Out here in Central California it's been a mild winter and spring has had a bunch of warm days. For example, our temps were in the high 80's (F) this week. I upgraded (I think it was an upgrade -- time and summer heat will determine if it was an upgrade or a horrible mistake) my raised growing bed to a couple of raised growing beds made out of cement blocks. So far so good. I am having to keep an eye on soil moisture though, because I also did major amendments to my soil and may have added too much organic material. The soil seems to dry-out much faster now. Lots to learn with these new beds. That said, I thought I would post a few pics of what the garden is looking like as of 3/26/2022. This year, thus far, we have over 60 different varieties of food producing plants growing at our house. Two kinds of Zucchini were in bloom yesterday and today there are 2 smallish zucchinis that are about 2.5 inches long. Wow! I am already picking off tomato and bell pepper blossoms so the plants will focus on growing strong instead of growing fruit. Again, so far so good. I hope the garden doesn't burn-up this summer. Fingers crossed.
Posted : March 27, 2022 11:00 pm
I bought another batch of coffee but this time I have more bags. I like freshly roasted so I space out my orders but this time I do not want to take any chances. As long as they say in their bags the oils should not evaporate all that much at least I hope but its better than having no coffee.
I cut down on the milk quite a bit but I had to add a little more because my transition to straight espresso is not quiet their yet. I need one last run for my food supply so I can extend it for longer or to help out family that didn't prepare.
Posted : April 9, 2022 11:28 am
marsrock7 reacted
I ordered two sample bags of 442 coffee (free shipping)
very impressed with all three types, very smooth and robust
a-bit pricy but worth the extra costs
Im going to see if they can do an espresso grind
Time to invest in a espresso grinder. I went all out in 2014 with an expensive hand grinder called the HG-1 that has a very large conical burr that will last me a life time except for the burrs that would probably have to be replaced every 15 years. They say that next to the bean the grind is the next most import part of the flavor profile. I just had another cup of this new batch of 5 bean espresso and its satisfying. I can see the oil droplets in the cup and that color rich darkish brown layer.
Posted : April 9, 2022 4:51 pm
CSPIDY reacted
@cspidy glad you're enjoying your 442! It is pricey but I like to support the only small time local roaster I've found whose products satisfy.
For grinder I am using one from Handground. They were a kickstarter campaign a few years ago when a bunch of coffee nerds got together to design the "perfect" hand grinder. They offer replaceable parts, 15 different grind sizes, tools for calibration and the grinder is easy to use, disassemble and clean. I'm very happy with it, in fact I have two. Lowest setting (1) should work for espresso. I use setting 1.5 for aeropress. Tried with setting 1 and it was too fine to press easily by hand. 4 other people I know have one based on my recommendation and nothing but good feedback so far. They all switched from a blade grinder.
https://store.handground.com/collections/frontpage/products/handground-precision-coffee-grinder
@cspidy glad you're enjoying your 442! It is pricey but I like to support the only small time local roaster I've found whose products satisfy.
For grinder I am using one from Handground. They were a kickstarter campaign a few years ago when a bunch of coffee nerds got together to design the "perfect" hand grinder. They offer replaceable parts, 15 different grind sizes, tools for calibration and the grinder is easy to use, disassemble and clean. I'm very happy with it, in fact I have two. Lowest setting (1) should work for espresso. I use setting 1.5 for aeropress. Tried with setting 1 and it was too fine to press easily by hand. 4 other people I know have one based on my recommendation and nothing but good feedback so far. They all switched from a blade grinder.
https://store.handground.com/collections/frontpage/products/handground-precision-coffee-grinder
That is a nice price on a starter grinder. I started out on something like this when I first got into the hobby when a friend gave me an old cheap espresso machine. At the time I was not sold on spending $300 on an entry level grinder. One year later I was on my way until I spent a small fortune on a hand grinder. Was it worth it, hell yes it was. Its one of those things that seem so trivial but when you think about those that keep paying for $5 commercial coffees its starts to pay dividends on something you do routinely everyday. Its also about the process which is never routine because you need to adjust for the age of the beans.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Q622YLB/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1
I found this grinder on Amazon
what do you think?
