Cookaholics Bulletin Board

Well this group is certainly entertaining.
Fuzzy, I appreciate your humor more than you'll ever know.

My mind is spinning over this, but I'm getting a better grasp of how and why it is what it is.
After watching You Tube vids on making espresso based drinks, I've formed the solid opinion that cappuccinos are stupid.
Over powered espresso with lightly foamed milk which is admittingly flavorless resting on top? I guess I shouldn't knock it until I've tried it, but is sure looks unappetizing and certainly way more work than it's worth. I've been watching these guys/girls grind, tamp, draw/pull steam prep, pour using these really expensive machines. And then, the PRESENTATION has to be spot-on, for a miniature cup of Joe.
Holy crap, no wonder a cup of coffee is $7 each.

And lots of people not only put up with it, they stand in line for it.

The world has many problems that need addressing, an example is -- espresso beans shouldn't be used on elite level espresso machines because they gum them up too much when you dial in a fine espresso grind. I was amazed when a coffee shop employee on You Tube recommended getting cheap grocery store coffee for your home machine because it prevents clogging up the grinder. There exists spatterings of testimonies supporting this, from product owners/reviewers, machine repairmen, coffee shop owners/managers and Jewish ceramic experts.

Of coarse, you can always trust what's on the Internet.

Fuzzy,

You crack me up. Thanks for the laugh.

--Lisa

Tunaroe, Steve,

In general, "dark" roasts in the USA are basically burnt. This started with Peet's and other purveyors who couldn't get reliable sources of premium coffee beans back in the '70s, and has now become a standard for drip coffee.

When you see a coffee bean which is charcoal-black and glistening with exuded oil, that's not a "dark" or "well-done" coffee bean, that's burnt. Properly roasted coffee should appear dry, and medium-to-dark brown in color. That home espresso grinders won't handle burnt beans is not a fault.

Me? Strong opinions about coffee? No more than Frank has strong opinions about chili ...

Interesting thought – coffee infused chili, or better yet – chili with coffee beans.
(DOH!! He didn’t just say that!)
I’m sure it’s been tried before, and I’m sure there’s a reason why it’s not popular.

So when’s John gonna take this Hot Rod Saeco for a spin?
Yeah, I’m getting there . . . read on.

In school (and professionally) I’ve tried to be a good student, so I dive into research and learn what I can about this machine.
By now others (including myself after a bit) are wondering why anyone has to study-up on something that is called a Super-Automatic anything. Hey John, this machine does it all. It hops, it grinds, it tamps and brews and it even takes out the trash.
My experience is nothing is ever as easy as advertised.
Sure, I make excuses, like it’s my explosives background.
Don’t make a move until you’re SURE of what you’re doing.
Or – Render respect for a gift from your loved ones.
Or- resentment that I surrender the artistic tasks that a true Barista lives for.
Finally, it may be because I tend to overthink things.

So I go to the store to get some coffee beans and couple gallons of distilled water.
I know – they don’t have Folger’s.
They have Peet’s . I like it – Mama always said, don’t trust a coffee you can’t spell.
Regular House Blend, 1 pound only $9.99.
Medium Roast should give me a good baseline, I can adjust from there.

Peripheral setup:
Cold milk, frothing mug, thermometer, spillage cup to re-prime the wand (yeah that’s what the spill tray is for, but I’m weird about cleanliness in food areas). I contemplate a practice run of frothing milk to 165-168 deg F and use it for hot chocolate, but it never happens.

Power up, filled the tank, primed the pump and purged most of the tank water through the wand. Glad I did it too, the first cup or two had a strong plastic smell. Refilled the tank.
Opened the coffee bag, filled the hopper, checked the grind settings – as factory defaults (supposedly the same grind and shot as Starbucks).

Okay, my cappuccino cups in position, it’s time to see that these yuppies are raving about.
With the kids behind me I press the half cup symbol (short shot). The machine has a hissy fit, bangs things around behind closed doors and begins to gurgle some coffee through the two little tubes.

Then it stops.

That’s it? Really? I can spit more than this.
Gotta be a bad setting. Well, it’s a sample for tasting; maybe an ounce of the rich stuff.
Get a bigger cup, press the Whole Cup (long shot) button and hope for a change.
The long shot delivers more, but less than half a coffee cup, and it’s really watered down.

So, I froth up a cup of milk, slowly pour it like the You Tube videos say to make a latte.

Hmmm, I see the creation is far beyond the machine itself, it’s what you do with the “results” thereafter.
I have more to do --- in both theory and practice to achieve more impressive results.
It’s like an ice cream parlor, only hot beverage base.

Huh? What do you mean it's not popular? Coffee -- and more frequently, cocoa -- are common chili additives. If you hark back to chili's Mexican origin, there's even an authenticity argument.

http://suite101.com/article/ground-beef ... fee-a72002
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chili-i-2/
http://www.meals.com/recipe/chili-with-coffee-29202

(Fuzzy waits for Frank's howls of outrage)

Coffee is VERY important in the making of chili - you drink it in the morning upon waking - before making chili

Coffee “beans” in this form are quite acceptable!

Ahhh, I see you've had your coffee

I agree with your colour characterization, but not the oil. Some beans, even in a medium roast, will have some oily sheen to them after a day or two, depending on the bean and -- apparently -- the roast profile (not just the doneness). I know my current batch can get more then expected sheen at a medium roast (full city).

My home grinders seem to have no trouble with over roasted beans (or rice, or just about anything you can stick in them). I don't see why a reasonable quality burr grinder couldn't handle it. They do have to be cleaned more often though (I used to drink darker roasts, but very rarely now).

Paul,

That makes them a bad idea for a super-automatic, though. It's pretty hard to clean the grinder in those suckers.