Help me make coffee

Seattle's Best Blend > Starbuck's Breakfast Blend

I do like Starbuck's Verona though...

Best coffee I've ever had is Jamaican Blue Mountain, but it's $36 / lb...
 
Brntornq, or anyone else, is the Krups GVX1 a good choice for a burr grinder or do you have a better suggestion? You can pick up the Krups for $40 at Linens and Things with their 20% off coupon.
 
I had a Krups GVX1 and it worked ok. One problem is the last of the beans don't feed into the grinder without giving it a shake. Not a problem if you fill the hopper, but I grind each portion individually so I had to shake it every time I used it since I store my beans in a separate tightly sealed container. The other problem is it generates static electricity that causes the ground coffee to stick to the bin and fly around. However, it creates a decent grind for drip or espresso for the money.

I replaced it with a Saeco Titan, available from Costco for $100. It doesn't have any of the Krups' problems, but I did need to take it apart and adjust it to grind beans fine enough for espresso. After that adjustment I'm completely satisfied with it.

If you need an espresso grind and aren't willing to adjust the Saeco, Gaggia makes some reasonably priced espresso grinders (<$200).
 
In the interest of full disclosure, I am employed by Starbucks. I'm a "Coffee Master" within SBUX but that is merely an internal designation that says I've studied A LOT about coffee, taken several tests and passed a taste test differentiating coffee flavors based on the region of the world it was grown in.
Like wine, coffee has a flavor profile that is unique to the region, cleaning method, and roast. Also like wine, your pallate will learn to appreciate different coffees as you develop your taste for it.

As stated, a coffee press is always the most pure way to enjoy coffee. It's actually how we do the vast majority of our coffee tastings here at SBUX corporate office.

Next, per brntorng's suggestion it's OK if you freeze your coffee but do so only if the airtight bags are unopened. If you are using Starbucks bags put a piece of tape over the air lock (logo) NEVER refrigerate your coffee beans. The condensation on the bean will ruin them.

Since you are a coffee novice I'd go with a lighter roast. The darker roasts can be a little jarring to new coffee drinkers albeit if you continue to drink them you'll likely learn to appreciate the Italian style roasting.

I won't offer too much help because it's important to let you experience your own coffee tastes. If you'd like advice later please shoot me a PM.

Simply put, there are 4 fundamentals to good coffee:
1. Proportion (ensure you have the right amount of water to coffee)
2. Grind: ensure correct grind for your brewing method (essential)
3. Water: Start with fresh cold water then heat. Water heated to just off a boil (195° to 205° F; or 90° to 96° C) is perfect for
extracting the coffee’s full range of flavors. Any cooler, and the water can’t
adequately do the job.
4. )Freshness: coffee (purchased from a local roaster or a gourmet coffee brand). Coffee is a perishable item. For example, when a bag of Starbucks coffee is open we strongly recommend you consume it within 2 weeks.


I find it interesting that Breakfast Blend is the coffee of choice by some on here. The first time I did a cupping with that coffee I gagged. In fact, when I tried it amongst a lineup of 20+ coffees it was my least favorite. It was introduced by Starbucks for a certain market for the customers of a certain company we purchased. It lacks the richness and complexity that most of our other coffees offer. Internally we call it our "Starter coffee" as it is the most like your mass market Folgers/Maxwell House/Nestle.

I have to laugh at the notion that Folgers (et al) gets the best coffee. You could make the argument that they get the best Robusta beans but then Arabica are the quality beans. The mass market brands like Nestle and Maxwell House also do a lot of peculiar things to ensure the coffee keeps it's weight because, afterall, we buy coffee by the pound. So, things like grinding the coffee bean with the post-roast chaffe still in the bin help add some weight. They also dry out their coffee beans after they are roasted because they can't package them when they are still putting off so much gas or the packages would simply explode.
 
Seattle Husker, thanks for the insight. I'd be interested to know which Starbucks roast you prefer. I certainly have not tried them all. In fact, in the past 3 years I've probably only bought 2 pounds of roasted coffee since starting to roast my own. I just don't like over-roasted beans that taste burned and Breakfast Blend, although not a great coffee, is not over-roasted and therefore does not taste burned like all the other Starbucks beans I've tried. I much prefer the unique flavors present in properly roasted high quality single origin beans that I can achieve with home roasting.

