Coffee grinder and coffee beans...suggestions plz

verbyl.belch

Hi all.

I'm giving my parents my Philips Senseo machine and i'm looking to buy a 3/6 cup Bialetti moka pot to make my coffees (along with my cafetiere).

I want to buy coffee beans that can be stored somewhere suitable (freezer) and then ground when needed. Can anyone recommend a coffee grinder with size settings, ie fine, coarse etc suitable for both moka pots and cafetieres.

Finally (sorry), for all the coffee addicts out there, where do you buy your beans from and have you any bean recommendations. I only ask that the coffee is fairtrade.

Many thanks!:D

verbyl.belch

No coffee aficionados out there?

RufusA

I'd *highly* recommend www.hasbean.co.uk for buying beans. The great thing about them is it's a small outfit (Steve and an assistant), who source small batches of green beans and then roast them to order. So you'll get beans delivered to you roasted to perfection and very fresh. The freshness IMHO makes the biggest single difference to the coffee I make.

There are tasting notes etc. for each coffee and it's suitability to each output method. Steve is also very approachable, so drop him an email if you want something with a particular taste profile. I have no connection whatsoever with the company other than just another very satisfied customer.

IMHO storing beans in the freezer is now mostly thought of as a bad idea. The problem is moisture gets to the beans and the freezing breaks down the oils that makes the coffee taste so good. You are much better off buying in smaller batches (no more than 3 weeks worth), and storing in a cool, airtight container away from sunlight.

I'd also question the fairtrade requirement. It's great in principle, and ensures large corporates pay a fair wage to their supplier's workers. However for small independant producers, getting a fixed fairtrade price is not always a good option. If you know you are going to get $5 kilo regardless of the quality you produce, why would you expend the effort to improve your plantation? If you can sell via a co-operative or auction and get a better price then why bother with the fixed fairtrade option.

Look for ethically produced coffee from a plantation that pays a good living wage to it's workers, but don't IMHO get hung up on the fairtrade branding! You'll never see a premium Bordeaux wine branded fairtrade - doesn't mean it's been produced unethically though and should be avoided!

As for grinders I have no specific recommendations. You'l be wanting a quality burr grinder. The biggest issue will be something that you can quickly and easily change the grind settings.

I use an Iberital MC2 which is a great grinder. BUT to change the grind you have to twiddle a knob on the side. To switch from espresso to french press takes me around 20-30 full turns of the knob. Then it usually takes me four or five bad shots of coffee before I get it set right for espresso again! I bought mine used from eBay for under £50 and apart from a few cracks in the plastic it's still going string three years later.

Try asking in www.toomuchcoffee.co.uk for grinder recommendations, though be warned they'll have you modifying popcorn makers to roast your own beans before too long!

Rufus.

ariba10

We use a "BARISTA" Burr grinder that was given to us (From Starbucks I think) and it is very easy to change the settings.

We keep our coffee beans in an airtight container stored in the freezer.

What beans you use is down to what you like, but there is a lot of snobbery as there is in buying wine.

bitsandpieces

How moneysaving do you want? You'll need a burr grinder to grind for the moka pot with any consistency (a burr grinder would be OK for french press). You could get a manual burr grinder for under £20 - though they take longer to use - or you will be paying £50+ for a burr grinder (Starbucks and Bodum's burr grinders would probably both do what you need).

I wouldn't freeze coffee beans. They take on some water (which might make grinding a hassle, and doesn't help the taste) and - unless you buy them in massive packets - they keep better unfrozen.

I use Has Bean - they do good, fresh beans (prices compare well with supermarket premium brands, but they taste far better). If I needed cheaper beans, I'd probably use something like Tesco basics range, but the beans from Has Bean are good, and coffee at home is relatively cheap anyway. This is tasty https://www.hasbean.co.uk/products/Brazil-Fazenda-Cachoeira-Bourbon-2008%252d2009-Crop.html

verbyl.belch

Thanks for the replies.

RufusA wrote: »

I'd *highly* recommend www.hasbean.co.uk for buying beans. The great thing about them is it's a small outfit (Steve and an assistant), [snip] so drop him an email if you want something with a particular taste profile.

bitsandpieces wrote: »

I use Has Bean

I've been on the has bean website and it has a great selection. I took your advice and emailed Steve and he suggested the "Toba Sulawesi Espresso Blend" for starters.

RufusA wrote: »

I'd also question the fairtrade requirement [snip] Look for ethically produced coffee from a plantation that pays a good living wage to it's workers, but don't IMHO get hung up on the fairtrade branding!

You make a good point and there is an interesting article on the has bean website referring to this - made me think.

bitsandpieces wrote: »

How moneysaving do you want?

I thought that by grinding my own coffee i'd say some more money and help maintain its freshness. But on reflection, i'm happy to pay more to buy it ground (not a huge leap in costs) as i won't be buying coffees when I'm out and about - (woo - a bit of moneysaving there ).

Thanks again for the input.

bitsandpieces

verbyl.belch wrote: »

I thought that by grinding my own coffee i'd say some more money and help maintain its freshness. But on reflection, i'm happy to pay more to buy it ground (not a huge leap in costs) as i won't be buying coffees when I'm out and about - (woo - a bit of moneysaving there ).

I wouldn't be without a coffee grinder. Ground coffee starts to lose its freshness very quickly - very noticeable after even a day. If you don't want a big/expensive grinder, you can buy a little blade grinder for £10-20. Will be fine for french press and - although it's not ideal for the moka pot - it should still be better in that than ready ground coffee. If you can only buy a grinder or a moka pot, get the grinder!

If you're buying good coffee pre-ground, a lot of your money is wasted. Part of what you're paying for with Has Bean and similar companies is that your coffee is freshly roasted. If it's pre-ground, it won't be nearly so fresh by the time it arrives in the post

verbyl.belch

You make a good point, but if i did buy pre-ground from the likes of has bean it'll still be fresher than anything I buy from the supermarket.

It is something I'll definately look into. It seems some can be picked up for £20-30. I laughed though when I saw the Krupps grinder on Amazon - i've been using two of these for the last 3 years for sample preparation for my PhD - pouring liquid nitrogen into the metallic tray and grinding polymers. Maybe I should leave a review?

Thanks again.

bitsandpieces

Sure - the ground Has Bean coffee should still be fresher. Why not see what they suggest about grinding?

If you shop around (supermarkets etc) you should be able to get a blade grinder for under £20, maybe under a tenner. Definitely worth thinking about By the way, if you're buying ground, you'll also have the problem that your moka pot is best with coffee ground quite a lot finer than french press.

Anyway, end of grinder sales pitch now. Enjoy the coffee.

verbyl.belch

Hi. I really appreciate your input, as a 'real' coffee newbie. Looks like i can get bladed grinders for the £20 mark, the krups and delonghi.

The delonghi has the advantage of having selectable grind settings so i'd get repeated reliable results. The krups on the other hand is totally manual but would give me the chance for greater control, as like you say the moka pot really needs somewhere between espresso and cafetiere grind. Hmmm, decisions decisions. The burr type grinders are *really* expensive!

Regardless, my 6 cup moka pot should arrive for the weekend

Thanks

blueflyingtonight

If you are serious about your coffee it must be a burr grinder. I'm afraid the cheapest grinder that gives consistent results is the Iberital MC2 which can be purchased here: http://www.happydonkey.co.uk/iberital-mc2-grinders.html for £99. You can also buy an excellent range of coffees from this outlet. I am local to this business and visited in person to pick up the grinder. They couldn't have been more helpful and gave me a range of different coffees to try out. Top notch service.

Steve