Coffee |OT| Taste as good as it smells

bob page said:
If you live in NYC, go to Stumptown. It's better than Blue Bottle and is one of the best roasts I've ever had.
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harrumph... stumptown got bought out 6 months ago (although I haven't been there in a while - so I can't really comment), and blue bottle has some of the best roasts i've ever had :(

different tastes?

grumpy probably has my favorite espresso in the city (although they change it all the time, and it's one of the more expensive ones)

i'm always a fan of ecco, so Joe is my go to spot usually
 
I don't know about ranking and "best" and all that, but I had a really good espresso at Think Coffee on Bowery and Bleecker a few weeks ago. I recommend it.

Also they have a delicious chocolate truffle cake, or something like that.
 
mac said:
I wouldn't call it the holy grail. That's like saying such-and-such is the Holy Grail of beers. They all taste good in their own ways. It is indeed great. I've had those beans roasted right off the trees, that was fun.

It looks like I'm doing everything right to get my french press in order. I just don't like the taste. Oh well, you can't enjoy them all. Maybe someday I'll change.
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Hmm, I've had quite a few different blends. I've had some from Kenya that I believe is called Blue Mountain. Believe it's the kind that the animals poop out the beans or some such. That one was pretty good, had kind of a chocolatey taste.

Had some that my father in law brought back from Columbia which was quite good.

Not sure what's up with your French Press. It could be that it just doesn't click with you. What kind of blend are you using and what are the measurements? How long are you letting the water sit before you do the plunge? I'm using 8.5 grams of coffee per 4 oz of water.

You guys in NYC should check out Jittery Joes, believe they have a location on East 45th.
 
GiJoccin said:
harrumph... stumptown got bought out 6 months ago (although I haven't been there in a while - so I can't really comment), and blue bottle has some of the best roasts i've ever had :(

different tastes?

grumpy probably has my favorite espresso in the city (although they change it all the time, and it's one of the more expensive ones)

i'm always a fan of ecco, so Joe is my go to spot usually
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I'm a big fan of Grumpy, too (probably my #2, Stumptown takes #1 because I like their location at ACE).

I actually just tried Joe at Columbia this past weekend, was pretty impressed.
 
This is one most of people here have never heard of, it's called Caffè alla Valdostana and is typical of some Italian mountain regions.

It is supposed to be drunk very hot, it has some grappa(spirit) in it - so essentially is akin to Irish coffee - and it is drunk using a weird thing called "grolla", each person takes a shot from an individual spout then passes it to his neighbour and so on.

I tried a couple of times and I remember it was quite challenging.

Here's a couple of photographs to give an idea.

marco%20alla%20grolla.jpg


valle_d_aosta_p031--420x520.jpg
 
After ditching the coffee bags at my supermarket, I did a little scouring on Amazon and tried both of these:

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Both are absolutely fantastic. Beautiful aroma and hardly bitter.

I'm going to Jamaica in March and I'll be bringing back several bags of Blue Mountain. If any SoCal gaffers would like a bag, I'd be happy to get them one.
 
Eclipsis said:
After ditching the coffee bags at my supermarket, I did a little scouring on Amazon and tried both of these:

Both are absolutely fantastic. Beautiful aroma and hardly bitter.

I'm going to Jamaica in March and I'll be bringing back several bags of Blue Mountain. If any SoCal gaffers would like a bag, I'd be happy to get them one.
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I've had that Kona blend before and really enjoyed it. Nice of you to offer to share your bounty with the SoCal gaffers out there!


Also if we are talking about great coffee places:

Pittsburgh-GAF listen up:


La Prima Espresso Company - Be warned, There are usually old Italian men yelling, but they can be nice.

Amarabica - Smaller place, but when the owner is around....dat espresso

Coffee tree Roasters (Walnut street) - Great blend and nice environment

61c caffe - They have a "whatever happens, happens" attitude for their coffee. But surprisingly it is pretty damn good .

I would love to hear more to try.
 
Ever tried Keurig stuff? Donut House ain't bad. I think I'll stick to grinding beans, though. Maxim is the only instant I have ever liked. I'm thinking about getting a 100 pack for those times I'm lazy or out of milk.
 
Dice said:
Ever tried Keurig stuff? Donut House ain't bad. I think I'll stick to grinding beans, though. Maxim is the only instant I have ever liked. I'm thinking about getting a 100 pack for those times I'm lazy or out of milk.
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I don't really like any of the Keurig things. They're good for a caffeine fix, but the quality is barely above instant coffee powder. For what they are they're good, I guess. Meaning that the ability to brew a cup in 10 seconds is nice, but you get what you pay for/spend time doing.
 