Posted : April 11, 2022 7:56 pm
Looking for feedback regarding ethics of selling unobtanium. I have been hoarding Spyder parts for years. My habit has slowed considerably over the last few years. Most of my buying has been fueled by fear of not being able to find parts if/when I need them. I am now in a quandary, though. I have acquired some spyder parts that are often sought after and rarely found -- New In Box, kind of thing. I am not a salesman kind of person, but I know that these parts, in the current marketplace -- are worth 3 or 4 times what I paid for them. If I hang onto them, they will likely keep going up in value. I know that I will likely never need these parts for myself as I have sufficient parts for my own needs.
Is it ethically correct for me to sell these parts -- at current market value -- knowing I would make an outrageous profit, if I were to sell them? Yes, I could sell them for less money or for what I paid for them, but my mindset is also, well, if I were to sell them for what I paid for them, I would likely just keep them for myself (hoarding again). Thank you in advance for your input.
Be forewarned that I have no idea what I will end-up doing -- heed your advise or ignore your advice. I'm just trying to be as transparent about this whole thing as I know how to be and trying to figure out what I will do. Thanks again, in advance for your input. Much appreciated.
Posted : April 12, 2022 1:45 am
Remember that if you sell them for what you paid you will be taking a loss
considering inflation.
you can always offer them in an auction
eBay or on one of the Spyder forums
Posted : April 12, 2022 8:56 am
Uncle Mush reacted
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Q622YLB/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1
I found this grinder on Amazon
what do you think?
Here is a little advise from spending ten years being part of a coffee forum and my own experience with this hobby.
Any grinder is better than buying grounded coffee from the seller. Once the bean is cut it quickly loses its flavor in the first few minutes due to oxidation.
Having said that the grinder is the most important next to the coffee for taste. The reason being the way it cuts the bean so that the grinds are uniform to resist flow for better extraction and so the burrs do not heat up the beans too much robing it from its flavor. The cooler the grind the better the flavor. Smaller the burrs or cheap design increase the heat.
All coffee grinders can produce different levels of grind but an espresso grinder is optimized for espresso but not drip. If you make the grind coarser for drip it will not be as tasty as a drip coffee grinder. An all purpose grinder is basically a drip grinder that can make an espresso grind but it will be poor.
Therefore in this hobby the grinder is the single best investment for the flavor of your coffee. Most people starting out don't think it matters all that much but it does.
I would say for its cheap price of that grinder why not give it a try but always keep in mind that if you want to scratch the surface of an actual entry level espresso grinder you need to spend at least $300-$500 on a used grinder. My recommendation is buying a used Ascaso coffee grinder which is solid for what it does and would be a good investment.
Posted : April 12, 2022 10:57 am
Looking for feedback regarding ethics of selling unobtanium. I have been hoarding Spyder parts for years. My habit has slowed considerably over the last few years. Most of my buying has been fueled by fear of not being able to find parts if/when I need them. I am now in a quandary, though. I have acquired some spyder parts that are often sought after and rarely found -- New In Box, kind of thing. I am not a salesman kind of person, but I know that these parts, in the current marketplace -- are worth 3 or 4 times what I paid for them. If I hang onto them, they will likely keep going up in value. I know that I will likely never need these parts for myself as I have sufficient parts for my own needs.
Is it ethically correct for me to sell these parts -- at current market value -- knowing I would make an outrageous profit, if I were to sell them? Yes, I could sell them for less money or for what I paid for them, but my mindset is also, well, if I were to sell them for what I paid for them, I would likely just keep them for myself (hoarding again). Thank you in advance for your input.
Be forewarned that I have no idea what I will end-up doing -- heed your advise or ignore your advice. I'm just trying to be as transparent about this whole thing as I know how to be and trying to figure out what I will do. Thanks again, in advance for your input. Much appreciated.
The question of ethics should never be a question when you are not holding a gun to anyone and making them buy something that is yours for what you want to sell it for. After all you were storing it and prices matter based on inflation which is robing you of your value if you were to buy the parts again.
