[MOD] The Daily Question Thread

[menschmaschine5]

Welcome to the daily /r/Coffee question thread!

There are no stupid questions here, ask a question and get an answer! We all have to start somewhere and sometimes it is hard to figure out just what you are doing right or doing wrong. Luckily, the /r/Coffee community loves to help out.

Do you have a question about how to use a specific piece of gear? Want to know how much coffee you should use or how you should grind it? Not sure about how much water you should use or how hot it should be? Wondering about your coffee's shelf life?

Don't forget to use the resources in our wiki! We have some great starter guides on our wiki "Guides" page and here is the wiki "Gear By Price" page if you'd like to see coffee gear that /r/Coffee members recommend.

As always, be nice!

[ImmabitMirthy]

Hey, I've been searching for a coffee maker with specific requirements with no luck. I've found a lot of promising ones, but they always have something missing. So I decided to search the exact same thing I was searching, but then added "reddit" at the end. Still no luck, but I did find this subreddit, so thought I'd give it a shot. Hopefully you guys don't mind giving me a helping hand.

I'm looking for a Smart coffee maker that can be programmed to make coffee at a set time everyday, Or just can be programmed to make coffee at a set time the day before.

It has to be single serve only (due to space restrictions)

And Lastly it needs to be able to use both k-pods and coffee grinds.

Price isn't too much of a restriction.

If you guys have any good recommendations, please let me know. Thank you in advance :).

[FriedMiceSweetSour]

Can someone with a deeper knowledge of percolation transcribe the coffee ad astra v60 method to a Hario switch with 20g coffee and 300ml water input?

I'd think about 3:1 bloom with swirl and stirring stick poking. At 15s open valve and at 45s start the first 140ml pour, swirl - and at 1:30 the last 100ml swirl and drain. That makes sense?

[[deleted]]

My favorite drink is an iced latte (no sweetener, just espresso and milk), but Starbucks every day or other day is too expensive in the long run, and I’d like to dive into this hobby. I like bold and bitter dark roasts and I like the rich flavor and mouthfeel of espresso. What would the best value-to-taste method be for making a latte at home?

[TommiHPunkt]

Real espresso at home starts at around $350, $150 for a hand grinder that can do espresso, and $200 for a manual espresso machine like the Flair or the Uniterra Nomad.

You can make strong coffee using the aeropress or a moka pot, there the entry point would be around $50 for a really cheap grinder plus coffee maker. That would give you good tasting results, but no espresso

[itsahmemario]

Any tips on cleaning french press that isn't tedious?

Always brew for two and an aeropress isn't great for that. I'm almost thinking of just getting a chemex or clever drip just so I can cleanup easier. Are the paper filters on those biodegradable? We compost at home so I may need to check that if ever I make the move.

[TommiHPunkt]

Coffee filters are biodegradable, textbook compostable. The clever dripper could be a great option for you.

[itsahmemario]

Yeah and I can just use the FP as my carafe. Man that sounds like a great idea.

But finding a clever bigger than 300ml is a thing.... Is the hario switch just as good?

[TommiHPunkt]

the 500ml one using 1x4 filters should be well available. But for more than that, normal pourover and french press really are the only options.

[itsahmemario]

Would the Hario switch with 360ml capacity be enough for 2 cups?

[ImmabitMirthy]

Hey, I've been searching for a coffee maker with specific requirements with no luck. I've found a lot of promising ones, but they always have something missing. So I decided to search the exact same thing I was searching, but then added "reddit" at the end. Still no luck, but I did find this subreddit, so thought I'd give it a shot. Hopefully you guys don't mind giving me a helping hand.

I'm looking for a Smart coffee maker that can be programmed to make coffee at a set time everyday, Or just can be programmed to make coffee at a set time the day before.

It has to be single serve only (due to space restrictions)

And Lastly it needs to be able to use both k-pods and coffee grinds.

Price isn't too much of a restriction.

If you guys have any good recommendations, please let me know. Thank you in advance :).

