Lets talk about COFFEE

[A Y]

Residents of New York City should not miss Coffee Common happening today through Sunday: http://coffeecommon.com/

It's a way to try out lots of different coffee brewing methods and coffee, and learn about how to brew your own coffee well at home.

 

[danb206]

Seattle's Stumptown has a very affordable, great coffee - Mindbender

 

[indesertum]

^thank sfor that. i signed up for the espresso class on sunday and probably will stick around for everything else.

 

[lefty]

Co-founder of La Colombe on Haitian coffee.

http://www.esquire.com/features/americans-2011/todd-carmichael-1211

He also has a blog on Esquire.

http://www.esquire.com/archives/blogs/food-for-men/by_tag/the coffee man/15;1

lefty

 

[indesertum]

that was a fun read.

i went to the espresso class. it was more like a demonstration. they had stations where they underextracted, overextracted, didn't clean the machine, or perfectly pulled a shot. there was also a milk foaming station but they ran out of water before i got there

overall a waste of 20 bucks, but this one guy got lucky enough to win a quiz competition thing and he got a 1200 dollar breville espresso machine and a 200 dollar breville grinder. was totally jealous


the coffee common was more hands off than i expected. i thought you would get to try the different ways to make coffee. all i got to touch was a chemex and hario kettle.

 

[Rambo]

I took a date to our local hipster coffee spot:

http://www.panthercoffee.com/

And was trying to explain the concept of a Clever to her. I told her it was like a french press but without the grit and silt but I don't think that quite covers it. Anybody have a better explanation for a layman?

 

[indesertum]

it's like a hybrid of a french press and filter drip brewing. coffee doesn't start dripping until you place a cup underneath the clever. so you can control the time of immersion and reduce sediment in your coffee

 

[patrickBOOTH]

Yesterday there was this presentation given at work from an outside company. A few of those Dunkin Donuts boxes of Joe were placed in the room for coffee. I hate Dunkin Donuts coffee as it is, but that's not the point. There are a couple of women who work in the office that are obsessed, OBSESSED with saving any kind of food or anything when it is around. So, there is maybe two cups of coffee left in this box and this woman is walking around the office trying to get people to drink it and telling them to have it tomorrow morning. Well, I kind of ranted on, about how it is two cups of coffee that is old and rotten now and she should stop bugging people about it and throw it out already. She commented that she will warm it up in the morning.

Ugh.

 

[patrickBOOTH]

Fun read: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb/david-lynch/coffee_b_1216532.html

 

[patrickBOOTH]

Just brewed a cup of this in a French press. It is ******* great.

http://www.gimmecoffee.com/Colombia-Finca-San-Luis-P92C13.aspx

 

[A Y]

Nice blog links! I got a pound of the Peet's Super Natural Ethiopian recently. First taste is totally dominated by roast and burnt flavors, but mellows out in the aftertaste to a caramelly sweetness. Would not buy again, but OK to stand up to food.

Something I've been playing with to reduce the acidic tastes in Central American beans is overdosing by about 20 percent. So in the Aeropress, I use 18 grams instead of 15 grams, with the same amount of water (215 g). This seems to reduce the brightness of the coffee a bit and adds some of the darker tones which probably balances out the brightness in the first place. Anyway, it's worth trying if you have a bean that you think is too citrusy.

 

[patrickBOOTH]



Nice blog links! I got a pound of the Peet's Super Natural Ethiopian recently. First taste is totally dominated by roast and burnt flavors, but mellows out in the aftertaste to a caramelly sweetness. Would not buy again, but OK to stand up to food.
Something I've been playing with to reduce the acidic tastes in Central American beans is overdosing by about 20 percent. So in the Aeropress, I use 18 grams instead of 15 grams, with the same amount of water (215 g). This seems to reduce the brightness of the coffee a bit and adds some of the darker tones which probably balances out the brightness in the first place. Anyway, it's worth trying if you have a bean that you think is too citrusy.

Yeah, that makes sense. I notice that I mostly buy coffee based on their finish. A bad finish is a dealbreaker, imo.

 

[indesertum]

if a barista doesnt make an espresso the way you like (ie what you're accustomed to) is it wrong to ask them if they can change a few things?

i had an espresso today that was great (gimme leftist. love this ****) but there was grit leftover in the end, the crema was too dark, dissipated too quickly, and the taste was over extracted. i asked if the barista could make the grind a little courser, but then he told me that's just the way they make it here and wouldnt change anything. i mean all you have to do is press a few buttons.

now i can't figure out if i'm the asshole or he is.


maybe i'm the wrong one? is no grit even indicative of perfect grind size?

 

[A Y]

I think it depends, but generally speaking, you have the right to send back a cup you don't like. But if they're busy or having a bad day or you treat them badly (not saying you did but there are people out there ...), then they may not be receptive. I know some people who have bought many cups in a row, each one adjusted to their tastes.

I don't think grit is an indicator of correct grind size though, since the size of the basket filter's holes is generally much bigger than an espresso grind.

 

[patrickBOOTH]



if a barista doesnt make an espresso the way you like (ie what you're accustomed to) is it wrong to ask them if they can change a few things?
i had an espresso today that was great (gimme leftist. love this ****) but there was grit leftover in the end, the crema was too dark, dissipated too quickly, and the taste was over extracted. i asked if the barista could make the grind a little courser, but then he told me that's just the way they make it here and wouldnt change anything. i mean all you have to do is press a few buttons.
now i can't figure out if i'm the asshole or he is.
maybe i'm the wrong one? is no grit even indicative of perfect grind size?

Sounds like he is the asshole. Which location? Everybody I have encountered at Gimme always has asked me how it was and if I wanted to redone. I quite like them.