Coffee

dannyp said:
Good to hear you are getting quite a bit of use out of the new roaster, especially considering how much of an investment it was. They had it listed in the description about these being big, I just didn't realize how much bigger. 😁 I'm interested to see how much more they expand after roasting.
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I was really on the fence about the new roaster, but my buddy at NASA assured me it would be worth it. Even more so especially since I have been getting paid a little bit to roast coffee for the office. I'm doing a 2# batch every week between the office and my personal use. Pretty happy with the machine so far, but having to recalibrate my expectations for roast progress by temperature. The drum tastes like a darker roast than it really is based on the temperature versus my old air roaster. I'm getting close though.

Those beans will expand a decent amount during roasting. Some Maragogype beans I've roasted in the past looked comically large after roasting.
 
This is me current brew... The only coffee I've found that smells like I remember coffee smelling when I was a child...

 
SpyderPhreak said:
I was really on the fence about the new roaster, but my buddy at NASA assured me it would be worth it. Even more so especially since I have been getting paid a little bit to roast coffee for the office. I'm doing a 2# batch every week between the office and my personal use. Pretty happy with the machine so far, but having to recalibrate my expectations for roast progress by temperature. The drum tastes like a darker roast than it really is based on the temperature versus my old air roaster. I'm getting close though.

Those beans will expand a decent amount during roasting. Some Maragogype beans I've roasted in the past looked comically large after roasting.
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I’ve had a natural Guatemalan Margotype beans from Corvus before. Really enjoyed it. I’ve got a natural Ethiopian from Color roasters right now, and the beans are hilariously small
 
Dcdavis said:
I’ve had a natural Guatemalan Margotype beans from Corvus before. Really enjoyed it. I’ve got a natural Ethiopian from Color roasters right now, and the beans are hilariously small
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I had that Corvus one myself! :cool: It’s HARD driving past two of their shops nearly every day (one of the locations I drive by every weekday)!!! I always want to stop in and grab an espresso. But that leads to a macchiato or a single origin pour-over too, or a bag of beans, etc. Not a sustainable daily practice lol! $$$
 
Picked up an OXO Brew 8-cup coffee maker this week. I mostly just wanted something more convenient to use during the week than doing a manual brew. I've been impressed with the quality and consistency thus far, although it is SCA certified so that was what I kind of expected. I like that it has different settings and filter baskets for the amount you want to brew, yet isn't overly complicated. I also like that it has an automatic bloom function. The thermal carafe pours nicely without dripping everywhere.

It doesn't have the form factor of the Technivorm or the features of some of the other digital/app controlled brewers, but it seems well made and I would recommend it.
 
I sent a friend a bag of my current favorite coffee, Black Rifle 'Murdered Out', and he sent me a bag of Starbucks 'French Roast' in return. I put the Starbucks in the freezer for now. Anyone familiar with the Starbucks? I drink my coffee black with no additional flavorings.



Starbucks French Roast.jpg
 
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Codger_64 said:
I sent a friend a bag of my current favorite coffee, Black Rifle 'Murdered Out', and he sent me a bag of Starbucks 'French Roast' in return. I put the Starbucks in the freezer for now. Anyone familiar with the Starbucks? I drink my coffee black with no additional flavorings.



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Starbucks French Roast seems too dark for my taste. I tend to hover around medium roast.
 
I agree. Starbucks roasts pretty dark in general and I typically stay away from French Roast from any brand because roasting that dark pretty much hides the flavors of the individual coffee under the roast itself. If you like dark roast coffee it might be good for you though.
 
dannyp said:
I agree. Starbucks roasts pretty dark in general and I typically stay away from French Roast from any brand because roasting that dark pretty much hides the flavors of the individual coffee under the roast itself. If you like dark roast coffee it might be good for you though.
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Any idea of how it compares to my aforementioned Black Rifle blend?
 
Codger_64 said:
I sent a friend a bag of my current favorite coffee, Black Rifle 'Murdered Out', and he sent me a bag of Starbucks 'French Roast' in return. I put the Starbucks in the freezer for now. Anyone familiar with the Starbucks? I drink my coffee black with no additional flavorings...
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I was a Starbucks regular for decades, mostly because I traveled a lot for work and it was a reliable place to sit with a laptop and get work done or relax and read a book.

I like a dark roast in general but I don't like the French Roast from Starbucks. (I've only ever had it in an actual Starbucks versus brewing at home.) I can't quite explain the flavor note that turns me off but I find it challenging to drink. I'm also not a fan of their default coffee, Pike Place. They do a nice job with a lot of their other coffees but these two rub me the wrong way. So if I'm too late in the day for the "other" roast, such as Veranda, Verona, Blonde, or rarer stuff they've had over they years; I'll just get an espresso drink.

My favorite dark roast at home, especially ground coarse and brewed in a french press, is Major Dickason's from Peet's.
 
Chronovore said:
I was a Starbucks regular for decades, mostly because I traveled a lot for work and it was a reliable place to sit with a laptop and get work done or relax and read a book.

