You're better off grinding your own beans for it because you want a courser grind, most of what you pick up off a shelf is too fine. I don't know exact grind/water ratios because I go on autopilot for that part
OT: Coffee
- Thread starter RUaMoose
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You're better off grinding your own beans for it because you want a courser grind, most of what you pick up off a shelf is too fine. I don't know exact grind/water ratios because I go on autopilot for that part
An old girlfriend did it to me and it was incredible! Highly recommended!
So she was the plunger and you were the carafe? Unconventional, but whatever gets the job done.
Golic,
Not a big McDonalds guy (prefer Chik-fil-a) and no need for Red Bull since I drink enough caffeine to sink a ship each day. LOL--By the way,didn't find out until last year that you can actually buy coffee grown in America (from Hawaii and Florida).
Not a big McDonalds guy (prefer Chik-fil-a) and no need for Red Bull since I drink enough caffeine to sink a ship each day. LOL--By the way,didn't find out until last year that you can actually buy coffee grown in America (from Hawaii and Florida).
This is a great thread - I'm bookmarking it so I can refer back to it.
@flavorguy, that grinder you linked looks really cool. But dude! $300??? That's 3-4 bottles of really good scotch!
I've definitely got the bug to try some different coffees, at least within my budget. I picked up some organic Peruvian last night which I ground and brewed this morning. Pretty good. Looking to get my hands on some other types to expand my palate.
Funny, Dunkin Donuts was mentioned a few times. They used to be my go-to many years ago, but like many companies they lost their way and stopped focusing on their core competency, coffee and donuts.
Ya know, prior to Starbucks, the chain that I thought would really take off was Au Bon Pain. Back in the early 90's when I was working down in Philly, the building I was in had one at street level, and we used to hit it on the way into work from the hotel.They were the first place I remember actually making the move to different coffee varieties. Too bad they didn't take advantage of that and, instead, got eclipsed by other chains.
@flavorguy, that grinder you linked looks really cool. But dude! $300??? That's 3-4 bottles of really good scotch!
I've definitely got the bug to try some different coffees, at least within my budget. I picked up some organic Peruvian last night which I ground and brewed this morning. Pretty good. Looking to get my hands on some other types to expand my palate.
Funny, Dunkin Donuts was mentioned a few times. They used to be my go-to many years ago, but like many companies they lost their way and stopped focusing on their core competency, coffee and donuts.
Ya know, prior to Starbucks, the chain that I thought would really take off was Au Bon Pain. Back in the early 90's when I was working down in Philly, the building I was in had one at street level, and we used to hit it on the way into work from the hotel.They were the first place I remember actually making the move to different coffee varieties. Too bad they didn't take advantage of that and, instead, got eclipsed by other chains.
I found it equally inspiring. Brewed a batch of French Press for the first time in a while yesterday. So much better than auto drip.
How long have you had the Capresso grinder? Dvb and I think another guy mentioned having it for years, so think it'll be my next buy. $50 to $100 is about as much as I want to spend on a grinder - I'll smash beans by hand before I go $300.
Au Bon Pain changed their name to Panera and then sold off their "Au Bon Pain"-branded stores.
I went to a Starbucks over the weekend with a friend who wanted a cup of their coffee. I got a cup of tea. Apparently their tea sucks also. Next time I'll try hot cocoa and see if they can f**k that up too.
Nothing about that sounds pleasurable. But to each his own.
Starbucks espresso drinks are worth getting if it's the only coffee shop around. Its drip coffee is worth getting if you're in Europe or somewhere and it's the only place to find American-style filter coffee in place of a cup of gross, bitter espresso water.
That's about it.
I'll have had it for 4 years as of Father's Day. It's been used every morning since I got it. For under $50, I think you can't go wrong with it.
Actually, Au Bon Pain bought St. Louis Bread, expanded it and changed the name to Panera. Eventually they spun off Au Bon Pain and focused on Panera. Sadly, Au Bon Pain has pretty much been mis-managed since then.
Their hot chocolate is supposedly pretty good, at least according to my expert tasters, Tyler & Corey!
Wait a minute..........is that why they bought a stake in Depends adult diapers?
I actually began drinking coffee in my baby bottle. I'm sure it was Maxwell House because that is the only coffee I remember having in our house.
As I progressed from my baby bottle coffee was always my breakfast drink, yes even in grade school. It has never changed. During my working life
I was subjected to the whatever was available in the 'coffee machine' and that was decades before Keurig. I drank the most horrible coffee ever
produced from those machines. I may have had 1 Starbucks in my life but I can't remember. Now my breakfast coffee is Costco Dark Roast Decaf.
