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Source: (consider it) Thread: Coffee
luvanddaisies

the'fun'in'fundie'™
# 5761

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I like coffee.

I don't know how to make proper coffee with a proper coffee machine (I've obviously used cafetieres and percolaters and basic filter-coffee machines, but not the big barista things), and I don't know about the weight that x-amount of coffee ground should be, or the exact temperature of the coffee vs milk, but I do like a nice cup of coffee.

I believe coffee is not about sunshine and unicorns and rainbows, it's meant to be dark, bitter and twisted, so putting sugar in it is an abomination. I'll drink it black or white or frothy (or [whisper] instant - which I accept as being a drink that is not coffee but something else entirely, consumable if coffee is not available [/whisper]), or mocha or espresso, or latte, but not ever with sugar. Ever. [Projectile] .

I've never tried Kopi Luwak , although I've known about it since it won an Ig Nobel Prize For Nutrition in 1995. (well, I probably didn't hear about it five or six years after that, but hey).

I'm not especially knowlegeable about coffee, but I do appreciate it when I get a good one. I imagine there are shipmates who know lots about coffee and are able to discuss it at length - at least I hope so, that's why I started this thread. How do you make yours? What's beyond the pale? Is instant the epitome of evil in a mug? Why bother with decaff?

(As an aside, i'm thinking about buying an Aeropress coffee maker , because the reviews on Amazon seem to suggest it makes nice coffee fast, and it's easy and quick to clean - which means I could have a quick nice coffee before I get the Night Bus to my early shifts. Any thoughts or advice?)

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_Feh
Shipmate
# 10899

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As I sit here sipping my morning salvation, I couldn't help but comment here. I loooove strong, black coffee. The boyfriend drinks his creamer with a little coffee, but I could never do it. With a bigger budget, I think I'd be one of the biggest coffee snobs on the planet. Personally, I like the darker roasts.
And I don't know as much about my favorite drink as I would like, though I've applied fanatically at green mountain coffee roasters since they moved to town, with no luck yet. They give their employees so many pounds of free coffee each year. I didn't tell them, but I think that would be payment enough.
I've been dying to try Kopi luwak also, but the opportunity had not yet presented itself. I've even considered buying a civet and making my own ;-) I'd love to hear from anyone who has tried it!
Oh, and instant!? Blech! I use instant coffee for baking and nothing else!

[ 01. October 2014, 12:48: Message edited by: _Feh ]

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LeRoc

Famous Dutch pirate
# 3216

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I use this Italian-style percolator, the one where you screw the top part off, don't know how it's called. And no sugar.

The best coffee of course is when I'm in the mountains of Espírito Santo, where the beans come right from the slopes and have been ground and burned the very same day.

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Heavenly Anarchist
Shipmate
# 13313

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I have a latte for breakfast every day and occasionally in the afternoon. I'll drink black coffee after dinner though. No sugar but I will occasionally have a vanilla latte. perhaps I should experiment with using vanilla paste instead of syrup? Hmm, might go and try that...
We have an older version of the DeLonghi Icona which I really like as it is a reasonable price and efficient, nice and straightforward though it takes practice to get the milk warm enough.
I prefer smooth caramelly coffees to more acidic ones. I recently bought several types from a lovely shop in Edinburgh as a gift for my husband and we loved having a variety and taking notes on them. I'll dig the name of the shop out.

[ 01. October 2014, 13:01: Message edited by: Heavenly Anarchist ]

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_Feh
Shipmate
# 10899

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quote:
Originally posted by LeRoc:

The best coffee of course is when I'm in the mountains of Espírito Santo, where the beans come right from the slopes and have been ground and burned the very same day.

Mmmmmm... set my mouth to watering!

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Karl: Liberal Backslider
Shipmate
# 76

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Decaff is acceptable if for diagnosed medical reasons and a doctor's note is provided. Instant is scraped from under Satan's fingernails. It doesn't need milk or sugar.

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Honest Ron Bacardi
Shipmate
# 38

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If you are serious about coffee, probably the best starting investment is in a good grinder. An adjustable burr grinder lets you grind from coarse right through to ultrafine Turkish coffee grind. But the main thing is that freshly ground beans taste so much better. Ground coffee loses its aromatics within a couple of days.

If you want decaff., then there are some excellent decaffeinated beans available from specialist suppliers.

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Anglo-Cthulhic

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Siegfried
Ship's ferret
# 29

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Decaf- only in the evenings if accompanied by a very dark chocolate something.

Definitely grind your beans fresh for each cup. There are stand-alone grinders, as well as grind-to-brew coffee makers. Definitely go burr over the little spinning blade thing--the spinning blade just beats the coffee to death and heats it as well. Best use for one of those? Grinding spices.

Go strong not weak.

Use filtered water.

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lilBuddha
Shipmate
# 14333

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Obviously, drink whatever you like. But bitter is not better. Bitter is a result of abuse. Too hot a brewing temp, too fine a grind for the brewing method or too lengthy brewing time.
Like strong coffee? Get a different bean and or roast, quit abusing your morning cup. Don't make me call the RSPCC.

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comet

Snowball in Hell
# 10353

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fresh ground beans in a french press, served in a designated (ginormous) mug. and I take my coffee like my heart: dark, bitter, and unsweetened.

if I get my coffee out and about, it's a sludge cup (aka "shot in the dark") or strict quad shot with heavy cream. my baristas know me and are brewing before I'm in the door, bless'em. I used to do americanos, until I realized that that hot water was unnecessary dilution.

eta: agreed with lilB. when I say "bitter" I generally mean strong, with a complex, muddy flavor. (plus comedic effect) I don't like the roasts that are labeled as having "bright notes". I don't want bright when I need coffee. I need a coffee that commiserates with my dark, grouchyass self.

[ 01. October 2014, 16:02: Message edited by: comet ]

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Ariel
Shipmate
# 58

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Decaff is rarely 100% caffeine free and I have to be sparing with it, but there are times when only one of the following will do (in no particular order):

A vanilla or hazelnut caffe latte
A mocha
An espresso.

Quality varies widely from outlet to outlet and I've mostly stopped asking for an americano, as there's too much water in it (unless they're prepared to compromise on the water).

Espressos go cold quite quickly but are good for those times when what you want isn't so much a long hot drink as an intense burst of flavour.

At home I have a cafetiere (French press?). I always do decaff, basically because full-strength caffeine is overdose for me, and it will be plain black. These days the quality of decaffeinated filter/cafetiere coffee can be as good as the regular stuff.

The difference with instant coffee is usually noticeable and brands vary widely. We used to have one brand at the office which was supermarket's own which was far more like Bovril than anything.

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lilBuddha
Shipmate
# 14333

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quote:
Originally posted by Ariel:

Espressos go cold quite quickly but are good for those times when what you want isn't so much a long hot drink as an intense burst of flavour.

An espresso begins to degrade after about 15 seconds from extraction. It should never be drunk cold.
BTW, the quality of the crema indicates a good pour, but for best taste, spoon it away before drinking. It contains none of the good flavour. And a stir before drinking balances the taste.
ETA: I should probably walk away from this thread and let you all enjoy whatever it is you wish to.
Pedantic, obsessive geek: Out.

[ 01. October 2014, 16:42: Message edited by: lilBuddha ]

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Uncle Pete

Loyaute me lie
# 10422

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A discussion of coffee should also include that which is patently not coffee.

*$$$$ does not do coffee. Unless your definition of coffee means bitter and overhot. Not to mention overpriced.

Ask the Australians what happened when *$$$$ tried to break into the market there.

McDonald's is just disgusting. And not coffee.

People who hate coffee drink F**g*r's. They may, as well, be startlingly naïve.

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Timothy the Obscure

Mostly Friendly
# 292

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I'm not really an espresso guy, though living in Portland I drink it all the time (in latte form usually, though I actually prefer cafe au lait). But I really like my coffee New Orleans style, with chicory (and milk, and a very small spoonful of sugar).

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Palimpsest
Shipmate
# 16772

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An espresso fresh pulled from the machine by a good barista in the minute before the foam collapses is wonderful. The foam is the point, not something to be scraped off.

I normally drink decaff americano's if I have to deal with an espresso machine, since a lot of places won't have a fresh drip pot. I need to skip caffeine normally for medical interviews.
I had the amusing problem of having to talk to a friend about working for his company last week, while we met in a fancy coffeehouse which proudly refuses to serve decaffeinated beans. I kept having to ramp down the hyper conversation after such a long time off the caffeine habit.

The aeropresse makes a good cup of drip coffee. It does require some muscle to work, but it is easy to clean. I believe there is also a small ceramic hand grinder that is fairly good for making a small coffee that goes well with the Aeropresse for work.

In general, while good beans are nice, coffee that is roasted in the last day or two is so much better than stuff which has been sitting around in nitrogen or cans. The extra dark French roast is for those who are basically flavoring dairy drinks. A mid city roast is best for black drip coffee.

Posts: 2990 | From: Seattle WA. US | Registered: Nov 2011  |  IP: Logged
Schroedinger's cat

Ship's cool cat
# 64

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These days, I have a stovetop espresso maker which I use for coffee most days. I do a full pot (4 or 5 shots) in a reasonable size mug and finish with warmed milk - so probably a flat white, although I try to froth the milk a little.

I also have sugar in it. The milk and the sugar take the bitter edge off the coffee, giving me the potency of the drink without the catch. When I have to buy a coffee outside, I prefer a latte with extra shot, which does something similar.

The coffee I use if Cafe Direct Manchu Picchu rather than their espresso, because I love the hint of chocolate I get with this one.

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Ariel
Shipmate
# 58

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quote:
Originally posted by Palimpsest:
The extra dark French roast is for those who are basically flavoring dairy drinks. A mid city roast is best for black drip coffee.

Actually the extra dark rich one is the one I go for at home when drinking it black. Medium roast doesn't have the edge to it that I look for.
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Sipech
Shipmate
# 16870

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Kopi Luwak is indeed very nice, but if you are ethically minded you might want to check exactly where it comes from. I got the real stuff when I worked in Indonesia for a short while, but if you try to buy it here it's likely to come from a farm where the civets are kept in very cramped conditions.

Some of the best coffee on the market at the moment is Ethopian Sidamo (aka Sidama) and Rwandan Kopakama Ejo Heza. Never go for coffee blends (like French or Italian) as these are never as good.

And never trust a barista. Most shops you go to, especially chain stores, have no idea how to make a decent cup. If you see clouds of vapour, then the water is far too hot. It should never be allowed to boil as that burns the coffee.

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Posts: 3791 | From: On the corporate ladder | Registered: Jan 2012  |  IP: Logged
luvanddaisies

the'fun'in'fundie'™
# 5761

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quote:
Originally posted by LeRoc:

The best coffee of course is when I'm in the mountains of Espírito Santo, where the beans come right from the slopes and have been ground and burned the very same day.

I don't quite know what to say. Sounds amazing.

quote:
Originally posted by comet:
agreed with lilB. when I say "bitter" I generally mean strong, with a complex, muddy flavor. (plus comedic effect) I don't like the roasts that are labeled as having "bright notes". I don't want bright when I need coffee. I need a coffee that commiserates with my dark, grouchyass self.

Yes. This.
I hate burnt coffee too. By "bitter" I mean dark like a Brothers Grimm vs Disney dark, rather than that burnt singe of disappointment that you get from the first sip from a hot cup of got-it-a-bit-wrong, (and also a way to make it sound silly enough to remind people to *never ever* put sugar in my coffee or I'll spit it involuntarily back onto their shoes).

quote:
Originally posted by lilBuddha:
quote:
Originally posted by Ariel:

Espressos go cold quite quickly but are good for those times when what you want isn't so much a long hot drink as an intense burst of flavour.

An espresso begins to degrade after about 15 seconds from extraction. It should never be drunk cold.
BTW, the quality of the crema indicates a good pour, but for best taste, spoon it away before drinking. It contains none of the good flavour. And a stir before drinking balances the taste.
ETA: I should probably walk away from this thread and let you all enjoy whatever it is you wish to.
Pedantic, obsessive geek: Out.

Nonononono - come back. This is exactly the sort of obsessive geek trivia I want and need in my life.
15 seconds - wow. Why?

And how do you know so much about coffee? Are you the Coffee Police (and if the Coffee Police don't exist, why the hell not?).

quote:
Originally posted by PeteC:


People who hate coffee drink F**g*r's. They may, as well, be startlingly naïve.

Sorry - I didn't get in from w*rk until 00:45 last night, might be being dim...
Fingers?

quote:
Originally posted by Palimpsest:


The aeropresse makes a good cup of drip coffee. It does require some muscle to work, but it is easy to clean. I believe there is also a small ceramic hand grinder that is fairly good for making a small coffee that goes well with the Aeropresse for work.


Part of what I want in it is easy. When I have a shift that starts at 5am, the lack of a 24hour Tube in London means I have to get Night Buses, which means I leave for w*rk at 02:30. I'd like a shot of caffeine that is nice but requires little time and effort (so although freshly ground beans are nicer, it's not going to happen at 2am!)
It might also encourage me to drink coffee rather than Coke/Irn Bru some of the rest of the time.

For me the caffeine is significant - I need the injection of caffeine, so coffee would give me that in a fewer-calories-and-less-junky-shit version. And if it was nice coffee it would encourage me to do it, and be nice. Because nice is good when you're getting up in the middle of the night!

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"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." (Mark Twain)

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Moo

Ship's tough old bird
# 107

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quote:
Originally posted by luvanddaisies:
quote:
Originally posted by PeteC:


People who hate coffee drink F**g*r's. They may, as well, be startlingly naïve.

Sorry - I didn't get in from w*rk until 00:45 last night, might be being dim...
Fingers?

Folger's is a brand of coffee which is widely sold in this part of the world.

Moo

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Posts: 20365 | From: Alleghany Mountains of Virginia | Registered: May 2001  |  IP: Logged
luvanddaisies

the'fun'in'fundie'™
# 5761

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Ah. I don't think it exists here. My confusion is justified, and I'm not too tired to fill in the missing letters. All good.

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"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." (Mark Twain)

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la vie en rouge
Parisienne
# 10688

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I haz a sad about coffee. I am one of those people Karl is talking about with a doctor’s note. I can drink American coffee, but not French or Italian expresso. It makes me terrifyingly on-the-verge-of-palpitations hyper for about two hours, and then I go into free fall.

I drink decaf now and again, but proper coffee is forever denied to me. I can’t help feeling I’m missing out on something. Fiancé en rouge has a relationship with his expresso machine that verges on idolatry.

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Ariel
Shipmate
# 58

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Would you consider decaff espresso? The choice of beans is unfortunately much more limited when it's decaff but at least there are some.
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quetzalcoatl
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# 16740

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I haz a sad also. I can drink about one cup a week; any more, and iz v. sad in Quet's tummy and guts in general.

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Lamb Chopped
Ship's kebab
# 5528

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quote:
Originally posted by Timothy the Obscure:
I'm not really an espresso guy, though living in Portland I drink it all the time (in latte form usually, though I actually prefer cafe au lait). But I really like my coffee New Orleans style, with chicory (and milk, and a very small spoonful of sugar).

Yes yes yes yes yes! We get the Café du Monde coffee/chicory stuff and drink it Vietnamese style, dripped through one of those individual metal cup top thingies, and sweetened with condensed milk. Over ice is best, but hot is okay.

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la vie en rouge
Parisienne
# 10688

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quote:
Originally posted by Ariel:
Would you consider decaff espresso? The choice of beans is unfortunately much more limited when it's decaff but at least there are some.

Yes... but addicts to the real stuff tell me that it's not the same. Like I said, I feel like I'm definitely missing out on something. [Frown]

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luvanddaisies

the'fun'in'fundie'™
# 5761

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quote:
Originally posted by Lamb Chopped:
quote:
Originally posted by Timothy the Obscure:
I really like my coffee New Orleans style, with chicory (and milk, and a very small spoonful of sugar).

Yes yes yes yes yes! We get the Café du Monde coffee/chicory stuff and drink it Vietnamese style, dripped through one of those individual metal cup top thingies, and sweetened with condensed milk. Over ice is best, but hot is okay.
I'm not familiar with this. It sounds interesting (apart from the sugar part), do we have it in the UK anyone?

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"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." (Mark Twain)

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Enoch
Shipmate
# 14322

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I'm slightly unconvinced by some of the fancy technology. Percolators are convenient and easy to use, and so are the old sort of expresso machines that go on the stove. But I'm not convinced the coffee itself is any better than coffee made in a jug. A lot of the rest is more a question of showing off one's fancy gadgets. I've move to a cafetiere, which is basically just a jug with something to stop the grains ending up in your cup.

I like Dark Roast Java.

Shipmates who like to savour their coffee and imagine the beans being individually collected from the anuses of small forest animals may be shocked by this but if you want a reasonable gluggable vin ordinaire of a coffee, there's a lot to be said for Sainsbury's basic. It's unsubtle and a 4. The reason why it costs less is because the blend contains more robusta than others, which is cheaper to produce.

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Karl: Liberal Backslider
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# 76

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We use it for the coffee that's made in the bedroom coffee machine to wake us up in the morning. For that, when the finer senses are less than awake, it's superb.

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Moo

Ship's tough old bird
# 107

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quote:
Originally posted by Lamb Chopped:
We get the Café du Monde coffee/chicory stuff...

Luzianne also has coffee with chicory. It's much easier to find around here than Cafe du Monde.

Moo

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See you later, alligator.

Posts: 20365 | From: Alleghany Mountains of Virginia | Registered: May 2001  |  IP: Logged
Twilight

Puddleglum's sister
# 2832

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quote:
Originally posted by Enoch:
I'm slightly unconvinced by some of the fancy technology. Percolators are convenient and easy to use, and so are the old sort of expresso machines that go on the stove. But I'm not convinced the coffee itself is any better than coffee made in a jug. A lot of the rest is more a question of showing off one's fancy gadgets. I've move to a cafetiere, which is basically just a jug with something to stop the grains ending up in your cup.

I like Dark Roast Java.

Shipmates who like to savour their coffee and imagine the beans being individually collected from the anuses of small forest animals may be shocked by this but if you want a reasonable gluggable vin ordinaire of a coffee, there's a lot to be said for Sainsbury's basic. It's unsubtle and a 4. The reason why it costs less is because the blend contains more robusta than others, which is cheaper to produce.

Come sit with me on the porch, Enoch, we'll keep the kids off the lawn while raising our blood pressure the natural way.

I drink Kroger's store brand and it's a good thing I do because I drink four cups every morning while typing furiously on the Ship of Fools. I use a Mr. Coffee automatic drip machine the French press gadgets leaving the coffee a bit murkey for my taste. No sugar, 1% milk or black. The main thing is that it be hot and lots of it.

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Lamb Chopped
Ship's kebab
# 5528

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If you've got Vietnamese people, you've got this style of coffee (not the chicory Café du Monde bit, the rest of the set up I mean). Go to a Vietnamese restaurant and ask for café sua (hot) or café sua da (over ice).

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Er, this is what I've been up to (book).
Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down!

Posts: 20059 | From: off in left field somewhere | Registered: Feb 2004  |  IP: Logged
bib
Shipmate
# 13074

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Give me tea every time. Unfortunately I discovered that coffee causes me severe migraines. Haven't had a migraine since I gave it up.

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"My Lord, my Life, my Way, my End, accept the praise I bring"

Posts: 1307 | From: Australia | Registered: Oct 2007  |  IP: Logged
Brenda Clough
Shipmate
# 18061

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I second the use of a burr grinder. This is the one thing that will make a tasteable difference in your daily cup.
And yes, nothing is more decadently nummy that Vietnamese coffee!
It is sad, but my doctor tells me that as one ages one may become more sensitive to caffeine. I have to strictly ration myself to one cup a day, in the morning. Even an espresso gelato at night is too much. (I have a gelato place that makes it with real espresso...)

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Science fiction and fantasy writer with a Patreon page

Posts: 6378 | From: Washington DC | Registered: Mar 2014  |  IP: Logged
Schroedinger's cat

Ship's cool cat
# 64

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Enoch - Espresso coffee is stronger for a given volume than cafetiere coffee. This does make a difference. You have forced more intense flavour out.

However, an espresso contains less caffeine than a cup of filter coffee. The main reason is the quantity - like for like measures, espresso contains more. This probably means that I have less caffeine in my mugs of espresso than I would in a cafetiere for a similar mug, because I would have to put more coffee in.

I once had some cheapest of cheap Kwik-Save own brand instant coffee. Seriously, you have never tasted anything so foul that calls itself coffee. I think it was mainly sawdust.

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Blog
Music for your enjoyment
Lord may all my hard times be healing times
take out this broken heart and renew my mind.

Posts: 18859 | From: At the bottom of a deep dark well. | Registered: May 2001  |  IP: Logged
Drifting Star

Drifting against the wind
# 12799

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quote:
Originally posted by Schroedinger's cat:
I once had some cheapest of cheap Kwik-Save own brand instant coffee. Seriously, you have never tasted anything so foul that calls itself coffee. I think it was mainly sawdust.

I see your cheap instant coffee and raise you a brother-in-law who uses a quarter of a teaspoon of said sawdust to make a mug of 'coffee'. I could see the bottom of the mug. I left it.

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The soul is dyed the color of its thoughts. Heraclitus

Posts: 3126 | From: A thin place. | Registered: Jul 2007  |  IP: Logged
Sipech
Shipmate
# 16870

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I once worked with a tea-drinking colleague who had never encountered ground coffee. When it was her turn to do a round of drinks, my mug came back with just the grounds covered in boiling water. The cafetière had been ignored and she passed my mug to me noting, "the granules seem a little slow in dissolving. Not like normal Nescafe." [brick wall]

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I try to be self-deprecating; I'm just not very good at it.
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TheAlethiophile

Posts: 3791 | From: On the corporate ladder | Registered: Jan 2012  |  IP: Logged
Ariel
Shipmate
# 58

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As a teenager in my first Saturday job in a shop, my turn came to make the drinks. I followed the usual custom of asking everyone whether they wanted tea or coffee and went off to the kitchenette. Then I realized I'd never made instant coffee (or any other kind) and had no idea how much to put into a mug. The manageress was happy to advise. "Just put half a teaspoon of coffee granules in and top it right up with plenty of hot water," she said without batting an eyelid.

I had my doubts but followed her advice. The recipients were all very polite about it, which confirmed my suspicions, but were happy to be honest about preferences when asked.

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Sarasa
Shipmate
# 12271

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My husband and son are coffee geeks, so I'm sitting here drinking a cup of cappucino made from home roast El Savadorian beans, and very nice it is too.
Between them they have over £3,000 of coffee equipment. I try to be very polite about what I call coffee creep - the fact that there is no room in the dresser cupboard for anything other than bags of green beans, as the finished cup is so nice, even though I'm more of a tea person.

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'I guess things didn't go so well tonight, but I'm trying. Lord, I'm trying.' Charlie (Harvey Keitel) in Mean Streets.

Posts: 2035 | From: London | Registered: Jan 2007  |  IP: Logged
balaam

Making an ass of myself
# 4543

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Mezcla.

One of the best reasons for visiting Spain.

A blend of roast beans and 30 to 40% Torrefacto. Coffee without the bitterness, what's not to like?

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Last ever sig ...

blog

Posts: 9049 | From: Hen Ogledd | Registered: May 2003  |  IP: Logged
LeRoc

Famous Dutch pirate
# 3216

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quote:
balaam: Coffee without the bitterness, what's not to like?
The lack of bitterness.

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I know why God made the rhinoceros, it's because He couldn't see the rhinoceros, so He made the rhinoceros to be able to see it. (Clarice Lispector)

Posts: 9474 | From: Brazil / Africa | Registered: Aug 2002  |  IP: Logged
Sir Kevin
Ship's Gaffer
# 3492

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If the coffee's any good, I buy it at the grocery store: I grind it on site rather than using our single-cup Krupps grinder

We each it drink about 2 cups a day....

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If you board the wrong train, it is no use running along the corridor in the other direction Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Writing is currently my hobby, not yet my profession.

Posts: 30517 | From: White Hart Lane | Registered: Oct 2002  |  IP: Logged
Doublethink.
Ship's Foolwise Unperson
# 1984

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You'all have now made me want to buy a coffee grinder. I am now thinking, if I have adjustable ceramic burr - does it matter if it is a handmill or a machine ? (I ask because the price difference is masses.)

[ 04. October 2014, 14:35: Message edited by: Doublethink ]

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All political thinking for years past has been vitiated in the same way. People can foresee the future only when it coincides with their own wishes, and the most grossly obvious facts can be ignored when they are unwelcome. George Orwell

Posts: 19219 | From: Erehwon | Registered: Aug 2005  |  IP: Logged
Brenda Clough
Shipmate
# 18061

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No, a Krups grinder is not the same. Be sure and get a burr grinder. I would think that it makes no difference whether it has a motor or not, but google around -- there are coffee websites that rate and rank all these things to a crazy level of detail. Grinding it fresh just before brewing has a considerable effect as well -- many of the oils are volatile.

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Science fiction and fantasy writer with a Patreon page

Posts: 6378 | From: Washington DC | Registered: Mar 2014  |  IP: Logged
Ariel
Shipmate
# 58

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quote:
Originally posted by balaam:
Coffee without the bitterness, what's not to like?

A good cup of coffee needs to be dark, rough, rich, earthy, aromatic, intensely flavoured and with the requisite touch of bitterness. All the notes should be there in the right proportions. You shouldn't be able to stand a spoon up in it, but the spoon ought to sweat and wilt a little bit.
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LeRoc

Famous Dutch pirate
# 3216

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quote:
Ariel: A good cup of coffee needs to be dark, rough, rich, earthy, aromatic, intensely flavoured and with the requisite touch of bitterness. All the notes should be there in the right proportions. You shouldn't be able to stand a spoon up in it, but the spoon ought to sweat and wilt a little bit.
I agree with you but ... why would you want to stick a spoon in coffee?

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I know why God made the rhinoceros, it's because He couldn't see the rhinoceros, so He made the rhinoceros to be able to see it. (Clarice Lispector)

Posts: 9474 | From: Brazil / Africa | Registered: Aug 2002  |  IP: Logged
Ariel
Shipmate
# 58

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It comes from the saying "If you can't stand a spoon up in it, it ain't tea", i.e. the drink should be so strong that it should be almost solid. Said in jest because nobody really wants it like that, but you get the idea.
Posts: 25445 | Registered: May 2001  |  IP: Logged
lilBuddha
Shipmate
# 14333

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quote:
Originally posted by Doublethink:
You'all have now made me want to buy a coffee grinder. I am now thinking, if I have adjustable ceramic burr - does it matter if it is a handmill or a machine ? (I ask because the price difference is masses.)

The important thing is to make sure your grinder can do the coarseness that suits your brewing method and desired result. Start there before comparing grinders.
A good hand grinder, one that can grind Chemex pour over pebbles to talcum powder Turkish coffee, can be cheap. But requires a bit of elbow grease. Not every hand grinder can do this, be careful choosing.
A good burr grinder, very convenient, very easy; not so cheap.
If you are not picky about your beans, roast or method and simply want to soothe your withdrawal shakes, get a cheap blade grinder.

Other considerations
  • Cleaning - Oils accumulate and turn rancid. You bought the grinder because you care about the taste, clean it!
  • Replaceable components - Nothing lasts forever* cheaper to replace the burrs than the whole darn machine.
  • Ceramic or Steel? - Ceramic lasts longer, Steel grinds finer when new.



*Sadly, not even the earth and sky.

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I put on my rockin' shoes in the morning
Hallellou, hallellou

Posts: 17627 | From: the round earth's imagined corners | Registered: Dec 2008  |  IP: Logged
Doublethink.
Ship's Foolwise Unperson
# 1984

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Bearing that mind porlex hand grinders seem to be the way to go.

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All political thinking for years past has been vitiated in the same way. People can foresee the future only when it coincides with their own wishes, and the most grossly obvious facts can be ignored when they are unwelcome. George Orwell

Posts: 19219 | From: Erehwon | Registered: Aug 2005  |  IP: Logged
Doublethink.
Ship's Foolwise Unperson
# 1984

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Have any of you heard anything about cold brewed coffee or cold brewed tea ?

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All political thinking for years past has been vitiated in the same way. People can foresee the future only when it coincides with their own wishes, and the most grossly obvious facts can be ignored when they are unwelcome. George Orwell

Posts: 19219 | From: Erehwon | Registered: Aug 2005  |  IP: Logged



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