# Whos given up espresso for brewed?



## Robbo (Feb 17, 2016)

Im just wandering how many of you have started out on the espresso road and then left it behind after discovering the brewed methods.

It might be a phase but I seem to be using my hand grinder and aeropress a lot more lately while the gaggia and mignon has a rest.

Now i find myself looking at chemex,V60 and even a brazen plus machine.


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

I make a few shots every couple of months, brewed every day.


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## Rhys (Dec 21, 2014)

I started on brewed, went espresso, then went brewed again when I went through a phase of not getting decent results from light roasted beans. Now I'm using both as I find that it suits whatever mood I'm in and how quick I want a coffee. If I have the time to mess around, I'll switch in the Pavoni and get all my stuff out of the cupboard (tamper, mat & other stuff). If I want less faff I'll just use the V60, Bodum pour over or AeroPress. Having two grinders helps as the little Isomac is on demand and I use that for brewed. The major is more faff to single dose and is usually set for espresso.

It's good to keep options open and not push one away in favour of another. They all bring out their own characteristics in the cup.


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## Rhys (Dec 21, 2014)

@fatboyslim


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## fatboyslim (Sep 29, 2011)

Ha! I used to chuckle naively when people would start talking about brewed, naturally thinking espresso was vastly superior but I've now learnt a lot more about brewed and I know longer own an espresso machine.

I occasionally pop into a decent cafe and order an espresso but it just doesn't push the same buttons as it used to. I do miss this those special mornings when I was 4-5 double espressos in and reality started to ebb away.

For me the biggest revolution was changing my water.

Great thread btw


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## jlarkin (Apr 26, 2015)

I'd been enjoying brewed coffee all along anyway but have found I've been drinking espresso even less often. Maybe twice a week I've been having a couple of espresso whereas brewed, with various methods, I'm having several times a day, every day.


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## Step21 (Oct 2, 2014)

When i first joined the forum i thought that i was looking for an espresso machine. I soon discovered that i didn't fancy the outlay on a decent machine/grinder combo.

So i turned to brewed with an aeropress.

With great advice and assistance from many forum members especially @MWJB i was soon learning how to make delicious brewed coffee. Can't see me ever making the espresso machine outlay now.


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Espresso is what you drink while your brewed is cooling down


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## PPapa (Oct 24, 2015)

When I joined this forum, I felt like there isn't much passion for brewed.

But we have MWJB and few others drink brewed daily. Which is quite nice







.


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## fatboyslim (Sep 29, 2011)

jeebsy said:


> Espresso is what you drink while your brewed is cooling down


And brewed is what you drink while your espresso machine warms up and/or you're dialing the grind in and wasting those precious beans!


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## Rhys (Dec 21, 2014)

jeebsy said:


> Espresso is what you drink while your brewed is cooling down


Exactly!


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

What is brewed?


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## Robbo (Feb 17, 2016)

fatboyslim said:


> Ha! I used to chuckle naively when people would start talking about brewed, naturally thinking espresso was vastly superior but I've now learnt a lot more about brewed and I know longer own an espresso machine.
> 
> I occasionally pop into a decent cafe and order an espresso but it just doesn't push the same buttons as it used to. I do miss this those special mornings when I was 4-5 double espressos in and reality started to ebb away.
> 
> ...


The thing is, i would probably do the same and drop the espresso machine but now the mrs has a taste for the lattes which i have spent months perfecting.

I can only imagine how good the brewed could be if i used decent water intead of tap, a bit of research/practice on methods and set up the mignon for brewed.


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## Rhys (Dec 21, 2014)

fatboyslim said:


> And brewed is what you drink while your espresso machine warms up and/or you're dialing the grind in and wasting those precious beans!


Out of the last 4 different beans I've had, I've only had one sink shot. It's got to a point where just looking at the beans gives me a good idea where to set my grinder. Last couple of times it's been near enough on the nail. Waiting for the machine to warm up, or leaving the AeroPress/French press to steep. It can take the same amount of time!


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## Rhys (Dec 21, 2014)

coffeechap said:


> What is brewed?


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## PPapa (Oct 24, 2015)

coffeechap said:


> What is brewed?


It's something you drink while you are waiting for that 50-70min Sowden brew.


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

Rhys said:


>


Exactly


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## h1udd (Sep 1, 2015)

Pah .... An espresso shot is the average extraction across the puck due to grind differences, pressure differences from top to bottom etc etc ..... Brewed again is an average extraction due agsin to differences in grind partials blah blah blah

going on that, the surely the ultimate drink must be an average of brewed AND espresso ..... So Shouldn't we be mixing the 2 ??


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## h1udd (Sep 1, 2015)

coffeechap said:


> What is brewed?


Its a really long pre-extraction ... I do it loads on the la pav .... Lift the lever, wait 10 seconds, forget what I was doing and wander off ... Come back 10 mins later to a perfect 36g brewed shot


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## Jon (Dec 3, 2010)

The mouthfeel and intensity of espresso is a thing that brewed can't replace for me.

Although consistency can be a challenge for both I find espresso delivers more often. Brewed frequently disappoints me.

I realise many will say the opposite and this is just my perspective!


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

This thread is sounding like something from the confessional...'dear father I have brewed'.

For penance - three our fathers, two hail Marys and six Nespressos.


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## jlarkin (Apr 26, 2015)

h1udd said:


> Pah .... An espresso shot is the average extraction across the puck due to grind differences, pressure differences from top to bottom etc etc ..... Brewed again is an average extraction due agsin to differences in grind partials blah blah blah
> 
> going on that, the surely the ultimate drink must be an average of brewed AND espresso ..... So Shouldn't we be mixing the 2 ??


