Starting from scratch

[Ricpac]

Hey everybody, I am new to drinking coffee but my girlfriend loves it. She goes out and spends about 20 bucks a day on crap SB coffee. So instead I purchased a hario v60 and I have a burr grinder but will upgrade sooner or later. I enjoy an occasional cup but I would like to get an espresso machine for home and learn how to make espresso and then move on to latte art. Any help with machines to guide me alone this process would be helpful.

 

[expat]

Sorry Ricpac, I wouldn't be much help with machines but if you and your girlfriend search out folks who are passionate coffee roasters and drink their coffee your palate will begin to understand what good coffee really is. And you'll be glad you did.

Of course, you may have my problem. Myself and The Lovely & Talented Roast Mistress have become such absolute coffee snobs -- because we can taste the difference now that we've trained our palate, that SB just makes me sick. McD's has a better cup. And that little guy down on the corner who is living and breathing the coffee he's roasting (or she -- could there be another Lovely & Talented Roast Mistress out there?), that guy has the best.

Go online and you'll find lots of people absolutely crazy to roast the best coffee. Buy from them. Use good water. Enjoy.

Remember, life's too short to drink bad coffee.

 

[MorningSunrise]

I really can't add much to this one other that just enjoy the coffee.

 

[ChopShopCoffee]

I agree with expat. Find a local ma and pa place or roaster and try some good coffee=)

 

[topher]

I want to chime in on this...I roast for a bagel chain. I work for a corporation not a mom and pop. I have not or ever will pick price over quality. My stores order weekly to assure freshness. The trick is to taste everything you can until you find what you like. I have been to many mom and pops that had no clue to what they were doing. Point I am trying to make is its not just the mom and pops that are putting out awesome product. People always bash starbux...I love when I see a hipster barista bad mouthing starbux. I am quick to tell them that if it wasn't for them you wouldn't have this "cool job" I started in coffee before Starbux exploded and have seen how it helped in sales for me. I personally do not enjoy their coffee but I do respect what they have done for the industry.

 

[BestestBarista]

Sorry Ricpac, I wouldn't be much help with machines but if you and your girlfriend search out folks who are passionate coffee roasters and drink their coffee your palate will begin to understand what good coffee really is. And you'll be glad you did.

Of course, you may have my problem. Myself and The Lovely & Talented Roast Mistress have become such absolute coffee snobs -- because we can taste the difference now that we've trained our palate, that SB just makes me sick. McD's has a better cup. And that little guy down on the corner who is living and breathing the coffee he's roasting (or she -- could there be another Lovely & Talented Roast Mistress out there?), that guy has the best.

Go online and you'll find lots of people absolutely crazy to roast the best coffee. Buy from them. Use good water. Enjoy.

Remember, life's too short to drink bad coffee.

This is so true...I personally can not stand Starbucks coffee. I work at a ma & pa coffee shop and I am always telling people that it is easy to walk in to one of those places like Starbucks and push a button and have a completed drink but it takes skill to be able to perform a baristas work on a daily basis. If you do something wrong you will most definitely make a "bad" cup of coffee. Also I do understand that it's a huge corporation but if you want the "best" coffee you can get I would suggest going to a ma & pa place for that cup. Being a barista myself I disagree with the large corporations selling what they say is a "macchiato" and when frequent buyers of that drink come here it's actually a latte they are asking for. If you know the true meaning of macchiato then you know it means stained and in my opinion that's false advertisement.
Back to the point of this post bottom line look up some good coffee ships on your area and check them out and ask questions that's the only way you are truly going to learn.

 

[topher]

The point I was making was not to lump all corporations in one group. I started as a barista 23 years ago...I roast for a corporation. I have a coffee shop in front of my roastery where you can get a true macchiato but you can also get a vanilla mocha. I do not turn my nose up because someone orders a fufu drink. Perfect example. I walked in to a mom and pop shop the other day. I ordered a single espresso. The PBTC said with a sigh. We only serve doubles as a policy. I responded with fine give me a double but with less attitude. He then proceeded to explain to me how to drink coffee. There are some great mom and pops as well as there are some great corporate coffee companies. That being said there is also bad on both sides. To say that only mom and pops do it correctly is just not true.

 

[ChopShopCoffee]

Starbucks coffee is gross....now I am not saying Starbucks is evil blah blah...I was just saying you have a better chance of knowing what real good coffee is by going to a small local owned place...I do agree all Ma and Pa stand don't make SUPER good coffee but you have a better chance of getting good coffee there. Go to Starbucks and ask for a Cuban Latte and sit and laugh when they give you the "I don't know" look.
My espresso stand is next to a Starbucks and people are stoked I am here cause they hate Starbucks....because Starbucks cares about speed rather then quality.

 

[BestestBarista]

Starbucks coffee is gross....now I am not saying Starbucks is evil blah blah...I was just saying you have a better chance of knowing what real good coffee is by going to a small local owned place...I do agree all Ma and Pa stand don't make SUPER good coffee but you have a better chance of getting good coffee there. Go to Starbucks and ask for a Cuban Latte and sit and laugh when they give you the "I don't know" look.
My espresso stand is next to a Starbucks and people are stoked I am here cause they hate Starbucks....because Starbucks cares about speed rather then quality.

That was exactly part of my point...I've been busy at work so didn't get a chance to post back but anyhow I posted earlier & it's simple to me that I wasn't saying Starbucks is the devil just as this post says MOST ma & pa places have better coffee than big corporations that is all.