So I like coffee, but I'm not much of an enthusiast. Any coffee I've ever had is usually from some random coffee shop. I really like black coffee and I know there are a few different blends, but how should I approach better understanding and appreciating it?
 
I have a French Press at work now. They do not have a coffee maker here and try to sell us some shit they call coffee out of a vending machine (which all the older guys here in the office still drink). My co-worker had brought a water-boiler for tea, so I bought a French press and make fresh coffee every morning.

Only thing I haven't nailed down is the coffee grind size, as the pre-ground coffee leaves some sludge in my cup and a very bitter taste at the end of the cup. May have to grind my own.
 
andycapps said:
I don't really like any of the Keurig things. They're good for a caffeine fix, but the quality is barely above instant coffee powder. For what they are they're good, I guess. Meaning that the ability to brew a cup in 10 seconds is nice, but you get what you pay for/spend time doing.
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I've enjoyed some of the tea's and apple cider k-cups. Coffee has been hit or miss. I actually do not like the "Donut House" k-cup. I've found Breakfast Blend and Columbian Trade Select to be ok.
 
Lonestar said:
I've enjoyed some of the tea's and apple cider k-cups. Coffee has been hit or miss. I actually do not like the "Donut House" k-cup. I've found Breakfast Blend and Columbian Trade Select to be ok.
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I have one for when I am lazy. I like any of Green Mountain's stuff really. Their Colombian Fair Trade is great.
 
Lonestar said:
I've enjoyed some of the tea's and apple cider k-cups. Coffee has been hit or miss. I actually do not like the "Donut House" k-cup. I've found Breakfast Blend and Columbian Trade Select to be ok.
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I actually think the hot cocoa one is pretty good. I agree on the tea and apple cider things. I just haven't had any coffee ones yet that are actually good. Though I don't own one so I've only used them at friends' houses.
 
Deadly Cyclone said:
Only thing I haven't nailed down is the coffee grind size, as the pre-ground coffee leaves some sludge in my cup and a very bitter taste at the end of the cup. May have to grind my own.
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Where are you getting your pre-ground coffee beans? Your beans have to be grounded specifically for a french press, meaning it has to be more coarse than you would for a paper drip.

I've been very curious to try turkish coffee for the longest time and I don't know where I can find some.
 
Wow. I thought I was pretty big into coffee until I came into this thread. Turns out that I am pretty far behind!

I have a coffee maker at home, thats it. The one that takes the little cone shaped (#4 size) paper filters. And usually I either buy the pre-ground Dunkin' Donuts coffee (I dig their seasonals like Pumpkin, and the Strawberry Cheesecake one) or grind my own using the machine/bean selection in the grocery store.

I have been thinking of leveling up my coffee game though. I recently made my 5 year milestone at work and we have this catalog to pick through with physical "rewards" and the only thing that interested me was an espresso machine. I've never had espresso before, but I'm tempted to pick it and try. Hell it's free.

I've also been very interested in getting myself a french press for quite a long time. But I am the type of person who always needs milk and sugar in his coffee so I feel that it might be a waste on me :(
 
Deadly Cyclone said:
I have one for when I am lazy. I like any of Green Mountain's stuff really. Their Colombian Fair Trade is great.
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Yeah, that's the one. I constantly get the words wrong on that, when I describe it to people :jnc

The cider one is good, but it's better to stir it with a cinnamon stick.

Dunkin's K-Cups are ok, but does not come closer to touching Dunkin's coffee from the shop. Maybe it's the cream they use, or the Styrofoam cups.

I'm not a coffee connoisseur, but 80% of the time I drink coffee, its from Dunkin Donuts. Hopelessly addicted to the stuff. Medium Cup, Cream & Sugar and 2 Old Fashion Donuts. GOooooooddd, I'm going to go AWOL from work now.
 
So what whole bean coffee brew has the most caffeine kick to it out there? Lke say if I walked into a Starbucks or 7-11 & needed a cup of the aforementioned?
 
Find a local coffee roaster. Buy an Aeropress. You won't be able to go back to Dunkin, Tims, or Starbucks.

Seriously...big name coffee is garbage. Why? It's not fresh. Coffee loses a lot of its flavor after ~2 weeks or so. When you're drinking something like Starbucks, you're not actually tasting the coffee, all you're tasting is the burnt taste from roasting. Good coffee is very flavorful and does not taste burnt, sour, or bitter.

Deefuzz said:
Wow. I thought I was pretty big into coffee until I came into this thread. Turns out that I am pretty far behind!

