I Have a Coffee Recommendation

win231

win231

SF VIP
Location
CA
Sometimes, I'll try a new coffee, mostly out of curiosity. I usually stick with one that I like because I'm usually disappointed when I try a different coffee & I'm picky about coffee.
Today, while shopping at Trader Joe's, I decided to try a new one. It has their own brand label on it.
It's "Organic Fair Trade Five Country Espresso Blend." I love it. Even before tasting it, I could tell I'd like it from the smell while brewing. It's a dark roast & the beans are shiny/oily, which is the result of longer roasting, but, unlike other dark roast brands, this coffee does not have a burned taste.

The label says the beans come from El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru & Sumatra, Indonesia. It's whole bean - the only kind I use; I grind just before brewing. It comes in a round, reusable can & it says it's "Nitrogen Flushed for freshness." That ain't no lie; I could tell it's fresh because it really bloomed (foamed) when I added the hot water (referred to as a "Coffee Volcano.") The blooming & foaming is caused by Carbon Dioxide, produced during the roasting process, which is an indication of freshness.
The "Best By" date is 1-5-24. It's $9.95/13 oz.
 

Just in time with this thread. Grinding my first beans in a long time for Saturday coffee. My question. How coarse or fine should the grind be?

Using French Roast beans. Like my morning coffee dark and strong - lightened with a bit of fat free CoffeeMate and a light squeeze of Splenda to take out the bitterness.

I ground it pretty coarse, so thinking I'll use two paper filters to slow the flow through rather than re-grind it. Doggone coffee cost me $18 + change for a 32oz bag. It was the only French Roast I could find on the shelf.
 
I used to love going to the coffee section at our organic supermarket with my son when he was small and we would smell the coffee beans. Then I would grind the ones we had chosen. It was quite a ritual. Now, I only drink decaf because regular coffee spikes my BP and keeps me up at night. Enjoy your coffees. :)
 

ArnoldC said:
Just in time with this thread. Grinding my first beans in a long time for Saturday coffee. My question. How coarse or fine should the grind be?

Using French Roast beans. Like my morning coffee dark and strong - lightened with a bit of fat free CoffeeMate and a light squeeze of Splenda to take out the bitterness.

I ground it pretty coarse, so thinking I'll use two paper filters to slow the flow through rather than re-grind it. Doggone coffee cost me $18 + change for a 32oz bag. It was the only French Roast I could find on the shelf.
Click to expand...
I've had good brew times with a medium grind. But it's really trial & error. Too coarse a grind means less flavor. Too fine will clog the filter. It should take no less than 4 minutes to brew 12 ounces of water. If you're brewing by weight with a food scale, the standard is 22 gms for 12 oz. water. I use 23 gms; I like it bold. If you're not weighing, 2 tablespoons ground coffee for each 6 ounces water.
And an inexpensive digital infra-red thermometer will ensure the right temperature of the water, which is 195-205 degrees. Less than 195 means less flavor extraction. More than 205 means burned coffee, which tastes bitter.
I suggest using only one filter. Using two filters filters out too much of the oils in the coffee beans - along with the flavor. If the coffee is too strong, it's better to use less than to over filter it.
I also found that the Melitta paper filters are great; they have tiny holes in them for more flavor extraction than solid paper.
Since (as you noted) good coffee is expensive, it's worth it to do it right. :)
 
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palides2021 said:
I used to love going to the coffee section at our organic supermarket with my son when he was small and we would smell the coffee beans. Then I would grind the ones we had chosen. It was quite a ritual. Now, I only drink decaf because regular coffee spikes my BP and keeps me up at night. Enjoy your coffees. :)
Click to expand...
Yes, caffeine might keep me up, too. That's why I normally only have coffee between 10am & 3pm. I made an exception tonight because I knew I would never go to sleep, wondering how this coffee would taste. 😂
 
win231 said:
It's "Organic Fair Trade Five Country Espresso Blend." I love it. Even before tasting it, I could tell I'd like it from the smell while brewing. It's a dark roast & the beans are
The "Best By" date is 1-5-24. It's $9.95/13 oz.
Click to expand...
(y) My kind of coffee. Unfortunately the nearest Trader Joe's is 45 miles from here. Amazon has Organic Fair Trade Five Country Espresso Blend, for $18.90/13 oz. Outrageous, but practically speaking, is a lot cheaper than a 90 mile round trip.
 
Never got into coffee, makes my heart race and then I have a lovely panic attack. There were times, I had to stay awake when my husband was in the hospital so I drank it but it made me feel sick. He, my husband loved coffee, so it was always in the house, he made his own. Once in a while he would say let's go for coffee, I would go with but always order some kind of hot chocolate. It was a rare thing, like going out to a donut shop early in the morning.

When my son and DIL were living here, they were big on coffee in the morning. I enjoyed the smell but did not drink it. It just reminded me of the husband so it was comforting. I prefer a nice cup of tea with sugar and cream.
 
Nathan said:
(y) My kind of coffee. Unfortunately the nearest Trader Joe's is 45 miles from here. Amazon has Organic Fair Trade Five Country Espresso Blend, for $18.90/13 oz. Outrageous, but practically speaking, is a lot cheaper than a 90 mile round trip.
Click to expand...
WOW, I just checked the price on Amazon for the exact same coffee, the same 13 0z size. It's $23.40. More than double. Usually, I can find a better price on Amazon.
 
