With the Hario V60 brewer, you typically pour some water on the beans (edit - grounds) and let them soak it up for 30 seconds or so, “bloom”, before you start brewing. When they are fresh, they are still letting off C02, and you see the slurry kind of puff up. When they are stale, they sit there flat as a pancake. After a while you actually get a feel for how fresh the stuff you get is.
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Next question,what is this ? 
Also how do you brew with beans, do you mean ground powder from fresh beans?
Last question , why is there a film of oil sometimes on beans, is that good or bad ?
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I was buying from a local cafe I liked, Wilbecks down in Nanjing E Rd, but they were all over the place. After watching them roast in their old Probat while having a coffee there I understood why, they don’t pay a lot of attention to the roaster, just set and forget and walk away. I also noticed they dumped some beans straight out of the roaster into the open hopper on the counter without resting. Cama has the same problem with nonchalant junior staff who aren’t really invested in producing consistent coffee, just getting the chore done. I also tried a couple of the mail orders: Orsir (acrid aftertaste on nearly every roast), Caffe Lulu in Taizhong (way too light for my palate). UCC’s expansion to take over Asia has upped the playing field, with that roasting facility in Dohliu. I like their smooth and rich blend, and it is always consistent. Unfortunately the moon and stars have to align to get it fresh, using judiciously timed visits to Carrefour. I would actually prefer this Mocca stuff I am drinking now anyway, I hope it is consistent.
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Next question,what is this ?
Just a coffee dripper.
Ok starting to geek out here, why not, this is the coffee thread.
Grind up beans with my Lido. Put in dripper, and pour water over the top.
Oil on beans, a few little drops here and there: roasted to a good level. As the beans age it comes out more and more. Nothing wrong with it. Smeared in oil: over roasted carbon.
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Nice setup, I will probably get one of those coffee drippers soon. How’s that manual grinder ? I used a different one before was too hard work for me.
Thanks for the explanation on the oil, I wondered if they added it later or its oozing out of the coffee beans.
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Hows that manual grinder ?
Not for everyone, but an electric grinder in our poorly insulated apartment at the time we have coffee would wake our neighbours. In truth cordless is my preference anyyay, it’s quite fast to grind.
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I buy those same beans when I don’t have time to make the slog out to Costco, and I was also pleasantly surprised. Not bad at all…and they were on sale too.
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Thanks for the heads up
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I often bought coffee beans from Key coffee , anybody else rate them, I believe they are old school Japanese roasters ? I’m always satisfied with the purchase. It’s mainly because I have shinkong mitsukoshi vouchers though .
The Lido 2 is a decent-quality grinder, and it’s made locally by an American company. It’s built like a tank, but so it’s got some heft to it. It’s what I use, too. Mine has a set of burrs that they no longer use. I believe the newer ones are easier to crank, but the handle is still a bit short. They have another one called the Fixie, but I don’t know much about that one. If you want lighter and easier to crank, you may need to order a Knock, Helor, or Comandante from Europe.
Not cheap but if you are looking for good strong coffee, try this one https://www.pinkoi.com/product/BypnzXZ6
Hey, can anyone recommend me a good coffee grinder?
Conical burr grinder.
We found something like this in an antique shop awhile back:
There are certainly electronic versions available
Thank you, but I’ve been thinking more about electronic version.
Sorry, I should have mentioned it. Do you know anything about Muller grinders or any other brands?
Nope. The bean, the roast, and brewing probably have the highest impact on flavor. I would bet money that while grind probably has a statistically significant effect its probably smaller than the aforementioned, barring whacky factor levels.
Coffee tastes better in fine company, than in fine crockery! Never mind the gear…
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It depends on how you’ll be brewing your coffee. Your link seems to imply Turkish coffee. That will severely limit your choices as a Turkish grind is even finer than espresso grind.
If you’re just doing French press, drip, or pour over, you could consider a Feima 600n or 610n. They’re reliable and durable, but they’re not pretty.
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Water quality matters too.
Cheers,
Guy
Oh I didn’t know that type of beans is important for a grinder choice . Actually I’m more French press type of person.
Thank you @SlowRain I’ll check on Feima grinders.
The type of bean doesn’t matter to the grinder (espresso isn’t a type of bean), but the brew method does (espresso and Turkish are two different brew methods; French press and pour over are two other methods).
There are several grinders that look similar to the Feima (lit. “Flying Horse”). Avoid them if they’re made in China. There is another brand made in Taiwan called You-Wei (aka Flying Eagle) which should be pretty good, too. There is a Japanese grinder called Kalitta Nice Cut and one called Fuji Royal r220, but they’re more expensive.
If you’re looking for something more appealing to the eye, I think the Baratza Encore and Capresso Infinity are sold here. I know very little about them other than Baratza is manufactured here and has stellar customer service.
None of these grinders would be recommended for making espresso.
Ok, got you, thanks for explanations
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