I have a coffee maker at home, thats it. The one that takes the little cone shaped (#4 size) paper filters. And usually I either buy the pre-ground Dunkin' Donuts coffee (I dig their seasonals like Pumpkin, and the Strawberry Cheesecake one) or grind my own using the machine/bean selection in the grocery store.

I have been thinking of leveling up my coffee game though. I recently made my 5 year milestone at work and we have this catalog to pick through with physical "rewards" and the only thing that interested me was an espresso machine. I've never had espresso before, but I'm tempted to pick it and try. Hell it's free.

I've also been very interested in getting myself a french press for quite a long time. But I am the type of person who always needs milk and sugar in his coffee so I feel that it might be a waste on me :(
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Get an Aeropress. It's cheap: ~$30. It will produce better coffee than French Press (which tends to produce good tasting, albeit gritty coffee). It's a little sensitive though...water temperature, steep time, stir time, and grind quality matter a lot. Get yourself a good burr grinder. If you want to get that espresso machine (assuming it's a real espresso machine), you'll want a burr grinder that can produce a very fine grind. Sadly, that means spending $250+ on something like a Baratza Virtuoso Precisio.
 
jasonng said:
Where are you getting your pre-ground coffee beans? Your beans have to be grounded specifically for a french press, meaning it has to be more coarse than you would for a paper drip.

I've been very curious to try turkish coffee for the longest time and I don't know where I can find some.
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This, if you can't grind it yourself with a burr grinder at a very coarse setting each time before you make it, you need to have the coffee shop grind it at a coarse setting for you. You really should grind it just before you use it, but you can get by with someone grinding it in advance, I suppose.

Urban Scholar said:
So what whole bean coffee brew has the most caffeine kick to it out there? Lke say if I walked into a Starbucks or 7-11 & needed a cup of the aforementioned?
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Whole bean coffee brew? I'm not sure what you're talking about. 7-11 is probably not brewing their coffee from freshly ground beans. Starbucks is okay and they do grind their beans, if that's what you're asking. The amount of caffeine depends on the beans and the particular roast of that blend.
 
Also need to rep the suggestion of finding a local coffee roaster. The difference is quality is staggering and you're helping to support a local business.

Urban Scholar said:
So what whole bean coffee brew has the most caffeine kick to it out there? Lke say if I walked into a Starbucks or 7-11 & needed a cup of the aforementioned?
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Go in to Starbucks and ask them for 4 shots of espresso in a cup. That's probably your best bet, caffeine-wise. You could also ask them for a red eye or a Canadiano, 8oz of brewed coffee + 1 or 2 shots of espresso.

At 7-11 your best bet is to buy a coffee and dump a 5 hour energy into it. There's no way really manipulate the caffeine there.

If you're asking what beans have the most caffeine, that can be a hard question to answer. Technically, with the way most people make coffee, the lighter the roast the better. However, the difference in caffeine between a dark roasted coffee and a lightly roasted coffee is small and barely worth worrying about.
 
A common misconception with coffee is that espresso will have more caffeine than brewed coffee and while this is true per volume (1 oz of espresso will have more caffeine than 1 oz of coffee), if you're looking to get as much caffeine as you can your best bet is to get the coffee as you'll be drinking much more and it is cheaper. There is 75mg of caffeine in 1 oz of espresso while brewed coffee is closer to 20mg per 1 oz.

http://www.starbucks.ca/assets/sjb12-19082-bev-nutrition-web.pdf
 
Nottyboxers said:
A common misconception with coffee is that espresso will have more caffeine than brewed coffee and while this is true per volume (1 oz of espresso will have more caffeine than 1 oz of coffee), if you're looking to get as much caffeine as you can your best bet is to get the coffee as you'll be drinking much more and it is cheaper. There is 75mg of caffeine in 1 oz of espresso while brewed coffee is closer to 20mg per 1 oz.

http://www.starbucks.ca/assets/sjb12-19082-bev-nutrition-web.pdf
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Yeah, the only reason why espresso feels "harder" is because of its acidity and "strength".

To compare, a grande Americano has much less caffiene than a grande drip coffee.
 
The Canadiano is really the best of both worlds (not factoring cost). Up to 270mg of caffeine in an 8oz serving.
 
To be fair, an Americano is just water with espresso. Specifically in Starbucks' case, their medium Americano has three espresso shots.
 
morningbus said:
The Canadiano is really the best of both worlds (not factoring cost). Up to 270mg of caffeine in an 8oz serving.
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Isn't the Canadiano the exact same thing as an Americano? Water + espresso?

jasonng said:
To be fair, an Americano is just water with espresso. Specifically in Starbucks' case, their medium Americano has three espresso shots.
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The Starbucks grande has 16 fl oz: 13 oz of water and 3 oz of espresso. 3 oz of espresso is roughly equal to 225 mg of caffiene. Drip coffee would be about 320 mg at 16 oz.
 