Where ethics matter is on a car community forum if you waste other people time asking people to submit a price and then you choose the highest bidder. Ebay is the best place for that. I particularly like a straightforward approach to selling of my items without having people try to haggle which is not a bad thing but some hagglers are very irritating and dumb trying to make the sale difficult by being patronizing so therefore without wasting too much time I price to sell so I don't have to waste my time with people that think they are good at working someone over. I never try any kind of desperation tricks, just straightforward take it or leave it, or someone else will. If I am buying something I may ask will you take this much and if the answer is no I walk but if they come back with a counter that is reasonable then I might. This is why if you insult a person by lowballing you will usually get a no.
Posted : April 12, 2022 11:22 am
grumpy and Uncle Mush reacted
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Q622YLB/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1
I found this grinder on Amazon
what do you think?
Here is a little advise from spending ten years being part of a coffee forum and my own experience with this hobby.
Any grinder is better than buying grounded coffee from the seller. Once the bean is cut it quickly loses its flavor in the first few minutes due to oxidation.
Having said that the grinder is the most important next to the coffee for taste. The reason being the way it cuts the bean so that the grinds are uniform to resist flow for better extraction and so the burrs do not heat up the beans too much robing it from its flavor. The cooler the grind the better the flavor. Smaller the burrs or cheap design increase the heat.
All coffee grinders can produce different levels of grind but an espresso grinder is optimized for espresso but not drip. If you make the grind coarser for drip it will not be as tasty as a drip coffee grinder. An all purpose grinder is basically a drip grinder that can make an espresso grind but it will be poor.
Therefore in this hobby the grinder is the single best investment for the flavor of your coffee. Most people starting out don't think it matters all that much but it does.
I would say for its cheap price of that grinder why not give it a try but always keep in mind that if you want to scratch the surface of an actual entry level espresso grinder you need to spend at least $300-$500 on a used grinder. My recommendation is buying a used Ascaso coffee grinder which is solid for what it does and would be a good investment.
What do you think of the manual hand grinders
they are reasonably priced
might be a good morning workout
Posted : April 12, 2022 9:32 pm
Hand grinding has some advantages. Because you are grinding slower you will produce less heat which is good but it can be a real pain depending on how many grams you need to pull a shot. My hand grinder is large with big burrs and a large flywheel so its quick but it also costs a small fortune. When I started out with a small hand grinder it took nearly forever to get 14g.
I did hear good things about these guys but I never used one of their grinders.
https://www.oehandgrinders.com/OE-LIDO-ET-Manual-Coffee-Grinder-_p_94.html
Here is another entry level grinder that has got good reviews.
Posted : April 12, 2022 11:55 pm
Hand grinding has some advantages. Because you are grinding slower you will produce less heat which is good but it can be a real pain depending on how many grams you need to pull a shot. My hand grinder is large with big burrs and a large flywheel so its quick but it also costs a small fortune. When I started out with a small hand grinder it took nearly forever to get 14g.
I did hear good things about these guys but I never used one of their grinders.https://www.oehandgrinders.com/OE-LIDO-ET-Manual-Coffee-Grinder-_p_94.html
Here is another entry level grinder that has got good reviews.
I would be using it for espresso, one tablespoon at a time
Posted : April 13, 2022 8:50 am
Hand grinding has some advantages. Because you are grinding slower you will produce less heat which is good but it can be a real pain depending on how many grams you need to pull a shot. My hand grinder is large with big burrs and a large flywheel so its quick but it also costs a small fortune. When I started out with a small hand grinder it took nearly forever to get 14g.
I did hear good things about these guys but I never used one of their grinders.https://www.oehandgrinders.com/OE-LIDO-ET-Manual-Coffee-Grinder-_p_94.html
Here is another entry level grinder that has got good reviews.
I would be using it for espresso, one tablespoon at a time
Actually a better question would be what kind of espresso machine are you using and how many grams of coffee is needed.
Posted : April 13, 2022 10:04 am