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A Coder's Guide to Coffee

blog.moertel.com

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Re: A Coder's Guide to Coffee

#31

Post by philwelch »

swombat wrote: post #29
philwelch wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Yes. And the reason why you enjoy the quality coffee more than the cheap filter stuff is because it is more pleasurable. That is also the reason why you don't enjoy the cheap stuff anymore - because you know that it's actually pretty bad. You can still drink it anyway, but you know it's not that good. Suggesting that this is a bad thing is kind of suggesting that you don't think your tastes should evolve for the bet…

Good food is also intellectually stimulating (at the very least, many gourmets will agree). In addition, good food is often healthier, more balanced, etc. I'd say that in many, many cases, "better stuff" has many other advantages than simply being considered better. I actually am not a big fan of expensive coffee, because I can't taste the difference between a good cup of coffee and an excellent cup of coffee. And so…

"But I don't feel I'm superior to people who can taste the difference. In fact, I'd say I'm inferior - my range of experiences in my life is poorer than theirs - at least when it comes to coffee."

I don't feel superior either, I'm just glad I have time and money left over for other things. Feeling superior due to a taste for fancy coffee is the kind of elitism I have no interest in.

Plus there's some well-known psychology behind this stuff. Expensive wine tastes better, in part, largely because it is more expensive.

"Honestly, I don't see how you can present the ignorance of better things as an advantage, except in are really base, utilitarian way, where we are all hamsters on the hedonistic treadmill with no higher aspirations beyond immediate pleasurable gratification."

If you're ignorant of better things, you're happy with what you have. If you're familiar with better things, you're unhappy with what you have, unless you spend time and energy on better things instead, at which point you're just as happy as you were before except with less money and less free time. That's the same reward profile as drug addictions, frankly.

I think it's even more hedonistic to waste time and effort on exceptional food and drink when you could just keep yourself contented with average stuff and devote that time, money, and energy to higher pursuits. Not that I'm entirely uninterested in those kinds of experiences, but I'm not the one to be accusing of hedonism here.

Re: A Coder's Guide to Coffee

#33

Post by xayide »

tortilla wrote: post #28
colonhyphenp wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am in the same boat with the french press - I really can't tell that much of a difference between a cup of freshly roasted/ground french press coffee and a cup of coffee at Starbucks. However, I recently switched to an Aeropress single cup coffee maker, and it is a HUGE difference - it makes a small concentrated cup of coffee with very little bitterness, and brings out the coffee's natural sweetness. Also, I find i…

Yep, I did the same. The French Press was great and all, but I couldn't produce a good cup consistently and it was quite messy. Didn't particularly like the grit either. Have been using the Aeropress for about 4 months straight and really love it. The flavors are great, clean up is quick and painless. Now I'm thinking about roasting my own beans. A local roaster recommended the Behmor: http://www.sweetmarias.com/prod…

I’ve never had good results using a french press with a blade grinder. You need such a coarse grind for the press, and fine grit is just inevitable with a cheap blade. I got a burr grinder several years ago, and my french press coffee has improved immensely. Of course, the clean up still sucks - I only break out the press for fresh, interesting coffee that I happen in to.

Re: A Coder's Guide to Coffee

#34

Post by tel »

chaosmachine wrote: post #2

If you find "mainstream" coffee enjoyable, is it really in your best interest to raise your expectations? If you suddenly find normal coffee lacking, have you really improved your life?

If you find mainstream coffee enjoyable, by all means stay with it!

Homebrewed (lit.) coffee will definitely teach you to taste deficiencies in everything from restaurants to Starbucks, but if you don't already think they're there then it's definitely either cheaper or easier to just stay innocent.

My experience was out of frustration with what I felt was watery or burnt or too sugary. Homebrew fits the bill perfectly. YMMV, yeah?

Re: A Coder's Guide to Coffee

#35

Post by Shooter »

Shooter wrote: post #27
proee wrote: post #22

Another Tip: Try an Aeropress Designed by the same guy who came up with the aerobie, it makes very good espresso shots (add water for americano) and it costs about 25 dollars. The great thing about espresso vs. french press or drip is that it's much less acidic so you're stomach will thank you. http://www.aerobie.com/Products/aeropress_story.htm

I make cold-brew coffee sometimes, which also lessens the acidity of coffee (supposedly by 67% or so.) It is especially good if you ever make iced/frozen coffee drinks, because you can adjust the concentrate ratio and get a much richer taste as cold coffees go. I also like the Aeropress, but my wife prefers the cold-brew method so we probably do that more often. We're trying to cut down on both, though. I recently re…

By the way, has anyone tried a Chemex?

Re: A Coder's Guide to Coffee

#36

Post by roedog88 »

colonhyphenp wrote: post #15
discojesus wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've tried all the stuff mentioned in the article, and to me personally (allow me to repeat this to nip the obvious retorts in the bud - to ME, PERSONALLY :P) it hasn't made one bit of difference. I still use a french press, but that has a lot to do with convenience. I just don't grind it fresh anymore or spend tons of money on fresh-roasted beans - a bag of 8 O'Clock Colombian works just fine. So you might find that…

I am in the same boat with the french press - I really can't tell that much of a difference between a cup of freshly roasted/ground french press coffee and a cup of coffee at Starbucks. However, I recently switched to an Aeropress single cup coffee maker, and it is a HUGE difference - it makes a small concentrated cup of coffee with very little bitterness, and brings out the coffee's natural sweetness. Also, I find i…

I like that Aeropress is made by the same people who invented better Frisbees and yoyos. It's got that old school geek charm, which has motivated me to try it out. From a marketing perspective it seems that in addition to the stimulant use I'm using coffee as a way to define myself as a clever and discerning person.

Re: A Coder's Guide to Coffee

#37

Post by petercooper »

chaosmachine wrote: post #2

If you find "mainstream" coffee enjoyable, is it really in your best interest to raise your expectations? If you suddenly find normal coffee lacking, have you really improved your life?

Not everyone finds higher quality stuff to be better. I prefer cheap white sparkling to champagne, and prefer instant coffee to any of the "nicer" coffees I've tried. But if you try higher quality coffee and prefer it, why not? It becomes a good treat.

Re: A Coder's Guide to Coffee

#38

Post by willwagner »

If you are in the sf bay area and want to try freshly roasted beans, I highly recommend ritual roasters (http://www.ritualroasters.com/) in the mission district of SF, or if you are in the south bay, barefoot coffee (http://www.barefootcoffeeroasters.com/). YMMV, but for me, it has made a big difference in quality between making my own cup in the morning vs going to a Starbucks.

I also find having a good vacuum insulating coffee mug to keep the coffee hot makes a difference too.

Re: A Coder's Guide to Coffee

#39

Post by mmc »

Shooter wrote: post #35
Shooter wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I make cold-brew coffee sometimes, which also lessens the acidity of coffee (supposedly by 67% or so.) It is especially good if you ever make iced/frozen coffee drinks, because you can adjust the concentrate ratio and get a much richer taste as cold coffees go. I also like the Aeropress, but my wife prefers the cold-brew method so we probably do that more often. We're trying to cut down on both, though. I recently re…

By the way, has anyone tried a Chemex?

Sure, I use a 3-cup Chemex daily. It's great - the brew is consistently high-quality, and it's so easy to clean. You just toss out the filter and rinse the carafe clean, done in 4 seconds.

The Chemex filters tend to mellow the taste (not the caffeine) of the coffee out just a bit compared to a french press, but I personally like that aspect.

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