Sipping freshly made Ethiopian coffee in a Le Creuset mug. Quite lovely.
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Espresso Enthusiasts
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It's Coffee Roasting Day chez mobilehaathi. Today we're doing some Ethiopiques blend from SM's with an eye towards some espresso later this week.
Sounds excellent - espresso from Ethiopian coffee.
I await with interest further developments, as I suspect that espresso made from Ethiopian coffees might be a bit of a challenge. Which Ethiopian coffees do you use?
Made a lovely pot (French Press, Le Creuset) of freshly ground coffee, a delicious blend of Kenyan and Ethiopian coffees, served in Le Creuset mugs. The substitute carer and I have just had some. Quite delicious.
Why is that so? I presume Ethiopian coffee lends itself better to other methods (moka pots?) Apologies if you or someone else has already answered. I recently got a package of coffee from a friend who was in Saudi Arabia and I'd like to know how best to make that one as well - if I can understand what beans were used.
Why is that so? I presume Ethiopian coffee lends itself better to other methods (moka pots?) Apologies if you or someone else has already answered. I recently got a package of coffee from a friend who was in Saudi Arabia and I'd like to know how best to make that one as well - if I can understand what beans were used.
Personally, I love Ethiopian coffee - I love the clean, clear, bright notes, - and they are usually smooth, and slightly sweet, as well.
Actually, this is a relatively recent preference - I hadn't known that I would like it as much as I do.
However, Ethiopian coffee tends to be lightly roasted - rather than "dark roast", an would be described as a 'light' coffee, rather than a "full-bodied" one. In general, richer, more robust coffees respond better when made as espresso.
My experience is that Ethiopian espressos tend to be rather light, and that is one time I want a 'heavy hit'.
Plus, the really good coffee shops which serve good espresso, rarely use Ethiopian coffee for espresso, although they will use it for the preparation of other forms of coffee.
Hmm I'll have to check which beans are included in th blend.
Presses are sparkling clean. You don't realize how tinted the metal and glass get from coffee even if you give it a triple washing each time you use it. Going to have some pressed coffee soon. It hadn't occurred to me the other day that I could use the moka pots I have. Speaking of, I haven't used those things in forever.
And for anyone interested in the solution since it's buried in earlier posts. Wash your kit with warm soapy water, using a synthetic plastic sponge and not a traditional one. 2-3 drops of bleach, hot water to fill, and an ounce to two of cheap but good vodka. Have yourself a shot and one for the pot. Leave everything disassembled for 6-24 hours. Wash thoroughly again with hot soapy water, rinse through several times, and let it air dry completely, rinse again, dry and put away for future use.
And for anyone interested in the solution since it's buried in earlier posts. Wash your kit with warm soapy water, using a synthetic plastic sponge and not a traditional one. 2-3 drops of bleach, hot water to fill, and an ounce to two of cheap but good vodka. Have yourself a shot and one for the pot. Leave everything disassembled for 6-24 hours. Wash thoroughly again with hot soapy water, rinse through several times, and let it air dry completely, rinse again, dry and put away for future use.
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Well, they say only that it is a blend of beans from Sidama and Yrgacheffe. But it does make a really delightful bright and lemony shot. They also give some further blending suggestions:
I keep seeing 'blends' where Ethiopian is matched with Central or South American coffees.
In my experience, they swamp it - or overwhelm it - completely. Instead, I'd recommend blending with Kenyan (which works exceedingly well), or a Rwandan coffee; they tend to complement one another, rather than struggle to negate the characteristics of the other.
Anyway, I am now drinking blend of two different types of Ethiopian coffee.
Sidema (sometimes, Sidamo, depends on the source) and Yirgacheffe (the latter, my favourite) both produce very good coffees from Ethiopia.
I suspect the intent of that blend is for the Ethiopian coffee to provide a bright highlight instead of forming the backbone of the blend. Eh, either way, I'm happy with Ethiopian only.
My concern is that the "bright highlight" will get smothered - or snuffed out entirely - by the stronger central and South American blends, as has happened when ever I have seen it tried, (or tasted something made from such blends: the Ethiopian was invisible.)
With Kenyans, on the other hand, I have found that the Kenyan will offer a strong backbone, without reducing the 'luminosity' of the 'bright highlight' that Ethiopian coffee offers.
I have been experimenting with this for almost a year, now, using the same principle as in France - namely, as with French wines pairing well with cheeses from that region, I think coffees from - let us say the same continental area - might match well together, and I think that they do.
I certainly trust your experience with this. Actually I haven't had a South American coffee in quite a while.
My hunch is that coffees from central & south American might blend well together; certainly, the coffees from El Salvador that I like, could go well with some of the decent Costa Rican coffees, and so on.
Nevertheless, I am surprised that roasters aren't offering blends of Ethiopian with Kenyan - as, in my limited experience to date, they work very well together.
I have tried 50/50, and two thirds one third blends - both ways (that is, two thirds Kenyan to one third Ethiopian, or two thirds Ethiopian to one third Kenyan depending on which features one wishes to bring out a little more strongly).
This morning, I made a pot (French Press) of freshly ground coffee, in a mix of 50% Kenyan and 50% Ethiopian. Quite lovely.
