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The case for bad coffee (2015)

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Re: The case for bad coffee (2015)

#441

Post by bradgessler »

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…

Yeah pour over is great. I never got into home espresso because my understanding is the technique was developed for high volume operations at coffee shops—not for a few shots at home. To use a tortured analogy, espresso is the k8s of coffee.

I buy green coffee beans for $8-$6/lb at https://www.sweetmarias.com and roast them with a Behmor drum roaster. Then I dump the roasted coffee into a burr grinder that has preset weights, so I can grind 50g for a pour over or whatever and the grinder stops when it hits that weight.

Its def the easiest way to have consistently great coffee. The initial spend is up there, ~$500 for a roaster and ~$400 for a grinder, but if you amortize it over 10 years, as I have, it easily pays for itself. The taste of the coffee is as good as all the fancy single origin stuff and when you get the hang of it, there’s really not much fuss to it.

Re: The case for bad coffee (2015)

#442

Post by pkulak »

mikehollinger wrote: post #247

I feel the same way about restaurants. I realized a few years ago that I don’t crave Enoteca’s rigatoni; I crave the feeling of unwinding with some friends after a failed attempt at going to an ice cream festival. We were hot. Annoyed. Tired. And had a great time laughing about it at this tiny bistro as the sun set. The food and the restaurant was a setting, and essential, but it was second place behind the social co…

Sure. But I drink my morning coffee alone.

I don’t think this is the point the author is making. He or she is saying that they _prefer_ “bad” coffee. And yeah, drink what you prefer. I don’t see the controversy here.

Re: The case for bad coffee (2015)

#443

Post by LesZedCB »

rowanG077 wrote: post #423
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…

Forgive my ignorance but why does local roast matter?

i don't think it matters much beyond getting coffee soon after roast, plus maybe the aesthetic purpose of supporting your local businesses.

Re: The case for bad coffee (2015)

#444

Post by LesZedCB »

usrn wrote: post #290
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…

I can taste the different kinds but I honestly don't mind the Folgers bagged coffee. It's nice because I can just use my normal electric kettle and there's hardly any mess.

if you can find a roaster locally, they will often grind it for you! or if you order via mail, sometimes they'll offer a grind size option

Re: The case for bad coffee (2015)

#445

Post by baxuz »

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.

Austria has pretty bad coffee. 99.9% of shops sell Julius Meinl from pretty badly maintained espresso machines. And their coffee is usually burnt.

Italy has, in general, people who know how to make better coffee as they treat their machines and the procedure with more care. The coffee isn't all that better. Both Lavazza and Illy are robusta blends.

Turkish coffee has nothing to do with espresso coffee, or filter coffee for that matter. It's my least favourite one as the traditional method of preparation basically includes boiling extremely finely ground coffee in a small pot called cezve. It's over extracted, burnt and usually has to be tempered with a ton of sugar and/or sweets.

However, none of these coffees are nearly as bad as what the US folks, Poles, Germans or Finns drink. The coffee is basically old and overburnt. I guess it also goes hand in hand with preferring filter coffee.

Re: The case for bad coffee (2015)

#446

Post by racl101 »

apcragg wrote: post #24
racl101 wrote: post #13

I've never felt the need to pay extra for whole-bean, locally, ethically roasted, gourmet coffee. Even when I started making way more money I've stuck with the can of ground coffee. The reason is cause most days I just down the cup really quickly, black. Or with a little cream. I don't savor it. To me, coffee is a utility. Not a lifestyle. I just need a couple of cups to stay awake and do my job. But after that I don…

It sounds like you'd be better served by caffeine pills then. No need to bother with a delivery mechanism you don't enjoy when there are easier solutions out there!

Either that or I ... just drink my "regular coffee" cause ... I literally have zero problems with it.

Re: The case for bad coffee (2015)

#447

Post by LesZedCB »

scoot wrote: post #220
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…

"Bordering on the extreme"?! You are the marketer's ideal mark. $2K for a $20 grinder? $10K for a $100 coffee machine? And that's before rip-off beans...

a programmer would be offended by "$100/hr for a 2.99 smart phone app?!"

those expensive grinders are usually machined in house by small teams.

though, i do absolutely agree that there are many coffee things that are way overpriced because of the rest of the market.

Re: The case for bad coffee (2015)

#448

Post by _the_inflator »

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…

Water quality is quite important, especially soft water. Also coffee dosage. Lately I find out, that fewer powder can also be very tasty.

I prefer a French Press over pour overs, but they are very close.

Re: The case for bad coffee (2015)

#449

Post by qwertox »

I finally managed to quit drinking coffee and tea.

I used to drink one big cup a day each morning of one and a half teaspoons of Nescafé Gold and throughout the day multiple cups of tea.

There was a constant feeling of anxiety or irritation or nervousness in me which has gone away.

Re: The case for bad coffee (2015)

#450

Post by cmarschner »

My favorite antipatterns at the moment:

- only light roasts. Lots of acidity. No option to get a chocolaty or nutty flavor

- baristas with a mission to sell you pour-over or cold brews

- no sugar! I really hate that one. No I don‘t think light-roasted coffee tastes sweet.

- raw cane sugar. So you got the rolling eyes and the barista gives you sugar, but with a tiny wooden spoon and a tiny wooden sugar box so you need to scrape raw cane sugar out of that and it‘s all horrible

- what milk? No I don‘t like your soy/almond/oatmeal craziness. Just milk. Full fat. We are surrounded by small farms who get their milk processed by their milk processor that they own as part of a cooperative. They have happy cows.

Luckily we have a roaster in vicinity that is still old school. I love getting my medium/dark roasted arabica there, with a full-bodied chocolate flavor and lots of crema. Goes well as capuccino. I have a 15 year old heat exchanger machine with a classic E61 brew head and almost no electronics. It has a personality on its own, makes funny sounds that have evolved over time, but I know which sounds I need to attend to to make a great brew.

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