Marvel Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 For those who brew their own coffee (or tea for that matter), you should try spring water, or at the least, water without chlorine. It makes it a whole lot better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael hurd Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 I agree that chlorine adds a taste to coffee, and I hate some places that do not filter the water to the coffee makers. My favorite is a large Robin's Donuts triple / triple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customsteve01 Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 You have to grind your own. I use eightoclock usually, but sometimes Starbucks. I love McDonalds and Dunkin-Dougnuts coffee Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wheelman Posted July 10, 2005 Author Share Posted July 10, 2005 Interesting to read some of your choices, and technigues. I haven't gone the whole bean route yet. I know I will probally try it now after reading so many positive opinions on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 With Baileys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnA Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 My favorite coffee is Kenya AA I roast at home. Fresh roasted coffee, less than 48 hours old, is so much better, the other stuff should have a different name. Starbucks, Barnies and the rest cannot touch fresh roasted coffee. www.sweetmarias.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sputnik Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 I agree that the french press is the way to go. That's the only way we make coffee since our fancy automatic drip coffee maker conked out within a year of buying it. The french press is not as much mess and fuss as I thought. Peet's fair trade coffee is one of my favorites but then I also like the coffee at McDonalds. Has anyone used a cold coffee extractor? ADDED: I forgot to mention "cowboy coffee". It's the best way to brew if you're camping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckears Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 I grind Starbucks fresh every morning; usually House Blend, but I flirt with Colombian ocassionally, and enjoy Cafe Verona as well. From wake-up to holding a hot cup is roughly 4 minutes; I have a Bunn Home Brewer that has hot water ready to go. In the summer, I usually drink three cups in the morning, and maybe a couple more in the afternoon; a cup in the evening, if some dessert or snack requires it. In the winter, I lose count My favorite coffee is no longer available (much like some salsas from the Big Bang of Salsa in the 80's and 90's); I used to order five pound bags from the Atlanta (GA) Coffee Roastery, but am no longer able to obtain it. IMO, if you have dessert at someone's house, especially a pastry, pie, or cake, and they do not offer coffee with it, you have been insulted. I view coffee with these foods much like many Americans view Beer with Brats or Dogs at a baseball game; not only is it part of the experience, it is also a necessary accompaniment for the palette. I am on vacation right now, so have just enjoyed a late evening cup; the empty is sitting next to my computer monitor right now, and I could very well go for another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardP Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 ---------------- On 7/10/2005 5:30:42 PM tkdamerica wrote: There is no better coffee (oh yeah, IMO) than Hawaiian Kona. My favorite over the counter, buy in the store coffee is "Douwe Egberts." Of course you have to go to Amsterdam to buy it. ---------------- Coincidentally, only three days ago a friend returned from Amsterdam, and brought me a little brick of Douwe Egberts. I never heard of it before, but it is good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wheelman Posted July 10, 2005 Author Share Posted July 10, 2005 So if I were to grind my own beans would It be the same measurements? A level tablespoon per cup in a regular coffee maker? I would need a coffee grinder. Any particular coffee grinder that are good? Without spending to much. I see much of you take your coffee seriously. I am glad I brought this up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frzninvt Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 What is this French Press deal and where can you buy them. I buy whole bean and grind myself as well. I use a small 4 cup maker with the cone type filter and only use water that has been filtered by my PUR filtration system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckears Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 I have had a Braun grinder for over 15 years now... I have a little metal scoop that I have not bothered to measure, but I use two scoops for four cups, three for six, and four for ten cups (full pot). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 Wheelman, Check out the cheap grinders at the bottom of the page on this link: http://www.wholelattelove.com/grinder.cfm Like the $20 range. We basically make a drip coffee, so eyeballing the gind is okay with us. You recoup your investment quickly. They have directions with them. Grind a pot worth (15 seconds or so) and pour the water. Bliss! You can also spend a fortune, but we have had the same grinder for years, and it gets used every day. I think ours came free with a coffee subscription from Community Coffee. Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sputnik Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 Frzninvt, Pour boiling water over fresh loose grounds in the pot. Let it steep for a few minutes. Then push the plunger down to filter out the grounds. It' a more refined way to make "cowboy coffee". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedball Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 Probably anything from Starbucks.....lately it has been White Chocolate Mocha. Thanks for the link to LatteLove, maybe I can learn to grind my own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gullahisland Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 There's a specialty roaster nearby called "Motherlode Coffee Roasting Company". Their 49'er and Goldrush blends are phenomenal. Very dark and smokey with a slightly sweet finish. I find that the darker roasts, while stronger tasting, have much less acidity than the lighter varieties and, consequently, are a little easier on the acid reflux. But, at $12.95/lb, it does get a little pricey. For "everyday" coffee, I used to buy the Kirkland/Starbucks House Blend from Costco. Recently, however, they've begun carrying a new offering; Seattle Mountain Ethiopia. They used to sell Seattle Mountain Sumatra. I tried it once and was horribly disappointed. I almost passed on the Ethiopia, but since the Ethiopia Sidamo at Starbucks is one of my faves, I figured I'd give this one a try. Boy, am I glad I tried it. I'm now on my third 3lb'er (in fact, I'm enjoying a cup while I type) and couldn't be happier. It's a fairly complex cup with bright citrus notes and a very earthy finish. It is inherently more acidic than, say, a French or Italian Roast, but not excessively so. But the flavor and aroma are exceptional and for $3.33/lb, it's by far the best value I've found. On the weekends, I like to use my stainless steel Starbucks Barista espresso machine with either Peet's or Starbucks Italian Roast. One of my favorites (albeit VERY high calorie) is to squeeze about 4-5 shots into a heated cup and mix with an equal proportion of steamed (no froth) half-and-half. My other favorite is a white chocolate mocha. For best results, however, you must use Ghiradelli's ground white chocolate powder. The only place I've been able to find it is Smart and Final. They used to sell it in a large 3lb cannister. Now the only way to buy it is in a 10lb. box! (NOTE: Don't confuse the Ghiradelli White Mocha powder that you find in the grocer's isle with the White Chocolate powder. They're NOT the same. The White Mocha Powder has coffee flavor added and it's NOT very good.) For daily brewing, we use the Stabucks Barista Aroma Grande. Starbucks was one of the first to design coffee makers with an insulated stainless steel carafe to keep the coffee hot w/o a heating plate. It works tremendously well and is becoming the design of choice for many other brands as well. For the special occasion, we'll break out the French Press. It really is the most flavorful way of brewing coffee, but you must enjoy it immediately or the coffee will grow cold very quickly. Disposing of the grounds is also a little messy since there's no filter holding the grounds. Regardless of your preferred coffee or brewing method, it is CRITICAL that you buy WHOLE beans and GRIND them immediately prior to use. A burr grinder is best because it allows you to select the size of the grind for the respective brewing method and gives the most consistently uniform grind; Coarse for French Press, Medium for basket style drip makers, Fine for Cone drip makers, Very Fine for Pump Espresso machines. Unfortunately, a good burr grinder will set you back about a hundred bucks and is not necessary if most or all of your brewing is in a drip coffee maker. A blade grinder can be found for $15-20 and works very well. As Marvel said, 15-18 seconds is just about right. You may find that shaking the grinder while it's running will provide the most evenly consistent grind. Otherwise you'll end up with the beans that stayed closest to the blade being ground to a fine powder, while the beans that sat on top are very coarsely ground. Remember: You must clean and de-scale your coffee maker every month or two. The calcium and mineral deposits that build up in your machine are responsible for that "bitter" taste. Dip-It is available at your grocery store and works very well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffgeorge Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 Boston Stoker (SW Ohio Brand) - Costa Rican Blend. For regular store bought - Maxwel House Slow Roast (best mass produced coffee I have ever had) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stan krajewski Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 Whatever brand they serve in some Greek diners. Its sheer heaven. The best I ever bought was Kona whole beans (from Hawii). Outrageously expensive but I could drink it black. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
st. patrick Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 Dan, great write-up. It is the first time I have seen cofffee described in vino nomenclature but it fits very, very well! One of the things I shudder to remember is that I used to actually go to McDonald's to get a cup of coffee, and thought i liked it . . then. Now, I can't even go near mickey-d's, much less drink their coffee. Maybe it was a combination of the excess acid dissolving the extra grease of fast food . . . i guess it had a certain synergy. That said, i think i need to make a road trip. I will email ya! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbflash Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 We have a local coffee house in Bham called OHenrys. They also have a roasting company, where they make their own blends. I start every morning with two cups of their Jamaican Me Crazy (vanilla and rum) coffee at the house. Last December I bought myself a Bunn coffee machine and now coffee takes about 90 seconds to make. I quit using sugar and just use half and half. On the way to work I stop at OHenrys and get a six shooter. 5 shots of espresso and a shot of vanilla in a small cup. The rest of the cup is filled up with steam milk. Because of OHenrys I no longer like Starbucks lattes. Im just use to OHenrys flavor. Starbucks tastes like it is burnt. 2 weeks ago I was in San Jose for a week and stopped in Starbuck's everyday. Couldn't wait to get back home. Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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