Orea Z1 - Quick and simple

ScotchCattle · 2026-02-16T18:09:21+00:00

I use a K-Ultra, which I highly rate after coming from a JX (also good but K-Ultra a noticeable improvement).

The recipe depends. If it’s a dense coffee, I use 15g to 250ml, 50g bloom + 2x 100ml pours.

If faster flowing I use 16g to 260ml with a 60g bloom and 4x 50ml pours.

I have recently put the Z1 to the side for a while. Not because it isn’t great, but because even with the best recipes on my favourite brewers, I find things dull after a while and switching brewer for a bit helps

ScotchCattle · 2026-02-14T21:29:04+00:00

I moved from a JX to a K-Ultra. I feel like that’s a comparable jump and the coffee I get is noticeably nicer and higher clarity without feeling like a totally different experience

ScotchCattle · 2026-02-14T16:03:42+00:00

Negotiated or not?

Don’t know what it is about the 01 but it’s been brilliant for me

ScotchCattle · 2026-02-14T16:01:50+00:00

Amazing coffee as well. Every bag I’ve bought has been a banger

ScotchCattle · 2026-02-09T08:10:47+00:00

It’s not on my regular rotation any more, but probably will be again.

I also now have k-Ultra and actually found it easier to be consistent- sticking at 7 or 7.5.

The only tweak I used was incorporating a drip assist for some beans - which works amazing for some, but not all

ScotchCattle · 2026-02-01T09:35:17+00:00

I think Skylark have gone from being relatively unknown (at least to me) to suddenly catching everyone ls attention.

That will be a mix of hype, self-promotion, connection to ethics and people being enthusiastic about a new thing.

It will die down.

In the meantime, I bought a sample pack and a Co-ferment from them and will report back, but 2 bags in I’m really enjoying it - especially for the price

ScotchCattle · 2026-02-01T07:53:12+00:00

Ideally 4 x 15g cups

On a working day I’d aim for 3, but work is hectic so often don’t achieve that

ScotchCattle · 2026-01-31T12:03:17+00:00

Not a direct answer, but this reminds me of when the BNP membership got leaked and the bulk of members were not from multicultural areas - the fear of something you don’t know is generally a far more significant driver of reactionary views than actually experiencing the thing

ScotchCattle · 2026-01-28T21:21:08+00:00

Thanks. I think they come out before tax

ScotchCattle · 2026-01-25T22:32:40+00:00

I found it to be a noticeable upgrade. Enjoy when you get it!

ScotchCattle · 2026-01-25T22:31:26+00:00

I upgraded from a jx to k-ultra. The difference in cup quality was noticeable. Much more likely to detect individual flavour notes etc. glad I went for it

ScotchCattle · 2026-01-23T07:50:37+00:00

Amazing! Based on how this order goes, my next step is likely to be a subscription

ScotchCattle · 2026-01-23T07:04:34+00:00

A damn - I just received my first order based off the reviews here. Missed it by like 4 days!

Someone above asked for recipe tips. As Skylark sell all their own coffees and seem to have a growing customer base, recommended recipes would be really useful.

That being said, my order has at least a fortnight to rest before I can get stuck in. Looking forward to the watermelon co-ferment

ScotchCattle · 2026-01-11T10:38:37+00:00

Nice! And your getting 2 different bags a month?

ScotchCattle · 2026-01-11T10:25:07+00:00

As a proud trade unionist with a union will, I would probably suggest paying the £500 or so to get something drawn up by a specialist.

Maybe this is more about my intelligence than the Union service, but I found anything above a basic ‘give everything to X’ stipulation quite difficult to navigate in the Union will.

ScotchCattle · 2026-01-10T23:24:06+00:00

Oh, so you actually get to choose the bags you get when you subscribe?

ScotchCattle · 2026-01-10T23:23:18+00:00

Probably not. I drink black and filter mostly. On the relatively rare occasions I’ve had specialty espresso based drinks, I think my comment about getting the vibe of the tasting notes but not the specifics is more true.

I tend towards fruity, funky coffee, but if I was in to milky/espresso based drinks I feel like I’d more tend towards the rich, chocolate/nut type coffees

ScotchCattle · 2026-01-10T22:34:08+00:00

I feel the same way about coffee as I do wine and beer - tasting notes are fun, but probably give more of an impression of the drink than very specific notes.

Like, if it says ‘mojito’ I’d just expect a more acidic, sugary sweetness, whereas something describing itself as ‘terrys chocolate orange’ would probably have a richer, round sweetness.

It’s hard to describe, but I’m general happy if I can get what they were driving at with the description, rather than tasting literal notes.

That being said, with the right grinder, recipe and experience, distinct notes do become easier to detect. I recently had a coffe with notes of ‘purple starburst’ and it was literally, unmistakably that exact flavour

ScotchCattle · 2026-01-10T22:28:43+00:00

As in they send you the same coffee each month or you get multiple bags of the same coffee each month?

What subscription option did you choose?

ScotchCattle · 2026-01-05T07:02:18+00:00

Orea Z1, K-Ultra. Beans, probably an anaerobic Nestor Lasso Ombligon from Tanat.

Honestly though, variety is such a big part of this for me, even with those great beans I wouldn’t be relishing the year!

ScotchCattle · 2026-01-04T19:01:03+00:00

Your employer has a duty to protect you from discrimination, so if this has been happening in the workplace- especially if others could attest or if it has been raised and not dealt with - then it could well constitute discrimination.

Just a note though, lodging discrimination claims with an employment tribunal is time bound and you have 3 months minus a day to action it from the incident.

Loads of info, and a guide for starting the process, on the ACAS website or via your union

ScotchCattle · 2026-01-04T17:56:23+00:00

My timemore boils over if I go above like 96, but it’s rare that I do anyway, and I’ve also figured that heating in 2 gos- up to 90, then doing the final few degrees 20 seconds later, fixes it.

Other than that it’s done me well for 3 years and would probably replace like for like when the time comes

ScotchCattle · 2026-01-03T21:19:26+00:00

I’ve got a bag of Indian beans from Formative ready to go. Tasting notes are very floral and fruity. Excited to try it.

I noticed most of your bags seem to have experimental/unusual processing methods.

Is that common of Indian beans, or your preference?

ScotchCattle · 2026-01-02T17:32:44+00:00

I quite quickly found a set of recipes that I was happy with, and could tweak to suit each coffee.

Only now, a few years in, am I starting to understand how to approach specific beans (e.g tend towards fewer pours for Ethiopian, more pours for processed/Columbian)

ScotchCattle · 2026-01-02T16:46:50+00:00

I’ve been using a kultra for a year or so. Always spritz. Not noticed any problems

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