# Coffee querys



## Jono_84 (Nov 5, 2016)

Hi there been lurking about on this forum for a few weeks now so thought id introduce myself and ask a few questions,

Im currently using a french press and moka pot for my coffee brewing for me and my missus, ive been using aldis pre ground in the FP and grinding their 'espresso beans' for the moka pot,

I have a cheap chinese sourced grinder i bought off ebay atm and to be honest it seems alright in operation the grinds seems consistent in size and is adjustable if not a little hard graft to produce enough for a brew.

Im now in the market for a machine and its taken me a little convincing that i would benifit from a s/h Gaggia classic over say a brand new delonghi and the likes, altho this forum is very biased towards the GC every other generic review site seems to rate the others I really wonder if i personally would notice the difference?

I recently missed out on a gaggia classic up for sale at 35 quid , but there is still a gaggia ML grinder for a fiver , are these any good ? Would i notice a difference ? Also with regards to the classic i prefer a 'mug' of coffee rather than a shot is it possible to produce such a thing with a espresso machine?

if im making a coffee for both me and my missus in the morning is it going to be anymore time consuming than say making a drink for us both in the FP ?

Really i guess like the idea of latte/cappuccino style drinks but wonder if I'll be causing a drastic amount of work for myself in the morning over my current set up for little gain? I enjoy the process at the moment of prepping the FP and the Moka pot (sometimes both together)

Thanks in advance -Jono


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## Drewster (Dec 1, 2013)

Hello and welcome

fp (along with pour overs, aeropress etc) are great for a longer cup of coffee if that's your preference.

(for me) topping up an espresso shot into a mug full with water (long black) isn't as "nice" a cuppa.

Topping up an espresso shot with 1-3 times the volume of steamed milk (macchiato/cortado/flat white/cappocino) is very different

So (IMHO) if you want to drink a mugful...

a) Buy different beans - just to try different flavours of fresh roasted (and good quality) coffee....

If that gets you what you want (better flavours)....

b) Try some of the different brewing methods (all "fairly" cheap)...

If that gets you what you want (better flavours)....

Separately....

See if you can find someone/where to try decent coffee beans from a decent espresso machine (a good independent local cafe or a mate - you might live near someone from the forum?).

Plus investing in a "decent" grinder will improve the experience (both from a faff and a quality perspective) whatever route you go..

If you go down the espresso line..... it isn't cheap to get it right (even if you "only" go to a Gaggia Classic plus decent grinder).....


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## Tewdric (Apr 20, 2014)

A French press is fine but it needs to be fed good quality freshly roasted beans. Your priority should be a grinder. The cheapest way to start is with a Porlex or Feldgrind hand grinder, although a lot of people start with an Iberital MC2. If you can, hold off on a machine and get a Eureka Mignon.

Try a V60 dripper, which IMHO makes much cleaner coffee than a FP, or alternatively an Aeropress.

Get some fresh beans too, try Rave Coffe mocha Java or Italian job if you like the typical chain coffee shop style, or try some of their single origin roasts to experiment.


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## Robbo (Feb 17, 2016)

Agree with above. Getting it right with gaggia/grinder, etc set up takes a bit of effort which should be part of the enjoyment not a chore.

If you just change your coffee to fresh you will make big improvements. i only drink longer drinks and get great brews from a moka pot and cafetiere

You can try making latte by making espresso in the moka and using press to make the milk. (hot milk in press and pump until aerated and silky)


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## johnealey (May 19, 2014)

Echo all of the above.

Fresh quality beans, freshly ground in a French press would give not impact on your time constraints and give you the most marked change in quality. If you can weigh the grounds to nearest gram with std kitchen scales and also amount of water going into French press then you will start to standardise your brew which combined with timing will allow repeatability. Later you can try out different waters to see the impact these have on taste etc.

There are plenty of threads on here re French press or other pour over "recipes" that would be a good starting point.

Once you exhausted the above grinder really is the key item for both brewed / espresso using the old hi fi adage "garbage in, garbage out" is very true as the espresso machine is the last link in the chain (Beans>grinder>water>method of making coffee). A poor grinder with a more expensive machine will only lead to dissatisfaction with the results in the cup.

Key thing is, you don't have to spend a fortune to get a decent cup of coffee (however, you are asking questions of the mortally afflicted







)

John


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## BenJM (Sep 7, 2016)

I like a mug of coffee over espresso shots and after trying different methods, it is the FP that has won for me.

Good fresh beans (not supermarket) makes a massive difference compared to pre-ground.

What is your FP method at the moment?


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