Coffee - Your Current Brew

Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
What`s the darkest,strongest coffee anyone here has had? I tried Death Wish coffee one time and was not impressed.

Double shot Caffe' Alessi Espresso.
 
Lately, I've been buying the Cuban coffees (Café Bustelo, Pilon, Café La Llave). They're cheap and the flavor tastes right.

Otherwise, I get Caribou when it's on sale and occasionally Vietnamese coffee when I feel like it.

I used to drink the Sam's Club branded espresso roast whole bean stuff, but it tasted terrible to me. And to me, Gevalia and Eight o'Clock tastes pretty awful as well.

As for brewing, Aeropress if I'm not in a hurry, regular drip when I want it fast, and Vietnamese drip when I feel like waiting forever for coffee and cleaning the grinds out. I've tried using a moka pot and I get a lot of steam, but no coffee. I want to get an espresso machine someday, but that will have to wait.
 
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Originally Posted By: Cold_Canuk
Originally Posted By: brandini
I use the local guys: http://www.blanchardscoffee.com/

Currently going through my bag of Malwai Estate Washed AA

Otherwise I can't recommend them highly enough. Tiny operation, US owned, and they go way past Fair Trade: http://www.blanchardscoffee.com/2/post/2013/08/straight-talk-about-sustainability.html

I use an electric kettle, Chemex, and my grinder is a radial burr 1/2 horsepower behemoth from a convenience store. MSRP of these things are $800 new, this one works great and I snagged it for $60. Some think conical burr is better- but I've seen a few tests where they analyzed the grinds and the radial had fewer fines and more consistent sizing. For drip coffee, it's truly hard to beat. For espresso, go burr or go home.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-xdXQy...52018.30.44.jpg

That is a beast. Nice on the Chemex too, do you get the fancy paper filters you have to fold up?

I have a mazzer grinder. They say the grind is more important than the coffee or esspreso maker. I get lazy with my espresso machine and find I just use the Technivorn day to day.

Cringe at the blade grinders, nasty.

I love coffee, probably a coffee snob.

I scored the fancy filters for super cheap at a discount store (like an Ollies or Big Lots) one time so I get to use them. Otherwise I do standard pourover method with melita paper filters.

Best tip for pourover and chemex: rinse the filter, then pour it out, then add the coffee, do the bloom, then pour gently until your desired water to coffee ration is reached.

There are a million different variables in temperature, grind, bloom time, pour speed, water quantity but I wing it and aim for greatness so the ballpark is hit and my BP doesn't rise. I used to be an Aeropress fan but something about the process, emptying, rinsing, drying, that just makes it a bit more of a pain than a pourover- that and it only makes about 1 large mug.
 
With the beans and roaster I use second crack isnt quite to french roast its more medium dark. but the difference between that. and french roast is about 15-20s. Then another 20s to coffee fire and ash beans.(don't ask me how I know)

and you shouldnt refrigerate coffee.. freezing is bad too.

and preground loses over half the flavor within 48 hours of grinding.

anything over 2-3 months old is going downhill fast too.

Originally Posted By: compaddict
Behmor 1600 and www.greencoffeebuyingclub.com go very well together! I am addicted to the Kona roasted the the end of first crack.


kona is a soft coffee so its much better as a medium roast.

there is also a special program on the behmor(lower heat) for it.

What setting do you use for it out of curiosity?

also you might want to try invalsa. Their beans are lightyears ahead of burman and a few others I've tried.
if you can split with someone and get a 66# bag its much cheaper too.
Their grade AA bolivian comes out to about 4$lb shipped@66lb and its fairly amazing. Their cheaper Grade A is about 3$/lb and very good too.
 
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Originally Posted By: brandini
I used to be an Aeropress fan but something about the process, emptying, rinsing, drying, that just makes it a bit more of a pain than a pourover- that and it only makes about 1 large mug.


The Aeropress fascinates me, mostly due to its similarity to an internal combustion engine. I destroyed copious quantities of good coffee in it until I settled on a method that worked for me. I've got the entire process down to less than two minutes, producing a cup comparable to (and often better) than the regional chain of fake Starbuck's we have here (Italian Coffee Company, in my opinion better than Starbuck's).

