Coffee - do you and how do you consume it?

[Daverz]

I've been using an Aeropress and a hand grinder for a couple years using James Hoffman's recipe, but I tried a V60 for doing a pour-over technique (JH's recipe again), and I get a lot better flavor out of my beans (just humble Costco "House Blend" medium roast beans). I thought the immersion technique would get more flavor out of the beans than a pour-over, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Maybe it's a matter of getting better flavors out rather than just more flavor...

 

[Count Arthur]

I've been using an Aeropress and a hand grinder for a couple years using James Hoffman's recipe, but I tried a V60 for doing a pour-over technique (JH's recipe again), and I get a lot better flavor out of my beans (just humble Costco "House Blend" medium roast beans). I thought the immersion technique would get more flavor out of the beans than a pour-over, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Maybe it's a matter of getting better flavors out rather than just more flavor...

I have an espresso machine, which is still my favourite way to make coffee, but I've also tried french press, Aeropress, moka pot and V60.

For me, a V60 comes in a fairly close second to an americano made with an espresso machine. Even using fairly ordinary, ready ground coffee, from the supermarket, I can make a pretty decent cup of coffee.

 

[krabapple]

only as occasional chocolate covered espresso beans, or an espresso martini.

 

[Multicore]

For over 30 years, more than half my life, we would get Illy in the 3kg drums. Wholesale. When we lived in Munich I'd motorcycle up to their wholesale distro center and pick them up. When we got to the USA I called up Illy in NYC, ordered, and they delivered. That continued until a couple of weeks ago when they told us the volume isn't enough to qualify for the wholesale account.

End of an era.

I wonder what changed.

 

[pseudoid]

For over 30 years, more than half my life, we would get Illy in the 3kg drums. Wholesale. When we lived in Munich I'd motorcycle up to their wholesale distro center and pick them up. When we got to the USA I called up Illy in NYC, ordered, and they delivered. That continued until a couple of weeks ago when they told us the volume isn't enough to qualify for the wholesale account.
End of an era.
I wonder what changed.

Look at the bright side: Now you get to experiment with a whole new field of regions, purveyors, growers and roasters that you can select from.
It is kind of a cool experience going thru... even if it means that at the end of about year of experimentation with different beans; you end up realizing you still yearn for those old Lilly days... or not!
Some of the Central American coffee varieties are delectable and the learning curve just to get to a point where you can even taste the subtle taste difference between regions is an adventure.
Happy hunting!

ADD: Few days ago, looking for a vacuum cleaner filter I ended at Walmart.com because of cheapest price. I was shocked how many online brands of coffee roasters there are.
Though I do my bean shopping from local roasters, I ended up ordering 4 pounds just because I was already ordering a filter.

 

[Brian Hall]

I guess I'm too simple. I like my coffee black and simple. 3 cups whenever I decide to wake up. Donut Shop Brand medium roast k-cups made in this fancy rig:

 

[beeface]

One of my favourite things about James "Daddy Hoff" Hoffmann is how he manages to get the best out of a certain brewing method

For a while I used his French press/plunger method, and it made genuinely delicious coffee

 

[Oso Polar]

Guys, can someone recommend some good quality beans to try in the NYC area (Westchester county, in case this matters)? Fresh, with a good taste (coffee, chocolate, nuts etc.) and zero, ZERO acidity. Coffee should be coffee, not a vinegar. Preferably with a reasonable price. For AeroPress.

So far everything I've tried in all local supermarkets is at best the same as Lavazza, just several times more expensive. Someone recommended Nicoletti (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077LB21WV) and it was a fresh strong coffee, unfortunately without any other taste but "strong" - I suspect that this is nearly 100% robusta. Also tried DrinkTrade subscription for a few months that basically mirrored the supermarket experience - I liked may be two out of few dozen varieties they've sent me, most were just "okay", just several times more expensive.

 

[Multicore]

Look at the bright side: Now you get to experiment with a whole new field of regions, purveyors, growers and roasters that you can select from.
It is kind of a cool experience going thru... even if it means that at the end of about year of experimentation with different beans; you end up realizing you still yearn for those old Lilly days... or not!
Some of the Central American coffee varieties are delectable and the learning curve just to get to a point where you can even taste the subtle taste difference between regions is an adventure.
Happy hunting!

