Hey there! I've been into coffee for quite some time and actually worked in a "boutique" coffee house when I was in high school. That said I never really "brought it home with me," so to speak. I'd always just buy a good cup of coffee when I wanted one and never thought I could get an espresso-quality beverage at home without spending quite a large sum.
Fast forward a bit. For Christmas a relative bought me a Krups "whirly" grinder, one I'd never thought I'd use as I know they have a tendency to grind fine. However, while walking around a big box store yesterday I saw a Moka Express 6-cup on clearance for $20 and figured what the hey. Bought a bag of Starbucks espresso beans and gave it a few test runs to dial in heat and etc (didn't drink any of those batches). For what it is, it seems the Krups (with a little shaking) produces a grind about ideal for the Moka.
This morning I partook the first time. I'm fairly certain I have everything brewing correctly, and the cup I'm getting does taste distinctively like Starbucks espresso. That is it say, bitter. Although I had the great fortune of finding a bag of beans roasted within the past two-three weeks and with its vacuum intact I'm nonetheless fairly confident it's the beans (and not my grind or technique) that's giving me the overt bitterness.
At a local farmer's market there's a guy that brings beans he fresh roasted each morning, and has a good reputation. When I run out of the Starbucks do you think I'd see a noticeable improvement with these? I do tend to like a bold cup of coffee, but at least for me there's a difference between bold and bitter. Some bitterness for sure I find okay (I'm an IPA guy), but it gets to a point where the bitterness overpowers any good flavors the coffee might have and it's just bitter.
Thanks for your time!
Fast forward a bit. For Christmas a relative bought me a Krups "whirly" grinder, one I'd never thought I'd use as I know they have a tendency to grind fine. However, while walking around a big box store yesterday I saw a Moka Express 6-cup on clearance for $20 and figured what the hey. Bought a bag of Starbucks espresso beans and gave it a few test runs to dial in heat and etc (didn't drink any of those batches). For what it is, it seems the Krups (with a little shaking) produces a grind about ideal for the Moka.
This morning I partook the first time. I'm fairly certain I have everything brewing correctly, and the cup I'm getting does taste distinctively like Starbucks espresso. That is it say, bitter. Although I had the great fortune of finding a bag of beans roasted within the past two-three weeks and with its vacuum intact I'm nonetheless fairly confident it's the beans (and not my grind or technique) that's giving me the overt bitterness.
At a local farmer's market there's a guy that brings beans he fresh roasted each morning, and has a good reputation. When I run out of the Starbucks do you think I'd see a noticeable improvement with these? I do tend to like a bold cup of coffee, but at least for me there's a difference between bold and bitter. Some bitterness for sure I find okay (I'm an IPA guy), but it gets to a point where the bitterness overpowers any good flavors the coffee might have and it's just bitter.
Thanks for your time!
