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Coffee: we drink it or we get angry.

Discussion in 'Food and Drink' started by Jeb, Jan 16, 2016.

Page 26 of 67
  1. Skyline

    Skyline Double-blindly done with this hobby

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    Positive Mistobox experience to report.

    They picked my coffee for this month and it turns out that it was from a Nashville roaster, which was a bummer since I can just walk down the street and pick their coffee up anytime. I requested a replacement and they had a new coffee selected for me within 12 hours. I also requested something that used a natural or honey process, so they picked this:

    https://www.barefootcoffee.com/products/sonora-honey

    Fingers crossed.

    As an aside, if anyone decides to join up, let me know. I'd be more than happy to take the referral credit :p
     
    Skyline, Jun 27, 2017
    #501
  2. brencho

    brencho Friend

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    i have too many grinders. does anyone want to buy a Helor 101 from me? has 2 burr sets and is as good as new w/ original packaging. works amazingly well. PM me if you're interested!
     
    brencho, Jul 1, 2017
    #502
  3. Vansen

    Vansen Gear Master (retiring)

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    You're killing me. That thing is beautiful! I need to tell myself that I'm fine with my OG Lido 1 grinder!
     
    Vansen, Jul 1, 2017
    #503
  4. brencho

    brencho Friend

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    agreed, it is beautiful and great. grinds super well, the ball handle feels awesome, super smooth for realz. the 2 burr sets are useful too. here's a video and review of it for us nerds to enjoy: https://prima-coffee.com/equipment/helor/helor-101
     
    brencho, Jul 1, 2017
    #504
  5. ButtUglyJeff

    ButtUglyJeff Stunningly beautiful IRL

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    What's your go-to grinder @brencho ?
     
    ButtUglyJeff, Jul 2, 2017
    #505
  6. brencho

    brencho Friend

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    Well so at home it's the Kafatek Monolith since I mostly do espresso at home. I have a Baratza for if I have to make a French press or chemex for a few people. Then at work (and sometimes at home if I bring it home for the weekend) I use the Kinu M47 hand grinder which is still pretty new to me.

    Honestly of the hand grinders I was playing with I'd be equally happy with any of them (feldgrind, helor, kinu).
     
    brencho, Jul 2, 2017
    #506
  7. gaspasser

    gaspasser Flatulence Maestro

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    I primarily use a Clever dripper and occasionally use French Press or an Aeropress. I need recommendations for an good cheap ($50 or less) hand grinder. I need something relatively quiet to use in the morning while everyone else is sleeping. Thanks, in advance, for any assistance.
     
    gaspasser, Jul 2, 2017
    #507
  8. Daveheart

    Daveheart Friend

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    It's been recommended here before, but I've been using the Kuissential Evengrind. It's essentially an improved Hario for less $. I don't know about quiet, but it's actually decent. I'm not sure what you'll find that's actually quiet in the <$50 range though.
     
    Daveheart, Jul 2, 2017
    #508
  9. DigMe

    DigMe Friend

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    I was assuming that by quiet he just meant quieter than an electric grinder.
     
    DigMe, Jul 2, 2017
    #509
  10. gaspasser

    gaspasser Flatulence Maestro

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    Exactly, my electric grinder (old Starbucks Barista) is too loud to use at 5:30 AM. So I was looking for a hand grinder that will do a decent job and I assume (since it is manual) will be quieter than an electric grinder.

    I already ordered the Kuissential Evengrind from Amazon to give it a try. Thanks @Daveheart. I am getting tired of instant coffee because I forget to grind ahead of time.
     
    gaspasser, Jul 2, 2017
    #510
  11. Vansen

    Vansen Gear Master (retiring)

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    @Gaspasser, out of curiousity, what instant coffee were you drinking!?
     
    Vansen, Jul 2, 2017
    #511
  12. gaspasser

    gaspasser Flatulence Maestro

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    The one I mainly drink is an Israeli instant coffee called Elite. It tastes pretty good and packs a big caffeine punch. I also drink Nescafé instant at work. I am trying to get back into the whole home brewing thing.
     
    gaspasser, Jul 2, 2017
    #512
  13. ButtUglyJeff

    ButtUglyJeff Stunningly beautiful IRL

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    Has anyone had Vietnamese coffee from the Lac Duong District? My local roaster is trying it out and its bananas delicious. I think the California types would like it; medium roast with fruity/nutty notes. I asked them to include it in their on line shop so I could share it with y'all, but she hasn't put it up yet...
     
