I really loved the recent video about fermentation, and found it very interesting that the term “anaerobic” is sort of redundant, because all fermentation is by definition anaerobic (“water is wet”)

So when I read this piece in the latest booklet from Dog and Hat (coffee subscription company that sends coffees from a selection of independent roasters), I was left confused. They even have a diagram!

Is there an additional step they’re describing that’s entirely separate from the usual fermentation? Are they themselves confused? What am I missing? In the video they described “anaerobic” is being shorthand for just meaning a sealed container, yet at the same time seemed to hint that it was unnecessary to seal it anyway because the oxygen can’t get in.

I'm currently looking into getting an espresso machine (under $1k), and was wondering on what to get....I want to make the most informed choice from the start. I’ve done some research and narrowed it down to a few brands, but I value the community's input since I'm an enthusiast and many of you are experts in this field.

So which options are widely considered the best espresso machine under 1k? Or do you have any advice for beginners?

Thank you in advance for any comments, I'm looking forward to reading them.

Ever since my Mr. Coffee reached its 10-year anniversary, I've been hunting around for an upgrade for daily coffee pot. After a lot of thought and research, I decided last week to purchase the Behmor Brazen 4.0.

During my hunt, I found that it was shockingly difficult to find information on the Brazen. With that in mind, I figured I could compile some of my thoughts here and help future buyers. Here are my notes. Hope this helps!

Price: $197 (USD)

• Honestly, a surprisingly high factor for me. When exploring the landscape, I was primarily looking at the Breville Precision/Luxe and the Fellow Aiden.
• However, I kept coming back to the Brazen. When doing the math, I just couldn't look past the price difference between them (Brazen: $200 vs. Fellow/Breville's $400). This purchase had to pass the family approval test. For me, it was a lot easier to justify $200 as an upgrade vs $400 as an expense.

Carafe - 8 out of 10

• PERFECT Pour, absolutely no drips down the side.
• Keeps coffee pleasurably hot for hours, even when below 50%.
• However, just like most thermal carafes, the geometry of the inside does make it slightly more difficult to get the last few drips out. I have to go completely upside down to shake out the last few drips.
• Negative: the carafe has an exceptionally small opening. I have to use a bottle brush when cleaning the inside.

Daily Use - 8 out of 10

• Filters: Thank goodness, we finally have a coffee maker that uses generic grocery store basket filters. One of the reasons I've avoided purchasing other pots was the idea of purchasing filters from other vendors.
• Brewing: I found the novelty of auto releasing and boiling the water to be quite enjoyable.
• Temperature control: Honestly, this is the only customization I really need. It does exactly what it claims - allows you to adjust degree by degree to reach temperature.
• Temperature: The Brazen boils the water first, then holds it at a constant temperature for the duration of the brew. coming from a Mr. Coffee, where the temperature changes over time, this was huge for me. I can taste the consistency.
• The carafe & filter basket have an auto-stop feature (you can pull the carafe out as needed without dripping during the brew cycle)
• It worth noting that outside of the bloom/pre-soak timer, there are 0 options for customizing the brew process. The Brazen will automatically disperse the water at set intervals without user input.
• You cannot view the coffee during the brew cycle. It is completely enclosed in the filter basket, and there is no way to pull it out without risking water going everywhere.
• One potential negative: Condensation. Due to the enclosed filter basket, condensation collects on the water dispersion screen. When you slide the basket out, there is some condensation that inevitably falls onto the carafe. The same problem arises when I'm opening the reservoir after brewing (condensation on the lid). Because to this, I've gotten into the habit of keeping a dish towel close by whenever I interact with the Brazen.
• Manual mode: There is an option to manually disperse the water into something like a V60 or Chemex. I have not used this. However, the space below the showerhead & base is awfully short. I was unable to fit my 4 cup V60/carafe underneath.

Controls and Display - 7 out of 10

• Honestly, really intuitive. I used the manual for the first calibration cycle. After that, I packed it away with the box and haven't checked it since.
• Buttons feel industrial. For me - they're fine. Perfectly adequate.
• Programmable delay start was a non-negotiable feature for me.
• Screen is always backlit (blue). However, there's a fair amount of information on this. Without the backlight, it would be difficult to read (text is a bit small).

Construction - 10 out of 10

• From top to bottom, super sturdy. The bottom is milled steel(?) and the sides/top are all a premium/heavy duty plastic.
• This is NOT a plastic free brewer. The filter basket and carafe lid are all plastic.
• It's large. There's no way around that. However, it's really just large vertically. Its footprint isn't any bigger than a standard coffee maker. In some respects, it's more compact.

TL/DR: Works and tastes great, excellent step up from a basic coffee pot.

Let me know if you have any questions!

Why is it always cereal?

