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Espresso Enthusiasts
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I freeze, freezer safe bags inside ball jars (with two piece sealing lid). Breakdown batches and do this, been doing it for years, works great provided you have a nice fridge freezer or a fridge that works well in general, older ones don't seem to seal as well and have bad defrost cycles as a friends older fridge didn't work well for this but his new one works perfect. I can pull a jar out a month later and pull shots at same settings as when fresh. Tried Airscape and similar other ways and didn't really work well, maybe if you were going to be using your beans in a week. But I order 4-5lbs at a time.
Or if you have a deep freeze chest thats even better but ours is taken up by fresh caught fish
Had mine for about 5yrs and have been very pleased, its a great drip coffee maker. Very simple, not fancy, just makes great coffee. The last few month it did develop an issue with the drip system and the coffee flow needs to be managed manually. I did buy a new brew basket but the issue is still not resolved. Not sure what is my next move but still happy with it and might buy a new replacement.
Good to know! I typically go all manual for my pour over (only resorting to a machine for espresso), but I like to keep a list of excellent auto drips if I ever find myself in the market.
One that I have my eye on - but as a future possible purchase, is the automatic just manufactured by the Chemex company (called 'Ottomatic'), their first ever venture into the automatic market.
This product has only been available for the past month, so little is known about how it actually works.
In any case, I am paying very close heed to the reviews; if a sufficient number of them, or a 'critical mass' of them are glowing, I may well succumb.
Very interested in the new Ottomatic but it looks like it has a "heating element" to keep the coffee warm... which is a big no no in my book. I passed on purchasing the Wilfa Precision Coffee Maker because of that..
Yes, I am inclined to agree with you; not my ideal scenario either. In any case, I will wait and see, not least to see whether a number of reviews make it clear that this is a 'must have' item.
Mind you, I am seriously contemplating purchasing the 'ordinary' Chemex; the coffee that comes from that method is really excellent.
Washington Post article on coffee roasters in the metropolitan area:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/going...0d-11e4-a200-c008a01a6692_story.html?hpid=z13
http://www.washingtonpost.com/going...0d-11e4-a200-c008a01a6692_story.html?hpid=z13
This evening (it being a cold, wet, stormy, evening with driving sleet showers), I fancied something warming and soothing.
So, after - or while - grinding a smaller than usual (for my normal morning cup, or pot) quantity of beans in my OE Lido 2 grinder, I put a small copper saucepan of milk (full fat, organic) on the stove to heat, and made a quite delicious café au lait, (or café latte), roughly one half water (strained through the ground beans) and one half heated milk.
Exactly the taste hit I had been hoping for - stimulating yet soothing - (and, yes, just a little labour intensive)….
So, after - or while - grinding a smaller than usual (for my normal morning cup, or pot) quantity of beans in my OE Lido 2 grinder, I put a small copper saucepan of milk (full fat, organic) on the stove to heat, and made a quite delicious café au lait, (or café latte), roughly one half water (strained through the ground beans) and one half heated milk.
Exactly the taste hit I had been hoping for - stimulating yet soothing - (and, yes, just a little labour intensive)….
Switched back to an old favourite, just for a change. Its like sleeping with an ex girlfriend, enjoyable, but you know that a new one will tempt you away again one day
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Just sipping a (freshly ground by my own tender hand, with my own sturdy OE Lido 2 grinder) mug of coffee from Colombia, which comes from a cultivar with the name of 'Laurina'.
Soothing, and easy (rather nice with milk) but - the tasting notes did inform me (correctly) that this cultivar 'has the distinction of being extremely low in caffeine'. True.
However, those same notes explain that this was the cultivar thought to be responsible for seeding most of South America in the 19th century, and that it is supposed to be 'an early mutation' of the Typica variety.
Soothing, and easy (rather nice with milk) but - the tasting notes did inform me (correctly) that this cultivar 'has the distinction of being extremely low in caffeine'. True.
However, those same notes explain that this was the cultivar thought to be responsible for seeding most of South America in the 19th century, and that it is supposed to be 'an early mutation' of the Typica variety.
Hmm, curious history that bean seems to have. I'm already fantasizing about doing some serious historical genetics research on all the varieties...
I also can't help but think of the delight our mutual friend would have at the idea of you regularly grinding your own beans!
Hmm, curious history that bean seems to have. I'm already fantasizing about doing some serious historical genetics research on all the varieties...
I also can't help but think of the delight our mutual friend would have at the idea of you regularly grinding your own beans!
