# Brewed coffee in 2015



## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

I am determined to try and get into brewed coffee this year. I have dabbled in the past and settled on a Clever as being my preferred brew method as it is simple. Every time I get a small grinder I end up selling it on. I fully understand the importance of a grinder in espresso, so i can only presume the same applies to brewed.

But, since I will probably only make a couple of long shots a week plus I have a friend who likes longer drinks, I do not want to burn a large amount of money (just yet) on a grinder, so, god forbid this question, but would something like a Delonghi KG79 give me a reasonably consistent grind quality?


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

You can use varying grinds in the Clever, depending on technique & steep time, I'd give it a crack with your espresso grind first (rinse & preheat, brew water in first then coffee, dunk to wet & steep), before splashing out?

If you do feel you need another grinder, it's quite forgiving of less than perfect grind, but probably a better idea to go for one of the cheaper Baratzas?

A Swissgold KF4 helps a quicker draw down & I feel gives a cleaner taste (use it with a paper filter too).


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

I would buy a hausgrind. The one I had I stupidly gave to the forum to raffle! I might just buy a cheapie and put my name down for a MBK one unless anyone has one they want to part with


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Not sure I'd invest in the DeLonghi, David. I'd have concerns about the grind consistency and the amount of fines it would produce which impact significantly when making pour over. You could use the cheap and cheerful method of sifting the grinds through a kitchen flour sieve.


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

EK 43 here he comes


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Bit overkill just for pour over


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

dfk41 said:


> I would buy a hausgrind. The one I had I stupidly gave to the forum to raffle! I might just buy a cheapie and put my name down for a MBK one unless anyone has one they want to part with


Feldgrind is cheaper and has the same burr set.


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

The Systemic Kid said:


> Feldgrind is cheaper and has the same burr set.


it is just getting one!


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## Geordie Boy (Nov 26, 2012)

What about a Lido 2 from Coffee Hit?


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Peter had a fair few on display for sale at Cup North in November - should have bagged a few to pass on to forum members.


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

MWJB said:


> You can use varying grinds in the Clever, depending on technique & steep time, I'd give it a crack with your espresso grind first (rinse & preheat, brew water in first then coffee, dunk to wet & steep), before splashing out?
> 
> If you do feel you need another grinder, it's quite forgiving of less than perfect grind, but probably a better idea to go for one of the cheaper Baratzas?
> 
> A Swissgold KF4 helps a quicker draw down & I feel gives a cleaner taste (use it with a paper filter too).


Mark, in the video, the grind is like sand, but with my E10, I go an awful lot finer and tamp very lightly. I do not want to adjust the grind continually as I just forget! I will try a sample this afternoon without adjusting the grind, then I might stick my name down for a Hausgrind or Feldgrind and see what happens


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

I have had some success with this method below , coarser grind needed than espresso ..

With a more developed roasted bean than i use , you may be even coarser in terms of grind or need slightly less steep time ...


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

Boots, the point of a dripper to me is to make it simple....no swan necks, no blooms etc etc. I might stick my name down for a MBK and sit and wait and if I get frustrated, buy an EK (joke!)


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Aeropress? Then you could adjust recipe to suit your espresso grind


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

dfk41 said:


> Boots, the point of a dripper to me is to make it simple....no swan necks, no blooms etc etc. I might stick my name down for a MBK and sit and wait and if I get frustrated, buy an EK (joke!)


Use a milk jug then ....cut out the bloom , give it a try...

Have you thought about black nescafe , you can just bung water into that willy nilly....


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

dfk41 said:


> Mark, in the video, the grind is like sand, but with my E10, I go an awful lot finer and tamp very lightly. I do not want to adjust the grind continually as I just forget! I will try a sample this afternoon without adjusting the grind, then I might stick my name down for a Hausgrind or Feldgrind and see what happens


Yeah, he's using a coarser grind that I would (pretty much espresso range if not finer) in the video & steeping shorter, it was more to demonstrate the process. Try around 65g/l.

I'd go more like drip grind only if pouring the water over the coffee, to reign in overextraction as the first part of the water drips through the bed into the well under it. I'd also add at least 100g of water, quickly, if blooming (for the same reason).


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Mrboots2u said:


> Use a milk jug then ....cut out the bloom , give it a try...
> 
> Have you thought about black nescafe , you can just bung water into that willy nilly....


Ok make americanos from you espresso machine .....


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## michaelg (Jul 25, 2013)

MWJB said:



> A Swissgold KF4 helps a quicker draw down & I feel gives a cleaner taste (use it with a paper filter too).


Where's the best place to get these, Mark? I fancy trying one...


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

michaelg said:


> Where's the best place to get these, Mark? I fancy trying one...


Another coffee...

http://www.anothercoffee.co.uk/products/item110301.aspx

Be aware that there are other similar filters but these don't always fit snugly in the Clever & you can't then shut the lid (my Clevers average around 35mins, so I like to have a lid that fits).


