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[NewFresh]

I mean no offense ! Ahhhh ;____;

I'd love to get into the science of brewing and show some of the newest tech. Coffee fest is this July and I'd love to have an OT up by then so I can show some of the great stuff they will be showcasing . I can also give some scoops on intelligentsia since I work there <3

Offense taken!

BTW, you are speaking my language...science! I think that'd be an awesome read.

 

[InfiniteBento]

I was wondering is it fine to keep whole beans in the hopper of the burr grinder? I was considering getting one instead of the chopper I have right now. Also need to get a cheap programmable coffee maker that works well

What brand of grinder are you using? It will be a lot more difficult to measure your dose if you keep beans in the hopper but if you weigh out your coffee before you brew, it shouldn't be a problem. I prefer to weigh the beans before my grind and then weigh again after. The only real issue is that air and open exposure + light are enemies of coffee. So with leaving it in the grinder, your coffee may end up a bit more on the stale side a lot quicker as well.

 

[irfaanator]

I don't simply because it becomes a bit of a pain to measure. You end up grinding to little or too much and have to adjust. By measuring out the amount I need before hand I ensure I'm getting the exact amount without any waste.

What brand of grinder are you using? It will be a lot more difficult to measure your dose if you keep beans in the hopper but if you weigh out your coffee before you brew, it shouldn't be a problem. I prefer to weigh the beans before my grind and then weigh again after. The only real issue is that air and open exposure + light are enemies of coffee. So with leaving it in the grinder, your coffee may end up a bit more on the stale side a lot quicker as well.

ah yea that makes sense. I dont know why I wasnt thinking of that. I use this grinder right now but not a big fan of the large amount of noise it generates, and Ive heard that burr grinders are better, but idk if it's that big of a deal.

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

ah yea that makes sense. I dont know why I wasnt thinking of that. I use this grinder right now but not a big fan of the large amount of noise it generates, and Ive heard that burr grinders are better, but idk if it's that big of a deal.

Burrs are certainly better

 

[Megalosaro]

What are the advantages of a french press versus a drip maker? I want something that will really bring out the flavor of my seasalt caramel beans

 

[InfiniteBento]

What are the advantages of a french press versus a drip maker? I want something that will really bring out the flavor of my seasalt caramel beans

lol

French press is full submersion. Which means there is nothing but the coffee and water in tact with a metal filter to strain out the grounds. Drip coffee uses a paper filter and has limited contact with the water so it doesn't extract as much flavor and generally doesn't give an even pour of water over the grounds. If you want to bring out a richer cup of coffee, go for the french press. Due to the submersion, it will also alter the body of the coffee. It will give you a heavier body and extract more oils from the coffee which you will notice in the mouth feel.

Hope thats insightful

 

[super-famicom]

lol

French press is full submersion. Which means there is nothing but the coffee and water in tact with a metal filter to strain out the grounds. Drip coffee uses a paper filter and has limited contact with the water so it doesn't extract as much flavor and generally doesn't give an even pour of water over the grounds. If you want to bring out a richer cup of coffee, go for the french press. Due to the submersion, it will also alter the body of the coffee. It will give you a heavier body and extract more oils from the coffee which you will notice in the mouth feel.

Hope thats insightful

Yeah, drip coffee uses paper filters which absorb a lot of the oils from the beans.

Also, sea salt caramel beans? That sounds... unique.

 

[Megalosaro]

Would a French press better bring out that sea salt caramel flavor? I'm barely tasting it with my drip maker

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

Would a French press better bring out that sea salt caramel flavor? I'm barely tasting it with my drip maker

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say there is no sea salt caramel flavor in your coffee.

 

[Megalosaro]

I can certainly smell it on the beans, but I don't taste it really.

 

[andycapps]

I can certainly smell it on the beans, but I don't taste it really.

That's generally how I find flavored coffee to be, you can smell it but not taste it. I don't really like flavored coffee, but I do prefer different types of roasts.

 

[MrDaravon]

With the Toddy is there any real difference with how long you leave the grounds soak? The instructions just say leave them 12-24 hours. I'd guess longer is better?

