Preground coffee recommendations while waiting for grinder

Discuss flavors, brew temperatures, blending, and cupping notes.
JCB-42
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Joined: 9 years ago

#1: Post by JCB-42 »

Hi,

So this is my first post, having read your forums for a while I figured you're quite a knowledgeable and friendly bunch. So here goes:

- In short, I'm looking for advice on the best quality pre-ground espresso. -

Now I know coffee enough that it's not going to be as good as freshly ground bean placed straight into the machine but this is only temporary...

I recently purchased a Breville BES920XL UK (Breville Dual Boiler, UK version) - It's a lovely machine and I'm certainly enjoying the savings against paying for coffee each morning on my way to work.

It also came with a deal to get a free Breville Smart Grinder upon purchase. However I have to wait about a month before this is shipped to me.

They say good things come to those who wait.... But in the meantime, do any of you have suggestions as to what are the best pre-ground espressos out there? UK brands certainly would be handy.

Thanks in advance.

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aecletec
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#2: Post by aecletec »

I'm not sure if it's viable in your area, but a good option might be if you can find a local cafe you like who sells beans and have them grind for you...that way you can get the fineness adjusted and perhaps purchase in amounts such that it doesn't stale too badly.

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erik82
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#3: Post by erik82 »

Ground coffee will stale in 15 minutes. It doesn't matter what kind of coffee you use because no pre-ground coffee will give you good results. The only tip I can give you is to not buy expensive coffee because it'll be a waste of your money.

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canuckcoffeeguy
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#4: Post by canuckcoffeeguy »

I think your best option, until your grinder arrives, is to buy an inexpensive hand grinder like a Hario Mini Slim or Hario Skerton. While not ideal for espresso, and requiring a workout to grind that fine, you'll get much better results than buying pre-ground.

There's also a way to modify the Hario hand grinders to stepless. So you have more control over the espresso range. It requires a nylon lock nut. Do a search on this forum for details about this mod. I used a modified slim for espresso before I got my two motorized grinders. Again, not ideal. But it works reasonably well and is far superior than using pre-ground.

Once your smart grinder arrives, you can keep the hand grinder for work, travel, brew grinding, or as a backup if your smart grinder goes down.

You'll be very frustrated using pre-ground with your Breville Dual Boiler, which is a highly capable machine.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=Hario+sl ... 1&ie=UTF-8

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cannonfodder
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#5: Post by cannonfodder »

I would recommend a first flush darjeeling and wait for the grinder.
Dave Stephens

kmw
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#6: Post by kmw »

Did you machine come with a pressurized basket? It would be one with 1 hole on the bottom of the basket.

From my (basic) understanding, you control the flow of extraction through tamp and grind. Depending on the grind of the espresso you buy, it could be a real miss.

Personally, I'd say just buy a bag that sounds good. Then see if you can get a shot in a non-pressurized basket. If not, then try the pressurized basket.

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EvanOz85
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#7: Post by EvanOz85 »

Have some tea.

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baldheadracing
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#8: Post by baldheadracing »

Illy espresso grind (in cans), and use Breville's pressurized (double-wall) baskets. The results will be acceptable in a latté or a capp, especially for the first day or so after opening the can. Illy will obviously not be that great as espresso, but I would take Illy pre-ground over tea any day.
-"Good quality brings happiness as you use it" - Nobuho Miya, Kamasada

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sweaner
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#9: Post by sweaner »

The suggestions of tea are good...except for the fact that it is tea! :roll:

If you find a good local shop that has fresh beans, have them give you their espresso grind. This will work for about 1-2 days at least. If you are close you can have them grid a small amount every couple of days. I wouldn't buy another grinder for a month, that is a waste of cash.
Scott
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TruBrew
Posts: 25
Joined: 9 years ago

#10: Post by TruBrew »

I'm new to all this, but I didn't know liking tea and coffee were mutually exclusive. I have a bunch of different teas from Adagio. I think pu erh might be my favorite variety.

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