Utility budget for coffee?

[Mambo42]

We had a Nespresso onboard, but were going through the cups so fast that we needed an enormous amount of storage. Normally we both drink between 3 and 4 cups of coffee per day and if I add Irish coffee after dinner it becomes even more.
So we changed to a DeLonghi Magnifica S espresso machine. We have enough bags of beans onboard to last a month and it uses about 1.7 Ah per espresso lungo. So 8 cups of coffee will cost around 15 Ah, which the solar panels give us back in no time.
Needless to say we love our espresso machine.

 

[HeadedToTexas]

Peter there is a semi simple solution to your problem. You can reload your own capsules. Check My-cap.com. Grind your favorite beans and load up. I roast my own coffee. Grind my beans. Load my nesspresso capsules.

Interesting idea, Ricky. We had a reusable pod for our Keurig, but that still never got it to a point where the coffee was acceptably strong.

I see my-cap.com is sold out of the Nespresso apparatus. You results have been good to the point that you’re still doing it, yes? Does my-cap.com regularly get inventory back in stock, or is there out of stock status a bad sign?

 

[Juggerknot]

Chorreador

Coffee has always been an important part of our mornings and it continues to be so aboard. We cook on gas at home, but Escape has an all electric galley. At home we brew coffee with an electric drip maker into a thermal carafe. Similar set up aboard where the drip maker is rated for 900 watts. No problem for our 3000 watt Xantrex inverter, but I am always looking to trim energy usage.

The coffee maker takes 15 minutes to drip through an entire pot from which we pour into insulated mugs. A 900 watt load on our inverter will conservatively consume 1000 watts of battery, so 1000 watts ÷ 12 VDC x 0.25 hours equals 21 amp hours from our 600 amp hour AGM house bank. Given the priority we place on coffee, that feels like a bargain. Are you guys in the same ballpark?

I went to the darkside years ago and brew with a chorreador religiously. Indestructible, easy to clean and you can brew to your liking by varying coffee quantity. Just need the electric kettle which is 1500 watts but its boiling in under a minute and you are all set. Provecho!

 

[HeadedToTexas]

I went to the darkside years ago and brew with a chorreador religiously. Indestructible, easy to clean and you can brew to your liking by varying coffee quantity. Just need the electric kettle which is 1500 watts but its boiling in under a minute and you are all set. Provecho!

Fascinating. I had to look that one up, Juggerknot. My issue with pour over and drip methods is that their performance is a function of the interface between the filter and the filter holder. Too often the ribs in the filter holder are too "low" and that leaves too much of the filter in direct contact with the filter holder which slows the brew too much. The chorreador fixes that by eliminating part of the filter holder that touches the filter. Outstanding!

Do you use disposable filters?

 

[Marco Flamingo]

Looks like a great gag gift for a boater.

 

[mvweebles]

.......

Do you use disposable filters?

Sorta disposable. Traditionally in Costa Rica they used old women's hosery.

Peter

 

[SteveK]

Sorta disposable. Traditionally in Costa Rica they used old women's hosery.

Peter

Did you mean the old style women's hosery? Or actually old women's used hosery. I am ESL and read literally.

 

[mvweebles]

Did you mean the old style women's hosery? Or actually old women's used hosery. I am ESL and read literally.

Actual old (used) woman's hose - the sheer foot part. My Polish grandma use to wear them with clunky heeled shoes befitting Soviet-era fashion. As a kid, I was scared of her. Learned early to stay away when she was watching soap operas and drinking PBR.

Peter

 

[AlaskaProf]

We had a Keurig briefly and gave it away I see Nespresso addresses that problem and presumably can make good strong coffee and espresso.

I briefly had a Keurig, and was happy to give it to a worthy cause. The resort in Mexico which we visit for about 20 days/year has Nespressos and they are sooo much better, and the maids always provide a range of "powers" to choose from. Highly satisfactory.


At home, I have a Breville, real countertop espresso and steam, but the Nespresso comes close for quality.

