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The case for bad coffee (2015)

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Re: The case for bad coffee (2015)

#191

Post by qbasic_forever »

ninkendo wrote: post #165
qbasic_forever wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Find a good coffee shop and try some different pour over brews. Ask if they have some natural (or dry) process beans and I bet you'll get a cup of coffee like you haven't really tasted before. Natural process beans are super fruity and almost taste like a tea. Also ask if they have some good robusta beans and try that too, again it might be familiar but much different than what you've had before (robusta is what Folg…

I mean, I hear what you and others are saying in the responses. I’m sure there’s coffees out there that, if I tried them, I’d admit were different, and likely better, than what I’m having now. But I’d be worse off overall in that world, because then I’d go from enjoying cheap coffee, to hating cheap coffee and only enjoying “good” (read: expensive and/or time consuming) coffee. Folks would say “try this coffee, you’l…

I still like cheap coffee--my go-to morning brew is pre-ground Folgers because it's so cheap and I drink a lot in the morning. It's just like beer IMHO, just because you've tried and like certain types or brands doesn't ruin everything else. It just increases my appreciation for when I do find or want something a little more special.

Re: The case for bad coffee (2015)

#192

Post by glitchc »

wodenokoto wrote: post #114

I recently moved and didn’t have a coffee machine so I got a jar of instant coffee and … honestly it tasted quite good. I read an article on instant coffee that said it uses a bean that is easier to grow “and therefore considered inferior in Europe and America”, but apparently the choice in many parts of the Middle East and Asia.

That’s Robusta, which requires less water and humidity to grow vs. Arabica

Re: The case for bad coffee (2015)

#193

Post by slothtrop »

ryanSrich wrote: post #105

I’ve gone through several coffee phases, some bordering on extreme — extremely sensitive weighing, timing, $2,000 grinders, $10k espresso machine, etc. My happy medium is just doing basic pour overs, but with really good locally roasted coffee. To me, this is the cheapest and best approach. In fact, even if pour overs require too much work (weighing, timing), then just do drip. But do it with quality coffee. Quality…

Clever Dripper is idiot-proof and brews a full body. But it can be a tad oily. Sometimes I prefer drip tbh, but from a decent machine.

Disagree on roast, I've had great dark roasts. Even for espresso, I'd say full-city / medium-dark is preferable. However, I've had more bad dark roasts than bad mediums.

Re: The case for bad coffee (2015)

#194

Post by MAGZine »

duxup wrote: post #160
LeoPanthera wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The coffee may be fine, but k-cups are some of the most environmentally unfriendly products ever produced. They cannot be recycled, they do not biodegrade, and they are produced in the billions . Apparently (citation needed), the inventor regrets his invention. If you must drink pod coffee, consider Nespresso, which despite the questionable record of the Nestle company, can be fully recycled.

Kirkland cups have a recycling symbol (5) on them. Just take the foil off and rinse and I’m told they are good to recycle.

reduce, reuse, _then_ recycle.

It's better to not use, or to reuse, then to try and recycle something. Despite the fact that it contains a "recycling" logo, the logo is really more of a indication of which plastic it is, rather than whether or not if it'll ever _actually_ be recycled.

Of course, you can eliminate doubt by just not producing the waste to begin with.

Re: The case for bad coffee (2015)

#195

Post by slothtrop »

ryanSrich wrote: post #139
staticautomatic wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This isn’t directed at you/OP, but the anti dark roast thing seems to me to be a distinctively American coffee snob hipster thing. Many places in the world have wonderful dark roast coffee. Honestly, are these people just wandering around Austria, Italy, Vietnam, Cuba, or Turkey complaining about bad the coffee is? Give me a break.

I mean people can drink coffee however they want, but dark roasting beans absolutely destroys the majority of flavors within the bean. There’s no denying that. It’s similar to eating a steak well done. People do it, and it’s even very common in certain countries. But it’s removing the majority of flavor. I don’t see how anyone could deny that.

