Are portable coffe makers allowed in the office?

maxwell smart

This thread is turning into the essence of coffee snobbery. My coffee is better than your coffee, regardless if you like your coffee or not!

This chap wants to know if he can put a coffee machine in his office (if I can remember back to the OP )

I suggest the reason is that all machinery put into his office probably has to receive a PAT test for insurance reasons and is not because the coffee Nazi's have taken up residence.
Best to contact your facilities manager or the building services manager (just don't ask them for their opinion on coffee....!!)

Get a Moka pot!

Bohrio

I already gave you my opinion of what I think you should do regarding getting a coffee machine in your office so I wont go into there again, but regarding this

robnet77 wrote: »

most foods taste better the next day, regardless of "acidity develops and ruins the taste of coffee" arguments...

Well I dont think you are correct, specially when you say most, I would agree to some food not most food as that depends on what you are eating.

With the exception of stews or dishes of similar nature to say that most food taste better the next day is, in my opinion, not correct. A baguette, a steak, fresh pasta, fresh buns, etc will likely test best right after they are made.

Chicken, rice or some fish will taste ok the next day but I wouldn't go as far to say they will taste better.

However, this is my opinion, fr example, my father prefers next day (or even a week old bread) than freshly baked bread.

Regarding nespresso, lavazza or Illy being excellent coffee, well, to be honest, it isn't, but doesnt mean you can't like it. Most people here are really into coffee, so they are probably on a different league. If you have your hobbies it is easy to understand.

For example, me, I remember when I use to love Spanish torrefacto coffee, and lavazza, and Illy, I still remember how much I enjoyed the smell I'd get when I'd open an Illy can for the first time, I though it was the best smell in the world.

But I started to get more and more into coffee and learnt to appreciate it. It was a slow "learning" curve. I started with an old cafetiera , and using Spanish torrefacto, then slowly moved up to lavazza/Illy, bought a espresso machine, then realized that grounded coffee was not good enough for the machine so bought a grinder, which improved taste but after a while it wasnt enough, so I tried different brands like palombini, kimbo, segafredo, cafe vergnano, etc, desperately looking for something new, got a better coffee machine, then a better grinder, and then you get to a point where you just keep going, getting better and better coffee and equipment until you arrive to the point I am now. I havent had the need to change my equipment or coffee for years now, but I am sure I have a lot more to learn.

Recently someone I know had an unopened can of illy coffee, I remember opening the can expecting that lovely coffee smell I remembered only to smell this horrible stale coffee smell and thinking, what the... coffee was undrinkable as well... to the point that I rather not drink coffee unless it meets certain standard.

but I am a weirdo..

donnacha

Bohrio wrote: »

but I am a weirdo..

robnet77

Bohrio wrote: »

I already gave you my opinion of what I think you should do regarding getting a coffee machine in your office so I wont go into there again, but regarding this



Well I dont think you are correct, specially when you say most, I would agree to some food not most food as that depends on what you are eating.

With the exception of stews or dishes of similar nature to say that most food taste better the next day is, in my opinion, not correct. A baguette, a steak, fresh pasta, fresh buns, etc will likely test best right after they are made.

Chicken, rice or some fish will taste ok the next day but I wouldn't go as far to say they will taste better.

However, this is my opinion, fr example, my father prefers next day (or even a week old bread) than freshly baked bread.

Regarding nespresso, lavazza or Illy being excellent coffee, well, to be honest, it isn't, but doesnt mean you can't like it. Most people here are really into coffee, so they are probably on a different league. If you have your hobbies it is easy to understand.

For example, me, I remember when I use to love Spanish torrefacto coffee, and lavazza, and Illy, I still remember how much I enjoyed the smell I'd get when I'd open an Illy can for the first time, I though it was the best smell in the world.

But I started to get more and more into coffee and learnt to appreciate it. It was a slow "learning" curve. I started with an old cafetiera , and using Spanish torrefacto, then slowly moved up to lavazza/Illy, bought a espresso machine, then realized that grounded coffee was not good enough for the machine so bought a grinder, which improved taste but after a while it wasnt enough, so I tried different brands like palombini, kimbo, segafredo, cafe vergnano, etc, desperately looking for something new, got a better coffee machine, then a better grinder, and then you get to a point where you just keep going, getting better and better coffee and equipment until you arrive to the point I am now. I havent had the need to change my equipment or coffee for years now, but I am sure I have a lot more to learn.

