Lets talk about COFFEE



Despos said:

A Y, just received my 3rd order from Verve. Like their Sermon espresso beans.

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Nice. I forget if you've tried their Streetlevel. For the way that my local baristas pull, I prefer it as the flavors are more balanced, but the Sermon has been very good recently, and the local baristas' pulls of it recently are very consistent since they got the new VST baskets.

I had a Streetlevel this past week that had a thick silky mouthfeel with lots of wine-like acidity. The flavors were a bit suppressed, but it had nice texture:

I'd dip my balls in it.

Patrick, I enjoy espresso but you sure know how to ruin a good thing

That's what my mom always tells me.



patrickBOOTH said:

I'd dip my balls in it.

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You know that cup is like 1.5 inches in diameter, right?

Double shot of expresso every morning keeps me alive!

whats a good quality coffee that i can buy at local super markets (safeway, whole foods, trader joes), pre-ground and packaged

i usually go for philz in bay area they have great beans but in case i want something fast...

I am really having issues with my french press coffee. I can't get it to taste like the french press at Stumptown. Iam doing the whole four minute thing, but I can't help but wonder if the water I am using is too hot, or the grind isn't right. I have tried changing things, but it always tastes a bit burnt/muddy. I am also using a 12oz French press, should I give it less time? Can somebody tell me if this grind is ok?

grind seems ok but if you mean muddy as in texturally, it's probably too fine.


i dunno how you do your water, but the best/easiest method i've heard/use is pouring hot boiling water out into a separate container from a relatively high height and then pouring that water into the french press again at a high height. it should get around 190, 195 degrees F.


i use this for my grinding ratio
http://www.blackbearcoffee.com/Brewing Ratio Charts.htm


also it could be that whoever roasted your beans overroasted them

No the texture is ok, it just tastes bitter. The beans are from Stumptown.



patrickBOOTH said:

I am really having issues with my french press coffee. I can't get it to taste like the french press at Stumptown. Iam doing the whole four minute thing, but I can't help but wonder if the water I am using is too hot, or the grind isn't right. I have tried changing things, but it always tastes a bit burnt/muddy. I am also using a 12oz French press, should I give it less time? Can somebody tell me if this grind is ok?

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

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The grind looks a bit large to me. You can judge the grind size a bit by how much resistance you have when pressing the plunger to the bottom.You could try 3 minutes, water just under a boil. Her's a few techniques I've tried. Grinds in press, fill half way with water, wait up to a minute, stir with a chopstick to get grinds to settle. Fill with water. Put the top on and push the press down to submerge the top by 1/2" this makes sure all the grounds are submerged in the water. I've done 3 minutes or 4 minutes, they both work. If all this doesn't help try standing on one foot while you do this. Sometimes nothing seems to work to get the results you want. Coffee is fickle.

Never been that crazy for Stumptown. It's usually good but not my favorite.

I just re-brewed and I let the water sit a little longer before pouring over the grinds. It actually helped a lot. I think I get in my head so many people saying that drip machines never brew hot enough so I consequently over do it. I also have generally poured it all in, waited about 20 seconds then stirred.

I have also found that if the beans are slightly on the old side it tastes better to grind finer and let it brew for less time. I think probably because the oxidation affects the outermost portion of the beans first and breaking it up more exposes more of the untarshined bean to the water.

I actually like Gimme Coffee much more than Stumptown, but for some reason I can't seem to find beans at their cafes that are under a week old so I don't bother.

Gimme and Grumpy are my 2 favorites in NYC. Have the same issue at Gimme, when I buy beans when I am there the roasting date is a few or more days old. If I order online from their Ithaca store, they roast and ship the same day.

Have you tried the sandwiches at #7sub when you go to Stumptown? It's around the corner but still in the Ace hotel building.



Despos said:

Gimme and Grumpy are my 2 favorites in NYC. Have the same issue at Gimme, when I buy beans when I am there the roasting date is a few or more days old. If I order online from their Ithaca store, they roast and ship the same day.
Have you tried the sandwiches at #7sub when you go to Stumptown? It's around the corner but still in the Ace hotel building.

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It is funny you say that, because my parents out in Jersey order Gimme online and they always get great roasting dates. When I visit it blows my mind. I had no idea the roast and ship the same day.

Never had the sandwishes at #7sub, worth it? Lamb burger at the Breslin is awesome and I am a fan of John Dory's.