Coffee
Posted by: Simon-in-Suffolk on 16 July 2017
i know there are several dedicated coffee web sites out there - but I thought would be interested to compare notes with those more musically inclined. For most of my life until now I have not really liked coffee - but I now have discovered i really do rather like coffee after all - but it has to be made and prepared properly - and that appears to exclude the vast majority of hight street chain coffee shops, and roasted beans from supermarkets
So I have got to talk to some local independent baristas and roasters, bought a burr grinder and manual espresso machine and practised practised practised.. and I am now getting there such that I can enjoy and savour the complex tastes of an expresso shot almost like a whisky or cognac... though with me with slightly less predictability at the moment until my skills progress . and yes I will probably need to invest in some water proof .1g scales - a local independent barista said I probably need that if I want true consistency.
For any coffee heads out there - what is your current bean and roaster of the moment and favourite preparation?
I am really enjoying a locally (Firestation Roasters @Woodbridge) lightly roasted DR Congo Latumba Blue Mountain bean that some some lovely tastes of fruit/oranges with a gorgeous fruity bitter crema. I using an espresso preparation and and grinding the bean so I am extracting for around 25 seconds with a 5 second pre-infusion at around 9 bar @93 c for a single shot.
I have been enjoying Butterworth & Son (@Bury St Edmunds) 100% Espresso blend with a similar preparation but doesn't quite have the fruitiness and light notes of the Congo bean...
I am enjoying espressos, long-blacks and flat-whites... although the milk in the flat-whites doesn't go so well perhaps with the fruitier beans.. Also the beans seem optimum for extraction between a week to four weeks after roasting.
So any other interesting coffee beans and preparations to try?
Posted on: 27 July 2017 by Resurrection
If you are desperate for a cup of coffee when in town, I would suggest either Prett's or McDonalds who, in my opinion, do better coffee than Costa or Starbucks at a much more reasonable price.
I think the key word here is Desperate.... ...you would have to be extremely desperate to go to Mcdonalds.
As for Costa or Starbucks, they are both far superior to the above, may cost more but we'll worth it...
But that said ' we pay are money and take are choice'
Ecxactly! You wish to waste your money in Costa or Starbucks that's fine by me. Let me see... a pack of Taylor's Italian blend costs approximately £3.00 (I only buy it when a deal's on, just like Baxter's soup). Reckon I get at least 12 cups of coffee from my machine, plus the cost of the milk for my favoured Cappuccino, or I can pay £2.85 in Starbucks for a tepid, weak dribble of coffee. McDonalds is comparatively very good value, particularly if you are desperate and in a Motorway Service Station.
Posted on: 27 July 2017 by wenger2015
If you are desperate for a cup of coffee when in town, I would suggest either Prett's or McDonalds who, in my opinion, do better coffee than Costa or Starbucks at a much more reasonable price.
I think the key word here is Desperate.... ...you would have to be extremely desperate to go to Mcdonalds.
As for Costa or Starbucks, they are both far superior to the above, may cost more but we'll worth it...
But that said ' we pay are money and take are choice'
I can pay £2.85 in Starbucks for a tepid, weak dribble of coffee. McDonalds is comparatively very good value, particularly if you are desperate and in a Motorway Service Station.
'Tepid, weak dribble of coffee'
I've not noticed that on the Starbucks price list?
Posted on: 27 July 2017 by winkyincanada
If you are desperate for a cup of coffee when in town, I would suggest either Prett's or McDonalds who, in my opinion, do better coffee than Costa or Starbucks at a much more reasonable price.
I think the key word here is Desperate.... ...you would have to be extremely desperate to go to Mcdonalds.
As for Costa or Starbucks, they are both far superior to the above, may cost more but we'll worth it...
But that said ' we pay are money and take are choice'
I can pay £2.85 in Starbucks for a tepid, weak dribble of coffee. McDonalds is comparatively very good value, particularly if you are desperate and in a Motorway Service Station.
'Tepid, weak dribble of coffee'
I've not noticed that on the Starbucks price list?
In defence of Starbucks, they'll make your coffee however you like it in terms of strength. Just ask for the number of "shots" and the sized cup you want. You can also ask them to only fill the cup with a certain percentage of water. "Fill it only half way, please." etc. There menu in terms of coffees merely reflects what they understand to sell best. If you're not a typical customer, they'll absolutely accommodate you.
Posted on: 27 July 2017 by Resurrection
If you are desperate for a cup of coffee when in town, I would suggest either Prett's or McDonalds who, in my opinion, do better coffee than Costa or Starbucks at a much more reasonable price.
I think the key word here is Desperate.... ...you would have to be extremely desperate to go to Mcdonalds.