As I progressed from my baby bottle coffee was always my breakfast drink, yes even in grade school. It has never changed. During my working life
I was subjected to the whatever was available in the 'coffee machine' and that was decades before Keurig. I drank the most horrible coffee ever
produced from those machines. I may have had 1 Starbucks in my life but I can't remember. Now my breakfast coffee is Costco Dark Roast Decaf.
My coffee tastes have evolved slightly over the years, but some basics remain:
-In high school, I drank Folgers instant coffee at home, which did the job, and got Wawa on the way to school (especially every morning senior year).
-While commuting to Rutgers for undergrad, I'd grab Wawa as often as I could, and Au Bon Pain when on College Avenue.
-While working/attending grad school in central NJ, I'd alternate between Wawa (see a pattern here?) and Dunkin' Donuts while driving, Au Bon Pain while studying at RU, and my office had the Flavia coffee machine. Hazelnut flavor became my #1 choice.
-In three-plus years of living/working in the city, I began to love a twice-weekly cheap cart coffee (my favorites are at 85th/2nd and 41st/Park), as well as Pret a Manger, Think, Coffee Bean/Tea Leaf, and Joe's. My offices had Keurig machines; I like Donut Shop, but hate Green Mountain.
-I keep a basic filter coffee drip-maker in my apartment, where I occasionally brew Wawa & Dunkin' Donuts grounds, perfect for a lazy weekend. While on vacation, I like to explore new cafes/roasters, or brew & drink Brazilian coffee if on a usual Caribbean getaway.
-As far as Starbucks goes, I can't stand the taste of their coffee; apparently my gf does. When studying or hanging out there with friends I would at best grab a glass bottle of Frappuccino or small dessert. I actually much prefer Panera Bread to study for exams in now, since it has decent coffee, tasty/healthy breakfast choices, and doesn't leave you smelling like various brews after you leave.
-I've heard good things about Rook, and have been meaning to try it on the way to Long Branch one of these summer mornings..
-In high school, I drank Folgers instant coffee at home, which did the job, and got Wawa on the way to school (especially every morning senior year).
-While commuting to Rutgers for undergrad, I'd grab Wawa as often as I could, and Au Bon Pain when on College Avenue.
-While working/attending grad school in central NJ, I'd alternate between Wawa (see a pattern here?) and Dunkin' Donuts while driving, Au Bon Pain while studying at RU, and my office had the Flavia coffee machine. Hazelnut flavor became my #1 choice.
-In three-plus years of living/working in the city, I began to love a twice-weekly cheap cart coffee (my favorites are at 85th/2nd and 41st/Park), as well as Pret a Manger, Think, Coffee Bean/Tea Leaf, and Joe's. My offices had Keurig machines; I like Donut Shop, but hate Green Mountain.
-I keep a basic filter coffee drip-maker in my apartment, where I occasionally brew Wawa & Dunkin' Donuts grounds, perfect for a lazy weekend. While on vacation, I like to explore new cafes/roasters, or brew & drink Brazilian coffee if on a usual Caribbean getaway.
-As far as Starbucks goes, I can't stand the taste of their coffee; apparently my gf does. When studying or hanging out there with friends I would at best grab a glass bottle of Frappuccino or small dessert. I actually much prefer Panera Bread to study for exams in now, since it has decent coffee, tasty/healthy breakfast choices, and doesn't leave you smelling like various brews after you leave.
-I've heard good things about Rook, and have been meaning to try it on the way to Long Branch one of these summer mornings..
Sello Rojo Roast & Ground Coffee, 17.6-ounce Brick
My Father in Law sends me this coffee every quarter. (My wife was born in Bogota)
It is all I drink at home.
Very good Medium Blend.
He tells me it is the 2nd best in Colombia next to Juan Valdez.
I was told (not sure how true it is) that the best beans are kept for Colombia and the 2nd grade beans are used for export.
My Father in Law sends me this coffee every quarter. (My wife was born in Bogota)
It is all I drink at home.
Very good Medium Blend.
He tells me it is the 2nd best in Colombia next to Juan Valdez.
I was told (not sure how true it is) that the best beans are kept for Colombia and the 2nd grade beans are used for export.
Pick your favorite and have it made on the Clover. Worth the few extra minutes to have it fresh made.
Tried it a few weeks ago, on a whim. I'm totally hooked on it and pushed away the dark roast.
