happy now I missed that and went with the setup I have.

  It took some goes but I am certain I'm now producing better coffees than all but one of the cafes I've been to.

  20g decent coffee in a double shot basket using the gauges on the machine as a guide. I don't time the shot or weigh the extraction but the result is great tasting to me.

• 

  Solrak on 17/01/2023 - 12:35

  +1

  No mention of a grinder OP? One of the most overlooked things that can improve your coffee along with fresh whole beans. Lots of newbies make this mistake and gloss over a half decent grinder purchase. Please tell me you're not buying cheap pre-ground supermarket coffee?

  You don't have to spend much to get a half decent entry level grinder. For example you can pick up a Breville SGP second hand for under $150. I believe they are $250-$300 if you want new.

  I'd also recommend buying a machine which has a none pressurized double filter basket to extract the best out of fresh beans. Thank me later!

  Welcome to the Coffee rabbit hole……

  • 

    Banj0 on 17/01/2023 - 15:36

    +1

    Some might say that you'll get better coffee out of a crappy machine teamed with a great grinder than you will out of a great machine teamed with a rubbish grinder.

  • 

    coffeeinmyveins on 17/01/2023 - 16:13

    Please tell me you're not buying cheap pre-ground supermarket coffee?

    Based on their comment about using 1kg bags of Lavazza I'm guessing that yes, it's just from coles

    • 

      Solrak on 17/01/2023 - 16:53

      Funny you should say that. I was in Coles the other week and they do sell some pretty fresh whole beans. A couple of brands stand out (Daley St & Sensory Lab) had roast dates on the back which were less than 3 weeks old. Granted it's best to check each bag before purchase as I noticed some at the back of the shelf were nearly 3 months old. I prefer to source directly from a good roaster and see them get more of the profits than Coles. Still good to know if you need a bag urgently. I also heard some of the Aldi beans can be quite good and pretty fresh but yet to try them.

      Goes without saying the cheap beans all had best before dates and no mention of roast dates. Avoid unless you need to season a new grinder or something.

      • 

        coffeeinmyveins on 18/01/2023 - 08:16

        Yeah definitely luck of the draw. I looked at Campos in coles - 5 months old beans!

  • 

    Sydneyswans on 17/01/2023 - 23:46

    Yes I just bought a coffee culture hand grinder and have the Kmart very basic mini grinder. Yes I know its sacrilege to not have a $300 grinder but i will upgrade in time.

• 

  Guesty on 17/01/2023 - 13:02

  +2

  I started off with a pod machine, and was still buying T/A coffee's, then acquired a Silvia Single boiler and Mazzer grinder. That helped make the jump to manual coffee making.

  Now have a Profitec Pro 700 and Atom 65 Grinder.
  The outlay would have been approx. $4500 but extremely rarely will buy coffee when out and about since having the Profitec. The shot clock on grinder is currently sitting at 2486 shots, so have certainly paid for itself over the last 4 years.

  Just wait wil you start roasting your own green beans from CoffeeSnobs etc, it's a slippery slope….

  • 

    hrayn3 on 17/01/2023 - 14:04

    Did a similar thing going from a cheap pressurized machine to a Silvia + Mazzer. I got good deals on both on marketplace and set it up for $400. Have saved so much money, never looked back. If you're not in a rush I'd hang out on marketplace, gumtree, coffeesnobs marketplace to look for deals.

    there is also a good thread on reddit with info about different machines (although it preferences new models, you'd be better off getting something quality second-hand): https://www.reddit.com/r/espresso/comments/107nu0t/official_…

    I'd recommend a cheaper but featured Breville for someone dipping their toes in - like a Bambino Plus or Infuser. Or a Gaggia Classic/Rancilio Silvia if you want something more classic but fiddly. Spend more to get a good burr grinder second-hand, something better than a Breville grinder.

• 

  coffeeinmyveins on 17/01/2023 - 16:12

  has it saved you money vs going to a cafe each day?.

  The answer to this will unequivocally always be yes. $4-$6 for a store coffee vs 50c for a homemade one using nice beans and milk.

  I have recently purchased some Lavazza beans for $13 for a kilo worth. I know its better off buying coffee in small amounts

  It's also better buying good beans instead of Lavazza from Coles/Woolies.

  One last thing is once you turn to the darkside and go for home espresso you will never go back to nescafe. thoughts?

  Well, yeah, most anything is better than nescafe.

• 

  adamp on 21/01/2023 - 00:23

  my $0.02 worth…
  Deloghi Dedica……Compact inexpensive but makes a great coffee and steam
  Breville smart pro ginder……better to spend more on the grinder….it makes the difference
  Solid heavy metal tamper….gotta get that grind working for you.

  Finally….pod machines are awful