Coffee maker

[moidoid]

I know that this is a well-worn subject but would the consensus be that a stove-top percolator be my best bet for coffee with a bit of strength & depth under ?100?

My cafetiere no longer gives me the flavour I get from a well-made coffee & I need to trade up.

[El Catador]

For around that price (?100) you could get a 'pod/capsule' based coffee maker.

I confess after years of owning a variety of machines (Gaggia, DeLonghi, La Pavoni etc), I 'sold out' and bought one.

The general 'pa-lava' and 'mucking' about with beans was starting to get tedious.

I was converted!
O.K., it's not going to knock a top-shelf solution from the top spot, but the one I've been using lately does a damn fine job.

A Bosch Tassimo just in case you're askin'.
Getting capsules for it can be tricky, supermarket stock is generally poor, so I import mine every couple of months in order to source some of the (better) harder to get hold of varieties.

From switching the thing on, to holding a steaming cup of good Colombian java in my hand, takes less than a minute.
No mess, no fuss - empty capsule in bin - coffee down neck. Sorted.

Anyone else use these?

[Pipe Dude]

Aeropress!

[monkey66]

Pod based machine, run the shots very short (8-10 seconds) and use 2 capsules per cup Otherwise Aeropress or Chemex.

Don't forget great (freshly roasted coffee) and a good grinder (essential for any espresso type grind).

[Kdot]

For around that price (?100) you could get a 'pod/capsule' based coffee maker.

I confess after years of owning a variety of machines (Gaggia, DeLonghi, La Pavoni etc), I 'sold out' and bought one.

The general 'pa-lava' and 'mucking' about with beans was starting to get tedious.

I was converted!
O.K., it's not going to knock a top-shelf solution from the top spot, but the one I've been using lately does a damn fine job.

A Bosch Tassimo just in case you're askin'.
Getting capsules for it can be tricky, supermarket stock is generally poor, so I import mine every couple of months in order to source some of the (better) harder to get hold of varieties.

From switching the thing on, to holding a steaming cup of good Colombian java in my hand, takes less than a minute.
No mess, no fuss - empty capsule in bin - coffee down neck. Sorted.

Anyone else use these?

+1 the pod machines are pretty decent, plus ive seen certain ones on ebay for ?10.

Ive got a philips senseo, you can buy an adaptor that allows you to use any ground coffee in them too.

[captain duff]

Well any cafetiere will never give you really strong coffee as the trick is to have steam under pressure to get the maximum flavour from the grounds - so you need either a proper expresso machine if money permits, or a stove top which can be almost as good but far cheaper.

I think stove tops are great, give you value for money and last for years plus you can get replacement rubber seals on ebay for buttons, and thats all you ever need to replace - no electrics to go wrong, and good strong coffee. Make sure you get the biggest size you can afford (and an aluminium Bialetti Moka Express or similar copy), I've got a 6 cup which is fine for me, but it only brews enough for one mug's worth, so a 9 or 12 cup would be better.

If you go down the electric expresso route and don't want to pay 100s then DeLonghi have a very good reputation for budget machines and constantly top consumer tests etc. This is a good example of what you can get for under ?100 (takes ground coffee or pods) - http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000C3MLJ...SIN=B000C3MLJS

[Lee Nub]

I have a nespresso machine which I love. There are some great blends available for it. You can pick a machine up for less than 100 on ebay. Check out nespressos website for the machines and blends available

[davidruddell]

Stove top

I love my stove top, have always been tempted by a 'pod' machine, but when you've ground the beans, and gone through all the motions of a stove top, it just seems to taste better, tis probably all in the mind tho.

[PoohBore]

+1 the pod machines are pretty decent, plus ive seen certain ones on ebay for ?10.

Ive got a philips senseo, you can buy an adaptor that allows you to use any ground coffee in them too.

+1

I bought the plastic refillable pods off fleabay. Much better to use your own coffee.

[moidoid]

Hmmm, I've never thought of trying the pods before - I'll scout 'em out.

I think that, since I have a large stove-top I will experiment with that initially but I'll check out fleabay too. I grind the beans already but don't roast. Is that easy?

[captain duff]

Well the pod 1 cup systems are convienient (and very quick) in the same way as tea bags put in a mug are convienient. However they do have some serious disadvantages in my opinion.

They can be very expensive long term if you need to buy the right brand of pods to fit - although if you get a converter to put your own coffee in this is less of an isssue. They are quick, but only if you want 1 cup at a time - have guests and you will wish you have something a bit more versatile.

They are not eco-friendly if you use the normal pods (all that packaging!), although this can be offset by them using only the right amount of water.

However, the biggest issue I have with them (having tasted the results from a number of different brands that friends have) is that they are essentially a speeded up filter machine. Hot water is pushed through the coffee grounds rather than steam. A true expresso machine (or a stove top) uses high pressure steam and this gets more of the flavour from the coffee, so in my view a pod machine will always produce inferior coffee (even if I admire the fast convienience - great for the mornings etc).

[neilini]

its a stove top all the way for me and my 20 pound grinder off amazon,i can rival starbucks and the smell in the house is amazing

[Pipe Dude]

I have a Krups Nespresso that I'd swap for some Cubans if you want to make an offer?

[moidoid]

Which model is it PD?

[monkey66]

. A true expresso machine (or a stove top) uses high pressure steam

Sorry Captain but this is incorrect. An espresso machine uses pressurised hot water ideally at 93-95 degC and 9bar pressure. The resistance of the coffee puck (width/depth/grind size) dictates flow speed. In most instances one is looking for a 25-35 second extraction time and an even extraction rate across the puck. High pressure steam is used for steaming milk only. Indeed one of the major challenges for domestic and small pro machines is being able to provide 93-95 deg for brew water and 115-120 degC to steam milk.

IMHO one can produce better espresso with a pod machine that any other method short of a pro machine. I never recommend the ?50-?300 range of so called 'real' espresso machines as it is very, very hard to achieve any consistent results with them. One also has to remember that a good (?250-?500) grinder is essential for drinkable espresso from a traditional machine.

The pod type machines have been engineered to try to work within these rules. They can produce reasonable results if run with a few simple rules.

Let the machine have at least 15 mins warm up time.
(They contain a thermo-block type heating element that will not benefit from a longer warm-up time as opposed to a pro espresso machine with lots of metal and will reach optimum temp stability afet an hour or two)

Stop the shot when the coffee turns white (blonding), you are now just extracting cafiene (bitter) but no more coffee solids (sweet). on a pod machine this is usually 5-10 seconds, on a wee set up pro machine this will be 25-35 seconds


Lots more coffee reading here so no need to repeat.

http://www.ukcigarforums.com/showthread.php?t=4520&highlight=coffee+machines

http://www.ukcigarforums.com/showthread.php?t=3760&highlight=coffee+machines&page=2

http://www.ukcigarforums.com/showthread.php?t=4320&highlight=coffee+machines