Coffee |OT| Taste as good as it smells

rbanke said:
I'm looking for a new brew method. I currently use the Aeropress most often but many times I want more than it will make in one brew, in those cases I use my french press but I don't care for the murkiness of the cup it puts out as much and the cleanup is quite involved compared to the Aeropress. I've really liked the coffee I've had from a Chemex and am wondering if there is a general preference in Chemex vs Hario (or anything else) for consistency, ease of use, etc. I currently have a cheapo electric kettle so I'm assuming that I'll have to buy a pour over kettle to get good consistent results too.
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I've been getting pretty good results using a Clever Brewer. It lands somewhere between French press and pour over, but is pretty forgiving as far as temperature and pour are concerned. Basically you just pour water on the grounds, steep and then drain it into a cup after a couple minutes. It's become my new standard after 3 years of Aeropress.
 
I'm in desperate need of help with my Chemex technique. For whatever reason, it's rare my pour yields a clean cup of coffee; it almost always has a certain grassy bitterness no matter which beans I'm using. I do have a scale, and I do have a Porlex JP-30 grinder. It might just be that I'm making less coffee than is ideal for the tools at hand (28 grams of coffee, 460g of water).

Can anyone point me in the direction of a good Chemex guide?
 
Jimmy Stav said:
I'm in desperate need of help with my Chemex technique. For whatever reason, it's rare my pour yields a clean cup of coffee; it almost always has a certain grassy bitterness no matter which beans I'm using. I do have a scale, and I do have a Porlex JP-30 grinder. It might just be that I'm making less coffee than is ideal for the tools at hand (28 grams of coffee, 460g of water).

Can anyone point me in the direction of a good Chemex guide?
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Maybe something like this? I'm not a Chemex user so can't really help. Honestly, it's way too complicated for me which is why I stick with French Press, but I won't turn down a cup of coffee from a Chemex if someone else feels like going through the trouble.
 
Ordered 1kg of a "savannah" blend - mix of ugandan, malawi and Zimbabwean beans, just finished a cup of it.

w7fQXgC.jpg


If you're an aussie, would recommend when they get some back in stock. Citrus/fruity which goes into a savoury taste with a small hint of cocoa.

http://www.safariroast.com.au/savanna-blend/
 
I'm currently moving out of my parents' and I'm a big espresso fan. I'm looking for a relatively cheap espresso machine for my first apartment, my budget would be between $100 and $150.

I've looked around online and on Amazon and unless there's an obvious choice I'm missing, I've narrowed it down to those two:

DeLonghi EC155 - Very well reviewed for its price, around $100 on Amazon.
Breville Café Roma ESP8XL - Slightly more expensive at $150, but it looks more durable.

If you had a choice to do for an espresso machine on a (very) tight budget, which would you guys choose?

Is the Breville worth it for $50 more or should I settle for the DeLonghi?
 
RevoDS said:
I'm currently moving out of my parents' and I'm a big espresso fan. I'm looking for a relatively cheap espresso machine for my first apartment, my budget would be between $100 and $150.

I've looked around online and on Amazon and unless there's an obvious choice I'm missing, I've narrowed it down to those two:

DeLonghi EC155 - Very well reviewed for its price, around $100 on Amazon.
Breville Café Roma ESP8XL - Slightly more expensive at $150, but it looks more durable.

If you had a choice to do for an espresso machine on a (very) tight budget, which would you guys choose?

Is the Breville worth it for $50 more or should I settle for the DeLonghi?
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Never used a breville coffee machine.But I owned a smaller delonghi machine before it was ok but only made one drink at a time and took ages to make a couple. I currently have a delonghi eco310 and I really like it. If I was you I would spend as much as you can afford because your probably going to use it every day.
 
So I want to make a big batch of iced coffee to have in the fridge to grab for work in the morning. What's the preferred method/recipe for iced coffee these days? Brew strong coffee and pour over ice?
 
^-- If you like your coffee really strong, pour half of the cold brew into ice cubes, freeze, and use those coffee cubes to cool off your coffee instead of using regular ice, which dilutes it.
 
andycapps said:
No, brewed coffee that you cool off will turn bitter. The way to do it is to cold brew. You end up with a concentrate and then you can add your ice cubes, or water, and milk if you desire.
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So I did this recipe, but 3.5 cups of water to 1.75 cups of coffee is super sludge and wouldn't have made barely one serving, so I ended up adding more water.

