# Rave - Italian Job



## matthew2456 (Jan 4, 2015)

What are peoples thoughts on Rave Italian job?


----------



## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Can you be more specific?

Are you using it now ?

Do you need a recipe or want to know rest times for it or what it taste like ( the cupping notes not he Rave site are reasonably accurate )

Its a failry traditional blend , dark to medium roast last time t tried that mimics to some traditional italian espresso.

Better for milk based brinks . never drank it neat as it were

7- 10 days rest. Probably better pulled along the shorter brew ratios 1;1.6 ( ristretto ish style )

there is a whole thread here on rave beans

http://coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php?11992-Rave-Coffee

Ancedotally people seem to gravitate towards it as a starter coffee , its fairly " coffee like " in its taste and can be labelled as " forgiving " Will work over a range of doses and extraction temperratures


----------



## truegrace (Jan 29, 2014)

Its also cheap per kg so a nice starter, especially of your not used to dialing in, not the end of the world if you sink some shots!


----------



## Thecatlinux (Mar 10, 2014)

As Mr boots says its a very 'forgiving' coffee blend and easy to get a extraction , what amazes me is how cheap rave sell this for in the kilo form , expect a traditional Italian esspreso but I guess it's name denotes that .


----------



## matthew2456 (Jan 4, 2015)

Seems good value for money, is it consistent from Rave?

Is it just a blend of whatever they have left over?


----------



## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

matthew2456 said:


> Seems good value for money, is it consistent from Rave?
> 
> Is it just a blend of whatever they have left over?


Its a blend , as with some blends it may change seasonally it may not

It is not a mix of what they have left over...


----------



## matthew2456 (Jan 4, 2015)

Been using it so far in an aeropress and will be using soon in a gaggia classic.


----------



## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

I've not used it for Aeropress but I have used it for espresso.

For the money it's brilliant, ok it's not the most complex bean but great for people who are starting out for the first time with espresso ( I got through 2 kilos of the stuff in a week).

I'm afraid 'the road to espresso' is paved with disappointment.

You will need a better grind too I'm afraid. I began my Gaggia Classic journey with a krupps I'd previously used for brewed. It lasted a day.

I think the grinder is as/if not more important than the machine.


----------



## matthew2456 (Jan 4, 2015)

Will keep an eye out for a new grinder









Will give the krups a shot with the bottomless PF.


----------



## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

Best of luck, make sure your wearing waterproof trousers!









Feel free to ask advise on grinders, there's a great thread on here by CoffeeChap. A used one will get you most for your buck.

Here it is....hopefully

http://coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17071


----------



## StuartS (Jan 2, 2015)

I've just started using Rave Italian Job today, having used Happy Donkey Classic Italian for some time now.

It is a medium to dark roast and the beans are not oily at all. HD beans are very dark and oily. A similarly named roast from Pumphreys is also dark and oily so i'm no longer sure what a traditional Italian roast is.

I'm still adjusting my grinder but i did get a reasonable extraction after a couple of attempts and it was much less bitter than i have experienced with the HD beans. This could be down to my HD beans not being fresh. It tastes nice in a latte.

I started with the grinder on the same setting and the Rave ground much finer than the HD. I thought it would come out coarser? When i get round to weighing in/out with the Rave beans, i'll know if the espresso is palatable.

Stuart


----------



## majnu (Jan 31, 2014)

matthew2456 said:


> What are peoples thoughts on Rave Italian job?


I prefer Moccha Java to IJ and Fudge. But these for me at least needed a good 10 day rest time for latte.


----------



## matthew2456 (Jan 4, 2015)

Thanks guys, do people generally prefer the blends or single origins?


----------



## matthew2456 (Jan 4, 2015)

StuartS said:


> I've just started using Rave Italian Job today, having used Happy Donkey Classic Italian for some time now.
> 
> It is a medium to dark roast and the beans are not oily at all. HD beans are very dark and oily. A similarly named roast from Pumphreys is also dark and oily so i'm no longer sure what a traditional Italian roast is.
> 
> ...


 Do you prefer them to the HD beans?


----------



## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Happy Donkey?


