I buy whole bean coffee in small batches from local roasters, there's
a few here that I favor. Grind using a (factory-refurbished)
Baratza Virtuoso, extract with a
Technivorm Moccamaster with a gold filter for a very clean, consistent cup, much better than I get in most places unless I'm ordering espresso. I then pollute with raw sugar and organic half & half.
I had a low-end espresso machine for a few years, which was pretty good in the beginning but as time went on it started leaking steam, producing wildly variable pulls, and being generally disagreeable enough to warrant replacement. I concluded that to do espresso "right" at home I'd need to invest about $1K, which is a lot, especially since I've always enjoyed drip coffee and found myself missing it during my espresso phase. I'd read good things about Technivorms while researching espresso machines, and bought one at local business. The Virtuoso grinder is a perfect companion to it, and I'm very happy with the quality of coffee I make at home. Changing the grind setting by a click or two often brings out different flavors in the coffee varieties I buy, and I think it'll be a while before I feel the need to venture into espresso-at-home territory again.
Lately I've been into Ethiopian varieties, particularly the ones with heavy fruit notes. The first time I really tasted the blueberries in a small batch it was game-changing.
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