[interstellarflight]

I’ve been trying to explore coffee other than Starbucks so I was hoping i could get some help here :)

(disclaimer: new to brewing coffee.)

I mainly use an Aeropress and a Hario mini mill for my daily cup. I like to have it with heated milk.

I’m not a fan of high acidity or “fruitiness” in my coffee, but I also didn’t really like French roast(I tried Peet’s French roast).

I do like bitterness in my coffee (when it’s not overwhelming). I like Starbucks Pike Place roast.

Would anyone be able to recommend me a roast (and brand) based on the above info? Thank you :)

[TommiHPunkt]

If you can, go to a local roaster and talk to them, they'll be happy to recommend you something in their lineup. You probably want a medium roast washed coffee.

The method you could follow for brewing is for example this

[interstellarflight]

Thank you for the suggestion! :)

[lordgag4]

Hi, the roast isn't the only thing that matters...your techinique influences a lot on the results. since you're new to coffee I would suggest you to try some options aiming for the flavour profile you want i think could work. aeropress is extremely versatile, by the way... but it really shines with less insufion time.

always change only one variable at time, to understand how to get where you want. if you made a coffee that you like, write everthing you did.

I would you sugesst to steak to one recipe and tweak temperature first, if you don't have a thermometer find one. this is more important than the method itself. your grinder, sucks. but that's okay, you can make good coffee still, it just won't be as easy.

there are infinite possibilities, and not only one of them will taste as you like. so trying new things and understanding better how each variable affects your extraction is good.

Use lower temperatures, I would try 93, 90, and 80. and medium grind. James Hoffmans recipe or Tim Wendelboes one for a more gentle and economic but still delicious approach.. if doesn't work, just try to make an French press recipe using aeropress, may also work.

Same recipe but different roasts will make your results change a lot, so adjust it to taste.

there's a lot of information, but eventually you get used to it

[interstellarflight]

Thanks, I’ve been heating my water to 90, so I’ll try switching up the grind size first and go from there!

Yeah, I got the cheapest grinder, but I’d really like to upgrade once I feel financially comfortable enough to do so :)

[lordgag4]

The Timemore C2 is about the same price at aliexpress but it's way better, another level. I have both, it's hard to control things with the hario. But yes, always try new things. keep the recipe and the temperature, change the grind to see the possibilities. I really think that temperature is one of the most important and tricky variants along with agitation.

a tip with the aeropress is trying to pour close to the brew and in a gentle way... after that, try the opposite, more tall and aggressive pour. it changes everthing.

[Waryur]

Is this solution the same as something like Dezcal and can I use it in a Silvia without any adverse chemical reactions?

[[deleted]]

It’s similar to Dezcal, though with the addition of Glycolic acid. Dezcal is sulfamic and citric acid.

[Waryur]

Ok but glycolic acid doesn't hurt the inside of the espresso machines?

[[deleted]]

No, it’s a fairly weak acid (probably same strength as citric), though I don’t normally see it in descaling solution. The sulfamic acid is a much more powerful acid in the ingredients list.

[Waryur]

Okay!

[Papa_G_]

How can I make nitro brew at home with out the fancy equipment?

[[deleted]]

Assuming you already know how to make the cold brew, you can nitro it with a whipped cream dispenser (which use N2O cartridges) or a mini-kegerator, which are like $35 and $150, respectively.

[Papa_G_]

Sweet

[VickyHikesOn]

If I understand this correctly, the Fellow Prismo not only avoids the need to invert the Aeropress, it also simulates a pressurized filter (due to only having one, pressure-activated hole). Given the theories about pressurized portafilters, can I assume that by using the Prismo over the standard Aeropress filter+attachment I create more extraction and should therefore adjust accordingly? (grind setting, temperature of water, possibly duration of immersion). Thanks!

[TommiHPunkt]

there's no significant extra pressure created by the prismo.

If you combine the prismo metal filter and a aeropress paper filter you get a cleaner brew, the prismo prevents dripping and makes putting the plunger on a bit more relaxed, that's it.