 

[InfiniteBento]

With the Toddy is there any real difference with how long you leave the grounds soak? The instructions just say leave them 12-24 hours. I'd guess longer is better?

The longer it soaks, the more coffee is concentrated. The stronger is will be. 24 hours is maximum though. Never go past that.

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

I can certainly smell it on the beans, but I don't taste it really.

That's almost always the case with any flavored coffee. They will smell like they're labeled, but almost never taste that way.

Even with bags from third wave roasters that have tasting notes on them you wont always taste what's described there. A big rule of thumb with tasting a new bag of coffee is to not read the notes and just taste it. You'll likely taste the fruit, sour or sweet notes that will be prominent but you may not taste exactly what is being described. For example, you may get a tart taste that reminds you of a lemon but the note describes a granny smith apple.

 

[Megalosaro]

Bought a french press and tried it out. Pretty decent but a bit too watery despite following the extraction instructions

 

[NewFresh]

The longer it soaks, the more coffee is concentrated. The stronger is will be. 24 hours is maximum though. Never go past that.

I'm going to agree with this. I did the test of seeing how 36 hours would taste, and it was not great. I would even say maybe keep it closer to 20.

 

[partyphone]

Bought a french press and tried it out. Pretty decent but a bit too watery despite following the extraction instructions

what ratio of water to beans did you use? 17 to 1 is preferred.

the biggest thing is to dial in the best coarseness of your grind. make it slightly finer each time you brew until you get the results you want.

I don't know what instructions you're using but make sure you push the plunger down about 1/2" while the coffee brews. grounds float so you want to make sure they're always fully submerged.

 

[Easystride]

Does anyone have any experience with the DeLonghi burr Coffee grinder? I want to get a burr coffee grinder, but I don't want to go over $50.00. It seems like this is the cheapest burr grinder on Amazon over 4 stars.

 

[mcfrank]

Bought a french press and tried it out. Pretty decent but a bit too watery despite following the extraction instructions

I have been french pressing every day for the last 7 years and it is not watery. Use a bit more coffee.

 

[Dice]

French press I use 3 rounded tablespoons for a 16oz mug of coffee. I also only use 8oz water to steep it and pour whole milk for the true café au lait.

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

what ratio of water to beans did you use? 17 to 1 is preferred.

17.24:1 is actually the golden ratio, but typically you aim for the 15-17 range. It comes down to the beans, grind and brew method for what dictates your ratio.

 

[irfaanator]

oh yea any good cheap ($50ish) coffee makers? I've been using the cheap mr coffee one that is pretty basic

 

[InfiniteBento]

oh yea any good cheap ($50ish) coffee makers? I've been using the cheap mr coffee one that is pretty basic

Do you want to individually brew your coffee or are you talking drip coffee maker?

 

[Warm Machine]

Thoughts on pour overs?

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

Thoughts on pour overs?

Which one? There are a few different options and each have their own quirks to them.

 

[irfaanator]

Do you want to individually brew your coffee or are you talking drip coffee maker?

drip maker

edit: just wondering if there was a tried and true one that gaf used. Otherwise I might go with this

 

[super-famicom]

Thoughts on pour overs?

I use the Hario V60 and while not an expert, can make some decent cups of coffee with it.

There are different varieties of the V60, but I use the plastic version that I bought on Amazon.

I'd really like to try out a Chemex some day.

 

[InfiniteBento]

drip maker

edit: just wondering if there was a tried and true one that gaf used. Otherwise I might go with this

That one seems solid. Programmables are great cause you can set a time and it starts your brew before you even wake up. I used to have one like that. Currently I only brew a chemex in the morning. Make sure you grind your coffee based on if its flat bottom or cone shaped, little things like that can alter the taste of your brew.

Thoughts on pour overs?

Absolutely adore them. Are you looking into a specific brand? Currently, I adore using the Kalita.

 

[ThatGayWolf]

Yeah, that's at least a full city roast, or maybe even a vienna.