Just my opinion...its all marketing. Getting you to spend another 50%+
But what do i know.. i love a good strong cup of drip coffee.
But what do i know.. i love a good strong cup of drip coffee.
Expensive grinders do a much better job of providing a consistent coffee particle. They are also more important for Espresso, where you would want an extremely fine grind for the extraction. Blade grinders do a very poor job of providing consistent particle size. I would never purchase a combination grinder/brewer... usually the grinder is cheap and different roasts will grind differently (darker roasts are "harder" and oily since more water has been removed during roasting). So the resulting coffee is very inconsistent.
I suggest grinding and weighing coffee (small electronic kitchen scale) instead of volumetric "scoops" or setting to a number on a dial. A typical throw ratio is approx 85 grams coffee to 64 oz water. Find your brew ratio after some trial and errors and weigh the coffee grinds.
Dunkin and Starbucks are completely different ends of the coffee consumer. The standard Dunkin roast is extremely light - too light for my tastes - where as Starbucks (or as they're known in the industry "Charbucks") is too heavily roasted for many of their varietals. The dark roast works on some bean (Sumatra) but not across all types. - NOTE - we are discussing coffee and not Espresso...
Dunkin does spend significant time on their coffee - but again they are targeting a very specific consumer (DD think more blue collar / SB white collar)... neither is bad, just different consumer expectation sets...
For the c-store varieties, Wawa has done a very nice job on improving their coffee program. Good roaster and bean base for c-store. This took place about 5 years ago. I've developed a number of their flavored coffee profiles (I do flavorings for a living - but am not a flavored coffee consumer - go figure!)
Panera uses a very high quality roaster (TX based but owns plantations in Costa Rica) for their program. Very good coffee...
Peet's is another very high quality roaster and does a good job regarding Supermarket coffee. For those who have Keurigs - try Major Dickason on the 8 oz setting (Keurigs are designed for an 8 oz brew and most people brew on the 10 oz setting which is why many people think that Keurigs brew poorly). Keurigs aren't the same as a good French press or pour over, but when I see people complain about weak K-cups, the first thing I suggest is brew at 8 oz.
The African varietals (Kenya, Ethiopian, Yirgacheffe etc) are very nice, but quite light in body and bright in flavor. I prefer these coffee's in the summer. Also next time you have a Ethiopian, look for the characteristic "Blueberry" note in the profile. This is one of the key identifiers for Kenya / Ethiopian coffee's.
Columbia has done a very nice job on positioning itself as a "premium" producer of coffee ... but the country produces all types of grades of coffee. Like anything agricultural, the mass produced coffee brands need to buy coffee from larger plantations to assure consistency of profile and supply chain. There are many smaller varietal plantations/regions (in all Coffee producing areas) that will have special terror/nuances. This is why its advantageous to find and support your local coffee shop to experiment and discover what you like.
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Air tight containers, kept away from light and heat. I don't suppose you have a vacuum sealer?Dedicated containers would be ideal, but if you've got a sudden surplus, maybe just fill up zip lock bags, purge as much air as you can, then put the zip locks in a paper bag and store in a cool place. None of these solutions are ideal of course. If they're roasted, they'll lose flavor as time goes on. Keep them out of the freezer.
Thanks @RUSK97, pretty much what I expected.
Has anyone gone to Black River Roasters in Whitehouse Station, NJ on Route 22? That's right down the road from where I work, and someone mentioned it to me.
Has anyone gone to Black River Roasters in Whitehouse Station, NJ on Route 22? That's right down the road from where I work, and someone mentioned it to me.
Of late, I've been mixing Guatemalan and Tanzanian beans together and grinding. The Tanzanian is a bit acidic. Merging it with the Guatemalan tones it down and makes a nice balanced medium blend
Went here a couple weeks ago, really cool space.
I had their drip coffee. It was only the second cup of coffee I've had in pretty much my whole life. I had a cup of Death Wish Coffee from Saratoga Coffee Traders this summer.
Splash of milk and a tiny bit of sugar in each. Can't say I'm confident I can tell the good from the bad coffee at this point, guess I'll grab some Sanka next time I'm at the grocery store.
Moose I would like to thank you for this thread. I know some don't like OT stuff but this thread helped me immensely with my purchase of Bonavita coffee maker. Also motivated me to try other types of coffee instead of Starbucks Pike. Gracias
You will catch on. I did not start to drink coffee until about 10 years ago, I drink 4 cups a day and it is must before going to the gym. One is never too old to start to become an addict
that is the most trollish line in the history of coffee threads. LOL. Well done!
