Coffee Addicts Thread

[Jeff W]

I use an Aerobie Aeropress "Espresso"/Coffee Maker. I greatly prefer espresso and the Aeropress makes a nice cup of faux espresso with not a lot of crema. It only costs $30 bucks or so and the coffee is much smoother and less acidic/bitter than coffee I make with a french press. I have only made espresso style coffee with it--the directions say you can add hot water post-pressing to get an american style cup.

I would like to know where I can find good beans. I often just use Starbucks beans--the [censored] they sell in supermarkets, etc is always stale.

[AZK]

www.wholelattelove.com

[gwhiz_612]

I'm a 4-8 cupper a day. Took a trip to amsterdam a couple years ago and among other things the coffee there was really good. It was served in what looked like espresso cups but was smooth and strong. My grandmother makes puerto rican coffee where she uses what looks like a sock filled with the grounds and puts it in a pan of boiling water I like that a lot too. I used to be a cream and sugar guy but I nixed the sugar at the beggining of the year to cut some calories. I had to get used to my coffee not tasting like liquid candy but now I think I appreciate the taste a lot more.

[russellmj]

Since my burr grinder went kaput I've been hand grinding my beans in a mocajete. I use a press and drink black. For me it's the best way to experience everything a bean has to offer. I use water heated to ~190-200. Stir after about the first minute, then let it sit ~5-7 min., and stir again before pressing.
I prefer coffees with more floral accents. Kona is a particular favorite. I'm lucky to have a friend who lives on Kuai and occasionally sends me a # of some of the local crop. Guatamala also has surprisingly good coffee. If you get the chance, get some of these beans.

I've done business w/ wholelattelove and have always gotten good service.

For green beans you can try Sweet Maria's . These people love coffee and travel the world in search of the best of the best. They also have quite an assortment of home roasting paraphernalia and advice.

[gdsdiscgolfer]

Any love for Peet's? Or is it just the Starbucks of the West Coast?

I had it on my first visit to CA and even though I live in CT, I order all my beans from them. Currently working on Arabian Mocha Java and Sulawesi-Kalosi.

I love my roasts dark and drink it black. Peet's has always been leaps and bounds above anything else local in terms of taste, body, and smell.

I have a nifty little device that is both a french press and a to-go mug. The biggest problem is that the filter is not as fine as a standard press, so it's difficult to strike the right balance between just fine enough and too fine.

Just got some Cafe Dumond in the mail, can't wait to make my first brew.

[JaredL]

[ QUOTE ]
Any love for Peet's? Or is it just the Starbucks of the West Coast?

[/ QUOTE ]

You know Starbucks has gotten big (as if you didn't already) when this type of statement is made. Starbucks is pretty solidly the Starbucks of the West Coast.

For chains I really like, in some vague order of preferences:
Espresso Roma (not sure all are called this, Zeno knows what I'm talking about as there is one in Eugene by the U of O on 13th. The cups say that they have locations along the West Coast mostly in California).
Coffee People

Also here in Pittsburgh, Kiva Han and Crazy Mocha are good. Caribou Coffee is ok. I'm not sure to what extent these exist outside the 'burgh, though I think Crazy Mocha is just a Pittsburgh chain and they said Caribou is based out of Minnesota so maybe it's just a midwest thing.

After all of the above, I do actually like Starbucks just fine. The nice thing about Starbucks is that, at least to me, it seems to be the same everywhere and you don't have a lot of variance. It's a solid bet when you are traveling. I really wish Coffee People had taken off instead of Starbucks though. I was pretty down when they closed the one on 13th during my freshman year of undergrad. It's one thing I like about going home and to the Portland airport in general.

Personally I prefer to use whatever the Italian contraption is that you put on the stove, pictured in an early reply. Obviously when I prefer regular coffee drip is good. At home though I tend to prefer either tea or the stronger stuff, although supposedly a cup of coffee has more caffeine than espresso.

I really like Christmas blends. When I go to the in-laws I buy a few bags of some sort of Kona coffee that is a Xmas blend. I also think the Trader Joes Winter Blend is decent. TJs in general have pretty good stuff for the price.

[Runkmud]

Some advice on buying a espresso machine. Spend the extra cash and make sure your machine has a power pump, in other words, make sure it's pushing the water through the filter with a great deal of pressure. If it's not, and it's a drip machine, you're not making espresso, you're making coffee.

I'm absolutely anti-Starbucks, these are people who brag about over roasting thier coffee beans, they burn their coffee beans intentionally. Then somehow managed to convince the average American that this is good.

Typically certain beans grown from certain countries or regions have characteristics which while aren't necessarily ideal in and of themselves for a great cup of coffee, work very well in blends. For example, I'm not a fan of Hawaiian Kona, in and of itself, but I consider it's smoothness a great asset to a blend.

I'm a bit biased, being that I'm an ex-owner, but for some great coffees and gift baskets, check out the succession of my old business.

http://hillofbeanscoffee.com/

[ElSapo]

Can anyone suggest a manually operated grinder? I hate the electric grinders (sound), and I'm wondering if there's a decent option.

I use the moka pot (stovetop Italian deal) that has been mentioned - how much coffee to you guys use in it? I use the "three cup" model and loosely fill it up to the top and tamp it down, so it's about 1/2 to 2/3 full.

[cbloom]

[ QUOTE ]
Since my burr grinder went kaput I've been hand grinding my beans in a mocajete. I use a press and drink black. For me it's the best way to experience everything a bean has to offer.

[/ QUOTE ]

Wow, hard core. How long does that take? Sounds fun, I might have to try that.

[nolanfan34]

Couple of our coffee favorites.

Stumptown Coffee Roasters

Caffe Ladro

For our everyday morning drinking, we use a couple of varieties from Costco. A challenge is the fact that I don't drink any caffeine outside of my morning cup - which is half-decaf.

On the weekends, I use a Bodum french press and lately usually coffee from Caffe Ladro.

Hoping Entity will post some thoughts in this thread, I think he knows a few things about coffee.