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While a fine shave with a well-stropped str8 is a key feature of our mornings, for me, the other joy is a fresh brewed cup 'o Joe.
What are the preferences of our java-swilling, caffeine-absorbing members? After all, there's nothing like a slice of coffee in the morning!
:hmmm:
Favorite Beans:
Rwandan Nkomo
Ethiopian Yirgacheffe
Anything from Sumatra
Roast:
French or darker
Grind:
Medium-fine to fine
Method:
1. Vacuum
2. Chemex drip
:y
I roast and grind my own. I usually use a technivorm drip but also use a vacuum when I have the time.
Nothing like a cup of El Caucho, Colombian cup of excellence
Favorite Beans:
Sumatra Mandheling
Roast:
French
Grind:
Medium-fine
Method:
Aero-Press
(.....heaven.....I'm in heaven....) :w
-whatever
-Lou
What kind of roaster do you use?
I like the Mandheling...I get citrus notes when nursing a cup.
Here in Castle Rock, we have Crowfoot Valley roaster, so you can get freshly roasted beans from all over. When I was working in the Bay area, I used to go to Barefoot Coffee Roasters...also a great place.
I am a frequenter of CoffeeGeek.com...it is the SRP for coffee.
Greg
I'll also go with Sumatra, dark roasts and ultra-fine grind for Turkish.
I get mine at the local coffee roaster.... I have no idea what kind of roaster they use....Quote:
Originally Posted by WireBeard
....it's big....
........it's green......
...............and it gets really hot....
other than that, well, I'm pretty much out of my league..... they make good coffee, though!
-whatever
-Lou
I get miy coffee at Monarch Mountain Coffee.
Quoting from their website,
At Monarch Mountain Coffee, we use a fluid air bed roaster. This unique roasting process draws in vast amounts of heated fresh air into the bottom of the roast chamber. The beans actually roast as they tumble in mid-air. This method of roasting has two significant advantages. The first is that the coffee is roasted to an unparalleled evenness. The second is that efficiency of the fluid air bed allows for a much shorter roasting time thus allowing the coffee to retain more of its original flavor characteristics.
So, yeah.....fluid air bed roaster.....I knew that....can't believe I forgot for just a minute!...
....silly me!
-whatever
-Lou
Favorite Beans:
Columbian Supremo
Kenyan Peaberry
Roast:
French / Dark
Grind:
Course
Method:
French Press (Cafetiere)
My drip coffee varies from Sumatran, Guatemalan, Yemen, Colombian or Brazilian. My usual espresso blends are either Sweet Maria's Monkey Blend or a post roast blend of 50% Brazilian, 40% Yemen, and 10% monsooned robusta. I just got a Gene Cafe roaster that I'm very happy with so far.
Wayne
I've gone to the dark side and I'm not sure I'll ever be back. I don't drink anything but espresso or, occasionally, espresso based drinks these days. I've got a doserless Rancilio Rockey Grinder with 55 steps and have never had to go below 7 for any espresso. I cheaped out on the Espresso maker with the Francis-Francis X3, which was the smallest good quality espresso maker I could find because counter space was an issue. But it's got a good brass boiler achieves a good, consistent and proper temperature and makes great java in the small cup.
My two favorite espressos are the Intelligentsia Black Cat blend and the Vivace Dolce blend. The latter gives an astounding crema and, perhaps a more complex flavor with citrus and cedar while the former is easier to pull just right and has a deep richness with nice cherry and chocolate notes.
I read the title and assumed it was a geek thread about a programming language! :o
I use an espresso roast and make machiattos with a machine at home. Love that small shot, but find I need to smooth it out with just a little foam on top.
The espressos in Italy are mighty smooth on their own though. Those huge barrista machines do it every time. :tu The locals over there have an interesting way of drinking espresso. They walk up to the bar, order "Un café normale", they get served up a half glass of water which they gulp down before knocking back the shot of extremely dark coffee. Slpa the change onto the bar top and walk out. 30 seconds from entering to leaving.
It's a real contrast to the Starbuck's way of drinking coffee!
Cool! It's like a big airpopper...keeps the beans from burning. Congrats on the weight drop too!!! You'll have to post before and after pics!Quote:
Originally Posted by scarface
:tu
Greg
I guess I'm just a nose pikin working grunt. While I won't say it's the best, it was certainly welcome. Gentlemen, I give you drill rig coffee!!
While supervising a drill rig in the desert SW we would take an old coffee can with water of some sort, add a handful of some sort of coffee and place it on the chimney of a salamander ( basically a big bucket of sand soaked in diesel with a chimney. we used it to keep warm sort of)
It was considered finished when we could float a Buck knife in it and not disolve the blade. :w
Ahhh memories, the subtle tang of diesel on a cold morning after having spent the last 24+ hours awake. Now that was truly nectar to the gods. :tu
I use the Cafe Gene roaster. It does a great job and you can custom roast the way you like and change time and temp on the fly. I usually keep the beans at a full city + depending on which beans I roast. I get my green beans from Sweet Maria's in California. The great thing with roasting your own is you can experiment with blending different coffee's together to get some interesting results.
