Espresso Enthusiasts

[Scepticalscribe]

I'll readily grant that it was not my idea, rather the idea of my brother, who loves me, and knows that I love coffee, (and knows little about the latter, but that is what the internet and coffee roasting companies - which he visited - are for), and thought that an order of this - ah, special - coffee ('the world's best!'), would charm and delight me.

Indeed, if asked, (and ordered to select a coffee-related belated Christmas present), I might have chosen differently. Never mind. I am grateful and anticipating this exquisitely wrapped small packet in due course......

 

[Shrink]

I'll readily grant that it was not my idea, rather the idea of my brother, who loves me, and knows that I love coffee, (and knows little about the latter, but that is what the internet and coffee roasting companies - which he visited - are for), and thought that an order of this - ah, special - coffee ('the world's best!'), would charm and delight me.

Indeed, if asked, (and ordered to select a coffee-related belated Christmas present), I might have chosen differently. Never mind. I am grateful and anticipating this exquisitely wrapped small packet in due course......

I, for one, hope it tastes great, and that you love the coffee, and report so.

And then you can say nyaaah, nyaaah, to these squeamish boys.

Well, you wouldn't say nyaaah, nyaaah...you'd say it with more elegance and adjectives...but say it nonetheless!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Geez...you'd think they didn't even brush it off a bit before packaging!

As long as someone else was willing to pay for this novelty coffee...I'd try it.

While traveling in other counties, I've eaten foods that would be considered icky no-eat'em stuff here. No, not made from poop, but then, the coffee isn't made from poop either.

Where...oh where...is the spirit of adventure. So it's got a little poop on it...

Exactly. I have tried esoteric and strange foods (and drink - fermented mare's milk in Kyrgyzstan was quite the most disgusting thing I have ever sampled) - some of which I hope never to encounter again, at least, not in this life - across the planet.

Sometimes, it is satisfying simple curiosity (and yes, I do want to find out what on earth these things taste like), sometimes, it is diplomatic necessity (being polite to hosts, while they watch, glint in eye, to see how you react and chuckle, knowingly, when you find what has been offered challenging to - ah, finish), and sometimes, a response to a mad daredevil dare (yes, sad, I accept such dares).

Other times, poverty stricken peoples offer you what you know is a feast by their standards - refusal simply is not an option, and, in their eyes, you are an honoured guest for whom hosting offers them pleasure, (and status). And yes, sometimes, as Shrink says, it is succumbing to the spirit of adventure.....

 

[S.B.G]

I, for one, hope it tastes great, and that you love the coffee, and report so.

And then you can say nyaaah, nyaaah, to these squeamish boys.

Well, you wouldn't say nyaaah, nyaaah...you'd say it with more elegance and adjectives...but say it nonetheless!

If I buy this "coffee" for you, will you drink it?

 

[Shrink]

If I buy this "coffee" for you, will you drink it?

Absolutely!

Not because I expect it to be great coffee, considering I have no idea what the beans are...but just for the experience.

While in China, I ate many foods that would not be considered "food" here. It was my pleasure that they were all delicious! I will admit that thousand year old eggs did not look appetizing...but tasted great!

So...without hesitation, I would try this stuff.

 

[takeshi74]

Reading some of the coffee fora, there seems to be a fairly general consensus that this is a gimmick, and since you don't know the beans processed in this manner (unless specified), you really have no idea what you are drinking. It could be great beans, or less wonderful beans.

...and even if they are processed via civet you don't know what conditions the civets are in and how that impacts the beans. There are civet farms for producing these beans where they are caged, forced fed and poorly cared for at best. No idea how it would affect the beans produced from such farming but a lot of products suffer from such conditions (and the animal cruelty is bad enough on its own).

I'm afraid that this is one product that I am unwilling to try, at least, with the prior knowledge of how it's processed!

They require additional processing once they come out of the civet. The beans aren't totally stripped of pulp by the civet. Further, roasting (consider what coffee roasting temps are like) will kill anything that might have been left.

 

[Kurwenal]

Geez...you'd think they didn't even brush it off a bit before packaging!

As long as someone else was willing to pay for this novelty coffee...I'd try it.

While traveling in other counties, I've eaten foods that would be considered icky no-eat'em stuff here. No, not made from poop, but then, the coffee isn't made from poop either.

Where...oh where...is the spirit of adventure. So it's got a little poop on it...

Oh, it's not fear of the unknown. I grew up on various Pacific islands, where fish brains were a regular part of my diet and flush toilets and traffic lights were something we read about in books. And I have lived in both China and Japan. Boiled moose nose, frog fat soup, braised donkey on a recent trip, monkey brains two trips ago. No problem. No problem at all.

But, hey, this is coffee we are talking about! Everyone has a line. Mine is just next to "beans that have been through the intestinal tract of an animal." I'll just have to make do with perfectly roasted Liquid Amber......

 

[Shrink]

Oh, it's not fear of the unknown. I grew up on various Pacific islands, where fish brains were a regular part of my diet and flush toilets and traffic lights were something we read about in books. And I have lived in both China and Japan. Boiled moose nose, frog fat soup, braised donkey on a recent trip, monkey brains two trips ago. No problem. No problem at all.

But, hey, this is coffee we are talking about! Everyone has a line. Mine is just next to "beans that have been through the intestinal tract of an animal." I'll just have to make do with perfectly roasted Liquid Amber......

ROTFL!

Touché!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Oh, it's not fear of the unknown. I grew up on various Pacific islands, where fish brains were a regular part of my diet and flush toilets and traffic lights were something we read about in books. And I have lived in both China and Japan. Boiled moose nose, frog fat soup, braised donkey on a recent trip, monkey brains two trips ago. No problem. No problem at all.

