For me, the fundamental pleasure of coffee is that it pairs so very nicely with conversation I know there are at least three of us here that truly love coffee (Rexrocker, Moose and myself). I am sure there are more out there! I thought I would start this thread to discuss favorite recipes, types of beans, types & flavors associated with roasting, preferred brewing techniques, etc. "Coffee has long been one of life's subtle pleasures; few beverages are as satisfying, comforting, or stimulating." Ill skip the history of coffee and its beans for now, unless someone is truly interested in it. Before I begin, Id like to cover the basic terminology often associated with coffee. Acidity: The sharp, snappy taste that really gives coffee its flavor. It has very little to do with the pH of your coffee and is created through the roasting process. The lighter the roast, the more acidic it becomes. As the roast darkens, it tends to lose some to the majority of its acidity. Aroma: Duh, the fragrance of your coffee Your nose is key here in that it is the primary judge of your coffee's freshness. Body: This is comparable to red and white wine in a sense. Hearty reds tend to slide down your throat, while whites have a tendency to "glide". Different coffee regions generally produce & roast different body beans. Also, the type of filter you brew with determines, to some degree, the body -- think paper drip filter vs metal filter for espresso. Flavor: The relationship between acidity, aroma and body create its flavor. As I mentioned earlier, the location from where the bean / coffee comes from generally has something to do with its flavor in the sense that one specific quality may stand out above the rest. Think Sumatran vs Costa Rican, etc... Here's a basic breakdown of the different regions as told by one of my preferred coffee table coffee books, "The New Complete Coffee Book": The Americas: Brazil: The world's leading coffee producing country. Most of the beans harvested are used for canned or instant coffee. Columbia: Second to Brazil in worldwide production, Columbia is the largest exporter of handpicked, washed arabica beans. These coffees have a clean, balanced flavor with a somewhat medium acidity -- great for everyday drinking. Costa Rica: All beans exporter are washed arabicas, generally grown on family-owned farms. They're rich, deep and full bodied in flavor. Guatemala: Due to the nature of their location (mountainous volcano area) the soil creates aromatic, mellow-bodied coffee. Beans grown in Antigua and Coban have a somewhat spicy flavor with subtle hints of chocolate. Hawaii: The only place in the US that has an "ideal" coffee growing climate. Kona coffees generally are aromatic, subtle and mellow-bodied. Africa and the Middle East: Ethiopia: Legend has it that coffee's name is derived from the Ethiopian region of Kaffa. Ethiopia is Africa's largest exporter of arabicas. The coffees tend to have a floral aroma, and a winy, lightly acidic, almost dry flavor similar to a fine wine. Kenya: Fairly popular coffee with a mellow smoothness and flavor overtones of berries. Yemen: Some of the world's most distinc coffees come from Yemen--Mocha for example was named after the acnient port of Moka on the Red Sea. It is has an extremely distinct fragrance and is full-bodied. Its important to note that genuine Mocha beans are rare. The Pacific: Java: Judging by the name, I'm sure you've picked up on the fact that Java is one of the world's first coffee producers. After WWII, the majority of its famous arabica coffee crops were destroyed and unfortunately replaced with inferior robustas. Nevertheless, today Java's arabicas produce an earthy coffee that is low in acidity and smooth in body. Sumatra: This coffee is certainly not timid, as it tends to be earth, rich and full-bodied. Actually, it pairs nicely with milk and sugar. New Guinea: With seeds from the Jamaican Blue Mountain region, New Guinea has been cultivating coffee since the 1930s. They produce a full-bodied, moderately acidic, and well rounded flavored coffee that's especially good for espresso. Ill be editing and filling in this post as the day goes on Cheers,
I got back and forth between cheap coffee and expensive coffee. I find that cheaper coffees are still pretty good if you grind your own beans daily. I am very happy, as long as I get my daily morning 2 cups of coffee fix. I do like some of the Caribou coffees, specifically their dark Obsidian one, which is a dark mix of African and Indonesian beans, providing a nice strong dark coffee without being super bitter like those french roast beans. -- Brian
Nows a chance for you to experiment with different types and flavors and really figure out what gives you a nice jump in the morning
Great thread Alex! Looking forward to watching it grow. I'm a coffee fiend...it goes way beyond just needing some caffeine. A good cup of coffee can make or break it for me...I've tossed many a cups of bad coffee. I truly enjoy the taste of coffee and to me, there's only one way to drink it...plain, black, noir, nothing added to it. You can keep your sugary, milky coffee...ack! Currently, I've been primarily grinding beans and blends from Starbucks. My top favorites are the Italian Roast, Komodo Dragon, Sumatra, Ethopia and Kenya beans...all bold and extra bold blends. During our recent trip to Paris and Nice last week, I found comfort in many, many espresso's. For all you 10th St JDM customers out there...there's no better way to start the headlight fun then with a cup of coffee for you and Mr. Alex. Anyway...interested to hear other recommendations and what everyone else is drinking. All this coffee talk and I'm ready for another cup... I feel a coffee G2G coming together real soon...ha.
