Community Coffee order, reviews

B

Bob W

Joined
Dec 31, 2000
Messages
17,079
Recently received my latest order from Community Coffee. I stocked up on the original Dark Roast (my morning staple) and wanted to try some of the other flavors too. Here are my thoughts:

Original Dark Roast: This stuff is perfect. Smooth, dark, strong, and great flavor!

Private Reserve Louisiana Dark Roast: Very strong, decent flavor, a tad on the bitter side. Seems super-loaded with caffeine.

Private Reserve Sumatra Mandheling: Strong, good flavor, mostly-smooth, and a slightly "oily" texture.

http://www.communitycoffee.com/ccc/

-Bob
 
Growing up in Lafayette, Louisiana, I have ordered from CC as well. The dark roast is good, between roast is a little lighter but still robust.

But...have you tried the "Hotel Blend"? Now that is a good cup of coffee!

Craig
 
Community regular dark roast is my normal coffee. If you are trying the private reserve, the best one I've tried is french roast. I get the whole bean and grind it really fine and then brew it in a little Mr. Coffee pot. It's the real deal Louisiana coffee. They have about 900 varieties of Community at every grocery store here.

Bad thing about living in Louisiana is when you travel somewhere it's hard to find suitable coffee. I spent several days in Co Springs before I happened on a coffee shop that had a french press. Went to Indonesia a couple of years ago, and had to learn some of the local language before I could explain to the waitress I didn't want the tourist coffee, but the real deal. It was pretty good after that.

http://www.communitycoffee.com/ccc/...yday-premium-coffees/french-roast-whole-bean/
 
I'll try the French Roast next time I order. It may be a while though... I ordered three lbs of the Original Dark Roast and two bags of Private Reserve. After drinking the coffees I noted above for the past two weeks, I've become very very fond of the Louisiana Dark Roast.

"Between Roast" and "Hotel Blend"? I don't think so; I only order from the "dark roast" catalog page. ;)
http://www.communitycoffee.com/ccc/Catalog_CS/coffee-aisle/Dark-Roast-Coffee/browse-by-roast/

At work I drink various coffees, whatever I can find. The only storebought coffee available here that even slightly compares to the amount of flavor in Community Coffee is the Starbucks Sumatra. If I never drink Folgers again, I won't miss it. Even the Folgers Gourmet Supreme Dark Roast is incredibly bland.

Bad thing about living in Louisiana is when you travel somewhere it's hard to find suitable coffee.
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I can imagine, if you're accustomed to Community Coffee. One interesting thing I've read, that by tracking the mail order shipments of Community Coffee, they can see where the Hurricane refugees have relocated to. :)

It's the real deal Louisiana coffee. They have about 900 varieties of Community at every grocery store here.
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That's what turned me onto CC. I was researching beverages to serve with a Louisiana dinner I was cooking. I wanted a real Louisiana coffee, not what they sell to New Orleans tourists but what the people who live there really drink. I read that CC has over 50% of the grocery store market share in Southern Louisiana and something like 80% of the market share in Baton Rouge.

The only downside, I have friends over for coffee regulalry. Since I've been making dark roast Community Coffee, they bring their own. Not really a downside though - more good coffee for me. :)

-Bob
 
I got a bag of the Louisiana Dark Roast beans last time, so that's what I'm drinking now. I still prefer the French roast I think. There's not a whole lot of difference, really.

New Orleans people have tended to like Coffee with chicory, and in particular the Cafe Du Monde famously serves their coffee (au lait) with chicory and they sell it ground as CDM brand coffee. But I don't care much for the chicory. You can't drink the coffee AT the Cafe Du Monde black - it's too rough.

If you really want the authentic South Louisiana Coffee experience, get you one of these pots: http://thecajunconnection.com/frenchdripcoffeepot.html

It works just like an automatic drip pot, but it's not automatic. There's a $5 version that is just lightweight tin cylindrical with a black plastic handle - it's what most poor folks used to use. but it's hard to find now.
 
New Orleans people have tended to like Coffee with chicory...
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Ugh! I tried that stuff, the New Orleans Blend with Chickory. I don't know why those Cajuns tried to poison me like that - I never did anything to them.

Justin Wilson has a bit in his book explaining how to make coffee.
Place the coffee in a drip pot or biggin. Bring the water to a strong boil. Slightly moisten the grounds with boiling water, then continue pouring the boiling water throught the grains...
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Pardon my ignorance, but that sounds the exact same as using my Mr. Coffee. And what's a "biggin"?

