Share Your Favorite Coffee!

[MylesBAstor]

I live for the weekends when I have the free time to grind some fresh coffee beans and brew up a wonderful cup of coffee. Add some whole milk from the farmers market and we're talking ecstacy. That's instead of my normal daily weekday routine of wolfing down that DD swill where the only resemblance between real coffee and this black liquid is purely coincidental.

For the last two+ years, my go to coffee has been this medium roast Hawaiian Kona Mountain coffee that Heidi and I discovered while honeymooning on Oahu. Sometimes it's regular Kona and other times for a little variety, it's Kona Mountain Peaberry. There's just something about those small, concentrated coffee beans! When available, I also really like their K'uai coffee grown on acreage next to Kona fields.

My preferred brewing method involves a French Press (let boiling water sit for a minute, warmed up Press, add water and then cover while brewing). Simply heaven.

What's everyone else's secret coffee pleasure?

[Rob]

Costa Rica is known for their Peaberry. If you're a French press sorta guy have you tried the Aeropress? I'm a pour-over drinker and have used a number of different types over the years, lately its been the Kinto Carat coffee dripper from Japan. I get my beans form a local artesian roaster, my taste lean towards Central and South American varietals

Anyone else a fan of Sweet Marias?

[mep]

Costa Rican Tarrazu is one of my favorite coffees. Sweet Marias caters to those who actually roast their own beans don't they Rob? That's an entirely new rabbit hole to jump down into.

[Rob]

SM sells small batch roasts, its buried in their site. but yes, their focus is the home-roaster.

[Metamatic]

America and good coffee - who would have thought kidding guys, I am sure your coffee at home is better that Starbucks and alike.



After visiting Rome last year, just the corner shop in the burbs had great coffee whether it be an espresso or cappuccino. The Italian hot chocolate was to die for.

the coffee culture is huge in Australia now.

[david k]

Shot of Italian espresso and occasional macchiato. Nespresso when lazy, fresh ground when in the mood, I drink at least 5 a day.

david

[Rob]

America and good coffee - who would have thought kidding guys, I am sure your coffee at home is better that Starbucks and alike.



After visiting Rome last year, just the corner shop in the burbs had great coffee whether it be an espresso or cappuccino. The Italian hot chocolate was to die for.

the coffee culture is huge in Australia now.

my fellow coffee addicts refer to them as Charbucks.

Fivebucks is another, its what they charge for their sugary Barista-made concoctions. honestly, who likes their coffee?

[david k]

Guess I'll have one now !

david

[tom_hankins]

Pretty much all Italian Expresso's for me. I keep these three here all the time. Illy ( dark & medium roast) LavAzza, and Danesi. I go through liking one more than the other weekly. But I guess if could only have one it would be LavAzza.

[david k]

Same two makers for me too! I tried other Italian brands but what's imported here and what they sell in Italy aren't the same.
david

[Guest]

I live for the weekends when I have the free time to grind some fresh coffee beans and brew up a wonderful cup of coffee. Add some whole milk from the farmers market and we're talking ecstacy. That's instead of my normal daily weekday routine of wolfing down that DD swill where the only resemblance between real coffee and this black liquid is purely coincidental.

For the last two+ years, my go to coffee has been this medium roast Hawaiian Kona Mountain coffee that Heidi and I discovered while honeymooning on Oahu. Sometimes it's regular Kona and other times for a little variety, it's Kona Mountain Peaberry. There's just something about those small, concentrated coffee beans! When available, I also really like their K'uai coffee grown on acreage next to Kona fields.

My preferred brewing method involves a French Press (let boiling water sit for a minute, warmed up Press, add water and then cover while brewing). Simply heaven.

What's everyone else's secret coffee pleasure?

Don't live in NYC. Where do you get your Konas?

[jonathanhorwich]

Best coffee I've ever had is Sumutra Medium Organic at: http://www.oregoncoffeeandtea.com/coffee.html It is the best I could find after years or searching.

[MylesBAstor]

my fellow coffee addicts refer to them as Charbucks.

Fivebucks is another, its what they charge for their sugary Barista-made concoctions. honestly, who likes their coffee?

Actually I would have agreed with your friends' assessment of Starbucks but their new small lot, Reserve coffees are actually very good. They've had two Columbian coffees that were excellent among other coffees. So don't discount Starbucks any more.

[Rob]

the clover machine? I wasn't impressed and def not worth the upcharge. has Philz coffee hit the East coast yet?

[MylesBAstor]

Don't live in NYC. Where do you get your Konas?

I haven't seen Kona Mountain Coffee in NYC. I order their coffee online direct from Hawaii!

thanks!

[GaryB]

Next time you visit Hawaii you should stay on the Big Island (Hawaii) and visit the Kona coffee plantations in person.
Hula Daddy is pretty cool. http://www.huladaddy.com/
---Gary

[JCOConnell]

I rarely drink coffee, its too hot in Florida.

[Rob]

there's Iced coffee

[JCOConnell]

Actually, I drink LOTS of iced tea. unsweetened of course.

[MylesBAstor]

I almost fainted the other day at the local market. $100/lb for Jamaican Blue Mountain? WTF?

[metaphacts]

Myles, Jamaica is very serious about Blue Mountain authenticity. Most of what you get in the US is a blend. Best way to get the real thing, outside of bringing it back with you from Jamaica, is to order directly. Last I checked it was about $60lb.

[mep]

You can buy the real deal from Amazon. It's the same stuff I bought in Jamaica and it's around $63.00 a pound.

[MylesBAstor]

Thanks Bill, having been to Jamaica years ago will only buy the real deal. Thing was last time I looked at Blue Mt, it was around $50-60/lb. Big jump to $100.

My favorite coffee story also traces back to that Jamaica vacation. Took a tour of a coffee plantation (they raised more than coffee too) and they showed how the beans were picked, etc. After the beans were picked, they are put in big pools with rotating blades to separate out the good from the bad beans. The bad beans, due to being eaten, pecked at, etc by birds, insects, etc, have a lower specific gravity and float to the top where they are skimmed off. Our tour guide then asked us what do you think "we" do with the beans that are skimmed off the top? No answers and the host then continued, "we make them into instant coffee." All I could think of was growing up and all my parents drank was Sanka instant coffee. Yuck!

[Guest]

I love coffee from all over the world, but rarely in a blend. Different harvesting seasons bring plenty of variety across the year. Use a Baratza Virtuoso grinder and a Technivorm Moccamaster brewer. This Dutch brewer has been super reliable; had mine ~6-7 years.



I have two Coffe-Vac motorized vacuum canisters for storing beans that are in my heavy rotation hopper. A cool thingie sadly no longer made. Other beans stored vacuum packed in plastic bags. Haven't gotten to roasting yet, but it'll happen some day.

[mep]

I have a Technivorm as well except mine has the SS carafe. Making coffee always resembles some kind of science experiment when using the Technivorm machine, but it makes good coffee.

[russe41]

I use the SS one as well, I believe its the only one with the coffee industries seal of approval for brewing at the most precise temp 92-96c for extraction.

[shawnwes]

Temperature is almost as important as the coffee you choose. If you're using some kind of manual machine such as a french press, aeropress, pour over, etc you should have a kettle that displays the water temperature. Anything over about 194-200 degrees F is burning the beans. It's one of the reasons auto makers like the Technivorm as so highly regarded.