Silversea Water Cooler: Welcome! Part Five

[Lois R]

2 minutes ago, DavyWavey70 said:

Hi Lois, I was in an infinite verandah not a sunset so I’m not sure what they’d have, I had 2 upright chairs and a coffee table in mine. I Found very little to complain about myself. I’m sure you’ll have a great time. 😁

Hi Davy, my cabin is an AFT Corner Suite........it has a really big balcony so I am hoping they will provide me with a lounger. 

[Grand Duchess]

15 hours ago, QueSeraSera said:

well Dr. Ron, you've brought a song to mind

Anniversary Song, by Cowboy Junkies

 

One of the best lines in song lyrics I've ever heard:

"Have you ever seen a sight as beautiful as a face in a crowd of people that lights up just for you?"

 

The song video if interested

 

😍😍😍 completely forgot about them, although I actually have 2 CD of them. Thank you for reminding me! 
Gone back to Vinyl lately. Collecting music and  books is a vice that I can't seem to stop. 

[UKCruiseJeff]

Afternoon Orange and Almond with a double espresso.

 

Have a great afternoon all.  🙂

 

Jeff

 

[Emtbsam]

15 minutes ago, UKCruiseJeff said:

Afternoon Orange and Almond with a double espresso.

 

Have a great afternoon all.  🙂

 

Jeff

 

What espresso maker do you use?  My Gaggia Factory lever machine similar to the La Pavoni Professional needs to be replaced, so I am looking for something that will please me.

 

On the subject of music, my family was in the music publishing business for 75 years, so I was raised with a lot of music.  I grew up knowing which songs they published and which they didn't.  Although they did publish some Rodgers and Hart, they also published a lot of Ernesto Lecuona and George M. Cohan.  

[UKCruiseJeff]

1 hour ago, Emtbsam said:

What espresso maker do you use?  My Gaggia Factory lever machine similar to the La Pavoni Professional needs to be replaced, so I am looking for something that will please me.

 

On the subject of music, my family was in the music publishing business for 75 years, so I was raised with a lot of music.  I grew up knowing which songs they published and which they didn't.  Although they did publish some Rodgers and Hart, they also published a lot of Ernesto Lecuona and George M. Cohan.  

 

Good afternoon Emts.

 

To talk coffee first.  My route has been filled with pain and disappointments but now I think I'm there!

 

To cut to the chase of gone though so much Gaggia I cold fill a warehouse.  I am a painfully slow learner but this is what I have learned.  And it is a series of very small things that all conspire together that makes the elusive perfect coffee that has always bugged  me and now achieve.

 

The fundamental of it all is the production of an extraordinary simple double or single espresso from which all other coffee drinks emerge. 

 

The nub of where I am now is I have a  Sage Oracle Touch Fully Automatic Bean-to-Cup Coffee Machine which I have one both here at Jeff HQ and at Seaside for coffee on the balcony. They are completely programmable  and adjustable to replicate what you like for future shots. So once you work it out they will always be the same.  It's a dual boiler machine so steam and milk are available instantly at the same time. 

 

But I'd say that without a good machine you'd obviously not get good coffee.  But even if you spent $1m on a machine it's impossible if you do what I think most do and that is not understand that the machine is simply the vehicle but it's water and bean that makes all of the difference.  We have found using Zero Water is perfect and a well worthwhile palaver. Now The Bean!

 

I am fortunate enough to have had a local roaster (Gerald! - since left us but now his family) who is obsessed with the bean. He use to travel the world with his son visiting and supporting small growers, roasts daily and delivers to our door personally. I cannot believe how lucky we are.  So my first thing is find a really great local roaster and describe the taste and let him blend and roast for you.

 

You will never ever get great coffee from supermarket or shop blends.  But you won’t know this until you get freshly roasted coffee from an artisan and use it quickly whilst storing it for a week or two at most in vacuum jar. 

