Coffee Addicts Thread

[Rick Nebiolo]

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The most important thing for coffee: bean storage! Do NOT PUT BEANS IN THE FREEZER. This is horrible for them. Why? There are 4 things that are bad for coffee: light, moisture, air, and time. Constantly taking coffee in and out of the freezer lets moisture build up inside the coffee. Not good. What I would recommend is buying an air-tight container, pouring the beans in there, and storing them in a cool, dry place. This will ensure that the beans are fresh and they will be fresher for longer.

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I've been using the freezer but I wrap the re-sealed whole bean coffee bag in about five extra plastic freezer bags sucking the air out each time. While I'm resealing the coffee beans I'm using a $10 electric grinder in about six or seven widely spaced five second bursts to grind the coffee (to avoid overheating the coffee). My coffee maker is your basic $25 Mister Coffee drip type.

Am I taking too many short cuts?

~ Rick

PS First time in this thread (linked today by Zeno from The Lounge).

[piradical]

the best I have had is distributed by Counterculture coffee in NC. in the DC area it is available at Murky Coffee in Arlington and Sparkys on 14th st. in DC. My favorite is the salvadorean ( not he one @ $65 for 12 oz.).

[ElSapo]

[ QUOTE ]
the best I have had is distributed by Counterculture coffee in NC. in the DC area it is available at Murky Coffee in Arlington and Sparkys on 14th st. in DC. My favorite is the salvadorean ( not he one @ $65 for 12 oz.).

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Having recently moved to North Carolina, I recently reviewed six espresso beans available around here. Counter Culture was my absolute least favorite, being handily beaten by Harris Teeter.

That's not to say it isn't a good bean - just that I didn't like it. People talk a lot about right and wrong when it comes to coffee prep, but in the end it's all personal preferance.

There are two local places here that have a good bean, but my favorite was actually Larry's Beans espresso roast, which was really rich but also crisp and not at all bitter.

CC had a kind of metallic-soap aftertaste I couldn't get over.

If you have any interest in the bean review it's at www.TranscendentalSandwich.com, but it's mostly useful if you're in the Carrboro-area.

[AZK]

Update. 10 lbs later and I love the graffeo stuff. It's a bit expensive but worth it to me. My dad likes the half-half and light roast, I prefer the dark roast. If you are in SF it should be easy to buy a little and try if not, looks like you have to order a lb. and try it out. I think it's pretty good.

[mikeczyz]

i used to drink the premium coffee but then I ran out of money. i used to get my coffee from this crazy dude who spent a full year traveling around the world tasting coffee before he opened up his shop. his beans were spectacular.

i am now out of monies so I usually roll with trader joe's. it's surprisingly good...much better than charbucks and half the price.

[adios]

One of my indulgences is coffee. I spend the dough for Jamaican Blue Mountain and Kona for my home use. I also have a really nice esspresso machine which I actually bought at Starbucks when I realized it was a relatively good deal.

[Colt McCoy]

I love the cold-brewed coffee the Toddy makes and Boca Java makes some awesome coffees.

[turnipmonster]

I have drank a lot of coffee on a daily basis since middle school. I am wondering if I have an unrefined taste in coffee, because I like very dark, very bitter, straight black coffee. examples of brands of coffee I like are cafe bustelo, cafe dumond, and modelo. I rarely go to starbucks but like their black coffee just fine.

most coffee I have had in diners, delis and dunkin donuts tastes like water to me, and I don't like it at all.

I make espresso a lot also and use cafe bustelo, for some reason the illy espresso pods taste horrible to me and I would rather drink dirt. since bustelo is cheap as hell and illy seems quite fancy, it seems to me like I might just like the cheap stuff.

any coffee experts have any insight or recommendations to offer regarding my taste?

edit: note that I always use a french press when making coffee.

[AZK]

I like very dark, black straight coffee as well...but most times I don't feel that it tastes bitter, strong drip gets bitter, you like that?

The cafe dumond brand is amazing, I first had it in NO, that chicory taste is fantastic.

for whatever reason, I too think the illy espresso roast is GROSS.

[turnipmonster]

I don't really think it tastes bitter, but I have often heard starbucks coffee is bitter, that espresso roast coffees (very dark roasts) are bitter, so I always figured it must be bitter and I must like that.

glad you agree about illy, other problem is tons of restaurants use them. I love an after dinner espresso but usually ask if it's an illy pod or the real deal.