Coffee maker and the Elite II

[MobileJoy]

45 minutes ago, MAX Burner said:

Our go-to has been Black Rifle Black Beard's Delight for many years.

Will have to try that one. Thanks for the tip.

[Doug S]

You guys are great! It is really fun to see how important the morning joe is for everyone. (Or matcha, or tea, or….).

 

I got into making quality shots several years ago, and I’m sure Jill now considers that in me she has a fully automatic machine. I home roast my beans too, but I’m kind of a rank amateur at that. There are a lot of great ideas here and some things I’ve never seen before, such as the Cafelat Rocket. It seems like things break down into machines with pods and those without. In order to get an espresso type of extraction, I think I need pressure, either from a machine or from leverage. Although the Aeropress provides very good coffee, I’m not sure it is concentrated enough to be compared to a shot extracted at 9 bars. I’d love some input on that though.

 

 I don’t think I want to deal with a wand to steam the milk, and I think there are a range of alternatives that will both heat and aerate the milk, so I can put that on the back burner (ha).

 

A comment on the Moka pot. I had never used one until it showed up as THE WAY to make something similar to espresso in an AirBnb that we rented in Sardinia last year. I was amazed at the results! It is neither espresso nor dripped or percolated coffee, but it is rich and good (but we didn’t find the code to keep it from being messy)!

 

It also seems like having an induction kettle is the way to go for general purpose water heating and tea making. (We try to make hibiscus tea regularly and can keep it in the fridge for a few days.

 

I also appreciate the ideas for storage and locating kitchen things in the Ollie – thanks again to everyone for diving into this conversation! I’m still mulling over the great inputs and probably leaning toward the rocket, but haven’t made a decision. So much fun!

[Guest]

2 hours ago, HDRider said:

I know you said you did not want one of these but we love ours. 

I enjoy a coffee from a Moka pot also. Nice strong coffee. 

[HDRider]

1 hour ago, Doug S said:

A comment on the Moka pot. I had never used one until it showed up as THE WAY to make something similar to espresso in an AirBnb that we rented in Sardinia last year. I was amazed at the results! It is neither espresso nor dripped or percolated coffee, but it is rich and good (but we didn’t find the code to keep it from being messy)!

It is a ritual.  I go slow.  I have learned exactly when to remove the heat.  It makes two perfect cups, or at least to perfect as I have come to coffee.

 

I have a friend with some fancy $1,000 rig that makes the best coffee I have had.  I can't commit to something like that even at home.  Our home pot makes good coffee, but the Moka pot is mo' betta.

[Geronimo John]

I use this very small Mr. Coffee machine.  For travel it sits in the sink along with other items.  At less than 10" tall, it could go elsewhere though. Works great.  Doubles as a water heater if on shore power.  GJ

[Wandering Sagebrush]

If anyone is interested in using a Melita, and making coffee in a thermos, here is the filter holder that works best.  They’re about $12-$15 online.   They take a #6 filter.  We use unbleached filters.

[jd1923]

I also use a Melitta, their cone and carafe setup. Then I pour a cup and the rest goes in my Stanley Thermos. The #4 filters are a little smaller and convenient for one person. Chris uses a French press to make a special half-caf brew.

Anybody using a manual pour, gotta get one of these. We use it when on shore power and have a backup tea kettle too for LP. Amazon.com: Aigostar Electric Kettle, 1.7 Liter Electric Tea Kettle with LED Illuminated and High Borosilicate Glass, Hot Water Kettle with Filter, BPA Free, Auto Shutoff, Boil-Dry Protection, Cordless, 360° Base: Home & Kitchen

This little electric kettle is great. The black and white ones are 1100W and for some reason the new stainless model is 1500W. We have two of the 1100W models, with one in daily use at home. Heats up quicker than the kettle on gas. Why waste LP when on shore power? And when the batteries are charged enough, I'll run this off the inverter too! 😄

I thought the main question Doug expressed, was not about coffee likes, but about counter space and fitment! Doug, let us know if you need any measurements.

[Jstone]

Old backpacking habits die hard, as space/size/ weight still matters, as much as great coffee matters. This GSI  pour over filter has been in use for well over a decade, along with the pot I use to boil water, having survived countless backpacking adventures , and now lives in hull 997. I use a paper filter, so little water is wasted on clean up.  It folds flat, takes a beating, dries fast, weighs nothing, brews a great cup, too. 

[mossemi]

Don’t know about you folks but it’s time for a cup of coffee however you choose to make it!

