Does the size matter?

[thisguy805]

Different strokes I guess. For me the first cup has to be either an espresso or a latte macchiato. During the day it's mostly espressos. Rarely have filter coffee before lunch

Understandable with the espresso. Do you brew your own espresso at home?

 

[thisguy805]

I want a good, quality home espresso machine with a decent steam wand.

I got one once and it died after 4 uses.

If I ever have expendable funds again in my life, I'm friggin getting a good espresso machine. Damnit

I don't know the the process of brewing espresso but I do know the taste of good espresso. What's the secret to making good espresso?

 

[Tight_N_Juicy]

What's the secret to making good espresso?

Good beans freshly and properly ground (very fine) and even firm tamping with the proper pressure and temperature.

 

[thisguy805]

Good beans freshly and properly ground (very fine) and even firm tamping with the proper pressure and temperature.

I had to get YouTube certified to know what you're talking about hahaha. You make it sound so easy but I know it's not. I can see the tamping would be the hardest to master.

 

[Tight_N_Juicy]

I had to get YouTube certified to know what you're talking about hahaha. You make it sound so easy but I know it's not. I can see the tamping would be the hardest to master.

When I was full barista mode I could have been on one of those "fast worker" compilation vids on YouTube.

It took a good few years to truly feel like a had mastered brewing espresso but I damn sure know I can brew a nice head on a smooth shot.

 

[Tight_N_Juicy]

My favorite part was trying to do latte art. Eventually I got the hang of hearts but at first they all looked like balls.

 

[thisguy805]

My favorite part was trying to do latte art. Eventually I got the hang of hearts but at first they all looked like balls.

Ain't nothing like a warm cup of balls on a cold morning, am I right? Hahahaha

 

[EllieP]

I want a good, quality home espresso machine with a decent steam wand.

I got one once and it died after 4 uses.

If I ever have expendable funds again in my life, I'm friggin getting a good espresso machine. Damnit

Hubby has a Rocket espresso machine that one needs a pilot's license to fly. I fumble with that thing, and barely make anything decent. So I bought a little Solis Perfetta that's just so cute! I pull much better shots with that little thing than I can do with his monstrosity. So in that case, size does matter to me, just not in the way one would think.

As for mugs, it's gotta be big. I don't do straight espresso. It's either a cafe latte or cappuccino. Americano if there's no milk.

 

[TinyPrincess]

I want a good, quality home espresso machine with a decent steam wand.

I got one once and it died after 4 uses.

If I ever have expendable funds again in my life, I'm friggin getting a good espresso machine. Damnit

Coffee is like wine - once you've learned to taste the difference between quality and ordinary, you can't settle for ordinary

 

[EllieP]

Coffee is like wine - once you've learned to taste the difference between quality and ordinary, you can't settle for ordinary

So true! I cannot drink any Starbucks beverage because there is absolutely no consistency from store to store. I know they use the same beans, but I think there's a lot of laziness behind the counter.

Hubs bought a bag of Starbuck's beans once, and they tasted nothing like the store. There was a little more TLC to it at home.

We have a couple of good spots in Nashville, but I'm so spoiled with mister's brews that I hardly go to any of them anymore.

 

[Tight_N_Juicy]

So true! I cannot drink any Starbucks beverage because there is absolutely no consistency from store to store. I know they use the same beans, but I think there's a lot of laziness behind the counter.

Hubs bought a bag of Starbuck's beans once, and they tasted nothing like the store. There was a little more TLC to it at home.

We have a couple of good spots in Nashville, but I'm so spoiled with mister's brews that I hardly go to any of them anymore.

At Starbucks the machine does almost all the work. It's the McDonald's of coffee. Sure. There's burgers at McDonald's but the people making them aren't necessarily actual chefs with culinary skills.

My coffee shop was a "we proudly brew" store that bought beans from Starbucks but wasn't an actual franchised store of the company. I had a REAL espresso machine with a manual grinder. Not this completely automatic crap where you just place a cup under the machine and hit a button or stick that ridiculous steam wand in the milk and hit a setting for what kind of drink was ordered. My shit was Hand Crafted coffee drinks made with fucks given.

At Starbucks they even have different size scoops for the iced drinks to "idiot proof" the process, but somehow there's still no consistency between stores. No thanks. I'll go to the family owned hole in the wall shop over Starbucks every time

Edited to add: no shade at McDonald's or Starbucks employees, but mad shade to the corporate assholes. Fuck em.

 

[thisguy805]

At Starbucks the machine does almost all the work.

Yet every time I order a hot latte, I don't like to water down my coffee with ice, it always tastes different. I've told my wife several times that it seems like the brew multiple espresso shots with the same grounds. If I'm looking to get fucked up with caffeine and consistently, grande nitro cold brew with no foam.

 

[Tight_N_Juicy]

Yet every time I order a hot latte, I don't like to water down my coffee with ice, it always tastes different. I've told my wife several times that it seems like the brew multiple espresso shots with the same grounds. If I'm looking to get fucked up with caffeine and consistently, grande nitro cold brew with no foam.

I love cold brew. Mmm.

Yeah I don't know how they manage to be so completely inconsistent but I know from my "corporate training" I had to take when I was at my coffee shop that's how Starbucks does it. I got sent to Albuquerque to "shadow" the people at the actual Starbucks and I was shocked by how simple the process is made for the workers there.

The only way I'll drink a coffee from an actual Starbucks is if someone randomly brings me one to be nice. Other than that I ain't drinking it. I won't spend my money there.

Mom & pop shops all the way

 

[wifey1987]

Does the size of the mug you drink from matter?

A little background

Every morning I make a pot of coffee for my wife and I before work. When I reach for a mug in the cabinet, I always find myself reaching for the larger mugs. I see it as less trips to the coffee maker to refill my mug. Plus I just really love coffee.

Oyes! I love coffee but I cant drink so much of it as I would like, my stomach wouldnt approve of that. So I always go for the smaller cup, almost the espresso-cup size.

And during the day I might take my coffee in a smaller glas. It gives a feeling of everyday luxury I think.