----------



## matthew2456 (Jan 4, 2015)

Yes, they are even cheaper than rave.


----------



## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

matthew2456 said:


> Yes, they are even cheaper than rave.


Cheaper doesn't mean better value ( IMHO )

Ive not tried them ( Happy Donkey ) so i can't comment

I dont think they are fresh roasted though based on comment from other members that have had them ...

What did you think of them ?

Are you trying to find the cheapest beans or the tastiest ( within your budget ) ?


----------



## PeterF (Aug 25, 2014)

Italian Job is a superb blend, tastes wounderful & is very consistent. My most regular purchase. Will try their Java next.


----------



## James811 (May 10, 2014)

I'm the same as you peter but the exact opposite. Mocha java is my number 1 with IJ being second


----------



## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

IJ is great value, I've not tasted anything that's cheaper than a £10 a kilo that been any good in fairness to it.

I've also had lots of other really great beans from Rave too. Definitely worth a try.


----------



## StuartS (Jan 2, 2015)

The HD beans are fine in a capuccino or latte but as espresso too bitter for me. Lately this has started to come though the milk. You get a very heavy crema with HD which i have found a bit overpowering but others might like it.

I've just started the Rave IJ, roasted on 5 jan so still quite fresh. Not as much flavour as HD in a capaccino or latte but has the makings of a more balanced espresso. I just need a bit more time to experiment.

I'm looking for beans that i can get a nice espresso from but won't get lost in a milk drink. I don't really want to be paying more than £15/ kg as a guide. My local roasters are £18+ so i'm going to try a few on line. Rave seem to be good value and they have a good choice.

stuart


----------



## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

matthew2456 said:


> Yes, they are even cheaper than rave.


Because they're stale guff


----------



## DoubleShot (Apr 23, 2014)

Think I'm going to try a kilo of Rave Italian Job. Used up a third to half of my 250g of Pact Chocolate Orange just trying to dial it in, lol! Once they're finished will have to start all over again so 1kg of the same bean probably sounds like a good idea and the price seems very competitive considering a lot of it is going to waste i.e. not being drank!


----------



## julesee (Aug 12, 2014)

I liked the Italian Job (I drink Lattes), but have found Coffee Compass' Sweet Bourbon has a more distinctive flavour so for now sticking with that


----------



## DoubleShot (Apr 23, 2014)

What kind of price do they come in at for a kilo delivered?


----------



## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

DoubleShot said:


> What kind of price do they come in at for a kilo delivered?


here is the website

have a look yourself

http://www.coffeecompass.co.uk/shop/

if you can't work the internet is £17.00 plus £3.90 shipping.....


----------



## julesee (Aug 12, 2014)

Coffee Compass' SB? Check pricing here - more expensive than the Italian job.

http://www.coffeecompass.co.uk/shop/speciality-blends/medium/sweet-bourbon-espresso-blend-500g.html


----------



## DoubleShot (Apr 23, 2014)

We have a winner...well done bootsy for being first one to post "have a look yourself". Lol! Was in the middle of watching this weeks episode of Agent Carter. Thought julesee might be kind enough to post the price seen as he/she has purchased them before.


----------



## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

£21 for a kilo delivered of a decent specialty coffee delivered isn't expensive


----------



## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

DoubleShot said:


> We have a winner...well done bootsy for being first one to post "have a look yourself". Lol! Was in the middle of watching this weeks episode of Agent Carter. Thought julesee might be kind enough to post the price seen as he/she has purchased them before.


Enough energy to type " how much " not enough to google coffee compass ...

The youth of today ...

When i was a lad we had to go the shops to buy stuff ...


----------



## julesee (Aug 12, 2014)

I'm equally lazy - go and look it up yourself


----------



## DoubleShot (Apr 23, 2014)

Oh I remember those days only too well. Physically having to walk or cycle to the shops to purchase groceries. Thank God for the additions of the Internet and tapatalk nowadays though!


----------



## Mr O (Jan 14, 2015)

Would this be a good bean for my Aeropress?

i want/need to start experimenting....

cheers,

Mr O


----------



## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Mr O said:


> Would this be a good bean for my Aeropress?
> 
> i want/need to start experimenting....
> 
> ...


