If you are using a “steam toy”, yes, it is a JOKE!!! 
The Kenya I had this morning was roasted last night at about 10pm. Yes, I can tell the difference, even brewing drip, but it is still better than almost anything out there.
Seriously consider Baratza for your grinder.
(they sell refurbs for quite a discount HERE)
One of the refurbs is exactly what’s on the short list and yes, you know I have a Krups steam toy and you use to have one before you invested in that wonderful machine that you are using these days which I can’t afford. 
Birthday is in April, so either a refurb Virtuoso or fly casting lessons. Now this is the exact board to post the question as to which is more desireable. 
Like you said, even with my steam toy, I am making and drinking better coffee than most, so life is good.
I just roasted up 1/2 lb of HI Kauai estate peaberry to a city roast and 1/2 lb of Brazilian Beija Flor to a full city roast (dang near burned it). It’s all breathing in seperate collanders now. The Kauai is a gift for a friend, the Flor is for my pick-me-up. I’m glad I learned about this coffee roasting thing. Keeps my mind off fishing when I can’t.
I have been using my new Scott 5 wt in the park. It casts sweet but there ain’t fish on the lawn. Been shooting line at my granddaughter’s hula hoop. Gotta say I’m getting pretty accurate at about 40-45 feet, anything over that is a crap shoot. The early opener in Southern Inyo County is this saturday. All small creek fishing involved in that so I should be alright. Jim
:razz: :twisted:
Indeed!!!
I can’t imagine not being able to fish in the winter…
When I went into the kitchen this morning to grind my morning cup I found that my burr grinder was spinning and spinning and spinning…but not grinding. Had to wait for the drive in for my morning cup. Not a good way to start the day. SO…my question is:
Can I get some opinions on a new burr grinder? Make and model.
Thanks
Bernie
Hey Bernie, so what do you like to drink? The reason that I ask is that a grinder to grind expresso can be different than one designed to primarily grind drip coffee. The Baratza line is relatively inexpensive for a nicer grinder than what you will find in a department store for $50. Check out the link and the refurbs just a few post up.
Hey Clay
Thanks for the reply. I was searching on Google and that is the brand that seems to fit my needs for grinding and the budget. At home I drink straight coffee no espresso. NOW if I had the dollars to invest that would change in a heartbeat. Next b-day I’m going for a roaster.
Bernie
My i-Roast just died on me this weekend, so burmans is sending me the upgraded i-roast2 along with the hearthware grinder, a book and some beans. It comes as a pretty decent package deal, and burman has good things to say about the grinder and it isn’t priced too bad at around $30 on its own. I’ll let you know if it is worth it when the package comes in Tuesday.
All you DIY’ers whetted my appetite to do likewise. I tried the bread route, the coffee roasting thing, rod building etc… Nothing worked as planned so I abandoned those endeavours and started a completely new and exciting project. I now make my own CAULK. I’ll post the details soon . Feel free to contact me for more info.
Mark
PS: 
You don’t have to wait that long to get into roasting. While I started with a hot air roaster / popcorn hot air popper. These days I am roasting with an very inexpensive Whirly Pop. I roast 1 1/2 pounds at a time with it in about 16 minutes on my electric stove. I bought the Whirly Pop around Christmas in a hardware store for under $15 on close out, but even list they are closer to $25 than $500 for a fancy roaster than will only do a pound at a time. So I turn the handle for a few minutes a week, for a savings close to $500, I can turn the handle. So if you want to roast, don’t wait.
The other thing is that I am saving a ton of money. At my local grocery store, the fancy coffee beans sell between $7 and $8.50 a pound for what I like to drink in a dark roast. My last order from Burman Bros was $3 / pound on their newletter special pricing (get on their newletter). Buy 10 pounds of green beans and pay for the roaster and have change left over. Burman’s told me that they have some Whirley Pops in but I don’t see them on their web site. Just ask them about one.
It would be like wanting to go fishing but it is costing you more not to go than to go on a trip, so go man, go. 
I tried out the hearthware supremo. I like it a lot. It seems to give a nice consistant grind, and the price is lower than I would expect for its performance.