Coffee
#51
Senior Member
time for a hijack, but it's timely: I usually don't go in for complicated espresso machinery (have a huge collection of stovetop Moka type pots of all shapes and sizes) but a friend gifted me a Saeco "barista" that is rebadged as "Starbucks" (NOT my brand!).
He told me the thing would work like a champ (again) if I replaced the (available online) pump, but in removing the burnt out old one I had to pull loose a plastic tube connected to it with brass compression fittings. No biggie except broke the old plastic tube in yanking on it and can't find a replacement part online plus cannot substitute either:
A. polyethylene plastic tubing found easy and cheap in any hardware shop BUT is 1/4" so just a hair bigger than the 6mm OD tube this requires.
B. 6mm PTFE (AKA Teflon) which I bought online but is just too inflexible for the brass fittings and the one tight bend tube this must make.
Anybody have a helpful suggestion? I just HAVE to fix broken stuff, cannot let it go...
He told me the thing would work like a champ (again) if I replaced the (available online) pump, but in removing the burnt out old one I had to pull loose a plastic tube connected to it with brass compression fittings. No biggie except broke the old plastic tube in yanking on it and can't find a replacement part online plus cannot substitute either:
A. polyethylene plastic tubing found easy and cheap in any hardware shop BUT is 1/4" so just a hair bigger than the 6mm OD tube this requires.
B. 6mm PTFE (AKA Teflon) which I bought online but is just too inflexible for the brass fittings and the one tight bend tube this must make.
Anybody have a helpful suggestion? I just HAVE to fix broken stuff, cannot let it go...
I haven't ordered from them before, but here's their yelp to help you decide whether to order from them or not. https://www.yelp.com/biz/stefanos-es...-care-elmira-2
#52
Senior Member
Yea, I love my coffee….ANYTIME! Always dark roast , French or Italian roast preferred, black and no sweetener. Otherwise I’ll fire up my Breville espresso machine and grind the beans fine and enjoy while the crema is fresh. That fresh, sweet tan layer from a correctly pulled shot from a good machine is the best ever.
#54
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#55
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Can't start the day without coffee, but I don't get fancy. Just some strong black Sumatra from a drip machine.
But a Jamaican colleague recently brought me some genuine Blue Mountain. That's an impressive bean,
But a Jamaican colleague recently brought me some genuine Blue Mountain. That's an impressive bean,
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#57
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Oh yeah.
Anglophile. My local tea sources are a bit limited, as I'm a tea drinker in a sea of coffee drinkers. I can get loose leaf in bulk, at least; one of my favorites from the co-op is called China Breakfast, from... Two Hills? Frontier Spices? I forget.
Do I detect a Brit in here? Have not tried that blend, but the Darjeeling would offset the Yunnan strength a bit. Sounds good. We keep various Ahmad blends around as they are not spendy, but Murchies in Vancouver is our favorite. But only because I can't get to Paris and buy everything possible at Mariage Frere
#58
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For me any time in the AM Works best, or pretty much throughout the day on chilly- cold days.
Hot and black. My favorite is Highlander Grog from Door County Coffee, followed by a midnight Duncan
Hot and black. My favorite is Highlander Grog from Door County Coffee, followed by a midnight Duncan
#60
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A younger, cheaper David Lynch would sneak a grocery store bought pie into a local diner and drink a bottomless cup of coffee while writing Eraserhead.
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#61
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McLaughlin roasters outta the east bay, ca! Made in a Joe-Six-Pack drip maker with ultra-plebian tap water!!!
Jeez, some of yous are really precious about your coffee!
Jeez, some of yous are really precious about your coffee!
#62
Stop reading my posts!
Funny, just last Friday I donated one of these that I'd owned for over 10 years to a group that's doing a band coffee fundraiser. Loved that machine, but moved on to the Flair. Have you looked at espressocare.com? They have schematics and parts for that machine. Here's the schematic that has the Ulka pump in it. https://www.espressocare.com/schemat...ista-drawing-2 It sounds like you might be looking for the teflon hose and fittings at diagram position 60? https://www.espressocare.com/product...oiler-hose-kit
I haven't ordered from them before, but here's their yelp to help you decide whether to order from them or not. https://www.yelp.com/biz/stefanos-es...-care-elmira-2
I haven't ordered from them before, but here's their yelp to help you decide whether to order from them or not. https://www.yelp.com/biz/stefanos-es...-care-elmira-2
Hard to believe they use a "Teflon" tube but I will give theirs a try, maybe it's a bit softer than the stuff I bought (5 feet of, which was the "minimum").
Grazie Mille for this info and links, I really appreciate it!