> absolutely destroys the majority of flavors

Notwithstanding that this isn't measured whatsoever, it also develops flavor. It's just that it becomes more one-note. You won't taste fruitiness or other delicate things, but I don't want my coffee to taste like fruity tea. Neither do most people.

Re: The case for bad coffee (2015)

#196

Post by Aloha »

smarks wrote: post #52

Of course the article is less about good coffee or bad coffee but about how coffee is intertwined with our lives and our culture (at least, American culture). For example, the author mentioned Perkins and I knew exactly what he was talking about. The stories about his stepdad Ted were touching as well. Two memorable coffee experiences come to my mind. One was a dinner I had with the late John Vlissides (probably know…

Try the Hills Brothers coffee in the percolator, I think you'll have a revelation. Though best results come from an automatic perc.

Re: The case for bad coffee (2015)

#197

Post by skadamou »

staticautomatic wrote: post #125
ryanSrich wrote: post #105

I’ve gone through several coffee phases, some bordering on extreme — extremely sensitive weighing, timing, $2,000 grinders, $10k espresso machine, etc. My happy medium is just doing basic pour overs, but with really good locally roasted coffee. To me, this is the cheapest and best approach. In fact, even if pour overs require too much work (weighing, timing), then just do drip. But do it with quality coffee. Quality…

This isn’t directed at you/OP, but the anti dark roast thing seems to me to be a distinctively American coffee snob hipster thing. Many places in the world have wonderful dark roast coffee. Honestly, are these people just wandering around Austria, Italy, Vietnam, Cuba, or Turkey complaining about bad the coffee is? Give me a break.

TBH I've always found European coffee to be somewhat lacking - even from European importers in the states. Sure there is decent espresso in Europe but I've always found I enjoy coffee from local roasters in my area of the US more. IDK if this is because Europe style coffee is all dark roast but that has been my experience.

Re: The case for bad coffee (2015)

#198

Post by slothtrop »

tsomctl wrote: post #153
staticautomatic wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This isn’t directed at you/OP, but the anti dark roast thing seems to me to be a distinctively American coffee snob hipster thing. Many places in the world have wonderful dark roast coffee. Honestly, are these people just wandering around Austria, Italy, Vietnam, Cuba, or Turkey complaining about bad the coffee is? Give me a break.

Perhaps. But that's how Starbucks works, by buying shitty beans and dark roasting them. It also makes it easier to have consistent coffee (consistently burnt, that is).

Starbucks coffee tastes like battery acid.

Re: The case for bad coffee (2015)

#199

Post by spudlyo »

ryanSrich wrote: post #139
staticautomatic wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This isn’t directed at you/OP, but the anti dark roast thing seems to me to be a distinctively American coffee snob hipster thing. Many places in the world have wonderful dark roast coffee. Honestly, are these people just wandering around Austria, Italy, Vietnam, Cuba, or Turkey complaining about bad the coffee is? Give me a break.

I mean people can drink coffee however they want, but dark roasting beans absolutely destroys the majority of flavors within the bean. There’s no denying that. It’s similar to eating a steak well done. People do it, and it’s even very common in certain countries. But it’s removing the majority of flavor. I don’t see how anyone could deny that.

To me, light roasts taste like somebody squeezed half a lemon into my cup of coffee. That bright floral/citrus flavor is something I absolutely do not want in my morning brew. I crave that slightly bitter, heavy body, chocolate/nutty flavor that I associate with dark roasts.

Re: The case for bad coffee (2015)

#200

Post by bubblethink »

Only tangentially related, but why haven't the Chinese taken over the espresso machine market ? I really want a good cheap machine. Dual boiler with good temp and pressure consistency < $500. Even $1k would be a good start. I'm tired of looking on ebay, craigslist, etc., only to find people flogging their 10 year old Silvias and Brevilles for more than 500. Can somebody from China please crush this market ? (Fortunately, there are some positive developments in the grinder department with df64 etc.).
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