Drinking it this morning, it's still a bit bitter. I used a dark roast, should I have gone light? I let it steep 24 hours, maybe that was too long as well.
 
RevoDS said:
I'm currently moving out of my parents' and I'm a big espresso fan. I'm looking for a relatively cheap espresso machine for my first apartment, my budget would be between $100 and $150.

I've looked around online and on Amazon and unless there's an obvious choice I'm missing, I've narrowed it down to those two:

DeLonghi EC155 - Very well reviewed for its price, around $100 on Amazon.
Breville Café Roma ESP8XL - Slightly more expensive at $150, but it looks more durable.

If you had a choice to do for an espresso machine on a (very) tight budget, which would you guys choose?

Is the Breville worth it for $50 more or should I settle for the DeLonghi?
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Neither, it's not going to be even remotely comparable to what you enjoy. On that budget you're better off just buying brewers that can get you stronger cups of coffee (moka pot for example) and picking up a grinder.
 
Deepack said:
I like my coffee how I like my metal. Black.

But it seems my body can't really cope with the caffeine. This noon I drank three cups, and I've been in hyper nervous mode ever since. Lights are also way too bright and are giving me a headache.

Is this normal?
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Do you always drink three cups, and in what seems to be a rapid succession? Your body also may metabolize caffeine slower than others, which is why it's having a harder affect on you.
 
Deadly Cyclone said:
So I did this recipe, but 3.5 cups of water to 1.75 cups of coffee is super sludge and wouldn't have made barely one serving, so I ended up adding more water.

Drinking it this morning, it's still a bit bitter. I used a dark roast, should I have gone light? I let it steep 24 hours, maybe that was too long as well.
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You ended up watering it down when you drank it, right? When you make cold brew like this, it makes a concentrate, you don't want to drink that straight. As far as the bitterness, you could run it through a paper filter or two if you like. I'm not the best person to ask about cold brew, I've only done it a couple times and it's been a couple years. Too much work. Haha
 
Deadly Cyclone said:
So I did this recipe, but 3.5 cups of water to 1.75 cups of coffee is super sludge and wouldn't have made barely one serving, so I ended up adding more water.

Drinking it this morning, it's still a bit bitter. I used a dark roast, should I have gone light? I let it steep 24 hours, maybe that was too long as well.
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Your grind was too fine, it needs to be more coarse. 24 hours is also too long for cold brew that is just steeping. Whether I do a full 12oz bag or 2oz at a time I only let it steep for 6-8 hours.
 
andycapps said:
You ended up watering it down when you drank it, right? When you make cold brew like this, it makes a concentrate, you don't want to drink that straight. As far as the bitterness, you could run it through a paper filter or two if you like. I'm not the best person to ask about cold brew, I've only done it a couple times and it's been a couple years. Too much work. Haha
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Ah, watering it down makes sense. I basically watered it down while brewing by adding more water. I put it through a paper filter too to strain it, but it took forever.

TarpitCarnivore said:
Your grind was too fine, it needs to be more coarse. 24 hours is also too long for cold brew that is just steeping. Whether I do a full 12oz bag or 2oz at a time I only let it steep for 6-8 hours.
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Figured that might be the case, I'll do a more coarse grind next time and leave it brewing for less time.

What's your water to coffee ratio? When you serve it do you just pour it over ice, or add water?
 
Deadly Cyclone said:
Figured that might be the case, I'll do a more coarse grind next time and leave it brewing for less time.

What's your water to coffee ratio? When you serve it do you just pour it over ice, or add water?
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In the Toddy it's 12oz coffee to 7 cups of water, in the Cold Bruer it's 2oz coffee to 3 cups of water. These are the instructions given with each vessel, but they're different types of brew methods. Toddy is steep, whereas the Bruer is kyoto drip style.

If I'm drinking straight cold brew I do a nearly 1:1 of coffee to milk/water, usually an oz or two more of milk/water. If I'm doing a Japanese style cold brew (hot brew over ice) I'll fill up my 4-cup Hario carafe to the top and brew directly over with a ratio of 20g coffee to 320g water.
 
biggersmaller said:
Drinking this as I read. So good.
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I've always enjoyed a cup of great coffee. After reading through coffee gaf, I felt inspired to get the Hario Burr grinder (the one that uses a suction cup to stick to a table) . Curious about the Dunkin' Donuts brand that gets repeatedly mentioned, I paid through the nose to get an imported bag of beans via eBay (I'm in the uk, where DD shops are extremely rare).