Blessed said:
Never got into coffee, makes my heart race and then I have a lovely panic attack. There were times, I had to stay awake when my husband was in the hospital so I drank it but it made me feel sick. He, my husband loved coffee, so it was always in the house, he made his own. Once in a while he would say let's go for coffee, I would go with but always order some kind of hot chocolate. It was a rare thing, like going out to a donut shop early in the morning.

When my son and DIL were living here, they were big on coffee in the morning. I enjoyed the smell but did not drink it. It just reminded me of the husband so it was comforting. I prefer a nice cup of tea with sugar and cream.
Click to expand...
I have been trying out some of the coffee substitutes, which are better for my heart, liver, and kidneys, and found that I really like chicory coffee. My favorite is an instant variety called “Chicoraya” which comes in a raspberry and a dandelion flavor . I can drink as much as I want of it, and know that it is not hurting my body. It also provides inulin, which is a natural prebiotic.


16CDFD53-E721-49A2-ACCB-1F8989CC071D.jpeg
 
Lavazza Italiano beans, use Melita or Braun or Jura burr grinder, Set for espresso fine - 1..2 clicks

Use Bialetti Moka pot stovetop

Drink in 50 ml Espresso cup, black or small bit of honey...

Heaven!

Jon
 

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The Melitta filters are the best, they never collapse or fall in, unlike store brands. I saw them and stocked up.
 
We love Illy (technically, illy; they don't capitalize the "i") brand. I use Chemex filters, non-bleached. There are a number of excellent local roasters in our region, but they only sell locally through their own outlets, such as Flying Goat.

Two that do sell by mail I can recommend as excellent:
Mr. Espresso - mostly sells to restaurants; excellent espresso: Mr. Espresso/Oakland, CA
Bella Rosa - specializes in organic Fair Trade, low acid. Excellent regular coffee, espresso, and top-notch decaf, very smooth - if you have trouble with coffee, try theirs: Bella Rosa/Sonoma, CA

I prefer the three listed over Peet's, Green Mountain, Phil's, Stumptown, Lavazza, and Cafe Bustelo.

FYI if you ever find yourself in an Ethiopian or Eritrean community (there are two large groups in San Francisco and in Oakland), almost every injera restaurant can make you a dynamite cup of smooth, perfect Ethiopian dark roast coffee or espresso. Coffee drinking is an important part of their culture and they LOVE their cup of joe!
 
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win231 said:
Sometimes, I'll try a new coffee, mostly out of curiosity. I usually stick with one that I like because I'm usually disappointed when I try a different coffee & I'm picky about coffee.
Today, while shopping at Trader Joe's, I decided to try a new one. It has their own brand label on it.
It's "Organic Fair Trade Five Country Espresso Blend." I love it. Even before tasting it, I could tell I'd like it from the smell while brewing. It's a dark roast & the beans are shiny/oily, which is the result of longer roasting, but, unlike other dark roast brands, this coffee does not have a burned taste.

The label says the beans come from El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru & Sumatra, Indonesia. It's whole bean - the only kind I use; I grind just before brewing. It comes in a round, reusable can & it says it's "Nitrogen Flushed for freshness." That ain't no lie; I could tell it's fresh because it really bloomed (foamed) when I added the hot water (referred to as a "Coffee Volcano.") The blooming & foaming is caused by Carbon Dioxide, produced during the roasting process, which is an indication of freshness.
The "Best By" date is 1-5-24. It's $9.95/13 oz.
Click to expand...
That sounds good! It has three of my favorites: Mexico, Peru, and Sumatra.

I'm particular about my coffee. It's less expensive to buy it in bulk, so I buy coffee online, 10 pounds at a time. I grind the beans myself. Their coffees are roasted fresh to order, immediately packaged, nitrogen flushed, and shipped. Shipped for free if you order $50.00. Lately I've been drinking Organic Mexican Chiapas and Organic Peruvian. Both are $47.95 for a 5-pound bag.
 
Bella said:
my favorites: Mexico, Peru, and Sumatra
Click to expand...
I found some of the best coffee I've tasted at The Pilot Flying J truck stop
It's brewed from the beans per order
I thought about buying wunna those brewing machines
Heh.....they're $20K
Suddenly their cups at $2.50 seemed quite reasonable
I like their Colombian

flying j coffee.jpg

Other than that, Costco's Kirkland Colombian is for me
The 48oz cans were around $10 last I bought

kirkland.jpg

However, when on the road, MacD's coffee is just fine at a buck
 
Gary O' said:
I found some of the best coffee I've tasted at The Pilot Flying J truck stop
It's brewed from the beans per order
I thought about buying wunna those brewing machines
Heh.....they're $20K
Suddenly their cups at $2.50 seemed quite reasonable
I like their Colombian

View attachment 264211

Other than that, Costco's Kirkland Colombian is for me
The 48oz cans were around $10 last I bought

View attachment 264210

However, when on the road, MacD's coffee is just fine at a buck
Click to expand...
"I found some of the best coffee I've tasted at The Pilot Flying J truck stop"

Same here, whenever on a road trip and ready for coffee I start looking for a Pilot Flying J truck stop. Especially when leaving a hotel, GPS nearest one lol.
 

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