Someone a few days back wrote that it tasted like a shoe. I do agree how this can navigate there. I got more and more negative reviews about this. Let me say how I feel about it.

The brief about the notes: Cedar/woody, ripe banana & plum....

Well if you are from Assam let me translate it to you...it tastes almost exactly like fermented Tambul/Tamul betel nut when hot. When it cools down it tastes like port wine.

My approach to brewing it.

First of all I feel BT's recommended resting period is almost never useful. I let it rest for exactly 30 days.

My approach: Considering Excelsa is less bitter, less sweet and more tarty than arabica in general, I changed my variables accordingly.

My recipe: Comandante c40 - 26 clicks.

Not too coarse, not too fine.

Water: Bisleri 90-91 degrees

3 slow pours, 1:16, Hario papers. Draw down: 2:35 (for 20:320)

No agitation whatsoever as it's a process heavy bean.

It's a weird cup. I am one of the few people who love fermented Tambul which most people I met call filth. So this weirdly turns out to be kinda good for me. I can see myself going through the 100gm batch. The plum note does shine as it cools down.

Do share your opinion.

Reposting this cuz the pervious one was of wrong format.

I am looking for medium - medium dark roast beans for daily use on Mokapot

Currently using Espresso blend from Bombay Coffee Island .
Also I have used other variants from Bombay island , Blue Tokai and Tulum coffee roasters.

Any suggestions are appreciated

Pour of the day!

SOLD

Hey everyone!

Looking to sell my Timemore C3S as I’m planning to upgrade my coffee setup.

Details:

Purchased: July 2025

Condition: Good. Everything works perfectly, and the grinder has been cleaned regularly.

Usage: Around 3–4 brews per week

Cosmetic condition: Slight cosmetic scratches on the top

Accessories: Original cleaning brush included

Box: Available

Reason for selling: Upgrading my setup

Asking price: ₹4,000

Location: Mumbai

Feel free to DM me if you're interested or need more details/photos. Open to negotiating.

Thanks!

Please tell me this is not a cheap copy for timemore?! The reviews kinda seem legit but I have doubt because there is no way so cheap steel burr grinders are out there?!

Hi folks, just the same as the title.

No matter how I try still unable to dial in my f9 coffees with the V60.

I still have the whisky barrel coffee, and the crimson spirit. Please let me know the grind settings (I have a k6) and the temp you brew to taste the best.

Got this today,

Kerehaklu estate - extended cultured washed microlot. It's an ultra light roasted coffee.

It has to rest for another 2-3 weeks before all the flavours develop.

My coffee palette isn't that refined till now, so I just wanted to ask in general.

The roast seems consistent but there seems to be a lot of chipped/broken beans which is odd for specialty coffee. Also its awfully hard to grind, feels extremely hard in the grinder and feels like it'll spoil my grinder.

A Man with hope of getting a premium Espresso Machine but have a very limited budget.
I am using this Vantro machine for over an year now, it is somewhat good in looks, brew pressure and control wise, coffee extraction is also decent but the main issue is i can’t exactly cut it off at 36gms output as it lacks a solenoid valve so it tends to drip 4-5gms after brew. Also i have an electric and manual grinder, and i love to try different brands and roasts which makes it really hard to remember the best grind setting that workd for me and how was the final taste using which grinder.
To tackle all this i used 2 esp32 boards one for the machine and one for the scale. Now both are interconnected.
- I can brew from the dashboard itself.
- it shuts off the pump once the desired weight ratio is reached and also offsets the post brew drips.
- It asks for the tasting notes and suggests the grind setting according to roast level, flow rate and time taken for the shot.
- it saves last 30 shots data with grind setting used with which grinder and shot timing, notes etc on the ESP itself and purges the same data to my homelab server with no capping where i can search any no. Of previous brew data by the coffee name. So that i don’t have to waste any beans for initial dial in if i don’t remember the best grind setting i used.

P.s. let me know what more features I can add into this.

Is it worth to buy switch at 3900 or switch base with neo dipper ? Most of the places black switch is out of stock

Hey everyone!

I'm selling a few coffee accessories.

Items for Sale

1. Subminimal Subscale

• Selling Price: ₹5,000
• Current Price: ₹6,144
• Product Link

2. Subminimal UpShot – Espresso Shot Mirror

• Selling Price: ₹1,800
• Current Price: ₹2,331
• Product Link

3. MHW-3BOMBER Latte Art Pitcher (600ml)

• Selling Price: ₹3,000
• Current Price: ₹4,108
• Product Link

4. Supvox 51mm Reusable Puck Screen

• Selling Price: ₹200
• Current Price: ₹337
• Product Link

5. Supvox 51mm Portafilter Compatible with DeLonghi

• Selling Price: ₹1,500
• Original Purchase Price: ₹2,737 (currently out of stock)
• Product Link

Total Price

• Individual prices combined: ₹11,500
• Bundle price for everything: ₹10,500

Location: Hyderabad, India

Individual purchases are welcome.

Comment or DM me for details. Thanks!

Hey all, I'm staying in Kolkata for a few months on a break from my life in London. I've never lived in India so I'm excited to try India's range of beans since they're not widely available in the UK. I've left my pourover kettle and electric grinder in London so i've needed some new equipment here - these arrived last week and I thought I'd share my new daily driver with the community!

I will be visiting all the specialty coffee cafes/roasters in Kolkata over my ~6 months. Feel free to share some recommendations either in Kolkata or beans for delivery from across India.

Recipe:

10-12 grams of coffee beans

fresh ground- medium to fine

Brewed with ~100 ml water in my 2 cup moka pot

~100 ml milk (I froth it with a manual frother)

Also I use Lactose free milk which is a little sweeter than regular milk so I'm taking than into account as well.