Recently someone I know had an unopened can of illy coffee, I remember opening the can expecting that lovely coffee smell I remembered only to smell this horrible stale coffee smell and thinking, what the... coffee was undrinkable as well... to the point that I rather not drink coffee unless it meets certain standard.

but I am a weirdo..

yeah, too bad Segafredo and Kimbo are quite poor brands, slightly better the other two you mentioned, at least according to a few million Italians, but maybe they too are all weirdos...

Bohrio

robnet77 wrote: »

yeah, too bad Segafredo and Kimbo are quite poor brands, slightly better the other two you mentioned, at least according to a few million Italians, but maybe they too are all weirdos...

Actually the most bought coffee in Italy is Lavazza Cream e Gusto and you can't blame them for less than 2 euro per 250 gr packet.

And as usual you read what you wanted to read, I said I was the weirdo, not people drinking lavazza, Illy, etc.

But the fact that people in Italy drink more Lavazza than the non branded fresh coffee that we, for example, drink, doesnt mean lavazza is better, they just dont know any better (and also the price helps).

For instance, the most drank beer in the world is Snow, but I bet you very few here has ever drunk it, does this means that we are, here in Ireland, all doing it wrong?

Another example, wine, one of the best selling wines in Ireland last year was Moulin de Gassac 2012, so, as this wine was on top of the charts, does this mean that this better than a Rioja Imperial Gran Reserva 2004 or even a Vega Sicilia?

What do you think it will happen if you go to a wine purist forum and say that you love drinking a glass of Torres Red 5.99 euro a bottle and that you dont understand why you would want to spend 50 euro on a bottle of wine when you can enjoy a lovely glass of Torres for much less?

There's none so blind as those who will not see

robnet77

Bohrio wrote: »

Actually the most bought coffee in Italy is Lavazza Cream e Gusto and you can't blame them for less than 2 euro per 250 gr packet.

And as usual you read what you wanted to read, I said I was the weirdo, not people drinking lavazza, Illy, etc.

But the fact that people in Italy drink more Lavazza than the non branded fresh coffee that we, for example, drink, doesnt mean lavazza is better, they just dont know any better (and also the price helps).



There's none so blind as those who will not see

I don't think you can get away just with "I'm a weirdo" after that post, I know sarcasm better than Sheldon Cooper

As for coffee, just a couple more things:
- Lavazza is not the best brand in my opinion, I never said it was
- most exotic brands charge a ridicolous amount of money for poor to great products, most (not all) are way worse than Lavazza and will cost ten times more (they have a niche market, they can't compete on costs, and there are actually people who believe price tag drives quality), some are actually better but not by far
- if you go to Italian forums on coffee (mainly you have coffee sections in non-related forums, because the audience is larger), they all talk about Lavazza Blue and Nespresso capsules, not because they don't know any better, we're rather fussy on coffee and it's like a religion for many of us
- seriously: Kimbo and Segafredo?
- the Italian consumer association has made several independent tests with coffee connoisseurs and you might be surprised of the results

adrian522

Bohrio wrote: »

What do you think it will happen if you go to a wine purist forum and say that you love drinking a glass of Torres Red 5.99 euro a bottle and that you dont understand why you would want to spend 50 euro on a bottle of wine when you can enjoy a lovely glass of Torres for much less?

Not only that but you open the bottle leave a day or 2 and claim this actually makes it better.

vibe666

robnet77 wrote: »

if you go to Italian forums on coffee (mainly you have coffee sections in non-related forums, because the audience is larger), they all talk about Lavazza Blue and Nespresso capsules, not because they don't know any better, we're rather fussy on coffee and it's like a religion for many of us

that seems to be part of the problem here.

if you went into the atheism form you wouldn't get very far trying to convince everyone there that god was real, but conversely they're not going to change the mind of someone who's gone in there with their mind made up and their blindfold on.

Bohrio

robnet77 wrote: »

I don't think you can get away just with "I'm a weirdo" after that post, I know sarcasm better than Sheldon Cooper

No no, I am a weirdo, why can I not be a weirdo? If you knew me you would agree with me

As for coffee, just a couple more things:
- Lavazza is not the best brand in my opinion, I never said it was

I never said you said it was I said that it was the most sold coffee in Italy.

