[akshaymahajan]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

During my business travel, I detest the generic Nescafé sachets found in most hotel rooms. Any recommendations on which decoction sachet I can carry from Bangalore? I like mine with a tiny bit of milk and 1 sugar.

My Aeropress used to be my trusted companion during work travel. Easy to use and easy to clean.

[Evyas]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

During my business travel, I detest the generic Nescafé sachets found in most hotel rooms. Any recommendations on which decoction sachet I can carry from Bangalore? I like mine with a tiny bit of milk and 1 sugar.

You can try the Blue Tokai easy pour satchets.

https://bluetokaicoffee.com/collections/easy-pour

I actually carry a tiny (125 ml) steel filter coffee filter and my favourite brand of coffee with me. Helps me start the day with the aroma of coffee in the room and it’s pretty easy to use - you just need hot water - and clean and I get a fresh decoction every day even while travelling

Originally Posted by ron178

Has anyone here had success with a moka pot and preground filter-grind coffee (20% chicory). What I'm getting out of it right now tastes like a kaadha and I suspect it might be the chicory or maybe the coffee has gone stale. It is the coffee itself that has that distinct smell, it is just less harsh when brewed with a French press. Troubleshooting tips will be appreciated (grinding fresh is not an option for now).

You can try a few things.

1. Clean the moka pot. Fill the base with water and a teaspoon of salt, let it brew normally. Throw away the water. Now brew your coffee again but throw it away and do it once more. Sometimes old coffee oils and debris, if they are stuck in the moka pot crevices, can make the coffee taste rancid. Cleaning it with salt water and then brewing coffee in it 2-3 times coats the moka pot with fresh coffee oils and makes the coffee brewed after that taste less bitter.

2. Don’t fill the coffee basket fully or tap it down hard. A moka pot is delicate so we shouldn’t use it like an espresso machine basket, compacting the coffee. Gently spoon coffee ground into it till 90% full then tap it softly to make it level. Some coffee tends to expand a lot so if you fill it too tight they can get over extracted.

3. Always keep the gas flame at the lowest while brewing.

4. Once it’s done extracting and you’re only getting steam, immediately run it - keeping the base tilted slightly - under a tap, holding it up. The water will stop the extraction and maybe it won’t be as bitter as before.

An awesome video to demonstrate is this

https://youtu.be/rpyBYuu-wJI?si=roK-PfuxWd5BGmqP

5. Change your coffee brand.

6. Use lesser coffee in your moka basket. Maybe it’s really strong so fill it 3/4ths and try that too.

And lastly - if all fails, just drink a different type of coffee for a week. Instant, regular one. Sometimes the palette just needs a cleanse

[NPV]

A friend from Coorg gifted us this coffee sourced from an estate near his hometown - Malakodu Select Premium Espresso Blend. It is a blend of Arabica and Robusta and we loved it.

We do not have an Espresso machine at home, just made filter coffee using the simple electric coffee maker's steam based decoction and it turned out to be awesome. I also liked it in Black Coffee form.

[warrioraks]

For people in Bangalore - Does any know where can I find Illy coffee? Looking for a brick and mortar store to purchase since none of the big sellers on Amazon stock this. I have had this couple of times on a flight and it's been one of the best black coffee experiences till now.

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by warrioraks

For people in Bangalore - Does any know where can I find Illy coffee? Looking for a brick and mortar store to purchase since none of the big sellers on Amazon stock this.

Try again. Amazon - link and Flipkart - link. There are options for ground coffee (above are for instant coffee) too on both sites.

[warrioraks]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

Try again.

Hi, thanks for checking. I saw those as well. The problem is that seller profiles are not confidence inspiring. I shop a lot from Amazon but limited to the big one like Appario, Cocoblu, etc. Hence looking for a physical store where I can buy this.

[skchettry]

Great thread for coffee lovers.
Thought of reducing my monthly bill on coffee. And then some friends shared some write ups on the health benefits of moderate consumption of black coffee.
Bought a Morphy Richards 15 bar espresso machine. Have been trying different brands of coffee beans. So far have tried the following brands:
1. Looms & Weaves (Arabica Medium dark roast).
2. Sleepy Owl (Arabica Medium Roast).
3. Blue Tockai Kalledvarapura Estate (Arabica Medium Roast).
4. Devan's (Arabica Oriental Espresso Blend, strength - strong).
5. Third wave (Arabica El Diablo blend Medium dark roast).
6. Lavazza Perfetto Espresso (Arabica Medium roast)

All of these brands and blends taste reasonably good. Considering cost and other factors, I think I will have Lavazza, Third Wave and Devan's as my favorites.

[archat68]

Originally Posted by skchettry

Considering cost and other factors, I think I will have Lavazza, Third Wave and Devan's as my favorites.

If you want VFM try Hunkalheights. Their Aranya gold and Vienna Roast is really VFM.