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#63
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Ha, my mom's family was mostly English, but I never really picked up tea drinking from them. But I do enjoy green tea, wether with food at a Chinese place, or in a bottle. 🙂 The cheap version is Arizona green tea in a can, lol. It's just like that Mocha I mentioned earlier, too sweet, but mostly tolerable. 😉
#64
pour over at home every morning without fail. another one in the noon to 4 range
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#65
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On a ride day
A pour-over at home, fresh ground with my hand grinder. Probably 20oz. Cream, no sugar.
2nd cup (ha, cup, what a concept) somewhere at or near the start, with some kind of pastry.
If it's an all-day ride, probably another convenience store coffee 40 or 50 miles in. Black or dairy creamer if they have it.
After that, I'll switch to cold Starbucks Frappuccino or whatever from the convenience store fridge. Calories and caffeine, baby. Short can of Pringles for some sodium, more pastries, maybe a sandwich.
On a 300k or 400k where I'm having a sit-down meal, I love to say "give me a coffee, slice of pie, and a menu".
Going into darkness, particularly if it's cold, I'll go with more convenience store coffee
Post-ride? Beer. With a burger, burrito,or pizza, if anyplace is open at those stupid hours.
A pour-over at home, fresh ground with my hand grinder. Probably 20oz. Cream, no sugar.
2nd cup (ha, cup, what a concept) somewhere at or near the start, with some kind of pastry.
If it's an all-day ride, probably another convenience store coffee 40 or 50 miles in. Black or dairy creamer if they have it.
After that, I'll switch to cold Starbucks Frappuccino or whatever from the convenience store fridge. Calories and caffeine, baby. Short can of Pringles for some sodium, more pastries, maybe a sandwich.
On a 300k or 400k where I'm having a sit-down meal, I love to say "give me a coffee, slice of pie, and a menu".
Going into darkness, particularly if it's cold, I'll go with more convenience store coffee
Post-ride? Beer. With a burger, burrito,or pizza, if anyplace is open at those stupid hours.
#66
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I'm not picky. As long as it's black.
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#67
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I try to keep my coffee on it's own schedule regardless of my riding. for a while, during an aggressive body transformation project, about 10 years ago, I was popping a caffeine pill, along with B6, B12 & a small box of raisins prior to my rides, runs, swims & weight training. it served it's purpose well, but I've since backed off all of that
#68
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What a great thread topic.
I'm a coffee geek from way back. My wife loves the smell but can't suffer the taste, so I became a coffee snob by accident by only needing to brew a couple cups a day. Before that I was a cup o' joe in the chowhall Marine.
Posts suck without a pic so...
This build has gone through a lot of iterations, but at one point I needed to lock it to a rack every day. Note the top tube protector (which worked wonderfully). Counter Culture in NC does some great roasts and are very technically competent with their consistency.
My current jam is a Rancilio Rocky grinder and a clever coffee brewer with water heated to 199-201 for the beans I use. The beans? OK, this isn't a political comment and has literally nothing to do with their branding (which doesn't bother me), but I have a subscription to Black Rifle Coffee (BRC) for three bags of Just Black every two weeks. Despite living in Paris I can't find a dark oily roast (my preference) on the continent to save myself. Even the "espresso" roast here is barely a medium back in the U.S. I used to have a decent solution from the UK but Brexit killed that. BRC does an exemplary job of delivering on schedule, and has some very good QC on their roasts despite their incredible growth rate over the last few years. I've only had two bags in four years come in tasting off. I'd call that success given how much coffee I've gone through.
I waver between using cream and sugar but am on a "nothing added" kick the last few months. The BRC stuff when brewed right doesn't need it.
On a barely related note, one of the best cups of coffee I've had was in a tiny shop in Shibuya Japan where the guy used a coffee sock to brew:
I'm a coffee geek from way back. My wife loves the smell but can't suffer the taste, so I became a coffee snob by accident by only needing to brew a couple cups a day. Before that I was a cup o' joe in the chowhall Marine.
Posts suck without a pic so...
This build has gone through a lot of iterations, but at one point I needed to lock it to a rack every day. Note the top tube protector (which worked wonderfully). Counter Culture in NC does some great roasts and are very technically competent with their consistency.
My current jam is a Rancilio Rocky grinder and a clever coffee brewer with water heated to 199-201 for the beans I use. The beans? OK, this isn't a political comment and has literally nothing to do with their branding (which doesn't bother me), but I have a subscription to Black Rifle Coffee (BRC) for three bags of Just Black every two weeks. Despite living in Paris I can't find a dark oily roast (my preference) on the continent to save myself. Even the "espresso" roast here is barely a medium back in the U.S. I used to have a decent solution from the UK but Brexit killed that. BRC does an exemplary job of delivering on schedule, and has some very good QC on their roasts despite their incredible growth rate over the last few years. I've only had two bags in four years come in tasting off. I'd call that success given how much coffee I've gone through.
