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Coffee Chat


viv1984viv

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So I imagine with late nights and what not, what with sourcing dior, sugarcane, bape, visvim, aldens or whatever you poison is people may be enjoying the odd coffee.

Ive recently gotten into coffee, unfortunately I dont have an expresso maker, just a cafetiere but im slowly experimenting with brands, beans, milk, chocolate, cinnamon, nutmeg etc etc concoctions. Trying to make a perfect mocha or latte. Please share you methods and ingredients for your perfect coffee with the rest of superfuture!

Im currently enjoying Taylors of Harrowgate "guatemalian cloud forest" strongly brewed in a cafetiere, about one small cupful of boiling water added, then adding it to a similar amount of hot milk in a jumbo sized cup, with 1 teaspoon white sugar and then chocolate shavings sprinkled and stirred into the mix afterwards.

I also really like Java.

Contribute, Discuss, Critique, Flame.......

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I personally prefer just a plain espresso in the morning. Getting a good machine and a good, fresh bean is essential.

An electric pump-driven machine from a commercial quality Italian manufacturer is recommended (I have a Gaggia and am quite pleased with it). I don't trust the automatics and am not freaky enough for a manual.

As for the coffee, don't go with a dark roast for anything besides normal Bunnomatic-style brew or French press. Too many of the oils are roasted out for an espresso-based drink. An espresso made from the right type of bean can be identified at first glance - it will have a reasonably thick layer of of crema, basically a light-brown oily foam, on top.

I can't speak to bean brands much. I buy mine a half-pound at a time from a local private label here in NYC. The proprietor has a couple decades of experience in the coffee industry and I trust his picks w/o reservation. I'm guessing you have access to some higher-end grocers or coffee purveyors, just experiment and you'll find what you like. Fresh beans is my primary recommendation.

As for blended drinks, simplicity is better in my opinion. I don't like to be too distracted from the coffee itself. Obviously a good quality milk, whole-fat is preferable. Steaming it right to get the various foam consistencies for different drinks takes a bit practice but isn't too hard. Soymilk can work well too but is much harder to steam correctly.

Anyway, good beans is vital and an espresso machine will equip you to make much broader range of drinks. That's my advice.

Oh and www.coffeegeek.com is probably the best place to start researching.

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Ive recently gotten into coffee, unfortunately I dont have an expresso maker, just a cafetiere but im slowly experimenting with brands, beans, milk, chocolate, cinnamon, nutmeg etc etc concoctions. Trying to make a perfect mocha or latte.

Contribute, Discuss, Critique, Flame.......

sorry, but if you put anything other than maybe milk or soy milk into your coffee, you don't know coffee... but then I am kindda a purist...

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I thought there would be some guys out there who really know coffee, unlike me, at the moment im just experimenting, I really dont understand any of it, I have a sweet tooth hence opting for white over brown or molases.

Yeah, an expresso machine would be nice but i cant afford one at the mo.

I just thought id ask what guys who know and appreciate coffee do at home if they dont have an expresso machine, any methods, particular ingredients you like? Any particular types of coffee you prefer and why?

Question - my parents have a coffee grinder, this is such a noob question but, is it better to grind your own always or are the reputable brands of ground just as good?

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grind you own, as the grind finess is one of the variables you have to control to pull a perfect shot. (tamp pressure and brew duration being the other 2 more important factors, while other things like water/grouphead temp, boiler pressure, etc are also important)

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The whole point of grinding your own beans is that it's fresher that way. When you buy ground beans, you've bought beans that are gradually losing their flavour to the air, as well as absorbing odours from the air. Three things destroy coffee - light, air and humidity. Usually ground beans once they are opened taste off in the span of a few days, and in 2 weeks can taste real shitty IMO. I fucking hate coffee, and even I can taste the difference. My gf on the other hand is like a coffee nazi... grinding small amounts each morning, making me deal with the stench of bean dust, and then the brewing...oh god. Horrible, horrible little black beans they are. :P

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I thought it would make sense to grind your own, I just didnt know if beans lost flavour anyhow in anyform or if any of the packaging would make any difference.

Im looking at coffeegeek - wow, so much to learn, I ought to save up for a good expresso machine. Please feel free talk beans and pressures...

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sounds like a time management problem

oh you have NO idea!! I've been on call at the hospital all day today since 7am, it is now 12:42 the next day. We've had no cases come to the OR today thankfully so you'd think I got a lot of productive reading done right?? check how many posts I've written the past 16 hours, ha ha ha ha

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One of the better resources is Coffee Geek. You should find everything you need and/or want there.

I will say this, your first investment should be a conical burr grinder as they offer a far more consistent grind than a blade grinder and they keep the temperature of the grind low while processing.

Two high-end consumer conical burr grinders are the Mazzer Mini and the Rancilio Rocky.

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ill probably get flamed for this but i like starbucks

ive bought their beans before and it was good

"charbucks" as one guy refered to them on CoffeeGeek,hehehehe, seriously thanks for the links guys. CoffeeGeek is going to teach me so much. Firstly I need to stop buying pre ground, then get a good conical burr grinder....... why do I feel a coffee interest could be just as expensive as a denim interest....

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Guest StuckOnStupid

i do enjoy a nice cuppa.

I bought an inexpensive french press the other day, bit just havent got around to using it yet. is there a big difference in taste when making coffee with this method as opposed to a standard drip machine?

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Guest StuckOnStupid
"charbucks" as one guy refered to them on CoffeeGeek,hehehehe, seriously thanks for the links guys. CoffeeGeek is going to teach me so much. Firstly I need to stop buying pre ground, then get a good conical burr grinder....... why do I feel a coffee interest could be just as expensive as a denim interest....

do not clean your grinder for at least 6 months.

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