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The Coffee Shoppe Talk

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No - ended up getting a burr grinder and the hairo v60 and gooseneck kettle that I would pour at varying rates. Also bought the Ninja coffee system, which is pretty good as well. I like to be able to clean a coffee machine - and this one cleans up nice. Makes all kinds of specialty coffee's too.
 
My wife and I have recently bought an espresso machine and coffee grinder. We have cappuccinos and lattes regularly; almost every day. The difference between freshly ground coffee you make yourself, and the shit that comes out of a Keurig is astounding..

It takes no time at all to make a fantastic tasting cup of cappuccino, from whole beans to finished product, and ultimately that will taste infinitely better than anything you'd get outside of a proper cafe.

There are several added dimensions (both taste and smell) to fresh whole bean coffee that just aren't present in ground coffee blends. Explaining it to someone who hasn't tried it is like trying to describe color to the blind.

We've got an entire corner of our kitchen devoted to coffee, espresso, cappuccino , and tea (the wife being Asian drinks a shit load of tea).

p.s.
I prefer my coffee with cream, no sugar. I agree flavored beans are ridiculous, just flavor the brew not the beans - wtf were they thinking? And lastly, anything you put in your coffee should be real - i.e., real milk, real cream, fresh cinnamon, etc. Why fuck around with garbage - it doesn't save time.


Went grave digging since I knew we had a coffee thread, at some point. What espresso machine did you get? The lady and I recently moved into a new apartment and are in the market for an espresso machine. Would love to hear recommendations from you or anyone else who has experience with an at home espresso device.
 
Went grave digging since I knew we had a coffee thread, at some point. What espresso machine did you get? The lady and I recently moved into a new apartment and are in the market for an espresso machine. Would love to hear recommendations from you or anyone else who has experience with an at home espresso device.

Invest in a conical burr grinder, and buy whole beans from a good third-wave coffee roaster (not cheap Starbucks beans or similar that are roasted into oblivion). Those two steps probably get you 90% of the way to a good shot of espresso. I don't know a whole lot about home espresso machine options, but this seems like a solid option for a reasonable price: https://www.amazon.com/DeLonghi-EC155-Espresso-Cappuccino-Maker/dp/B000F49XXG/
 
These are the three I have been drinking lately. All via French Press.

LRjtVhv.jpg


The Cafe Kreyol Zombie Desert is delicious. It has a very strong hazelnut aftertaste. It's a bit darker. I'd say it is closer to a french roast than a medium roast.

I usually HATE Starbucks coffee, but this single origin pack is really nice. It is florally and smells outstanding. There is not much special to the flavor, but it doesn't taste burnt like many dark roast and every other Starbucks roast.

The Wegmans Guatemalan is definitely my favorite. It's a traditional medium roast but is loaded with flavor. The citrus comes alive in the aftertaste (though, with a french press, I've found I need to brew it for more than the traditional four minutes or it is too acidity). The main flavor has a bit of hazelnut and chocolatey nodes.

What's everyone else drinking lately?
 
These are the three I have been drinking lately. All via French Press.

LRjtVhv.jpg


The Cafe Kreyol Zombie Desert is delicious. It has a very strong hazelnut aftertaste. It's a bit darker. I'd say it is closer to a french roast than a medium roast.

I usually HATE Starbucks coffee, but this single origin pack is really nice. It is florally and smells outstanding. There is not much special to the flavor, but it doesn't taste burnt like many dark roast and every other Starbucks roast.

The Wegmans Guatemalan is definitely my favorite. It's a traditional medium roast but is loaded with flavor. The citrus comes alive in the aftertaste (though, with a french press, I've found I need to brew it for more than the traditional four minutes or it is too acidity). The main flavor has a bit of hazelnut and chocolatey nodes.

What's everyone else drinking lately?


My girlfriend works for a roaster/coffee chain in upstate NY, so I'll give a shameless plug for them: gimmecoffee.com

The Java Blue Batavia is excellent if you like medium/dark roast coffee. Love it for french press, or just regular drip coffee. I'm not a decaf drinker, but their decaf is apparently really good too relative to other decaf at least.

They normally have at least one bright fruity coffee I'd recommend, but for some reason a lot of their selection at the moment is just solid, somewhat unspectacular medium roast stuff that's more chocolatey/nutty than fruity. Apparently they're getting a new Kenyan coffee next week though that they think will be really good (their current Kenyan coffee is alright, but can be a little too acidic, verging on metallic).

Use coupon code "UNITE15" to get 15% off if you buy something.
 