 

[SteveK]

Actual old (used) woman's hose - the sheer foot part. My Polish grandma use to wear them with clunky heeled shoes befitting Soviet-era fashion. As a kid, I was scared of her. Learned early to stay away when she was watching soap operas and drinking PBR.

Peter

Ah OK, the secret flavouring much like bat gwana

 

[HeadedToTexas]

I briefly had a Keurig, and was happy to give it to a worthy cause. The resort in Mexico which we visit for about 20 days/year has Nespressos and they are sooo much better, and the maids always provide a range of "powers" to choose from. Highly satisfactory.

That has been my understanding, though I have never owned or even tried a Nespresso.

 

[Juggerknot]

Fascinating. I had to look that one up, Juggerknot. My issue with pour over and drip methods is that their performance is a function of the interface between the filter and the filter holder. Too often the ribs in the filter holder are too "low" and that leaves too much of the filter in direct contact with the filter holder which slows the brew too much. The chorreador fixes that by eliminating part of the filter holder that touches the filter. Outstanding!

Do you use disposable filters?

I used to use a 12 cup Capresso machine that ground my fresh beans and brewed using their gold mesh filter and while convenient, the chorreador brews a much better cup, faster and more tailored to my needs. In my 15 years of living and traveling in Latin America, I have not seen anyone ever using an old pair of panty hose instead of the typical cotton sack however, I guess one can find anything if they look hard enough :lol: I use a basic wire frame mounted to a caoba (mahogany) base and the filter sack hovers just above the cup rim so no spillage and mess even in a seaway. A breeze to clean and impossible to break... Provecho

 

[RickyD]

Interesting idea, Ricky. We had a reusable pod for our Keurig, but that still never got it to a point where the coffee was acceptably strong.

I see my-cap.com is sold out of the Nespresso apparatus. You results have been good to the point that you’re still doing it, yes? Does my-cap.com regularly get inventory back in stock, or is there out of stock status a bad sign?

Not always out of stock. They used to have plastic covers for my Nespresso Virtuo but the last ones I purchased were rubber. I slightly prefer the plastic. Then there are the filters that go over the coffee. I used to use a spoon to scoop out the old coffee to prepare to refill the capsules but somehow that damaged them and they would develop cracks. Now I just knock them on the side of a trash can, rinse and reuse. They seem to last forever that way. Don't lose the cap. Also, you may not know that you can program your machine to dispense the amount of water you want. I like strong coffee so I have programmed less water. I use two large capsules per cup. It is fast and relatively easy if you don't mind filling process. Now I only need to buy the filters as everything else is permanent. I buy 300 at a time and Amazon is actually cheaper than the My-Cap.com.

 

[RickyD]

We use a Insulated stainless steel coffee press. Just add hot water. It makes great coffee. We bought ours on Amazon.https://www.amazon.com/Mueller-Insu...3rM6SgwMVNQutBh2i_gHVEAQYASABEgJtmfD_BwE&th=1

I bought a similar one at Bed Bath and Beyond for over $100. That's a great price.

 

[RickyD]

Ok coffee seems to be a popular topic so here goes. I buy green beans for about $7 a pound which makes about 3/4 pound roasted. I roast them until they are dark brown and a little bit shiney with oil. I have multiple devices. At home I use an ECM semi professional espresso machine and a really good burr grinder. Then I have a Nespresso Virtuo and I refill my own capsules with almost freshly ground coffee. The Nespresso can't really handle my extremely finely ground coffee I make for the ECM Espresso machine so I have a blade grinder that I run for about 16 seconds. Frequently in the morning I turn on the ECM and then have a cup from the very quick Nespresso while it warms up. Then while my wife is getting ready for work, I grind beans for the same 16 seconds and put it in a stainless vacuum french press as she likes to take a some to work. Rtic 20oz travel mugs work great for that. Oh, we also have his and hers Ember battery powered heated coffee cups so the coffee stays at a pre-set temp which can be set by my iPhone.