I like a dark roast in general but I don't like the French Roast from Starbucks. (I've only ever had it in an actual Starbucks versus brewing at home.) I can't quite explain the flavor note that turns me off but I find it challenging to drink. I'm also not a fan of their default coffee, Pike Place. They do a nice job with a lot of their other coffees but these two rub me the wrong way. So if I'm too late in the day for the "other" roast, such as Veranda, Verona, Blonde, or rarer stuff they've had over they years; I'll just get an espresso drink.

My favorite dark roast at home, especially ground coarse and brewed in a french press, is Major Dickason's from Peet's.
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My friend also mentioned Peets which I have never tried as well. But unless convinced to open the Starbucks, I am thinking of ordering some more Jamaican Blue Mountain or Guatemalan, both of which I have had previously. Or something special from Hawaii. Once my four bag stash of Black Rifle is gone that is.

I've never bought coffee at a Starbucks store by the way. I spend a lot on my coffee but that seem s excessive for a single cup much less a medley of three, my usual intake.
 
Codger_64 said:
My friend also mentioned Peets which I have never tried as well. But unless convinced to open the Starbucks, I am thinking of ordering some more Jamaican Blue Mountain or Guatemalan, both of which I have had previously. Or something special from Hawaii. Once my four bag stash of Black Rifle is gone that is.

I've never bought coffee at a Starbucks store by the way. I spend a lot on my coffee but that seem s excessive for a single cup much less a medley of three, my usual intake.
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The price of a single cup of coffee out, even at gas stations, has gotten crazy. I always have to ask myself, how many cups of coffee out equal a nice bag of beans to brew at home? It's a slam-dunk. I bring a travel mug or thermos a lot of the time, only buying a cup now when traveling long distances or when someone sends me a gift card.

BTW, I've enjoyed the Jamaica Blue Mountain and Guatemalan coffees I've had. It's been a while but I remember loving a "pea berry" coffee from Costa Rica.
 
Chronovore said:
The price of a single cup of coffee out, even at gas stations, has gotten crazy. I always have to ask myself, how many cups of coffee out equal a nice bag of beans to brew at home? It's a slam-dunk. I bring a travel mug or thermos a lot of the time, only buying a cup now when traveling long distances or when someone sends me a gift card.

BTW, I've enjoyed the Jamaica Blue Mountain and Guatemalan coffees I've had. It's been a while but I remember loving a "pea berry" coffee from Costa Rica.
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I've seen and read about the "pea berry" coffee from several sources but not tried it. Not sure my sense of taste could discern the difference enough to make it worth the bonus in cost.

I don't travel these days so my coffee is always home brewed in an old school drip maker. But the early morning cups are essential to my day beginning. And of course in a favorite heavy glazed ceramic cup. Dairy Queen promo 1980's.

DQ Cup.jpg

FYI, having once ran out unexpectedly, I bought some long-term storage freeze dried instant which surprised me for it's full reconstituted flavor. Franklin's Finest. Superior to the standard market brand instants I have ever tried.Franklin's Finest Instant Coffee.jpg
 
Codger_64 said:
I've seen and read about the "pea berry" coffee from several sources but not tried it. Not sure my sense of taste could discern the difference enough to make it worth the bonus in cost.

I don't travel these days so my coffee is always home brewed in an old school drip maker. But the early morning cups are essential to my day beginning. And of course in a favorite heavy glazed ceramic cup. Dairy Queen promo 1980's.

View attachment 2607846

FYI, having once ran out unexpectedly, I bought some long-term storage freeze dried instant which surprised me for it's full reconstituted flavor. Franklin's Finest. Superior to the standard market brand instants I have ever tried.View attachment 2607839
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Love the mug!

I've done a lot of research. I don't just mean reading articles or watching YouTube videos but actually trying stuff and doing controlled tastings between friends and family. I settled on french press for maximum flavor, retention of crema (versus paper-filtered drip), and not being too complicated. They key is a good burr grinder that gets reasonably consistent size and freshly ground beans. (It's a hundred bucks well spent.)

Especially drinking black, it's at least worth trying some of the fancy beans. Good pea berries from Costa Rica and Tanzania are at least worth doing once. They can have nice fruity or floral notes.

BTW, instant gets a bad rap. Of course, Maxwell House and some other common ones aren't great. Taster's Choice is decent for stuff you can buy at regular grocery stores. Walmart has their own fancy Colombian instant that's okay (and a big step up from their basic "Great Value" instant). In Europe, where instant has rivaled drip in popularity, the instant market is more competitive. If you find a deal online, Jacobs and Douwe Egberts have some good stuff. The best instant I've had by far comes from Davidoff. It's a little pricey but still way ahead of buying a cup.
 
I have been ordering from Theory Coffee, Atomic Coffee, and Montana Coffee Roasters. Some other good ones…..

Iron Bean Coffee
Yellowstone Coffee
Red Rooster Coffee
Santa Barbara Coffee
Blackout Coffee

There are so many good ones.
 
Just a heads up…. How many want to do the Secret Santa swap again this year? It’s time to start planning for that.
 
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