--Heat 6 fl. oz. water in microwave for 60".
--Meanwhile invert press and load with 1/2 measure of fine grounds (instructions call for 2 measures).
--Add water, stir with paddle for 10".
--Put on filter element and filter, depress cylinder until filter element turns black.
--Wait 10" then press into cup.
--Peel filter element off quickly, eject puck into trash, wipe piston crown with finger, store whole apparatus loose on filter holder.

I don't clean or dry the machine. About once a month I rinse it without soap. The coffee residues lubricate it, make the piston slide easier. If the filter element peels off clean I reuse it next cup. If too many grounds stick to it I throw it out and use a new one next time (filter papers cost 1-1/3 cents each).

Disclaimer: Former truck driver here; I will tolerate nearly any coffee as long as it is black. I cannot stomach any milk, cream, sugar or flavoring additives. The worse a cup is, the more I appreciate a good cup.
 
Originally Posted By: Rand
With the beans and roaster I use second crack isnt quite to french roast its more medium dark. but the difference between that. and french roast is about 15-20s. Then another 20s to coffee fire and ash beans.(don't ask me how I know)

and you shouldnt refrigerate coffee.. freezing is bad too.

and preground loses over half the flavor within 48 hours of grinding.

anything over 2-3 months old is going downhill fast too.


What about whole bean? How long does it retain its flavor?
 
Originally Posted By: Cardenio327


Disclaimer: Former truck driver here; I will tolerate nearly any coffee as long as it is black. I cannot stomach any milk, cream, sugar or flavoring additives. The worse a cup is, the more I appreciate a good cup.


Great point!
 
Originally Posted By: john_pifer

What about whole bean? How long does it retain its flavor?


For best results you want 3day to 6week old coffee
but upto 4-5monthes is usually not terrible. after 2 months it starts drying out and goes down hill.

the reason you want a couple day old coffee is so most of the carbon dioxide and other gases from roasting can leave the bean. Ie you dont want fresh roasted coffee that was roasted 20min ago. Lighter roasts are ok at 2days darker 3days is better.

Since I usually do about a 20oz pot of coffee
I'll start the coffee pot.. mine has a spiral boiler
let it get enough water to saturate the coffee then shut it off and stir it in .. let sit about 1min..
then finish brewing. This basically activates the coffee so the flavor is absorbed by the water. Otherwise for a small pot it doesnt about the coffee flavor and comes out thin/bitter tasting. Its not so much a problem with a 10cup pot.
 
Originally Posted By: Rand
. Otherwise for a small pot it doesnt about the coffee



ABSORB

dang smartphone spellcheck
 
Originally Posted By: double vanos
Is that tan brown granite?


Are you responding to me? That kind of describes the color of the can. The coffee has a creamy caramel taste. To me Hot Green Tea has a naturally sweet taste, especially the Ten Ren brand from Taiwan.
 
Originally Posted By: john_pifer
I saw that Dunn Bros. at Target. WOndered if it was good.


It's great!
 
Originally Posted By: Turk
Originally Posted By: john_pifer
I saw that Dunn Bros. at Target. WOndered if it was good.


It's great!



We actually have a Dunn Bros. coffee shop in Nashville. I haven't been yet
 
Can't wait to try my new beans that I picked up today in Memphis from Republic Coffee.

The barista didn't even know what variety the coffee beans are, but he did know that they came from a roasting house called High Point, down in New Albany, MS, and were roasted on Sept. 10. So, still less than a week old.

I don't think I've ever had coffee this fresh at home.

http://www.highpointroasters.com/index.php
 
Tested tried & true ol Folgers or Maxwell... black... perked or Mr or Mrs Coffee or anything that makes coffee is fine with me.
In a black coffee stain cup works to but not for the wife.
And it has to be sippy lip scalding hot, strong, plenty to drink.
Must grab & slap some sense into me 1st cup in the morning.
 
Well, you guys who recommended the freshly-roasted coffee were right - HUGE difference in the coffee I picked up in Memphis that was roasted less than a week ago.

As I drove the 3 hours from Memphis, home to Nashville, the rich aroma of the recently roasted coffee beans filled the cabin of the truck, making me wish I could stop and brew a pot right then!

Man, like another one of you said, I probably never should have tried the fresh stuff! The best you've had is the best you know...
 
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