DIY coffee
Is it worth it to publish on Habré a review of the device, which, judging superficially, has nothing to do with information technology? Probably better not to. At the very least, common sense advises. However, I still send him temporarily to resign and take the risk. After all, I’ll talk about programmer fuel today (see habrahabr.ru/blogs/habraquotes/111432 ). More precisely - about coffee. And more precisely - about the thorny path to the inaccessible ideal of taste and aroma of this drink.
I drink coffee for a long time. It all started, like many, with soluble heartburn-generating slop. Somewhat later, without much loss for the budget (but with significant losses in the morning time), I switched to using ground coffee like Tchibo, which was brewed by hand in a copper Turk - the first, in essence, qualitative leap. A little later, an unpretentious espresso coffee maker settled in my house, feeding on the same ground beans - the second step on the way to the ideal. The third step was the acquisition of a coffee grinder - just plain, knife and loud, which, despite all its shortcomings, provided me with a more fragrant drink at the same cost of unpretentious grains.
Much later, I lost my heart on an automatic Saeco coffee machine. The resulting drink again became tastier: whether due to high-precision mechanics and cunning electronics, or simply because of the placebo effect and my inborn snobbery. Nevertheless, occasionally visiting various coffee shops, I was sometimes embarrassed by the idea that home coffee, damn it, is not as pleasant as, for example, in Moscow Coffeemania, or St. Petersburg's nameless coffee shop next to the intercollegiate campus.
It made me experiment with different brands of coffee: Paulig, Dufre, UCC, Lavazza, Vergnano, Oquendo ... Of course, the ideal was getting closer, the quality grew, but so did the price of each cup. I wanted some kind of qualitative leap, the discovery of new horizons, which could not offer "coffee out of the box."
')
The exit, fortunately found. What gives coffee its unforgettable aroma and taste? Grain grade? Right. Geographical location of the plantation? Yes. Ways to collect and store? Sure! However, the final contribution to the formation of the taste characteristics of this drink is made by roasting the grains and mixing them. It is at this stage that coffee is determined to be sour, bitter or neutral, which will be its aroma, its aftertaste. And that is why the final cost of a pack of dark brown kernels is largely determined by the roaster, and not the cost of the raw material itself. Hence the logical conclusion: why not buy green coffee and fry it yourself? After much deliberation, I decided to put this idea into practice.
As Google has shown, roasting coffee can be done in various ways: in a griddle or in the oven, in a popcorn machine, or using a special device - a coffee roaster. The latter option, of course, is more preferable in terms of the quality of the result (since the device independently and sufficiently accurately controls the roasting parameters — temperature and time), and the most painful for the wallet. But since I decided to go to the end, why not spend money?
To begin with, two weight categories of coffee rosters should be distinguished: industrial monsters capable of automatically roasting large portions of coffee for sale, and costing “over 9000” money, and their younger household counterparts, designed to appease the taste of aesthetic gourmets and their inner circle. The devices of the second category are very different in price - this is due to the technical differences in their implementation, and the maximum size of one serving, and manufacturers' hopes for their own piece of bread with caviar.
So, I-Roast 2 performs roasting and mixing small portions of coffee using a hot air stream. Behmor 1600 is equipped with quartz lamps, and uniform mixing of the grains is carried out by a rotating drum that holds up to half a kilogram of raw materials. Hottop Caffee is one of the most advanced models, equipped with a color LCD display. Korean GeneCafe is quite simple, it also produces hot air roasting, but it is equipped with an interesting system of mixing grains. For more information on the principles of operation of most devices, please follow the link: www.roastmaster.ru/?p=1867 .
In mature reflection, I opted for the GeneCafe CBR-101 model: a fairly simple, yet reliable (for reviews) machine, adapted for 230V, which I managed to order from the hill ( invalsa.com , in this country, why something not common). A month of anxious waiting - and I have a cherished coffee roaster, fully equipped, along with a free kilogram of raw coffee.