But, hey, this is coffee we are talking about! Everyone has a line. Mine is just next to "beans that have been through the intestinal tract of an animal." I'll just have to make do with perfectly roasted Liquid Amber......

Brilliant - just brilliant.

 

[mobilehaathi]

I find myself, occasionally, consumed by the following process:

(1) Make a cup of coffee.
(2) Enjoy the cup of coffee.
(3) Realize that as the beans get older they'll start to get stale.
(4) Can't let the beans get stale, GOTO (1).

help.

 

[Shrink]

I find myself, occasionally, consumed by the following process:

(1) Make a cup of coffee.
(2) Enjoy the cup of coffee.
(3) Realize that as the beans get older they'll start to get stale.
(4) Can't let the beans get stale, GOTO (1).

help.

A study in Sisyphean frustration.

Buy smaller quantities of beans...so the beans will be finished in about 15 days.

Then don't worry...

OR

Drive yourself nuts...

Whichever works best for you!

 

[mobilehaathi]

A study in Sisyphean frustration.

Buy smaller quantities of beans...so the beans will be finished in about 15 days.

Then don't worry...

OR

Drive yourself nuts...

Whichever works best for you!

Well I buy a pound at a time, which is about as small as I can get (sometimes 12 oz). I think the problem lies elsewhere...

 

[Shrink]

Well I buy a pound at a time, which is about as small as I can get (sometimes 12 oz). I think the problem lies elsewhere...

Well, if the problem is not in actually finishing the beans before they actually become stale...then what?

 

[mobilehaathi]

Well, if the problem is not in actually finishing the beans before they actually become stale...then what?

Just a silly compulsion

 

[Shrink]

Just a silly compulsion

Actually an obsession.

Compulsion relates to behavior (part of the issue), but what you describe is an obsessive cognitive pattern.

Am I being too serious?

If so...apologies!

 

[mobilehaathi]

Actually an obsession.

Compulsion relates to behavior (part of the issue), but what you describe is an obsessive cognitive pattern.

Am I being too serious?

If so...apologies!

I posted with lighthearted intentions......

 

[Shrink]

I posted with lighthearted intentions......

Ooops!

I guess I've been doing this shrink thing too long!

Ah...well, time for a coffee...

 

[Kurwenal]

Well I buy a pound at a time, which is about as small as I can get (sometimes 12 oz). I think the problem lies elsewhere...

I am not a professional and I don't play one on TV, but I, personally and for myself only, see no problem with the sequence you outlined.

Save a bean. Drink more! That's what I say.

 

[mobilehaathi]

I am not a professional and I don't play one on TV, but I, personally and for myself only, see no problem with the sequence you outlined.

Save a bean. Drink more! That's what I say.

Positive reinforcement, see, here is someone who knows what I want.

 

[Kurwenal]

Positive reinforcement, see, here is someone who knows what I want.

It may be a caffeine rush, but a Dylan lyric leaps to mind:

An’ she says, “Your debutante just knows what you need
But I know what you want.”

Go forth and coffee.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

It may be a caffeine rush, but a Dylan lyric leaps to mind:

An’ she says, “Your debutante just knows what you need
But I know what you want.”

Go forth and coffee.

An inspiring example of the sort of evolution of language that I have spent my life studying and attempting to explain: The moment a noun transforms into a verb is a sort of linguistic equivalent of a (micro) supernova - no-one can quite remember who noticed it first, this explosion in the sky, but everyone knows what it means and there is a vague surprise that nobody else thought of it before now as it all seems so utterly obvious in hindsight, as it becomes a part of common, everyday speech within a surprisingly short period of time....

Sigh. I really rather like this thread.......an awful lot.....

 

[Shrink]

I was just over on the Londinium Owners Forum…big discussion of what to use on the wooden handles on the machine and the portafilter to preserve the wood.

There was a thread about what grinder you use with the L1. So I posted my HG-one. A guy posted after me, and he has an HG-one and THREE other grinders! Someone will have to explain to me sometime why anyone could possibly need 4 grinders. I can understand 2 grinders, since the HG-one is for espresso grinding only…so you might need another for other production methods. But FOUR grinders!?

And I thought I was nuts…makes me look like a paragon of coffee sanity!

 

[Kurwenal]

Sigh. I really rather like this thread.......an awful lot.....

Me too. A true highlight of my day.

Would it risk it all to plan a meet up? October 1, 2014, somewhere here? Who is coming?

But FOUR grinders!?

It really is sad to see someone feeding the coffee addiction by buying far more swag than he or she ever will need, or even use.

I'm sure none of us have this problem.

 

[Shrink]

Me too. A true highlight of my day.

Would it risk it all to plan a meet up? October 1, 2014, somewhere here? Who is coming?



It really is sad to see someone feeding the coffee addiction by buying far more swag than he or she ever will need, or even use.

Image

I'm sure none of us have this problem.

What are a few bags of beans...nothing excessive...

The meeting sounds great, and I love the location. I haven't been to Hong Kong since before the turnover to China, and I'd love to go back.

However, the expense being beyond my budget, I'd like to suggest this sterling establishment in downtown Boston.

First order some coffee...then trash the place!

(Note the woman on the right side inside the window...she just tried the espresso for the first time.)

 

[Kurwenal]

However, the expense being beyond my budget, I'd like to suggest this sterling establishment in downtown Boston.

I'm game. I wonder how many dopios we could return ("this was not pulled correctly, sorry, can you try again?") before they threw us out.