Coffee

I'm a big fan of Kona coffee. just got back from a trip to Hawaii, where I had to opportunity to tour a few of the farms. from what I gathered, most coffee roasters seem to prefer a lighter roast for the type of coffee grown in Kona. Full city roast seems to be the local preference, so I picked up 2 lbs for those mornings I need a little pick me up. :D
Kona coffee is BY FAR the best coffee I have ever had in any coffee shop, and is my preference. but when I cant get my hands on it, I usually pick up something at Costco, for the most part you can get great coffee for the price, unlike Starbucks :barf:
 
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Hey Guys, Here in New Zealand we have a heap of roasters putting out some great coffee. Best I've found being in Flight Coffee out of wellington. If you have time check out the Helena project. A concept that every primary industry could learn a lot from.
Anyone playing round with Siphons or vacuums?? My morning brew during the week is swiss gold filtered black and strong
 
Many moons ago, my wife worked as a manufacturer's rep. One of the companies she repped for was a tea company that was owned by a coffee broker by the name of Mountanos Brothers. Back then, Mountanos Brothers only sold to restaurants. But a number of years ago they started selling to the public. The have a web site at http://mountanosbros.com/. My wife set up an accommodation account with them that allows us to purchase coffee in bulk at wholesale pricing. The coffee we've gotten from them since we set up the account is a Kenya AA Dark Roast. It's far and away better than anything I've ever gotten at Starbucks.

A couple of years ago, I became familiar with the Nestle Nespresso line of Espresso makers. They're cheap, stupid simple to use, and they make pretty darn good Espresso. (The last time I looked, you could pick up an Essenza manual at Costco for around $70.00.) The pods are pricey, but worth it. I make a Red Eye every morning by taking a shot of Espresso (Indriya, to be precise), mixing it into a cup of freshly ground and brewed Kenya AA, and putting a little half-and-half in it. It's some of the best coffee I've ever tasted and a real eye-opener to boot.
 
Thanks... I am headed upstairs to make a batch in my press. This thread is like watching the Food Network! :eek:
 
I'm a big fan of Kona coffee. just got back from a trip to Hawaii, where I had to opportunity to tour a few of the farms. from what I gathered, most coffee roasters seem to prefer a lighter roast for the type of coffee grown in Kona. Full city roast seems to be the local preference, so I picked up 2 lbs for those mornings I need a little pick me up. :D
Kona coffee is BY FAR the best coffee I have ever had in any coffee shop, and is my preference. but when I cant get my hands on it, I usually pick up something at Costco, for the most part you can get great coffee for the price, unlike Starbucks :barf:


It depends on what you buy. A lot of the coffee (not all) sold at Costco is roasted by Starbucks. Take a close look at the label.

There are worse coffees than Starbucks. Much worse. Dunkin Donuts for instance. It's the only coffee that I ever had that is undrinkable.
 
Here's my beef with Starbucks. I like dark-roasted coffees and I've found that it takes a skilled coffee roaster to know just how long to roast the beans while still preserving their underlying character. When I buy Starbucks dark-roasted coffees, I taste more of the burn than the bean. So on the rare occasions that I visit a Starbucks, I buy Triple Venti Mochas. ;)
 
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Here's by beef with Starbucks. I like dark-roasted coffees and I've found that it takes a skilled coffee roaster to know just how long to roast the beans while still preserving their underlying character. When I buy Starbucks dark-roasted coffees, I taste more of the burn than the bean. So on the rare occasions that I visit a Starbucks, I buy Triple Venti Mochas. ;)

Exactly. When I visit a Starbucks. I order iced tea. :)
I think the reason Starbucks got so popular when it expanded into smaller towns, is it was great coffee compared to the local diner selling watered down Folgers.
 
I've been away from my Moka pot for too long.
I get home this afternoon and the first thing I have on the agenda is firing up the burr grinder with some espresso beans (can't remember the variety right now though) and getting a proper cup.