BTW, I'm currently reading "Uncommon Grounds" by Mark Pendergrast. It's amazing how coffee has played such a significant role in world history for so long. I haven't gotten to the Starbucks chapter, yet, so I'll withhold further comment re your employer for now.
wink.gif
 
The Serena Organic Blend is my good 'ole reliable that I keep coming back to. It's a medium bodied coffee with the earthiness of an African coffee but with the faint acidity of the Latin American varieties. Though most of the "coffee conissuers" at SBUX prefer the Indonesian coffees, their acidity is a little too much for my tastes.

If you want a truly unique taste try the Arabian Mocha Sanani which is from Yemen. Unlike other regions of the world in which they pick the coffee cherry directly from the tree then either process is via the washed or semi-washed methods, the Yemeni's actually let the cherry dry on the tree then pick it up off the ground. With the fruit drying out directly onto the bean you get a highly concentrated berry note in the coffee. I've tried coffees from all over the world (both SBUX and others) and this coffee was the most stunning, even in side-by-side cuppings with a few dozen other coffees.

Uncommon Grounds is on my list of books to read. I'll be curious what it has to say about Starbucks.
 
The Serena sounds like a good blend. I may give it a try sometime.

I just finished a batch of Yemeni beans and they were definitely wild. Not something I want on a regular basis, but an interesting change-up. If you want an interesting read about Yemeni coffee, check this out: Yemeni Coffee Culture. The beans I got from Yemen resulted from this trip.
 
Brntorng,

Is this a good burr grinder? It's on sale at cooking.com and has a high rating. I was looking at Sweet Maria's website and was thinking about buying the sample pack but wanted to ask what's your favorite? I like bold/earthy coffee with low acidity. I usually buy Ethiopian coffee from World Market or Gold Coast from Starbuck's.

Capresso Black Infinity Conical Burr Coffee Grinder

206534e.jpg
 
The Capresso Infinity is a good choice for anything other than espresso where it gets mixed reviews. If you are currently making espresso or intend to in the future you may want to choose a different grinder.

Sweet Maria's Sampler Packs are green coffee beans that you'll need to roast yourself. If you're going that route I suggest trying a variety; you never know what you're missing unless you give it a try. I rarely buy more than a pound of any one selection. I like the variety and it keeps it interesting every time I roast and brew a new bean. I do end up liking some more than others, but there's never been one that I didn't like.

Also, every lot of coffee beans is unique and the roast and brewing process has a lot to do with the end result. That makes it difficult to recommend a specific region, although regions do tend to produce beans with similar characteristics. Ethiopia is one region with a wide range of character so there may be some you like and others you don't. Sweet Maria's does a good job of describing the common characteristics of each country's coffee. Here's the one for Ethiopia. At the bottom of the page are links to other countries. In addition, every lot they sell is described in gory detail on these pages.

Alternatively, Tom at Sweet Maria's offers a weekly roasted coffee choice. The price is very low for such an exceptional coffee. The current offering is a Guatemalan that I've roasted and it is very good. Perhaps a bit bright (acidic, but in a good way) for your taste, but you may want to give it a try. It's almost certainly much better than anything you'll get from Charbucks or World Market.
 
Thanks, I don't make expresso but have often thought of buying one of those italian coffee makers that you put on the stove, not sure what its called. I think I'll purchase the grinder.

I usually buy coffee at World Market and grind it at the store and store in the freezer. I've had my last batch about a month. I only make coffee at home on weekends using my Bonjour 32oz (8 cup) french press. I usually put in 8 large tablespoons in the french press. I would like to buy some already roasted beans, how much do I need to buy given my frequency? I'm thinking 1lb every 2 weeks.
 
Go ahead and get a pound, but divide it into weekly portions. Freeze the portions in Ziplock freezer bags with as much of the air squeezed out as possible. Better yet, vacuum pack the weekly portions if you have a vacuum sealer. Take the portioned beans out of the freezer when needed and grind them just prior to brewing. You may notice the bags very gradually filling with air. That's normal for freshly roasted beans since they outgas CO2. You just don't want them outgassing so much that they open the ziplock bag in the freezer. That shouldn't happen due to the time they spent outgassing while in transit, but keep an eye on it.

I suggest trying a pound from Sweet Maria's just as a benchmark for what you can get locally. This week's Guatemalan selection is a good one. It would be interesting to hear your reaction to perhaps the best coffee you've had.