Mossey

[Guest]

1 hour ago, mossemi said:

folks but it’s time for a cup of coffee however you choose to make it!

I just had 3 double espressos! 😂

[Guest]

23 hours ago, Doug S said:

such as the Cafelat Rocket.

I have been a dedicated espresso enthusiast since the mid 1980s. the machines have advanced tremendously since then. I currently use a Dalla Corte Mina, an Olympia Express Cremina lever, and the Cafelat Robot. I gave my 12 year old La Marzocco GS3 to my son. 

I have tried the Robot's main competition, the Flair. Flair has recently come out with a heat assisted model with a carrying case. I am waiting until they improve the heating mechanism to give it a try again. The current upper end Flair is has a 58 mm portafilter basket. There are only 3 preheat options: 85, 90, and 95 degrees Celsius. I brew espresso mostly at 93 degrees. When they offer 93 as an option, I will try Flair 58+. 

I am a scientist and I am detail oriented with brewing espresso. From my experience, the Cafelat Robot is best non electric option for espresso. It does a fantastic job at medium espresso roast. Lighter roast are more challenging and need to be extracted at a higher temperature and they are more difficult to get an even extraction. But for medium or medium/dark roast the Robot is superb and the espressos are rich, concentrated, and flavorful! I have been getting great results with 19 grams of beans ground fine enough to result in a yield of 25 grams of espresso in 32 to 38 seconds at about 9-10 bars. Like I mentioned in my previous post, way better results than you will get at over 90% of America's coffee shops. 

Kirk

[VBistro]

3 hours ago, snakeriveridaho said:

I have been a dedicated espresso enthusiast since the mid 1980s. the machines have advanced tremendously since then. I currently use a Dalla Corte Mina, an Olympia Express Cremina lever, and the Cafelat Robot. I gave my 12 year old La Marzocco GS3 to my son. 

I have tried the Robot's main competition, the Flair. Flair has recently come out with a heat assisted model with a carrying case. I am waiting until they improve the heating mechanism to give it a try again. The current upper end Flair is has a 58 mm portafilter basket. There are only 3 preheat options: 85, 90, and 95 degrees Celsius. I brew espresso mostly at 93 degrees. When they offer 93 as an option, I will try Flair 58+. 

I am a scientist and I am detail oriented with brewing espresso. From my experience, the Cafelat Robot is best non electric option for espresso. It does a fantastic job at medium espresso roast. Lighter roast are more challenging and need to be extracted at a higher temperature and they are more difficult to get an even extraction. But for medium or medium/dark roast the Robot is superb and the espressos are rich, concentrated, and flavorful! I have been getting great results with 19 grams of beans ground fine enough to result in a yield of 25 grams of espresso in 32 to 38 seconds at about 9-10 bars. Like I mentioned in my previous post, way better results than you will get at over 90% of America's coffee shops. 

Kirk

Kirk,

Have you used AeroPress?  I’m curious about your experience and a comparison with the Robot.  Aeropress is our go-to when the Breville poops out at really high altitudes, but it’s kind of a drag to make 4 (or more!) shots in the morning.  If the Cafelat is a simpler prep, I might be willing to try it.

[Guest]

6 hours ago, VBistro said:

Have you used AeroPress

Hi MaryBeth!
 

No, sorry, I haven’t used the Aeropress.
 

The prep/work-flow for the Robot is pretty simple. There are som decent YouTube videos. A great grinder and freshly roasted beans are needed though. For hand grinders, I have had great results with 1Zpresso-K Ultra and the Comandante C40 MK4. The 1Zpresso is great if you want you use the same grind for other brew methods. The adjustment is quick, easy, and reproducible. 

I get my beans from several roasters in the western US and they send them to me within one day of roasting. Some of my favorite roasters are Pollard on Vashon Island, Caffe d’Bolla in Salt Lake City, Caffe Lusso in Redmond Washington, Revel in Billings, and Handlebar in Santa Barbara. 

Kirk

[MobileJoy]

On 11/2/2023 at 5:27 AM, MobileJoy said:

I use a Hario V60 pour-over and a 4-cup Pyrex glass measuring cup

The Hario pour-over is ceramic and the beaker is glass. I also use a pre-heated ceramic coffee cup, no plastic.

[MAX Burner]

Ah! Right on!

Saturday morning in Wilcox, AZ at Pillsbury Winery...

Black Rifle Blackbeard's Delight and a wee dram of Kahlua for a couple of "Cafe Ricos"....

IMG_0320.HEIC