Happy to find this thread.:)
 
I think the reason Starbucks got so popular when it expanded into smaller towns, is it was great coffee compared to the local diner selling watered down Folgers.
Without a doubt! Plus, Starbucks offers far more than the coffee they serve. My wife was an outside sales rep for years and she referred to Starbucks as oases on the road. Clean restrooms, a friendly atmosphere, decent food, a cup of Joe, a place to check your e-mail . . . Starbucks has all that going for them. Lord only knows how many lives they've saved by keeping people awake and alert on the highway. Even though I'm not a real fan of their coffee, my hat's off to them for the public service they provide.
 
Exactly. When I visit a Starbucks. I order iced tea. :)
I think the reason Starbucks got so popular when it expanded into smaller towns, is it was great coffee compared to the local diner selling watered down Folgers.

There are a lot of jokes about Starbucks. Like the sign at an airport that says, "Last Starbucks Before Next Concourse." I heard that the Starbucks in some malls are so big
that they have another Starbucks inside.

Every supermarket here except Walmart has a Starbucks inside. What I see people buying is liquid candy bars. :barf: I do not like the regular coffee as brewed there. It
is way to strong and bitter, but when you add 2000 calories of sugar and cream, I guess it's drinkable.

I have tried their Pikes Place, Guatemala Antigua and Columbia. They are all medium roast and acceptable IMHO.I have tried a lot of mail order coffee. Most are OK,
but over-priced when you add shipping. Lately, I have been buying a couple of Caribou coffees. They are pretty good.
 
Living in Austin, I know I'm spoiled. There's a good independent coffee house on almost every block. Plus Anderson's Coffee for fresh roasted beans.
 
Just sampled a ""PEETS Anniverssary Blend"" Limited--DARK--DARK Coffee-- GREAT STUFF--Picked up a bag on a WHIM... I LOVED LOVED Their Christmas blend
I quite drinking alcohol many years ago
MY vice(s)
BOLD Coffee----:thumbup:
Good CIGARS:thumbup:
 
Yep. Peet's definitely knows their way around dark roasted coffee. I haven't had their Anniversary Blend, but their French Roast is legendary! :thumbup:
 
My Folgers Gormet Supreme this morning was... unremarkable. The "extra scoop for the pot" didn't help. Maybe my tastebuds died.
 
If you have to buy grocery store coffee, 8 O'Clock Colombian is pretty good. Also Hills Bros. Colombian, though I haven't been able to find it for a while, and the regular Hills Bros. has zero flavor.
 
My Folgers Gormet Supreme this morning was... unremarkable. The "extra scoop for the pot" didn't help. Maybe my tastebuds died.

That can be a problem. I read somewhere that as we age we lose as much as 60% of our taste buds. I look at a bag of coffee that says something like this:

CUPPING NOTES: Bright citrus, tangerine, red grapes, apples, and plums are balanced by strong dried fruit and floral aromatics. A sweet cup, with a light body.


Yeah, right. If I wanted fruit salad, I wouldn't be buying a bag of coffee. ;)
 
That can be a problem. I read somewhere that as we age we lose as much as 60% of our taste buds. I look at a bag of coffee that says something like this:

CUPPING NOTES: Bright citrus, tangerine, red grapes, apples, and plums are balanced by strong dried fruit and floral aromatics. A sweet cup, with a light body.


Yeah, right. If I wanted fruit salad, I wouldn't be buying a bag of coffee. ;)

I don't do fruit or nuts and liquid candy bars. Coffee is black and pure. Or it is something else.
 
Some might say I live off coffee... I am a total addict, and I go through withdrawal is I do not drink my triple espressos at regular intervals. On average I have about 12 extra strong espressos a day. My favorite coffee is from Intelligencia Cafe--their Black Cat espresso roast. Powerful stuff. But that is only half the story--I make my coffee with this: http://www.capresso.com/automatic-coffee-centers-z5.shtml

Sure, it was expensive, but it has long since paid for itself. That machine makes the perfect cup of whatever you want... I drink 'em black, my wife with steamed or foamy milk. Clean-up is simple and I am forever ruined for lesser machines. I can use beans from Starbucks or Trader Joe's... it really does not matter too much, the coffee comes out excellent every time. When the Black Cat goes in, however, nothing can compare.
 
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