What's the secret to a good coffee?
Discussion
I'm probably going to regret asking but what the hell.... I don't drink much coffee, maybe up to eight to ten a week but I do enjoy it or would like to though I'm not supposed to drink too much (caffeine's bad for my dicky ticker according to some sources, good for it according to others). I've a Nespresso machine and I'm trying a variety of supermarket sourced different pods but I've yet to find anything 'really special'.
I also use a cafetiere and favourite in it so far has been Sainsburys 'Viennese' but I fancy a change. O/H thought she'd do me a favour and bought a bag of something from the Co-op; it was foul, smelt burnt, tasted burnt and bitter; really nasty stuff (now binned).
Because I don't drink much, I don't see any point in buying beans (or should I?) but I'm happy to spend more for a good flavour - suggestions welcome.
I also use a cafetiere and favourite in it so far has been Sainsburys 'Viennese' but I fancy a change. O/H thought she'd do me a favour and bought a bag of something from the Co-op; it was foul, smelt burnt, tasted burnt and bitter; really nasty stuff (now binned).
Because I don't drink much, I don't see any point in buying beans (or should I?) but I'm happy to spend more for a good flavour - suggestions welcome.
Beans and a counter top grinder are the way forward. You can spend a lot of money on a machine but for light use its not really worth it.
I use an areo press to good effect also.
I think one of the basic cornerstones of good coffee (besides the coffee itself) is the temperature of the brewing water, needs to be just below boiling.
I've found some good coffee in Waitrose - keep trying the various styles until you find one you like.
I use an areo press to good effect also.
I think one of the basic cornerstones of good coffee (besides the coffee itself) is the temperature of the brewing water, needs to be just below boiling.
I've found some good coffee in Waitrose - keep trying the various styles until you find one you like.
I have a Nespresso machine too as I believe it can't be beaten in terms of results vs effort. There's a whole thread on it in this forum.
However if you want a really excellent cup then for me it's Cafetiere, Aeropress as already mentioned, or Chemex. Also you want good quality coffee that hasn't been roasted into oblivion, and you want to grind it yourself for freshness. Starbucks and Costa all roast their coffee too much so that it is consistent - no matter what they buy, if they roast it enough it will eventually all taste the same.
However if you want a really excellent cup then for me it's Cafetiere, Aeropress as already mentioned, or Chemex. Also you want good quality coffee that hasn't been roasted into oblivion, and you want to grind it yourself for freshness. Starbucks and Costa all roast their coffee too much so that it is consistent - no matter what they buy, if they roast it enough it will eventually all taste the same.
The one thing you immediately notice when buying beans from a specialist is that they are a lighter matt brown colour whereas all supermarket beans are a shiny black colour.
I assume (as a no-nothing) that they try to get more flavour out of cheaper beans by over roasting them - giving a burnt taste.
Finally, I'm as lazy as they come and find there's no hassle in using a cheap electric burr grinder and an Aeropress to make my coffee. You can do all the prep in less time than it takes the kettle to boil.
I assume (as a no-nothing) that they try to get more flavour out of cheaper beans by over roasting them - giving a burnt taste.
Finally, I'm as lazy as they come and find there's no hassle in using a cheap electric burr grinder and an Aeropress to make my coffee. You can do all the prep in less time than it takes the kettle to boil.
Freshly roasted beans from a specialist are a good start. Only grind what you need for that batch of coffee. Use a decent grinder, crap ones will "burn" the beans.
Aero presses are great, pair with a good swan neck kettle and try the pour over method. If an Aero press is too much work invest in an automated pour over coffee machine.
Which ever method you use you need to experiment with temperature, brewing time, etc. it is rare to get the perfect brew first time.
Aero presses are great, pair with a good swan neck kettle and try the pour over method. If an Aero press is too much work invest in an automated pour over coffee machine.
Which ever method you use you need to experiment with temperature, brewing time, etc. it is rare to get the perfect brew first time.