- most exotic brands charge a ridicolous amount of money for poor to great products, most (not all) are way worse than Lavazza and will cost ten times more (they have a niche market, they can't compete on costs, and there are actually people who believe price tag drives quality), some are actually better but not by far

At this point, Illy comes to mind, 8 euro for 250 gr of "fresh coffee" roasted several months ago... nuff said

Although I agree, there are shops out there that charge ridiculous amount of money for coffee that is not even as good as the average supermarket coffee, but we are not talking about that type coffee here.

For example me, I buy green beans, I roast coffee at home with a coffee roaster, green beans last for around 18 months before going stale, I tend to drink my coffee within 4-12 days after roasting it and brew it within a few seconds of grinding it. I pay around 14 euro per kg. That's around 3.50 per 225 gr. And that is for good quality freshly roasted coffee!!! And I can choose from many different types of coffees and zones (Ethiopia, Nicaragua, Brasil, Mexico, Costa Rica, Indonesia, etc etc). Compare those 3.5 euro to the 8 euro that a 6 months old Illy will cost you. So we are not snobby, we are actually saving money. At least I am, and you should have a taste of my morning coffee,

- if you go to Italian forums on coffee (mainly you have coffee sections in non-related forums, because the audience is larger), they all talk about Lavazza Blue and Nespresso capsules, not because they don't know any better, we're rather fussy on coffee and it's like a religion for many of us

I bet you most of this people never had home roasted coffee? Or even coffee roasted within 4-5 days? If they haven't then, yes, they dont know any better

Also, if you look at this same forum you will find a lot of talk about nespresso coffee, lavazza, etc and a lot of people replying with their opinions. Myself for instance, when I go home to my parents they only have a nespresso machine, and I drink it, and I like it and it does the trick but after a few days I can't wait to get back home to have a nice strong cup of fresh coffee.

- seriously: Kimbo and Segafredo?

I know, but they are at the same level as Lavazza or Palombini, etc. Specially Kimbo. And it all depends of what you like, some people prefer Kimbo, others will prefer Illy. One of my favorites was passalacqua.

- the Italian consumer association has made several independent tests with coffee connoisseurs and you might be surprised of the results

I would love to see that thanks

But put it this way, if supermarket coffee was so good and there is really no need for anyone to buy fresh coffee, why are there so many coffee associations out there who do it, why are coffee roasters so successful?

And when you say in Ireland believe me, the coffee culture in Ireland is nowhere as "picky" as countries such as USA, Italy, Germany, UK, etc. So if you think Irish are picky go to coffeegeek or sweetmaria and have a look there!

For example, I am not a tea fan, and probably my favorite tea is the typical breakfast tea that you get in a hotel or a B&B, but you wont hear me arguing with people tea fanatics weirdos :P that the tea I had at the airport lounge was better than those fancy teas they buy with those fancy names and using those posh preparations methods...

And you are probably going to laugh but where I use to work coffee was horrible (vending machine coffee) so I also brought my own brewed coffee to work in a jar (another reason why people at work called me weirdo lol) so we are not that different after all

All I am saying is that this coffee taste thing doesnt happen all of the sudden, it slowly grows until you get to a point where you are happy with the taste of your coffee and then you stop!

Another thing, the reason why I started all this coffee nonsense was because I hated the taste of coffee in Irish coffee shops (I am not originally from Ireland) and I missed the taste of "proper" Italian coffee. Then one thing led to the other and here I am today... a coffee lover and a weirdo!

PPC

Bohrio wrote: »

For example, I am not a tea fan, and probably my favorite tea is the typical breakfast tea that you get in a hotel or a B&B, but you wont hear me arguing with people tea fanatics weirdos :P that the tea I had at the airport lounge was better than those fancy teas they buy with those fancy names and using those posh preparations methods...

Ban request, please.

robnet77

adrian522 wrote: »

Not only that but you open the bottle leave a day or 2 and claim this actually makes it better.

let's do the math... less than 24 hours in a closed, small glass box nearly full probably equals to a couple of hours left open, pretty much like a bottle of good red wine which requires oxygen to develop all its flavors.

