Coffee and Alfas

[Evan Bottcher]

Thanks Gully - I decided to merge my topic into the other one!

[Paul Gulliver]

I won't mind bumping along the thread as to  where everybody gets their beans from or who their favourite roaster is

[ItalCarGuy]

I just bought this machine brand new for $380 on the weekend. It'll do while I save and dream of a retro Faema E61 sweetie to accompany my '60s cars.

[pep105]

Evan Im with Gully nice choice and it's even better with the rocky grinder.
Notice you've got the 2010 facelift with minor changes to the knobs and portafilter handle

All you need now is the stand if you can fit it on your bench.

Had mine for 2 years now and hasn't missed a beat and is used daily multiple times.

My favourite roaster is still Coffee Amore in Moonee Ponds, nothing like going for a sqiurt on the Vespa
to buy coffee beans like a big wog    

[alfagtv58]

I've been hankering after the Sunbeam Cafe series for a while now, but every time I am ready to take the plunge (pun intended!) I think of what Alfa parts I could buy for that sort of money....

Is this model any good, should I be looking at something equivalent or better at a lower price?

Help me coffee tragics 

[alfagtv58]

Wait....what....I just re-read Dereks post.  Derek, where did you get it for $380???

[ItalCarGuy]

Just so others know after I emailed Phil, it was a lucky find on Gumtree classifieds! Its funny most roasters I have talked to reckon Sunbeams are the go as they are well made, many with italian made componentry. Anyway, not allowed to open til Christmas so I will reserve judgement til then.

[Evan Bottcher]

All you need now is the stand if you can fit it on your bench.

Yeah shame we don't have space for the stand, bench space is at a premium.

Fi's buying beans from the Brunswick East Project in Lygon St - Padre Coffee (http://www.padrecoffee.com.au/) which I cannot fault.  I did try some beans from Sensory Lab (David Jones) in Collins St but found them a bit weak in flavour.  In desperation while I was away Fi had to buy some pre-packed Vittoria beans, what a waste I found them very hard to get a good slow extraction and weak on crema.

I'll definitely be trying a couple of the places you guys are talking about esp. Brother Baba Budan as it's not far from my office, and the joint in Moonee Ponds.

thanks,
Evan.

[AikenDrum105]

Spot on with the Sunbeam Cafe series -  the early ones had a portafilter / group seal that wore out quickly - but the later seals can be used - and seem to last forever.  Dad and Brother in law both swear by them.

We've been using Coffee Supreme roasters in Richmond for beans   http://www.coffeesupreme.com.au/   great bunch that manage to combine their two passions - cycling and coffee  -  they have a cool lounge upstairs for cupping / drinking - and often run Friday arvo cupping sessions.  Big selection of coffee machines to play with too.  (bulk of their customers are cafe's of course)

Will defintely give PadreCoffee a go !

Andrea's on the decaf they do  (oh the humanity) while preggers - it actually tastes pretty good - but that's all it does

+1 on the Silvia ...    Until everyone searching ebay for them falls asleep, I'll have to stick with the trusty ol Via Venezia with the hacked in temp controller.  Happiness is a tangle of wires on the SPAM bench that does a reasonable short black - 60% of the time, it works every time.

[Sheldon McIntosh]

Coffee Supreme are in Aus now, fantastic!!  I'll be visiting them tomorrow.  The chap that started Coffee Supreme back in NZ taught me how to make coffee.

[pep105]

Evan,

Im using prepacked Vittoria beans atm as Ive run out as well.

When I first tried them the coffee was awful, wouldve got the same result if I licked the sludge from bottom of the oil cap from my alfa twin cam sitting in my garage.

I adjusted the grind setting on the rocky grinder from 10 to 4 after trying progressively and it's not bad and quite drinkable the crema is good and it's slowed the extraction making it stronger and sharper as well.

Bit like running 91 octane (which you wouldn't typically) need to retard the ignition timing

Give that a go hopefully that helps, might try padrecoffee always open for suggestions from you coffistas and the Vespa ride to Moonee Ponds is not long enough

[Evan Bottcher]

On Pep's recommendation, I visited Amore Coffee (http://www.amorecoffeemelbourne.com.au/) yesterday in Moonee Ponds.  I purchased 500g of their cafe blend, recommended for the flat white coffee we drink in the morning.  Fantastic result - beautiful slow extraction, creamy crema with no bubbles, very nice rich flavour.  Thanks Pep!

[bonkfrog]

When I started this thread I thought there might be a connection between good coffee and great Italian machines, but . . .

AikenDrum105: for a Miss Silvia, try the Aust. Steam Company on the web (I think that's the name); they sometimes have refurbished machines - not sure you'll get a Silvia though.
pep105: you mean you don't lick the sludge from your oil cap? Please, no pornographic replies.
Paul: that brand of coffee machine, is it Italian? Andiame un'po, I translate Monroc as "My rocks". Is that right?

BTW I often get (expensive) beans from coffeeco.com.au, but make do with beans from the Moreland Road home of Genovese. Good crema, pleasant cafe latte to wake me in the mornings.

Cheers

Bonkfrog

[AGM155]

No thread on this topic would be complete without the Alfa sugar.

http://shop.alfisti.net/Fan-Articles/Party-Articles/Sugar-Sticks::2589.html

[pep105]

On Pep's recommendation, I visited Amore Coffee (http://www.amorecoffeemelbourne.com.au/) yesterday in Moonee Ponds.  I purchased 500g of their cafe blend, recommended for the flat white coffee we drink in the morning.  Fantastic result - beautiful slow extraction, creamy crema with no bubbles, very nice rich flavour.  Thanks Pep!

No worries Evan, glad you liked it, Ive gotta come clean though I bought you a sample a few weeks ago which I was intending to give you when I picked up the rims, however didn't get a chance to as there was a lot going on and my missus gave birth to our third child last week (Massimo Valentino). Sorry I didn't get it to you sooner, Ill PM you.

pep105: you mean you don't lick the sludge from your oil cap? Please, no pornographic replies.

Bonkfrog: What kind of Alfisti do you think I am ? Of course I lick the sludge from my oil cap ! I can even taste the difference between a 1600 & 2 litre Alfa donk. Pornographic reply ? Me ? Never......