Ground Coffee...

rick_chasey

Ok guys.

Now I know there is a lot of coffee snobbery that goes way beyond both my means and knowledge, (like advice that says it's best to grind my own coffee or roast each bean on my own testicles because it's just the right temperature etc etc) but my desire is for something that's a lot more basic. So:

What's the best (supermarket?) ground coffee for an espresso coffee machine?

I've tried the standard illy and enjoyed it a lot.

Had some M&S stuff and it was a little too bitter and burnt for my taste.

I'm about to try some Lavazza, since that seems to be the only big rival to illy, but am I missing out on anything exceptionally good?

Ands

Has to be Illy. It's the only one I'll buy in an emergency.

The Lavazzas are too course for our machine but work ok in the stove top.

You can of course buy ground coffee from the same places that those coffee snobs you speak of get their beans. e.g. Hasbean - just specify whether you want it green/bean/ground when you add to basket. It will be roasted, ground and posted the same day. Illy is about £6 a 250g tin - with Hasbean you can get a decent 250g bag for £3-4. Admittedly you'll pay postage but if you get a couple of bags at a time it makes it more cost-effective.

rick_chasey

Ands wrote:

Has to be Illy. It's the only one I'll buy in an emergency.

The Lavazzas are too course for our machine but work ok in the stove top.

You can of course buy ground coffee from the same places that those coffee snobs you speak of get their beans. e.g. Hasbean - just specify whether you want it green/bean/ground when you add to basket. It will be roasted, ground and posted the same day. Illy is about £6 a 250g tin - with Hasbean you can get a decent 250g bag for £3-4. Admittedly you'll pay postage but if you get a couple of bags at a time it makes it more cost-effective.

Is hasbean any good?

I ran out of coffee yesterday so I'm doing an emergency buy this evening!

p.s. what's your machine? I don't want it to be too course for mine as well!

Ands

We have an Izzo Vivi but also when we had the Gaggia Classic we found the Lavazza too course.

Give Hasbean a try. I'm currently drinking these, both £4.50 a bag
http://www.hasbean.co.uk/products/Colom ... -Crop.html
http://www.hasbean.co.uk/products/Colom ... -Crop.html

alfablue

Ands wrote:

We have an Izzo Vivi but also when we had the Gaggia Classic we found the Lavazza too course.

Give Hasbean a try. I'm currently drinking these, both £4.50 a bag
http://www.hasbean.co.uk/products/Colom ... -Crop.html
http://www.hasbean.co.uk/products/Colom ... -Crop.html

The pump pressure of the Gaggia Classic may be too high, it is set up for the ESE pods at a default 11 bar when the optimum is 9 bar. I modified mine successfully, not difficult, just some trial and error.

http://coffeesnobs.com.au/YaBB.pl?num=1175171794/0

But I also gring my own coffee, so can control the grind as well.

rick_chasey

alfablue wrote:

Ands wrote:

We have an Izzo Vivi but also when we had the Gaggia Classic we found the Lavazza too course.

Give Hasbean a try. I'm currently drinking these, both £4.50 a bag
http://www.hasbean.co.uk/products/Colom ... -Crop.html
http://www.hasbean.co.uk/products/Colom ... -Crop.html

The pump pressure of the Gaggia Classic may be too high, it is set up for the ESE pods at a default 11 bar when the optimum is 9 bar. I modified mine successfully, not difficult, just some trial and error.

http://coffeesnobs.com.au/YaBB.pl?num=1175171794/0

But I also gring my own coffee, so can control the grind as well.

... and so it begins....

mrushton

Oh yes and it never ever ends.

Taylors Espresso was ok when I needed some (I used it in a stove-top pot) and Monmouth might be ok

daviesee

Funnily enough, in direct opposition to the posters above; I used to use Lavazza in the black packet but found it too fine for my stove top so I moved to the red packet and find it "just right".
If you are using a fancy machine and shopping in a supermarket then the black Lavazza may be okay (finer than the red). It certainly tasted the best that I have tried but I have not tried Monmouth etc yet.

I will be following this for when I fancy a change mind you

mrushton

Interstingly, my espresso (Gaggia classic) has been on form imo since I got my Chris King tamper! Obviously more force was needed.

alfablue

Rick Chasey wrote:

alfablue wrote:

Ands wrote:

We have an Izzo Vivi but also when we had the Gaggia Classic we found the Lavazza too course.

Give Hasbean a try. I'm currently drinking these, both £4.50 a bag
http://www.hasbean.co.uk/products/Colom ... -Crop.html
http://www.hasbean.co.uk/products/Colom ... -Crop.html

The pump pressure of the Gaggia Classic may be too high, it is set up for the ESE pods at a default 11 bar when the optimum is 9 bar. I modified mine successfully, not difficult, just some trial and error.

http://coffeesnobs.com.au/YaBB.pl?num=1175171794/0

But I also gring my own coffee, so can control the grind as well.

... and so it begins....

:oops: yep, sorry, I know you were asking for something more basic. just trying to Ands / others with the Classic.

Ands

alfablue wrote:

...:oops: yep, sorry, I know you were asking for something more basic. just trying to Ands / others with the Classic.

But I don't own a Classic and I already have a grinder :P

rick_chasey

For what it's worth, my machine is a Delonghi ECO310.

Gazzaputt

Lavazza for the money it very good. I use their decaf and Creme De Gusto in my Baby Gaggia fine.

gmb

Would I be frowned upon for using Mellow Birds?

alfablue

Ands wrote:

alfablue wrote:

...:oops: yep, sorry, I know you were asking for something more basic. just trying to Ands / others with the Classic.

But I don't own a Classic and I already have a grinder :P

oh, for others then

oh, no one owns one

Anonymous

Can I just listen in as I only have a cafatiere ?

Stewie Griffin

Kimbo. May not get it in a supermarket though, I never have.

balthazar

Lavazza (red and silver vacuum pack) daily/ Illy for posh (expensive!). Cafatiere/ stovetop/ machine/ whatever. Yum.

Scrumple

It is all pretty pants off the shelf.

You need to get the right grind size (only some packs are ground for portafilters), and the closest to roast date possible.

Hasbean (specifying espresso grind) is ideal.

The Italian stuff is ok, just because they get the grind right and blend for espresso. Too many supermarket blends are overroasted, and dark, and not ideal for espresso as they are not fine enough. Your crema should be reddy brown and thick. Thin and creamy means stale and old beans.

meanredspider

+1 for Illy - easy to buy - excellent flavour.

I have a Gaggia Classic. The trick I've developed that gets it just right for me. Tamp the coffee down in the basket to a level that when the basket is fitted to the machine, the coffee provides some resistance to moving the handle to "home" position. This compresses the coffee perfectly.

Loretta Damage

I only use a cafatiere but Taylors of Harrogate Italian Blend does the job for everyday use with Java Lava for when I really need a kick start. No coffee post 1200, only Green Tea allowed between then and bed-time.

Works for me.