You're right, of course, and I said something like that to my dearest. But I have too many hobbies as it is. And I find being too interested in coffee or beer has this kinda Portlandia foodie virtuosity about it. I have excessively, embarrassingly, stupidly developed tastes, interests, and knowledge in other things in life, all of it ultimately useless. So it's a comfort to have a few things in life where I can say that I know what I like and leave it at that. The thought of turning myself into a coffee nerd this late in life fills me with lassitude.

 

[Multicore]

Fresh, with a good taste (coffee, chocolate, nuts etc.) and zero, ZERO acidity. Coffee should be coffee, not a vinegar.

Agreed, coffee should not be vinegar. But the good fresh taste of coffee involves acid, just like every other fruit beverage. The key is balance.

But it's possible that you might have experienced astringent coffee. Poor quality coffee that's over-roasted and badly prepared (Starbucks is a good example of all of those combined) is often astringent without being excessively acid. Such coffee is usually mixed with lots of milk and sugar and often other flavorings so it doesn't matter very much.

But noticeable astringency is not positive in coffee while acidity, in the right balance with everything else, is. Think about red wines: the acid balances the fruit sweetness and both are necessary but if the tannin or wood treatment is excessive then the astringency can make the whole thing unpleasant.

 

[xray]

Coffee with zero acid is like music with zero treble. As Multicore stated, the key is balance.

 

[Oso Polar]

acidity, in the right balance with everything else, is

I don't think I ever experienced acidic / sour coffee that I liked, for me it is a very negative quality of coffee. Coffee should taste like coffee. It may have some nut notes, chocolate, something like this. Not like fruits or vine. May be because I always drink it black without milk, sugar or anything else.

May be I'm not describing it well... Say, all other things being equal, lets go from very coarse to very fine grind of coffee. Taste will typically change like this: acidic/sour => good taste => bitter. Some beans will always maintain this sour taste, even ground to dust - in addition to becoming bitter, this is the kind of beans I don't want. It also seems most beans sold in US are always bitter and have no "good taste" middle ground: sour + bitter => bitter (this is what is typically called here "dark roast" which usually looks like greasy charcoal pieces) - these are definitely no go either.

Just want to find some beans that are known to be fresh, taste like good coffee and don't cost a fortune. Kind of a baseline safe choice. I've tried to find something using DrinkTrade subscription and this was just a gigantic waste of time and money. Hope community can steer me in the right direction.

 

[pseudoid]

Since we consume about a pound of coffee-bean every 10 days, buying bulk for a month's supply keeps the grind consistent and less visits to the roaster.

I had recently read a blurb that the volatile flavor compounds do indeed move slower at lower temperatures.
I had a "duh" moment while sipping my quad-shots - this morning - that had never occurred to me previously.
I promptly got up, picked-up my 2-pound, unopened bag of fresh coffee beans, sealed it in a gallon zip-lock bag, and stuffed it in the freezer.

Moral of the Story #2: Coffee-beans in 12-ounce bags is stoopid!

 

[antcollinet]

Mrs AC's Mother's Day Latte this morning...

 

[GaryY]

Looking at lots of popular coffee bean in amazon, those seem to be focusing on automatic espresso machine which can't extract taste and flavor properly and overroasted bean could fit better to those machine. One of major problem with overroasting which has usually oily surface is freshness would not go so long when we buy 1kg package.

 

[ryanosaur]

freshness would not go so long when we buy 1kg package.

If you aren't downing a pound of Bean per week, you're doing something wrong!

 

[GaryY]

If you aren't downing a pound of Bean per week, you're doing something wrong!

I'm just doing half of it. Sorry I will try to catch up!

 

[Doodski]

If you aren't downing a pound of Bean per week, you're doing something wrong!

I went out and bought a decent auto coffee maker and nice bean and a grinder and used it maybe 5 times and tossed it down in a lower cupboard to never be seen again...LoL. I just love the experience of going out for coffee and seeing the coffee crew at the shop and enjoying my coffee out in public and it's the same every time other than sometimes the lid leaks... I need the interaction with the people with my coffee. Hence I go out for coffee everyday.

 

[ryanosaur]

I'm just doing half of it. Sorry I will try to catch up!

You do that, sir.



OK... More seriously, I wish my US Bean Dealer of choice sold it by the Key. I could really use that extra .2 US Pounds that I'm missing out on.

 

[Doodski]

You do that, sir.



OK... More seriously, I wish my US Bean Dealer of choice sold it by the Key. I could really use that extra .2 US Pounds that I'm missing out on.

Why don't you purchase by the 50 or 100 pound bag? I researched that in Vancouver and it is available if placing a order in advance and was less expensive too.