[gentlemandriver]

Hello Everyone, I am a home-brewer and brew speciality coffee every day regularly. I recently got my barista certification as well. If you guys ever have doubts about speciality coffee feel free to ask. I'll be more than happy to clarify, be it manual brewing/espresso-related stuff. Pour-overs are my forte.

[mobike008]

Nice thread. I love coffee and addicted to it.

If I don't have my 2 cups each morning, then I don't function like a human being.

I mostly try multiple brands and usually use the K-Cups for my Kureig Machine. And, it's always black and without sugar (for the last half a decade). I drink coffee with milk and sugar very rarely but, I don't enjoy it as much as black coffee.

Picked up this carton from Canada last week. I love Tim Hortons.



These are my regular K-Cup Pods for daily consumption.

[gentlemandriver]

Have you tried exploring pour-overs and manual brewing options? Much more economical in the long run, way more tasty, and comparatively environmentally friendly. There are some great roasters in the USA like Onyx, Verve, and Stumptown to name a few well-known ones.

Of course, I don't mean to force you to give up your keurig routine hehe it can be a quick fix for coffee but I feel its only fair everyone tries specialty coffee once in their life .

In India or even the rest of the world most people don't even know what real coffee tastes like, they usually stick to dark roasts where it's hard to make out finer nuances/flavour notes. Usually, these dark roasts aren't even roasted/taken care off properly however I don't dislike dark roasts I do enjoy a good Mokapot brew or a nice honey sundried cortado from time to time just that brands like starbucks/tim hortons take away the goodness from it by roasting it to death .Try a good Kenyan/Ethiopian at a good speciality manual brewing cafe once, you'll be blown away.

If you do plan to explore this further here's a great video to start off hehe

https://youtu.be/AI4ynXzkSQo?si=_k_8_DSDPbbwplU7

Hoffmann is a great brewer/coffee person. There are also a few other personalities like Lance Hedrick/ Jonathan Gagne who go much deeper and are very nerdy about coffee.

There's also Mithilesh Vazalwar who was the first IAC (Indian aeropress championship) winner.

Anyway in the end enjoying your coffee is what matters.
(I do have to admit it's a crazy rabbit-hole)
If anyone has any questions feel free to ask.

[Evyas]

Originally Posted by gentlemandriver

If anyone has any questions feel free to ask.

Hi there. Just wondering if you have any successful tips for home brewed cappuccino art. I only have a milk frother and moka pot (Also French press, Aeropress, pour over coffee maker)

And the second - any cheap and cheerful home espresso machines? I’ve read about the DeLonghi 685 being quite good for beginners. Can’t spend too much on what is basically a hobby!

[gentlemandriver]

Originally Posted by Evyas

Hi there. Just wondering if you have any successful tips for home-brewed cappuccino art. I only have a milk frother and moka pot (Also French press, Aeropress, pour-over coffee maker)

And the second - any cheap and cheerful home espresso machines? I’ve read about the DeLonghi 685 being quite good for beginners. Can’t spend too much on what is basically a hobby!

Hey! For Latte/Cappucino art I can't advise too much about a nanofoamer/milkfoamer because I have never worked with one, only worked with a French press and a proper steam wand. I am sure there must be some great videos on YouTube. If I remember correctly Lance Hedrick has a video on his nano foamer workflow. But just stick to the basics; Stick it in the middle at an angle to create a vortex so milk rotates and air is incorporated and then just submerge the frother completely but also don't go too deep, just so much that the rotating head is invisible to the eye, make sure your milk is between 63-65 C.

As for actually creating latte art, practice is key get your pitcher, hold the cup at a 60angle and pour in circles until milk is incorporated then get your pitcher really close to the cup and start adding all the milk in just one spot and cut through as your pitcher is almost empty for a cool heart!

About espresso machines, my recommendation for anyone is always a flair 58+, it's such a great device and makes unique espresso when compared with high-level machines, you could also look at the pico-presso. Make sure you have a good espresso grinder though. If you are looking specifically for a semi-auto machine a lot depends on your budget/use-case. If you make around 2 cups max please look into the flair 58+ it's such a beautiful thing that requires less maintenance and will even outlast you! It's basically an elegant Toyota.

Hope I helped hehe

[deathwalkr]

Originally Posted by sumukha

My most loved ratio is 60:30:10 ( Robusta: Arabica: Chicory )

My local coffee bean vendor sells Peaberry and Plantation at some 900 odd for a kg.

I usually mix the two 50-50.

What would you suggest?

[sumukha]

Originally Posted by deathwalkr

My local coffee bean vendor sells Peaberry and Plantation at some 900 odd for a kg.

I usually mix the two 50-50.

What would you suggest?

This year coffee seed rates have up. Coffee bean vendor might be justified in your city.
However My suggested ratio is 60:30:10 of Robusta:Arabica:Chicory powder. Get the roasting medium.
If you want to experiment , you can change the ratio too. Its individual choice