the coffee thread......

[TerryH]

Originally Posted by red-beard

Small bags, 13 oz ~ 3.99, the large bags 39 oz ~ $10.99

Sometimes cheaper when on sale.

Wow, that is cheap.

Well, no Jamacian Blue Mountain or Kona $60 a pound stuff here. Glad my wife has inexpensive tastes! Sounds better than saying she's a cheap date.

[Moses]

Originally Posted by nostatic

Won't set foot in a Coffee Bean, and will go to a Starbucks only with a gun held to my head. Peets is it for me. Major Dickason is the go-to blend, but I recently tried some Sulawesi-Kalosi that was tasty.

http://www.peets.com/shop/coffee_detail.asp?id=41&cid=1004

+1 on Peets. Amazing quality every time. I drink my coffee black, so taste is very important to me. I want the coffee to be strong and smooth with no bite.

At home it's Illy. It would be really hard to make a bad cup of coffee or espresso with Illy.

[red-beard]

Yep, Amazon with the once per year shipping charge is an excellent deal.

[djmcmath]

I can't imagine paying $37/lb for coffee -- it just isn't worth it. I mean, I've had EBM before, and it's great stuff, but ... $37/lb? No, I can't do that. Even Kona, which is also an excellent bean, isn't worth asking price to me.

I roast my own beans and make espresso at a very serious level. A friend of mine is putting together a blend of Costa Rican and some African and Indonesian beans that's quite good. Even as drip coffee, it's incredible. As espresso, it's enough to make a guy think indecent thoughts. I'm working on mimicking his work -- I have about 70lbs of beans in the back, and the next batch will be a blend much like what he's doing.

(shrug) Roasting your own beans is definitely the way to go, even if you're not that serious. It's cheap (I average about $5/lb), it's easy (I don't even think about it anymore), and it doesn't take much time (half an hour a week).

Good stuff.

Dan

[greglepore]

Ditto on the roasting. My usual blend is 50% Harrar (ditto the above comments on Harrar) and 50% mild central American, usually Venezuellan

[red-beard]

Roasting, that is where I plan to go next.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

I have to agree with Nostatic on Peets - I actually love that place but seldom have the occasion to get into one. Problem is there's only two around here (one in Belmont Shore on 2nd street, which is impossible to find parking for, and one in Seal Beach, which is quite a way out of the way for me). So usually I go to CBTL. Also my wife used to work for them - they're a helluva lot more sophisticated/knowledgeable about their coffees than the average "Ice Blended" sipper would ever realize. They actually started as a whole-bean purveyor years ago and only sort of grudgingly went into prepared drinks to survive against the onslaught of Charbucks and to diversify in general. Thankfully it's working.

If we're talking chains, another one I like is Caribou, but the furthest west I've seen them is Colorado. They're predominantly a midwest chain (used to love 'em when I lived in Chicago though). For a chain, they ain't bad and they brew up good joe.

It's A Grind ain't bad in a pinch either. A bit generic, but okay. Better than the evil green mermaid.

[Moses]

Originally Posted by djmcmath

(shrug) Roasting your own beans is definitely the way to go, even if you're not that serious. It's cheap (I average about $5/lb), it's easy (I don't even think about it anymore), and it doesn't take much time (half an hour a week).

Good stuff.

Dan

What kind of roaster are you guys using?

[HardDrive]

I have noticed folks in this thread sighting particular regions as being good. Coffee growing regions, like wine producing regions, have their up and down years. I enjoy coffee from Sulewesi, but not every year is a good crop.

If I was ruler of the world, the phrase 'Jamaican Blue Mountain' would be banned. Its a scam. I can't believe that this tired old marketing gimmick has lasted this long. A region has some great coffees 25 years ago, and they are still marketing it to death.

[Bill Douglas]

I like Brazillian beans. I used to drink a Kenyan Aribica blend but drink brazillian from a local place called Supreme.

I grind them on the Mini Mazzer then craft them into the perfect latte on the Vibiemme...



Me too. I'd like to know how to roast beans?

[jyl]

Peets for me. Major Dickson or French Roast. We buy the beans from them and brew at home.

We mostly make espresso, though I am thinking about going back to drip, just for a change.

My actual coffee enjoyment is on the weekends. During the week I drink it simply to wake up and keep working, tons of it, and for that purpose the closest coffee place is fine. I go there so much they give me a freebie once a week or so.