Nice... I never mixed blends... I guess it's time to try!
As with the principle of wines and cheeses from the same region in - let us say - France (or Italy) pairing well together, my sense with coffee is that beans (or coffees) from the sms continent, or region, or area, might match well together.
As I love Ethiopian coffee, I had bought blends with it - and it was often blended with coffees from central or south America which I think didn't work (not least, because the central & south American coffees were too robust).
Thus, I have blended Ethiopian with some African coffees, such as Kenyan (which I have found works extremely well), or Rwandan, which works pretty well, but not - to my mind - as well as with Kenyan.
Interesting discussion. As I have posted previously, I actually prefer lighter-roasted espresso; what is often called Northern Italian. The proper roast depends on the beans, of course, and really good light roasted espresso can be hard to find.
I prefer the brightness produced by the lighter roast's acidity, although it is always a balance between too much and not enough. For Ethopiques and Moka Kadir, I typically intentionally waste the first roasted batch, carefully recording the time of first crack, second crack, etc., and then on the second roasting run I stop the roast at 10 seconds before what would be second crack. In a roughly 17 minute roasting run, 10 seconds doesn't sound like much, but avoiding second crack is critical to the brightness I like, and the difference between stopping 10 seconds before second crack vs. 30 is very noticeable in the cup.
On drip, I likewise prefer a lighter roast. I have found, over the years, that those who prefer lighter roasts tend to drink coffee black, with no sugar or cream, while those who prefer french roast or the like tend to use sugar or cream. Not always, but a tendency.
As we have discussed previously, darker roast has also, unfortunately, come to be used by those who buy inferior coffee and want to hide the faults. See, e.g., Starbucks. That is not to say that all darker-roasted coffee is inferior, but some (a lot?) certainly is.
Fascinating.
And I am very largely in agreement with you.
I used to think that I loved 'darker roasts', or - at the very least - medium roasts.
Then, I started drinking coffee from really good suppliers - which dramatically altered my perspective. My second epiphany occurred when I realised that I loved (really good) Ethiopian coffee, and that what you have accurately called this 'brightness' is what I treasure most - and seek out most - in coffee.
That 'brightness', that 'clean, clear' note, this is what I seek, and this is what Ethiopian coffee (and, to a lesser extent, Kenyan) offers me.
Within Ethiopian coffees, there is a voice in my head which reminds me, every so often, that I would be perfectly happy to drink no coffee other than that grown in Yirgacheffe for the rest of my days.
Of course, this is perfectly ludicrous, and for reasons of keeping myself aware of what else is "out there", it is important to move out of my proverbial 'comfort zone' every so often.
Well said! I continue my years-long practice of rotating three coffees at any one time, two I roast myself and a third I purchase. For at least a year, the two I roast are/have been Moka Kadir and Ethiopiques. The third I rotate pretty much weekly....currently a Kenya Guama Peaberry from Bird Rock Roasters in Los Angeles. Damn good drip coffee, a lighter roast, and wonderful acidity and body, almost syrupy.
A Kenyan Guama Peabody?
That sounds interesting, - and "syrupy" is always a tasting note I like to read in coffee descriptions, as I like my coffee sweet and smooth - (not tannic, or bitter, or "muddy" - the opposite of "bright") but I do believe that I have you to thank for introducing me to the manifold delights of Ethiopian coffee.
As for abroad: Well, when abroad, beggars can't be choosers: In that context, I am ecstatic to be able to lay hands on LavAzza or Illy in some of the places where I have worked.
On my next SM order I ought to branch out of Ethiopia a bit. Any recommendations? Preference for light roasts for pour over (I'm going to keep buying SM blends for espresso).
Anything that says "Yirgacheffe". Seriously.
Even now, when I do push myself, or extend myself, whenever I return to Yirgacheffe, I realise that this is the King/Queen - suffice to say, the 'monarch' of all coffees, not just Ethiopian.
I have never in my life encountered a coffee that I have liked (nay, loved) so consistently for so long.
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Yirgacheffe beats Sidamo (and I love the latter) hands down.
I suspect that @Kurwenal may well be in agreement with me.
If memory serves me correct, I have tried Sidamo and thought it was bullocks. I bought Harrar two or three months ago. I enjoyed that a lot. I'm sure there are plenty of African beans that don't make it outside of Africa. Be it they're terrible or production numbers are dismal and won't earn the grower as much. What I like about CA and SA coffees is that you could sample coffees from 10 different growers in a quarter region of one country, even farms miles apart from each other, and there's quite a few nuances between farm A and B that may be separated by 3-4 miles of land. I've heard of CA and SA coffee being overnighted by embassies via diplomatic "pouches" because they find American offerings, including third-wave, to be a bit pedestrian. Heard that from my favorite local roaster, but it could be a fib. Who knows. Though I do know they do a great deal of native food through "pouches" because a lot of brands don't make it out of the region.
"Bullocks"? CA? SA?
Some of us don't speak American, so, to be honest, I haven't a clue of what you are trying to say.
Harrar is good for espresso, as it is an unusually robust Ethiopian coffee.
As for Sidamo, it depends on the producer; some are excellent, others less so.