That Sour and bitter drink

[ryanosaur]

I love some good African Beans. I still have very fond memories when Blue Bottle, in the Ferry Building, was slinging single origin Sidamo from a 3-head Spring Piston machine.

When I was working at the cafe, they were using a Honey Process bean in one of the blends. I don't recall it's origin at this point, but it was nice and mellow... Less fermentation, thus sweeter; less acid. I don't know how widespread that process is, but it is considered much more eco friendly than the wet processing methods which can be very damaging.

 

[j_garcia]

The Verve Buena Vista I drink regularly is roasted here in Santa Cruz. It is a Columbian and African Blend. Very mellow, despite being a dark roast, and basically never gets bitter. Beans are chocolate looking, not oily at all. It makes awesome cold brew too.

There's a local shop here called Devout and they have some dry process Guatemalan. They only do small batch based on availability and price, so they tend to come and go. I buy what I can while they put out something I like, which is often.

My absolute favorite coffee in the last few years I picked up at a little place called Waialua Coffee in Hawaii. It was natural process peaberry and it was amazing. I was bummed when it ran out because it is exorbitantly expensive to ship and thanks to Covid, going there to get some isn't really a good option either. Obviously, single origin.

Peaberry

This rare, tiny, football shaped bean is highly prized for its cute round shape, fine flavor and limited availability. The Dark Roast is rich, smooth and full bodied with a distinct hint of chocolate. Perfect for those who enjoy a full-flavored coffee with a more pronounced slightly smoky aroma...

shop.waialuaestate.com

 

[ryanosaur]

The Verve Buena Vista I drink regularly is roasted here in Santa Cruz. It is a Columbian and African Blend. Very mellow, despite being a dark roast, and basically never gets bitter. Beans are chocolate looking, not oily at all. It makes awesome cold brew too.

There's a local shop here called Devout and they have some dry process Guatemalan. They only do small batch based on availability and price, so they tend to come and go. I buy what I can while they put out something I like, which is often.

My absolute favorite coffee in the last few years I picked up at a little place called Waialua Coffee in Hawaii. It was natural process peaberry and it was amazing. I was bummed when it ran out because it is exorbitantly expensive to ship and thanks to Covid, going there to get some isn't really a good option either. Obviously, single origin.

Peaberry

This rare, tiny, football shaped bean is highly prized for its cute round shape, fine flavor and limited availability. The Dark Roast is rich, smooth and full bodied with a distinct hint of chocolate. Perfect for those who enjoy a full-flavored coffee with a more pronounced slightly smoky aroma...

shop.waialuaestate.com

You mentioned Verve before... Good stuff. I remember when they were still very young. One of the founders is the Brother of one of the Barista's (John) from that old Linden Alley Blue Bottle location I would frequent. John, Alex, Sarah, Joe Ellen, Ashley... an amazing group of Baristas and I've never had such consistently good coffee!
Whenever The Lady and I would visit our friends in Santa Cruz, though... Verve is where we went!

 

[Swerd]

Was the Indonesian coffee from Sumatra? That's about all I drink and I don't get a dirt flavor, but sometimes, it's very chocolatey, the way I like my midrange.

I don't remember if it was Indonesian or Sumatran. It was a long time ago.

I do know that dark roasted coffee often uses dry-processed coffee from either of those places. It is said to have "leather like" or "pine like" flavors. Not my cup of coffee. It is possible that the dirt-like flavor gets lost as a result of dark roasting.

I like coffees that are medium roasted from Central America (mainly Guatemala), or East Africa (mainly Ethiopia or Kenya).

Coffee, the different types, origin, processing methods, roast levels, and ways of brewing are all a matter of personal preference. I know what I like, you know what you like, and we don't have to agree.

 

[j_garcia]

I got that Bodum grinder for my bday. The glass is actually WORSE for static lol; the husks tend to stick to it a lot, but it is easier to clean than my old one. I really like it so far.

 

[ryanosaur]

I've been enjoying Beans from LAMILL Cofee in SoCal.
I'm getting 2# bags roughly twice a month for my home Espresso Habit.

