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Why do you make coffee at home? - Do you still visit cafes?

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  • #16
    Re: Why do you make coffee at home? - Do you still visit cafes?

    I work in the industry and so for me part of getting a decent set up for home use was so that I could spend even more time practising, perfecting my technique, and learning more about various coffees.

    For me the thing I love most about coffee is that there is always something interesting to learn and something new to try. Even though my home set up is probably the envy of a lot of snobs, there are lots of other things I would still love to have.

    I love the routine of making coffee at home, and the chance to relax and enjoy coffee in the home setting, rather than having a quick coffee before the start of a shift etc.

    As for visiting cafes, I will admit that I dont just go anywhere for a coffee. But I love the specialty cafes who take pride in what they serve, and regularly visit them even though I have home equipment which allows me to make coffee as good as what I can get from cafes. I do this because I love the industry, I love socialising with like minded coffee enthusiasts, and I just love the idea of sitting in a cool cafe and just relaxing and enjoying a great cup. One of my favourite things is any cafe/restaurant who knows hospitality. Its great having those amazing cafes which feel like a home away from home.

    Sorry for the crazy long post but this topic struck a chord with me. Take it easy and good luck with your decision.

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    • #17
      Re: Why do you make coffee at home? - Do you still visit cafes?

      cafe?
      whats a cafe?

      main reason I make my own coffee in the morning is due to time, 40 min commute to work and the coffee place near work is pretty ordinary, nothing on the way to quickly stop by either

      every cafe around the area I work in is always so damn busy, sometimes to the point where its standing room only

      basically i dont bother with cafes near work or home as they are always too busy, loud or overpriced

      ive got a regular spot near a client which I sometimes stop by to treat myself

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      • #18
        Re: Why do you make coffee at home? - Do you still visit cafes?

        Originally posted by 7B687B6C672F726B686D6B1E0 link=1330002107/15#15 date=1330166915
        Sorry for the crazy long post but this topic struck a chord with me.
        as did your post with me gary - cheers!

        thank you all for taking the time, its great to hear your points of view; for me there is no greater question than why?

        troy

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        • #19
          Re: Why do you make coffee at home? - Do you still visit cafes?

          I like roasting my own coffee at home and I like to be able to consume it how I like - at my leisure - which means espresso based most of the time

          And working in the industry I require a decent machine setup to produce a quality coffee on par with what I can produce at work

          And I still find the consistency of coffee in many cafes very questionable - and will often not risk disappointment when I know I can make a great tasting coffee myself, in my own time, and at my own pace - and if Im not completely happy with the result, then down the sink it goes and start over to produce a better end result

          I also do some catering jobs and local fund raisers making coffee - and having a portable commercial coffee machine allows me to do this

          But I guess mostly its to explore the subtle nuances of different coffees - if I want to continue to refine my palate and to increase my knowledge of my product - I need to be able to extract the coffe on a setup which is going to do the product justice...

          P

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          • #20
            Re: Why do you make coffee at home? - Do you still visit cafes?

            I make at home because of the variability of the quality of coffee in a cafe on any given day, mood of the barista, quality of their supplies and how busy they are. You might get great coffee one morning when its slow, your barista has had good sleep and feels like making you a perfect cup. And bitter dishwater the next. I estimate that even visiting a great cafe with good baristas you still only get a good cup 60% of the time. So thats 40% of my money wasted. > Sure you can take it back but do you get a better coffee? Not usually. You just get the same thing back a 2nd time because thats all the barista is capable of, or they just dont like your attitude. The weakest link in shop coffee is the people making it.

            I also work shifts so availability of good coffee at 2am is extremely limited. Having a home machine works wonders for me. And I get cafe quality coffee at home on my inexpensive setup. Although I dont have a commercial machine and grinder, I do have care and attention. Even the best machinery in the wrong hands can make awful coffee. : My experience is that you dont have to spend $3k-$5k just to get a coffee equal to your local.

            Since Ive been home brewing I have bought a coffee from my local. It was quite simply awful compared to what I now make at home. Bitter and burnt, only the milk was good. :-
            If I burn my shot, I grind and pull a better one. I dont stick it in a cup and cover it up with milk. :

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            • #21
              Re: Why do you make coffee at home? - Do you still visit cafes?

