coffee - how anal are you?

[Fugu]

13 hours ago, Jeremy Festa said:

I require at least 72 hours notice.

That's really slow to heat up, your ol' Gaggia.  

(nice macchina )

[CaptainQuintero]

On 05/12/2017 at 11:17 AM, Fuzz said:

That's not coffee, that's flavoured milk.

And the moment it's not even milk, it's oat! 

[99call]

As a standard I'm not anal at all about coffee. A french press of good quality coffee is more than good enough for me, as long as it's very very strong. 

I do think variety can sometimes be the spice of life on a quality level.

As a child my primary school used to boil a big pan of full fat milk with quite a bit of sugar, and probably a single tablespoon of nescafe for the whole pan. The result was a very moreish chai like drink, that was quite similar to a Spanish cafe con leche.  Anyway the I don't class this as very good coffee, but it's damn pleasurable, and very comforting. 

The reason I say this as, (as Ken alluded to with the title) it is possible to disappear up one's arse with coffee, and whilst coffee from a never ending procession from hipster bars (which are also Launderettes, for some unknown reason) can be very interesting, and pleasurable, I think the pursuit of good coffee (much like food) doesn't necessarily have to derive from the best bean/grinder/machine, but merely what you're in the mood for, when you're in the mood for it.

[tsolomon]

How anal, well I'm probably right up there at the top.  I order my green beans and then roast 1/2 pound as I need it in my Behmor 1600 roaster so my coffee is always fresh.  I have a Rocky Rancilio grinder which can be adjusted for any type of grind from espresso through French Press.  I use a water kettle with a thermometer to get the correct water temperature for brewing and then make 1 cup at a time in my Clever Coffee Dripper using the pour over method.  I weigh out ~11.5 grams of fresh ground coffee for each cup and adjust slightly for different beans.  I keep 8-15 pounds of green beans on hand that come from different countries and refresh my supplies as the beans arrive from different origins throughout the year.  I do not freeze my coffee beans as it is not a good way to store them, but I use to many years ago.   

[MrStixx]

I’vw become a full on snob / mildly OCD about it....

Intelligencia whole bean (single origin) French roast

Technivorm Moccamaster Brewer (look it up on amazon)

Burr grinder medium coarse
I weigh grounds to 15 grams per .25 L (75 grams for 1.25 L pot

Without a doubt best coffee I’ve had every single day I make it which is well everyday




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[Ken Gargett]

11 hours ago, tsolomon said:

How anal, well I'm probably right up there at the top.  I order my green beans and then roast 1/2 pound as I need it in my Behmor 1600 roaster so my coffee is always fresh.  I have a Rocky Rancilio grinder which can be adjusted for any type of grind from espresso through French Press.  I use a water kettle with a thermometer to get the correct water temperature for brewing and then make 1 cup at a time in my Clever Coffee Dripper using the pour over method.  I weigh out ~11.5 grams of fresh ground coffee for each cup and adjust slightly for different beans.  I keep 8-15 pounds of green beans on hand that come from different countries and refresh my supplies as the beans arrive from different origins throughout the year.  I do not freeze my coffee beans as it is not a good way to store them, but I use to many years ago.   

if not a winner, certainly a finalist!

[Lotusguy]

French roast??? Yuck.

[David88]

Wow I must say I’m slightly shocked/in awe of people’s coffee commitment. 

I love a cup of coffee but make do with my nespresso, a cafflano travel cup/maker (very handy if you travel a lot!) and a French press for work. When I move back to the uk I may upgrade to something a bit fancier but what I have now suits my needs. 

[Naug]

Anal? Kind of. 

I got serious about coffee through friends at the JRBB and Herfers Paradise. Back in 2002 a cigar pal sent me a pound of his home roast... man was it good.

I bought a purpose built roaster, an electric vacuum brewer made for Starsmucks by Bodum, loved that thing the day it passed. Used a Moccamaster Technivorm for awhile until buying a Rancilio Sylvia espresso machine and Rocky grinder... that was they end of drinking drip coffee. A little over three years ago I took a huge step up and bought a La Spaziale Lucca dual boiler machine and shortly after that a Behmor 1600+ full pound roaster. The Lucca is a cappuccino lovers machine, creates rich tight cappuccino foam in seconds.

So am I anal... only when I have to drink espresso out of the house! Only a very few shops can make a legit cappuccino, most hand you what is essentially a short latte and say enjoy... Don't even get me started on what passes for a cappuccino in Australia!!! Triple shot cappuccino please, Ristretto shots if you can manage.. Triple shot latte with chocolate is what they handed me... 

So am I anal... when we moved to Taiwan I brought 45 lbs of green beans. Since our children are quite young Nike provided 500 lbs of airfreight to be shipped in addition to our container. On the baby airfreight was my La Spaziale, roaster and grinder.

So am I anal? I don't think so... but my wife does!

 

[joeman]

Here in the greater NYC area, excellent espresso is not far away.  I leave espresso for going out.  In house, I am all about the french press and burr ground (coarsely and lots of it) coffee.  It's simple to make and gives the best impression out of any coffee blend or single origin.  What type of coffee depends on my mood.  If I'm having one cup, I'll go with something with a bright acidity like an African coffee or a blend with some in it.  If I'm drinking lots of coffee, I'll go with a Latin American coffee that is less acidic.  Drinking lots of acidic coffee on an empty stomach makes the tummy a little unhappy.

