[boulderbrewer]

If you can afford a Gene Cafe' it is a wonderful machine. Ours is 3 years old and we roast a pound of coffee every week, sometimes even more.

[corkybstewart]

If you can afford a Gene Cafe' it is a wonderful machine. Ours is 3 years old and we roast a pound of coffee every week, sometimes even more.

The wife owes me a couple of Christmas and birthday presents, that may go on my list since ALL(almost) the coffee I roast is for her

[boulderbrewer]

It is like a temperature controled conical and a Brewmagic all rolled into one.

[punatic]

Late to da party again.  Just now spotted this thread.  I have an excuse though.  I've been distracted by the

Kona Coffee Cultural Festival

[phillamb168]

Not much to do with roasting per se, but once you get the beans, how do you do your grinding? I just picked up a Bodum Bistro burr grinder and holy moly, the FIRST grind gave me the best coffee I've had in a long, long time. Plus it look nice too! Here's a photo with some of the Square Mile coffee I have on a monthly subscription:

[euge]

Awww that looks cute...

I agree a burr grinder does a more consistent grind than blades- which smash the beans to bits.

I got a Starbucks burr grinder off ebay for $50 with shipping. Not lid, but they local place gave me one for free.

Phil, there's a way to adjust the grind further if it isn't going as fine as you want (espresso) if it's anything like the MrCoffee burr grinder.

[phillamb168]

Phil, there's a way to adjust the grind further if it isn't going as fine as you want (espresso) if it's anything like the MrCoffee burr grinder.

Yup, it goes from super-coarse for french press all the way down to super fine for espresso. I've only got a french press, bien sur, but we just ordered a cheapo drip coffee maker for the masses coming for thanksgiving (coffee service for 20 is difficult when you only have two 8-oz french presses!). I'm looking forward to trying it out to see how the flavors differ.

[punatic]

I have two 1L Thermos-Nissan stainless insulated french presses that rock!  I used to use glass presses, but the coffee got cold way too fast.  Two so that I can put a second one on when there is company.



I always take one camping too.

[tschmidlin]

I'm not much of a coffee drinker, but I always found the vacuum pot coffee to be the best, French press was in second.  Vacumm pots are hard to find though, and the electric one I developed for Starbucks never really took off.  Too bad really, the coffee was excellent.       I think Bodum still makes a stovetop one.  The Bodum grinders are really good too.  

[phillamb168]

That press looks nice! I'm getting a drip also so I can have the coffee maker in the bedroom. The plan is that SWMBO and I will get up earlier and have a nice coffee in bed before getting up for reals, and drip + timer means it might be easier. But you can never have too many french presses.

tschmidlin, you built a coffee maker for starbucks? Surely there's some more to tell there? :-)

[tschmidlin]

tschmidlin, you built a coffee maker for starbucks? Surely there's some more to tell there? :-)

Not really.  I spent a couple of years in Starbucks R&D, developing and/or testing equipment.  We didn't do any of our own manufacturing, but partnered with various companies and developed our own specs for grinders and coffee makers with the goal of improving the end product (ie the drink).  For that machine I got to spend a week on the Isle of Man visiting pubs (and a heating element manufacturer), a week in Cologne visiting pubs (and a trade show), and a week in Luzern visiting pubs (and Bodum).

We also did stuff like build a mobile coffee shop for Lilith Fair, and try to figure our a way to make what is now called Via.  I was more on the retail equipment side though.  Oh, and of course everyone in R&D was conscripted onto various tasting panels (coffee, ice cream, frappucino, sandwiches, etc), which was how I ended up on the Redhook Double Black Stout reformulation panel.

It was fun . . . until it wasn't.   

Well, I guess there was a little more to tell.

[corkybstewart]

tschmidlin, you built a coffee maker for starbucks? Surely there's some more to tell there? :-)

  Oh, and of course everyone in R&D was conscripted onto various tasting panels (coffee, ice cream, frappucino, sandwiches, etc), which was how I ended up on the Redhook Double Black Stout reformulation panel.

It was fun . . . until it wasn't.   

Well, I guess there was a little more to tell.

I love the ice cream but I won't drink their over-roasted overpriced coffee.

[tschmidlin]

I love the ice cream but I won't drink their over-roasted overpriced coffee.

I don't like coffee all that much anyway, but you should always drink what you like*






*Drink Starbucks coffee, I still have my stock

[boulderbrewer]

I use this for grinding.

http://www.amazon.com/Hopper-Cast-Grinder-Wheat-Grain/dp/B0038NPJVG/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1290033885&sr=8-5

[phillamb168]

I use this for grinding.

http://www.amazon.com/Hopper-Cast-Grinder-Wheat-Grain/dp/B0038NPJVG/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1290033885&sr=8-5

That there is my grain mill. I dunno that I'd use coffee in it, though, as I'd be worried about coffee oils making my grain taste weird.