              I dont visit a lot of cafes, the last coffee I bought was from a coffee van and was a total disappointment. The person (I wont use the term barista) didnt even watch the pour (it was a gusher), she just placed the cup under the spout, hit the button and turned away to collect my money. She had all the gear you could ever need, but none of the passion.

              Ill eat out any chance I get, but rarely drink coffee from a cafe, there have been too many let downs.

              The whole coffee thing started for me when I was given a fairly serious machine and stumbled across this website while researching cleaning, maintenance etc. The bug bit, so I bought a grinder, then bought a better grinder. Made a tamper, then bought a better tamper. Found a roaster, then built better roasters. And so on.

              Its ultimately about the coffee, but other real benefits are the learning experience and the enjoyment of getting it right more consistently, in a process that started with green beans.

              Whats more satisfying, the godshot you buy, or the one you pour yourself?

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              • #22
                Re: Why do you make coffee at home? - Do you still visit cafes?

                Originally posted by 5C4E564955585E525B5B58585A48443D0 link=1330002107/18#18 date=1330206046
                But I guess mostly its to explore the subtle nuances of different coffees
                nail on the head right there as far as im concerned....

                ive tried to convince my partner that all that wine i drink is for exactly the same reason; im just trying to improve my palette!

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                • #23
                  Re: Why do you make coffee at home? - Do you still visit cafes?

                  i dont even go as far as $2K.
                  Rancilio Silvia plus Rocky Grinder doser plus a bottomless portafilter and Synesso double (19-21gr) basket/spring and a good espresso cup is ~$1400 all up.
                  I only buy beans from the outside, everything else is now home made. In my case its simple because I only make double espresso and double ristretto. No milk, no sugar.
                  From time to time i try a double espresso from the coffee shop and it just reinforces my decision to drink what I make.
                  It costs me about 60 cents to make a double espresso (based on 19-20 grams of coffee beans, no milk and no sugar). A white coffee may double this to ~$1.20 per cup. I live in Melbourne so I use tap water. If you use filtered water then add some more costs.
                  You can do the rest of the maths.

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                  • #24
                    Re: Why do you make coffee at home? - Do you still visit cafes?

                    I have been drinking coffee since i was about 7 or 8 years old. Even though it was the instant stuff i still liked the taste. It wasnt until i was 26 i thought i would get my own machine and started to take it more seriously. I look back now and wonder why i took so long.
                    Since then, two things have happened, 1. My love for coffee and perfecting how i have it and how my friends and family may like it. 2. I now go to coffee shops and and cafes more than i use to as i also like to taste what other people have to offer.
                    At the end of the day though, i like the coffee that i produce. Like i see from a lot of the people on here you start with a basic machine then build up to buying something around 2-3k and not think twice about it. Why cause like anything else in life its a hobby and a great hobby at that that i like to share with other people. COFFEE RULES!!!!

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                    • #25
                      Re: Why do you make coffee at home? - Do you still visit cafes?

                      Hey folks, this is a great question.  One could also ask why cook a meal at home when you can visit so many fast food places.  :-X

                      Well, for me its genetic!  As the son of Italian post war migrants, I have no choice.  Growing up in my parents home there was always some kind of coffee making apparatus on the stove every day.  I didnt even know what instant coffee was or tasted like until my late teens.

                      Growing up with home coffee was fine enough, but then I was lucky to spent some time in Italy.  Ever since, Ive been trying to reproduce that coffee lifestyle in Australia.  All the time searching for Italian styled coffee bars where ever I go and at home Im always trying to achieve the perfect crema. 

                      So, thats my story.  Im sure there are thousands of other Italian descendants like me with the same story. 

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                      • #26
                        Re: Why do you make coffee at home? - Do you still visit cafes?

                        Thinking about this a little more. Home coffee excellence is growing on me. At first it was just convenience, coffee availability anytime day or night. Then it was taste and quality, now its the pursuit of the whole coffee experience. Using fine tools to roast, grind, and extract coffee which makes consuming it more than an act, but a ritual which soothes the spirit.

                        My coffee journey is now taking me down the road of purchasing a high-end machine, the best beans and learning the flavour profiles of many different types of beans. It used to be about, where can I get a cup of the stuff easily....how naieve. ;D

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