-Bob
 
He means the two piece drip pot like in the link. I've never heard it called that. I know the principle is the same, but it does taste different. Typically they put the boiling water through SLOW. Way slower than a Mr. Coffee. Friend of mine says his mother put it through a tablespoon at time... meaning about as fast as you can put it through there using a tablespoon as a ladle.
 
Zip7 said:
He means the two piece drip pot like in the link. I've never heard it called that. I know the principle is the same, but it does taste different. Typically they put the boiling water through SLOW. Way slower than a Mr. Coffee. Friend of mine says his mother put it through a tablespoon at time... meaning about as fast as you can put it through there using a tablespoon as a ladle.
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The biggin - originally called a Mr Biggin's coffee maker - is one of the first "percolators" to use a filter. They were popular in the early 1800s. Coffee is made by placing a cloth sock across the mouth of the brewer, putting coffee grounds into the sock, and then pouring hot water over the grounds. Coffee was then dispensed from a spout on the side of the pot. The quality of the brewed coffee depends on the size of the grounds - too course and the coffee is weak; too fine and the water doesn't go through the filter. A major problem with this brewer was that the taste of the cloth filter - whether cotton, burlap or an old sock - transfers to the taste of the coffee.

Biggincoffee.jpg





Modern Japanese vacuum pots use a similar method to make an outstanding one cup at a time brew. The process is interesting to watch for anyone into gadgets.

467px-Vacpot3.jpg


Heat is applied to the lower pot. Thermal expansion in the sealed lower pot forces water into the upper chamber. Once the water is boiled up from the lower pot, the heat soource (often an alcohol lamp) is removed and the steeped coffee brew settles back into the lower pot through a cloth and wire mesh filter. Yara and other manufacturers sell small replaceable cloth filters that can be washed and/or bleached to keep the flavor consistant.

eatbeat-8603.jpeg


Nothing like going to a nice Japanese coffee house for a relaxing cup of joe made at your table in this fashion. They usually serve excellent pastries in most coffeee houses with lighter texture, less sugar, and deeper chocolate, vanilla, and fruit flavors than the the junk we eat.


Vietnamese cafe and cafe sua da is made similar to the way a biggin works but they use a medium grind and then a screw post to control the packing of the coffee for more or less time to steep.

cookware-coffeefilter-onecup-withcup_lg.jpg




The Thai people use a cloth "sock" and steep a coarse dark blend like a tea bag to make their cafe and cafe yen.





:D
J
 
Thanks for the information, Zip. I'll keep my eyes open for that type of pot. Want to be as authentic-tasting as possible. Unfortunately those pots in your link are only two cups, and they seem rather expensive for Chinese imports...

Thanks again,
-Bob
 
Bob W said:
Wow Java!
Thanks for the explanation and photos.

-Bob
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BobW,

If you really want a great fresh cuppa joe, try roasting your own. You can vary the roast and sample the best coffees from around the planet at a per pound price. Sweetmaria's can give you the basics and they stock roasters in all price ranges. You can get set up with a decent small batch roaster for about $75.00 including a sampling of green beans or you can experiment with oven, stove-top, or moddified popcorn roasters for even less.

Gives ya a personalized mug o mud and you can mix and blend to fine tune it as ya please.



:D
J
 
This is one that I have seen the most - I have a friend near Baton Rouge that buys every one of these he sees.

http://www.shop.com/op/~Cajun_Cookware_7_Cup_Aluminum_Drip_Coffee_Maker-prod-14422793?featured=1

also here:
http://www.texastastes.com/p279.htm

and here:
http://underbid.com/action/display/item/1061331364/sku/316937.html

I've heard of people roasting beans on the stovetop too. Bet it's good. There's a Sara Lee coffee roasting place over in New Orleans that smells really good when you drive by. REALLY good.
 
thanks to the links for the pots.

The idea of roasting is interesting, and perhaps more authentic, but I prefer to leave it for the professionals. I don't make my own pocketknives or distill my own gasoline either. :)

-Bob
 
Update with the latest Community Coffee order.

Private Reserve French Roast: smells and tastes very good, very similar to the Original Dark Roast except the Original seems to be just a bit stronger/richer. The French Roast really doesn't taste like it's worth the extra price.

Private Reserve Guatamala Antigua: Very strong, earthy taste. A bit less - don't know how to describe it - a bit less "thick" than the Original Dark Roast. Seems to be more acidic also. Not unpleasant, but probably not for everyone.

-Bob
 
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