IIRC, Death Wish is of the robusta variety, which contains more caffeine than the more common arabica varieties, although at a big expense in flavor -- hence the substantially darker roast, which allows to provide more consistency in flavor and mask some of the less desirable traits. Phillip Broughton over at Funranium labs uses it to make his cold brewed Black Blood of the Earth, so if you want try it in that form, that's also a possibility. I believe he discusses it at some length in an episode of TWIT's Triangulation, which can be found here.

...which I always meant to try, so thanks for this little rabbit hole. I'd also love to grab one of his lab quality steins, which sounds awesome for coffee/tea/beer.

Just came in here to see if anyone mentioned black blood, and if not, to rep black blood. It's amazing and you should get some, if only to try it. I've been sending bottles to get refilled for a while now and all the varietals I've tried have been wonderful, dark, medium, and light roasts. Even the Death Wish tasted good to me (and I've heard that robusta beans are not known for tasting very good).

Acid free coffee is now the only coffee I want.

 

[irfaanator]

That one seems solid. Programmables are great cause you can set a time and it starts your brew before you even wake up. I used to have one like that. Currently I only brew a chemex in the morning. Make sure you grind your coffee based on if its flat bottom or cone shaped, little things like that can alter the taste of your brew.



Absolutely adore them. Are you looking into a specific brand? Currently, I adore using the Kalita.

thanks

 

[Megalosaro]

Made a pretty big mistake today. My grinder runs on a time. Sent my beans through two cycles. Made the beans taste like shit.

 

[NewFresh]

Is there a way to get the EvenGrind if you didn't back the kickstarter? Also, what are the thoughts on the Handground?

I'm looking to replace my now dead Hario.

 

[Dachande]

Thoughts on pour overs?

I've been using a V60-02 for about three years and love it, but very recently got a 6-cup Chemex and love it even more because it seems impossible to fuck up. Well, I think. Unless the last three years using "Pourover Hard Mode" has trained me up and I can just inherently do good pour overs these days. Dunno.

 

[Haly]

My father bought a pack of these:

Going through a bag of the blend at the moment. I'm not sure if that's the real deal in there but damn if it isn't tasty.

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

FWIW Blue Mountain coffee is a bit overrated for a lack of a better word. The actual taste of the coffee is no better or worse than coffees from South America it's just a name that has garnished some hype because of pricing.

I've been using a V60-02 for about three years and love it, but very recently got a 6-cup Chemex and love it even more because it seems impossible to fuck up. Well, I think. Unless the last three years using "Pourover Hard Mode" has trained me up and I can just inherently do good pour overs these days. Dunno.

Definitely possible to mess up brewing on a Chemex, and any method really, but the fact you came from a V60 means you're aware of brewing techniques. The V60 is considered one of the harder methods to master amongst the pour over world.

 

[InfiniteBento]

My father bought a pack of these:

Going through a bag of the blend at the moment. I'm not sure if that's the real deal in there but damn if it isn't tasty.

The shop I used to work at before my current shop would roast Jamaican blue mountain and sell it for $45 a 16oz bag. It's a very expensive coffee when actually bought through a farm from the country. The flavor profile isn't my favorite, honestly. It's good as a single origin espresso but other than that, I have a hard time with advocating its cost.

 

[PassiveObserver]

Ever made a mug of coffee in the morning but forget to bring it with you to work?

 

[NewFresh]

Ever made a mug of coffee in the morning but forget to bring it with you to work?

Even worse. Forgetting it in the car, so I could go get it, but I'm too lazy to walk to the parking lot.

Now I feel dumb, lazy, and wasteful.

 

[purg3]

My Chemex came in today, still waiting on a separate order for a few other supplies, but I'm really looking forward to using this. Been using a french press for a while now so I'm curious to see how it compares.

 

[thespot84]

If you ever happen to travel to charlottesville VA, give yourself a present and go to mudhouse. Had this in a pourover and it blew my mind.

They also had an iced coffee on nitro that I was a day late for unfortunately. Anyone ever had that? sounds amazing?

 

[bennywhatever]

Does anyone have a favorite Decaf coffee? I like to end my days with coffee, but I'm pretty sensitive to caffeine, so I usually do Decaf. I've mostly just used Folgers because that's about all I can find at the grocery.

