What's the best thing you bought recently?
New thread because JL514 wanted one! Previous thread is here.
Old stuff
Quick summary of the stuff I mentioned in that thread or bought as a result of it:
- Bose QC15s - they are a great great product, but I managed to get an excellent price on the QC20i. In ear is just much more versatile for day to day use, plus much more practical for using on a plane. Smaller carrying case and they are much easier to sleep in. I should sell the QC15s.
- All-clad pan - yeah, great.
- Inov-8 230s - still great, I own these in various colours and wear them 95%+ of the time. I have a jet black pair I wear to the office every day.
- Quest bars - Meh. I got sick of the taste pretty quickly, I'd rather drink protein shakes or just eat Clif if I need something in bar form.
- Anker chargers - I picked up a couple of these with the 4 inch amazon brand cables, pretty handy to have around.
New stuff
- I spent quite a lot on Sennheiser HD600s and an AMP/DAC, which are great but I haven't used a ton.
- I bought this mat to use with my standing desk, it's great.
- These Lodge pan scrapers are surprisingly useful.
- I'm getting a lot of enjoyment from Spotify, Netflix and Audible recently. All super standard but all very slick services.
- Lastly, Joby Magnetic Gorillapod
Of recent purchases this is likely the thing that I'm most happy with. I'm currently working remotely with a coach/physio and it means I have to take a ton of video of various exercises for the two of us to review. In the past I'd have just put the phone on the floor and got crappy video whereas now I can just stick it to anything in the gym. It's a niche thing for sure but it does exactly what I need it to very well, and if you have similar needs I'd strongly recommend picking this up.
- My next large purchase will likely be a beefed up computer and the consumer version of the Oculus Rift in early 2016.
In conclusion, nothing too interesting from me, so what have you bought that has given you pleasure? I'm expecting to see a ton of Anova posts!
Edit - guys, please include pics and links in your posts!
Beurer BR60 Insect Sting and Bite Relief...
About $25-$30
This thing works better than I expected. If you catch a bite early, it is super effective.
I wish I bought it decades ago. Required if anywhere near mosquitoes.
do they have an app for discounts?
Got one of these Friday. Bought all the materials to make a fancy cart yesterday. Work to do today! Who wants some coffee?!
Does the Nature's Bounty supplement come with it?
Went down to the beer store today. Shiner is $18/12. Used to be a reliably cheaper, but decent, beer option.
Fortunately, Sam Adams Octoberfest on sale at $29/28. So I guess that's the best thing I've bought recently.
Got one of these Friday. Bought all the materials to make a fancy cart yesterday. Work to do today! Who wants some coffee?!
damn, thats commitment, how long does it take to roast the beans?
Where do you buy raw beans?
damn, thats commitment, how long does it take to roast the beans?
Where do you buy raw beans?
It takes around 9.5 minutes per batch, not including the preheat time. My old roaster did 180g batches. This bad boy will do a kg. I used to get green beans from a wholesaler with a warehouse in Houston, but they only sell 60kg bags, which was too much. Now I usually buy from Coffee Shrub, the wholesale branch of Sweet Marias. They sell 50lb lots and recently started sending out free samples, which is kinda necessary for buying a larger quantity.
I was thinking about you today. How's the place going?
50 pounds?!?!? How many people do you have drinking that much? How many cups/day?
I was nervous buying 12 pounds of Folgers.
They're green beans. I vacuum seal them in 10lb bags and they'll last a long time. I usually roast a lb every week or so.
To be exact, I actually use 40g per day, haha. Two lattes @20g each.
How long have you been roasting? What did you start with? What roast level do you prefer? Do you change it up?
How long have you been roasting? What did you start with? What roast level do you prefer? Do you change it up?
I started in 2017. Gene Cafe is the roaster I've been using all this time. It works fine, but no nuance. I like a lighter roast. I really don't change it up much. Ethiopian is my favorite and what I always have on hand. Every now and then I'll do some from Costa Rica or Guatemala, but not often.
I started in 2017. Gene Cafe is the roaster I've been using all this time. It works fine, but no nuance. I like a lighter roast. I really don't change it up much. Ethiopian is my favorite and what I always have on hand. Every now and then I'll do some from Costa Rica or Guatemala, but not often.
👍
I prefer a light-medium roast, and once I figured that out I found that I can hardly tolerate anything else for more than a small cup.
What does a light-medium roast give you? Less bitter/burnt taste?
It takes around 9.5 minutes per batch, not including the preheat time. My old roaster did 180g batches. This bad boy will do a kg. I used to get green beans from a wholesaler with a warehouse in Houston, but they only sell 60kg bags, which was too much. Now I usually buy from Coffee Shrub, the wholesale branch of Sweet Marias. They sell 50lb lots and recently started sending ou
Thanks for the info I bet your coffee was great. I love coffee and have one of those Mile fancy grind beans per cup coffee makers and it’s my wood big splurge now you got me thinking about doing beans but I don’t know if I can find the energy to learn something new.
The restaurant and venue is still in process, it’s been one of the most difficult projects of my life. Everywhere I turn, I find a problem or hit another wall, so much so I’m questioning my sanity for ever going down this road. I’m starting to wonder if I should throw in the towel but Im a glutton for punishment so I’m not giving up yet.
We were trying to pull off a concert for November 15 of this year with a couple of cover bands. One was a Journey cover band and the other was Def Leppard but once again, the logistics with the city and parking plus a myriad of other problems killed the possibility of it happening so we’re now trying to shoot for the spring while also working on the restaurant design. I’ve got a group that is going to run the restaurant. I worked with the Chef for a year so at Bolsa, he’s really good. the restaurant will have a speakeasy bar assessable from the restaurant side or through a secret door outside. This gives the venue two options: the speakeasy that will be upscale plus the exterior with mobile bars and food trucks. It’s a ridiculously huge amount of work trying to coordinate all the different requirements and parties like the City Of Dallas, TXDOT & DART. I hope one day it all pays off, maybe next spring, who knows… I’ve given up predicting
mark, how do you think your beans compare to really good store bought ones?
I think mine are way better than anything from the store, like grocery store, and way better than Starbucks, but next level below a really good coffee shop/roaster. This new roaster should change that to where mine compare favorably to pretty much anywhere. My old roaster had a temp limit of 485F, so I would just crank it to high and let it go until it was at the "doneness" I wanted. This new roaster will allow me to progam (it has to have a laptop connected to it) roast profiles that will automatically change temps, fan speed, and drum rotation speed via software that will allow a LOT more nuance.
The quality of the crop makes a huge difference too. Green beans from the same farm can and usually will differ greatly from year to year.
Obviously, everyone likes there coffee differently and what I love I'm sure many people hate. Most people think it's pretty great when I make them a latte or espresso, but not everyone. My sister doesn't really like my coffee since I always have Ethiopian, which is notable for the fruity notes/aftertaste, which she hates.
roasting your own beans is awesome
rented a room later college years from a couple who ran a coffee stand in a lot next door
he was always tinkering with the roast on the beans from a local supplier
such a difference from the almost scortched green mermaid stuff
Oh yeah. The green mermaid stuff is way overcooked and pretty damned awful. It is consistently awful, so you get the same thing here as you get there, I guess.
