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Spiderman
| | Posted on Thursday, July 01, 2010 - 10:10 am: | 
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Spiderman you have something against chocolate with raspberry syrup?
Nope, tastes good with a banana split. But putting that crap in your coffee will ruin it!
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Mr_grumpy
| | Posted on Thursday, July 01, 2010 - 10:37 am: |
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Nope, tastes good with a banana split. But putting that crap in your coffee will ruin it!
+1
I want dessert, I'll eat ice cream or key-lime pie or whatever, just don't muck about with my coffee!
I have to confess here, I have a pet hate... All those poncy coffee shop chains, you know the ones.
When I want coffee that's it, that's what I want, not a f*****g double decaf latte skinny whatever it is.
If I find myself out of La Belle France (where good, simple, cheap, coffee is everywhere) I have a terrible time.
In a last resort if I cant find a reasonable cup, I'll subject myself to the humiliation of waiting behind a bunch of pseuds & yuppies to be derided by a Polish wannabe porn starlet when I ask for an ordinary espresso.
I bet George Clooney doesn't get that crap, but then he's on free prepackaged shots for life isn't he? |
Fast1075
| | Posted on Thursday, July 01, 2010 - 11:37 am: |
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LOL Grump...I know what you mean...sometimes it is hard to get the bubblegum popper to understand what a regular coffee is...
Chicory was mentioned earlier...my dad used to tell me stories of the depression where they would go pick wild chicory to make "coffee"....some of my relatives in Louisiana and delta Mississippi still drink it....that is a real hairy chested beverage the way they make it...that stuff is BITTER!!!!.... |
Blake
| | Posted on Thursday, July 01, 2010 - 01:53 pm: |
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Some cream in my coffee is like sauce on spaghetti for me. I can drink/eat it without, but it just isn't as good.
I tried drinking black for a month straight. Never could learn to like it. Sweetener is optional, but if it's available, I use it too.
On special occasions, a little scotch adds a nice touch too.  |
Mr_grumpy
| | Posted on Thursday, July 01, 2010 - 02:22 pm: |
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On special occasions, a little scotch adds a nice touch too
What do you mean "a little"? needs a damn good slug if you ask me.
BTW the only time I have cream in coffee is with whisky in it. Oh & muscovado sugar too.
But that's more of a dessert than a coffee in my book. |
Cityxslicker
| | Posted on Thursday, July 01, 2010 - 02:55 pm: |
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french press is the best when you go off grid, I took one with me for all of my deployments. Nice little side biz
Linguists always had the best coffee hookups
My Favorite is Arabian White coffee. If you havent had it, go try it. TWICE the caffeine of reg coffee as it is not washed with water to clean it, and the oils are not baked out of the bean as it is sun dried. it is only sold in ground form and works great in a press. It has a nutty flavor to it as the beans are scrubbed with hazelnut shells to remove the dirt and nasty bits. It doesnt have the acid of normal coffee, and doesnt give the jitters. Run it through espresso machine, but only fill the damper 1/2 full and DONT tamp it tight. Run it through the French press in a fix, but if I have the time... its the CAMOBAPb for coffee and tea.
http://www.loweryscoffee.com/contents/en-us/d5.htm l
coming from Seattle, we getz to be a bit snobby with the grind, brew, and prep. Friends don't let Friends Drink Starbucks. |
Irideabuell
| | Posted on Thursday, July 01, 2010 - 03:46 pm: |
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I work for Barnie's Coffee & Tea Co. in Orlando. The only recommendations I would make are:
Only purchase fresh, whole bean coffee. While the packaged coffee you can get from most gourmet companies at the grocery is good, it's already ground and deteriorates in freshness with each passing day.
Only use a quality burr grinder. Blade grinders are too inconsistent when it comes to grind and tend to burn the coffee from the friction created.
Finally, try many different coffees and find one that you like. Using a French press is fantastic, but you need to devise the grind (course when using a press), quantity of coffee and amount of time the coffee steeps to make the cup you enjoy the most. This will entail a good deal of trial and error, but will be worth it.
Enjoy! |
Spiderman
| | Posted on Thursday, July 01, 2010 - 03:50 pm: |
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Only purchase fresh, whole bean coffee. While the packaged coffee you can get from most gourmet companies at the grocery is good, it's already ground and deteriorates in freshness with each passing day.
Quick question for you.
Does putting it in the freezer or fridge keep it fresher?
I usually keep mine in the fridge...
Thanks |
Spiderman
| | Posted on Thursday, July 01, 2010 - 03:51 pm: |
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Some cream in my coffee is like sauce on spaghetti for me. I can drink/eat it without, but it just isn't as good.
That's it! Send back my shwag!
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Blake
| | Posted on Thursday, July 01, 2010 - 03:54 pm: |
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Indian shwagger! |
Irideabuell
| | Posted on Thursday, July 01, 2010 - 04:01 pm: |
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Fridge and freezer are OK as long as it's stored in an airtight container. But, you only want to purchase as much whole bean coffee as you can use in approximately one month at a time for optimum taste and quality. |
Aesquire
| | Posted on Thursday, July 01, 2010 - 07:18 pm: |
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I'm not a coffee expert, but I have buds who buy from individual plantations and are completely nuts about it. Here's a distillation of advice.
First, my prejudice's. I don't like Starbucks. I wouldn't toss a rock through their window at a G-20 meeting, but I don't buy their stuff. DD is actually drinkable, and the heavy mug is ideal to warm the hands on a cold night run.