Ratio

Origins: Ethiopia, Guatemala Tasting Notes: Caramel, Citrus, Stone Fruit Roast: Light Espresso Recommended for Espresso Ratio is roasted lighter than traditional espresso roasts to emphasize the origin characteristics over the taste of roast. We designed this blend by matching two coffees that...

www.lamillcoffee.com

Their other Espresso Blend, Reservoir, is pretty good, too.

This morning, my first shot pulled slow, ended up with 8 grams extracted in 32s from 20g dosed: Tasted like a pureed brownie... dark bakers chocolate, floral hints. My following 2 shots pulled more to my house spec yielding ~14g in ~30s from 20g dose.

Yes, I always pull ristretto shots.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

I got that Bodum grinder for my bday. The glass is actually WORSE for static lol; the husks tend to stick to it a lot, but it is easier to clean than my old one. I really like it so far.

I assume you mean the burr one?

Bodum

www.bodum.com

 

[j_garcia]

I assume you mean the burr one?

Bodum

www.bodum.com

Yes, that one.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Some recent roasting photos for your amusement:

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

I think I've posted my current espresso station before, but I guess some went wrong.
Anyhow, here it is. The same machines still rocking 4 years later (Edit: Quickmill is 6 years old, Grinder is 4). Hard to do a deep clean for the grinder once. Otherwise, rock-solid. This photo reminds me to buy myself a nicer tamper. That one I had to return to a friend.
If one looks carefully at the machine reflection, my timer could be seen. I set to turn on the scheduled hour before I wake so I don't have to wait to start my morning espresso routine.

 

[Alex2507]

Live action

 

[Alex2507]

I have this one and used it for years:

https://www.amazon.com/Aikfun-Grinder-Portable-Conical-Ceramic/dp/B07F7QVYH9/ref=sr_1_22?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1531152459&sr=1-22&keywords=manual+burr+coffee+grinder

but it didn't come with the lid or extra container, so that's a good deal

For electric, I would not get the blade ones, I'd be looking at burr or stick with the first three you mentioned.

For inexpensive electric, I now use this:

https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-DBM-8-Supreme-Grind-Automatic/dp/B00018RRRK/ref=sr_1_6?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1531152617&sr=1-6&keywords=burr+coffee+grinder&dpID=51-kUtaLSLL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

What a coincidence. That "inexpensive" grinder is what avaserfi sent me for the price of shipping. You see, I was completely normal once. I had spent most of my adult life not owing even a coffee maker. My folks had a coffee maker but it almost never got used. They used a cylindrical brass mill for Turkish coffee on occasion though.

Andrew knew I needed a grinder. After years of use the teeth started breaking apart and pieces of mystery metal would appear. We replaced it with the same model off Amazon or eBay. It's literally the only model I've ever owned going on 15 years or so. It hurts me to find out it's "inexpensive" ... on the inside.

So, I'm finally roasting again.

Does that mean Bonnie is drinking coffee again?

I found an expensive coffee shop at the Seaport area in Boston. Rude staff too. The coffee in the shop is better than what I'm getting from their whole beans at home. I failed to ask when it was roasted ... rude staff, didn't want to bother them.

EDIT:

Actually this is pretty good. The first cups from the fancy place were out of an Aeropress. Usually we just do the 8 O'clock coffee from the grocery store.

'morning all.

 

[MrBoat]

I use fresh ground, but just in a Mr Coffee dripper that gets piping hot for about 7 years now. Not too slow, or not too fast, since I make each cup I drink, fresh. Recently ordered some green robusta to try some blends with. Unlike many people, I used to (still do when it's first opened) really like Folgers 100% Colombian, fillers and all. Is it a proper coffee taste? Perhaps not, but it's still something I not only liked, but managed to convert non coffee drinkers with, just from the aroma. I recall my boss claiming that even though he doesn't drink coffee, he liked the smell of that brewing. I would still drink that over Stbucks or DD, or any restaurant coffee. So, I discovered that Folgers is a robusta/arabica blend.

