TRF ~ Coffee Lovers Thread!

[Headshrinker]

Originally Posted by texex91

Trying to keep with your same mug theme Larry...Independence coffee Co. 'Jet Fuel'

Texex91, was that beautiful watch really just sitting there on the table when the picture of your coffee was taken?

[Tools]

Life is too short to drink bad coffee.

[Rolex addict]

Originally Posted by Brenngun

Larry, glad you've decided to journey down the road to a better cup. I'm sure Rolex Addict and other will be able to help you. I've been roasting green beans for about 25 years. Once you find the right combination you won't be disappointed. There's a shot of my equipment below.

★ what Coffee are you trying and how do you like it?
Have tried a lot of different beans. My taste buds seen to prefer Ethiopian Yirgacheffe the most so that's what I use.

★ Favorite brand?
I don't use any brand. Strictly my own roast.

★ What equipment are you using?
The pic below is a Jura F50. over 25,000 cups on the counter without the need for any service so far (touch wood). It uses an internal adjustable burr grinder. I picked up the iRoast 2 counter top roaster before they went out of business. Best scoop I've made in a while. It has a programmable temp and time roast profile feature. This feature alone is worth it's weight ...

★ Any tricks or special things you do to get that perfect cup of coffee?
I was going to tell you the best tip is to roast your own bean in small batches but now that you're going there I'll throw in a couple of roasting suggestions.

1.) Remember when your roasting beans you should treat the process very much like roasting any food with an internal oil component (nuts, seeds etc). Slowly bring them up to temp especially up to just before the first crack. Too hot, too fast and the results will be disappointing. Then you can crank them a little more at a time until the results are what you want. Experiment with different (temp/time) profiles.

2.) Look at them regularly during the roasting. Your eyes will be the most important tool you have.

3.) Notice in my pic the beans aren't shiny. When you see shiny you're seeing oil. Oil carries flavour. When brought to the surface it starts to evaporate and flavor is lost. There will be many who will argue this point so it's up to you to determine.

As Rolex Addict has said I'm willing to share any of my experiences with anyone if they want to ask. Just send me a PM.

Yes, bring the temp up slowly to the first crack. I don't change the heat setting. This purely so I can consistently time the level of roast without looking at the beans. Opening the roaster releases heat and it's very smoky. Hard to see anything. As long as you don't let the beans go past the second crack, they shouldn't oil until several days later (for dark- Italian roasts). That's why it's important to drink it within two weeks of roasting so you get all the flavors. You did forget one of the most important tips. Don't roast inside your house unless you want all the fire alarms going off!!!

[Kingair]

Originally Posted by Tools

Life is too short to drink bad coffee.

Life if too short to have bad anything 😂

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[texex91]

Originally Posted by Headshrinker

Texex91, was that beautiful watch really just sitting there on the table when the picture of your coffee was taken?

OF course

Originally Posted by Kingair

Life if too short to have bad anything 😂

Amen

[OmegaJJH]

Originally Posted by Tools

Life is too short to drink bad coffee.

Now there's a quote to live life by

[mannyv11]

well after reading this thread I am seriously considering roasting my own coffee and seeing how it comes out =)

[Kingair]

Originally Posted by mannyv11

well after reading this thread I am seriously considering roasting my own coffee and seeing how it comes out =)

Send me some when your done !

Always love to try new things

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[Brenngun]

Originally Posted by Rolex addict

Yes, bring the temp up slowly to the first crack. I don't change the heat setting. This purely so I can consistently time the level of roast without looking at the beans. Opening the roaster releases heat and it's very smoky. Hard to see anything. As long as you don't let the beans go past the second crack, they shouldn't oil until several days later (for dark- Italian roasts). That's why it's important to drink it within two weeks of roasting so you get all the flavors. You did forget one of the most important tips. Don't roast inside your house unless you want all the fire alarms going off!!!

All good Chad. Easier when using a programmable roaster. The profile starts low and slowly increases temp just before the first crack. Took me 2 full pages of recording settings to get it right. It's also glass so I can keep an eye on the roasting stages without opening. If you're using the whirligig then your right you don't want to open it. I'm also able to roast inside because my roaster is a hot air system that vents through the top while roasting. I put on the stove below the vent hood and it sucks out all the smoke. Perfect! Every time I see someone empty a bag of beans that are greasy I cringe thinking of all the lost flavour. It's either been over roasted or way past it's prime. I use up each batch within 2 to 4 days max.

[Brenngun]

Originally Posted by mannyv11

well after reading this thread I am seriously considering roasting my own coffee and seeing how it comes out =)

Manny, you won't regret it. Once you get set up and establish a process you'll love the flavour boost and save at least 50% on your coffee bill.