French Press's rule when camping. It's the combination of "I'm serious about this" and the rich flavor. Buy the real deal, and the Aeropress is a good one. I buy Bodum's, they work. ( I also have a habit of giving them away during camping trips....)
Find a roast you like, My tastes tend lighter than some, but I don't add milk. Sugar, honey, sure, but not milk, and that changes how strong/dark you will like. ( did I mention one coffee freak bud is a Cardiac Nurse? He likes uber-strong, dark & pours on the milk, no sugar. we regard each other as having no taste.)
But the basics...
Burr grinder.
Don't boil the coffee.
Keep coffee in a thermal carafe, not on a burner.. it goes to crap fast as the volatiles evaporates.
Buy bean & grind your own if you can, small batches. If you buy ground buy small batches, not 5 lb. kegs. You will be amazed at the difference, try it.
Jamaica blue mountain is over rated for the price. It's sort of the baseline great coffee. Well balanced, but the best is shipped straight to Tokyo, & you can't buy it.
Kenyan, Costa Rican etc. all can be awesome, and affordable, depending on war, revolution, and genocide. It's a real bummer to fall in love with a coffee to find the plantation's been destroyed.
Try different types, buy a burr grinder, and keep your gear clean with as little soap as possible. Here's a hint, Coke Slurpey will scour the daylights out a a carafe without leaving a foul aftertaste. ( rinse with water after, of course ) |
Hotrats
| | Posted on Thursday, July 01, 2010 - 08:51 pm: |
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Any of you guys crazy enough to try the kopi luwak $hit (literally)? Interesting stuff but I think I'll pass
known as ca phe chon (weasel coffee) in VietNam
i took some to work, without really saying what it was, except that it was really expensive coffee. good thing the dept head has a sense of humor.....
it's actually very good
the VietNamese are serious about ca phe. many coffee shops there. some of the best is grown around Buon Me Thuot, in the central highlands.
their coffee makers are simple, yielding great results. they make it strong, and use sweetened condensed milk.
ca phe sua da - iced coffee with milk is great.
http://www.trung-nguyen-online.com/
they have some good coffee that is available here
(Message edited by hotrats on July 01, 2010) |
Buellkowski
| | Posted on Friday, July 02, 2010 - 11:52 am: |
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Local pho restaurants serve sua da. My wife goes nuts over it. That, and the cream puffs they serve. |
M2statz
| | Posted on Friday, July 02, 2010 - 12:32 pm: |
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On special occasions, a little scotch adds a nice touch too
What do you mean "a little"? needs a damn good slug if you ask me.
Why waste good Scotch on something like coffee? |
Mr_grumpy
| | Posted on Friday, July 02, 2010 - 01:51 pm: |
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Nononono, you misunderstand my friend, one doesn't waste "good" Scotch, like a nice Speyside single malt, one uses a cheap blended scotch for mixing with anything.
I'm very partial to Scotch & 7up or Sprite, but wouldn't dream of doing so with a decent dram.
Bells or Famous Grouse or anything inferior to that is fine for mixing.
But a 12 year old Cardhu or Glen Deveron? my ancestors would come back & haunt me for that! |
Doug_s
| | Posted on Friday, July 02, 2010 - 02:30 pm: |
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to repeat a few things others have said. for regular coffee, french presses are hard to beat. i have found ~4 minutes is a good brewing time before plunging the press. for cheap good coffee, the eight o'clock brand 100% colombian is actually quite decent in a french press, as long as you buy the whole beans & grind as needed.
re: grinders, a burr grinder, that only touches the bean once, makes a huge difference over a blade grinder. i'd been using a french press w/a blade grinder for a lotta years before trying a burr grinder - the improvement was similar to going to the french press from the drip coffee maker.
i rarely french press any more; i got spoiled by a nice la cimbali espresso maker. for nice beans w/o breaking the bank, i have found that costco has a nice selection (in rotation) of dark roast whole beans...
doug s. |
Shellyo
| | Posted on Monday, July 05, 2010 - 10:11 am: |
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I recently upgraded my 20 year old Simonelli "Elli" (after numerous rebuilds) to a QuickMill Andreja Premium espresso machine but continue to use my 25 year old Faema Family coffee mill... which is finally due for a major service (or replacement.)
I find www.home-barista.com to be very helpful and informative.
(Message edited by shellyo on July 05, 2010) |
Crusty
| | Posted on Monday, July 05, 2010 - 10:57 am: |
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When I was in Kenya, I grew to really like the local coffee. The company I was working for put me up in a house with an Irish House mate whose sister brought a bottle of Glenfiddich Scotch when she came to visit. I loved the coffee and I really enjoyed the Scotch, but it never occurred to me to mix the two.
That's a good thing.
I still love Kenya coffee, and grind my own at home. |
Methed
| | Posted on Monday, July 05, 2010 - 11:06 am: |
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My wife having formerly run a coffee shop, I'm a self-involved, fully-depraved bean addict. My french press has helped to see me through some dark times.
If you're ever looking for one you can throw in a bag on the bike, there are a couple of places that make a Nalgene-esque french press that is 'unbreakable'. While I have found first hand that they are breakable, it takes a minor act of God to do this--that, or a drop off of a sheer rock face from a few stories up.
GSI doesn't make the one I used anymore, but here's their update:
http://www.gsioutdoors.com/products/pdp/30_oz_java _press/
At home now I'm sporting a Saeco espresso pump and a former 'spare' Rossi grinder from the old shop that dims the lights in our house when I fire it up.
(Message edited by methed on July 05, 2010) |
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