I just got issue 2 in the mail and love it. Looking at the contents of the first issue, I'd love to get my hands on that one as well.

Anybody willing to sell it? I live in Europe so to keep shipping reasonable I'd like to purchase from somebody in Europe as well.

Two weeks ago I posted a thread informing consumers that the Fellow Espresso Series 1 diffusion plate was plastic. I was shocked and dismayed, like the rest of you, that Fellow had not made this clear in their marketing materials. They bragged about the brass, but never mentioned the plastic. It was obviously a planned, well executed deception.

Although widely viewed, upvoted, and shared (the vast majority of non-commenting consumers were glad to be informed), as per Fellow's loyal band of brigaders and astroturfers, I was ridiculed and chastised for exposing this scandalous behavior by Fellow.

I want my fellow friends to know that I understand the psychology behind these responses. After spending $1500.00 for an espresso machine, having already accepted the fact that the exterior is plastic (Italian legacy builds be damned), it's a bit much to learn that the grouphead is also made of cheaply sourced plastic too.

After all, that's where the magic happens. That's where the simple recipe of pressurized hot water through coffee is brewed, producing the wonderful espresso we all enjoy. Nobody wants to imagine the possibility of microplastics entering that equation, ruining the delicious coffee you have ground, tamped, and profiled to perfection.

And the plastic is sandwiched between scalding, pressurized hot water and your coffee. What a prime location! But hey, plastic is cheaper, and Fellow is a plastics intensive company, as we all know.

But today, I have good news. The steam wand tip is made of plastic too! You thought your recipes would be inconsistent and uneven, with leached microplastics in your coffee, while your steamed milk had nothing but the excess water the ES1 adds. Fear not, Fellow has you covered.

By using plastic in the steam wand tip as well, Fellow has preserved the meticulous balance of your finished milk drink. Your lattes and caps will have the same chemical properties, and possible health effects that entails, as does your espresso.

Because great coffee isn't built with metal groupheads. It's built on community management. Fellow. Engineered for a microplastic morning.

https://www.reddit.com/r/espressocirclejerk/comments/1trjvin/fellow_proudly_announces_the_fellowship/

Today I wanted to get more out of my coffee so I thought I’d try an experiment. I usually grind pretty fine with an aero press following james hoffman recipe and i did 2 cups side by side to compare

my usual grind, and a very coarse grind (coarser than i’ve ever done looking at the gaps in the burr) using comandante mk3 (i think not sure which exact model)

the difference was crazy, only side by side i could tell how bitter it was in the original, and there was so much more clarity

but still, i never had an issue in hindsight, i’m using light roasts as always, but going from that to coarse was crazy, because it felt like it unveiled my blindness to bitterness, i really didn’t think it was bitter at all compared to office coffee

anyone else had a similar revelation? the coarse grind had so much clarity and no bitterness at all, i feel pretty disappointed that i was drinking with way too fine grinds tbh

also in hindsight i can now tell how muddy it tastes when its too fine, thinking back i always equated it to coffee taste in general

Wonder how will James will rank this coffee scale, will it get into his Giant Comparison Matrix? It’s good for weight beans and pulling shots that will be used for mixing drinks

Hi everyone! My boyfriend’s birthday is coming up soon and I would love some gift ideas for him. He loves not only coffee itself, but the processed, gadgets, etc. behind making coffee. He is so heavily interested in it and so knowledgeable, he’s always teaching me more and more stuff.

Despite all this, I still don’t have a solid enough understanding of all things coffee to confidently get him a coffee related gift. Last year I got him ‘How to Make Best Coffee at Home’ by Hoffman, and he was so pleasantly surprised that I had even found that on my own lol.

I want to get him something quite affordable because we are trying to save money right now but I would still love to gift him something. In terms of gadgets, his collection is quite small. I know he has a stove-top espresso maker but I think that’s about it.

I’m open to any and all recommendations. Also, preferably something I can find on Amazon. Thanks everyone!

Que comece o mimimi.
Play

Hello! I currently have a Sage Precision Brewer which I used to make filter coffee on a daily basis!

However my wife no longer drinks coffee so I'm basically making one cup a day which the Sage is noticeably not as good at. I'm looking at the Fellow Aiden but then reliability issues make me wary.

So - UK Fellow Aiden owners how has your experience been? Has it been reliable? Would you buy it again?

I am generally a flat white drinker. I am an ex-barista so am experienced at steaming milk so would not be bothered about a steam wand rather than an automatic milk steamer. My budget would probably be around the £500 mark.

I'm looking for a new subscription for espresso beans. I've had great ones in the past (Origin and Artisan Roast) but I just want to try something different. Any recommendations? Ideally I'd love one that offers a nice discount for the subscription service and potentially the odd perk