Ah yes, 10th Street always has fresh coffee brewed When I was in Ukraine, all I could find was espresso. I developed quite a love for it, such that I now have my own machine. On a cooler morning, two shots of espresso with the perfect amount of crema really makes my day.
The starbucks barista one. I dont know if they even make it anymore, Ive seen it in a couple stores, and the price keeps dropping -- it may be down to $300 now. I like it because its extremely straightforward and very clean looking (brushed stainless). My only qualm so far is that the steamer is on the LHS, so its a bit unnatural for me being right handed to work it.
I make a pot of coffee every morning. I can't really say I like coffee though. I like a little coffee with my sugar.
My current favorite is Java Jive coffee. It's this little breakfast place on Piedmont across the street from the super-shady Clermont Lounge.
I'll share what I usually recommend (and own) for espresso machinery. If you're like me, the LAST thing you want to do in the morning is fuck around with a grinder, tamp the stuff just right, futz with the machinery and hope you get a decent shot. Thus, the superautomatic was invented. The superautos will grind the beans, tamp them, brew a nice shot, and dispose of the remaining 'puck'. It's like magic, and in fact one of the good Saeco models IS called 'Magic'. I own a Vienna DeLuxe. It's near the 'low end' of the bunch (note that that cheapest of the machines start off around $300, so 'low end' is relative). The Vienna line is a good start for most; the basic Vienna is a little limited in that there's no dosage adjustment which I find to be crucial for a good shot. The DeLuxe allows for this. There's also a Digital DeLuxe (or something similarly named) that lets you adjust the water temp, something I haven't found all that important since the other Viennas brew at a good temp. Stepping up to the nicer superautos you retain the same Saeco brew group (the thing that does the actual work) but you gain some niceties like stainless steel exterior and bypasses that let you drop in some preground decaf should you have some sandy vaginas over for dinner. The other brands like Jura tend to get very expensive for what you get and really do not work any better than--or in many cases as well as--the Saecos. Anyway, 6AM I go downstairs, push a button. Great espresso shot delivered quickly while I'm standing around yawning, and I'm on my way. IMHO, go for a superauto or if you want to fiddle with it a fully manual. The in-betweens are sad compromises that neither achieve the wonders of an expertly done manual shot, nor the convenience of the supers. Also, believe it or not, Eight O'Clock brand french roast works very well for doing shots. Nice and cheap too.
I definitely like coffee, but have been lazy and not making my own. I either pick up something from Caribou or drink the free coffee at work from our huge Flavia machine (yea, it's pretty freaking big). The older model of https://www.myflavia.com/Myflavia/en-US/brewers/Creation_400_main.htm Anyways, I usually drink pre-ground coffee that I get from Publix or Kroger, I have yet to go through too many brands. My favorite is Costa Rican as it has just the perfect blend of flavor, acidity, bitterness, etc. I DO like cream, but no sugar.
my Columbian boss will be at your house shortly, be ready. He will make coffee that will make you cry. It's like 4 bags per perk but so smooth.
man, you people are hardcore, usually a glass of Tropical orange juice and I enjoy waking up slowly P.S. i find certain teas (non of that baggd BS, actual green tea leaves) are more effective than coffee Just in case you guys get tired of coffee or want to try something new dried tea leaves ranges from $5-$50 per ounce
I wake up slowly with coffee too I just love that flavor in the morning. If its too hot, I really do enjoy an iced coffee, sometimes Thai or Vietnamese style (eg darker roast, chilled, served over ice with a splash of condensed milk). Regarding Tea (since you ninja edited your post when i quoted you), I love it. I just didnt want to make a "Tea Thread". That, and I know substantially less about it Tea is something Ill drink in the evenings or iced during the day. There's also a bit of zen for me in making my coffee, I really dont have that sensation with I boil water and steep leaves.
i work at starbucks~ axeljohnson comes to mine ever so often and sfgiant as well. if you come through and im on the drive through you will be receiving your drink free. and yes i can do that just not every time.
This is me, I used to hate it but now kinda crave it mostly for getting some pep in my step as work starts at 6am.
Well....I don't know why exactly. I used to have kidney issues and caffeine was a no no. I just never acquired a taste for stuff with caffeine in it. Beer is for rednecks, BTW
YES! Anyone who drinks beer is Red in my book! I was scorned by bad experiences in Ocala, Fl. Forgive me ~Tracy
yeah, I used to fill up one of those large quiktrip cups to the top with ice, and then fill it with coffee, and then add in cream and sugar. $0.69 ice coffee is good
you know what the sad thing is....we are IMing back and forth and post whoring like crazy at the same time
Yup, I remember going through your drive-thru and you said you always parked in front but it was the first time I saw your car there. I was there the other day inside.
See I wish I could feel the caffeine rush all over again, but alas I can drink coffee and fall asleep 15mins later.