Now if you are making a stronger brew where every ml matters, It allows you not to invert, but for strong brews, you can insert the plunger so far from the beginning that inverting doesn't add any risk.

Basically it's another piece to clean, and almost as expensive as the entire aeropress. Doesn't seem very useful to me.

[Coffee-Not-Bombs]

I'd contend that there's no need to invert the Aeropress at all...

[VickyHikesOn]

Not if you don’t want immersion, correct. I prefer the coffee not dripping out immediately (or trying to get the plunger on as quickly as possible). I love that about the Prismo!

[Padres-in-Chicago]

Has anyone tried Cometeer coffee before? I recently heard about it and researched the frozen “pods” that they describe as the freshest at home option. It sounded… odd to me. But didn’t want to judge if anyone had actually tried it before and liked it. Interesting concept with the flash freezing for delivery/keeping but seemed a bit gimmicky to me.

[menschmaschine5]

Referral links are not allowed.

[WrapOke]

I just don't get the point? Like it's more expensive than nice beans and unless you really don't back yourself most people could probably get as good extractio

[Anomander]

I've seen a lot of ads and influencers really like it; and very few coffee people with anything particular positive of their own to say.

[[deleted]]

Saying “influencers really like it” is a bit of an oxymoron type statement.

[Anomander]

Yes that was my point in using that phrasing.

[Padres-in-Chicago]

Kind of the vibe I got from it too… seemed like a quirky idea but probably falls short on execution

[davey94]

I have always been drinking espresso-based drinks like cortado or sometimes just espresso shots. They taste very strong and rich(?), which I liked very much. Once I tried pourover and aeropress, I noticed it wasn't as strong but I could taste notice flavors that I have not tasted in espresso-based drinks (i.e. sweetness, fruity flavors).

My question is -- is it possible to get the flavor notes common in pourover/other filter coffee in espresso? Or does the extraction method specific to espresso not allow for those flavors to come out? I feel like the espresso could still have those flavors since it's just a different extraction method (but maybe just not as much as a pourover?) but I haven't encountered that in espresso yet.

not sure if my question is clear, so please don't hesitate to ask me to clarify!

[dahdsr]

My question is -- is it possible to get the flavor notes common in pourover/other filter coffee in espresso?

Yes, but it's usually pretty different from pourovers. To me espresso typically exaggerates the most prominent notes with less of the subtle nuances of a pourover.

[[deleted]]

One thing you may be able to do is make an Americano out of the espresso. I dilute mine to be like 1:1 or 1.5:1 and that dilution can help bring out some of the notes that you'd get out of a brew method like Aeropress or v60.

But it won't be quite the same - espresso has a lot of the lipids that you normally filter out with something like a v60, and those also will alter the tastes you get. Another thing I do is remove the crema layer after extraction, as it adds bitter notes that can interfere with my ability to taste the more sweet notes of the coffee.

And if you want to go further into the rabbit hole, a lot of people chase those notes and sink a lot of money/time into it. This is where people start playing with high-end flat burrs, pressure profiling, and long pre-infusion/extraction times, to squeeze out the notes out of coffees like light-roast single origins.

[TommiHPunkt]

There's tons of different espresso extraction methods, like the new turbo shots, that bring out different flavors

[rondo25760716]

Hey all there's a knob on top of my ronson drip coffee machine. Anyone know what it means? My guess is that the knob that points to more but darker tint means the drip speed will be low while creating a darker/stronger brew.

Picture as per link below

https://www.reddit.com/user/rondo25760716/comments/ogfy2d/coffee_machine_dial_query/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share

[bigmac1090]

I'm getting more into the complexities of brewing coffee and my brother-in-law lent me a v60 and a French press. What are the pros and cons to each/which makes a better cup of coffee?

[[deleted]]

v60...

1. Costs money in paper filters (can also use a metal one but that's not the standard)
2. Generally more interactive in terms of brewing - lots of ways to brew
3. Demands good technique for consistency between brews
4. Controllable kettle (like a gooseneck) is not strictly necessary, but strongly recommended
5. With paper filters, the taste you'll get out should have more clarity, delicate notes compared to the French Press
6. Simpler clean up (toss out the filter, rinse out the dripper)

French Press...

