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  • #16
    Re: How not to use your coffee maker

    Kualityman, my Sunbeam machine has a "Sunbeam Coffee Help Line" and a 1800 number printed on a sticker.

    Ive never had the need to ring the number. Anyone else here done so??

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    • #17
      Re: How not to use your coffee maker

      Originally posted by scoota gal link=1145109525/15#15 date=1145435337
      Kualityman, my Sunbeam machine has a "Sunbeam Coffee Help Line" and a 1800 number printed on a sticker.

      Ive never had the need to ring the number. Anyone else here done so??

      My wife did with the first one when we had problems, and all they did was to direct her to a service centre. Which she took the unit to and the service person was able to explain what the problem was.

      KualityMan is a Quality focused person and firmly believes that the suppliers can do better :-) Is that not right KualityMan ?

      However, I can see how to some degree they (the suppliers) could see that it is not cost effective and one must ask. To date has it restricted sales ? I think not. Besides if the user become fussy with their cheep system, then there is always an upgrade to a better system where support is provided is available.

      Thus the consumer society is supported and that disposable cash is what the suppliers are looking for :-)

      Besides, is it not the fact that some of us like to be ahead of the game and look forward to being the local expert :-) to assist and enlighten some of our less able friends ;D.

      We only have to look at the computer industry to see and understand that 99% of users really have little if any real understanding of the system they use. Does that hurt the PC industry : …..

      NO

      In fact it strengthens it, as the demand for a quick and easy fix is what most are look for and the same with the coffee machines. You only have to look at the new fully automated home system available and even at 3K plus they sell plenty. As to the quality of the final product, most of these users would not realy care :

      However the purest will always revert to first principles and with that being the case, where is that cezve, briki, mbiki or toorka I had stashed away…

      Comment


      • #18
        Re: How not to use your coffee maker

        Well Mr Anger Managment, marketing is marketing and they all do what they have to to get their product into the marketplace. We then, the consumer, only get the crumbs that we are fed. All that aside, thats a different arguement, what we want is to be able to simply make a superb coffee without a lot of fuss. First we need to have a machine which is capable of producing coffee to our desired taste then we need to understand how we operate that machine to produce the coffee taste we desire. So what im saying is that if we understand our machine, basic or otherwise, then armed with the knowledge of what make a good coffee we can get the most out of our equipment no matter what that maybe.

        So im simply saying that one needs to know how ones machine works and what it is capable of. If then this capability is suitable for our needs then there is no need to go any further, simply enjoy what you create.

        The ultimate process is, please correct me if im wrong:
        1. Roast the beans
        2. Grind the beans
        3. Preheat the coffee maker test hot water
        4. Place the gind in the portafilter
        5. Tamp the grind
        6. Pre heat the cup or utensil that you are going to make your brew in.
        7. Make your brew timing the length of shot making
        8. Turn on your steam and let it run until you get clean steam.
        9. Froth your milk
        10.Pour frothed milk onto coffee
        11. Shake a sprinkle of chocolate over the top.
        12. Take an armchair, a good book and enjoy what you have just created.

        Now what i have listed above contains a large number of variables. It is essential therefore that at each stage you understand what is happening and thus produce the coffee you desire with some degree of repeatability.

        Now witness the content of this site as to how to address the variables.

        Tip for today: Place dried rice or peas in your chocolate sprinkle container to prevent it becoming lumpy. I find rice is best as it makes for a finer powder when shaken.

        Above all have fun
        kualityman



        [smiley=tekst-toppie.gif]

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        • #19
          Re: How not to use your coffee maker

          Oh I almost forgot. Jugi you are absolutely right in your thinking. It is all a matter of taste when all is said and done. I have a friend who swears by his plunger but I have to say the taste is different and not as mellow as an expresso. But so what, if this is what you like then go for it.
          Expensive machines are , to my mind at least, designed around repreatability and this is achieved through automation of the process. They attempt to manage the variables. Nothing wrong with that if at the end of day you get what you want.
          Im saying that armed with a little knowledge you can produce perfectly good coffee from a machine that has capability if you understand the process.
          Time for a brew.
          Have fun
          kualityman

          Comment


          • #20
            Re: How not to use your coffee maker

            I must agree with the gist of this topic as I had been given a low end machine for my birthday some years ago. My wife used it to make me coffee for several months (That was sweeet) as she has a little experience making coffee in a restaurant. Eventually I took over with some small instruction from the good wife and I off and ran with it. Lots of fun until I killed my machine. So I relegated the machine to room of things that have died and ignored it for many months.

            Then I joined you guys at CS. Did a bunch of reading and finally got that book " Barista Techniques" by Doyle. I realised that my dead machine could use another look. So i digged it out cleaned it up and started to understand what was happening. The machine wasnt dead! it wasnt great! but not actually dead. Now I could do stuff and understand the results and how to "fix any problems that arose.