The device is made of black heat-resistant plastic, the assembly is a matter of respect. The side faces of the coffee container are also plastic, the main part is glass, which allows you to observe the process visually. The device, as it was said, is very easy to manage:
two three-digit digital indicator and two pens, in combination also buttons. One of the handles performs a general activation and setting the duration of the roasting process, the second is responsible for the temperature and the process start / stop. In this case, one indicator alternately displays the current and set temperature, and the second one - the time remaining until the end of roasting with an accuracy of one-tenth of a minute, that is, 6 seconds.
So the process itself is ugly simple: we pour the norm of coffee beans into a container, put it in place (which may be unusual at first due to its tricky geometry), unscrew the knobs according to the recommendations for the chosen level of roasting - and go ahead, observe how greenish, foul-smelling grains they increase in size, turn brown, lose up to 20% in weight, and acquire their characteristic odor.
It is worth noting that for the user this miraculous transformation does not pass painlessly: in the process, a rather unpleasant odor stands out, resembling something between the smell of roasted sunflower seeds and the stink of burnt beets, which was once brewed in a saucepan without supervision (yes, there was an experience). Therefore, to solve the problem, GeneCafe offers two options for nozzles combined with a husk collector: one of them implies the presence of replaceable filters that retain unpleasant odors, and the second involves the use of a heat-resistant flexible hose to output unwanted "odors" outside the apartment. However, only one of the options is delivered with the device, the second one is supposed to be bought for completely separate money.
A pleasant feature of the device is the possibility of adjusting both parameters - temperature and time - directly in the cooking process, which can save the unfortunate grains from untimely death due to the inexperience of the roaster. I still have not learned to correctly set the parameters a priori, so I prefer to navigate by the color of the grains and the time they are cracked.
When exactly one minute remains until the end of the roast, GeneCafe beeps. As conceived by the designers, apparently, the roaster should cheer up, take an expert look at current results and decide on the need to extend or shorten the process. After the roasting cycle is completed, the heater is turned off, but the fan starts to work at higher speeds for the purpose of more rapid cooling of the grains. Completely process comes to the end on achievement of temperature in 60 degrees. This is reported by a more piercing beep and the slow positioning of the coffee container in a convenient position for removal.
A single word, since we mentioned it, is to say about the heater. It was designed, apparently, by people with clear binary logic: it is either fully turned on or completely turned off — there are no intermediate options. Maybe this is not a disadvantage at all, but in the Russian realities it causes certain inconveniences. Namely: the heater is designed for European voltage of 230V. In my outlet often happens 215V and below. Such a tiny difference, however, does not allow to warm up the air for roasting to the required 250C, often everything stops at 232C, or even lower. In this regard, it is necessary to increase the cooking time and guess how this deviation affects the taste of the result. In order not to guess, I am now waiting for a voltage regulator at 230V.
But these are all technical details. The main question is: could such an expensive toy as a coffee roaster get another boost as a drink? To answer this question, I will outline my coffee habits, and then I will tell you what the use of a personal roaster has given me.
As is evident in the text above, I prefer espresso. Not because it is cooked on its own and quickly, but simply because I like it more than coffee made in a Turk or a French press. The preferred level of roasting grains that I am trying to achieve is medium, when there is almost no acid, and the bitterness is not so pronounced.
The first thing you notice in the roaster grains is a stronger and more pronounced flavor. Therefore, confusing them with purchased roasted coffee, even very high quality and “branded”, is very problematic. Accordingly, the resulting drink is more fragrant. In addition, fresh coffee provides a thicker crema, which I really like in espresso.
But what is more interesting and more like a revelation, the grains of different plantations vary greatly in taste. So, coffee from Rwanda has a very mild flavor and a light fruity aroma, so it is not very well suited for espresso. Brazil Santos on the contrary - hard and coarse to the taste, goes well with milk, but on the whole I also did not like it very much. Indonesia Kolossi is a more balanced version, less coarse and more fragrant. Colombia Supremo is very similar to the previous one, while ground beans clearly give out chocolate. Going with a coffee roaster from Bolivia, perhaps, I liked so far most of all, because it leaves behind a very pleasant aftertaste - a bit tart, but without negative shades.
But this is only the tip of the iceberg! There are still a lot of untested varieties, but what is more interesting, it becomes possible to make your blends, that is, a mixture of several sorts of coffee.