[Rock]

Quality bean, whether green or roasted is the key to great coffee regardless of what method you use to make the coffee.
You can still make bad coffee from good bean but you can't make good coffee from bad bean.
I do not roast (surely will one day) because I have access to so much great brown bean at the right price. It is just a matter of looking around and trying what is available until you find the best.
My supplier occasionally obtains a shipment of Jamacian Blue Mountain bean but I have not bought any yet due to the high price. I get such a good result from many other single origins from premium coffee growing areas that it seems hard to justify twice the cost.
It has taken me years to perfect my technique on my Espresso machine which is a manual, but well worth the effort to consistently drink great coffee.

[Brenngun]

Originally Posted by Rock

Quality bean, whether green or roasted is the key to great coffee regardless of what method you use to make the coffee.
You can still make bad coffee from good bean but you can't make good coffee from bad bean.
I do not roast (surely will one day) because I have access to so much great brown bean at the right price. It is just a matter of looking around and trying what is available until you find the best.
My supplier occasionally obtains a shipment of Jamacian Blue Mountain bean but I have not bought any yet due to the high price. I get such a good result from many other single origins from premium coffee growing areas that it seems hard to justify twice the cost.
It has taken me years to perfect my technique on my Espresso machine which is a manual, but well worth the effort to consistently drink great coffee.

It's nice that you have a fresh batch roaster close to you as long as they record the roast date. One way to make bad coffee with a good bean and good process is to use quality beans that are weeks old. The nice thing about green beans is a very long shelf life. Also if you buy in bulk (8-10 kilos) your cost per pound drops significantly. You may be able to get a price you like on that Jamaican (unless it's peaberry, even green it's about $35.00/lb around here).

[Rock]

Cheers Rick,
My roaster usually has my bean to me within a few days but I have found over many years that anything within a fortnight of roast is fine just as long as it has been vacuum sealed and kept cool. Some varieties are only at their best a week or so after roast anyhow.
I take several weeks to use a kilo and the bean lives in a couple of layers of clip-seal foil bags in the bottom of the fridge. Heat and moisture are the main enemies of roasted bean and as long as the bean is well sealed it is just fine in the fridge for several weeks.
I learned years ago to avoid any bean from supermarkets as they usually show a "use by" date instead of a "roast date" and can be many months old. Supermarket beans are rarely top quality beans in any case and are generally to be avoided.
When available, the Jamacian Blue Mountain come in 2kilo lots for $100. I need to find another enthusiast to share the quantity.

[Abdullah71601]

Originally Posted by Rock

Cheers Rick,
My roaster usually has my bean to me within a few days but I have found over many years that anything within a fortnight of roast is fine just as long as it has been vacuum sealed and kept cool. Some varieties are only at their best a week or so after roast anyhow.
I take several weeks to use a kilo and the bean lives in a couple of layers of clip-seal foil bags in the bottom of the fridge. Heat and moisture are the main enemies of roasted bean and as long as the bean is well sealed it is just fine in the fridge for several weeks.
I learned years ago to avoid any bean from supermarkets as they usually show a "use by" date instead of a "roast date" and can be many months old. Supermarket beans are rarely top quality beans in any case and are generally to be avoided.
When available, the Jamacian Blue Mountain come in 2kilo lots for $100. I need to find another enthusiast to share the quantity.

I've had freshly roasted JBM. It is very good, but I wouldn't buy it again. Compared to other freshly roasted varieties, it's just not that much better to justify the expense.

[Rock]

Yeah Abdullah, that is what has been in the back of my mind.
My regular varieties are so good that I really couldn't justify a bean that is twice the price.
I will try it one day however, just for my own edification.

[Rolex addict]

Originally Posted by Rock

Yeah Abdullah, that is what has been in the back of my mind.
My regular varieties are so good that I really couldn't justify a bean that is twice the price.
I will try it one day however, just for my own edification.

I feel the same way about Kona beans. Not worth the extra cost to me.

[Abdullah71601]

Originally Posted by Rolex addict

I feel the same way about Kona beans. Not worth the extra cost to me.

I'll add Kopi Luwak to the list as well. It's a nice once in a lifetime novelty, but wasn't at all worth the expense.

[atxwatch]

I think the coffee you should buy will depend on the preparation method and tour personal preferences.

I personally have trouble digesting french press/aeropress coffee due to the full oil and particle content. Therfore I have preferred using a manual pour over method. A beehouse dripper, high quality paper filters (oxygen bleached), a very good burr grinder and a Hario carafe is all I use. Some like to use a coffee scale for consistency but since I change coffees all the time, there is little value because each coffee requires slightly different amounts for the perfect extraction.

Next up, I find the best roasters and then order what I like from them. My faves are Counter Culture, Heart, Chromatic, Sweet Bloom, and Ritual. I have tried many others but by and large these roasters use Probat roasters and they get just the right roast profile for each coffee. Devicion in NYC is also good, but don't order their stuff unless you really understand that each of their coffees has a different roast profile and benefits from different prep methods.