            Knowledge was all I needed and although I dont have much I am starting to understand and use my machine effectively

            Doppler

            Comment


            • #21
              Re: How not to use your coffee maker

              Originally posted by doppler link=1145109525/15#19 date=1145503784
              I must agree with the gist of this topic as I had been given a low end machine for my birthday some years ago. My wife used it to make me coffee for several months (That was sweeet) as she has a little experience making coffee in a restaurant. Eventually I took over with some small instruction from the good wife and I off and ran with it. Lots of fun until I killed my machine. So I relegated the machine to room of things that have died and ignored it for many months.

              Then I joined you guys at CS. Did a bunch of reading and finally got that book " Barista Techniques" by Doyle. I realised that my dead machine could use another look. So i digged it out cleaned it up and started to understand what was happening. The machine wasnt dead! it wasnt great! but not actually dead. Now I could do stuff and understand the results and how to "fix any problems that arose.

              Knowledge was all I needed and although I dont have much I am starting to understand and use my machine effectively

              Doppler
              Well done.. The problem for many is "Knowledge " or more importantly where to obtain it :-)

              Comment


              • #22
                Re: How not to use your coffee maker

                Kualityman!

                Have you been talking to A Current Affair lately??

                Seriously, theres a report on "Home Coffee Machines" on there tonight. Will get back to you all when its been said and done...

                Comment


                • #23
                  Re: How not to use your coffee maker

                  At last i think we are all seeing the light as it were. Doppler, what a great story, it is exactly this kind of story that I think has happened to many would be coffee makers. As Anger Management states, "knowledge is everything." I repeatedly got all sorts of issues with my SS machine and was on the verge of doing a Doppler!
                  Anger Management asked me what i was doing and then fell off the chair laughing.Hey what I thought was logical was that i placed the ground coffee in the portafilter. Cliped it onto the machine placed me mug underneath it and turned on the hot water. All too easy.

                  It was logial to me at least that if I wanted a MUG of coffee then I ran the machine until the mug was near full allowing just enough room for the frothy milk. Now I should say that it took 6 heaped teaspoonfuls of sugar to get the brew anywhere near drinkable. But hey that didnt phase me. So emotionly involved was I that a placed a second mug under the portafilter and made a second cup. Gee this mug i just couldnt get sweet no matter how much sugar I loaded into the mug. Whats wrong with this stupid machine I self expressed!

                  As you can now imagine telling my story to Anger Management was like a red rag to a bull. He just couldnt help himself. His words of wisdom were,"try pulling a 10 second shot." A what I asked? "Try using only the first 10seconds of the brew." What i said, and waste all that good coffee?" Again he burst into fits of hysteria before finally burting out, "the small filter is designed for one shot, one shot equals one cup of coffee."
                  Really i replied, does this mean i have to clean and refill the machine for every cup?" Well we all what the answer to that question is ....dont we?

                  So finally I was put on the yellow brick road. There was a marked improvement in the brew and I actually took back everything I thought about the machine! Anger Management proceed, over the coming weeks, to send me URLs relating to the issues I was having at any given point in time.

                  Now armed with the knowledge I proceed to take another look at my machines and experimented to get the best brew for me.
                  Now I understand the limitations of the machines and can produce the best brew possible from them. Not necessarily the best ever brew but a very pleasant and drinkable coffee.

                  My aim in the coffee world is to own a La Pavoni Professional as, being an engineer, I believe that given a certain amount of tweeking this machine has great potential. The price though is out my marriage and hence a distant wish. Hey if any wants to throw one my way no matter what condition, ill pay the postage.

                  Im currently looking at a stove top Bellman, does anyone have any experience with these? Id like to go Atomic but then they go for a small fortune. If you have one of these keep it, one day on collectables it will fetch a fortune.

                  In the mean time i am very happy to announce that i have just place my order with Vitali for the IMex roaster and some green beans. The next step as it were.

                  So affectionardos what do i need to know about this machine, especially roasting times.

                  No Scoota girl i didnt know about a current afair or I would have watched it myself. What was the gist of their story?

                  Having fun? You betcha.
                  kualityman
                  Better still im enjoying my coffee.

                  Comment


                  • #24
                    Re: How not to use your coffee maker

                    Originally posted by Kualityman link=1145109525/15#22 date=1145527568
                    No Scoota girl i didnt know about a current afair or I would have watched it myself. What was the gist of their story?

                    Well, like most "a current affair" stories, it seemed more to be about advertising a product. Cynic that I am!!

                    They took four guys, Paul Bassett, John Forsyth and two others, one the guy from Single Origin Cafe and I cant remember the third fellow. :-[ But if you went to their website youd probably be able to find out.

                    They had several machines ranging from the basic entry level right through to the upper echelon auto machines and one Expobar as this is the machine John Forsyth sells (apparently).

                    They didnt tell us anything new, just tested each machine and gave a rating on each with a final decision made by all on the best value machine for money and the best machine to get a good cup of coffee. Obviously the Sunbeam twin thermoblock was the clear winner, according to the four of them.