In general, I consider the experiment to be more than successful, and the costs are justified, especially given the substantial savings on the grains, which makes it possible to completely recapture the cost of the roaster within a few years.
I drink coffee for a long time. It all started, like many, with soluble heartburn-generating slop. Somewhat later, without much loss for the budget (but with significant losses in the morning time), I switched to using ground coffee like Tchibo, which was brewed by hand in a copper Turk - the first, in essence, qualitative leap. A little later, an unpretentious espresso coffee maker settled in my house, feeding on the same ground beans - the second step on the way to the ideal. The third step was the acquisition of a coffee grinder - just plain, knife and loud, which, despite all its shortcomings, provided me with a more fragrant drink at the same cost of unpretentious grains.
Much later, I lost my heart on an automatic Saeco coffee machine. The resulting drink again became tastier: whether due to high-precision mechanics and cunning electronics, or simply because of the placebo effect and my inborn snobbery. Nevertheless, occasionally visiting various coffee shops, I was sometimes embarrassed by the idea that home coffee, damn it, is not as pleasant as, for example, in Moscow Coffeemania, or St. Petersburg's nameless coffee shop next to the intercollegiate campus.
It made me experiment with different brands of coffee: Paulig, Dufre, UCC, Lavazza, Vergnano, Oquendo ... Of course, the ideal was getting closer, the quality grew, but so did the price of each cup. I wanted some kind of qualitative leap, the discovery of new horizons, which could not offer "coffee out of the box."
')
The exit, fortunately found. What gives coffee its unforgettable aroma and taste? Grain grade? Right. Geographical location of the plantation? Yes. Ways to collect and store? Sure! However, the final contribution to the formation of the taste characteristics of this drink is made by roasting the grains and mixing them. It is at this stage that coffee is determined to be sour, bitter or neutral, which will be its aroma, its aftertaste. And that is why the final cost of a pack of dark brown kernels is largely determined by the roaster, and not the cost of the raw material itself. Hence the logical conclusion: why not buy green coffee and fry it yourself? After much deliberation, I decided to put this idea into practice.
As Google has shown, roasting coffee can be done in various ways: in a griddle or in the oven, in a popcorn machine, or using a special device - a coffee roaster. The latter option, of course, is more preferable in terms of the quality of the result (since the device independently and sufficiently accurately controls the roasting parameters — temperature and time), and the most painful for the wallet. But since I decided to go to the end, why not spend money?
To begin with, two weight categories of coffee rosters should be distinguished: industrial monsters capable of automatically roasting large portions of coffee for sale, and costing “over 9000” money, and their younger household counterparts, designed to appease the taste of aesthetic gourmets and their inner circle. The devices of the second category are very different in price - this is due to the technical differences in their implementation, and the maximum size of one serving, and manufacturers' hopes for their own piece of bread with caviar.
So, I-Roast 2 performs roasting and mixing small portions of coffee using a hot air stream. Behmor 1600 is equipped with quartz lamps, and uniform mixing of the grains is carried out by a rotating drum that holds up to half a kilogram of raw materials. Hottop Caffee is one of the most advanced models, equipped with a color LCD display. Korean GeneCafe is quite simple, it also produces hot air roasting, but it is equipped with an interesting system of mixing grains. For more information on the principles of operation of most devices, please follow the link: www.roastmaster.ru/?p=1867 .
In mature reflection, I opted for the GeneCafe CBR-101 model: a fairly simple, yet reliable (for reviews) machine, adapted for 230V, which I managed to order from the hill ( invalsa.com , in this country, why something not common). A month of anxious waiting - and I have a cherished coffee roaster, fully equipped, along with a free kilogram of raw coffee.
The device is made of black heat-resistant plastic, the assembly is a matter of respect. The side faces of the coffee container are also plastic, the main part is glass, which allows you to observe the process visually. The device, as it was said, is very easy to manage:
two three-digit digital indicator and two pens, in combination also buttons. One of the handles performs a general activation and setting the duration of the roasting process, the second is responsible for the temperature and the process start / stop. In this case, one indicator alternately displays the current and set temperature, and the second one - the time remaining until the end of roasting with an accuracy of one-tenth of a minute, that is, 6 seconds.