[livi]

Can´t beat the Swedish brand Zoegas if you want strong good coffee. Mixed 50/50 with vodka and you have the best party drink possible. Viking stile.

[tabs]

I got the Mazer and I got a Salvatore..not what is this ***** I hear about roasting your own beans. I have been going to Trader Joes and bying their beans...I especially liked their Yemen Dark...but its bin discontinued.

I am going to try some Whole Earth beans..that they roast on the premises.

So I don't have to think about it what is a good brand and model roaster? Also what is a good source of unroasted Beans.

Hear is my Salvatore and Mazer.




In my estimation Salvatore makes probably the best home machine out there. It is literally hand built in Solvang, CA using all commercial components. I can leave the thing on all the time and never have to worry. I have opened up the back of the machine and my name is written on the inside, as Salvatore builds the machine when the order comes in. For my model its about $1800 now. however it is something that I have used nearly everyday for 4 1/2 years. So the money in that sense has been well spent.

[djmcmath]

Peets is pretty good. Caribou is better, imho. If you're intent on buying someone else's roast, try Black Cat from Intelligentsia Coffee Roasters. I've never had coffee that good anywhere else, it's over-the-top incredible.

Home roasting: I'm a "heat gun dog bowl" roaster. I had a heat gun from garage work, just a regular Home Depot user-grade heat gun. Stainless steel bowl is easy -- just a mixing bowl from Target for a couple of bucks. Put green coffee in the mixing bowl (about half a pound, give or take), stir it with a long spoon while applying the heat gun. For a detailed description of the roasting process, try sweetmarias.com -- they go through the whole process of what the beans look like at each phase.

+1 on the Mazzer grinders. I went to eBay for a Mazzer Mini and ended up with the commercial variant of the device. I've been using it nonstop for 5 years with no problems at all.

My espresso machine is an Isomac Relax, comparable to the other espresso machines posted above. I recently had to descale it and ended up replacing the pump because the scale was so bad. It cost me $5 in vinegar and $30 for the pump, after 5 years of virtually non-stop operation. I've pulled literally thousands of shots from that machine. Quite nice. If I had the funding, I'd replace it with a Brewtus -- dual boiler PID-controlled machine, perfect for serious espresso.

Dan

[t951]

As always, I am amazed at the level of expertise on almost any topic here! Wow.

I enjoy coffee, but clearly I am not as savvy as the rest of you. I have a couple of dumb questions:

What makes a coffee taste superior? Is it purely personal, or is there something else?
What are good coffee makers for the price (under 100/ under 200 / etc)?

Thanks,

t.

[red-beard]

I am going to have to try the "Dog bowl" roasting. I have the equipment!

But you can buy small roasters for, what, $40-60?

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by djmcmath

Home roasting: I'm a "heat gun dog bowl" roaster. I had a heat gun from garage work, just a regular Home Depot user-grade heat gun. Stainless steel bowl is easy -- just a mixing bowl from Target for a couple of bucks. Put green coffee in the mixing bowl (about half a pound, give or take), stir it with a long spoon while applying the heat gun. For a detailed description of the roasting process, try sweetmarias.com -- they go through the whole process of what the beans look like at each phase.

Thanks! My roaster (purchased from sweetmarias.com a few years ago) was a piece of China crap that didn't hold up, and I miss the "good stuff" . I never sampled the high $ beans (rediculous $, even in Jamaica), but was partial to Yemen, Indian peabody, and some of the Sumatras. CCMcoffee.com is another good source for green beans.

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by djmcmath

Home roasting: I'm a "heat gun dog bowl" roaster.

LOL are you sure you're not from New Zealand.

I'll have to try that method. Now to source the beans.

[bell]

this turned out to be a very informative thread

great stuff

[krichard]

I've been roasting for about 3 years now and can't imagine drinking anything else. The thought of having to drink Starbucks burnt disgusting coffee makes me cringe now. Sad thing is I used to think Starbucks was good.

This is the roaster I've had for a couple years now, works excellent!!!
http://www.sweetmarias.com/prod.hottop.shtml
I've had this coffee maker for 5 years now and it rocks!!!
http://www.capresso.com/coffee-makers-coffee-team-s.shtml

I roast 1/2 pound every 5 days or so. I've actually been researching commercial roasters and am considering buying a 5lb roaster to start a small side business.

If you love coffee, roasting is the only way to go.