I don't necessarily want a clone, but something that resembles that fresh coffee aroma that used to come out of my parent's percolator way back when. I also understand some coffees use chicory root, which I have growing here in large pots. OTOH, I have never cared for Maxwell House, so I don't want to end up there, in spite of these other coffee sins I aim to create in the process.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

@MrBoat I get that you like drip coffee. Nothing wrong with that. I may recommend upgrading from your Mr. Coffee machine to something which has a higher brewing temperature for proper extraction, like Technivorm alternative: https://www.amazon.com/Bonavita-One-Touch-Featuring-Thermal-BV1500TS/dp/B00SK5IXPQ?ref_=ast_sto_dp or slightly bigger one:

https://www.amazon.com/Bonavita-One-Touch-Featuring-Thermal-BV1900TS/dp/B00O9FO1HK?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1&psc=1

Another option is tried and true, Bunn machine:

https://www.amazon.com/BUNN-CSB3T-Platinum-Thermal-Coffee/dp/B07GY6PHYZ?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1&psc=1

I think Bonavita is out of biz so these models in stock probably won't be refreshed. Once they are gone they are gone for good.
Proper Technivorm brewers are x2 the price:

Thermal Carafe Brewers

Brew your perfect cup with our thermal carafe coffee makers. Shop now for quality coffee machines with a thermal carafe to keep your coffee hot for hours.

us.moccamaster.com

 

[MrBoat]

@MrBoat I get that you like drip coffee. Nothing wrong with that. I may recommend upgrading from your Mr. Coffee machine to something which has a higher brewing temperature for proper extraction, like Technivorm alternative: https://www.amazon.com/Bonavita-One-Touch-Featuring-Thermal-BV1500TS/dp/B00SK5IXPQ?ref_=ast_sto_dp or slightly bigger one:

https://www.amazon.com/Bonavita-One-Touch-Featuring-Thermal-BV1900TS/dp/B00O9FO1HK?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1&psc=1

Another option is tried and true, Bunn machine:

https://www.amazon.com/BUNN-CSB3T-Platinum-Thermal-Coffee/dp/B07GY6PHYZ?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1&psc=1

I think Bonavita is out of biz so these models in stock probably won't be refreshed. Once they are gone they are gone for good.
Proper Technivorm brewers are x2 the price:

Thermal Carafe Brewers

Brew your perfect cup with our thermal carafe coffee makers. Shop now for quality coffee machines with a thermal carafe to keep your coffee hot for hours.

us.moccamaster.com

Had a Bunn for years. It was the fastest pot of coffee in town. Not all Mr Coffees are great, but this one is a freak, perhaps. It was the only affordable one on the shelf left at the time. It was an emergency replacement. I have had to pour over many times, when other machines died. Had to do that also when hurricanes had power out and I used my Mapp torch to heat water to pour over. I have kind of been to coffee town, and then back to the utility sense of the ritual. I used to stop and get a Cuban toast/Cubano every morning before welding class for a couple years. A ritual I found so enjoyable that I actually learned to make genuine Cuban bread, just so that I could reproduce it in the event of getting displaced to another state.

 

[Swerd]

I think I've posted my current espresso station before, but I guess some went wrong.
Anyhow, here it is. The same machines still rocking 4 years later.

If they ever made a 19th century version of Star Trek (Star Trek – the Victorian Generation) I can imagine something looking like your espresso maker in the engine room.

Captain Kirk: Warp 9 speed! More steam Scotty!

Mr. Scot: I don't think she can do that Cap'n. She's gonna blow!

If one looks carefully at the machine reflection, my timer could be seen. I set to turn on the scheduled hour before I wake so I don't have to wait to start my morning espresso routine.

From a cold start, how long does it take to bring up steam?

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

@Swerd - "Computer. Cappuccino, Hot"

About 20 mins minimum from cold, or to fully warm the E61 brew head - about 40mins or so. The machine is cable of running 15 or 20 amps. It's currently on a regular 15 amp circuit. If I'd switch it to 20amp it would warm up quicker.

