Light roast coffee
- Thread starter Kay Bixler
- Start date
Zachary Ross
Zachary Ross
Dano's Heuriger in relatively nearby Lodi, NY is a personal favorite.
Ben Hunting
Ben Hunting
I'm assuming Kay has a burr grinder. Making a lighter roast coffee with an Aeropress might be a good solution if you find what you're making in a French press to taste weak. I usually prefer the coffee made in a Chemex (with bleached Chemex filters) but the coffee made with an Aeropress tastes "stronger".
My wife and I particularly like the Kenyan coffees from Mamuto that George Howell sells. (George Howell does flat-rate $5 shipping and has limited roasts each Monday.)
My wife and I particularly like the Kenyan coffees from Mamuto that George Howell sells. (George Howell does flat-rate $5 shipping and has limited roasts each Monday.)
Jay Miller
Jay Miller
Since my favorite local roaster (Modcup) closed up shop nearby - they still have outlets further out - I've been looking into setting something up at home.
I learned a lot on WB which has lots of coffee geek conversation and am aiming for a refurbished Baratza burr grinder and a Chemex setup. Just waiting for my tax refund before I buy the grinder.
In case Chris is reading here are some URLs:
I learned a lot on WB which has lots of coffee geek conversation and am aiming for a refurbished Baratza burr grinder and a Chemex setup. Just waiting for my tax refund before I buy the grinder.
In case Chris is reading here are some URLs:
Loading…
www.wineberserkers.com
Loading…
www.wineberserkers.com
Loading…
www.wineberserkers.com
Loading…
www.wineberserkers.com
Loading…
www.wineberserkers.com
Loading…
www.wineberserkers.com
Loading…
www.wineberserkers.com
Loading…
www.wineberserkers.com
Loading…
www.wineberserkers.com
Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
To summarize: Said of the $300 machine, "but understand that you'll likely want to upgrade the machine within a year. they really start getting good at $1000+"
Chris Coad
Chris Coad
McDonald's has pretty good coffee. It's not as blazing-hot as it used to be back in the day, so less risk of injury if you spill. Thanks, lawyers!
Kay Bixler
Kay Bixler
Thanks again, everyone, for all the good coffee info. Can't see myself buying expensive grinders or chemistry sets, but I will look for fresher beans.
So, um, anybody into espresso?
So, um, anybody into espresso?
Kay Bixler
Kay Bixler
Is there a good, affordable espresso machine? Or someplace to pick them up used?
Whole Latte Love has a very good price on a refurbished Gaggia Classic, a machine that quite capable of starting you down the espresso road. Bean freshness and grind/grinder become all more critical in making espresso. If you regularly buy espresso and espresso drinks on a daily basis at a specialty coffee shop this machine and grinder will quickly pay for itself.
Ben Hunting
Ben Hunting
My understanding is that a decent burr grinder, as others have mentioned, is essential to making good coffee. Maybe you already have one? If not, I'd start there.
For pourover coffee, a burr grinder along the lines of the Baratza Encore (around $130) will do just fine. I think it's hard to spend much less than that on a grinder and get consistent grinds (although a porlex manual grinder would be fine too). Other equipment you ought to have include a gram scale and some sort of brewer (and the filters that work with that particular brewer). I used to use a Chemex every morning but now use the Kalita Wave, which I find delivers a more consistently delicious brew (get the stainless version though---not the one with plastic, which retains stale coffee oils). Finally, while you could make do with any old water kettle, the gooseneck-syle ones (Bonavita and Hario make them, and I find the electric versions more convenient than stovetop) make it much easier to brew pourover coffee without scalding yourself.
As for beans, it's gotten a lot easier over the last few years to get terrific fresh-roasted beans in Manhattan. Two of the best places to find them are the Joe Pro Shop (in the West 20s) and Box Kite Coffee on West 72nd Street---both of those places offer beans from a rotating group of excellent roasters, so the variety is nice. Other good places to find fresh beans include all the Joe, Stumptown, Cafe Grumpy, and Kafee 1666 locations.
I agree with others who have warned you about espresso---that is a much more expensive proposition if you want to make the good stuff.
As for beans, it's gotten a lot easier over the last few years to get terrific fresh-roasted beans in Manhattan. Two of the best places to find them are the Joe Pro Shop (in the West 20s) and Box Kite Coffee on West 72nd Street---both of those places offer beans from a rotating group of excellent roasters, so the variety is nice. Other good places to find fresh beans include all the Joe, Stumptown, Cafe Grumpy, and Kafee 1666 locations.
I agree with others who have warned you about espresso---that is a much more expensive proposition if you want to make the good stuff.
Todd Abrams
Todd Abrams
Believe it or not, I am actually able to survive using a De'Longhi EC155 (~$100) and pre-ground Kimbo Antica Tradizione. In wine terms this might be something like using Cotes de Gascogne for your everyday -- not much complexity or nuance but generally solid.
Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
Today:
Although I actually had a 'preview' cup of one of their new releases, "Borderlands".
Kay, the grinder is the key. I use a ceramic conical filter (< $15) and buy my filters at Costco for $4 per 300.
The other expense is an electric kettle, but you can make due with whatever kettle and just pour the correct amount of water into the measuring cup (you don't want boiling water anyway).
My version is the Cru Beaujolais of coffee.
Getting to 1er Cru and Grand Cru Burgundy requires exponential (or magnitude) jumps.
The other expense is an electric kettle, but you can make due with whatever kettle and just pour the correct amount of water into the measuring cup (you don't want boiling water anyway).
My version is the Cru Beaujolais of coffee.
Getting to 1er Cru and Grand Cru Burgundy requires exponential (or magnitude) jumps.
Ian Fitzsimmons
Ian Fitzsimmons
I feel that the marginal return to dollar spent on coffee - as in wine - falls off very rapidly beyond some fairly affordable level. Nathan's Beaujolais-GC comparison is apt.
Coffee ground in an inexpensive burr grinder (ours cost about $60), brewed in a French press just can't be beat for daily consumption, imho. We're lucky to have a very good roaster about 30 miles west of here (foothils of the Appelachian Blue Ridge), whom I visit every week or two; Peet's is an adequate fall-back.
Personally, I've migrated from dark roasts to lighter ones; they just taste better to me.
I saw an article somewhere recently, in which it was asserted that grinding beans from the freezed improves flavor, becuase the resulting coffee grounds are more uniform in size than otherwise.
For something really special, coffee-wise, I'm happy to pay a specialist at one of the Charlottesville coffee fetish centers.
Coffee ground in an inexpensive burr grinder (ours cost about $60), brewed in a French press just can't be beat for daily consumption, imho. We're lucky to have a very good roaster about 30 miles west of here (foothils of the Appelachian Blue Ridge), whom I visit every week or two; Peet's is an adequate fall-back.
Personally, I've migrated from dark roasts to lighter ones; they just taste better to me.
I saw an article somewhere recently, in which it was asserted that grinding beans from the freezed improves flavor, becuase the resulting coffee grounds are more uniform in size than otherwise.
For something really special, coffee-wise, I'm happy to pay a specialist at one of the Charlottesville coffee fetish centers.
Kay Bixler
Kay Bixler
Thanks, Nathan, that's an analogy I can understand.
Guess if I can pay $175 for an ice auger that gets used three months out of the year a coffee grinder that will see daily use isn't too absurd.