UTJD16

My kit’s still in transit so I’ll be doing the tasting asynchronously

I also ordered a kit!

I agree with some other comments here that $100 won’t get you what you’re hoping for.

A better upgrade would be to start saving for a good handheld burr grinder (like an 1zpresso model) to replace the blade grinder. Your French Press and AeroPress will likely taste notably better!

If you do want to venture into good espresso, as someone else mentioned, start looking into Cafelat Robot or Flair. Both can make fantastic espresso at higher quality than semi-automatic machines of the same price point and require much less upkeep. But, for any espresso, you will need more gear (scale, tamper, vessels, etc.) which adds to the price. And all espresso machines will massively benefit from a good grinder.

Good luck!

Good question, and I’m not sure. In comparison to a pour over, the majority of the extraction will take place during the immersion phase, so I would guess shape doesn’t matter as much. A conical brewer typically has a faster draw down compared to flat bottom, which may benefit you as you’re trying to remove the coffee when the immersion phase is complete. But this is all speculation!

I like the Switch because I can tinker with different recipes easily, adding an immersion phase at different points. Check out Tetsu Kasuya’s “God Recipe” for one idea.

I love my Switch. I got a size 03 so when I want to do immersion, I can play with bigger volumes. I have a 02 glass V60 as well, and can swap that onto the switch if needed.

They also left out Lowertown, which is a pretty great place to hang out, especially when the weather’s good. Hyperion is my favorite roaster in this area. I haven’t been to Socotra yet - what do you like about it?

I set up a coffee station in my office and it has made working in the office much more enjoyable! I have a cheap gooseneck kettle and 1zpresso KMax hand grinder, along with a scale and carafe. My office mate and I bring various beans from roasters around town or when we travel. We have various methods for brewing to choose from: V60 size 02, Hario Switch size 03, Orea v3 (with negotiator option for no bypass), and an AeroPress.

They should’ve at least put a redirect to the native version instead of the browser unsupported message.

They did both.

This is such a great write-up. Thank you!

I also am a mainly pour over person but incorporate other methods (French Press, AeroPress, Syphon, etc.) depending on how I’m feeling and the beans I’m brewing. Check out Hoffman’s French Press video. I used to not enjoy most FP because I would either way over extract or make it too weak. His approach has minimal agitation, maximizes immersion by letting it sit as long as possible after removing the bitter floating grounds, and reduces the grinds in the final brew by not plunging all the way and decanting slowly. As an addition, you could just decant through one of your pour over filters if you still don’t enjoy the mouth feel.

It’s a lot of fun! There’s a learning curve initially, but now it’s very consistent, especially with medium to dark roasts. I struggled with light roasts until I added a bottom paper filter to the basket a few months ago, and that made a huge difference. Overall, I like being able to make adjustments as needed for each pull based on feel.

Congrats on the Bezzera! I’m still rockin my Cafelat robot (and loving him) accompanied by a Bellman steamer when we want cortados and cappuccinos.