My girlfriend works for a roaster/coffee chain in upstate NY, so I'll give a shameless plug for them: gimmecoffee.com

The Java Blue Batavia is excellent if you like medium/dark roast coffee. Love it for french press, or just regular drip coffee. I'm not a decaf drinker, but their decaf is apparently really good too relative to other decaf at least.

They normally have at least one bright fruity coffee I'd recommend, but for some reason a lot of their selection at the moment is just solid, somewhat unspectacular medium roast stuff that's more chocolatey/nutty than fruity. Apparently they're getting a new Kenyan coffee next week though that they think will be really good (their current Kenyan coffee is alright, but can be a little too acidic, verging on metallic).

Use coupon code "UNITE15" to get 15% off if you buy something.
Just bookmarked it. When I finish the Cafe Kreyol then I'll order from her site! If they get a good Kenyan coffee - or good fruity one - in the next week or so, let me know. If not, I'll get the Java Blue Batavia!
 
These are the three I have been drinking lately. All via French Press.

LRjtVhv.jpg


The Cafe Kreyol Zombie Desert is delicious. It has a very strong hazelnut aftertaste. It's a bit darker. I'd say it is closer to a french roast than a medium roast.

I usually HATE Starbucks coffee, but this single origin pack is really nice. It is florally and smells outstanding. There is not much special to the flavor, but it doesn't taste burnt like many dark roast and every other Starbucks roast.

The Wegmans Guatemalan is definitely my favorite. It's a traditional medium roast but is loaded with flavor. The citrus comes alive in the aftertaste (though, with a french press, I've found I need to brew it for more than the traditional four minutes or it is too acidity). The main flavor has a bit of hazelnut and chocolatey nodes.

What's everyone else drinking lately?

Beans from a farm in Costa Rica through Red Cedar Coffee.
 
Beans from a farm in Costa Rica through Red Cedar Coffee.
I've heard REALLY great things about them. The Ethiopian Harrar is supposed to be incredible. How do you like the Costa Rica one?

They're in Berea, right?
 
I've heard REALLY great things about them. The Ethiopian Harrar is supposed to be incredible. How do you like the Costa Rica one?

They're in Berea, right?

Yes, on Bagley road. I found out about them after visiting Tree Huggers restaurant down the road - they were selling some of their coffee (didn't have a great experience from Tree Huggers and never went back).

Anywho, it's good. I've tried about 10 or so of Red Cedar's coffees. I'm using their Costa Rica Finca Dragon at the moment. It's a nice little shop (they only sell beans/grounds and equipment and have samples on display).
 
Sounds like the majority of you use a french press? Any recommendations on a quality drip machine? Also, as I posted earlier, I am also really into espresso and would love to hear recommendations if anyone has any experience with a good machine.
 
If you guys really want to take your coffee game to the upper stratosphere, there's only one place left to go....

Freshly roasted beans. There's a restaurant in Tampa known as Bern's steakhouse; one of the top steak joints in the USA.

After you are done eating, you go to an entirely separate restaurant upstairs which specializes in gourmet desserts.

The founder of the restaurant being so anal over details demanded that fresh green beans were to be roasted, ground, and brewed all in the same kitchen.

Holy fuck. Best cup of joe I've ever had bar none. I had 3.


The aromas, the freshness, the flavor profile. The fresh roasting of beans ensures that you are getting the best cup of coffee imaginable. I'd imagine it would make your home smell damn good inside too.


Obviously there's some little barista etiquette/techniques that go a long way to really round out your perfect cup.

Fresh roasted beans, ground with a good conical burr grinder, using a pour over brewer, brewed into a pre-warmed cup you should be golden.



For those who don't know, the standard coffee makers don't get the water temperature quite hot enough to really release all of the flavors.

Boil your water in a kettle, vent the kettle for 2 minutes until the temp drops from 212F. Slowly pour the hot water over the grounds until you get that bloom. Don't go too fast, and try your damnest not to wet the grounds around the edges, keep your water pour directly in the middle of "the payload."

Happy brewing.

Got to be honest, I'm totally aroused by this coffee experience you had.
 
Sounds like the majority of you use a french press? Any recommendations on a quality drip machine? Also, as I posted earlier, I am also really into espresso and would love to hear recommendations if anyone has any experience with a good machine.

Consider aeropress too, if you're looking for a single-serving option. It's cheap, quick, and can make a tasty cup of coffee with dark, medium, or light roast beans (though if you really like dark roasts, the coffee isn't quite as rich and robust as you can get with a french press).

I wouldn't really recommend drip machines unless you're making coffee for multiple people. Coffee enthusiasts stay away from them because a lot of the action (water temperature, brew time, etc.) is out of your control unless you buy a super fancy drip machine.
 

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