 

[JBourne]

If you ever happen to travel to charlottesville VA, give yourself a present and go to mudhouse. Had this in a pourover and it blew my mind.

They also had an iced coffee on nitro that I was a day late for unfortunately. Anyone ever had that? sounds amazing?

My favorite roast from my hometown coffee shop. Mudhouse is legit. Had a few friends work there over the years, and for the most part they were pretty passionate about coffee. That's an important quality in a barista for me.

You can also go to Twisted Branch a few blocks down and get some amazing tea or hummus. Or you can go to Revolutionary Soup and get an Adam's Apple, the best sandwich I've ever had (that just so happens to be the creation of my old roommate). Oh, and you can never skip Marco and Luca's if you're on the downtown mall. That's a hellworthy trespass.

 

[PsychoSoldier]

Does anyone have a favorite Decaf coffee? I like to end my days with coffee, but I'm pretty sensitive to caffeine, so I usually do Decaf. I've mostly just used Folgers because that's about all I can find at the grocery.

Not sure if it's an option for you but if I would try to find a local coffee roaster if you can. That way it'll be super fresh and probably still tasty.

As far as brands are concerned, I like the Gevalia and if you want instant the Mount Hagen Organic is quite good for instant.

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

My Chemex came in today, still waiting on a separate order for a few other supplies, but I'm really looking forward to using this. Been using a french press for a while now so I'm curious to see how it compares.

It's going to be completely different. A Chemex is about the cleanest cup of coffee you can make because of filter thickness. A french press allows a lot more oil and impurities through since it's just a metal sieve.

 

[RELAYER]

I drink coffee a lot and want to explore it beyond the realm of Folgers + $20 drip coffee maker from Walmart.

I suppose a French press, grinder, and whole beans would be a good place to start?

I see the whole beans at the grocery store but I've always been too afraid to buy them. I don't know how the dispensers work or how they are rung up at the cashier, and I have visions of tons of coffee beans rushing in an avalanche all to the floor.

 

[GatorBait]

I drink coffee a lot and want to explore it beyond the realm of Folgers + $20 drip coffee maker from Walmart.

I suppose a French press, grinder, and whole beans would be a good place to start?

That would be my recommendation. Cheap French press + Hario Mini Mill Slim grinder (assuming you are only grinding for yourself). That won't be a big investment and can get your feet wet trying better coffee.

I see the whole beans at the grocery store but I've always been too afraid to buy them. I don't know how the dispensers work or how they are rung up at the cashier, and I have visions of tons of coffee beans rushing in an avalanche all to the floor.

Depending on where you live, you can likely find local coffee shops that either roast their own beans, or use beans roasted from a local wholesaler. You can always do that. Bags of whole beans also can be found in grocery stores (you don't need to mess around with the big dispensers).

Personally, I've never used one of those dispensers, but I did spend a good 10 minutes taking a look at their selection and how they worked when I was at the grocery store last month.

 

[bennywhatever]

Not sure if it's an option for you but if I would try to find a local coffee roaster if you can. That way it'll be super fresh and probably still tasty.

As far as brands are concerned, I like the Gevalia and if you want instant the Mount Hagen Organic is quite good for instant.

Found Gevalia at my grocery, they had 1 more Decaf left. I just made some and it's goooooooooooooooooood. Thanks for the recommendation!

 

[Glitchfire]

Best solution for a frugal college student?

Has to meet the crossroads of economy - size - convenience

I know a Keurig isn't that economical. But there are always k-cups on slickdeals at a good price. I think I am going to bite the bullet and get one. It seems very convenient.

 

[Haly]

French Press + Pre-ground coffee + something to boil water in

 

[GatorBait]

Best solution for a frugal college student?

Hs to meet the crossroads of economy - size - convenience

I know a Keurig isn't that economical. But there are always k-cups on slickdeals at a good price. I think I am going to bite the bullet and get one. It seems very convenient.

I feel like Keurigs only have one of those 3 requirements: convenience (which taste is also arguably sacrificed for).