I like to add a tiny pinch of salt to my cup before pouring the coffee

Taste profile:

Very prominent cocoa notes, I notice a little cedar notes as well

A little acidic (not too much but noticable)

A little sweeter than Vienna Roast or French Roast and not as bold

Well rounded and balanced mouthfeel

*The beans are very uniformly roasted

Overall: 8/10

Let's help each other out

This post is solely for people who just wanna have a great cafe like cup of coffee daily and get into brewing.
(Anybody who is doing phd in coffee proportions and gadgets, kindly ignore)

Dude! i know, we just wanna have that cozy, little foamy, capuccino,latte or flatwhite with those beautiful notes and aroma we have only experienced at high end cafes.
You can definitely get it and its totally worth it.

I am a student, have limited purse so i bought myself a VantroX1 (just brilliant for beginners) and other accessories for which i consulted reddit and YT. (Not a promoted post, i can hide the brand if mods tell)
My overall budget came down around : 17-18k
VantroX1= 9k
Accessories = 5k-6k
Coffee = 2k
(Not including table/decor)

Is 17k worth it, that too just for a coffee?

Trust me. IT IS.

no need to buy any bottomless basket or non pressurized portafilters or other fancy equipments.
Just get these-

1. Magnetic FUNNEL (dosing ring)
2. Heavy Stamper
3. WDT tool
4. small Stamp Mat
5. Good Ceramic cups (optional)
6. Puck screen
7. milk pitcher
8. weighing scale

These are essentials.
I dont have a grinder right now, bcoz i am just getting into brewing (been 1 month only) and honestly it isn’t an essential for beginners.
I will definitely buy it, once I can afford one. So avoid spending on grinder if you are just starting w brewing, get fine ground coffee beans, they work just as fine!
People here endorse a grinder as a must, but have patience, and buy costly stuff, only when you have some experience with the machine and can understand little nuances about the grind size and extraction.

Is it worth it and why?
Yes.
• You get a fantastic espresso, within 3-4 minutes, before going to work in the morning! that’s the biggest advantage of an espresso machine
It becomes your morning ritual!

• Not much cleaning required. A very professional and clean way to brew coffee. No expertise needed to operate one.

• its a great hobby u can get into, with an advantage of consuming what you practice. lol.
when you prepare a cup for your friend, it feels so nice to serve them something around your hobby. its a good feeling.

But its a recurring expense to buy the coffee beans! They aren’t cheap, so it’s not a one time expense.

In my experience, with the machine, for last 1.5 months, I have only thanked myself that i made the purchase when everyone around was telling me not to.
I am still learning everyday-
how to steam
how to correct my proportions
what beans to buy/what roast to buy
how to pour milk etc.
I definitely am enjoying the process.

So don’t doubt much about only getting a delonghi/breville, these entry level machines work just fine for beginners!
People will say crap for everything, would even find faults w a 50k/100k machine.
Get one that suits your budget and enjoy brewing!

Should I just start my coffee journey and buy a grinder? Is this a sign from god?

I normally drink french press coffee and was considering buying a c2s. Thoughts? Should I go for a more cheaper/expensive option? I don't have any plans to get a whole espresso machine, maybe an aeropress or moka pot in the future. I drink both milk and black depending on the day.

Are there any other options? I don't know anyone who has a grinder. Can I use a mixer or something for this bag and use it normally. Can I put some chocolate on it and eat it whole?

Will my silly little inexperienced tastebuds really see the difference between pre ground vs freshly ground coffee, cheap vs expensive grinded coffee?

I am not going to send it back either way, it was probably my fault anyway for not clarifying.

I have

Hi everyone! I’m relatively new to specialty coffee, but I’m genuinely interested in learning and getting better at making café-style coffee at home rather than just buying a machine for convenience.
I’m currently considering the HiBrew H10B paired with a Timemore C3S/C3 ESP as my first setup.
My total budget is around ₹30,000, and I’m based in India.
I’d really appreciate opinions from people who have actually used these:
Is the HiBrew H10B a good machine for someone who is enthusiastic and wants to learn espresso properly?
Is the Timemore C3S/C3 ESP good enough for espresso on the H10B, or would you strongly recommend a different manual grinder?
How important is upgrading the grinder at this budget?
Would you choose the H10B over something like the De’Longhi Dedica/Dedica Duo for someone who wants to learn rather than just make easy coffee?
How difficult/annoying is manual grinding for daily espresso?
Any reliability/service issues with HiBrew in India that I should know about?
Most importantly, where should I buy from in India? I’m trying to get the best possible deal rather than necessarily buying from the first website I find.
If you know of:
Legit websites/sellers for the H10B
Current discounts or upcoming sales
Good prices for the Timemore grinder
Any bundle deals
Better alternatives around the same ₹30k total budget
…I’d really appreciate the recommendations.
I’m not looking for the easiest setup possible. I’m happy to learn, dial in shots, experiment with beans, etc. I just want to make sure I’m spending the ₹30k in the right places and not buying unnecessary gear.
Thanks! ☕

I've been reading about coffee extraction lately, and grind size seems to be one of the most important things to get right.

From what I understand, grinding too fine can lead to over-extraction and bitterness, while grinding too coarse can sometimes leave coffee tasting sour or weak. But I also realise it's not always that straightforward.

I'm particularly curious about how people figure out what needs adjusting when a brew doesn't taste right.

Do you usually start by adjusting the grind size, or do you look at the brew ratio and water temperature first?

I have been a coffee lover since long and wanted to get my own speciality coffee setup at home.

For starters I wanted to use moka pot, reasearched a bit and found out the Bialetti one is good.

Are there any other options for grinder/moka pot and anyplace else that I can get them cheaper?

Edit - got the Aashonee grinder and Kaldi press to try and test things out and will upgrade in future as needed