Next big thing...freeze your beans when you get them. It is science. They stay fresher longer and they grind into more uniform particle size.

If any of you want to see tasting notes for coffees, shoot me a pm...I keep a wine/coffee/food blog where I chronicle all this, but I don't want to post the link here because I think it is crass to self promote like that.

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[uscmatt99]

I'm working on getting my techniques up to speed before splurging on high-end beans. Fortunately we have a couple of local roasters to source fresh beans with a roasted on date.

Regarding equipment, I've gotten fed up with our Bunn drip machine and grinder, while my wife remains content with them. So I've decided to go more manual with a hand grinder and french press. The grinder is a basic conical burr Hario Skerton, and the french press is a Bodum I believe. I finally picked up a Hario scale with a timer so I can pre-measure my bean and water weights to aim for more consistency. I've got a syphon filter as well I need to dust off this weekend and take for a spin, always makes me feel like Walter White when I'm brewing

[sea-dweller]

I love Starbucks, usually the dark roasts. But, my favorite espresso based drinks are:
flat white, or latte.

[Kingair]

Originally Posted by Abdullah71601

I'll add Kopi Luwak to the list as well. It's a nice once in a lifetime novelty, but wasn't at all worth the expense.

I just have the same idea as you !

I tried the Kopi Luwak already a few times

And it's good but I guess more an hype . . .

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[teqp]

Originally Posted by Kingair

I just have the same idea as you !

I tried the Kopi Luwak already a few times

And it's good but I guess more an hype . . .

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Agree with both of you. It was good, but nothing special. Also agree with the Kona and JBM hype. They are both good coffees when you are in a resort in Hawaii or Jamaica. At home, my local roaster's beans can't be beat!

[Jfullm42]

My in laws have a high end Jura and love it. I prefer French press and I've been on anything from Nicaragua lately. Visited the Starbucks Reserve Shop yesterday in my home town and had some of their Nicaraguan that they brewed that day. Tasty!

[James K]

Here's my main machine with the coffee we drink 95% of the time. I've been getting it directly from the roaster in Jamaica for 15 years now. It works for me, they haven't raised the price in 12 years now and they roast it they day before they ship it out. Over the entire 15 years I've been buying it the taste has been 100% the same/accurate. I haven't had that much luck with other coffees like the single plantation Konas, the one exception being Hula Daddy.

[Brenngun]

Just love this delivery. Another 20lbs of Yirgacheffe green beans @ $5.25/lb. Into the Tupperware bin. Should last for about 3 months. Will be roasting a new batch in the morning.

[520Matt]

Wow some serious good coffee info here. My wife and I brew every day. This is our set up, OXO coffee machine and the grinder is Braun and seems to work well, but I'm no expert. We buy beans at Trader Joes. After reading this thread I will have to try some other beans. i started drinking coffee for the caffeine and have grown to really enjoy it. My wife says the OXO is a fairly decent machine anyone know it?

[teqp]

Originally Posted by 520Matt

the grinder is Braun and seems to work well, but I'm no expert.

I have a Braun grinder that I use for grinding spices. For coffee I would recommend a conical burr grinder to get a more even grind on your beans. The blade grinder can heat up your beans and are not very good at getting a even grind. They cost more but are worth it, IMO.

Try to find a local coffee shop that roasts their own beans and try until you find one you like.

[BNA/LION]

Below after may years of trial and error of a lot of different coffee related paraphernalia is our current set-up.

Coffee Maker: Moccamaster
http://www.technivorm.com/

Grinder: Capresso Infinity Commercial-Grade Conical Burr Grinder
http://www.capresso.com/coffee-grind...ical-burr.html

French Press: Bodum CHAMBORD
http://www.bodum.com/us/en-us/shop/d...-16/?navid=276

[Abdullah71601]

Originally Posted by BNALION

Below after may years of trial and error of a lot of different coffee related paraphernalia is our current set-up.

Coffee Maker: Moccamaster
http://www.technivorm.com/

Grinder: Capresso Infinity Commercial-Grade Conical Burr Grinder
http://www.capresso.com/coffee-grind...ical-burr.html

French Press: Bodum CHAMBORD
http://www.bodum.com/us/en-us/shop/d...-16/?navid=276

I was looking at the Moccamaster KBTS 741 online yesterday. It looks cool and I'm a sucker for coffee gadgetry, but is it worth ten times more money than a Mr. Coffee?

[uscmatt99]

Originally Posted by Abdullah71601

I was looking at the Moccamaster KBTS 741 online yesterday. It looks cool and I'm a sucker for coffee gadgetry, but is it worth ten times more money than a Mr. Coffee?

If you stick to the list on this site, you'll be alright.

http://www.scaa.org/?page=cert2

If you like gadgetry, check out the Brazen coffee makers. The bluetooth one is a bit much, but the regular one has caught my eye.