I'm afraid I'm a purist, no sissy coffee for me.
I haven't jumped on the roasting wagon, as I was traveling a lot for work. But I am pretty well stocked for other java equipment:
Tranquillo grinder
Quickmill Anita Espresso Machine
Chemex Drip
Melitta Drip
Bialetti stove top espresso
Neapolitan flip stove top
New, Antique and NOS vacuum pots, (stove top and alcohol burner)
Turkish stove top
Porcelain French drip
La Pavoni Europiccola
I'll get my fresh roast downtown at Crowfoot Valley roasters...their espresso blend is Brazilian and Columbian...nice bite, nutty finish, and thick crema....mmmmmm.
I've been thinking about picking up a used popcorn maker at a garage sale and roasting my own beans with that. One more exentric thing to drive the missus crazy.
I have returned to the french press after revisiting proper technique.
Another transferable str8 skill.
I now boil some water then I start grinding the beans and use the freshly 'ground' beans within seconds, add the just coming off boiling water and stir with a wooden stick to produce a bloom and mix the product and then wait a Monty python 4 not 3 and not 5 but four minutes and then plunge and pour myself a cuppa.
I use fair trade when I can and prefer the dark side.
Beauty
I feel like the dog in the Farside cartoon:
blah blah blah blah GINGER blah blah blah
You guys are hardcore, I'm officially a lightweight.
I get some flavour of organic bean in the darkest roast I can find.
Grind it, and then it's the magic of the Bialetti. Usually I make an Americano, but sometimes "espresso".
My only complaint about the Bialetti is that I can't get a nice crema.
The dark bean is demanding mistress...
I was a consultant for 10 years and worked at different places.
As long as it is black, made from coffee beans and it has caffeine, I'll drink it no questions asked.
Now I am an employee and the coffee is pretty good despite coming out of a machine.
The best coffee I ever drank was at tech-ed barcelona last year. It is a Microsoft developers event, and that coffee could be described as divine.
I don't liek espresso though. too strong for me. I'd rather drink coffee in mugs in quantity.
:roflmao:roflmao:roflmaoQuote:
Originally Posted by BrianP
I love that cartoon...my critters are like that too!
It will be hard to get a nice crema with a stove top unless you up the percentage of Robusto (which is very oily and makes nice crema, but isn't that wonderful for flavor, thus it is part of a blend). You can also look at a small pump machine (do not get a pressure machine unless it is a Lapavoni lever.).
Check out coffeegeek.com for recommendations and such...it is the SRP for coffee freaks.
I thought this was going to be a topic about computer programming :)
Coffee, it's something I really want to like, but I don't.
No no no no NO!Quote:
Originally Posted by WireBeard
I'm trying to pare down my geekery and vices.
Although I might have to look for some Robusto.....
I remember good coffee! those were the days!!!
Now sleeping in is getting up after 5:10 and as long as it has caffeine in it I'm fine. I've become so non-picky that the grocery store brand in 100% Columbian works for me. Of course a little while back I was so tired I forgot to add beans to the coffee maker at all so my first sip was a shock, blech just hot water, but then I drank it anyway. It was warm on a cold morning.
I want a new percolator, any recommendations?
Not to rain on your parade, but percolating coffee is the worst way to prep it. Take a look at Coffeegeek.com and you can find info on anything to do with coffee. The nice thing is that they have reviews from actual users, not just the editors.
If you are looking for a cup o' joe to give you a kick start in the morning, with minimal fuss, you can get a nice drip maker that feeds into a thermos-carafe. Put the water and ground coffee in the night before, set the time and when you are stumbloinginto the kitchen in the AM, there is fresh brewed coffee waiting for you in a thermos...so it hasn't been cooking on the burner. Some purists will balke at the ground cofee sitting in the filter overnigh, but you have to weigh the options: sleep 15 minutes more or get up and try and rind coffee and make it into the filter...hmmmm
:hmmm:
A good coffee maker shouldn't cost you a fortune...hot water, a thing to hold ground coffee, a thing to catch the coffee brew....other than that, it's bells and whistles.
Greg
:tu
Wow i thought this was about JAVA programming like others have mentioned.
I love coffee but being a poor student i don't get the good stuff any more though i have some exotic espresso left. I use a French press and drink mostly Colombian coffee.
