Intrepid510 Senior Member Joined: 30 Dec 2010 Posts: 314 Location: California Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Tue Nov 20, 2012, 2:54pm Subject: Re: New to Coffee
Coffeenoobie Said:
I don't understand :
Commercial espresso machines are left on all the time. Mine is a light duty commercial machine, I don't wait for it to warm up because I leave it on. I will probably get it on a timer after Christmas. But you said you want it fast and neat and that is hard to do with open grinds even in a drip pot.
I think what he means is that you need to clean out the espresso machine, where as a drip machine you can pour your cup of coffee and go leaving the spent grounds in it until you get home for the day if you are in a rush.
I don't think it takes long, but if you are manually grinding it surely will take more than you time.
A Clever Dripper and Capresso Infinity or Baratza Encore would work within your time frame plus an electric kettle. But now that isnt it espresso.
Posted Tue Nov 20, 2012, 3:01pm Subject: Re: New to Coffee
You can't make any hot drink in 2.5-4.5 minutes from cold as a single operation, as it takes longer than that to heat water to near boiling, and coffee takes at least a couple of minutes to grind, brew and do immediate clear up, even with an espresso machine.
What you can do is put a cheaper espresso machine on a timer so that it's on and warmed up in the morning when you get up - I do this with my BZ07, and I could have done it with my Gaggia Classic. You still need to measure out beans, grind, tamp, pull the shot and add whatever you do to make the drink if you aren't drinking straight espresso, then switch off the machine and empty the portafilter, which probably takes 3 minutes or so. Figure $200 for a second-hand machine (Saeco, Gaggia, etc.), $40 for a hand grinder and $20-30 for a timer.
The other obvious option is something like the Brazen drip coffee brewer, which has a built-in timer to turn itself on in the morning - it means filling the machine and setting it the night before, and leaving your ground coffee out in the machine overnight, but it does brew well, and the coffee would be ready in the carafe in the morning - pour into a thermos/travel mug and you're ready to leave the house. $200 for the Brazen, $40 for a hand grinder. Cheaper timer machines are out there, but not one I'd recommend.
An third option would be something like a Zojirushi hot water dispenser that can turn on on a timer ($100?), a hand grinder ($40) and an Aeropress or other manual brewer ($35) - hot water would be ready, so with an Aeropress you'd grind, brew for a couple of minutes, press out into mug, dump grounds from Aeropress and rinse. Maybe 4 minutes total, and you can always replace coffee with tea with this option.
If you can cope with making coffee over slightly longer time, but with little interaction so you can do something else at the same time, then an electric kettle or a simpler auto-drip could make it cheaper - e.g. the Bonavita at $130 for a brewer. Grind and Set up autodrip in the morning (or boil kettle), do whatever else you have to do before leaving, pour (brew) and go.
Which one works for you depends on exactly how much coffee (drip brewers work best for larger 2-4 mug batches) and what style you want to make, and how much interaction you think you'd want if you have more time to play in the future. And you need to budget for decent beans with whichever method, although espresso is probably the most finicky there.
Coffeenoobie Senior Member Joined: 11 Dec 2011 Posts: 2,371 Location: PNW Expertise: I like coffee
Espresso: N S Oscar Grinder: Vario W
Posted Tue Nov 20, 2012, 3:29pm Subject: Re: New to Coffee
You know, iced coffee is fast and easy to make ahead. Then fill a large "to go" cup with concentrate and milk and head out the door. That might be the best answer to your situation. It is messy to brew it but you can do that on the weekend. I let mine sit on the counter 24 hours in a glass pitcher and decant using a jelly bag to strain it. Then put the concentrate in a stainless steel water bottle and keep in the fridge to use all week.
urville Senior Member Joined: 20 Nov 2012 Posts: 15 Location: Iron Mountain Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Tue Nov 20, 2012, 4:21pm Subject: Re: New to Coffee
dyqik Said:
You can't make any hot drink in 2.5-4.5 minutes from cold as a single operation, as it takes longer than that to heat water to near boiling, and coffee takes at least a couple of minutes to grind, brew and do immediate clear up, even with an espresso machine.
But in a capsule I can pop in walk away... i guess its more tot he reality that i cant spend more than that right there doing anything. total time can be longer. With a capsule and say aeroccino, I was thinking start it, walk away, come back mix in, bit of simple syrup, walk away.
urville Senior Member Joined: 20 Nov 2012 Posts: 15 Location: Iron Mountain Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Tue Nov 20, 2012, 4:25pm Subject: Re: New to Coffee
Coffeenoobie Said:
You know, iced coffee is fast and easy to make ahead. Then fill a large "to go" cup with concentrate and milk and head out the door. That might be the best answer to your situation. It is messy to brew it but you can do that on the weekend. I let mine sit on the counter 24 hours in a glass pitcher and decant using a jelly bag to strain it. Then put the concentrate in a stainless steel water bottle and keep in the fridge to use all week.
hmm... this is interesting... but iced coffee inw yoming during december...
It seems maybe if i get REALLY good at it over weekend, i might be able to just barely brew it in enough time to not be late as crap everyday... the real way... hmmm
urville Senior Member Joined: 20 Nov 2012 Posts: 15 Location: Iron Mountain Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Tue Nov 20, 2012, 4:25pm Subject: Re: New to Coffee
Intrepid510 Said:
I think what he means is that you need to clean out the espresso machine, where as a drip machine you can pour your cup of coffee and go leaving the spent grounds in it until you get home for the day if you are in a rush.
I don't think it takes long, but if you are manually grinding it surely will take more than you time.
A Clever Dripper and Capresso Infinity or Baratza Encore would work within your time frame plus an electric kettle. But now that isnt it espresso.
Posted Tue Nov 20, 2012, 7:43pm Subject: Re: New to Coffee
Feel free to grind ahead if you must. That "rule" is more of a guideline--meant to apply to ground coffee left exposed to the elements, as far as I can tell--and can be defeated in various ways. For example, by grinding fresh coffee into a Ball jar or similar and then tightly sealing. By "defeat" I simply mean that you've bought yourself some time; jars (or, by extension, the various capsule systems) don't constitute a permanent end-around for staling.
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