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## michaelg (Jul 25, 2013)

MWJB said:


> Another coffee...
> 
> http://www.anothercoffee.co.uk/products/item110301.aspx
> 
> Be aware that there are other similar filters but these don't always fit snugly in the Clever & you can't then shut the lid (my Clevers average around 35mins, so I like to have a lid that fits).


Thanks for that - will get one at some point! They're not cheap (especially given I got my Clever from Amazon at £5.40!) but I guess 23 carat gold as one of the main components isn't cheap either!


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## CrazyH (Jan 14, 2011)

Mine's been relegated to work where I don't have any measuring equipment and I'm not even sure how hot the water is. I have had a few bad cups, I tend to trial and error with each bean, some work better with finer grind some with coarse.

Water first seems to help reduce clumping especially if you don't add coffee all at once and give it a little stir.


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## cafelinhchi123 (Jan 27, 2015)

coffeechap said:


> EK 43 here he comes


ok EK 43

I have tried this coffee grinder


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

So, having bought a Clever and a small burr grinder just to start me off, I need to focus in on a recipe now. I have been grinding 15 gems on the coarsest setting. I presume this getting really just adjusts the flow rate at the end. SO, working backwards, if using 15 gems, what is the ideal amount of water and temperature please. And with that in the bank, how long should it take to drip through?

I suffered the ultimate humiliation yesterday. My sister came round and she is even worse than me for being tactless. She wanted her usual black Nescafe decaf and I said, look, try one of these. SO I made aClever, she took one sip and said put a spoon of Nescafe in to give it some taste!


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## michaelg (Jul 25, 2013)

I usually grind quite fine and use nearer 20g and give it as long a steep as I can (often keeping the Clever warm with a wooly hat!) but I reckon anything over 3 mins would easily be tastier and stronger than Nestlé instant. I am not usually precise - fill to about 1.5cm from the top and with water recently off the boil (after using the boiler water to rinse the filter paper and pre-war the cup)


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## jjprestidge (Oct 11, 2012)

15g - 250g is a good starting point, with water at 94 and a 2 minute infusion. Depends on the coffee, but 60 - 90 seconds is usually about right for the Clever to drip all the coffee through.

I guess some people like their coffee really strong, but I've never found that the optimum taste is much outside this ratio.

JP


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

Been brewing with the FP this week at work, as i ran out of filter papers for V60 and got a bit bored of it.

Nice Columbian bean, 30g fine grind, little bit off espresso, about 500g water (my scales max out so a little guess), no stir or plunging but let rest for 15-20 minutes then pour.

good body and feel in mouth, hints of dark choccy and liquorice, never tasted that in a coffee before!


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

dfk41 said:


> So, having bought a Clever and a small burr grinder just to start me off, I need to focus in on a recipe now. I have been grinding 15 gems on the coarsest setting. I presume this getting really just adjusts the flow rate at the end. SO, working backwards, if using 15 gems, what is the ideal amount of water and temperature please. And with that in the bank, how long should it take to drip through?


I wouldn't use the coarsest setting, I'd use finest, or closest to it. Add the water first, then the coffee.

I like 64g/l, so 15/0.064 = 234g of water, maybe better to go a little bigger (at the same ratio) as the Clever retains a fair bit.

It is almost irrelevant as to how long the brew takes to drain at draw down, once it's all combined/stirred at fill (just enough to wet), the drain only adds a small proportion of the extraction...unless you use the brewer like a drip brewer (with/without a long prewet), but that means more dialling in to match bean/dose to flow rate. The longer you steep & negate flow, the more consistent your brews will be. It's called a Clever Dripper, but most folk don't drip brew with it.

Steep for 10mins minimum.


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

Thanks Mark, am off for a brew and will try that now!


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

Well, that is a lot better! I ground Jampit which is probably not the best bean for this. Ground it as fine as the Bodum would go (which is no where near fine enough for the lever) and made the drink exactly as per Marks instructions. I am very surprised after steeping with a tea towel wrapped around it just how much heat is retained. I ended up with half a mug which took 90 seconds to drip through discarding the last few dregs and ended up with a really pleasant tasting coffee. Looking forward to experimenting more now.

Thanks for the advice


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## Nod (Sep 7, 2013)

\ said:


> Well' date=' that is a lot better! I ground Jampit which is probably not the best bean for this. Ground it as fine as the Bodum would go (which is no where near fine enough for the lever) and made the drink exactly as per Marks instructions. I am very surprised after steeping with a tea towel wrapped around it just how much heat is retained. I ended up with half a mug which took 90 seconds to drip through discarding the last few dregs and ended up with a really pleasant tasting coffee. Looking forward to experimenting more now. Thanks for the advice[/quote']
> 
> Good to see you getting into the brew world DFK!


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

Nod said:


> Good to see you getting into the brew world DFK!


TBH, I have often cast an eye over it as sometimes I want a drink which is long and black but not just an american. I have to be honest and say that this is the first proper drink I have scored, so am looking forward to a dabble!


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Is the clever going now ?


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

Mrboots2u said:


> Is the clever going now ?


Not at all. I hav a spare one thats all


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