Coffee! Laugh? I almost drank it (and spat it out again).

SubJeff on 27/6/2011 at 23:27

So I was in the lovely San Sebastian (North Spain) for a week and the only coffee I drank was filter coffee that my apartment co-guests bought and made (and the occasional espresso). As you may (or may not) know I've been a proud coffee philistine for years, drinking whatever crap was handed to me at work so long as the nurse was pretty and I got it when I needed it.

Subsequently I stopped caring about the quality at home, although I did once (for a short time) get into filter coffee made by the ex but as I never, ever made it as far as I was concerned you made sure she had money for the coffee and out the combined gf-black box of coffee I got nice coffee.

Now I know there are a number of coffee aficionados here at TTLG and since this last week of nice coffee has made me realise my mistake (although that could also be the sidra and jamon!) I've decided it's time to start doing it right.

Where do I start?

demagogue on 28/6/2011 at 00:09

If you want to make an aficionado thing out of it, buy an electric grinder (even better if it has settings for coarse to fine) and a respectable filter maker, find the closest coffee boutique and buy the beans whole. Nothing smells better than when you're grinding fresh whole beans.

I started off just exploring the different regions to get a feel for how coffees vary by region and finding my own favorite brands.

My favorite commercial brand has to be Carte Noire, which is pre-ground. We have to actually get French friends bring it back for us, but I believe you can find it in UK shops. So good.

Also keep your beans or grinds refrigerated. I don't know if that's an urban legend, but I heard you're supposed to do it to keep it fresh, so we've always done that.

theBlackman on 28/6/2011 at 00:11

Depends on how much you want to know/commit to.

There are thousands of blends, and hundreds of experts.

You could go the French Press, Cold extract, or drip route. The main choice is the make, blend, grind of coffee that suits your method and taste.

The general consensus is:
2TBL ground coffee per 6 oz water.
Water Temp about 180=184 Fahrenheit. Never boiling.

Some off the shelf commercial grinds are OK. Yuban is not bad. Hills is So so. Maxwell I personally don't like.

In the US, I prefer the blends from PEETS coffees.

I drink about 40 cups a day, and prefer the cold extract method by TODDY

(http://www.toddycafe.com/shop/product.php?productId=67)

Here is some info on French Press: (http://coffeegeek.com/guides/presspot)

Here is a site with tips on How 2 with coffee: (http://makegoodcoffee.com/)

As for fresh beans, only buy what you can use in a week. Don't grind more than you plan to use. Keep in an airtight container IN THE DARK, or a dark canister.

Aja on 28/6/2011 at 00:29

Proper grinders are very expensive; if you're using a press you'll need a coarse grind, which is not really possible with electric blade grinders (they tend to either turn it to dust or a combination of dust and big chunks). But for less than those, you can get a hand grinder with ceramic burrs that'll do the trick nicely. I have one of (http://transcendcoffee.com/products/hario-mini-mill-slim-hand-grinder) these and it works great for both coarse grinds and finer ones (for espresso). It takes a bit more time but you get a good consistency. What else to do while while waiting for the water to boil, anyway? Here in the city we have several local coffee shops that roast their own beans, so you can get them fresh, and the difference between that and grocery store brand is night and day. Buying in bulk is generally a bad idea, the beans go stale after a few weeks and then you're stuck with bland, bitter coffee. I've actually heard that refrigeration is a bad idea... something to do with the oils in the beans... anyway I just keep mine sealed relatively airtight in a dark cupboard and it's fine.

If you do decide to get a press, you'll probably have to play around with coarseness and steeping time and water temperature, but when you get it right, it's worth it. I find all of these things vary depending on the type of beans you get, but figuring out the ideal conditions for a specific roast is half the fun.

doctorfrog on 28/6/2011 at 01:31

Quote Posted by theBlackman

Some off the shelf commercial grinds are OK. Yuban is not bad. Hills is So so. Maxwell I personally don't like.

I love you tBm, but my mom has enough Yuban to last through the apocolypse, and I've had my fair share of cups. It is terrible, really bad.

edit: OTOH, my mom makes a weak cup, it could be that her coffee is overextruded. However, the flavor of Yuban had a bad, almost wheaty taste, that was similar to the Lucky store brand of "Real Columbian Coffee."

Right now, I'm slummin' it a bit with Don Francisco + an electric drip, but normally I just get a budget bean of some kind, grind it, and brew it in a press. When I have more money, it's fresh Peet's beans, but for now, vacillatin' between a cheap ground and no-name whole bean is good enough for this somewhat uppity Bay Area resident. When I go from ground to even cheap whole bean, it's like driving a Cadillac, or so I tell myself.

june gloom on 28/6/2011 at 01:42

Maybe this is a good thread to ask this.

What's a good place to start for someone who doesn't really enjoy the taste of coffee, but fully admits he's probably never had good coffee (but also doesn't have a very good sense of taste, thanks to a largely non-functional nose)?

theBlackman on 28/6/2011 at 01:56

doctorfrog

I've been a PEETS man since the first store opened in Berkeley. Then I got lucky and they opened one in Mill Valley about 2 blocks from my house.

Never noticed a "wheaty" taste in the Yuban, but then I make mine strong enough to stand a spoon in. :)

demagogue on 28/6/2011 at 02:09

@dethtoll. I don't know if this is just my perception, but I think smell is a big part of coffee and gets at least equal billing with the taste if not higher... The moment when you're grinding the beans or smelling the percolation or drip or whatever is half the enjoyment right there IMO.

But if you really want to just experience some really great coffee to get an idea of what's out there, try to find an authentic Italian cafe, I mean a family-owned looking place not a franchise, and get a cappuccino or something.

If you want something you brew yourself, I said before my favorite brand by far is Carte Noire and it's a kind of coffee heaven for me compared to any other brand I've tried, sort of the top of the game IMO. But it's not always sold in a lot of stores in the US, so might be hard to find here. The other option is what we mentioned here; see if there's a coffee bean shop in your town where you can get the beans and grind them in the store and take them home to brew, and get something like a Colombian or Latin American blend maybe to start off.

Aerothorn on 28/6/2011 at 02:20

I think I'm the only person in the Greater Seattle Area who abstains from both coffee and Mormonism.

Vernon on 28/6/2011 at 02:53

A standard Bodum press with the best supermarket arabica (whose cost can easily be justified by equating its cost of 10 dollars AU to about two and a half machine espressos from a coffee shop) is fine. Coffee snobs will turn their noses up at it but I find stovetop percolators and atomic machines burn the coffee slightly. It is also the easiest method.

I dunno about the state of espresso joints in England. Last time I was there it was appalling - press latte buttan machines and stuff. Maybe it has improved. I'm sure there are decent boutiques around by now. Even at these places it varies from barista to barista, so you basically have to pick your time to show up for coffee. In the Sydney CBD, they don't employ shit baristas so you always score at rush hour

Quote Posted by theBlackman

40 cups a day

Holy hell that's a lot of coffee