The perfect Cup of Joe.

[Lincsong]

It's all in the beans and roast

There are two types of beans; robusta and arabica. Robusta are the lower elevation beans and are junk. Arabica are grown at the higher elevations and are supreme. Then roast them properly. A dark roast finely ground will yield a better cup that a lighter roast piled into the cone.

 

[Burma Shave]

Katt and Macawber:

Quote: "Rather than a sieve, I've found that a paper coffee filter and a funnel does the job at the cost of a slight drop in the temperature of the coffee. Cowboy coffee if temperature of the water is off the boil, (195-205?Ǭ?F, is about as good as it gets."

I do enjoy cowboy coffee, and make it while camping, I figure I've got to boil the water before drinking it, anyway, so I may as well make coffee! I do try to keep the water temperature below boiling, to avoid scorching. However hot you make the coffee itself, you can settle the grounds in the pot by adding just a little bit of cold water. Allow the coffee in the pot to settle for a minute, then simply trickle a little bit of cold water (maybe a couple of tablespoons) in the pot. The remaining grounds that are suspended in the coffee will settle to the bottom. Also, when making coffee this way, I add sugar while the coffee is steeping -- which enables me to not stir it in the cup.

 

[Burma Shave]

Oh, and Hemingway on coffee-making:

In Big Two-Hearted River: Part I, Ernest Hemingway talks about making coffee, and about boiling it.

"Nick...could not remember which way he made coffee. He could rememer an argument about it with Hopkins, but not which side he had taken. He decided to bring it to a boil. He remembered now that was Hopkins's way.

"The coffee boiled as he watched. The lid came up and coffee and grounds ran down the side of the pot. Nick took it off the grill. It was a triumph for Hopkins. ... He would not let it steep in the pot at all. Not the first cup. It would be straight Hopkins all the way. Hop deserved that. He was a very serious coffee drinker. ...

"Nick drank the coffee, the coffee according to Hopkins. The coffee was bitter. Nick laughed. It made a good ending to the story."

Good story -- and not all of it is about coffee.

I have become convinced, however, that no matter how one goes about making coffee on a campsite, it's going to be excellent. Kind of like cooking a hotdog over a fire: If it's blackened on the outside and cold in the center, it's still a darn fine hotdog.

 

[spiridon]

Anyone want to take a bet on how long before
Spiridon joins this discussion? Looking forward to it...

LOL!!! So Feltfan...did ya win!
Mmmmmmmm...COFFEE! A subject dear to my heart.
WOW, Matei I'm surprised you found the "press" to produce weak coffee. The press is my favorite mode of brewing with a Mocha pot being a close second. IMO....... the brew method, along with having the freshest roasted bean makes for the "perfect cup 'O Joe". The link that Feltfan posted earlier is a great source of info and products. Of course the best way to be assured of the very freshest coffee is to roast your own!
Very simple to do, and you just can't imagine the difference it makes. In addition to the advantage of being fresh.....roasting your own beans allows you to "custom roast" to your individual tastes.....AND pick and choose WHICH beans will be roasted with an added bonus of being able to blend different beans to create your very own "custom blend".
All you need for home roasting is a hot air popcorn popper and some green coffee beans....again, explained fully in the link that Feltfan posted.
I don't own an ibric, but do enjoy an occasional small cup of Turkish brew. My next purchase of coffee "toys" would be a vacum pot. A buddy of mine has one, and have enjoyed some brewed by this method from time to time.....a very clean cup of coffee.
As for my personal tastes, I prefer the heavy bodied and low acidic Indosesian beans with a little African or Central American bean to add just a touch of brightness. Roasted to a Full City or in some cases a full Vienna.......Mmmmmmm...HEAVEN!

 

[spiridon]

Thanks matei - the small one sounds ideal and I go near Harrods often enough; my daughter loves Krispy Kreme donuts and they fry 'em fresh at Harrods. The ibric(k) will just be for me as I can't imagine my wife liking the coffee.

Salv....you may also want to check Sweetmarias (the link that Feltfan posted)....I believe they also have ibrics.

 

[Salv]

Salv....you may also want to check Sweetmarias (the link that Feltfan posted)....I believe they also have ibrics.

I had a look around Sweetmarias, and they have some beautiful looking ibrics, but I'm in the UK and the cost of shipping one across makes them too expensive. I'll find one in London I'm sure, but thanks for the thought.