 

Our Blend Content  

1/3 Nicaragua 3rd Honduras depending on procurement

1/3 India Plantation 'B'

1/3 Brazil Eldorado

 

https://peaberrycoffee.co.uk/collections/signature-blends/products/peace-and-hope-blend

 

https://peaberrycoffee.co.uk/

 

The machine is:

 

 

More importantly, I'd love to hear about the family publishing memories if you'd like to. The more the better.  Indulge me.  🙂

 

Bestest

 

Jeff

 

 

 

Edited May 18 by UKCruiseJeff

[mauimary]

4 hours ago, Lois R said:

Good morning.......DW, you around? I sail next weekend and have been reading many of the threads over on the Celebrity forum. LOTS of complaints over there too. Actually, one item that is crazy....Celebrity seems to have decided that loungers are a danger and those folks with balconies are NOT going to automatically receive them. From what many folks have posted, you need to request the lounger. You can be sure I will be requesting one for my balcony. Sometimes I just have to shake my head.......is there an icon for that?😧

Hi Lois. The SV suites on the aft have a lounger. We were just on the Eclipse in Nov b2b2b and the corner suite next to us had one. This is a lovely ship. 

Edited May 18 by mauimary

[mauimary]

33 minutes ago, mauimary said:

Hi Lois. The SV suites on the aft have a lounger. We were just on the Eclipse in Nov b2b2b and the corner suite next to us had one. This is a lovely ship. 

PS I just read through that thread you were talking about.   Sounds like all you need to do is ask.  Have a wonderful cruise. 

[Lois R]

14 minutes ago, mauimary said:

PS I just read through that thread you were talking about.   Sounds like all you need to do is ask.  Have a wonderful cruise. 

Thank you🙂

[Emtbsam]

Jeff - Thanks for the information on the espresso maker.  I have a wonderful grinder which I love, so I do not need an all in one machine.  Since I also have two houses, I need two of everything.  One of my Gaggias is still working which helps.  I hate to admit, but my palate is not particularly refined due to life long allergies which have dulled my senses.  For many years, I did get custom roasted beans from Schapira coffee in NYC, but they have been out of business for a while.  There is a local shop that roasts coffee, but I am not sure what I would ask for.  I currently do half decaf which probably instills disgust in you, but it is necessary if I ever want to sleep.  I get an organic decaf Milano roast and mix it 50/50 with either a French roast or an espresso roast.  I will check out the website you posted.

[UKCruiseJeff]

54 minutes ago, Emtbsam said:

Jeff - Thanks for the information on the espresso maker.  I have a wonderful grinder which I love, so I do not need an all in one machine.  Since I also have two houses, I need two of everything.  One of my Gaggias is still working which helps.  I hate to admit, but my palate is not particularly refined due to life long allergies which have dulled my senses.  For many years, I did get custom roasted beans from Schapira coffee in NYC, but they have been out of business for a while.  There is a local shop that roasts coffee, but I am not sure what I would ask for.  I currently do half decaf which probably instills disgust in you, but it is necessary if I ever want to sleep.  I get an organic decaf Milano roast and mix it 50/50 with either a French roast or an espresso roast.  I will check out the website you posted.

 

Thanks,

 

It would take much more than admitting to decaf to disgust me! 😄

 

In rereading my reply I fear that in my enthusiasm and desire to help I’d over-engineered and over complicated my reply.  This was because my presumption was that when choosing replacement machines one tends to buy the same model when one has been pretty happy with the coffee on the old one and tend to only change when looking for an improvement.

 

I’m presuming - rightly or wrongly- that you have a burr grinder which once used one tends never to look elsewhere. Non-burr grinders assassinate coffee beans.

 

I also started with traditional Gaggia Classics along with good burr grinders and also bought and experimented with roasting and blended green beans to try and get exactly what I wanted.   However every cup was obviously a little different and that’s OK but it was a great hobby but wasn’t consistent and didn’t offer the right level of advantage compared with the palaver.  So I stopped. 

 

Now that bean to cup machines have improved so much to the current level, it provides taking all of the multi-stage hassle and palaver out and not just a consistent well ground and accurate measure and cup but also other things like great silky frothed milk and the opportunity to do things like sublime hot-choc. Also machines in the US normally have cup warmers, whereas the EU/UK equivalents on the identical machine seem to have this feature deleted. So as a package they make sense for an easier life without compromising what’s in the cup. 