I waver between using cream and sugar but am on a "nothing added" kick the last few months. The BRC stuff when brewed right doesn't need it.
On a barely related note, one of the best cups of coffee I've had was in a tiny shop in Shibuya Japan where the guy used a coffee sock to brew:
Last edited by poprad; 08-24-22 at 05:46 AM.
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#69
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I walked into the chowhall aboard the USS Nashville while off the coast of Beirut to get a cup of coffee. The two embarked Marine mess cooks were cleaning up and said the chowhall was closed. I said I just wanted a cup of coffee so one of 'em said okay, go for it. I grabbed a cup and filled it from the urn. As I took my first sip, I see these two jarheads snickering at me as my face contorted from the foul tasting muck that was sitting at the bottom of the urn which probably hadn't been cleaned since the ship was commissioned.
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#70
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I walked into the chowhall aboard the USS Nashville while off the coast of Beirut to get a cup of coffee. The two embarked Marine mess cooks were cleaning up and said the chowhall was closed. I said I just wanted a cup of coffee so one of 'em said okay, go for it. I grabbed a cup and filled it from the urn. As I took my first sip, I see these two jarheads snickering at me as my face contorted from the foul tasting muck that was sitting at the bottom of the urn which probably hadn't been cleaned since the ship was commissioned.
If I recall correctly I was in a Marine Amphib Ready Group with the Trashville back in '91 off the coast of Liberia on our way to Desert Storm. From the decks of the LST USS Fairfax County that looked like a smooth and comfy ride for sure...
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#71
Senior Member
I once got to "Ask Dr. Science", at a live event, why coffee always smells better than it tastes. He explained that coffee was never meant to be consumed as a drink, it was meant to be snorted through the nose. Only when modern civilization started drinking it did it get that reputation as having an acquired tasted, but a more appreciated aroma.
Thank you, Dr. Science.
Thank you, Dr. Science.
Last edited by madpogue; 08-24-22 at 06:27 AM.
#72
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I once got to "Ask Dr. Science", at a live event, why coffee always smells better than it tastes. He explained that coffee was never meant to be consumed as a drink, it was meant to be snorted through the nose. Only when modern civilization started drinking it did it get that reputation as having an acquired tasted, but a more appreciated aroma.
#73
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#74
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And walking into a party with brown powder dripping out of your nose wouldn't be a good look.
#75
Stop reading my posts!
My trip down memory lane:
My maternal grandfather was a cook in SF most of his adult life (immigrated from Greece) but at one point he partnered with an Irish couple from the neighborhood and they opened a coffee roasting and packing business that was located in the "coffee district" on Third street. This 'hood was HQ for Hills Bros., Folgers and MJB (which was closest to my PahPooh's shop and eventually bought them out). But although that shop is still present it's now a small restaurant and has a pretty good beer selection...but I digress.
His job was roasting beans and keeping that machinery working, also making calls on cafes and restaurants to drum up sales.
He was a diehard believer in the "vacuum" method of drip coffee, which I never adopted but used to watch with fascination when he made the stuff at home...it was like magic to a kid!
I don't know if he always used vacuum makers when he cooked at cafes (breakfast and lunch shifts) but after he left the coffee biz he was friendly with Farmer's Bros (might be still in business) so had all kinds of merch from that outfit. He believed the secret to a successful Breakfast cafe trade was good fresh coffee and as often as not you give it away: any cop, fireman or trades person who stopped in got a free "bottomless" cup every day.
My maternal grandfather was a cook in SF most of his adult life (immigrated from Greece) but at one point he partnered with an Irish couple from the neighborhood and they opened a coffee roasting and packing business that was located in the "coffee district" on Third street. This 'hood was HQ for Hills Bros., Folgers and MJB (which was closest to my PahPooh's shop and eventually bought them out). But although that shop is still present it's now a small restaurant and has a pretty good beer selection...but I digress.
His job was roasting beans and keeping that machinery working, also making calls on cafes and restaurants to drum up sales.
He was a diehard believer in the "vacuum" method of drip coffee, which I never adopted but used to watch with fascination when he made the stuff at home...it was like magic to a kid!
I don't know if he always used vacuum makers when he cooked at cafes (breakfast and lunch shifts) but after he left the coffee biz he was friendly with Farmer's Bros (might be still in business) so had all kinds of merch from that outfit. He believed the secret to a successful Breakfast cafe trade was good fresh coffee and as often as not you give it away: any cop, fireman or trades person who stopped in got a free "bottomless" cup every day.
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