 

[spiridon]

Mmmmmmmm-MMmmmmmm!!! Drinking a cup from a recently roasted batch....a blend of Sulawesi Toraja & Kenya AA, roasted just in to the 2nd crack.....a Full City roast....brewed thru a French Press. Hard to describe the difference between this and anything that is not freshly roasted....like night & day. Another benefit of roasting your own is controlling the finished bean's exposure to air. Roasted coffee + Air= Bad.......sediment is gooooood.

 

[Dr. Shocker]

mmmm coffee........

I have been a coffee jerk for many years slinging the bean in hope to someday be talented enough to be kalled a barista (by Itailian standards) and I think its great that so many folks actually take care in thier coffee.......I drink it all which makes me a bit of an enigma in the coffee racket I enjoy espresso, plain coffee flavored coffee, and americano's while at the same time I also enjoy that wierd flavor stuff so many folks dislike..........as long as its made right your set........some interesting reading for the coffee nut


Specialty Coffee Retailer
In-depth online magazine that's got the goods on the coffee industry. Online version of print magazine.

Barista Magazine
Home of Barista Magazine serving the professional barista community.

Too Much Coffee Man

 

[Pilgrim]

Famous Quotes

...pertinent to the conversation.

In R.A. Heinlein's Glory Road (wonderful book), his hero Oscar Gordon quoth thus:

Coffee comes in five descending stages: coffee, java, jamoke, joe, and carbon remover.

 

[Sachet]

Curious

I split my time between coffee and tea and am actually becoming more a tea (Irish and Scottish breakfast) drinker everyday, but I do enjoy my cup or two of coffee in the morning. What a huge difference the quality of the coffee makes. I have been spoiled while in Europe and will only drink Illy Espresso Caffe from freshly ground beans anymore. I have been called a a bit of a coffee snob because I won't waste my money on the junk from Charbuck's. A great treat for after dinner is Vietnamese Coffee.

Why Vietnamese Coffee, ProperRogue? What do you enjoy about it over other types of coffee? It sounds delicious.

I have been looking for websites to learn more about it, but would be very interested in your reply. Also, which resource would you suggest for learning to make it properly at home?

Thank you.

...Sachet

 

[magneto]

Mmmmmmmm-MMmmmmmm!!! Drinking a cup from a recently roasted batch....a blend of Sulawesi Toraja & Kenya AA, roasted just in to the 2nd crack.....

Hi spiridon,
Ah, a self-roaster! Just curious, what do you roast with? (Always wanted to try myself...) I-roast thingy? Popcorn popper? Big pan and a fast spoon?

 

[Katt in Hat]

JAVA JIVE

Java Jive
(From the album "THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER")

I love coffee, I love tea
I love the Java Jive and it loves me
Coffee and tea and the java and me
A cup, a cup, a cup, a cup, a cup (Boy!)

I love java, sweet and hot
Whoops Mr. Moto, I'm a coffee pot
Shoot the pot and I'll pour me a shot
A cup, a cup, a cup, a cup, a cup

Oh slip me a slug from the wonderful mug
And I'll cut a rug just snug in a jug
A sliced up onion and a raw one
Draw one -
Waiter, waiter, percolator

I love coffee, I love tea
I love the Java Jive and it loves me
Coffee and tea and the java and me
A cup, a cup, a cup, a cup, a cup

Boston bean (soy beans)
Green bean (cabbage and greens)
I'm not keen about a bean
Unless it is a chili chili bean (boy!)

I love java sweet and hot
Whoops Mr. Moto I'm a coffee pot (yeah)
Shoot me the pot and I'll pour me a shot
A cup, a cup, a cup (yeah)

Slip me a slug of the wonderful mug
'An I'll cut a rug just as snug in a jug
Drop a nickel in the pot Joe
Takin' it slow
Waiter, waiter, percolator

I love coffee, I love tea
I love the Java Jive and it loves me
Coffee and tea and the java and me
A cup, a cup, a cup, a cup, boy!

2005 ?Ǭ©song-teksten.com :arated:

 

[feltfan]

Java Jive
(From the album "THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER")

I love coffee, I love tea
I love the Java Jive and it loves me

But really from the Golden Era's Ink Spots, who
recorded it in the days of the 78 rpm record.

 

[Katt in Hat]

feltfan is absolutly correct and I remember hearing them when I was a wee tad.

