Lets talk about COFFEE

[ryogrif]

Quote: I'm definitely a fan of "lighter roasts", so to speak as wel. I just find it so amazing to be able to taste a huge spectrum of flavour profiles of coffee beans, that some people forget come from a cherry. I can't drink Starbucks anymore because even their Blonde Roast tastes too roasty for me, but taste is subjective right; I went for coffee with a friend at one my favourite local roasteries awhile back, had an amazing Yirgacheffe via V-60, and he hated it. The trend towards higher acidity cups isn't for everyone...

Read a great article recently in Barista Mag about the resurgence of blends, but done with a more Third Wave approach to sourcing. Highly recommend it, Born Again Blend by Erin Meister, interviewing the head roaster from Equator Coffee, in the April/May 2013 issue.

Most round burr grinders can only be optimized for a small range of grind sizes. The grinders from Baratza are like this until you get the flat burrs in their higher-end models.

I think at the level of the grind we're talking about (they're not whirly blades), the differences the OE mod will make to a Hario is not the most important factor. I've modified my own Hario by wrapping tape around the central shaft where the burr sits so it wobbles a bit less, but I'm not sure it's made any difference in the cup. I also have a Porlex, but I've never used it, because it has the same burrs as the Hario and they are held the same way as the Hario. It's basically a smaller Hario mini with a steel body --- it's good for travel as it fits inside an Aeropress easily.

I've been thinking about getting a Porlex just because I've started to become dissatisfied with the grind consistency, but I looked at one in store, and it's just like you said A Y, same burrs and construction, just in a different casing. Honestly just thinking about buying a Baratza, Virtuoso most likely, and keeping the Skerton for camping and travel, although if that OE mod works for finer settings I would definitely order that.

 

[b1os]

I've opted for a Graef CM70. It's the cheap version of the CM80 (same grinder, just less quality finish as in more plastic parts), which is pretty much the best value among the entry level espresso grinder. It should do fine for AP/CCD grinding. At 63€ (WHD + 10% discount on top) I doubt that there's a better choice. Only downside is that I now have a Rancilio Silvia, a Mahlkönig Vario v2 and a CM70 plus an AP and CCD in my already smallish kitchen.

 

[patrickBOOTH]

Gimme Coffee used to have a lot of more blends. The trend has been towards single origins to capture the essence on the terroir and such, which is great, but they had this one that kind of satisfies the nuances and flavor profiles you can get with medium/lighter roasts, but also has that dark roasted smokiness. It was Called Piccolo Mondo. I think it was some South American, or Central American bean, but what was interesting was it was blended with he same bean, but some of it roasted medium/light and some of it dark so you got a very interesting cup. It was awesome. I don't think dark roast and flavor nuances have to be mutually exclusive. But yeah, I miss blends too where it seems like the availability of them has dwindled recently.

 

[patrickBOOTH]

Also, what's the deal with Peet's? Are they good? I always thought they were kind of like Seattle's best, or like a second rate place. Clearly, I am talking about Peet's today, not in 1975.

 

[aravenel]

I'm not a huge fan of Peet's. It's decent, and certainly better than Starbucks if you're traveling to a town that has their stores, but I certainly wouldn't mail order beans or anything like that.

Basically, I'd happily drink a cup of coffee from them in the morning if I were on a business trip or something, but I wouldn't go out of my way at all.

I also think they *way* overroast their beans, so there's that.

 

[patrickBOOTH]

There is one on University Place by where I work. I've been curious, but never jonesing for a cup while walking by.

 

[constant struggle]

Porlex is great for the aeropress - for FP at that size the coarse is very uneven - but I use it anyway - I would get a baratza if you aren't concerned about travel gear...

Porlex mini+aeropress = ultimate travel/office setup.

 

[scottcw]



what was interesting was it was blended with he same bean, but some of it roasted medium/light and some of it dark so you got a very interesting cup.

This is a common trick for home roasters called a melange. Roast 1/2 lb. to a medium roast and another 1/2 lb. of the same bean to a dark roast and mix together to get the best of both. I think I have only seen Blue Bottle do it commercially.

I agree with aravenel on Peet's. The lesser of two evils when traveling, but only if I have exhausted all avenues to find a good pour over. Peet's roast too dark for my tastes.

 

[A Y]

I love Peet's, and it's taught me how to love dark roasts. If you let the coffee cool a bit, that's where Peet's really comes into its own: sweetness, complexity, even a bit of acidity. Most coffee is drunk too hot anyway, but the stuff that comes out Peet's brewing machines is way too hot to drink immediately. Speaking of which, their brew machines are really unmatched when it comes to making drip brew. Nothing else comes close, and not certainly any of the single-serve methods (Aeropress, siphon, pourover) which are basically hamstrung by their low volume.

There are two great Peet's beans: their Arabian Mocha Sanani, which is available all year round, and their seasonal Ethiopian Supernatural. No one else offers anything like them.

 

[scottcw]



Speaking of which, their brew machines are really unmatched when it comes to making drip brew. Nothing else comes close, and not certainly any of the single-serve methods (Aeropress, siphon, pourover) which are basically hamstrung by their low volume.

Define "unmatched." In volume or taste? The worst pour over I have tasted is still better than the best cup of Peet's I have tasted.

 

[A Y]

I think we have pretty different tastes in coffee. I've never had a pourover that I've liked, even from the famous cafes. They've always been thin, sour, and underextracted. The Peet's brew is like a clean French press: lots of body, no silt, strong coffee character. The physics also goes against any kind of single-serving extraction method: the volume of water is small compared to the area of the filter and the amount of grounds, so you get more paper taste and tend towards underextraction. CCD is the only thing I've had that is close to the Peet's brew.

 

[patrickBOOTH]



I've never had a pourover that I've liked, even from the famous cafes. They've always been thin, sour, and underextracted.

I agree 110%

 

[scottcw]



I think we have pretty different tastes in coffee. I've never had a pourover that I've liked, even from the famous cafes. They've always been thin, sour, and underextracted. The Peet's brew is like a clean French press: lots of body, no silt, strong coffee character. The physics also goes against any kind of single-serving extraction method: the volume of water is small compared to the area of the filter and the amount of grounds, so you get more paper taste and tend towards underextraction. CCD is the only thing I've had that is close to the Peet's brew.

Agreed, we are looking for different tastes from our coffee.

Some might say the whole point of pour over is to reduce body and accentuate the higher notes. Perhaps what you call "sour" I taste as acidic fruit notes. I can't comment on famous cafes since I do most of my pour over at home. My own pour over with a Hario Woodneck with cloth filter is far from thin, sour, and underextracted. I have also had good pour over at Four Barrel in SF and Paper or Plastik in LA.

But different strokes and such... there's room for all. I totally understand if pour over is not to your liking.

 

[WiredandTired]

Clever coffee dripper is my preferred method. Best of both worlds. Clean cup with good body, since its an immersion brewer with a filter.

 

[Gibonius]



I'm not a huge fan of Peet's. It's decent, and certainly better than Starbucks if you're traveling to a town that has their stores, but I certainly wouldn't mail order beans or anything like that.

Basically, I'd happily drink a cup of coffee from them in the morning if I were on a business trip or something, but I wouldn't go out of my way at all.

I also think they *way* overroast their beans, so there's that.

I ordered a couple bags awhile back and that's a pretty good summary of my experience. Their beans are not any cheaper than Stumptown/Intelligensia/etc either.