 

[Swerd]

A few thoughts …

I didn't know that Bonavita coffee makers are no longer made. They came on the scene a number of years ago, claiming they heated water to >200°F, but cost much less than a Technivorm. I never owned one, but I recommended them to friends because of those claims. Unfortunately, the heating elements didn't last more than 2-3 years. In contrast, the Technivorm I bought in 2007 (± a year or two) still runs now as it did when it was new. All the previous cheap electric drip coffee makers I've owned died after 2-3 years. That makes the Technivorm well worth the price.

Robusta coffee is often used in commercial blended coffee. It's cheap, grows fast, resists fungus that can devastate Arabica coffee plants, produces lots of caffeine, but tastes bitter if not blended with more expensive Arabica coffee. Countries that want to get into the coffee growing business often start with Robusta. The plants grow fast, and they produce coffee beans as early as the 2nd year after planting. Arabica plants take 5 years or more to begin to produce a crop. Years ago, Robusta was common in African countries other than Kenya and Ethiopia. Now countries like Burundi, Congo, Rwanda, & Tanzania have established their coffee trade and are moving to better quality Arabicas. More recently, Vietnam has been the biggest producer of Robusta.

Big commercial coffee brands use Robusta to keep their prices low. They know how to blend it with the more expensive Arabicas while maintaining their brand-identity taste profiles.

Robusta coffee beans are also the source of caffeine for all those sodas and 'energy drinks'.

 

[Swerd]

What a coincidence. That "inexpensive" grinder is what avaserfi sent me for the price of shipping. You see, I was completely normal once. I had spent most of my adult life not owing even a coffee maker. My folks had a coffee maker but it almost never got used. They used a cylindrical brass mill for Turkish coffee on occasion though.

Andrew knew I needed a grinder. After years of use the teeth started breaking apart and pieces of mystery metal would appear. We replaced it with the same model off Amazon or eBay. It's literally the only model I've ever owned going on 15 years or so. It hurts me to find out it's "inexpensive" ... on the inside.

Your daily grinder is the same as my back-up grinder. A number of years ago, a hurricane blew through, leaving us without electricity for 6 days. With a gas stove, I could boil water, but I couldn't grind the coffee. I had to go out for coffee, and stand in long lines as I wasn't the only one without power. So, I got that hand cranked grinder.

Does that mean Bonnie is drinking coffee again?

Only on rare mornings. I have to drink coffee alone. When I get that caffine buzz and become sociable, wanting to talk, she tells me to shut up.

That glass percolator on the stove top is really old school. My parents used a metal stove top percolator for years. Do you ever try to clean it? Soap & water does very little on coffee stains. Try running the glass parts through the dishwater. If that handle is acrylic, it might not like the dishwasher's heat. Use hot tap water with a spoonful of dishwasher powder mixed in. Those dried on coffee stains should come right out. Is the basket aluminum or stainless steel? Dishwasher detergent on stainless is OK, but not on aluminum.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

A few thoughts …

I didn't know that Bonavita coffee makers are no longer made. They came on the scene a number of years ago, claiming they heated water to >200°F, but cost much less than a Technivorm. I never owned one, but I recommended them to friends because of those claims. Unfortunately, the heating elements didn't last more than 2-3 years. In contrast, the Technivorm I bought in 2007 (± a year or two) still runs now as it did when it was new. All the previous cheap electric drip coffee makers I've owned died after 2-3 years. That makes the Technivorm well worth the price.

The rise, fall and potential resurrection of a coffee brewing legend

Bonavita was one of the first to make a good affordable at-home automatic drip coffee machine. Recent legal battles put its future in limbo.

www.modernretail.co

Looks like they moved to a new domain: https://bonavita.life/products/8-cup-one-touch-thermal-carafe-coffee-brewer.

I recommended Bonavitta of course due to affordability, but as often in life, you get what you paid for. I had to buy 3 grinders and 2 espresso machines until I got ones that do the job well. This is the reason I went with such an expensive espresso machine - I didn't want to buy a cheaper model and not be quite fully happy with it. I bought it for life with the expectation to be able to find replacement parts for it even 20 years later.