Life is too short for bad coffee - The Off Topic thread

Bigbooty

DaveyDave wrote: »

Anyone know a place to get a proper coffee around Santry/DCU? With word of outdoor visits possibly coming back I'd be meeting up with a friend outside for a walk and a coffee.

Only decent coffee places I know are in and around the city centre but not familiar with anything North of the Liffey.

Wavetable is not so far from DCU. Speciality coffee shop/soon to be record store.

Hodors Appletart

Gourmet Food Parlour in Santry Demesne might be worth a look, it's a nice place to go for a walk too.

Looks like they sell Java Rep coffee, which to me is ok, but not up there with the best indie roasters available, but certainly better than petrol station coffee

cnocbui

The Nal wrote: »

'I think it's coffee Jim, but not as we know it.'

caviardreams

Really off topic here but loving the new Bell Lane logo / branding

Still annoys me that they only do their filter blends in pre-ground and not whole bean mind you!

KnicksInSix

Anyone know if any shop in Dublin sells the Kalita 155 in stainless steel?

VM Varga

Weepsie wrote: »

Been a bit of talk of places around Phibsboro for coffee. Seems to be another one. Fools & Horses (I think) just at the laneway where permanent TSB and the Shopping centre. Don't know what coffee they are using, but I have seen someone on the canal with a Bear Mrkt coffee cup and I don't know where in the area sells it, unless that's what Bang use.

Not Bang Bang anyway. They do Silverskin.

breeno

Weepsie wrote: »

Been a bit of talk of places around Phibsboro for coffee. Seems to be another one. Fools & Horses (I think) just at the laneway where permanent TSB and the Shopping centre. Don't know what coffee they are using, but I have seen someone on the canal with a Bear Mrkt coffee cup and I don't know where in the area sells it, unless that's what Bang use.

Fools and horses in Walkinstown use Upside coffee so good chance it's the same I'd say. It's quite nice to be fair.

Hodors Appletart

h2g use Cloudpicker

I picked up some Chinese coffee there this morning

This one

Bigbooty

That Diego burmedez coffee from bell lane lived up to the hype. What an exceptional coffee. Best I've had in 2021 by some margin. Juicy, complex, clean with the most wonderful aroma I've smelled from a coffee. It has so many layers to it which is reflected in the bonkers processing method. Very Happy to have purchased two bags.

caviardreams

Bigbooty wrote: »

That Diego burmedez coffee from bell lane lived up to the hype. What an exceptional coffee. Best I've had in 2021 by some margin. Juicy, complex, clean with the most wonderful aroma I've smelled from a coffee. It has so many layers to it which is reflected in the bonkers processing method. Very Happy to have purchased two bags.

I'm a fan of Bell Lane at the best of times so must give this a go - I really wish they did 1kg bags though. €15 for 250g is just a bit steep for me... but if it's that good....

Bigbooty

caviardreams wrote: »

I'm a fan of Bell Lane at the best of times so must give this a go - I really wish they did 1kg bags though. €15 for 250g is just a bit steep for me... but if it's that good....

I don't think you'll regret it as a wee treat despite the price. It really is something quite different but good different and not I have to pretend that this is nice different.

mad m

Bigbooty wrote: »

That Diego burmedez coffee from bell lane lived up to the hype. What an exceptional coffee. Best I've had in 2021 by some margin. Juicy, complex, clean with the most wonderful aroma I've smelled from a coffee. It has so many layers to it which is reflected in the bonkers processing method. Very Happy to have purchased two bags.

How did you brew it?

Edit: added a few to cart thinking it would give free delivery but nada. SHIP50 doesn’t work now.

Bigbooty

mad m wrote: »

How did you brew it?

Edit: added a few to cart thinking it would give free delivery but nada. SHIP50 doesn’t work now.

I brewed it on the kalita 185. Here's my recipe for those interested which I use for the most part, 98oc temp (just off the boil), 20g/310ml. 60 ml bloom to 45 seconds. Second pour to 140ml then I pulse pour 3-4 times to 310 with drawdown finishing at about 2.45 to 3.15. Give it a little stir during the initial bloom and then a swirl later to flatten the brew bed.

If you're spending 50 quid you should be getting free delivery imo.

stuchyg

Weepsie wrote: »

New screws finally arrived today (couldn't get the correct type here without ordering hundreds), so I refurbed my original ROK Presso to compare it with the Flair.

I already upgraded it to the GC model so it's better than it was orginally but the new bayonet screws sorted out the leaks it had started having.

Anyway, it gave a better "espresso" than it had given in some time. Flair is still better, but it would want to be given the price. ROK much less faffing though.