SRG01 said:
Isn't the Canadiano the exact same thing as an Americano? Water + espresso?
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I explained it in my previous post. A Canadiano is 6 to 8 oz of brewed coffee + 1 to 2 shots of espresso. It's like an Americano, but made with coffee instead of water.
 
Deefuzz said:
That's my other standby. Dunkin Donuts and Eight O'Clock if I am buying already ground bags. Pretty darn tasty to me, and the price is right!
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Both so terrible. They don't even taste like coffee to me. I swear it's like a different breed of bean or something that attracts an entirely different group of people.
 
I just started drinking coffee this week. For years the only coffee I ever tried was Starbucks or restaurant coffee. I never liked it because it tasted sour and acidic.

Someone made me an espresso from freshly ground beans from a local roaster and the difference in flavor was astounding. She ended up giving me a basic Braun espresso machine and a small grinder. I was thinking about ordering an aeropress as well.

What do you guys like to use for making coffee at home?

Also, how do you end up picking blends of coffee beans? My local shop has 20 or so blends from Larry's Beans and Bald Guy Brewing. DO you have certain regions that you enjoy?
 
Dice said:
Both so terrible. They don't even taste like coffee to me. I swear it's like a different breed of bean or something that attracts an entirely different group of people.
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What do you recommend then? I am always open to trying something new. Apologies if I missed it earlier in the thread.

Of the one's I've tried off of the shelf, I found these to be ok for something quick, simple and cheap. I used to do the whole "Millstone grind in store" thing but for some reason just started picking up these pre-ground bags.

I plan on eventually getting my own grinder so I can move on to something better, so I definitely welcome any suggestions.
 
I prefer using a french press and lighter roasts. Well-rated beans from Costa Rica and Papua New Guinea are usually great for a decent price.

Jamaica Blue Mountain and Kona are exceptional, but generally not worth the high price. Kona is a bit more worth it if you're in the mood since it is more of a unique taste you can't get anywhere else. For either of them, getting them second hand almost defeats the purpose of going so high-grade. You definitely want to get some that are roasted locally and enjoy it as soon as possible.

Mexican beans generally seem to be better than Guatemalan, and I usually don't like the taste of African or mainland Asian beans. Colombian is, to me, textbook coffee. Good? Yes, but in a "default coffee" kind of way, yet that may just be due my experiences. In terms of flavor descriptions of coffees, anything that says "spicy" is a red flag. Those usually taste like shit to me.

While I prefer lighter roasts, that's just goes with my most common purpose of drinking coffee, which is with milk (not exactly latte since I don't steam the milk and it's brewed strong in a french press instead of espresso machine) and in the morning. I can perfectly well enjoy darker roasts, even ones with a tobacco flavor, it just needs to be in the right context, maybe with biscotti or a couple pieces of dark chocolate or something.
 
Dice said:
I prefer using a french press and lighter roasts. Well-rated beans from Costa Rica and Papua New Guinea are usually great for a decent price.

Jamaica Blue Mountain and Kona are exceptional, but generally not worth the high price. Kona is a bit more worth it if you're in the mood since it is more of a unique taste you can't get anywhere else. For either of them, getting them second hand almost defeats the purpose of going so high-grade. You definitely want to get some that are roasted locally and enjoy it as soon as possible.

Mexican beans generally seem to be better than Guatemalan, and I usually don't like the taste of African or mainland Asian beans. Colombian is, to me, textbook coffee. Good? Yes, but in a "default coffee" kind of way, yet that may just be due my experiences. In terms of flavor descriptions of coffees, anything that says "spicy" is a red flag. Those usually taste like shit to me.

While I prefer lighter roasts, that's just goes with my most common purpose of drinking coffee, which is with milk (not exactly latte since I don't steam the milk and it's brewed strong in a french press instead of espresso machine) and in the morning. I can perfectly well enjoy darker roasts, even ones with a tobacco flavor, it just needs to be in the right context, maybe with biscotti or a couple pieces of dark chocolate or something.
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Awesome post! Thanks for the advice. :)
 
Deefuzz said:
What do you recommend then? I am always open to trying something new. Apologies if I missed it earlier in the thread.
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If you have a Meijer near you, get their store brand, the Costa Rica High Ground (blue bag, not La Sonrisa) from their Gold selection. If you do get a grinder, get their Organic House Blend whole beans (outstanding for the price), not to be confused with their normal house blend.

