Coffee upgrades

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(Edited)

I would not say I am a real coffee aficionado, but I like a cup of the stuff. I drink it straight, having given up milk and sugar some years ago. I'll admit I have drunk instant at work just for convenience, but when I get back to the office I now have an alternative for a better experience.

I had a couple of items for Christmas. One was this grinder by Maison and White. I was expecting to get it and so ordered some beans from @whiterosecoffee. I will admit it takes some time and effort to grind enough for a couple of cups, but extra exercise can be a good thing. It does a good job, producing a nice, fine powder.

Grinder

The other item is an Aeropress. This was invented by the same guy who came up with a throwing ring I had many years ago. It works something like the coffee shop machines that force water through the coffee under pressure, but just uses human power.

Aeropress

You put a small paper filter in and then add a scoop of coffee. Then pour in some boiled water and use the plunger to squeeze it through. It only takes a few seconds and so does the washing up. You get a compressed 'puck' of coffee and filter that can go in the compost.

The result is a very smooth cup of coffee. I was using a cafetiere before and you always got some grains through. It is also less bitter than I was getting by other means with very little residue left in the cup.

The Aeropress is very portable, so I would be able to take it to work. I know someone else there had one. They are not particularly cheap, but you can soon save the cost of buying barista coffee, plus you do not have to go out to get it.

Coffee

Fancy a cup?

coffee aeropress whiterosecoffee palnet
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27 comments
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I will need to order some more soon, almost finished the 2nd large green bag from @whiterosecoffee.

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This was from my second order. I'm trying different beans. May get a bigger bag next time as they should keep.

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I'm running low on Christmas blend but still have tons of hive coffee because 500grams lasts long :) glad to see more coffee hehe.

I will also consider getting a grinder as right now I'm using a french press

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I only have 2 or 3 cups per day, so a few minutes of grinding keeps me topped up. If I was drinking more I might have to consider an electric one. I think a 500g bag may last about a month, but I am the only coffee drinker in our house.

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yeah 2-3 cups is my usual intake too

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I love my Aeropress. You might try looking up the inverted method of brewing on youtube (something like "aeropress inverted" would probably be enough to take you to videos about it). This method allows you to steep the coffee longer, which gives a richer taste.

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I have tried that as I found the water was just running through with the other coffee I used. With my home-ground coffee I find the standard way works fine, but the plunger seems to be largely compressing the air to start with. As long as it forces the coffee through then I guess it's okay.

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Oh, so it is like a French press? That is pretty cool. I sometimes wish I enjoyed coffee, but I also know it can turn into a bad habit, so I don't mind too much.

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Well sort of. You are forcing the water through the coffee under pressure rather than just letting them mix and then filtering out the coffee. This is quicker and easier to clean. When just making for one it's very convenient. I might still use the press if others want some.

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Very nice!
As a coffee lover I'm always trying out new ways to make my daily coffee. I don't have a grinder myself, but I'm thinking about getting one. My father does have one, which he's been using everyday for about 2 years now and he swears by it!

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Thanks for continuing to make Hive awesome.

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I've had colleagues who have sworn by their Aeropress jobbies but haven't had any first hand experience.

I've rediscovered my love of coffee recently after digging the percolator out of the garage. I've only tried the supermarket pre-ground stuff so far but will get a little more adventurous over time. I used to hand grind for my espresso maker and it's great stress relief :D I've heard it's better for the coffee over and electric grinder. I was gifted the latter and either ended up too fine or too coarse.

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I saw comments saying to avoid 'grinders' that actually use blades. I was grinding some coffee whilst watching TV last night, but it is a little noisy. It does a very consistent job. It's adjustable, but seemed about right as it came.

Coffee is one of my few vices, so may as well do it well.

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That does seem like a good way to make a cup. I'm Just little over a week in without coffee and i can almost taste that through the picture.

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Any special reason you are giving it up? I don't think I'm addicted, but I do enjoy a cup.

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I tend to slip into drinking quite a lot of it and it does bring some negative effects with it like anxiety. It is a great start to day though, and I do miss the taste of good dark roast.

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I love, love, love coffee. I use a Keurig with reusable pods mostly, but I also have a French Press that I enjoy on occasion. I will definitely need to look into the Aeropress.

The mug is awesome, too. I need to replace my front door this year, too, and I plan on painting it like the Tardis.

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A Tardis front door would be great! Just have to make the house bigger on the inside.

!BEER

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