Now, I'm not saying there is a study or anything that relates wine to coffee, and maybe every brand behaves differently (i.e. depending on the flavors, acidity levels etc.), just saying we like it better that way, at least Lavazza Rossa coffee made with a moka.

robnet77

vibe666 wrote: »

that seems to be part of the problem here.

if you went into the atheism form you wouldn't get very far trying to convince everyone there that god was real, but conversely they're not going to change the mind of someone who's gone in there with their mind made up and their blindfold on.

all I've been asking all along is a way to get an electric moka approved in our office: paper disproves Spock.

robnet77

Bohrio wrote: »

No no, I am a weirdo, why can I not be a weirdo? If you knew me you would agree with me




I never said you said it was I said that it was the most sold coffee in Italy.



At this point, Illy comes to mind, 8 euro for 250 gr of "fresh coffee" roasted several months ago... nuff said

Although I agree, there are shops out there that charge ridiculous amount of money for coffee that is not even as good as the average supermarket coffee, but we are not talking about that type coffee here.

For example me, I buy green beans, I roast coffee at home with a coffee roaster, green beans last for around 18 months before going stale, I tend to drink my coffee within 4-12 days after roasting it and brew it within a few seconds of grinding it. I pay around 14 euro per kg. That's around 3.50 per 225 gr. And that is for good quality freshly roasted coffee!!! And I can choose from many different types of coffees and zones (Ethiopia, Nicaragua, Brasil, Mexico, Costa Rica, Indonesia, etc etc). Compare those 3.5 euro to the 8 euro that a 6 months old Illy will cost you. So we are not snobby, we are actually saving money. At least I am, and you should have a taste of my morning coffee,



I bet you most of this people never had home roasted coffee? Or even coffee roasted within 4-5 days? If they haven't then, yes, they dont know any better

Also, if you look at this same forum you will find a lot of talk about nespresso coffee, lavazza, etc and a lot of people replying with their opinions. Myself for instance, when I go home to my parents they only have a nespresso machine, and I drink it, and I like it and it does the trick but after a few days I can't wait to get back home to have a nice strong cup of fresh coffee.



I know, but they are at the same level as Lavazza or Palombini, etc. Specially Kimbo. And it all depends of what you like, some people prefer Kimbo, others will prefer Illy. One of my favorites was passalacqua.



I would love to see that thanks

But put it this way, if supermarket coffee was so good and there is really no need for anyone to buy fresh coffee, why are there so many coffee associations out there who do it, why are coffee roasters so successful?

And when you say in Ireland believe me, the coffee culture in Ireland is nowhere as "picky" as countries such as USA, Italy, Germany, UK, etc. So if you think Irish are picky go to coffeegeek or sweetmaria and have a look there!

For example, I am not a tea fan, and probably my favorite tea is the typical breakfast tea that you get in a hotel or a B&B, but you wont hear me arguing with people tea fanatics weirdos :P that the tea I had at the airport lounge was better than those fancy teas they buy with those fancy names and using those posh preparations methods...

And you are probably going to laugh but where I use to work coffee was horrible (vending machine coffee) so I also brought my own brewed coffee to work in a jar (another reason why people at work called me weirdo lol) so we are not that different after all

All I am saying is that this coffee taste thing doesnt happen all of the sudden, it slowly grows until you get to a point where you are happy with the taste of your coffee and then you stop!

Another thing, the reason why I started all this coffee nonsense was because I hated the taste of coffee in Irish coffee shops (I am not originally from Ireland) and I missed the taste of "proper" Italian coffee. Then one thing led to the other and here I am today... a coffee lover and a weirdo!

there's a lot of truth in your post, so not going to comment much, except that packages of "old" coffee are kept under vacuum since the production,
definitely not comparable to a product left open that long.

Ah, and people replying to those forums actually agree on the quality of Nespresso or Lavazza blue, not sure where you read such replies.

Can we go back to the main topic now please? again, I'm not trying to convince our coffee is better than yours, but it's the only type which we'll all agree on.

adrian522

robnet77 wrote: »

let's do the math... less than 24 hours in a closed, small glass box nearly full probably equals to a couple of hours left open, pretty much like a bottle of good red wine which requires oxygen to develop all its flavors.

Now, I'm not saying there is a study or anything that relates wine to coffee, and maybe every brand behaves differently (i.e. depending on the flavors, acidity levels etc.), just saying we like it better that way, at least Lavazza Rossa coffee made with a moka.

You do the math, I'll drink fresh coffee.

Gran Hermano

I am locking this one up as OP is looking for work place advice and not coffee advice.
It also appears that one can not comment on the subtle nuances of freshly roasted/brewed coffee until they have 5 billion posts in the Italian forum