Just enjoying the first cup now (French press). So good, thanks Gaf.
 
After several years of using an aeropress & french press I am now exploring the pour over side. I bought a Kalita (185) pour over and went from my old crappy electric kettle to a Bonavita gooseneck electric kettle that I can specify temperature and man this makes such a great cup. I always shied away from pour over thinking it was too complicated but man its easy and cleans up super fast I am loving it. The only downside is it's showing the weakness in my crappy Krups burr grinder. It's far too inconsistent of a grind and I think it's time to upgrade. I'm trying to decide if I want the Baratza Encore or Virtuoso.


Such a strange place for me considering I never liked coffee my whole life and switched to black coffee simply to replace caffeine from soda and now its something I really love.
 
rbanke said:
After several years of using an aeropress & french press I am now exploring the pour over side. I bought a Kalita (185) pour over and went from my old crappy electric kettle to a Bonavita gooseneck electric kettle that I can specify temperature and man this makes such a great cup. I always shied away from pour over thinking it was too complicated but man its easy and cleans up super fast I am loving it. The only downside is it's showing the weakness in my crappy Krups burr grinder. It's far too inconsistent of a grind and I think it's time to upgrade. I'm trying to decide if I want the Baratza Encore or Virtuoso.


Such a strange place for me considering I never liked coffee my whole life and switched to black coffee simply to replace caffeine from soda and now its something I really love.
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Go for the Baratza. The grinder rate is faster + it weighs less. Unless you have an espresso machine and need the doser included in the Virtuoso then go for that instead.

Personally, from working 3 years in the professional coffee industry as a latte artist and connoisseur of coffee, I've spoken with people about the two grinders several times and most have better experiences with the Baratza. Especially for homebrewing. Its also higher reviewed in comparison.

Its really awesome that you've grown to love black coffee over soda. There are some incredible companies you should try out with your new V60 (pourover setup). It really brings out some incredible flavor profiles in comparison to french press or aeropress. Eventually you should look into getting a chemex too! Chemex's emphasize the underlying qualities of coffee and showcase the coffees more subtle notes. Its one of my favorite brewing methods, honestly.
 
when I run out of stuff from my local roaster and am too lazy to drive over there, I get some Cafe Bustelo at CVS for like $3 a bag and it's damn good. sometimes I wonder why I don't just get that instead of paying $10 a lb.
 
kick51 said:
when I run out of stuff from my local roaster and am too lazy to drive over there, I get some Cafe Bustelo at CVS for like $3 a bag and it's damn good. sometimes I wonder why I don't just get that instead of paying $10 a lb.
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That stuff is pretty damn good actually, and is the best for a Café Cubano.
 
InfiniteBento said:
Go for the Baratza. The grinder rate is faster + it weighs less. Unless you have an espresso machine and need the doser included in the Virtuoso then go for that instead.

Personally, from working 3 years in the professional coffee industry as a latte artist and connoisseur of coffee, I've spoken with people about the two grinders several times and most have better experiences with the Baratza. Especially for homebrewing. Its also higher reviewed in comparison.

Its really awesome that you've grown to love black coffee over soda. There are some incredible companies you should try out with your new V60 (pourover setup). It really brings out some incredible flavor profiles in comparison to french press or aeropress. Eventually you should look into getting a chemex too! Chemex's emphasize the underlying qualities of coffee and showcase the coffees more subtle notes. Its one of my favorite brewing methods, honestly.
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I'm guessing you mean the Encore? ;) Yea, that is what I've been leaning towards, especially since learning the Encore was recently updated to include the better burr mechanism of the higher up models. I'll eventually get a Chemex it looks pretty neat. Thanks for the tips!
 
Spring-Loaded said:
Is this superior to french press?
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It's pretty different. I would put it closer to a pour-over than a french press. A lot more rich of a taste, if that makes sense.

Funny enough, vacuum pots were popular well before drip coffee was around and only now are starting to regain popularity. I think they look pretty awesome and have been meaning to get one myself.
 
I have a problem with coffee upsetting my stomach and making me go to the restroom.
Is there a fix for that?
I really want to be able to drink more coffee.
 