Yes, agreed, that bean does indeed seem to come with a rather curious history. This particular variety came in a specialist tin box from Intelligentsia, one of their occasional offerings; each tin comes with three small sealed bags of different and quite rare beans (and an accompanying appropriately et price).
In a way, they seem to resemble the regular subscription orders, and are a good way to try out new varieties without having to suffer drinking coffee you don't much care for.
On that note, this particular bean is so low in caffeine that I may have to consider adding something else to make it more robust; never mind, it has been an interesting experience, and either way, it'll be finished by tonight, or, tomorrow morning at the very latest.
Re grinding, I made my mother a cup of tea, and gave her some buttered small slices of home made porter cake to keep her going while I made myself a cup of coffee. She watched, stupefied, and giggling, (and uncomprehending) while I then made my own coffee. Despite her dementia, I don't blame her for non-comprehension; I doubt whether anyone who knew me would have considered me an aficionado of the fine art of personal coffee bean grinding.
Nevertheless, I will admit that I am actually enjoying the pottering about; however, it does add several minutes to the process of preparation of a cup or pot of coffee, between preparation, grinding and putting away the grinder ...
In any case, it will be back to pre-ground coffee when I head off abroad in due course, so I shall enjoy it for now. Yes, I can well imagine the delight of our mutual friend; indeed our absent mutual friends would be intrigued to learn of this and would demand details I doubt I am qualified to supply (guess who is still grinding beans with the old, tried and tested, method of trail-and-error?) ...
After the underwhelming Laurina (this variety - Laurina - which has 'the distinction of being extremely low in caffeine' - I like caffeine, this is one of the reason I drink coffee), I graduated to a variety called 'Geisha' (one which seemingly originated from Ethiopia).
According to the accompanying notes, this cultivar is 'considered to be the origin of the Arabica species'. The tasting notes then proceed to refer to 'intoxicating floral aromas and sweet tropical fruit traits'.
All I can taste is a very nice, but light coffee, sweet and pleasant, yes, but lacking that wonderful clear brightness that I associate with the best Ethiopian coffee.
According to the accompanying notes, this cultivar is 'considered to be the origin of the Arabica species'. The tasting notes then proceed to refer to 'intoxicating floral aromas and sweet tropical fruit traits'.
All I can taste is a very nice, but light coffee, sweet and pleasant, yes, but lacking that wonderful clear brightness that I associate with the best Ethiopian coffee.
Today's coffee - the third of three in a special 'tasting tin' from Intelliegentsia - is by far the best of the three samples that came with this particular tin.
It is called "Sudan Rume", and apparently comes from the Boma Palteau, in Sudan, near Ethiopia (the magic word when and where coffee is discussed, at least as far I am concerned), in what the accompanying notes point out is 'near to the birthplace of the Arabica species.'
The notes add that while this variety (described as 'a legendary variety') has been long used as a 'source' of quality genes, it is rarely planted because its yield is so low.
Gorgeous coffee, though, just gorgeous.
It is called "Sudan Rume", and apparently comes from the Boma Palteau, in Sudan, near Ethiopia (the magic word when and where coffee is discussed, at least as far I am concerned), in what the accompanying notes point out is 'near to the birthplace of the Arabica species.'
The notes add that while this variety (described as 'a legendary variety') has been long used as a 'source' of quality genes, it is rarely planted because its yield is so low.
Gorgeous coffee, though, just gorgeous.
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Ohh, interesting. Well, I just ran out of beans without a backup.
I should have ordered some replacements while I was away. Eek!
Ohh, interesting. Well, I just ran out of beans without a backup.
I feel your pain. Seriously, I do.
Several years ago, I was abroad - in the Caucasus - and spent a few months longer than I had originally envisaged on my first rotation before I took my first leave. When I arrived home, the coffee cupboard, which is usually very well stocked (by me) was completely bare.
One brother and one cousin, over the period of six months that I had been away had, between them, while visiting my mother (who was completely lucid at the time) drunk the lot. I had no quarrel with that - after all, the coffee is (was) there to be consumed, even, or especially, the good stuff (which is what I tend to stock).
However, what irked me was that it hadn't occurred to either of them to leave even one, small, replacement tin or packet of coffee so that I was not deprived of my caffeine on my return home. Underwhelmed; you can call me underwhelmed at the time.
While the 'Sudan Rume' is finished, for now, I will keep an eye out with a view to obtaining more of it in due course. An excellent coffee.
This subscription style tasting tin approach has its plusses - along with a few minuses. The minus presented itself today: A coffee I liked quite a lot, and would readily buy again is finished. The tin is empty .