One other suggestion. Consider preheating your French press with some hot water before making your coffee. I heat about a half or third of a pot of water and then pour that in the press. I leave it there to preheat while I heat the full pot of water. Then, I pour out the preheat water just prior to adding the ground coffee and hot water. This helps your coffee to be brewed at the proper temperature, a critical step in the process.

The Italian stovetop coffee maker is a Moka Pot. They make a very strong brew that some people like. It's not espresso, but it is strong.
 
Damn Brntorng, lots of great info. One more question, I was ordering the coffee that they roast and ship weekly and noticed that since I have to buy 2 bags ($9ea) minimum $15 to ship, plus $10 for shipping = $28. For $10 more I could buy the WhirleyPop 6 Quart Roaster with an 8 bag sampler. Is the Whirley Pop a very good roaster? This seems like a much better deal, 8 1lb bags and a roaster for an extra $10.

Whirley Pop 6
 
I've never used the Whirley Pop roaster, but I've read about people who use that technique very successfully. You need to understand that roasting coffee generates nasty smelling smoke so you need to have a place to do it outdoors or have a range vent hood that vents outdoors, not just back into the kitchen.

Another popular roasting method is an air popcorn popper. It's how I started and I found mine at a resale shop for $5. It's limited to about 1/4 pound at a time, so if you're doing quite a bit it takes a while although each batch only takes about 5-7 minutes or so. That's an advantage of the Whirley Pop since it can do a larger batch.

The web is full of information for home roasters, so do some homework before you get started. Sweet Maria's is a perfect place to start reading. A thermometer is a good investment to enable better monitoring of the roast. I use a digital thermometer with a thermocouple. It's not mandatory, but a few types of beans don't make a very noticeable "pop" so it's hard to know when to stop the roast without a thermometer. It's easy once you get the hang of it, but expect to screw up a batch or two to begin with. I find this guide to be a valuable reference when roasting. Note that Tom recommends a roast level for every bean based on his sample roasting and cupping for that lot. That takes most of the guess work out of it.
 
Community coffee is something you will wither love or hate. I remember makingthe dark roast on oil rigs for the workers and even they could not drink it black.
 
I haven't tried them and they may be good coffees but I'd be nervous from any rating service that rates coffees from companies that sponsor the site. Notice that all their highest rated coffees also happen to be their "sponsors".
wtf.gif
 
If you're interested in ordering excellent roasted coffee online, take a look at Stumptown. They tend to roast beans similar to what you'll find as green beans at Sweet Maria's. For example, they have the Nicaragua Cup of Excellence winner for a mere $80 per pound. Tom at Sweet Maria's bought the #9 place winner which was his favorite from the competition. I'm drinking it this week and paid $9.80 per pound green.

Don't worry, most of Stumptown's beans are much less than $80 a pound. Also, browse over to their main site for their brewing guide and other info.
 
Do particular beans have to be roasted a certain way? Another words, I like Sumatra coffee and I've only bought beans at Trader Joe's, Starbucks and World Market and the beans are dark roasted. Can Sumatra beans be medium roasted or does a certain roasting bring out their flavor?
 
Seattle will love this tale-I was tired this afternoon, so I made some coffee (White Rock Coffee's Sumatra Mandheling- "Vienna Roast") to take to my 5:30pm-7:00pm class. I added a tad bit of dulce de leche from the fridge (basically condensed milk & sugar) to take the edge off. (I prefer "City Roast" and will probably not buy "Vienna Roast" when I'm back in Dallas this week.)

I brought my own "to-go" mug from the States. It is a steal mug with plastic handle and a sliding plastic piece to cover the drinking hole. It is from LOONEY BEAN Coffee Roasting Co. in Mammoth, CA. I bought it when I was snowed in the New Year's Night before the UT/USC Rose Bowl.

Anyway, here is the slogan on both sides of the mug:

"Life is too short for burnt coffee."

I wonder what they are referring to?...
confused.gif
wink.gif
biggrin.gif
tongue.gif


Looney Bean: The Link
 
I've gotten so use to drinking burnt coffee beans from Starbucks everyday that I wouldn't know what a good cup tastes like.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Weekly Prediction Contest

* Predict TEXAS-KENTUCKY *
Sat, Nov 23 • 2:30 PM on ABC

Recent Threads

Prediction Results Threads

2024 Schedules

Back
Top