An espresso shot isn't really the average extraction though - is it (genuine question)? It's the actual extraction at that time, whatever that is?

I've heard of that mixture being called a red eye, mixture of a brewed coffee with an espresso shot added.


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## fatboyslim (Sep 29, 2011)

Situation #004. You go to a fancy cafe that you've read about and you're really excited to see how good it is. You sit down and order a double espresso. It comes a minute later, you drink it in 30 seconds and then feel awkward for sitting there without a drink. One minute later you leave, a bit disappointed with your premature exit.

You contemplate the futility of life on your miserable walk home.

The End.....

A true story...


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## mike57 (May 3, 2016)

I make brewed to enjoy when another espresso goes down the sink.

It's already been a week since I got my Classic and I still haven't got it right.

How long will it take?


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## jlarkin (Apr 26, 2015)

fatboyslim said:


> Situation #004. You go to a fancy cafe that you've read about and you're really excited to see how good it is. You sit down and order a double espresso. It comes a minute later, you drink it in 30 seconds and then feel awkward for sitting there without a drink. One minute later you leave, a bit disappointed with your premature exit.
> 
> You contemplate the futility of life on your miserable walk home.
> 
> ...


Just get stuck in with another drink?  also not being alone helps, but generally I'm on my own having gone unreasonably out of my way to get there


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## Jon (Dec 3, 2010)

mike57 said:


> I make brewed to enjoy when another espresso goes down the sink.
> 
> It's already been a week since I got my Classic and I still haven't got it right.
> 
> How long will it take?


5 years. Maybe less. Probably longer.


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

jlarkin said:


> An espresso shot isn't really the average extraction though - is it (genuine question)? It's the actual extraction at that time, whatever that is?.


Any extraction yield of coffee is the average strength of the finished cup, in terms of how much of the dose you have dissolved into your drink. Espresso & drip start off very concentrated (higher than average strength) then get more diluted as the brew progresses, usually with the final drops ending up weaker than the average TDS of the whole drink.

Immersions start off at a lower concentration & rise in strength, much more evenly across the brew.

In other words a cup of espresso & drip can be more 'layered' in terms of strength in the cup (before stirring), but all can make reasonably even drink.

As regards the bed/puck, some particles might extract more than others in any of the scenarios. E.g. some bits may be 17% extracted,others 23% extracted, but overall the cup has 20% of the dose extracted into it. (Just an illustration, numbers made up).


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

The Systemic Kid said:


> This thread is sounding like something from the confessional...'dear father I have brewed'.


Confessions of a coffee brewer....now all I can see is Robin Askwith, clad from head to toe in denim..."Cor, blimey!"


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## risky (May 11, 2015)

I came close to binning the espresso machine, but now it's my brew game that's letting me down. Next month I expect I'll be enjoying delicious brews and terrible spro. Seems I am not destined to be able to do both at once.


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

MWJB said:


> Confessions of a coffee brewer....now all I can see is Robin Askwith, clad from head to toe in denim..."Cor, blimey!"


Groan!!






70s were so crap.


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Grinding light roasts through a big conical almost killed espresso for me.


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## James811 (May 10, 2014)

I didn't leave espresso for brewed. Brewed is what started me on the coffee journey. I do have an espresso machine (a very cheap naff one for when the mood strikes, which may be once or twice a week)

But I mainly drink aeropress and chemex. With the occasional French press


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## risky (May 11, 2015)

And right on cue I've had a spro meltdown this morning.


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

risky said:


> And right on cue I've had a spro meltdown this morning.


Luckily I did not!


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## MarkT (Nov 21, 2015)

I'll put my hand up as I'm enjoying long steep brews better then espresso and now even flat whites. Lol


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## Riz (Oct 19, 2015)

Great thread @Robbo. I've been drinking Rave's Ethiopian Yirgacheffe G1 Natural Konga brewed in v60 and am loving being able to detect the nuanced notes and flavours coming through. I've only recently got into brewed and am enjoying the journey. At the same time I love my espresso based drinks too and will report back once I've tried the bean as an espresso


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## Missy (Mar 9, 2016)

fatboyslim said:


> Situation #004. You go to a fancy cafe that you've read about and you're really excited to see how good it is. You sit down and order a double espresso. It comes a minute later, you drink it in 30 seconds and then feel awkward for sitting there without a drink. One minute later you leave, a bit disappointed with your premature exit.
> 
> You contemplate the futility of life on your miserable walk home.
> 
> ...


Ask for it with a glass of water on the side. Grab your book and enjoy. Easy.


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## Vieux Clou (Oct 22, 2014)

coffeechap said:


> What is brewed?


A spelling error:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078908/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1








(although TBH I really enjoy my Brikka).


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## the_partisan (Feb 29, 2016)

I started off with an espresso machine (Gaggia Classic) and quickly found out that it is quite difficult to get consistent results, and difficult to brew for more than one person at a time. I also waste so much beans trying to dial things in. It also creates a mess in the kitchen, and requires maintenance. The equipment also takes a bit of space. My other half enjoys "americano" style coffee so brew coffee works even better for her, as I think brew coffee > americano anyway. I do still enjoy an espresso when I'm in a cafe though.

Quite enjoying my adventures with V60 now and have made some really nice tasting brews with both my electric (Wilfa) and Feldgrind. Have had some issues with dialing beans in and my technique (some of you might remember me from the Feldgrind thread..) but overall very happy with results I'm getting. Have also made some Turkish coffee using Feldgrind which came out very nice with a good mouthfeel. Perfect after a big meal.


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## pjbuk (Aug 23, 2015)

After receiving a free V60 from Pact my espresso machine has been getting far less use. This is also due to the fact that its highlighted the need for an upgrade!


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