However, at least I know I like it, which is the whole point of these tasting samples. What is worse if you take a risk on something completely underwhelming (such as the 'extremely low in caffeine' Laurina bean), and buy it in bulk because it is not possible to sample it first to check whether or not you like it.
I'd say it is worth being able to taste a variety in order to figure out what you love. This sampler was from Intelligensia?
Yes, it was.
Now, while it seems to be a fairly new thing, it must have been relatively successful, for they seem to be running one roughly once a month; they have offered three to my certain knowledge (I failed to get an order in for the second one before they ceased to offer it), but two tins of the third offer (from Bolivia) arrived in the last few days.
It comes presented in an elegant tin, with three quite small sealed bags of three different coffees along with detailed descriptions of bean (location, altitude, history) and some tasting notes. From what I can see, they take this opportunity to offer rare, or unusual, or perhaps fairly expensive, varietals.
It is a nice way to get out of your own comfort zone, re coffee; I have sampled stuff I would never have ordered if it hadn't come packaged in such a manner.
Plus, you know what you are ordering; some subscription services like to keep it a 'surprise'; I'm not a huge fan of 'surprises', myself, though I will endure them in the interests of satisfying curiosity and learning a bit more about something that interested me.
Now, while some of these subscription services are indeed very good, (not least at introducing you to new and unsuspected sources of caffeine delight), and extraordinarily convenient, for my part, I am waiting impatiently for the word 'Ethiopian' coffee to make an appearance.
On the topic of surprises, it depends on the context. If I'm going for one of my rare visits to a sushi bar, I'll often defer to the chef (omakase) with high expectations for pleasurable surprises. Similarly if I'm trying to sample a range of something (coffee, bourbon, wine, beer, etc.) how else am I going to discover something new? Unexpected pleasures are always a gift.
On the other hand, sometimes I simply want to enjoy something I know is excellent. I want to sit in a comfortable chair and savor something familiar without the 'strain' of analyzing something new and potentially exciting...or disappointing.
Oh, on the examples you have given, absolutely, I agree completely with you. The whole point of sushi bars (and many of the wonderful Asian restaurants I have visited) is to try something new.
Likewise, when I buy a gift pack of high quality beer, or specially selected crate of wine, I know that there will be 'surprises'.
By 'surprise', I meant some of the coffee subscriptions where you don't quite know what the next month's offering will be, rather than having a general notion that next month will be, say, 'Costa Rica'.
These past four days, I have seen the advantages (considerable) and the disadvantages of the subscription system. Now, in fairness to Intelligentsia, while I did know the names of these coffee beans that came in the special tin in advance, that didn't make the slightest difference to me as they all came as a surprise to me.
A different tin containing small sealed bags of specialist coffee, from Intelliegntsia, this time from Bolivia.
This morning I tried the 'Typica' beans, a certified organic bean, as are the other two that accompanied it in the tin.
While - again - this is one of the more prized beans (one of the two oldest varieties of Arabica), according to the tasting and explanatory notes supplied with the tine, it is 'on the run' and has 'nearly disappeared' and unfortunately, is 'rarely planted anymore due to its low productivity and fragility'.
The actual tasting notes mentioned that 'sweetness and complex flavour traits' make this 'coveted' by tasters. While light, it was sweet and smooth, and bright, and I liked it a lot.
This morning I tried the 'Typica' beans, a certified organic bean, as are the other two that accompanied it in the tin.
While - again - this is one of the more prized beans (one of the two oldest varieties of Arabica), according to the tasting and explanatory notes supplied with the tine, it is 'on the run' and has 'nearly disappeared' and unfortunately, is 'rarely planted anymore due to its low productivity and fragility'.
The actual tasting notes mentioned that 'sweetness and complex flavour traits' make this 'coveted' by tasters. While light, it was sweet and smooth, and bright, and I liked it a lot.
Another small, sealed bag (which came in the tin with speciality Bolivian coffees) - an offering from Intelligentsia which I wrote about a few posts back, is a coffee bean called 'Geisha'.
This is another bean that claims ancestry from south western Ethiopia, and -apparently is prized quite highly and has won quite a few awards.
Anyway, not surprisingly, it comes with all of the characteristics of an Ethiopian (or Ethiopian style) coffee in that it is clear, bright and light along with a smooth sweetness.
Quite lovely.
This is another bean that claims ancestry from south western Ethiopia, and -apparently is prized quite highly and has won quite a few awards.
Anyway, not surprisingly, it comes with all of the characteristics of an Ethiopian (or Ethiopian style) coffee in that it is clear, bright and light along with a smooth sweetness.
Quite lovely.