 

With respect to the compromising of your taste buds, you might experiment with looking for a more robusta rich blend rather than pure arabica. Perhaps even a slightly darker roast.  This might accentuate the taste to recreate what you are missing. That will give a bit of a taste explosion like turning the the taste volume control up although might be a touch too high in caffeine.

 

I’m sorry I went a bit over-board and I might have done it again in this post …… 🙂

 

Good luck with the choice.

 

Jeff

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 18 by UKCruiseJeff

[drron29]

 

 

 

 

[UKCruiseJeff]

Good Afternoon Coolers,

 

Today’s traditional British Brunch was Scottish oakwood smoked kippers, with Sarsons, Hovis and London Pride.

 

Have a Great Sunday all …….

 

Jeff

 

 

[Emtbsam]

We will be in London for several nights pre-cruise this fall, and I was hoping someone would have a restaurant recommendation for us.  We would like something that isn't too expensive.  I haven't been in London since 1975 so things have changed a lot as have we!  I believe we'll be at the Royal Lancaster unless that gets changed, and we don't mind a good walk to the restaurant.  TIA.

[UKCruiseJeff]

33 minutes ago, Emtbsam said:

We will be in London for several nights pre-cruise this fall, and I was hoping someone would have a restaurant recommendation for us.  We would like something that isn't too expensive.  I haven't been in London since 1975 so things have changed a lot as have we!  I believe we'll be at the Royal Lancaster unless that gets changed, and we don't mind a good walk to the restaurant.  TIA.

 

Hi,

 

Any particular yearnings/tastes or cuisines  etc?

 

Jeff

Edited May 19 by UKCruiseJeff

[Emtbsam]

10 minutes ago, UKCruiseJeff said:

 

Hi,

 

Any particular yearnings/tastes or cuisines  etc?

 

Jeff

I like Indian cuisine and don't have the opportunity here in the boondocks to get any.  In the 1950's, I went to Veeraswamy with my family but don't remember much except the name.  In those days, we stayed at the Park Lane Hotel or the Hyde Park Hotel.  In 1972, I also had great Chinese in the West End in a tiny restaurant(with Pearl Bailey who was also alone).  I am really open to anything. 

[mysty]

Greetings Coolers!  We're back in terra cognita.   The prodigal daughter has come home.  Currently in Prince Rupert,  BC.  Even the air feels familiar. 😁 We fly home on May 23rd.   Looking forward to joining the fun again on the Cooler.  

[UKCruiseJeff]

Veeraswamy is claimed to be the original Indian restaurant. 

 

If you decide to take it easy on your first night you might like to consider  Nipa Thai in your hotel.  It has  a good reputation although I haven’t eaten there - but I want to.  That would be a consideration/temptation after a long day.

 

One of the best established Chinese restaurants to take a look at is a taxi ride away is The Royal Club on Baker Street.

 

Many seeking Indian food now head to Brick Lane in the east end, although it can get a bit busy but which also has the advantage that you could also pick up a couple of beigels in the beigel bake in Brick Lane to take back.  I’d be tempted to rely on the concierge for a more local one that he/she knows.

 

Jeff

 

Edited May 19 by UKCruiseJeff

[Emtbsam]

Thank you for the suggestions.

[UKCruiseJeff]

6 minutes ago, Emtbsam said:

Thank you for the suggestions.

 

Your most welcome.

 

I should have mentioned that a reason for suggesting Brick Lane is that it has over 20 Indian restaurants.   So I’d head down there not too late and do a reccy of them.  They are all next door to each other and most are small and you could figure out which looks the busiest and best and which to avoid that look empty.  I’d not make a reservation if you did this.  

 

Enjoy your visit. 

[QueSeraSera]

suddenly feeling hungry for Indian food, a new place just opened up nearby...otherwise it's off to London

[Downunder55]

On 5/19/2024 at 3:40 AM, UKCruiseJeff said:

 

Good afternoon Emts.

 

To talk coffee first.  My route has been filled with pain and disappointments but now I think I'm there!

 

To cut to the chase of gone though so much Gaggia I cold fill a warehouse.  I am a painfully slow learner but this is what I have learned.  And it is a series of very small things that all conspire together that makes the elusive perfect coffee that has always bugged  me and now achieve.

 

The fundamental of it all is the production of an extraordinary simple double or single espresso from which all other coffee drinks emerge. 

