kbuzbee

Can someone who has used both please compare the coffee from a Brikka with that from a Cona D? I've used the Cona D but never the Brikka? My issues with the Cona are: 1. It stalls occasionally. Maybe every 10 day or so. 2. It's kinda fragile It makes great coffee. My wife likes her coffee pretty weak so I expect I'll need to dilute the Brikka output quite a bit. Thanks for the input, Ken

Yes, you do.... It seals the tea into the bottom to stop the brewing process. I got my wife one of these for Christmas. It works very nicely. In a totally different vein... Have you considered a YiXing pot? YiXing Teapots These are traditional Chinese teapots made of heavy clay. You use one pot for one kind of tea only. Over time, it saturates the clay with the tea. The legend says, after several years, you only need add water as the pot has the flavor of the tea already. Beware, these are usually (by American standards) very small tea pots, often 4-8 ounces. They vary tremendously in price based on the quality of the clay and the skill of the artist. If I ever get seriously into tea, I'm afraid these little things will be all over my kitchen Good luck, Ken

I've just started to do the same thing.... It's really interesting to track the changes. Ken

I should have revised my statement to say, "I taste the espresso betwen 2-8 days." There shouldn't be an absolute consensus that all beans are no good for everyone after 8 days anyways. I know of at least one roaster in Europe that is doing amazing light roasted single origin espressos, and they claim it peaks slightly more than a week after roasted. But the beans need to be stored away from oxygen, heat, light at every moment. (this is not a time to be shutting any doors, IMO) Is it the new crop Yellow Bourbon you're liking? ← Ahhh.. Very good. That sounds more like what I did. Similar times to what you experienced. Since I roast every week I haven't found a need to experiment with getting beans to peak 7 days after roasting. It does sound intriguing though. (Sorry - I didn't get the reference to "shutting any doors" but forgive me, I'm fighting off a cold or something today...) The package only said Bourbon so I would assume it is not the current crop of Yellow. There was a Sweet and a Sweet Yellow as well. All were quite good but the Bourbon really caught my interest.. Ken

Thanks Malachi, I'd always heard that was 1-3 days. I'd never heard 8. I very much respect your opinions here, Malachi. Do you rest your coffee for 8 days?? I noticed with the Dateras a sever decline in crema production after it was 7 days old. I also started picking up some sour notes I hadn't noticed before but I think I was over extracting trying to get back to the volumes I'd started with. I roasted it Monday and did one shot of each sample Wednesday. They were all great but, to me, the Bourbon showed the best balance and had more 'bottom end' to it. By Friday I'd blended the Bourbon with some Peaberry and Sweet. That was nice too but I prefered the Bourbon by itself. Ken

I had one of the entry level Krups machines. It was horrible! This looks like a much nicer version and I would expect it to be fine. I've had good experiences with all other Krups appliances I've tried. Let us know if you get it and what you think. Ken

I roasted a couple samples from Daterra last week. Aren't they wonderful??? Perhaps a touch too acidic for me (La Pavoni pulled espresso) but really good. I also roasted them quite light. Of the four I tried the Bourbon was my favorite. They do make HUGE crema. I didn't give them the 2-8 day rest.... Why do you do that? To lessen the acidity?? Ken

Hi Ron, I use a Cona D for my wife's coffee. It does a great job. As a benefit, it doesn't use any filters, only a glass "stopper". I think Sweet Marias carrys them (among others). Ken

A friend of mine lives in Ontario. He recently mentioned Cabot Tower Demerara Rum was available there and quite tastey. Ken

Thanks Erik, looking forward to it. We ALWAYS seem to want a cup or two before we're ready to leave the hotel room. Nice to have that capacity. I usually bring a french press but this might be a better option. I had a Toddy for a while. It uses a fibre pad as a filter. Is that what this uses?? Thanks! Ken

Seems like it was around $38..... Haven't found much here in the rum catagory I'd say was interesting. Always on the lookout though. Ken

What are your opinions of Zaya rum?? Zaya Rum I'm by no means a Rum drinker (99% Bourbon) but as an ocasional digression, it's good. I found this to be very sweet with a nice dark complex flavor. Kinda like a premixed cocktail. Your thoughts?? Ken

While I completely agree with this and, as the proud owner and regular user of two fantastic ways of making coffee (I make regular coffe for my wife in a Cona vacuum pot and espresso for me in a La Pavoni) I too am intrigued. But I also have a secondary goal. I need a way to make coffee when we are travelling. This may be the ticket! So I ordered one. As such I will be very happy to report back to this forum once it arrives. Wonderful coffee? Snake oil? Stay tuned. Ken

Hey Peter, I've never worried about either side of this argument. I drink coffee every morning (three fresh roasted, fresh gound double espressos, thank you!). I generally work out (weights) in the morning. Never noticed any issues. Never really noticed any enhancements either. I have lots of friends who claim a shot of Joe pumps up their workout. I guess it varies by individual. Have you noticed any good or bad effects?? Ken

Thanks! I wish I were closer. Does his class ever "go on the road"? I have read his book. It's great but hands on is always better. Ken

Chef Koo - I'll second what you've heard here. Each style is distinct and even within styles the variety is tremendous. Bourbon - Elmer T Lee to Bookers - huge distinction Scotch - Glenlivit to Laphroaig - huge distinction As posted previously, try a wide variety, you'll quickly decide where your preferences lie. This is one thing that makes Whisk(e)y a poor gift choice if you know nothing about the recipient's whisk(e)y preferences. My personal favorites are: Scotch - Laphroaig, Lagavulin Bourbon - Kentucky Spirit, George T Stagg Rye - Wild Turkey Rye Canadian - 40 Creek sangle barrel Irish - Bushmills 16 (but I don't drink much Irish) Ken (PS - Hey Evangelos! Fancy running into you here!)