                    The Expobar was just eye candy!!

                    Comment


                    • #25
                      Re: How not to use your coffee maker

                      Ah Kuailityman much reading, typeing and talking ahead in the search of brewing coffee perfection which I think you will achive. Invite me round for the ultimate brew when youve got it sorted.

                      I suggest going to some direct sources in your ongoing quest in all things coffee as well as asking here a CS. SweetMarias U.S. website a god source of info and user friendly. Also suggest Kenneth Davids "Home Coffee Roasting - Romance and Revival" book, its an oldie but goodie. Im yet to see a better one on the topic.

                      Are you geting a grinder or do you have one?

                      As for the Imex I suggest roasting no more than 130 to 135g grams of beans at a time. The rest youll muddle through ie. the hunting for beans, burning them, over brewing them, grinding them wrong, saying "that tastes like poo" until you say................"AH! Thats pretty good but what if put in a touch more........".

                      As you sound like an engineer type Id be interested to hear if you think of modifying your Imex at any stage.

                      Enjoy!!

                      P.S. the story on ACA was basically an ad as far as I could see. Choice did a better job (as you would hope they would).

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        Re: How not to use your coffee maker

                        The Expobar did look good though..............

                        Comment


                        • #27
                          Re: How not to use your coffee maker

                          Originally posted by 2muchcoffeeman link=1145109525/0#9 date=1145234401
                          Hence the value of buying from your friendly site sponsors 8-) who live coffee rather than just move boxes - department store style. Maybe sometimes its actually worth paying just a few bucks more.....

                          2mcm
                          Hi Chris,

                          And there-in lies the problem I think.....

                          When I first started out on this journey into trying to produce the best coffee possible, several years ago I asked around some of the specialist coffee shops that seemed to produce better than average brews, but none of them could help me out or advise me on which way to turn to try and setup a home installation (this is pre Internet by the way , yeah I know.... showing my age).

                          I more or less gave up at that time and relegated myself to making coffee with the ubiquitous plunger and sourcing my coffee from either of one or another of specialist coffee shops that were better than the average. It was only with the proliferation of the domestic appliance espresso machines that I noticed in such stores as Myers or DJs, etc that I realised that it was now possible to buy a machine and set up my café bar at home.

                          Of course, there were many disappointments over time and it has only been in the last couple of years (sadly after I can no longer work for a living) that I came to realise that there were vendors out there who were passionate about promoting the ideal of equipping would-be home baristas with hardware that was/is capable of producing coffee equal to the best that can be produced. If only I had known about these establishments while I was still earning a living, who knows what sort of equipment I might have decorating my kitchen bench now and the wonderful coffee experiences I could have had starting about 10-15 years ago. Ah well, no good waxing lyrical on what might have been, as they say. A little advertising would have gone a long way back then :-/,

                          Cheers,
                          Mal.

                          Comment


                          • #28
                            Re: How not to use your coffee maker

                            In case I forget to say it further along, this has so far been a great journey, Kualityman!

                            Youve really managed to get me thinking about what we are trying to do here and even though I am not a mechanical tinkerer, I know I can adjust my technique in the actual brewing process to try and acheive the great coffee we are looking for.

                            Some things that I have thought of, since reading everyones posts last night...

                            Most of us here are searching for that great cup of home brewed coffee, much like we search for that perfect home made receipe and that perfect bottle of wine. I guess what I am trying to say is that we are people who search for the finer things in life. I am betting that most of you are also into great dining and drinking experiences. Yes?

                            To me, the average person doesnt want great coffee at home, hence why we have seen the proliferation of these pod machines. I mean, what do they tell you!? What they tell me is that they are there for convenience and ease of use. So that the average instant coffee drinker can do their morning coffee just that little bit better, without too much more fuss!

                            Ah well. I am probably preaching to the converted here, thoughI think that it is human nature to want to learn, grow and develop. Thankgoodness for books and the internet!

                            And to all those baristas out there that have kindly let me peer in behind their machine and so generously have given me five minutes of their busy time to answer my neverending questions... I wholeheartedly thank you!! And I thank you as well for trying to serve the best coffee you can possibly serve!

                            Thanks for the journey, Kualityman! Im still travellin with ya!

                            Comment


                            • #29
                              Re: How not to use your coffee maker

                              Originally posted by scoota gal link=1145109525/15#27 date=1145573106

                              Thanks for the journey, Kualityman! Im still travellin with ya!
                              Its Ok for you, we have to work together as well as visit many of the same forums ;D

                              The Truth is realized in an instant; the Act is practiced step by step. - Zen saying

                              AM

                              PS. Thanks KM for hanging in there, even when I have been at my most " in ya face mode".

                              Comment


                              • #30
                                Re: How not to use your coffee maker

                                ah ... thats Rob Forsyth, not John.

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