On the boat I use a small Krups FN1 espresso machine that is designed to make two 4 shot cups one after the other. I prefer to make them one at a time but first I have to let the pressure out to add water safely. I just unplug, turn it to steam, then wait. Takes some time when the wife is aboard but mostly I'm by myself. If I have a guest, I'll use a french press we have aboard and if multiple guests I have a Mr. Coffee 12 cup that works. Yes I am a coffee nut.

 

[HeadedToTexas]

I use a basic wire frame mounted to a caoba (mahogany) base and the filter sack hovers just above the cup rim so no spillage and mess even in a seaway. A breeze to clean and impossible to break... Provecho

Fascinating. Is your "basic wire frame" like this one I found for $8 on Amazon?

When you say a "breeze to clean," do you mean that the grounds go overboard before the bag gets rinsed in seawater? Dealing with the spent grounds from a French press has been less than easy in my experience.

There are plenty of wooden bases for sale commercially, but it is tempting to craft my own that better fits my boat, cups, etc.

 

[HeadedToTexas]

I buy 300 at a time and Amazon is actually cheaper than the My-Cap.com.

I see that now. Like these?

Is the foil cover necessary if you use the metal top and load the cup as the coffee is prepared?

 

[Juggerknot]

Fascinating. Is your "basic wire frame" like this one I found for $8 on Amazon?

When you say a "breeze to clean," do you mean that the grounds go overboard before the bag gets rinsed in seawater? Dealing with the spent grounds from a French press has been less than easy in my experience.

There are plenty of wooden bases for sale commercially, but it is tempting to craft my own that better fits my boat, cups, etc.

While my filter bag also incorporates a wire frame similar to the one pictured, I have a stiff wire stand with 2 legs that fit into the block of caoba wood, everything comes apart for stowage, nothing to really clean and yes, you can jettison grounds or just bag em and store in the freezer until you get somewhere to dispose of them, they make great compost when mixed with your egg shells too! I broke a couple French presses and gave up on that tech, here you just flip the bag inside out, dump and rinse... you are ready to go. I typically use two heaping tablespoons of my local coffee and it makes one stout cup (mine) upon the first pour and then the second cup is normal strength for the admiral. I'm the guy that drinks a colada doble doble when in Cuba or Miami so I enjoy the ability to make a rich strong cup at will without the hassle of an espresso maker or other fragile and complex gizmo.

You'll find that bags come in a variety of thickness and qualities but typically speaking, I get years out of a good bag, the thicker, the slower the pour and the more flavor but get too slow and you'll risk a bitter cup unless you watch your water temp.

 

[slowgoesit]

Fascinating. I had to look that one up, Juggerknot. My issue with pour over and drip methods is that their performance is a function of the interface between the filter and the filter holder. Too often the ribs in the filter holder are too "low" and that leaves too much of the filter in direct contact with the filter holder which slows the brew too much. The chorreador fixes that by eliminating part of the filter holder that touches the filter. Outstanding!

Do you use disposable filters?

Somewhere there is a bull that . . . wait, never mind, disregard this post . . .

 

[wkearney99]

As per another user here, we went with a super-automatic machine. Grinds the beans fresh. Fits neatly on the counter of our EB47.

https://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=830616&postcount=53

 

[BruceK]

Fascinating. I had to look that one up, Juggerknot. My issue with pour over and drip methods is that their performance is a function of the interface between the filter and the filter holder. Too often the ribs in the filter holder are too "low" and that leaves too much of the filter in direct contact with the filter holder which slows the brew too much. The chorreador fixes that by eliminating part of the filter holder that touches the filter. Outstanding!

Do you use disposable filters?

"Bag" looks to have its origins in male genitalia.

 

[SteveK]

"Bag" looks to have its origins in male genitalia.

