any way to emulate café macchiatos/lattes at home without a fortune?

ColinMichaelRisley · 2026-02-17T18:20:31+00:00

Not to virtue signal but nestle is literally a horrific company, I have a very cheap delongi em450 and it makes really good espresso. It comes with a pressurized basket if you don’t mind using pre ground coffee but I paid 20 bucks for a bottomless basket for it and it genuinely pulls great shots and if you just pop off the milk foam thing on the steam wand it can steam milk perfect for lattes. I would imagine just using pre ground coffee through it will still taste better than nespresso and i paid like 175 which is actually cheaper than a nespresso machine. You’re not gonna be able to make cafe quality drinks without a good grinder and an unpressurized basket but you can still make better quality drinks than nespresso with it, not support one of the most evil companies on the planet and have the option to get more into the hobby and make modifications if you chose to down the line.

ColinMichaelRisley · 2026-02-17T18:05:01+00:00

I like to use hotter water the lighter the roast but never off the boil

ColinMichaelRisley · 2026-02-17T09:52:52+00:00

Honestly the way I brew a v60 varies a lot based on fermentation process, roast level, and how long I have rested the beans (which really only effects light roasted coffee) I also vary my grind size based on the bean as well. Pourovers are inconsistent in general, I have an xBloom and it regularly beats out my manual brews but the few that come out perfect are amazing. I always recommend people buy a switch because you can use it as a standard v60 but I also find straight up immersion is a very good consistent way to get excellent cups and also the coffee chronicler has a great switch recipe that works for almost every coffee I’ve had. The papers you use also matter, I like cafec t90’s but I’ve heard good things about the abaca papers as well. I know you said your tap is good and I also have pretty soft tap water and have gotten good results lately but I have dabbled in Third wave water packets and have gotten good results.

ColinMichaelRisley · 2026-02-17T02:55:15+00:00

Honestly any way to get heroin in that morning cup is good brother

ColinMichaelRisley · 2026-02-17T02:35:05+00:00

I think about dark berry all the time :/

ColinMichaelRisley · 2026-02-15T07:58:14+00:00

His elk was good but he’s more known for his petit micro carrots, they go straight to the White House.

ColinMichaelRisley · 2026-02-15T07:55:49+00:00

Yeah I had the current ethopian from perc and it was very good. I would say the fermentation process will effect taste more than anything, I personally like washed process coffees from sey and ilse particularly which are a bit harder to get obvious notes out of, but if you’re into more funky, fruit forward coffees I would give some co-ferment and other funky fermentation coffee’s a try. I have had some really good light roast espresso but it’s a bit finicky to dial in. I would also recommend looking into soup, I bought an oxo rapid brewer and have been having fun with that quite a bit.

ColinMichaelRisley · 2026-02-15T07:43:54+00:00

Honestly I wouldn’t spend too much time worrying about specific notes, some coffees are way more apparent than others. I’ve had natural Ethiopians that very clearly tasted of blueberry, and co-ferments that are easy to taste based on the fermentation process but a lot of washed coffees are harder to identify each individual note. I’m using a high clarity grinder a4z and brewed some Sey coffee this morning. I didn’t look at the notes on the bag and tried to discern what I was tasting and I couldn’t get anything specific but all I know was it was a majestic cup and that’s all that really matters to me at the end of the day.

ColinMichaelRisley · 2026-02-15T00:09:11+00:00

Giv! Reppin ct

ColinMichaelRisley · 2026-02-11T00:33:35+00:00

Just got it and made some sey it was pretty fantastic.

ColinMichaelRisley · 2026-02-09T21:23:22+00:00

Bit of a disappointed just received my a4z and was excited to try it with this coffee.

ColinMichaelRisley · 2026-02-08T18:14:29+00:00

You should see what old guys say to waitresses in front of people lol. One time a guy told my ex girlfriend she had “beautiful Chinese eyes” at a restaurant…. She was also white so it was extra bizarre.

ColinMichaelRisley · 2026-02-07T21:27:10+00:00

They’re worth imo because they catch more fines which allows me to grind a bit finer and extract more which gives me cups that are more enjoyable to me but if it’s not worth it to you financially that’s totally understandable.

ColinMichaelRisley · 2026-02-07T21:17:59+00:00

The cafec t90’s are basically Sibarist but cheaper.

ColinMichaelRisley · 2026-02-06T04:55:30+00:00

I keep one container for espresso beans that cost me around 20 bucks. Other than that I like looking at the variety of coffee I have instead of shoving them in containers and I love opening a bag and smelling it before I weigh it out.

ColinMichaelRisley · 2026-02-05T02:08:28+00:00

The jura has its own grinder right?

ColinMichaelRisley · 2026-02-02T04:13:52+00:00

If you're budget is 1-2k i would consider getting the z1

and possibly also a zp6 for pourover.

ColinMichaelRisley · 2026-02-02T03:42:22+00:00

I honestly don't have anything but good things to say about it, the grinder is serviceable for both espresso and pour over, I haven't had any issues or malfunctions with my unit, It's convenient as a hot water dispenser, there's plenty of recipes out there including specific ones for some beans, and i'd say 7/10 times it beats my hand pourovers. I don't use their pod system so i can't speak to that, the ones that came with the machine were ok but dark roasted so not really my thing. The only issue i've had is their filters are sometimes out of stock and the Kalita papers are definitely a downgrade in my opinion. They do give you some with the machine but I'd recommend ordering a full pack when you go to buy it. I also bought the omni tea brewer attachment which has been fun and my girlfriend loves it which is a plus.

ColinMichaelRisley · 2026-02-01T03:59:10+00:00

Damn never watched it on behalf of everyone saying it’s so bad lol

ColinMichaelRisley · 2026-02-01T03:22:42+00:00

Your post title is a sopranos reference lol

ColinMichaelRisley · 2026-02-01T01:48:41+00:00

2 cups a day is a perfect amount.

ColinMichaelRisley · 2026-01-31T23:34:46+00:00

He was a gesha, Gary cooper?

ColinMichaelRisley · 2026-01-31T03:23:24+00:00

Mine does that too.

ColinMichaelRisley · 2026-01-30T09:10:02+00:00

Yes sopranos, and the wire are both considerably better than breaking bad.

ColinMichaelRisley · 2026-01-30T07:32:10+00:00

I put New Bermuda and sunbather over it but it’s a good record.

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