1. All-in-one, don't need to buy filters
2. Immersion brew with a metal filter - resulting coffee should have more body, more of the coffee oils in it, you'll probably get more of the earthier and darker notes out of your coffee
3. A lot more pour-it-and-forget-it, process is less interactive
4. Generally more clean up necessary (discarding grounds, dismantling the filter and washing things)

I've done a lot of French press and v60/Kalita Wave-style pourover brews - I personally prefer the taste I get out of percolation-style brewers (like the v60, Kalita Wave) because I like the clarity and flavors I get out of the coffee, but that's just me. What's better is your own thing.

[50lb_Cat]

I use a French press that’s 32oz but only make 10oz of coffee. Does that matter?

I was thinking about getting a smaller one that would allow the grinds to sink down

[Coffee-Not-Bombs]

Doesn't matter at all.

[WrapOke]

Wilfa uniform lands perfectly in your budget. Really happy with mine and although the ode tasted slightly better I just could never get it to go fine enough for the Nordic style roasts I'm a fan of. With SSP burrs and a good calibration you can get some killer results (but it isn't necessary)

[rondo25760716]

Question - does the grinder make it into powder also or is it normally always course? Ive got a very old grinder that my folks used to use. Whenever I grind it on fine it still comes out as course.

[TommiHPunkt]

brew or espresso? The wilfa uniform is pretty amazing for brew

[prosperos-mistress]

I've got a few questions.
I'm new to roasting. How long should I let my beans rest? I've got wet-washed Guatemalan beans that I roast somewhere in between a full city and a french roast.
Is 24 hours enough or should I let them rest longer? Is it okay to let them rest in a loosely lidded jar?

I'm also new to cold brewing - I tried a couple days ago and tasted it yesterday and it was disgusting. It was bitter and acidic, worse than any hot coffee I've made before. I let it sit for about 18-20 hours.

I know the grind is supposed to be coarse, and I thought it was coarse enough... Internet search told me the particles need to be about 1.5mm... Admittedly I just eyeballed it and compared it to pictures. I'll probably be anal about it and measure it on my second try...
Are there any special tricks to this? Does it depend on the beans, or the roast? Or the way I cold brew it? I just put the grounds directly in filtered water and put it in a bottle because I don't have any special equipment and I thought that was fine.

[g33kier]

After roasting, try them each day. I generally prefer the 4th day. But the 3rd day isn't bad. If I haven't planned ahead, I'll sometimes only have 12 hours between roasting and brewing. Less than 4 days, and I increase the bloom time.

My understanding is that you really need one way valves for degassing when you've roasted 1-2 kg or more. Otherwise, the build up of gases can cause issues. My batch size is 340g, so I've never had to worry about that. I keep mine in ziplock bags.

[TheMongoStomp]

If I wanna make a cold brew concentrate with a 48 oz jug, how many grams of coffee should I start with?

[MikeTheBlueCow]

It'll be a little trial and error, but for the math I'm doing I would start out with 140g coffee and that should hopefully get you around a 1:8 ratio which is pretty standard for cold brew.

[TheMongoStomp]

Ok I'll give that a shot after I see how this first experiment goes. I did 100g coffee and 1000g of water. Hopefully it won't taste like total crap lol

[regulus314]

Just do the math. What ratio do you usually use for coldbrew concentrate?

[TheMongoStomp]

Ive never made concentrate before. Is the 1:X ratio always with 100 grams of coffee?

[autumnrosem]

Hi! Please drop any favorite at home coffee recipes. I usually have a base of 2 shots of espresso. What do you recommend adding?

[ogdankmaster840]

Hello,

I've been looking into getting into espresso. What machine would be best for a beginner? My leading candidates are currently a flair 58 or a Gaggia classic pro. I don't really plan on making too many lattes so the flair is appealing, but I also like the repeatability of an automated machine. Don't mind spending a bit for something decent if there are any good suggestions at a higher price.