As for Costa or Starbucks, they are both far superior to the above, may cost more but we'll worth it...
But that said ' we pay are money and take are choice'
I can pay £2.85 in Starbucks for a tepid, weak dribble of coffee. McDonalds is comparatively very good value, particularly if you are desperate and in a Motorway Service Station.
'Tepid, weak dribble of coffee'
I've not noticed that on the Starbucks price list?
In defence of Starbucks, they'll make your coffee however you like it in terms of strength. Just ask for the number of "shots" and the sized cup you want. You can also ask them to only fill the cup with a certain percentage of water. "Fill it only half way, please." etc. There menu in terms of coffees merely reflects what they understand to sell best. If you're not a typical customer, they'll absolutely accommodate you.
At a price!
Posted on: 28 July 2017 by northpole
Thing is that just the mention of McDonalds sets off a defense mechanism assuming cheap and nasty. I haven't had it but I do recall several folks saying it's not at all bad. If you have tried it and it tastes bad to you, fair do's; however, if like me you haven't I'd suggest haste ye not to a conclusion before trying.
Peter
Posted on: 28 July 2017 by wenger2015
At a price.... One does have to pay for quality
Posted on: 28 July 2017 by Huge
A) That's not always true: Look how much money van Gough got for most of his paintings.
B) Paying a high price doesn't always ensure quality.
Posted on: 28 July 2017 by Eloise
Posted on: 28 July 2017 by wenger2015
A) That's not always true: Look how much money van Gough got for most of his paintings.
B) Paying a high price doesn't always ensure quality.
Ear, ear, good point...
Posted on: 28 July 2017 by fatcat
Plus one.
Anybody tried Kopi Luwak
Posted on: 28 July 2017 by Resurrection
Plus one.
Anybody tried Kopi Luwak
Pass! Rather like the coffee itself.
Posted on: 28 July 2017 by ayap1
Plus one.
Anybody tried Kopi Luwak
Sounds like coffee from the Far East! Am I right? or wrong.
Posted on: 28 July 2017 by count.d
I've tried grinding my beans to different sizes, cafetière & percolated and never end up matching the beautiful complex, full-bodied flavours achieved using a Nespresso.
Posted on: 28 July 2017 by Eloise
Sounds like coffee from the Far East! Am I right? or wrong.
Its a coffee bean which has been eaten by, partially digested by and then dedicated by an Asian palm civet. (I think they wash it before they sell it to you).
Posted on: 28 July 2017 by ChrisSU
Sounds like coffee from the Far East! Am I right? or wrong.
Its a coffee bean which has been eaten by, partially digested by and then dedicated by an Asian palm civet. (I think they wash it before they sell it to you).
Thank heavens for auto-correct!!
Posted on: 28 July 2017 by Bruce Woodhouse
Sounds like coffee from the Far East! Am I right? or wrong.
Its a coffee bean which has been eaten by, partially digested by and then dedicated by an Asian palm civet. (I think they wash it before they sell it to you).
Thank heavens for auto-correct!!
I wonder what happens if you type 'shat'?
Oooh, nothing!
Sorry, having a serious day. Toilet humour helps.
Bruce
Posted on: 28 July 2017 by IWC Doppel
I'll be picking up my old home roaster at the weekend, hoping to find my pressure and temperature bits n pieces and hopefully producing Nectar from my new machine. At the moment the results are very good from shop bought beans. I think by the end of August I will have burnt, over and under roasted kilo's of green beans, blunted my grinder and got through quarts of mineral water and had one 'god' shot.
Posted on: 28 July 2017 by northpole
Do folks generally use mineral water in their coffee machines? I just use Brita filtered water which may not be great in southern England/ London. I do try to rescale regularly.
Peter
Posted on: 28 July 2017 by Eoink
I use tap water, which in Yorkshire is fine. Until I left London, I was going through a filter machine evry 2 years or so when the scale became too great to remove.
Posted on: 28 July 2017 by Simon-in-Suffolk
Normal filtered tap water in East Anglia - though do need to descale after a while
Posted on: 28 July 2017 by audio1946
total rip off profit margins must be sky eye
Posted on: 28 July 2017 by Jota
Covfefe is where it's at.
Posted on: 28 July 2017 by Bob the Builder
Nescafe Azeera Americano hot water lots of milk Demerara sugar job done, happy days!
Posted on: 28 July 2017 by Resurrection
Covfefe is where it's at.
Scaramucci, the tango fandango gets worse!
Posted on: 31 July 2017 by Phil Harris
Plus one.
Anybody tried Kopi Luwak
Sounds like coffee from the Far East! Am I right? or wrong.
More like from the deepest darkest south... 
Phil
