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The case for bad coffee (2015)

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Re: The case for bad coffee (2015)

#351

Post by salt-thrower »

zwieback wrote: post #201
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.

Agree, I don't even order coffee in Portland anymore because everything is "delicate, fruity, floral" light roast aka. tastes like goddam vinegar.

Check out the track “Coffee In Portland” by John Craigie on your music app of choice. It’s a great folksy bit about attempting to order coffee at a trendy coffee shop. Hilarious. (I say this as a Portland resident myself).

Re: The case for bad coffee (2015)

#352

Post by salt-thrower »

aaronbrethorst wrote: post #271
zwieback wrote: post #201

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agree, I don't even order coffee in Portland anymore because everything is "delicate, fruity, floral" light roast aka. tastes like goddam vinegar.

I'd legitimately rather drink Starbucks than Stumptown for all of the reasons mentioned above. Starbucks is 'meh' but at least it doesn't have that sour, floral taste.

I actually agree. I’ve tried to like Stumptown so many times, but the flavor is too sour for me.

Sisters Coffee Company is my favorite Oregon brand so far.

Re: The case for bad coffee (2015)

#353

Post by tomjakubowski »

jgalt212 wrote: post #280
tptacek wrote: post #272

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Presumably the eye-roll was about the manner with which you asked, conveying confusion or distress about the menu, and not the drip coffee order; coffee places are happy to serve you a drip coffee (it's easy for them).

I don't think Blue Bottle does--only pour over. For cold brew, I think they sell drip.

I don't patronize Blue Bottle all that often, but I do recall their locations in LA selling ready to drink batch-brewed drip coffee.

Re: The case for bad coffee (2015)

#354

Post by Tao3300 »

ehnto wrote: post #324
Tao3300 wrote: post #293

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While my European travels are neither recent nor exhaustive, only in Germany could I get a decent cup of drip coffee. Everywhere else the "cup of coffee" was a really bad Americano.

I doubt many places had a drip machine, most of Europe does espresso coffee. It does really depend but in most places a "cup of coffee" is going to be a bit ambiguous, what kind of coffee? Just a cup of espresso coffee would be pretty full on!

Yes, believe it or not, you understand the core of the issue! That ambiguity was the problem. I'd be in a cafe where the menu said "coffee" and I'd order it with no way of knowing what I was actually going to get until it was in front of me.

More often than not in my anecdata, it was a bad Americano. And not a good Americano. A bad one.

Re: The case for bad coffee (2015)

#355

Post by eloisius »

codefreeordie wrote: post #337
bee_rider wrote: post #286

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are right wing political coffee roasteries?

Surprisingly, yes. "Mainstream" ones like Black Rifle Coffee (which is trying to lose its political image and focus on being coffee for our military, now that it is big wants to be able to keep growing by "selling across the aisle") But also a whole range of farther-right ones -- Liberty Coffee is one, Stocking Mill Coffee made a bit of a name for itself by commenting over the Kyle Rittenhouse controversy, Thrasher C…

So, they're just fleecing right-wingers by marketing them anything that's opposite to "the liberals"? I can't imagine making my coffee, beverage, or food preferences based on political affiliation.

Re: The case for bad coffee (2015)

#356

Post by zahma »

I like good coffee, and I'm not ashamed of it. I'd rather taste flavors than burnt mess. There's so much you can do with a bean in terms of its processing and roasting. I also drink good coffee because it puts a premium on the work a farmer puts in. I'm not sure "premium coffee" is the end all be all of fair trade, but going directly to farmers is better than the top-down negotiating that Starbucks or some other macro-roaster imposes.

I do kind of like diner coffee... endless mugs of black stuff that can be doctored with milk. But my ritual is brewing a V60 or Moccamaster of the good stuff each and every morning and slowly getting going.

Drink what you enjoy. Honestly, I couldn't care less. Just don't ever take an espresso in a paper cup to go.

Re: The case for bad coffee (2015)

#357

Post by jhugo »

wrycoder wrote: post #176
criddell wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What are you ordering at Starbucks? I’ve found, if they aren’t too busy, you can ask the barista about the beans they currently have and order a pour over or French press that’s pretty good.

Yeah, well, if you want something really bad, order a Starbucks espresso in their paper cup.

Meh, it's not that bad (at least outside the US, I've never been to a Starbucks in the US). I've been to plenty of places where Starbucks is the best espresso you can find.

Re: The case for bad coffee (2015)

#358

Post by enos_feedler »

Wow this article speaks to me. I was staying with an old friend on a visit up to Canada where I also grew up. I asked for coffee in the morning and he handed me a jar of Tim Hortons Instant coffee crystals and a kettle. He said he prefers it. I live in Palo Alto now and was used to picking up Blue Bottle every morning. Since that morning I switched to instant. I took home 15 jars of tim hortons instant coffee and have done so every visit back to Canada

Re: The case for bad coffee (2015)

#359

Post by jhugo »

jen20 wrote: post #335
ethbr0 wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well put. Starbucks has become the LongHorn of coffee: once super-local quality, now a thin gruel of mediocrity with fancy branding. And in the process they've wiped out most independent coffee shops.

Have they? As far as I can tell there are now vastly more craft coffee shops than there ever were.

Indeed; for example the recent arrival and success of Starbucks in Italy was in some ways possible because of the pre-existing growth of 'craft'-type coffee shops which had expanded the idea of coffee, and of a coffee shop, beyond the traditional 'bar'.

Re: The case for bad coffee (2015)

#360

Post by ceedan »

jhbadger wrote: post #303
mrsirduke wrote: post #268

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What you two are describing may be the addition of Robusta commonly found in Italian espresso blends and more. It's what gives those blends that bitter kick. If that's what you're after, try seeking out blends with 5-10% Robusta.

I also like coffee mixed with chicory in the New Orleans style for that bitter kick. The New Orleans Cafe du Monde (besides brewing it on site) also sells the mixture in some supermarkets for brewing at home.

I also like cafe du monde.

I just had some pecan praline coffee that was amazing. Bottom shelf of the grocery store. I only got it because nothing else was on sale... It might be my new go-to for a while. Give it a shot if you can find it

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