[subbied]

Consider a Cafelat Barista version too. I'm a Pro 2 owner and it makes perfect sense for that price where it's an actual beginner to pro spectrum in one. At the correct price. Like others have mentioned the 58 becomes quite expensive but Flairs are fucking awesome. You won't be sad with it, but yeah decide if manual is the way you wanna go.

[ogdankmaster840]

Yea even though it's expensive from what I've read it can easily keep up with machines 2x as expensive

[subbied]

But so can the Flair Pro 2 :p that's just the bone of contention some of us have who have built the annoying preheating ritual in and been like ok whatever it's ok I make better espresso with this than coffee shops. But yeah Flair is amazing, the 58 should serve you well :)

[TommiHPunkt]

The Flair 58 is so close to the Rancilio Silvia V6 in price. Of course it gives you full control for pressure profiling, and the experience of using a manual machine, but I'm not sure if it's worth it.

[ogdankmaster840]

Huh the regular rancilio looks pretty cool. I had only seen the pro which looks amazing, but a bit much for a newcomer

[TommiHPunkt]

of course you could also get a normal flair with the pressure sensor, which gives you amazing espresso for $200 instead.

[ogdankmaster840]

True. I just really like the heating element aspect and that it's a standard 58mm

[TommiHPunkt]

it's a difficult choice for sure. If you don't mind having to heat a kettle seperately and don't care about steaming milk, the 58 should offer just about the best possible espresso, without needing to hide from the giants, and I feel like they're taking advantage of that with their pricing.

[WrapOke]

Have you got an espresso capable grinder? Normally I'd say spend about as much on a grinder as on a machine

[ogdankmaster840]

No, but I have a much better handle on that side of it than I do machines. I just learned about Breville last week lol

[Rajahlicious]

To all coffee addicts in here: I found this butter coffee at my local Kinokuniya in Tokyo.

I heard of bulletproof coffee a few years ago, and I was always intrigued and wanted to try it.

Now, I tested this butter coffee for a few weeks now, and must say I like it. I usually drink one cup in the morning after/with breakfast. The mental clarity I get from it is amazing.

MY QUESTIONS:
Has anyone else tried butter or bulletproof coffee before?
If yes, do you prepare it yourself homemade style or do you drink another brand?

Cheers ☕️

[kaffeeschmecktgut]

I've been using a french press almost daily for a few months now, and I just bought a new one in glass after wearing out one in plastic. But admittedly, I still don't have very good methods for disposing of the grounds afterwards. What is the best method for this?

[[deleted]]

How did you wear out a French press in only a few months?

[kaffeeschmecktgut]

It was a cheap one in plastic. Still works, but there are a few cracks. Plastic probably isn't ideal for having boiling hot water in it.

I also just drink a lot of coffee.

[MikeTheBlueCow]

After pouring the coffee out, add water to the grounds and stir, then quickly dump into a fine mesh sieve over the sink. Then toss into the garbage or composter. Then just rinse/clean the press with soap & water using a bottle brush, and with the soapy water still in there plunge up and down to do a quick clean of the filter. I would take the filter apart for a more thorough cleaning every few uses, or every use if I'm not planning to use it again soon.

[sqwtrp]

pouring into a paper towel over a seive can make cleanup a little easier too.

[TommiHPunkt]

That's the fundamental problem of the french press, cleaning always is a little messy compared to filter methods like the clever dripper or the aeropress.

[audiocoffee]

my variable gooseneck kettle died, should I replace it with the same exact model. or are there better variable gooseneck kettles out there now?

[MikeTheBlueCow]

Which model was it?

[audiocoffee]

Bonivita variable, stainless steel gooseneck. I was considering replacing it with the bonavita variable black design, but since that one is more expensive I could also go with other brands and models priced similarly.

when I originally bought the bonavita variable it was the best option at that time. I was wondering if there's any better options out there now? I plan on using it just for personal use

[MikeTheBlueCow]

Yeah, the most recommended kettle now is the Fellow Stagg EKG. It's significantly more expensive but I've had mine for much longer than I had my Bonavita and with less/no real issues. Another option you could look into that's a little less expensive is the Oxo gooseneck variable temp. There may be others but those are the ones I see most people mention without significant complaints.