72afael said:
I have a problem with coffee upsetting my stomach and making me go to the restroom.
Is there a fix for that?
I really want to be able to drink more coffee.
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What are you putting in your coffee? Also how much are you putting in.
Where are you getting your coffee?
Have you tried decaf?
 
Caffeine is a natural diuretic so it's normal as long as it isn't giving you indigestion or anything.

And yeah, drinking coffee on an empty stomach will increase the rate of absorption just like with alcohol.
 
72afael said:
I have a problem with coffee upsetting my stomach and making me go to the restroom.
Is there a fix for that?
I really want to be able to drink more coffee.
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The acidity of the coffee plays a huge part in this too. You need to be counter intuitive and drink darker roasted coffees. The darker the roast, the more the acids will be burned away. Of course, the dark roast may damage some of the flavor profiles, but it will be easier on your stomach.
 
Any tips on how much coffee should I put in my French Press and how much time should I brew it for?
I've tried different ways to do it, but I cannot make a "good" cup of coffee.
 
kami_sama said:
Any tips on how much coffee should I put in my French Press and how much time should I brew it for?
I've tried different ways to do it, but I cannot make a "good" cup of coffee.
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http://brewmethods.com/

Look in the 'Press' section. Realistically there is no 100% right or wrong to make coffee. There is an ideal golden ratio, but it's more of a starting point than anything else. Just go through the link above and try out the different ones there. Stick with the one you like the most.
 
Really thinking of getting a Moka pot within the next few weeks. How's everyone's experiences with it? Better flavors? Any negatives? Ease of use? I feel like I'd enjoy it more than a press.
 
abstract alien said:
Really thinking of getting a Moka pot within the next few weeks. How's everyone's experiences with it? Better flavors? Any negatives? Ease of use? I feel like I'd enjoy it more than a press.
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The convenience is my favorite part. Tends to make a thicker more intense cup of coffee. I've found it works well with light roasts as sometimes a dark roast can almost be too intense (depends on what you like though).

Be sure to understand that a moka makes a small cup of coffee. They size the "cups" for demetasse cups.
 
Got back from Costa Rica last week. While I was there I bought a pound of local coffee beans. It's some good stuff!

I'm going to try a blind taste test between my Aeropress and Keurig, using the same freshly ground beans this weekend. To be honest, I'm sort of worried I won't be able to tell the difference, but we'll see!

Whether it's some mental bias or what, I don't know, but I've really been loving my Aeropress.
 
Easy_G said:
The convenience is my favorite part. Tends to make a thicker more intense cup of coffee. I've found it works well with light roasts as sometimes a dark roast can almost be too intense (depends on what you like though).

Be sure to understand that a moka makes a small cup of coffee. They size the "cups" for demetasse cups.
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Ah, that is great information. I guess I'll get the 6 cup instead of the 3, just to be safe.
 
Okay so I never drink coffee (I have never developed a liking of the taste) but I decided to just drink some today absent mindedly while typing up some big papers.

I'm fucking dying here like 4 cups in at 2 o clock on some generic black stuff. I'm shaking and can barely type this. Oh god what have I done.

Someone help.

Like I just want to be locked in a dark closet for hours or something.
 
SteveWinwood said:
Okay so I never drink coffee (I have never developed a liking of the taste) but I decided to just drink some today absent mindedly while typing up some big papers.

I'm fucking dying here like 4 cups in at 2 o clock on some generic black stuff. I'm shaking and can barely type this. Oh god what have I done.

Someone help.

Like I just want to be locked in a dark closet for hours or something.
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Not much you can do. You took in a lot of caffeine for someone who never drinks any coffee. Best bet might be to just go exercise.
 
TarpitCarnivore said:
Not much you can do. You took in a lot of caffeine for someone who never drinks any coffee. Best bet might be to just go exercise.
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Yeah it's my fault, I'll have a funny anecdote though!

I don't consume any caffeine regularly in any form (and I want to say I'm fairly sensitive to it but I never really get any so I can't say for sure) so this was just a bad idea all around!
 
SteveWinwood said:
Yeah it's my fault, I'll have a funny anecdote though!

I don't consume any caffeine regularly in any form (and I want to say I'm fairly sensitive to it but I never really get any so I can't say for sure) so this was just a bad idea all around!
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If you're sensitive you may not metabolize caffeine in a fast manner.

Seriously go workout in some manner. Get on an exercise bike and just pedal for an hour or two.
 
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