Lets talk about COFFEE

[Axelman 17]

Recently came into a bunch of free time and decided to use it to explore some of NYC's coffee establishments that would be otherwise too inconvenient. Have now gone to the following: Brooklyn - Toby's Estate, Queens Kickshaw, Upright Coffee, Bedford Hill Coffee Bar, Manhattan - Stumptown, O Cafe, Third Rail, Jack's. I am not as into espresso as others here are, opted for either pour-over, americano or cold brew when I needed something iced.

The place I kept going back to was Toby's Estate. For me, it delivered the full package - pour-over quality was high (tried Colombia and Brazil), extremely pleasant place to sit (good vibe, nicely decorated room, lots of space) and very friendly service. The other plus was that the granola parfait thing they do there is great. My favorite cold brew was Queens Kickshaw in Astoria though when I went there on a Tuesday morning, the place was nearly deserted, was borderline awkward. Enjoyed the americanos at Third Rail the most, I am not enough of a connoisseur to put my finger on why - flavors, ratio etc all seemed to work.

 

[Xericx]

bought a manual burr grinder. I liked the way it looked. not bad, a little more exercise in the AM i suppose.



Also, has anyone used a CLEVER coffee drip? they recommended it at the store. http://www.sweetmarias.com/clevercoffeedripperpictorial.php

 

[A Y]



Also, has anyone used a CLEVER coffee drip? they recommended it at the store. http://www.sweetmarias.com/clevercoffeedripperpictorial.php

Yes, it's the best! Frankly, I don't know why anyone would use anything else for a full immersion brew unless you don't like paper filters. Compared to any pourover method, it is the easiest, most consistent way to make filter coffee.

Anyone else making iced coffee? With the weather warming up, I've been doing it more often now. I use the Japanese iced method, and basically dispense the CCD or Aeropress over ice. The total weight of the ice and water used for brewing should be equal to what you used before. For example, a CCD requires 360 g of water, so I do something like brewing with 190 g of hot water in the CCD (with 22 g coffee, making a concentrate), dispensed over 170 g of ice. Be sure to use brighter, more acidic coffees.

The effect is remarkable because the immediate cooling traps all of the flavors and aromatics, which then get released when the coffee warms up in your mouth, so the flavors seem more concentrated.

 

[patrickBOOTH]

I have a clever. They are great, but honestly if you get the grind right a normal pourover is pretty much the same thing.

Honestly, I like french press the best. I like the unfiltered mouthfeel.

 

[Joffrey]

Ran out of my last batch of coffee I had. Picked up a 1/4 pound of amaretto and ethiopian harrar coffee beans. Had them ground at the store. How do I know how fine or coarse to grind coffee when using a pour over coffee maker? I ended up having one ground more fine and the other more coarse to see what I end up liking.

 

[patrickBOOTH]

You really just have to tinker a bit to see what you like the best. It depends on your grinder too. I hope you are using a burr grinder.

 

[b1os]

If I buy, say, pre-ground Caffè New York (or equal), will it yield good results in a french press? In other words, is a coffee grinder vital?

 

[patrickBOOTH]



If I buy, say, pre-ground Caffè New York (or equal), will it yield good results in a french press? In other words, is a coffee grinder vital?

The first step to good coffee is fresh coffee. Garbage in, garbage out. A good grinder and good water are the most important steps.

 

[b1os]

I guess I'll pass then. Don't have the money to splurge 300$ on a pre-owned grinder atm.

 

[patrickBOOTH]



I guess I'll pass then. Don't have the money to splurge 300$ on a pre-owned grinder atm.

For french press you don't need to spend that much on a burr grinder. If you are making espresso it becomes much more important. But a baratza won't cost you that much.

 

[lefty]

What's the suggested gram amount for a 1 litre /32 oz press? I've been using 50 gms. Upped to 55 recently. 60 gms for the chemex 40oz.
Hit and miss.

lefty

 

[A Y]



What's the suggested gram amount for a 1 litre /32 oz press? I've been using 50 gms. Upped to 55 recently. 60 gms for the chemex 40oz.
Hit and miss.

People start with 60 g/L and alter from there (usually up). However, the standard 4-minute steep time from FP tends to underextract. People have steeped up to 10 minutes with good results. Of course, there are other dependent factors like grind size (finer -> more extraction), water temp (hotter -> more extraction), stirring (more -> more extraction), and 2nd order effects like heat leakage from the FP glass. Anyway, you'll have to play around to see what you like.

I guess I'll pass then. Don't have the money to splurge 300$ on a pre-owned grinder atm.

Like Patrick says, you don't need a fancy burr grinder for French press. Bodum, and Capresso make decent burr grinders for under $100. Some people like the Kitchen Aid one too (notably Alton Brown). Baratza also has a new model that is $150, and cheaper if you get the refurbed version. If you don't mind working a little, Hario makes an excellent manual burr grinder that can even be used for espresso.

But you must absolutely use the grounds within an hour of grinding. Pre-ground coffee from the store or cafe is like throwing money away.

 

[indesertum]



I guess I'll pass then. Don't have the money to splurge 300$ on a pre-owned grinder atm.

get a manual burr grinder like hario. they're like $40

 

[patrickBOOTH]

The problem with the hario is that because it is manual the burrs wobble while you are turning the handle. This wobble is extrapolated as the burrs are separated further as in the case of French Press type grinds. I noticed a significant improvement in my French Press coffee when I got a refurbed Baratza virtuoso.

I bumped into somebody at a cafe who claimed he found a modification online somewhere where you can "fix" the burr in place better so it doesn't wobble anymore. He said it was a fair amount of work. Not worth it, imo.

 

[A Y]

I've heard about the wobble, and if you aren't too violent in your grinding, you can minimize it.