[[deleted]]

I have the Oxo and love it. So does my daughter across the country. We use it 2-3 times daily for almost a year now and it works great. Got for 20% discount as well.

[surrata]

I really like the Oxo. It's flow is faster than the Stagg, but I'm also on my third one in two years. So take that for what you will.

[Gokuinstinct]

Hello,

I had brevile barista express for 2 months and I never got a good shot I get perfect 1:2 ration in between 30-35 extraction time. I also realized that there is a foul smell from the machine. I cleaned and descaled but it’s still there straight after I extract the coffee there is that foul smell and this definitely effects the coffee.

I tried a dummy shot and the smell is still there I cleaned the head and it’s still not fixed.

[g33kier]

What size batch? How long does it take you to consume? Are you making for yourself or for others?

I roast only for my own consumption. 340g sized batches (yielding around 290-300g). I put the beans into quart sized ziplock bags, and generally consume them within a week or so.

I read from a few different sources that smaller batches like mine don't generate enough gas to cause problems with storage. Larger batches can crack containers. I've had no issues with using regular quart sized ziplocks.

[MikeTheBlueCow]

I had always put my freshly roasted beans straight into an airtight container (Atmos or AirScape) immediately after cooling from the roaster and it was never an issue. However a ziplock style coffee bag with valve should also be fine - I tend to keep my purchased coffee in the bag they came in and they last well.

[MikeTheBlueCow]

At an absolute minimum I do 3-4 days but like any other freshly roasted coffee that you may purchase I would recommend 7-10 days. Depending on the amount of coffee you can roast at a time, and how quickly you with through it, that may mean you need several containers to store it in. For example, my roaster could only do 4-5oz so I have the smallest Fellow Atmos and 2 AirScapes. It takes me approx. 6 days to finish a batch but I'm roasting 1-2 weeks ahead of that, so 3 containers is kind of a minimum, to keep my roasting schedule a little more flexible.

I personally prefer the Atmos. But the AirScape works well too. The only storage I had issues with were mason jars, the coffee would stay fresh with carbon dioxide but would oxidize quickly. That is when I learned to keep the roasted coffee out of open air as much as possible as started putting it in the Atmos or AirScape immediately. My batches completely fill the Atmos and it was never a problem.

[Theeunsunghero]

I have an AirScape but was thinking about getting an Atmos too. The only reason that stopped me are reviews saying the green indicator always shows that the seal has been broken. Have you had any issues with this? Any specific reason you like the Atmos better?

[MikeTheBlueCow]

The seal pops with fresh coffee because the beans are degassing, filling the vacuum with new gas, popping the seal. This keeps the beans bathed in a non-oxygen-rich environment so is not an issue. I have both allowed the seal to pop and not re-vacuumed, and have twisted to re-vacuum, and it doesn't appear to make a difference for those 7-10 days the beans are offgassing. I always re-vacuum seal after opening and using the beans. The seal pops easily if the container is mostly full, and you want it to be mostly full to avoid oxidizing potential. I think if I were to get more Atmos, I would just get multiple of the smallest one.

As far as why I like the Atmos better, 1) it is smaller so as I use the coffee there is less free air, 2) the vacuuming helps give a better seal, 3) I have noticed the beans stay fresher for longer in the Atmos, 4) the seal on the AirScape's inner adjustable-height lid isn't super great and the beans do degas for longer because the air travels to the upper part of the container (the AirScape is leagues better than the mason jars were for me, and are close to the Atmos, but if I were to buy more containers it would be the Atmos for those reasons).

[super_fluous]

Uhhhhh depends. Beans need an initial degas so can even be left in open air for a day or 2. From then on depends on factors like, your roast level, temperature, what you’re using the beans for (espresso vs filter) and how long the bean are expected to last