The lyrics on Google of their version of the song had some errors in spelig & such. :coffee:

 

[spiridon]

Hi spiridon,
Ah, a self-roaster! Just curious, what do you roast with? (Always wanted to try myself...) I-roast thingy? Popcorn popper? Big pan and a fast spoon?

Hi Magneto,
One of these days I may actually break down and purchase an honest to goodness "roaster"....but being the cheapskate that I am, I have been simply using a hot air popcorn popper for the past several years(picked it up at Goodwill for 2 bucks!). Some of my friends use the I-Roaster or a variation of the same, and they seem to work very well. Probably when my hot air popper finally bites the dust I'll spring for one. It only takes about 4 to 5 minutes to roast a batch in the hot air popper....the only complaint I have is that I am limited to roasting small batches at a time......but since I don't roast more than 3 to 4 days worth at a time, it's not too big of an issue.
One thing I DID discover not too long ago is the ability to convert one of those "stir-type" popcorn poppers into a roaster......enabling the ability to roast a larger amount at one time. I'd be glad to post some info on that if anyone is interested?

 

[ProperRogue]

Why Vietnamese Coffee, ProperRogue? What do you enjoy about it over other types of coffee? It sounds delicious.

I have been looking for websites to learn more about it, but would be very interested in your reply. Also, which resource would you suggest for learning to make it properly at home?

Thank you.

...Sachet

Hi Sachet -

Great name!

It is completely different then any other type of coffee you may have had, If you have never had Vietnamese Coffee, it is very strong and yet sweet at the same time. It is a treat like a desert, kind of like a good cognac after a great meal. It reminds me of some fabulous meals I have had with friends over the years. Besides, it one of the few things you still can?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t buy at Starbucks!

The Web site INeedCoffee has some good instructions on making Vietnamese Coffee. I personally prefer a coarse grind, like a drip grind, because it makes it easier for the water to flow through. I also prefer it without chicory as the traditional recipe calls for. Though I have had it with the Caf?ɬ© Du Mond coffee and it was very good. You can purchase a Vietnamese coffee pot at most oriental grocery stores or at QuickSpice.com for less the $5. Since it only makes a single cup, I have a few for when friends come over.

Enjoy!

PR

 

[Indybill]

I really enjoy Boyd's coffee; especially their Gourmet Medallion. I live about two blocks from where the beans are roasted, so I'm a bit spoiled in that respect. I just drop in on my way home from work every couple of weeks and pick up a fresh pound of beans.

I've tried lots of different brewing methods, but at home it usually goes into my Cuisinart brewstation, at work it goes into my DeLonghi 24 oz machine.

I agree with the statement made early on in the thread that the coffee is about 90% of the equation.

:coffee:
Cheers,
Indybill

 

[Salv]

Burma Shave - going back a few days ...

If you're going to spend entirely too much money for a pound of coffee, skip the Luwak and get a good Hawaiian Kona. Much better brew for less money. I've only had Kona a few times, and it's memorable -- I just can't afford it for regular consumption. Actually, I liked it so much that when I bought my first bass guitar, I got a Kona acoustic-electric because I appreciate even the name of the stuff!

There's a coffee seller in London - Algerian Coffee Stores - that sells a Kai Farms Kona but its ?Ǭ£14.88 per 250g (about $26.00 for just over half a pound). I'll probably splash out for it, but they also sell a Hawaiian Kuai at a more affordable ?Ǭ£8.18/$14.35 per 250g. Have you tried a Kuai, and if so how does it compare to the Kona?

They also sell a sampler pack of 3 different dark roasted coffees that I'll have to try at just ?Ǭ£4.75 for 3 x 125g packs. Plus I'm hoping to get an ibrik from them, so I'll have to get some Turkish grind coffee. I'm going to be having heart palpitations at this rate...

 

[Burma Shave]

Salv:

I haven't tried the Kuai, so I can't compare the two. The price on the Kona is reasonable -- or at least normal -- and I think you'd do well to give it a try. It's hard to say what's "reasonable" in a coffee that's about $100 per pound.

That said, the sampler of three looks great. Java and Celebes (Sulawesi) are two of my favorites, and the Malabar I've had was also excellent. As long as the roast is good, I don't see how you could go wrong with that selection. If you like your coffee oily, you'll be a happy man. That's "oily" as in natural oils, you understand.

 

[Burma Shave]

Sorry, ...

...I mis-spoke. Shouldn't have said "$100 per pound." Got my math confused. However, I have seen good Kona go for $80 per pound, so I wasn't that far off .