Seattle's Best #3 is also good... or at least I think it is 3, maybe it's 2... It's very smooth and nutty. Almost a little too smooth, so sometimes I would mix the grounds with the Meijer Gold Costa Rican grounds, which are brighter and more complex. When it gets bitter cold, I actually like Starbucks Yukon blend. It's really... hearty.
 
Dice said:
I prefer using a french press and lighter roasts. Well-rated beans from Costa Rica and Papua New Guinea are usually great for a decent price.

Jamaica Blue Mountain and Kona are exceptional, but generally not worth the high price. Kona is a bit more worth it if you're in the mood since it is more of a unique taste you can't get anywhere else. For either of them, getting them second hand almost defeats the purpose of going so high-grade. You definitely want to get some that are roasted locally and enjoy it as soon as possible.

Mexican beans generally seem to be better than Guatemalan, and I usually don't like the taste of African or mainland Asian beans. Colombian is, to me, textbook coffee. Good? Yes, but in a "default coffee" kind of way, yet that may just be due my experiences. In terms of flavor descriptions of coffees, anything that says "spicy" is a red flag. Those usually taste like shit to me.

While I prefer lighter roasts, that's just goes with my most common purpose of drinking coffee, which is with milk (not exactly latte since I don't steam the milk and it's brewed strong in a french press instead of espresso machine) and in the morning. I can perfectly well enjoy darker roasts, even ones with a tobacco flavor, it just needs to be in the right context, maybe with biscotti or a couple pieces of dark chocolate or something.
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Oh yes, this. That's my afternoon snack every day.

For me, I use a french press. Typically I use a pretty dark roast coffee. My favorite is from my hometown that I've mentioned before, Jittery Joes coffee. I really just prefer to support smaller companies that roast their own, so as long as it is that, I'm pretty good. I had to get some 8 o'clock coffee this last week and it is pretty bad. It'd been a few years since I'd had it, and yeah. Bleh. As far as I'm concerned, that's some of the worst you can get. Tastewise, Starbucks is even better than that.

Dice said:
If you have a Meijer near you, get their store brand, the Costa Rica High Ground (blue bag, not La Sonrisa) from their Gold selection. If you do get a grinder, get their Organic House Blend whole beans (outstanding for the price), not to be confused with their normal house blend.

Seattle's Best #3 is also good... or at least I think it is 3, maybe it's 2... It's very smooth and nutty. Almost a little too smooth, so sometimes I would mix the grounds with the Meijer Gold Costa Rican grounds, which are brighter and more complex. When it gets bitter cold, I actually like Starbucks Yukon blend. It's really... hearty.
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I have a Meijer a mile away from my house so I will definitely be trying these. Does the Costa Rica High Ground come in whole bean?
 
andycapps said:
I have a Meijer a mile away from my house so I will definitely be trying these. Does the Costa Rica High Ground come in whole bean?
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No, but that organic house blend is and it's shockingly good. Just squeeze some air out of the bag in the store if you don't believe me. The smell will sell itself.
 
andycapps said:
Jittery Joes does that too. Trying to talk the wife into it. 2 cans a month for 6 months, for $120. $3 cans a month for $180. Lot of money up front, but it's pretty worth it for me.
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Just a heads up, your local bike shop can special order you JJ's coffee as well, and at a pretty good price. :D

That said, if I can get beans from two local roasters in Boone NC, you should be able to track down a kickass local roaster in your neck of the woods!
 
Some of the really high-end coffee shops have started to roast their beans very, very lightly. They only do it with the best beans, and the result (usually using an aeropress or similar) looks and tastes more like tea than black coffee. It's done to bring out the differences between beans from different estates. When you make a dark roast, many of these characteristics are destroyed. It's kinda interesting, since these drinks made on very lightly roasted, high quality beans go against the common expectation about how a coffee "should be": dark, bitter and strong.
 
outunderthestars said:
Just a heads up, your local bike shop can special order you JJ's coffee as well, and at a pretty good price. :D

That said, if I can get beans from two local roasters in Boone NC, you should be able to track down a kickass local roaster in your neck of the woods!
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I didn't know that you could get them from a bike shop, but that makes sense since JJ has a cycling team and is pretty big in that world. We have some local roasters here as well. Stuff is always more special when it's from your home though.

I had an uncle that used to live in Boone, BTW. Nice place.
 
morningbus said:
I explained it in my previous post. A Canadiano is 6 to 8 oz of brewed coffee + 1 to 2 shots of espresso. It's like an Americano, but made with coffee instead of water.
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Every place I've bought a Canadiano was exactly the same as an Americano. What you're describing is a Red Eye.
 
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