What makes 'good' coffee?
Discussion
Coffee threads on here more often than not end up in 'Starbucks/Costa/Nespresso' is terrible and nothing less than the finest espresso hand crafted by Luca in Milan will do yet I often find myself wondering just what is a good coffee?
For reference I normally drink cappacuino or espresso, I've had obviously bad ones from the usual high street chains, no flavour, burnt beans etc but I've also had very good ones which compare favourably to the award winning indie coffee bars I've had them from.
For reference I normally drink cappacuino or espresso, I've had obviously bad ones from the usual high street chains, no flavour, burnt beans etc but I've also had very good ones which compare favourably to the award winning indie coffee bars I've had them from.
what makes good coffee?
well, imo, that is incredibly subjective.
one mans luxury will be another mans bog water.
but, i like the costa and cart noir tassimo lattes
other than that, i like slight chocolaty and nutty ones. (proper coffee not instant, that just give me gut ache)
I have only found one 'highstreet' coffee shop to serve 'alright' coffee, even then it wasnt that good, the rest are just awful... just taste of burnt beans and bitterness.
well, imo, that is incredibly subjective.
one mans luxury will be another mans bog water.
but, i like the costa and cart noir tassimo lattes
other than that, i like slight chocolaty and nutty ones. (proper coffee not instant, that just give me gut ache)
I have only found one 'highstreet' coffee shop to serve 'alright' coffee, even then it wasnt that good, the rest are just awful... just taste of burnt beans and bitterness.
Edited by Slink on Wednesday 22 May 22:22
Coffee at an Indian restaurant in town. I sometimes pop in at 02:30AM on a Sunday morning when I'm working (and Saturday night is still in full swing!).
The coffee is sweet and rich with a later of cream on top. It's hot, but not too hot. The cream breaks up and eventually colours the black coffee just a little. It is exquisite when you come in from the cold.
The coffee is sweet and rich with a later of cream on top. It's hot, but not too hot. The cream breaks up and eventually colours the black coffee just a little. It is exquisite when you come in from the cold.
I use Harrogate Blend No6 and a stove top coffee maker - one or 2 a day.
I find that coffee bought out is a lot weaker and doesn't taste as good. If I am forced to go to Costa, it's small Americano, black, 2 extra shots - Yesterday, however, at Kings Cross was a double espresso with 2 extra shots.
There's a great little independent coffee place in Sheffield just near the Childrens hospital
I find that coffee bought out is a lot weaker and doesn't taste as good. If I am forced to go to Costa, it's small Americano, black, 2 extra shots - Yesterday, however, at Kings Cross was a double espresso with 2 extra shots.
There's a great little independent coffee place in Sheffield just near the Childrens hospital
Problem with chain coffee for me is it tastes burnt (as in over roasted, not scorched by boiling water). I assume they roast it dark because people think espresso should be dark and burnt tasting, and they need it to have enough punch to get through the gallon of milk a typical latte is made with.
TheFungle said:
For reference I normally drink cappacuino or espresso, I've had obviously bad ones from the usual high street chains, no flavour, burnt beans etc but I've also had very good ones which compare favourably to the award winning indie coffee bars I've had them from.
Thing is, espresso and cappacino are ways of making coffee rather than types of coffee. There are only actually two coffee bean types - rustica and arabica - and 90% of world production is the former. Arabica is much higher caffeine and blows your head off if you make it the same way you brew your rustica.How the coffee tastes will depend on where its grown, because of differences in soil, sunshine hours, temperature, humidity etc and that's before you even start to look at different roasing times ways of brewing up.
Generally, high altitude beans are regarded as superior. One of my personal favourites is Ethopian rustica from the Yirgacheffe valley roasted up to the start of the second crack (full city roast).
Flibble said:
Problem with chain coffee for me is it tastes burnt (as in over roasted, not scorched by boiling water). I assume they roast it dark because people think espresso should be dark and burnt tasting, and they need it to have enough punch to get through the gallon of milk a typical latte is made with.
I have read that their beans are purposely over-roasted, the logic being that this allows for greater consistency in the coffee they serve, as well as bein a leveller for beans of variable quality. It's branding of their coffee, if you will. Zod said:
Good beans, well roasted, used at the right sort of time after roasting.
Clean equipment.
No boiling water.
No overlong extraction.
For me, a good espresso machine is the best way to achieve this, but a good cup of filter coffee is enjoyable.
That's pretty much it really. A good espresso is like thick, creamy nectar without bitterness. IMO, if you feel the need to add sugar, the barista has failed. Clean equipment.
No boiling water.
No overlong extraction.
For me, a good espresso machine is the best way to achieve this, but a good cup of filter coffee is enjoyable.
I think the biggest problem is consistency within the same shop. If you found a good, small indie place that takes pride in their coffee and trains staff properly it can work, but coffee made by someone who knows what they are doing on a well set up machine will be great anywhere provided the coffee is fresh and of good quality.
At home, filter coffee machines are great though most seem to vary depending on how much coffee you make, and a lot are difficult to make a good single cup on. I have a stove top 3 cup for times when I only need a single cup - It's a dream to use with gas though I cant get it to work well on our electric hob due to the poor temperature control. The coffee it makes is different to a high pressure machine with less crema and a slightly differnt flavour, but equally good, though perhaps lends itself to being served with milk.
To answer the question, it depends on how you drink it, where you drink it, and who you can trust to make it right. Which is not a very helpful answer. I could write 1000s of words, but I won't!
At home, filter coffee machines are great though most seem to vary depending on how much coffee you make, and a lot are difficult to make a good single cup on. I have a stove top 3 cup for times when I only need a single cup - It's a dream to use with gas though I cant get it to work well on our electric hob due to the poor temperature control. The coffee it makes is different to a high pressure machine with less crema and a slightly differnt flavour, but equally good, though perhaps lends itself to being served with milk.
To answer the question, it depends on how you drink it, where you drink it, and who you can trust to make it right. Which is not a very helpful answer. I could write 1000s of words, but I won't!
I value strength- Starbucks does nothing for me. Of the high street brands I'd favour Nero or Costa, simply for consistency.
Best coffee I've had is from Cafe Amore in Bristol, superbly strong and brilliant crema, americano with cream a real treat.
I've also found where they get their beans from, which is great... £10/kilo which keeps me going a couple of months. My Jura does a reasonable approximation of the Amore brew.
Best coffee I've had is from Cafe Amore in Bristol, superbly strong and brilliant crema, americano with cream a real treat.
I've also found where they get their beans from, which is great... £10/kilo which keeps me going a couple of months. My Jura does a reasonable approximation of the Amore brew.
denchy1 said:
This is what im drinking at the moment. With some nice warm frothy milk made in my flatmates aerochino machine.
Made in a cafetiere. Very nice.
Warm milk, variety/change and good quality are important imho.
Great blends, although the number 6 is great.Made in a cafetiere. Very nice.
Warm milk, variety/change and good quality are important imho.
The decaf, not so much...
Gassing Station | Food, Drink & Restaurants | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff