All things coffee, join mewe group

[PistolsAtDawn]

I'm I the only one who enjoys plain ole freeze dried taster choice instant coffee?

Nothing wrong with that, but it's a bit like Coca-cola vs store brand. Sure the store brand will get things done, but I personally wouldn't stop wishing I'd just had a real Coke. To each their own though, right? Most people don't spend what I spent on an espresso maker and burr grinder for what is honestly marginal gains over preground coffee.

[Joshgreenhorn]

I think I'm going to venture out of the box and try some new coffee. I don't have a grinder, so would you have any recommendations as to where to start?
Coffee wise that is.

[PistolsAtDawn]

I think I'm going to venture out of the box and try some new coffee. I don't have a grinder, so would you have any recommendations as to where to start?
Coffee wise that is.

I got this one as a gift for my birthday. It gets the job done.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CSKGLMM

With it I've used Lavaza Super Creama, Kicking Horse Kickass, and something the local grocery store had. I like the Lavaza the best. I only have espresso once a day, so it takes a while to get through a kilo bag of beans. The next one I'm going to try is the dark roast from Koffee Kult.

I also used to drink a lot of preground Cafe Bustello when that was $4/can. It was good out of my moka pot.

[Joshgreenhorn]

Thankyou so much! Also Ive herd alot of good things about koffee kult from LSMS chat room.

[PistolsAtDawn]

Thankyou so much! Also Ive herd alot of good things about koffee kult from LSMS chat room.

My pleasure! I hope you finding something you like, and please come back and update us!

[IndelibleDotInk]

I'm I the only one who enjoys plain ole freeze dried taster choice instant coffee?

Most people don't spend what I spent on an espresso maker and burr grinder for what is honestly marginal gains over preground coffee.

Koreans (from Korea) love and have perfected instant coffee (much like instant ramen, which they call ramyeon and comes in a dizzying array of subtypes). If you love instant, go to an asian market for korean freeze dried coffee. Pick up some kimchi too, get those fermentated probiotics and the spicy flavah! Love me some round cabbage kimchi (sweet and hot), and kkakdugi radish cubed kimchi (crunchy cubes of spiciness).

More importantly, if you feel you are only getting marginal gains over ground coffee, something is glaringly amiss. Even if you are sticking to budget beans (Lion coffee is good, peet's dark roast is great, both are at grocery stores. Lion is roasted here in Hawaii), the fact that you are grinding whole beans instead of preground should be a total gamechanger. Adding real cream to most brews will def add a lot to the flavor profile and hide small deficiencies in lower end coffee. (Some coffees should be drank black, esp fruity coffees, they taste weird with cream). I don't want to sound like a coffee snob, but I am getting to feel (been into good coffee for less than a year) like every sip of good coffee is a short symphony of jaw dropping taste. I can't drink diner coffee anymore, it's like a whole diff drink. Plus the $ of whole beans can be reasonable and much cheaper than Starbucks or good cafes. Even McD's these days has some noms coffee, but it's like $1 vs 50cents making it at home. But for some people, they can't taste it? I am like that with wine. I am terrible with wine, I can't do what sommeliers do, but the nuances they talk about are present in coffee, and I get coffee.

My dad is looking for a keurig, dunno why since I have a good grinder and aeropress, french press, moka pot, hario v60 decanter for pourovers, good, fresh whole beans... I think he'll be disappointed with the coffee cause it's preground in pods, and the cost of pods.

[PistolsAtDawn]

I'm I the only one who enjoys plain ole freeze dried taster choice instant coffee?

Most people don't spend what I spent on an espresso maker and burr grinder for what is honestly marginal gains over preground coffee.

Koreans (from Korea) love and have perfected instant coffee (much like instant ramen, which they call ramyeon and comes in a dizzying array of subtypes). If you love instant, go to an asian market for korean freeze dried coffee. Pick up some kimchi too, get those fermentated probiotics and the spicy flavah! Love me some round cabbage kimchi (sweet and hot), and kkakdugi radish cubed kimchi (crunchy cubes of spiciness).

More importantly, if you feel you are only getting marginal gains over ground coffee, something is glaringly amiss. Even if you are sticking to budget beans (Lion coffee is good, peet's dark roast is great, both are at grocery stores. Lion is roasted here in Hawaii), the fact that you are grinding whole beans instead of preground should be a total gamechanger. Adding real cream to most brews will def add a lot to the flavor profile and hide small deficiencies in lower end coffee. (Some coffees should be drank black, esp fruity coffees, they taste weird with cream). I don't want to sound like a coffee snob, but I am getting to feel (been into good coffee for less than a year) like every sip of good coffee is a short symphony of jaw dropping taste. I can't drink diner coffee anymore, it's like a whole diff drink. Plus the $ of whole beans can be reasonable and much cheaper than Starbucks or good cafes. Even McD's these days has some noms coffee, but it's like $1 vs 50cents making it at home. But for some people, they can't taste it? I am terrible with wine, I can't do what sommeliers do.

My dad is looking for a keurig, dunno why since I have a good grinder and aeropress, french press, moka pot, hario v60 decanter for pourovers, good, fresh whole beans... I think he'll be disappointed with the coffee cause it's preground in pods, and the cost of pods.

I would need to do an actual side-by-side comparison to be sure, but even preground espresso tastes almost as good out of my espresso maker as does fresh ground. Previously I used a moka pot with preground espresso. The biggest difference came from switching to the espresso maker, IMO. The burr grinder is what I considered marginal gains mostly.

[Sassysquatch]

My dad is looking for a keurig... I think he'll be disappointed with the coffee cause it's preground in pods, and the cost of pods.

Convenience. Drop the pod in, push a button and a cup of coffee in 30 seconds. The downside to this is all of the empty plastic pods filling our landfills. The good news, you can buy an empty reusable pod that you fill with your own coffee of choice. Then compost the used grounds for a win win. I bought mine at WalMart.

[IndelibleDotInk]

Ok, so we've all heard about kopi luwak, the beans are eaten by civets and pooped out.

But now... elephant poop coffee?? https://blackivorycoffee.com/

Super micro lots producing 215kg/year, costs $50/cup if you can find these five star hotels/restos.

[IndelibleDotInk]

Anyone have espresso tips and info? I don't have an espresso maker and have only had the shots a few times at cafes. What do you look for in espresso?

My former favorite beans came from Honolulu Coffee, but they are much less tasty than Koffee Kult; their Volcano Roast is their dark roast, and Koffee Kult's dark roast smokes it and doesn't look back.

Got to sample Lavazza medium roast, it's widely available at supermarkets and is good, would like to try more of their selection.

[BallzDeep9]

I also used to drink a lot of preground Café Bustelo when that was $4/can. It was good out of my moka pot.

yup good stuff, I'm like Joshgreenhorn, No grinder... for Espresso anyway. I've got 3 supermarkets here w/ Bulk beans & grinders that'll do Turkish even (I stick to fine Espresso.) so, it's fresh ground, huge selection from Sumatra Mandheling/ to Organic Mexican French Roast/ or pea-berry from Ethiopia. All 8 bucks/ pound.

Aeropress IS the ticket, for me... can't justify $1000 for a conical burr grinder & real Espresso Machine... Aeropress, (or Chemex pour-over,) takes up zero room on the counter and makes a decent cup with fresh grind. I used to live in Miami FL, and for awhile was seeking out Piloñ pre-ground, for Café Cubano.. (some Walgreen stores carry it.), then discovered, both Pilon & Bustelo sold out to Smuckers lol...

[IndelibleDotInk]

Coca Cola has Coke+coffee in cans at grocery stores. Not bad, but not good either. The good taste of each gets lost in the mix.

update - drank a diet coke from a mug which I just used to drink coffee and it was very pleasant.

[IndelibleDotInk]

A new coffee fad is nitro coffee. Basically it's carbonated coffee, but instead of carbon dioxide providing the bubbly, it's nitrogen (inert gas which makes up the majority of the air we breathe). Who the heck wants gassy, fizzy coffee? No bueno, friends, let's let this fad die out hard, and soon.

[IndelibleDotInk]

https://aeropressmovie.com/

Documentary about the Aeropress, have not viewed it yet.

[PistolsAtDawn]

A new coffee fad is nitro coffee. Basically it's carbonated coffee, but instead of carbon dioxide providing the bubbly, it's nitrogen (inert gas which makes up the majority of the air we breathe). Who the heck wants gassy, fizzy coffee? No bueno, friends, let's let this fad die out hard, and soon.

You couldn't be more wrong, friend. Nitro coffee is delicious. It's creamy without cream and a has full body. It needs no additions to make it great!

[PistolsAtDawn]

I also used to drink a lot of preground Café Bustelo when that was $4/can. It was good out of my moka pot.

yup good stuff, I'm like Joshgreenhorn, No grinder... for Espresso anyway. I've got 3 supermarkets here w/ Bulk beans & grinders that'll do Turkish even (I stick to fine Espresso.) so, it's fresh ground, huge selection from Sumatra Mandheling/ to Organic Mexican French Roast/ or pea-berry from Ethiopia. All 8 bucks/ pound.

Aeropress IS the ticket, for me... can't justify $1000 for a conical burr grinder & real Espresso Machine... Aeropress, (or Chemex pour-over,) takes up zero room on the counter and makes a decent cup with fresh grind. I used to live in Miami FL, and for awhile was seeking out Piloñ pre-ground, for Café Cubano.. (some Walgreen stores carry it.), then discovered, both Pilon & Bustelo sold out to Smuckers lol...

That Pilon brand is a pretty good decaf espresso too. I keep some around for guests or if I just want some without the buzz.

I actually got a Breville BES810BSS Duo Temp Pro for Christmas last year for $400. Expensive, yes, but not unaffordable. Its fairly basic but good at pulling shots. I don't need pressure gauges or fancy eye candy on it. It's paid for itself already in the money I don't spend at cafes now. Amazon Warehouse has a returned unit for $324.74. I've had good luck with buying used through them.

The Oxo burr grinder I got for my birthday in January was only $100 and works well. It holds about 12 ounces of beans at a time.

Considering that I'd said no to myself over getting these for 10 years and spent thousands of dollars on coffees out in that time, I should have done it earlier.

[IndelibleDotInk]

A new coffee fad is nitro coffee. Basically it's carbonated coffee, but instead of carbon dioxide providing the bubbly, it's nitrogen (inert gas which makes up the majority of the air we breathe). Who the heck wants gassy, fizzy coffee? No bueno, friends, let's let this fad die out hard, and soon.

You couldn't be more wrong, friend. Nitro coffee is delicious. It's creamy without cream and a has full body. It needs no additions to make it great!

bleah, it's so... not like coffee. Maybe I will try it again, it's now sold in cans in stores. I really hope you are right and I'll like it, but my first experience was not good. Fizz everywhere, no solid body, bubbly sips. I was really disappointed.

[PistolsAtDawn]

A new coffee fad is nitro coffee. Basically it's carbonated coffee, but instead of carbon dioxide providing the bubbly, it's nitrogen (inert gas which makes up the majority of the air we breathe). Who the heck wants gassy, fizzy coffee? No bueno, friends, let's let this fad die out hard, and soon.

You couldn't be more wrong, friend. Nitro coffee is delicious. It's creamy without cream and a has full body. It needs no additions to make it great!

bleah, it's so... not like coffee. Maybe I will try it again, it's now sold in cans in stores. I really hope you are right and I'll like it, but my first experience was not good. Fizz everywhere, no solid body, bubbly sips. I was really disappointed.

I guess I have a predisposition to it since I used to be a homebrewer, and nitro beers were among my favorites. It's also down to personal taste, obviously. For instance: I have not enjoyed the Koffee Kult Dark Roast. It's too close to burnt for my palate. I'm switching back to the Lavazza Super Creme after I'm through the bag, but possibly before since I'm about to go on a new autoimmune diet which will disallow me to church it up with milk and syrup.

[IndelibleDotInk]

I guess I have a predisposition to it since I used to be a homebrewer, and nitro beers were among my favorites. It's also down to personal taste, obviously. For instance: I have not enjoyed the Koffee Kult Dark Roast. It's too close to burnt for my palate. I'm switching back to the Lavazza Super Creme after I'm through the bag, but possibly before since I'm about to go on a new autoimmune diet which will disallow me to church it up with milk and syrup.

Have you tried the KK dark roast coldbrewed?

[PistolsAtDawn]

I guess I have a predisposition to it since I used to be a homebrewer, and nitro beers were among my favorites. It's also down to personal taste, obviously. For instance: I have not enjoyed the Koffee Kult Dark Roast. It's too close to burnt for my palate. I'm switching back to the Lavazza Super Creme after I'm through the bag, but possibly before since I'm about to go on a new autoimmune diet which will disallow me to church it up with milk and syrup.

Have you tried the KK dark roast coldbrewed?

I have not. Not a big fan of cold brewed coffee, and I own an espresso machine, so...

[IndelibleDotInk]

I have not. Not a big fan of cold brewed coffee, and I own an espresso machine, so...

I've found coffee cold-brewed often becomes more palatable if there is an objectionable, strong flavor note. Kicking Horse's dark roast Kick Ass comes to mind, there is a much too strong smoky flavor to drink it black, but when coldbrewed there is a sweet caramel flavor.

Aeropress now has a cold-brewed procedure, pure genius (check their website).

If you wanna make a larger batch, just put grounds in your french press, add cold water, stir, set aside overnight. Press in the morning, pour over ice, add a splash of cold water, and BAM, breakfast coffee.

Espresso machine must be neat to use, I dunno much about espresso.

[IndelibleDotInk]

Counter Culture 46 was excellent!

[IndelibleDotInk]

If anyone want to try beanbox.com, they have $5 off subscriptions (normal monthly price for four small samples is $16.50) and you can pause/cancel anytime.

IF you click my affilate link, I'll get $5 and you'll get $5 toward coffee. Humbucker blend from Fundamental Coffee is excellent, dark leather, burnt rubber from a pullout, bold, could be considered spicy? It's good.

https://beanbox.com/invite/NemiJU

[IndelibleDotInk]

ethiopian harrar from koffee kult.. flavorful and wonderful!

[holl0waytape]

I worked for Starbucks for 5 years and pretty exclusively only drink dark roasts at this point. French, Italian, Sumatra, etc.

I consume wayyyy less coffee now.

[IndelibleDotInk]

Koffee Kult has a dark (French) roast called Thunderbolt which maintains a high level of caffeine; rare, since dark roasts generally have much less caffeine due to the roasting process.

It's a good, solid coffee, not a ton of flavor notes, but the taste has a strong foundation. More than 1 cup at a time is too much for me, and I can generally drink three or four Aeropress' of regular dark coffee with no jitters.

[Dale_Tisane]

I just wanted to shout out Gevalia for it's consistent, quality coffee. I've tried many brands.
I own a Gaggia Classic espresso machine and used to roast my own beans as well. I've been settling for my french press w/ the Gevalia coffee.
For anyone w/ the cash trying to get into espresso, don't cheap out! A quality burr grinder is essential as well. The gaggia classic is good if you're on a budget - I wouldn't go any cheaper.

[WhiteAngelica]

This might seem rudimentary and elementary my dear, but my obsessive relationship still remains with Stumptown coffee. I was able to experience the glory when I moved to NYC, then moved to Brooklyn where it is served nearly everywhere.

The first time I had it, it was like a chorus of angels, singing, like the sky split open and heralded me with naked cherubs with horns. Okay, that may have been a description from a recent Christmas card, but the first part was totally true.

Since I moved, I have been homesick for Stumptown. I can get it on Amazon, but I lack a grinder and my french press shattered in a tragic moving accident. I am going to dive back into coffee in the New Year. A prolongued absence of coffee in my otherwise coffee drenched, practically IV infusion of caffeine has left my IQ with a significant deficit!

[IndelibleDotInk]

I used to live in Brooklyn and Manhattan, but wasn't into coffee then.

For all who read my coffee posts, I should clarify that I prefer dark roasts drank black over ice. Med-dark to supreme roasts with no burnt flavor. If you've had Starbucks' drip coffee black, I'd consider that burnt tasting. Mixed into a drink it's ok.

I do also like real heavy cream and erythritol or stevia for the sweet cream nomminess once on a blue moon. A melted chocolate chip stirred in is a treat too, as is a pinch of cinnamon (barely enough to taste, but providing a heavenly aroma).

[IndelibleDotInk]

Aeropress is hands down one of the greatest culinary inventions EVER. Really love it.

Don't know if I posted this before, but if you use an aeropress, you may want to consider a metal filter. The paper filters do a great job, but absorb a lot of the oil from the beans.

[IndelibleDotInk]

Looking into home roasting as a hobby.

https://jonathanvieker.com/3-reasons-roast-coffee/

https://coffeeproject.com/pages/roasting-101

Anyone here home roasts? Tips for a beginner?

[IndelibleDotInk]

We started a coffee group on mewe, 'bttheeck beans', join for free!

anyone have a preference for sweeteners for their coffee? I prefer sugar, but am doing keto diet. Have been using stevia, but a sip of my mom's coffee using erythritol got me thinking.

[IndelibleDotInk]

no, not at all. Big fan following and assortment/creations in South Korea. Feel free to post about that. However if you've tasted what I like to think of and drink as plain yet superb coffee, please contribute! Calvin from group recently roasted up some some Haitian that is a 10/10! So good it plants a smile on your face.

[Phil0110]

My favorite coffee maker is Ninja https://www.stayroasted.com/coffee-makers/ the third one. Normally I buy African coffees because they tend to be more floral and light. A true light roast doesn’t spend that most time in the roaster at all, which lets the coffee cherry speak for itself and show its own characteristics. Some of my favorites are from Set, a brand based in East Williamsburg. They light roast most of their coffees.