Italian Job ? Or the Coffee Comapss one IJ = more prevalently used for espresso

Its a classic dark italian espresso roast

Not sure how good it would be in an aeropress

Coffee compass dunno , again its listed under the espresso range as opposed to filter , make of that what you will


----------



## Mr O (Jan 14, 2015)

I meant the Italian Job.. Ah, I should of realised it was an espresso bean. I'll get my coat......


----------



## PeterF (Aug 25, 2014)

Should be fine in Aeropress. Italian Job is very versitle & works well in my French Press. Good coffee is good coffee


----------



## LJH (Jan 10, 2015)

Italian job is quite good as aeropress. Try a coarse, french press type grind, inverted method, about 96 degrees C water and 3.30 minutes brew time. It's not as interesting as single origin beans, but it's a nice rich blend. For the price I doubt you could find better


----------



## Alison (Jan 21, 2015)

I might buy a kg of this stuff, is there much of a delay between roast date and dispatch date does anyone know? Conscious of how quick I can use 1kg.


----------



## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

Rave roast on demand if you've bought directly from them (not Amazon).


----------



## StuartS (Jan 2, 2015)

I ordered on a monday, they were roasted on tuesday and arrived thursday (second class). General view is that freshly roasted beans need 7-10 days rest before use, so no point opting for quicker delivery.

stuart


----------



## DoubleShot (Apr 23, 2014)

Alison said:


> I might buy a kg of this stuff, is there much of a delay between roast date and dispatch date does anyone know? Conscious of how quick I can use 1kg.


Here's a suggestion and something I may do tomorrow...

Give Rave a call, order a Kg of Italian Job plus a smaller quantity of one or two other beans (Cuban Sorano) that they may have already roasted a few days ago. Then when you receive your order, you'll have something that can be used within a day or so (depends on choice obviously and the suggested rest period) whilst you let Italian Job beans reach the recommended 7 to 10 day rest period.


----------



## Alison (Jan 21, 2015)

DoubleShot said:


> Here's a suggestion and something I may do tomorrow...
> 
> Give Rave a call, order a Kg of Italian Job plus a smaller quantity of one or two other beans (Cuban Sorano) that they may have already roasted a few days ago. Then when you receive your order, you'll have something that can be used within a day or so (depends on choice obviously and the suggested rest period) whilst you let Italian Job beans reach the recommended 7 to 10 day rest period.


I think I might try Stewarts instead with their 20% code and free delivery.


----------



## DoubleShot (Apr 23, 2014)

Alison said:


> I think I might try Stewarts instead with their 20% code and free delivery.


Which beans are you thinking of trying, Italian Espresso? Must say, from my limited reading on these forums have not heard of Stewartscoffees before. Anyone here tried and would recommend them?


----------



## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

DoubleShot said:


> Which beans are you thinking of trying, Italian Espresso? Must say, from my limited reading on these forums have not heard of Stewartscoffees before. Anyone here tried and would recommend them?


try reading here

http://coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php?20577-Stewarts-Coffee-20-off&highlight=stewarts+dsol

http://coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php?21476-Guess-Scotfords-New-Job&p=254497#post254497


----------



## DoubleShot (Apr 23, 2014)

Thank you Sir! 

Hope you're at least the slightest bit impressed that I did actually google Stewartscoffees before posting, lol!


----------



## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

DoubleShot said:


> Thank you Sir!
> 
> Hope you're at least the slightest bit impressed that I did actually google Stewartscoffees before posting, lol!


Little by little

you'll be able to use the search function in your own soon


----------



## DoubleShot (Apr 23, 2014)

Mrboots2u said:


> Little by little
> 
> you'll be able to use the search function in your own soon


OMG! That's where I've been going wrong all this time. Learn something new everyday, lol!


----------



## Chillypillow (Apr 19, 2014)

Just on IJ and this delivery is delicious. Ordered many times before, but this is the best.


----------



## PreCoffeeCantankerousness (Dec 14, 2014)

Well I tried some of this myself recently.