[ajgagnon]

I don’t think I’m anal about coffee, but my daily routine starts with walking downstairs in the dark and switching on my Elektra Microcasa a Leva, preferably without speaking or being spoken to, and making a good old espresso from beans roasted locally by an old Polish craftsman.

Funny thing is that it doesn’t taste anything like the espresso they make from the same beans in their shop... my machine seems to have lower temp and pressure and I love what comes out.

I’m not a chaser of God Shots, but like cigars, I sure love the magic moments that I get to experience.


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[BrightonCorgi]

2 hours ago, joeman said:

 Drinking lots of acidic coffee on an empty stomach makes the tummy a little unhappy.

Add about 1/8 tsp of baking soda to your French Press when brewing.  It'll cut down the acidity and you'll never know it was put in.  We've been doing everyday for a good year now.

[HarveyBoulevard]

This is all the coffee any man could ever need...?

 

[helix]

Hario Burr and Hario V60 for me .    I understand Starbucks was sent packing from OZ LOL ! Serious about coffee down under .

[oliverdst]

Not anal

[fitzy]

Eh not very anal. I prefer espresso over regular coffee. I would love to have a Rocket Apartamento espresso machine and a high end grinder but I don't have the time or patience for it. So instead I went to every shop that makes espresso within walking distance of my office and tested them all numerous times over a two week period. Some shops you could get a great shot one visit and a horrible shot the next.

The winner ended up being a particular shop called "Little Collins" on Lexington Ave between 55th and 56th streets. They must have the best trained barista's around. It doesn't matter which barista is making the espresso at the time they are always spot on. The only downside is that it's a very small shop and the line is usually out the door. 

[Fuzz]

6 hours ago, oliverdst said:

Not anal

How uncouth! Coffee in a plastic cup! It should be served in a styrofoam cup....

[Wertman]

8 hours ago, oliverdst said:

Not anal

To funny I bet @FatherOfPugs is having anxiety seeing this.  I know I am.  I did drink coffee from MrEs when I was I the army

[oliverdst]

3 hours ago, Fuzz said:

How uncouth! Coffee in a plastic cup! It should be served in a styrofoam cup....

i have a mug. just not using at that moment.

sometimes i think about the quantity of water and soap to wash a mug and I have some doubts if it is thaaaat environment friendly to use non disposable itens.

just thinking. no discussion about it. let's not start a war about it.

1 hour ago, Wertman said:

To funny I bet @FatherOfPugs is having anxiety seeing this.  I know I am.  I did drink coffee from MrEs when I was I the army

 

1 hour ago, FatherOfPugs said:

It was hard to look at.............

I do like coffee but I dont drink very good coffee all the time. at work is ok.

[frenchkiwi]

On 06/12/2017 at 3:12 AM, JamesKPolkEsq said:

If one is in search of optimum flavor, one should not freeze whole coffee beans!! Buy as fresh as you can if you’re concerned with exceptional coffee.

If you must buy pre ground beans (which age terribly), store these in an air tight container in the freezer.

Buy whole beans as close to the roasted date as possible and enjoy them often!

a few people at the roasteries around here have told me that beans 3-5 days old are better than just roasted. something to do with the oils leeching out immediately after (like fresh oily cigars needing dryboxing?). i did notice that same-day roasted coffee grinds bubbled up more gas than usual when the hot water hits. Also the beans are also best consumed within about 20 days of roasting.

also yes - definitely not frozen. And once ground up use within half an hour...

[Fugu]

9 hours ago, frenchkiwi said:

a few people at the roasteries around here have told me that beans 3-5 days old are better than just roasted

...not only what they might tell you, it's a difference you can clearly taste. The high amount of carbon dioxide gives additional acidity to the brew. Depending on bean and roast, some prefer it, some (like me) don't. Also, there seems to be some pleasant mellowing / sort of "rounding off" taking place in the first few days after roast (taking off the sharp "edges", similar to "mongrel" in a cigar... ). But all that is certainly a matter of personal preference. Home-roasters might tell you different.

9 hours ago, frenchkiwi said:

And once ground up use within half an hour...

5 min!

[Colt45]

On 12/5/2017 at 2:18 PM, SMQQKIN said:

Like cigars - chasing a great cup of coffee or espresso can lead you down a rabbit hole. I find that high quality fresh beans, a burr grinder, a quality boiler espresso maker & some attention to the grind/tamp/extraction process produces a consistent superior shot that can be easily pulled. Once you figure it out there is no going back to Starbucks or the like.

Not sure you'll read this or not - just out of curiosity, the ECM and Lucca M58 seem outwardly similar. Did you consider the M58, and if so, how / why did you decide on the ECM? Regardless, how did you decide on the ECM - thanks.

[cmbarton]

I'm big on Black Rifle Coffee Co.

I’ve never known anyone outside my father-in-law, my brother-in-law, or myself that drank Black Rifle! Good coffee and a great company!

[zepp69]

My wife and I just bought a Jura machine. Got any suggestions on coffee for it? it makes espresso and cappuccino. Great looking machine.

[cmbarton]

My wife and I just bought a Jura machine. Got any suggestions on coffee for it? it makes espresso and cappuccino. Great looking machine.

I want one of these Jura’s so bad but I had a hard time justifying the price tag! From what I hear, they make some of the best coffee you can have in your home.