So the process itself is ugly simple: we pour the norm of coffee beans into a container, put it in place (which may be unusual at first due to its tricky geometry), unscrew the knobs according to the recommendations for the chosen level of roasting - and go ahead, observe how greenish, foul-smelling grains they increase in size, turn brown, lose up to 20% in weight, and acquire their characteristic odor.
It is worth noting that for the user this miraculous transformation does not pass painlessly: in the process, a rather unpleasant odor stands out, resembling something between the smell of roasted sunflower seeds and the stink of burnt beets, which was once brewed in a saucepan without supervision (yes, there was an experience). Therefore, to solve the problem, GeneCafe offers two options for nozzles combined with a husk collector: one of them implies the presence of replaceable filters that retain unpleasant odors, and the second involves the use of a heat-resistant flexible hose to output unwanted "odors" outside the apartment. However, only one of the options is delivered with the device, the second one is supposed to be bought for completely separate money.
A pleasant feature of the device is the possibility of adjusting both parameters - temperature and time - directly in the cooking process, which can save the unfortunate grains from untimely death due to the inexperience of the roaster. I still have not learned to correctly set the parameters a priori, so I prefer to navigate by the color of the grains and the time they are cracked.
When exactly one minute remains until the end of the roast, GeneCafe beeps. As conceived by the designers, apparently, the roaster should cheer up, take an expert look at current results and decide on the need to extend or shorten the process. After the roasting cycle is completed, the heater is turned off, but the fan starts to work at higher speeds for the purpose of more rapid cooling of the grains. Completely process comes to the end on achievement of temperature in 60 degrees. This is reported by a more piercing beep and the slow positioning of the coffee container in a convenient position for removal.
A single word, since we mentioned it, is to say about the heater. It was designed, apparently, by people with clear binary logic: it is either fully turned on or completely turned off — there are no intermediate options. Maybe this is not a disadvantage at all, but in the Russian realities it causes certain inconveniences. Namely: the heater is designed for European voltage of 230V. In my outlet often happens 215V and below. Such a tiny difference, however, does not allow to warm up the air for roasting to the required 250C, often everything stops at 232C, or even lower. In this regard, it is necessary to increase the cooking time and guess how this deviation affects the taste of the result. In order not to guess, I am now waiting for a voltage regulator at 230V.
But these are all technical details. The main question is: could such an expensive toy as a coffee roaster get another boost as a drink? To answer this question, I will outline my coffee habits, and then I will tell you what the use of a personal roaster has given me.
As is evident in the text above, I prefer espresso. Not because it is cooked on its own and quickly, but simply because I like it more than coffee made in a Turk or a French press. The preferred level of roasting grains that I am trying to achieve is medium, when there is almost no acid, and the bitterness is not so pronounced.
The first thing you notice in the roaster grains is a stronger and more pronounced flavor. Therefore, confusing them with purchased roasted coffee, even very high quality and “branded”, is very problematic. Accordingly, the resulting drink is more fragrant. In addition, fresh coffee provides a thicker crema, which I really like in espresso.
But what is more interesting and more like a revelation, the grains of different plantations vary greatly in taste. So, coffee from Rwanda has a very mild flavor and a light fruity aroma, so it is not very well suited for espresso. Brazil Santos on the contrary - hard and coarse to the taste, goes well with milk, but on the whole I also did not like it very much. Indonesia Kolossi is a more balanced version, less coarse and more fragrant. Colombia Supremo is very similar to the previous one, while ground beans clearly give out chocolate. Going with a coffee roaster from Bolivia, perhaps, I liked so far most of all, because it leaves behind a very pleasant aftertaste - a bit tart, but without negative shades.
But this is only the tip of the iceberg! There are still a lot of untested varieties, but what is more interesting, it becomes possible to make your blends, that is, a mixture of several sorts of coffee.
In general, I consider the experiment to be more than successful, and the costs are justified, especially given the substantial savings on the grains, which makes it possible to completely recapture the cost of the roaster within a few years.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/113552/
All Articles