March 15, 200718 yr Too bad their coffee friggin' sucks. Ever since they switched to those stupid SuperAutomatic machines it has tasted like ass and had no mouth feel.
March 15, 200718 yr Starbucks is one of those places I won't go to out of principle...give me a local place any time.
March 15, 200718 yr Since it is free then Jim you should stop by get a free cup and pour it out...I may too. Eff'em.
March 16, 200718 yr Roast at home, grind right before brewing, and get a machine with a real grouphead and it is the best.
March 16, 200718 yr /\ actually the hardest thing about travelling for me is trying to find a good coffee. 95%+ of the coffee shops in the US have absolutely no idea what they are doing.
March 16, 200718 yr /\ actually the hardest thing about travelling for me is trying to find a good coffee. 95%+ of the coffee shops in the US have absolutely no idea what they are doing.
March 16, 200718 yr Tim Horton's.............aka Timmy Ho's...............great fast coffee...........J
March 16, 200718 yr Admin /\ actually the hardest thing about travelling for me is trying to find a good coffee. 95%+ of the coffee shops in the US have absolutely no idea what they are doing.You can say that again.
March 16, 200718 yr strong and black. just like my women....well, almost like my women hehewheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
March 18, 200718 yr ground up and in the freezer......like my women.....lolJThat is really bad for coffee. The shelf life of ground coffee is actually hours and putting it in the freezer causes it to absorb flavors from other things as well as to create a moisture problem if you take it out and put it back in. I know it is what used to be recommended, but it surely isn't anymore now that the coffee public is getting more educated. Of course the shelf life on roasted beans is in the under two week realm too. Part of the reason that Starbucks sucks, there chit is so old it tastes like bitter arse. Doesn't help they use super automatic machines either as they don't properly brew at the correct temperature (should be within a couple degrees of 201) or the right pressure (usually from 8.5-9.5 bar) to extract full flavor from the beans.Do realize that I use the European definition of coffee which here you call espresso. On the same note, it is very easy to turn an espresso into an American coffee you just add some boiling water. Really the best "weak" brew coffee you can have, but you need to start with a great espresso then. I do this all the time for people and they rave. My beans are rarely a week old however and brew with beautiful crema and an amazing mouth feel.To find a good coffee shop:1) They buy beans that are roasted, they sit for three days and then are completely used up within a day. (the good ones here roast in store)2) They grind special for every single cup. No letting the grounds sit in the grinder.3) They use a machine with a real group head. Usually a Faema 61 is a great start, almost all brands license this sort of head from Faema.4) They brew with a timer. Every brew on any particular machine should always take the same amount of time. The packing of the beans is import as well as the grind. This requires a good grinder as well. In home versions reasonably good grinders start at about $300+ and are more important than the machine itself for making great coffee.5) They have a consistent way of packing the portafilter. Mine I pack the coffee at 30lbs. A lot of learning time with the tamper and a scale taught me and now of course I just press. Being off by a couple pounds will really affect the overall extraction as the machines run at pressure and this will greatly speed/slow the steam flowing through the beans.6) Lastly, my pet peeve. When they stretch the milk it should only be whole milk and should be cold and fresh everytime steam hits the pitcher. They should use the right size pitcher so that for every cup it is used up. Milk also should not be heated to over 170-180 degrees, the stretching should be done by 140 degrees and the rest of the time the steam wand sits in the pitcher it should be integrating the foam with the milk. In other words the foam should pour consistently with the milk out the pitcher and not have a foam stage and a hot milk stage. This will really make the milk the sweetest and have the best finish. All of you that sugar your coffees will find the amount you use greatly reduced if you have a good barista.Good luck. I have jumped behind the bar multiple times to do the work on my own coffees. To get them to allow me I have to tell them I used to be a professional Barista and really I am just a home-brew hack.
March 19, 200718 yr Informative..........now I def have to go to MN............get soem REAL coffe and see if I like it.I will get pics of our local coffee place........they seem to use equipment that sounds alot like what you describe.J
March 20, 200718 yr Admin Hey Sean, I know it might not be up to your standards, www.coffeefool.com does fresh ground coffee shipped next day with all different types of blends, french, italian, etc. I have bought a few small bags and they were very good.
March 20, 200718 yr The most consistent coffee you can get comes from Intelligentsia. If you like espresso, try this:http://www.intelligentsiacoffee.com/store/...blends/blackcatOh, here is a link to the grinder I have (and where I bought it) so I don't think I need fresh ground...just freshly roasted.http://www.chriscoffee.com/products/home/grinders/m4steplessChris has exceptional service. If you visit any of the Barista/Coffee forums he will always be highly recommended. I have spoken to him a few times and have nothing but good things to say.Since we are at it, here is the machine that I have with all of the upgrades:http://www.chriscoffee.com/products/home/espresso/vetrano
March 21, 200718 yr I learned something today- but unfortunatelly I can't justify $300+ just to get the grounds right.. I haven't found any coffee I like around here. There's a chain called 'port city'- god if that isn't the most ass coffee in the history of it, I don't know what is. Haven't found any local shops, just big ones w/ bad coffe and people sucking it up.
March 21, 200718 yr You can amortize it over your life time. How many $4 coffees do you need to buy to pay for a $2k machine/grinder combo? I know it is easy math, but only 500 which to me would be less than a year. Of course I am not counting the price of beans/milk then either but it will still work out quickly.As soon as I move, I am buying a home roaster as well so that I can roast in small batches. That too is an investment, but will also pay for itself not only by making the coffee cheaper but better and will allow complete customization of the extraction.
March 21, 200718 yr Can I See you help me rationalize crap with the wifey on audio equipment?I can live with cheap coffee but not cheap tunes.J
March 21, 200718 yr I can't live with either. I can try to help the rational, but it isn't quite the same.
March 21, 200718 yr Admin Sean, we need to get you and Mark together, that way we can learn the ways about good coffee and good home brew. We could drink coffee all day, and drink beer all night since we will be jacked up from the caffiene.
March 22, 200718 yr Aaron, I like beer too! And Mark and I will be getting together, but it is my dumb arse schedule I need to fix first. Perhaps 3 weeks away and 1 home is normal for some people, but it isn't making it easy for me to get to Winnipeg. Within 6 months though I will. I do have to schedule a brew fest with Mark first.
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