Espresso

The point about roasting is well taken, but it presupposes acces to a considerable number of coffee varieties to achieve the right blend. For instance, espresso coffee consists of a number Arabica varieties, mainly high (i.e. grown above 1500 metres) with some Robusta strains mixed in to get the right acidity and crema. Coffee traders employ special teams of tasters to monitor their stocks and blend for their signature taste. I know, my grandfather was a coffeetrader and my late mother did a lot of coffee tasting in her youth. Fortunately most coffeebeans are packed under nitrogen within minutes of roasting and will keep their aroma for months or even years.
 
jaapv said:
The point about roasting is well taken, but it presupposes acces to a considerable number of coffee varieties to achieve the right blend. For instance, espresso coffee consists of a number Arabica varieties, mainly high (i.e. grown above 1500 metres) with some Robusta strains mixed in to get the right acidity and crema. Coffee traders employ special teams of tasters to monitor their stocks and blend for their signature taste. I know, my grandfather was a coffeetrader and my late mother did a lot of coffee tasting in her youth. Fortunately most coffeebeans are packed under nitrogen within minutes of roasting and will keep their aroma for months or even years.
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All this is true if you care about a signature taste. I choose beans that I like, and drink them straight. The only time I blend is when the coffee in the grinder goes from one roasting batch to the next. Because of this, my coffee tastes different every day. If you want consistency, home roasting is not for you.

The beans packed in nitrogen might keep their aroma for months or years but they don't keep their flavor. As soon as you open the bag/can, the aroma is gone too. The beans in my grinder always smell like a freshly opened bag. The problem here is that I want a cup every time I walk past the grinder.

Espressos are usually blends, mostly Arabica with some Robusta for kick, but I will brew espresso with "normal" beans too--it tastes just fine. For the uninitiated, Arabica and Robusta are the only types of coffee, and no one drinks straight Robusta.
 
Update: I decided to purchase a Turkish coffee grinder at the local Halal market; only $19, beautiful brass construction. It's a PITA if you are grinding for a whole press pot or Chemex, but at $19, I can live with that. And when the Brikka arrives, the amount needed for two cups will not be an issue.

Yes, I ordered the Brikka. I considered the comments and advice here, but decided that I'd give it a try. The 2-cup isn't imported into the US by Bialetti, so I got pricing from Bella-Italia and ordered tonight. Should arrive in 1-2 weeks.
 
Brikka arrived today. Well, the postman rang once yesterday but no one was home, so I picked it up today. Film at 11, but it is a cute little unit! I had to run it at 3/4 capacity 3 times to "break it in", so I used whatever beans I had lying around, which were not espresso/Italian roast. It DOES produce crema, and the flavour is pretty good for break-in period and ordinary beans. I think I lucked out setting the grinder burrs correctly.

I took some digi shots ... I'll post them on Flickr and post a link here once they're up.
 
I drink tea as my first drink of the morning, and until my recently acquired interest in espresso, didn't drink a huge amount of coffee ... still don't as a matter of fact. That's one reason why I wouldn't invest in a espresso machine.

But thanks for the advice and the reference to scientific/medical studies to back it up. There seems to be a split opinion on the risk or benefit of coffee, so I'll go with the flow.
 
Brikka arrival

Brikka arrival

My Brikka arrived the other day. I've put up a blog entry; here's a digicam shot of the crema produced in the pot:
 

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I have been roasting my own green beans for years in the pop corn popper. I buy my beans and Chemex filters from Sweet Marias also. Fresh is more important than anything else. When you see those glass bins filled with twenty kinds of roasted beans in mall coffee roasters, ask yourself how long most have been sitting there.



The is a book by Kenneth Davis about home roasting that tells all. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312312199/104-3073768-8079904?v=glance&n=283155

If you learn to listen to the beans talking to you the air temperatue can be compensated for. I like my beans just when "second crack" starts...this gives about a Full City Roast for me.

Anyone who can appreciate the finer points of a Rangefinder will have no problem roasting their own.
Or you can just use Sanka :p

John
 
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jwcat said:
Or you can just use Sanka :p

John
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LOL!!! ... or ..... NOT!

I use a local roaster and try to buy the day the beans are delivered to the store. If I didn't have local fresh roasting, I would do it myself, but since I do, I take the easy route on beans/roasting. Besides, there's more variety.

My experience with the Brikka has continued to be positive; it was a great investment.
 
BTW, my espresso bean of choice is Espresso Adoration from Java Joe. I haven't tried his other roasts yet, but I'll get around to it. You can order off his website, but since it's local I just drop in and buy what I need, straight from Joe himself.
 
Disclaimer: I cannot stand coffee.. the smell in a coffee shop is great, but the flavor, taste, aftertaste, and even stuff that occurs later is just totally nasty. I was further turned off to coffee during college when I had to spoon-feed myself instant coffee powder to stay awake for exams.

I recently picked up tea, various greens, whites, oolongs, etc, all very tasty. Yes, I see you drink tea in the morning :)

At this point, however, I'd like to feed the gas and suggest a vacuum brewer, such as from Hario or others. They are very neat looking contraptions, and apparently make some of the best coffee. Check coffee kid for more info or just google "hario vacuum coffee". This gadget is actually making me sort of want to try coffee again. It would be SO COOL to have a contraption like this on my desk at work :D Everyone else has that instant crap.. but me.. I'd have this. Imagine how snobby I could be.. even more so than with the Golden Monkey tea :D (which, incidentally, I would not recommend because it actually tastes like monkey).

Great. Self-inflicted GAS. :p
 
Good point

Good point

It is also priced accordingly, $25 or so. I may give one a try just for the novelty of it. The designer is local, and is known for designing frisbee type toys.

RJBender said:
It looks sort of like a French press, Ted. Hot water is the key to good coffee. I don't know how well plastic will hold up.

R.J.
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jano: Yes, the Hario/vacuum pots are pretty damn cool. I've visited Coffee Kid's site, but never read the vacuum pot FAQ there.

I'm also toying with the idea of a Chemex for "regular" (not espresso) brew. I can get them locally, and it's not expensive. Also cool looking, but not nearly as cool as vacuum.

I think my grandmother had a vacuum pot ages ago. I was fascinated by it, but was too young to have acquired a taste for coffee back then.

Damn it, I just bought an Oly 35LC, I can't afford coffee gas right now!
 
budget beans here -- 3 lb. bags of San Francisco French roast for $10 from Costco, all ground in the costco machine, through a krups or mr. coffee espresso machine.

want to try an aeropress sometime though.
 
Finally I got the eagle for my La Pavoni! It took a year, but the coffee tastes a lot better with this guardian in place :) :D
 

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huh?

huh?

coffee in moderation has a lot of antioxidants, and can prevent headaches and other ails.

Green tea is also good for you, but only if it is from Japan.

ywenz said:
coffee is bad for you. Drink tea instead
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