What thermometer do you guys use? Can anyone recommend any?

Water. Are you sure those cheap thermometers are accurate? From what i have heard, even the cheap IKEA water thermometer are horribly inaccurate. Btw i'm currently using my meat thermometer that cost around RM80 but i'm afraid of ruining it.

This post has been edited by CallMeGucci: Jan 11 2016, 08:26 PM

Hey i've recently wanted to try some Ethiopian Yirgacheffe beans. Anybody can recommend me a good local roaster of this variety?

Hey, can anyone explain how Auresso works? Is the "3 bags monthly" subscription a bag a month or 3 bags at one go? And is there shipping fees?

They don't clearly state it on their website though, so it is confusing for some of us. But when i went to their order page, it seems like you have to comment what beans you want before confirming your purchase, where it seems like your are only paying for the 3 bags. There are no indications that they will auto charge you, and if they do, there seems to be a flaw where you can't change the beans you want since there is no option for that. It comes down to about RM53 per bag, which isn't so expensive considering the current prices of local beans, unless you know of any roasters selling at a much cheaper price.

But what i'm really contemplating is that if you just buy 1kg of one type of bean, the price comes down to RM31 for 250g which is really cheap, only problem is that i consume about 250g in one or two weeks meaning the beans will be sitting for too long. But if they really do send 3 bags at a time, I might just get the 1kg bag instead.


I have tried enquiring with them but am till waiting for a reply after 2 days, really poor service on their part.

This post has been edited by CallMeGucci: May 11 2016, 03:18 PM

Hey guys i have a question that has been bothering me for a while now. Why does the coffee to water ration differ between brew methods?

For example, a french press might use 1:10 coffee to water ratio while filter tends to be 1:16 and espresso 1:2. Why is that? Isn't there a sweet spot for extraction, around 20%? And is the caffeine content in all the methods the same, assuming the same amount of ground is used?

Correct me if i'm wrong but doesn't grind size, pressure and temperature affect extraction while water to coffee ratio affects the strength?

And yeah i know i should just do whatever taste the best to me but i am really curious about the science behind it all.

The problem with that comparison in the link is that it doesn't state the amount of ground coffee used. I am more interested to know if different brew methods contain the same amount of caffeine if the same amount of grounds are used.

Other than the common problem of the bolt stripping at the top (which I promptly fixed), this grinder has been good to me especially after spending many attempts modding it. What do you mean by stuck together? Try closely inspecting the burrs individually? Any signs of deformation on the burrs themselves?

I've actually heard of someone with the same problem you described. Does the mini mill come with a warranty? What beans were you grinding when it happened? It could be that the beans were too hard for the grinder. I wouldn't suggest getting a porlex actually. How do you prefer to brew your coffee?

I second the notion that Aeropress is the more versatile option. I actually own all three of the brewing devices you mentioned and often found myself using the pour over method the most. However, you should note that if you really love the body of a Vietnamese style coffee, the Moka or the french press will please you a lot better. Also, the Hario grinder that you mentioned is fantastic for a beginner but it quickly leaves a lot to be desired, not to mention some users have run into problems with its built quality. If I could start all over again, I would have invested in a good grinder from the start and not have to worry about upgrading, especially since grinder matters far more than the brewing method. That Aeropress is a good price, but it's often cheaper overseas, ie I got mine from Australia for AUD50 back when the exchange rate was 3:1.

Btw if you ever want to get a Moka pot, I do have one brand new 6 cup Bialetti, just note that '6 cup' really means '6 shots' or just 180ml of coffee.

The term suitability for beginners can be broken down into:
1) The ease of use.
The Aeropress takes this easily. It is easy to clean and incredibly hard to mess up, the forgiving nature of it is well documented. It is also the first real coffee maker I bought but come to think of it, I was using a Vietnamese Phin filter before getting it The pour over is very sensitive to grind size and consistency, as well as the importance of technique in pouring (which will most likely include getting a proper gooseneck kettle). The Moka is probably the hardest of the 3, requiring more attention and maintenance than the rest. The strongest reason to choose the Aeropress for beginners is that most would have an entry level grinder which pairs well with the grind size forgiving Aeropress.

2) The "teachability"
Brewing is very much a scientific and experimental process. Being able to understand the relationships between particle size, water temperature, turbulence, brew time etc. is important if you want to develop solid fundamentals. Again the Aeropress comes out top here. Being able to vary every single factor above independently makes it an amazing learning device. You'll be able to experiment with hot boiling water to 79 degrees water; from 1 min espresso grind brews to 15 min long brews. The pour over doesn't leave much room for experimentation other than through different pouring techniques. The Moka only allows you to experiment with a small range of grind size (as too fine will choke it and too coarse will be undrinkable) and the temperature of the water you start with.

In conclusion, the Aeropress is hands down the most suitable for beginners. But the pour over and Moka are also fantastic and there are people who swear by those. I find those to be more speciality brewing methods. But since I tend to prefer the clarity of Single Origins, I use my v60 the most. The Moka can only make concentrated and deep-bodied coffee, so imo is the least suitable for beginners unless that's the only thing you want to drink.

A few hundred is quite a large range tbf. But used Baratza Encore or a Lido should do it.

This post has been edited by CallMeGucci: Apr 26 2017, 10:43 PM

Have you done the mods for the mini mill? At this budget, a hand grinder offers a much better value for the money. Also, will you ever upgrade to espresso in the near future? If yes, then it would be wiser to invest in a grinder that can do both.

At that budget I would recommend the Lido instead. There's no real point getting the akira or handground when for a few hundred more you can get something 10x better. And the greatest thing about it is the grind rate of 1g/second; which coming from a Hario, will cause you to slap yourself for not getting it sooner.

Most Lidos are basically the same, except for the folding handle and finer adjustments, just go with whichever you can find in stock. The commandante made a huge mess in their initial release with quality control and left a bad taste in the mouth for most. Their customer service is also similar to Madebyknock and isn't really responsive. Another thing to note is the that they're harder to find and grinds slower than the lido. Another interesting project is the Helor 101 which is highly praised on HB. It's crafted from a single block of aluminium so technically there shouldn't be alignment issues.

Don't think anyone stocks it in Msia. You can get it from overseas. http://shop.shellgoatcoffee.com/shop/oe-li...coffee-grinder/ To get a quote for shipping to Malaysia, you have to email them.
I haven't tried either but plan to get the Helor soon and then maybe the Lido when I'm overseas.

Drop me a pm once you get a quote from them!

Question for the espresso sifus: with a machine without preinfusion capabilities, am I supposed to time my shot from the second I pull the shot or should I shave off a few seconds to account for pre-infusion?

Ah, I see. What would you recommend instead? I usually use a combination of weight and time to pull my shot but I've also heard that people use visual cues to know when to stop extracting.