I've been dialling it in over the last couple of days (7-8 days after roasting) and have achieved a lovely crema and consistency.

The taste however is not to my liking - rubber that cuts through any amount of milk and sugar. Not bitter or sour or bright. Everything else is fine. I just don't want the initial taste & long aftertaste in my mouth like I've been eating a pair of my old trainers.

I understand the rubber taste is to do with the robusta bean. It would appear that, for my tastes, I simply need to avoid this bean in future.

So I decontaminated my grinder yesterday and will move onto the other 3 different rave coffees I purchased.

I understand everyone has their own tastes and I'm glad many people seem to enjoy & highly rate this blend. But its becoming apparent that reviews on how good a blend or bean is are dependent on first identifying what you do and don't like and then finding people with similar tastes to yourself that could recommend other beans. However, this is further complicated by the pernicketiness of the extraction variables, equipment and baristas skill. But you've got to start somewhere...


----------



## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

What dose/extraction/ time of shot are you using with it.

It's not the most complex of beans but I've not had a rubber taste. Obviously everyone has different tastes and each to their own. Have you contacted the roaster?

what grinder / machine are you using?

when I used IJ with my Classic and Mignon 19g dose (in a 18g vST) 28g out, in 25secs seemed to work quite well


----------



## PreCoffeeCantankerousness (Dec 14, 2014)

Hi UrbanPumpkin

Thats an interesting point, I never thought to query the roasters.

ok gear is La Pavoni millenium europiccola with porlex grinder.

I feel comfortable with the techniques I have developed in controlling the pavonis temperature.

My default settings are



13.5g


finest setting on Porlex


light tamp with very light nutation


8 second preinfusion


With that as my first shot I ended up with a 1:1 extraction in a minute with no crema and intense rubber notes

From there I had to make the grind more coarse and reduce the dose.

The second shot called for a big adjustment = 12.5g and -1 on the porlex.

extraction = 1:2 over 45 seconds

Little crema, Not quite as rubbery but still dreadful.

On the third attempt I had



12.5g


-2 clicks from finest on the porlex


This resulted in a 1:2.2 extraction over 25 seconds.

The crema was very nice. The balance was good - Not bright, not sour, not bitter. However, there was the rubber aroma permeating everything. I tried masking it with sugar and milk but the rubber tang cut through. And that dreadful taste/smell lasted a good hour or so in my mouth.

Beans tasted on 7th and 8th day after roasting. Perhaps they will benefit from a few weeks of resting?

Any thoughts?


----------



## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

PreCoffeeCantankerousness said:


> Hi UrbanPumpkin


Lols



PreCoffeeCantankerousness said:


> Any thoughts?


Your grinder is holding you back


----------



## PreCoffeeCantankerousness (Dec 14, 2014)

lol... bumpkin... apologies!









And yes to the grinder. However on this occasion its not the case where it can't grind fine enough like my last few sets of beans. Also the beans themselves smell rubbery in the packet, so I'm just getting out whats going in - hence the query about resting.

I may just go and buy a new mignon today...


----------



## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Good Grinder isnt just about fineness. It's about the consistentcy of the particles or grind it produces at that level. This will also colour taste of the espresso. The Porlex isnt as consistent as other grinders at a fine grind....

Variance in particle size will lead to some particles under and some over extracting

Which can lead to making your mouth sad.....

Robusta on its own to me tastes rubbery though too.


----------



## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

PreCoffeeCantankerousness said:


> lol... bumpkin... apologies!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Lol ....no worries....have been called far worse in the past

La Parvonii (from what I know) are quite grind specific. You'd struggle with a porlex and a more forgiving machine.


----------



## Thecatlinux (Mar 10, 2014)

mrboots2u said:


> which can lead to making your mouth sad.....


pmsl ................


----------



## Danz0r (May 29, 2020)

Sorry to resurrect an old thread.

Just wondered what peoples preferred brew ratio was for Italian Job. Their website says 1:2 but wondered if others had opinions?


----------



## cuprajake (Mar 30, 2020)

I always pull longer beause of the machine i have so i go 18g in 40g out


----------