    ButtUglyJeff, Jul 2, 2017
    #513
  14. Skyline

    Skyline Double-blindly done with this hobby

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    Skyline, Jul 2, 2017
    #514
  15. bazelio

    bazelio Friend

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    What do you think California is? The land of fruits and nuts? Oh, wait....
     
    bazelio, Jul 2, 2017
    #515
  16. ButtUglyJeff

    ButtUglyJeff Stunningly beautiful IRL

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    Well, maybe I'm following a stereotype that West coasters like a brighter cup. Am I assuming wrong?
     
    ButtUglyJeff, Jul 3, 2017
    #516
  17. aamefford

    aamefford Nothing like chamberpot coffee

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    I think you were right the first time with the fruits and nuts thing.... Yes, I live in California. Yes, we may well be fruitier and nuttier than most....

    EDIT - @bazelio nailed this already. As I quoted above. Guess I'm redundant (you can say that again.....).
     
    Last edited: Jul 3, 2017
    aamefford, Jul 3, 2017
    #517
  18. Cryptowolf

    Cryptowolf Repping Chi Town - Friend

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    The folks at Metric Coffee, a high-quality local Chicago roaster that takes everything quite seriously, said the same thing during a coffee brewing class I attended. They said that the mid-west crowd tends to favor darker roasts and nuttier blends, while west coasters tend to favor lighter, Ethiopian brews. I'm personal more a fan of middle to dark-roast coffee with hints of leather, blackberries, wood, or dark chocolate. I'm currently working my way through BRCC Soflete blend and Sniper Smooth.
     
    Cryptowolf, Jul 4, 2017
    #518
  19. DigMe

    DigMe Friend

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    I'm a fan of berry-burst naturals. I've purchased these from roasters in all parts of the country!
     
    DigMe, Jul 4, 2017
    #519
  20. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Here's my first roaster. Still alive and kicking after well over 10 years. I keep this on hand because it gets hot - fast. It's perfect for small quantities in a jiffy.
    IMG_20170704_124003 (1).jpg
    Roasting Kochere Yirgacheffe. Small beans that heat up fast. A 3.5 minute roast with this roaster, although it varies and I roast by ear. First crack of the beans, then five seconds into second crack, I turn the knob to cooldown. Note that this method only works for this roaster and these kinds of beans.

    I ended up with a FC+. Probably should have started cooldown just upon hearing second crack. Yes, it's that tight! I would have preferred FC in this case. Usually when I'm not in a rush, I'll make a melange of FC+ and City (medium) roasts to a taste of what both have to offer.
    IMG_20170704_124646.jpg
    Here's the deal:
    1. The darker the roast (past City), the thinner or less bodied the brew. This seems counter-intuitive, but it's true.
    2. Lighter roasts have undeveloped sweetness, taste more grassy, acidic, bright; but maintain more complex flavors.
    3. It's a balance between the taste of the roast (caramelization of the sugars) and the taste of the bean.
    4. Different beans react differently. Some beans you can almost char. Others you can't roast past light brown. The Yirgacheffe can somewhat take a lot of browning.
    5. Observation: more experienced coffee connoisseurs will opt for lighter roasts (no browner than City, maybe FC at most), especially with the better beans.
    6. Starbucks a few years ago used to have the most disgusting coffee. Overly dark roast (Vienna or French, with the oils leaking out of the beans) that tasted like burnt toast mixed in water. Starbucks is a little bit better now, since McDonalds dramatically improved their coffee. I've always scratched my head why so many Americans prefer the dark roasts (for regular coffee, not Espresso). Oh wait, it's because the beans are shit.
    Roasted beans are best a few days after roasting. The flavors seem to need time to develop. No, I haven't submitted myself to double-blind ABX tests for this. I believe there is a site called Hydrogen-Coffee for double blind ABX tests pertaining to coffee.

    NOTE: I am only talking about coffee, black coffee. Not espresso or coffee mixed with cream or condensed milk.
     
    Last edited: Jul 4, 2017
    purr1n, Jul 4, 2017
    #520
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