# The bane of my wallet



## Clement VIII (May 13, 2011)

And yes, that is a manual grinder, approved by Charles Atlas









Also, should I paint the jars in which I keep the beans? It seems that the only advantage to instant coffee is that a certain Dutch company makes lovely jars.

Oh, would *love* a good quality tamper, I spent my budget on the naked portafilter. I have two tampers, one is the awful (unused) Gaggia one, and the other is a plastic one I bought second hand...it's actually rather good (for plastic). It is however slightly concave and a tad too small







...so far from ideal.

Hope I don't offend anyone with the clutter on the top







. It isn't usually there, just piled up there to get everything in shot.


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## BanishInstant (Oct 12, 2009)

It looks like you are building a collection. I assume the Rancilio Steam Wand is on the cards?


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

A good tamper should be the next purchase (and really should have come before the naked portafilter)

The difference will be immediately noticeable.


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## MikeHag (Mar 13, 2011)

How do you like Turkish? I'm planning to give it a go soon, but all the sugar I've seen go into it makes me unsure.


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## sandykt (Dec 3, 2009)

A tamper is definitely missing from your set up, otherwise a nice one.


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## Clement VIII (May 13, 2011)

Yes, a tamper is definitely next on the cards. I didn't buy one online as I want to try it out for a fit in the shop...I'm a little short on shopping time as I am preparing for my 3 month placement in Brazil (voluntary aid work).

The naked portafilter is *excellent* for humbling someone who thought they knew how to make good coffee







. I have yet to create a decent shot of espresso using this method, though I am sure that the tamper will make it a lot better. None-the-less, extraction time is becoming more reliable as I improve my understanding of grind size and tamping pressure. Also a massive advantage with the naked portafilter is that it is SO much easier to clean!

In response to MikeHag:

I adore Turkish coffee. I only ever have it with friends (ideally only one or two...until I get a better grinder and bigger ibrik). I consider it on-par with having a bar of chocolate. It is a pleasure not to have too often. In my more intense student days I did have non-sweetened Turkish coffee (my ibrik makes two/three cups at a time). I wouldn't recommend non-sweetened Turkish for anything other than a caffeine fix, the flavour is too intense and in want of sugar. It is a great act of mercy to tell a first-timer not to drink the whole cup







.


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## CoffeeCrazy (May 10, 2011)

Nice setup and once you add a tamper it will definitely be even better!


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