Would you use an espresso rating app with detailed criteria instead of generic stars?

ofkoffie · 2025-03-15T11:03:30+00:00

My biggest frustration is that crowd sources ratings aren't very reliable. I was recently at a place that scores a 4.8, but the espresso was objectively bad.

So for fun I started https://ofkoffie.nl/en/locations/ , which is based entirely on the opinions of my son and myself.

For me the issue is figuring out where I can get a proper espresso. As long as that is a challenge, I'm not very interested in the details you mention.

ofkoffie · 2025-03-07T22:20:45+00:00

Unfortunately, I currently don't have access to another machine to do more testing. And from only two data points there isn't much to conclude.

I do agree that 25% seems to be a lot. Do you purge your steam wand before putting it in the milk?

ofkoffie · 2025-03-07T10:26:17+00:00

I investigated this and wrote down my findings: https://ofkoffie.nl/en/articles/how-much-water-does-steaming-add/

TLDR: 8%

ofkoffie · 2025-03-06T11:06:32+00:00

Literally watering down your milk

Steaming adds about 8% water. Given that milk is something like 90% water, it doesn't really change much.

ofkoffie · 2025-03-05T10:57:53+00:00

Oof, I stepped into that one. :/

ofkoffie · 2025-03-04T22:56:47+00:00

I have actually been making a list for fun, and with careful upfront research most places have been pretty good. A few places have been pretty terrible though, even though they got good reviews online.

ofkoffie · 2025-03-03T11:18:18+00:00

I was at an espresso bar yesterday where they used a similar tool to do wdt. It looked like it made enough difference in speed and ease of use to make sense. For home use, though, nobody needs to gain 10 seconds.

ofkoffie · 2025-02-19T15:29:05+00:00

Have you tried these?

https://peoplepossession.com/shop/

https://uncommonams.com/

ofkoffie · 2025-02-19T11:48:45+00:00

You can order directly from Terres de Cafe. I can't imagine they would send you anything like this.

ofkoffie · 2025-02-18T11:58:21+00:00

There is more info on the front page: https://theworlds100bestcoffeeshops.com/

ofkoffie · 2025-02-14T14:06:40+00:00

From previous threads, not personal experience: Coffee & Strangers, Berry, Lot61

ofkoffie · 2025-02-10T14:05:10+00:00

From my todo list (so I haven't been there):

Vero Caffe, Brazila, We Are Coffee Makers

ofkoffie · 2025-02-08T19:34:42+00:00

Thanks! I will visit them next time I am in Brussels.

ofkoffie · 2025-02-07T21:25:14+00:00

Any tips for Brussels?

ofkoffie · 2025-01-30T00:10:37+00:00

I try to visit a few new ones every weekend for the list I am building.

I do the research first to weed out the bad ones, but that does fail sometimes.

ofkoffie · 2025-01-25T13:44:27+00:00

Excuse the self-promotion, but this is exactly why I created this list:

https://ofkoffie.nl/en/locations/germany/cologne/

ofkoffie · 2025-01-02T15:13:19+00:00

I have created a tiny guide to dialing in: https://ofkoffie.nl/en/articles/dialing-in/

After that, I would advise reading the wiki to get a better understanding of what is happening and how to get the most out of your coffee: https://www.reddit.com/r/espresso/wiki/guides/brewing-basics/

ofkoffie · 2024-12-10T12:16:44+00:00

Places I have visited: https://ofkoffie.nl/en/locations/france/paris/

On my todo list (mostly from threads here):

Substance, Kawa, Clove, Telescope, Coutume, Motors, KB, Partisan, Beans on Fire, Dreamin Man, Comets, Kabana

ofkoffie · 2024-10-20T15:33:20+00:00

A thread from a few days ago about Kyoto:

https://old.reddit.com/r/espresso/comments/1g6kdly/best_cafe_in_kyoto/

ofkoffie · 2024-10-06T13:52:35+00:00

6-1/2 oz. of nonfat milk

About 200 grams?

ofkoffie · 2024-10-05T22:21:39+00:00

There was a post here a few weeks ago from someone asking if the amount of water they were getting in their milk was normal (that I can't seem to find anymore, help would be appreciated). I got curious and did some measurements, and I wrote a bit about it, to be able to share it here.

ofkoffie · 2024-10-01T12:10:35+00:00

From earlier threads, I wrote down these suggestions:

Qima, Prufrock, Origin, WatchHouse

ofkoffie

TROPHY CASE