Left or Right :lol:

 

[gilbertpark]

I don't like the mess the grounds make and I don't have a generator - solution try

https://www.maxicoffee.com/en-gb/bl...6RKagdOZoUi9QbPC8gwoGZiD44-dsZisaAuisEALw_wcB

or


https://www.amazon.co.uk/AeroPress-...Z2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1&smid=A15LWIH1VL7QHO

Simple inexpensive and mess free

 

[SteveK]

I don't like the mess the grounds make and I don't have a generator - solution try

https://www.maxicoffee.com/en-gb/bl...6RKagdOZoUi9QbPC8gwoGZiD44-dsZisaAuisEALw_wcB

or


https://www.amazon.co.uk/AeroPress-...Z2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1&smid=A15LWIH1VL7QHO

Simple inexpensive and mess free

where do the grounds go? or do you drink them?

 

[HeadedToTexas]

I don't like the mess the grounds make and I don't have a generator - solution try

https://www.maxicoffee.com/en-gb/bl...6RKagdOZoUi9QbPC8gwoGZiD44-dsZisaAuisEALw_wcB

Interesting. I lean towards dealing with the grounds because the pods are expensive and rarely match my taste, but have no problem with them if those reservations were overcome. And the water must still be heated which brings back the utility budget issue. Gas or electric (or solar), you still have to budget the energy it takes to make hot coffee, yes?

 

[gilbertpark]

Solar even in the UK works although you need an inverter. Failing that gas to boil a kettle. With a kettle and just the right amount of water I wonder if you use the least amount of energy.

As for the grounds the first device they are in pods (multiple different coffees available) and in the Aeropress the ground coffee (any make or type) comes out in a pellet straight into a bin.

I even use them when at sea as they only take a minute or two to make a decent cup of coffee.

 

[Marco Flamingo]

I'm marketing an unnecessarily complex gadget for first-world coffee-adicted techno-nerds. Place expensive sustainably sourced coffee beans in the special container. Stepping on the container repeatedly creates heat that custom roasts the beans at the same time as pulverising them to the perfect grind. Pour in .36 liter of 98.5 C water and sling the container around for 6 minutes using the special cord (included) that passes the hot water (not included) through the grounds. I'm sure some of you will agree that centripetal force produces the best coffee in the world. But first I need to come up with an exotic sounding name to justify $1,329.99 (with free shipping).

Back to reality and to the original post, I would guess that cold-brewed coffee heated on an induction burner would win for both lowest energy usage and speed of preparation. Probably also for flavor for many. OXO makes one for $35 that stores away in a little package. Coffee is made overnight by sitting on the counter and the next morning produces a concentrate for >4 cups.

Yes, one still has to deal with grounds, but on our boat the galley sink discharges directly overboard, making it easy to just rinse out a filter in the sink. As far as I know there isn't a "no discharge zone" for coffee grounds.

 

[Marco Flamingo]

I would guess that cold-brewed coffee heated on an induction burner would win for both lowest energy usage and speed of preparation. Probably also for flavor for many.

In the interest of science, I bought a little stand alone amp meter that keeps a running total. Since my induction stovetop runs off its own separate battery, it was simple to connect it and make coffee a couple different ways. Turns out that cold brew (4 cups) does use slightly less amperage than the espresso pot. 3.1Ah vs. 3.5Ah because with cold brew one is just heating up room temperature brew. The problem was the flavor. Cold brew gets rave reviews for being smooth. Too smooth for me. I want slap-in-the-face kick-in-the-butt coffee in the morning. Cold brew just didn't have it. Tasted like something to pour over ice cream.

The next task for my little amp meter is a hookup to the 12V fridge.

 

[Insequent]

.....

The next task for my little amp meter is a hookup to the 12V fridge.

Yes, definitely do that and then do it for other stuff. as well.

I used one of those things some years back, and as a result ditched an under counter drinks fridge in my pilothouse. It was using 156 Ah/day! The Norcold in the galley, much larger, used 86 Ah.day. It still work pretty well so survived. I have an AC version of the power counter as well as a DC one.

But back to coffee, a lungo from my Nespresso is 1.3 Ah. And a loaf of bread from the breadmaker is 22.7 Ah.