If someone wanted a manual espresso machine for 1 or 2 shots a day which would you recommend

Bigbooty

Bit of a weird one but has anyone brewed kombucha coffee? Was going to give it a go in a few weeks time after I have a few scobys on the go.

Hodors Appletart

No, but please do put your method in here, I'm very interested in home fermentation and brew beer and make things like Sauerkraut and Kimchi

Next step is Kombucha and Ginger Bug

caviardreams

What kind of grind size are people using for the clever dripper generally? I have started going a bit finer and really enjoying it - a little sorry I didn't go there sooner

A lot of guides say go for medium-coarse, but I'm at a medium-fine atm.

Hodors Appletart

medium fine here too, somewhere around 11-13 clicks on my Encore (I go to about 18 clicks for French Press)

Pen Rua

I've been using James Hoffman's recently released Aeropress recipe.

https://youtu.be/j6VlT_jUVPc

I've really enjoyed it, and have been more than satisfied with its results. Normal method, no rinsing paper, 11-12g dose in, 200g water, no need to stir etc, infuse for 2 mins, swirl, sit for 30 seconds, press.

It means I get about 22-23 cups per 250g bag, as opposed to 16-17 cups with the old recipe I used (15g) or 8-9 cups with a lot of the Aeropress World Champion recipes. It's a heck of a lot more straight forward with no rinsing, no blooming, no counting stirs. Some might be in to it but I found it a little annoying after a couple of cups.

He has a whole series on the Aeropress. In Episode 2, he does a deep dive into the variables of an Aeropress to see what, if any, difference they make. Deducts a whole load of supposed Aeropress truths!

Man Vs ManUre

You have to go to Ethiopia for a good up of coffee. There used to be a direct flight from Dublin to Addis Abbas but no more, so you have to take a stopover now (you can probably stay on the plane if you fly with Ethiopian airlines).
Otherwise you need to go to Columbia or Guatemala for a good coffee, much longer journeys.

alec76

Man Vs ManUre wrote: »

You have to go to Ethiopia for a good up of coffee. There used to be a direct flight from Dublin to Addis Abbas but no more, so you have to take a stopover now (you can probably stay on the plane if you fly with Ethiopian airlines).
Otherwise you need to go to Columbia or Guatemala for a good coffee, much
longer journeys.

i seriously doubt it

cnocbui

Man Vs ManUre wrote: »

You have to go to Ethiopia for a good up of coffee. There used to be a direct flight from Dublin to Addis Abbas but no more, so you have to take a stopover now (you can probably stay on the plane if you fly with Ethiopian airlines).
Otherwise you need to go to Columbia or Guatemala for a good coffee, much longer journeys.

Looks like the manure won.

caviardreams

I see LIDL are doing Brady's coffee now: https://www.bradyscoffee.ie/bradys-coffee-bred-guide-lidl

I guess to compete with Velo in Aldi and Dunnes and tap into the new post-covid home coffee market

fits

Man Vs ManUre wrote: »

Otherwise you need to go to Columbia or Guatemala for a good coffee, much longer journeys.

Was in that part of the world a few years ago and all I could get was Nescafé.

caviardreams

caviardreams wrote: »

I see LIDL are doing Brady's coffee now: https://www.bradyscoffee.ie/bradys-coffee-bred-guide-lidl

I guess to compete with Velo in Aldi and Dunnes and tap into the new post-covid home coffee market

Picked this up today but haven't tried it. Batch no. is 200421 so quite like roasted on 20 April 2021 I guess. €4 for 227g - they do a ground and whole bean of a Guatemalan and Brazilian blend

breeno

caviardreams wrote: »

Picked this up today but haven't tried it. Batch no. is 200421 so quite like roasted on 20 April 2021 I guess. €4 for 227g - they do a ground and whole bean of a Guatemalan and Brazilian blend

Let us know what it's like. I'm always on the lookout for an everyday (cheaper!) bean to compliment the nicer stuff! Bonus when it's available locally like this.

breeno

On a similar note, are Aldi still doing the Roasting Collective beans or were they only temporary? They were actually quite decent.

Hodors Appletart

breeno wrote: »

On a similar note, are Aldi still doing the Roasting Collective beans or were they only temporary? They were actually quite decent.

only temporary afaik, I always look for them when I'm in and haven't seen them since

breeno

Hodors Appletart wrote: »

only temporary afaik, I always look for them when I'm in and haven't seen them since

Had a feeling that might be the case. Shame, they were pretty good for a very low price - around €2 for 227g bag.

Hodors Appletart

You must have got them on special or something near the end of their run, they were similarly priced to the Velo stuff