French Press is one of my fave ways to make the morning brew (or anytime...who am I trying to kid?). You can improve your experience without denting the wallet by getting a cheap "whirly-blade" grinder (chopper actually...but no one "chops" coffee) - $10-15, and a big bag of whole beans from the grocery store. Believe it or not, Eight O'clock Coffee French Roast makes a respectable cup o' joe (ok, someone who is enjoying the coffee like a fine wine, commenting on the harvest and the nuances between estates isn't going to like it....)...dump the beans in an airtight container (a Gallon sized Ziploc is just dandy). Grind the beans coarsely and add the water just off the boil...stir with a stick (a chop stick from Chinese carry out is perfect), let it steep with the lid on for 3-5 min, depending on if you like a slice of coffee or not ;),
gently push down the plunger and there you are! Using a big bag of beans, grinding fresh only what you need....you'll be enjoying great coffee for probably less than 75 cents a cup.
:tu
I do have a good drip machine. But I actually prefer the taste a percolator gives to coffee especially with cheep ground stuff. It seems to get the most out of these plain jane coffees. When I buy a good bean I will either make it in my French press or a cup at a time with single cup filters. My morning cup needs to be bitter and hot not subtle at all.
A chrome percolator (like the DeLongi cordless) will look perfect on the counter next to my beehive Oster blender and Kitchen Aid mixer. Its kind of a retro chic thing.
p.s. Isn't there some coffee world controversy about percolators vs. drips and which actually has the proper brew temperature? (I notice which side of the debate coffeegeek.com is on)
The big issue is that to percolate, the coffee has to boil, which some believe destroys the oils and flavor. I have had some ok coffee from a percolator, but usually it tastes burnt. Others argue that the coffee going over the grounds repeatedly gets more flavor. I have done a happy medium, where I take 1-2 cups from the pot and pour it back over the grounds.Quote:
Originally Posted by Wildtim
In the end it is like shaving - what do you enjoy? For coffee it's flavor, for shaving it's comfort and results.
:tu
Thanks for the tips, i love eight o'clock coffee! actually i usually grind at the store.
Well i will take your advice, thanks
And yes i like strong coffee, stronger the better!
Ok ive been looking into vacuum press's lately and im lost! there are new models, electric models, and of course old vintage models. a little help please:shrug:
Thanks again wirebeard, well i have an entire vacuum sealing system which i use for coffee all the time so i guess i could get whole beans then vacuum seal them.
That will work great and save a fortune in ziplocks. The key is to prevent oxidation - both to the bean and to the brew. If I make a pot, I will take a cup and put the rest into a thermos carafe...stays hot for hours and does not go stale....unless I use my BIG cup, then it all pretty much gone.
:eek:
What did you mean by a vacuum press?
Oh sorry meant to say vacuum pot.
Same here...now that I find out it's about cofee I don't have much to say...I'm a Mormon so I don't drink the stuff.Quote:
Originally Posted by chief
I've been roasting my own for about nine years. I roast with a Whirley-Pop or a Poppery popcorn popper.
On weekdays, I drink cappuccino or espresso, which I make with my Pavoni PUB one-group commercial machine, which I installed at my office. I always use Malabar Gold beans.
On weekends, I drink vacuum-brewed coffee, which I make with my Hario Nouveau. I use lots of different beans, but I generally prefer coffees with lots of body and not too much acidity.
I'm a curmudgeonly coffee snob who's very set in his ways and who only drinks commercial coffee when he's traveling and needs a fix.
Okay, I walk into 7-Eleven, grab whatever pot is closest (sometimes the gold handle one, sometimes the orange) poor it into the largest cup they have, add powdered creamer, half a pound of sugar and am set all morning <g>.
Almost as bad is that I have a Nespresso machine in the strop workshop and a gazillion of those little pods to make Espresso. I know, it's not the real thing but after two or three I can't even write my name any longer and am good to go till lunch.
Tony
Nice set up! Malabar is good stuff!Quote:
Originally Posted by SteveS
Well now I feel totally inferior with my gaggia espresso maker and 10 tins of Illy espresso coffee (red tin) per week.
I was treating my coffee like a drug when you guys use it for more than just the hit :)
live and learn :hmmm:
PuFF
I like my espresso made at home with my cheepo pump bought off fleebay, and modified with a non pressurized porto-filter. I grind my beans at home on a burr grinder right befor I brew. Buy my beans from a local coffee house (zocalo's). If I don't wake up in time, I have no problem stopping at 7-11 for sixteen ounces of go juice, doll'd up with four 'nella creams, and a good portion of sugar.
It is funny though, and true for me, that after you have good espresso, most coffee served taste like....well, it's not too good after that.
That's the problem with being a coffeegeek: it ruins you for most coffee outside your home. Occasionally you can luck out. I found a new coffee shop near the job site in Huntley Illinois that served up a good shot, but it's still a rare thing to find a cafe that is up to snuff.
Wayne