You are so right Megan. It's fun reading here the extent to which this routine has insinuated itself into each person's life. For me each stage of life has had it's own "ritual". The current one having sucked me in 100%. Zen like is a great description because nothing else goes on until the coffee is made. I used to turn on the TV to try to catch the weather but with everything going on in the kitchen, I never heard it anyway so I no longer bother (there's always weather.com isn't there?) At previous stages: Working the oilfield offshore - There was always a pot of Community Coffee SLUDGE in the wheelhouse. We drank a LOT of this stuff. (NOTE - it was fresh brewed. This stuff brews as SLUDGE) CC provides small (4-5 oz?) cups. I'd fill with 1/4 sugar and 3/4 SLUDGE. A typical day had 10+ of these in it. Amazing I lived through that period! Office work - We had a coffee shop downstairs that would be the first cup but there was way too much to do to ever go back during the workday so the office pot was the only selection. It's like something you just have to do so "I held my nose, I closed my eyes, I took a drink....." Technical field sales support - I knew where every coffee shop was in North East Ohio. Starbucks, Arabica, independants..... I knew them all. Quilit varied but most were usually Okay. During the weekends of these periods a budding barista was being born. Disasterous flirtations with various insanity inducing machines (read Krups espresso makers, 5 $30 grinders etc) I certainly learned what not to do. I also made several business trips to Italy and had the very best espresso I'd ever had. I still don't know why (Oh please, somebody tell me!) My assumption is it's just a societal thing. More knowledgable customers demand better products and people grow up wanting to be baristas, learning, training etc. It could be the coffee. It could be the water. It could even be "Hey, your'e in Italy, stupid! WOW!" So now I have created the best coffee centered morning routine I am able to. I know what every day will start like and I enjoy it. I wish as much to all here. Ken

Lonnie, this sounds much like our routine. I like the word "ritual". That is it exactly! I start by preheating water for my wife's coffee in the tea kettle. While this is warming I grind her coffee (typically Indian Monsooned Malibar) in one of our two Zassenhaus Grinders, set to a coarse grind. This is a hand grinder so it takes a little while to grind enough coffee. It's quiet, though, so it doesn't create some horrible noise as I'm waking up. When her coffee is ground I turn to the other Zassenhaus, set to a very fine espresso grind to do my coffee (typically an espresso blend of some sort, I experiment quite a bit). As this grind is much finer, it takes considerable time and usually her teapot is boiling by this point. I stop grinding my coffee and pour the hot water into her Cona vacuum pot, light the burner and add her coffee. This takes about five minutes to move the water from the bottom chamber to the top chamber so I return to grinding my coffee. In five minutes I turn off the gas to allow the vacuum process to draw the brewed coffee back into the lower chamber. Around this time I move the La Pavoni Europicolla to the counter, fill it with water and start warming it up. Then I return to grinding the espresso. And grinding. And grinding. Once I have enough coffee for two shots, I fill the portafilter, tamp the coffee down and pull the first shot. Hmmm.... Life returns to the suburbs...... a second shot and we're good for the day. By this point her coffee is ready. I'll pour her a cup and place the rest in a thermal carafe. This is quite a process and takes 45-60 minutes. It's a great way to start the day and we each get our perfect cup of coffee each and every day. I really enjoy it because it is so "manual". The La Pavoni has the feel of a real "throw back" with it's lever operation. The manual grinders do as well. And the quality of the coffee produced is just amazing. What a terrific start to the day! Ken

Honestly... for almost all baristas (home or pro) the best bang for the buck is training. There are very few baristas who are truly limited by their espresso machine. ← I agree in principle but do you have any specific reccomendations? Ken

Day to day I'll take Kentucky Spirit but if you happen to find a bottle of Wild Turkey Tribute, buy it! One of the best Bourbons ever made. Wild Turkey Rye is also tasty and a great bargin. Ken (yes, you can tell from the avatar, I LIKE Wild Turkey products!)

And sometimes it is. I found the espresso in Italy to be wonderful everywhere. Coffee shops, gas stations etc. I can only attribute it to a culture that values great coffee and encourages developement of great roasters, great baristas etc. I don't tend to drink milk in my coffee. Our kids have a small roastery: Daybreak Coffee Company in Northeast Ohio. I help out there from time to time. We do whatever we can to provide the best coffee. I know we have the best coffee in North East Ohio today. I hold the memories of the wonderful coffee I had throughout Italy as a goal I hope to achieve someday. It's been many years since I've been in Seattle so I have no idea how things there compare. I would LOVE to attend one of the Italian schools that teach roasting. Ken

Seafood seems to go in cycles for me. Years ago I lived in Houston and made boiled shrimp twice a week. Several years later I found out about broiling scallops and those became a once every 7-12 day meal. During this whole time the only actual fish I made was Mrs Pauls (is that fish?? Today I broil tuna salmon and trout. We have fresh fish twice a week. Nothing too exotic, but delicious. Ken

Found the secret to crispy hashed browns. Cook them in a cast iron skillet and leave them sit (don't over stir). They'll brown up wonderfuly. Ken

Several monthes ago Ohio delisted 40 Creek Barrel Select so I picked some up for about $10 a bottle. I'm more of a Bourbon drinker than a Canadian but I thought this was a very good pour. I almost never drink cocktails (and don't care for them when I do) so I can't address your Sazerac but the whisky itself is, IMO, very good. I'm sad Ohio delisted it. Ken