 

The nub of where I am now is I have a  Sage Oracle Touch Fully Automatic Bean-to-Cup Coffee Machine which I have one both here at Jeff HQ and at Seaside for coffee on the balcony. They are completely programmable  and adjustable to replicate what you like for future shots. So once you work it out they will always be the same.  It's a dual boiler machine so steam and milk are available instantly at the same time. 

 

But I'd say that without a good machine you'd obviously not get good coffee.  But even if you spent $1m on a machine it's impossible if you do what I think most do and that is not understand that the machine is simply the vehicle but it's water and bean that makes all of the difference.  We have found using Zero Water is perfect and a well worthwhile palaver. Now The Bean!

 

I am fortunate enough to have had a local roaster (Gerald! - since left us but now his family) who is obsessed with the bean. He use to travel the world with his son visiting and supporting small growers, roasts daily and delivers to our door personally. I cannot believe how lucky we are.  So my first thing is find a really great local roaster and describe the taste and let him blend and roast for you.

 

You will never ever get great coffee from supermarket or shop blends.  But you won’t know this until you get freshly roasted coffee from an artisan and use it quickly whilst storing it for a week or two at most in vacuum jar. 

 

Our Blend Content  

1/3 Nicaragua 3rd Honduras depending on procurement

1/3 India Plantation 'B'

1/3 Brazil Eldorado

 

https://peaberrycoffee.co.uk/collections/signature-blends/products/peace-and-hope-blend

 

https://peaberrycoffee.co.uk/

 

The machine is:

 

 

More importantly, I'd love to hear about the family publishing memories if you'd like to. The more the better.  Indulge me.  🙂

 

Bestest

 

Jeff

 

 

 

 

Now this is a coffee machine ..... Decent Espresso .... compact, software driven that will support many recipes and techniques...... and just damn fine coffee 🙂

 

[UKCruiseJeff]

27 minutes ago, QueSeraSera said:

suddenly feeling hungry for Indian food, a new place just opened up nearby...otherwise it's off to London

 

It's weird that Brick Lane was pretty much where I was brought up and I went to school a few streets away from Brick Lane.  It was then a very poor Jewish immigrant neighborhood.  Jews would have originally got off the boats walk a few yards and unpack their machines and start tailoring or making furniture or jewellery in single rooms.  They remained there for a generation or two and then mostly moved to North London. 

 

In less than a lifetime it has now become almost 100% Bangladeshi and Asian with street signs often in at least two languages. 

 

Who knows what cuisine we'll find in 20 years from now .... it's lovely to see change.

 

Jeff

 

 

 

 

Edited May 20 by UKCruiseJeff

[UKCruiseJeff]

19 minutes ago, Downunder55 said:

 

Now this is a coffee machine ..... Decent Espresso .... compact, software driven that will support many recipes and techniques...... and just damn fine coffee 🙂

 

 

Software driven!?  In my hands, what could possibly go wrong? 😀

[QueSeraSera]

22 minutes ago, UKCruiseJeff said:

it's lovely to see change

Love that outlook

Got a Thursday lunch date with my beautiful wife (MBW?) at the new place a mile away - MBW says the owners are actually from there 🙂 - why not a great Indian cuisine lunch here in Richmond VA USA?

[UKCruiseJeff]

14 minutes ago, QueSeraSera said:

Love that outlook

Got a Thursday lunch date with my beautiful wife (MBW?) at the new place a mile away - MBW says the owners are actually from there 🙂 - why not a great Indian cuisine lunch here in Richmond VA USA?

 

That’d a lovely idea.   

 

The great thing about change is that if you are patient enough and hang around for long enough you don’t have to travel far  because everything around you changes and you can simply change your diet from chicken soup and chopped liver to curry and wonder where all your friends have gone. 

 

I have many bad memories of trying to find decent Indian food in many places in the US, although to be fair to your great country - that was some time ago.  In fact way into the last century.

 

I guess it has probably progressed since then, though from what I see on YouTube of US cuisine I am likely to be offered Tandoori Chicken Masala with a grilled cheese topping and fries. 😄

 

(Humour alert! 😀)

 

Jeff

Edited May 20 by UKCruiseJeff