So, this looks like the start of a relatively new community (at least for me), and we surely have some new people coming over from the coffee subreddit, so let’s get some conversation going!
What’s your current favorite brew method? I’ve been really getting into my flat bottom brew lately, with the Stagg XF. I just feel it’s been a bit more forgiving than my v60, and it’s been pulling out some pretty solid tasting notes in my latest beans.
What’re y’all brewing with?
EDIT: I absolutely love the traction this post got! And I love seeing all the methods everyone is using daily. Thank you all
I’ve been looking at the flair 58 as a potential entry into espresso. I have a JX Pro, which I have read should be serviceable to grind for espresso.
How have the shots been on your 58? Only complaints I’ve heard are in relation to preheating, anything else that you love/dislike?
I haven’t done too much dialing in on the Flair 58. It’s a shared machine, and we have someone else who’s been appointed the Flair czar (does maintenance, turns on/off in the morning, sets grind size). However, its been very surprising how different bags of beans will pull. Fresh beans pull fast, and you can tell more oils are there. As time goes on, it takes longer to pull the shot.
I haven’t noticed any problems with the pre-heating. We leave the head pre-heated all day, and have a kettle right next to the machine. I hit the kettle to boil, dump my beans in the grinder (I used to weigh out exactly, but have gotten good at just eyeballing at this point. It turns out a scant shot glass of beans is about right.), grind and tamp down, and by that time the kettles at boil. Load and pull.
We have a frother that’s actually pretty good, but I’m mostly either drinking a straight shot, or adding in a bit extra water from the kettle to stretch it out.
I’ve been really pleased though. I don’t know how long it takes to pre-heat from a cold start though since ours is in “always on” at work. I’m fine with my setup at home for now, but if I wanted to jump into home espresso, I’d go with one of these. Its dead simple, and has worked really well.
I use a flair signature and love it. The 58, IIRC, heats the brew head for you. It takes some trial and error, but I love using my flair. I’ve noticed different beans require different quantities and grinds to get the right flavor. I can take two bags of different beans, use the same grind setting, same amount of grounds, and have one shot pull in 15 seconds, while the other pulls in a minute. You won’t see this with the auto espresso machines so you won’t get the quality.
It is a bit more work, but having control over the entire process means that once you get good, you will make really good espresso with it.
I’ve done it enough where I can eyeball bean amounts, don’t have to time the pulls, and can tell the water temp by how much is in the pot I use and how long it has been off boil, so it only takes me 5ish minutes from grind to pull. When I first started, it would take me 15 or so minutes.
As far as lattes and such, you will need to get a steamer, frother, whatever for that, but I have learned to love cortado since it is just microwaving some milk.
See my other comment about preheating.