Coffee is a very subjective thing. Some people favour a silky Flat White based off espresso shots, others prefer a light, floral or fruity coffee, light to medium roast, made with a filter, almost tealike by comparison. Until you can say how you like your coffee it's hard to make a recommendation. Also, don't automatically avoid decaf - there is good stuff available from decent roasteries. Look for 'Swiss Water Method' as it's 100% natural. The decaf beans I get, if you didn't know if was decaf to start with, you wouldn't tell the difference between them and a regular espresso blend.
All the above is correct and good but what you really need to do is start with the correct ingredients. Coffee deteriorates from when it is roasted and again from when it is ground. Normally a coffee will begin to taste stale 3-4 weeks after roasting. If you buy freshly ground coffee (normally referred to as speciality coffee, approx £6-8 per 250g) you'll be able to notice the freshness straight away over anything else. (You can also buy coffee around £8 - £12 per bag but then you are either shopping in the wrong places or you are paying for rarity rather than improved flavour).
Supermarket coffee is generally over roasted and will have been sitting for 2-3 months before it gets to your kitchen therefore you are wasting your time buying fancy gadgets if you're using the wrong ingredients.
To get the freshest coffee possible you need to buy beans which have been roasted within the last few days and only grind the amount you need for each brew.
As someone else said, speciality coffee is normally medium roast (roasted to a light brown colour, acidity is still increasing or has just diminished). Supermarket and coffee chain coffee will generally be dark roast when all acidity is gone and the oil from the bean appears on the surface. Around and beyond this stage the delicate flavours of the bean are lost and instead you begin to taste the roasting. This dark roasting can be used to good effect on some beans but it is mostly done to create a consistent roast that will often mask lesser quality beans.
I recommend you and others sign up to this mailing list which is a 10 day course (free over email) which explains the basics of coffee and how to get the best from it.
Coffee101
Supermarket coffee is generally over roasted and will have been sitting for 2-3 months before it gets to your kitchen therefore you are wasting your time buying fancy gadgets if you're using the wrong ingredients.
To get the freshest coffee possible you need to buy beans which have been roasted within the last few days and only grind the amount you need for each brew.
As someone else said, speciality coffee is normally medium roast (roasted to a light brown colour, acidity is still increasing or has just diminished). Supermarket and coffee chain coffee will generally be dark roast when all acidity is gone and the oil from the bean appears on the surface. Around and beyond this stage the delicate flavours of the bean are lost and instead you begin to taste the roasting. This dark roasting can be used to good effect on some beans but it is mostly done to create a consistent roast that will often mask lesser quality beans.
I recommend you and others sign up to this mailing list which is a 10 day course (free over email) which explains the basics of coffee and how to get the best from it.
Coffee101
vsonix said:
Coffee is a very subjective thing. Some people favour a silky Flat White based off espresso shots, others prefer a light, floral or fruity coffee, light to medium roast, made with a filter, almost tealike by comparison.
Or both 
Good espresso at home isn't a massively cheap or simple endeavour, but you can get some great bang for buck with filter. Chemex is great, as is the Hario V60. You need to find a source of good quality, lightly roasted beans (the great thing about filter is that you can play with lots of different single origin beans), and grind them (in a good burr grinder) immediately before use.
Honestly? There's no hard or fast rules.
An aeropress is a great shout.
I used to believe a expresso machine and grinder were the only way forward until I saw the error of my ways.
On some beans a cafetiere makes an awful bean drinkable or vice versa. Whether you have the coffee cold or hot (as in how it is served) also swings this.
Yup, it's a minefield. Monsoon Estates near me once showed a few of us this. Let's just say that a few people don't diss the cafetieres as much as they used to.
An aeropress is a great shout.
I used to believe a expresso machine and grinder were the only way forward until I saw the error of my ways.
On some beans a cafetiere makes an awful bean drinkable or vice versa. Whether you have the coffee cold or hot (as in how it is served) also swings this.
Yup, it's a minefield. Monsoon Estates near me once showed a few of us this. Let's just say that a few people don't diss the cafetieres as much as they used to.
Riley Blue said:
Thanks for your thoughts. An Aeropress will be arriving shortly and I'll be looking at specialist suppliers rather than supermarkets for beans/ground coffee from now on.
Aeropress is a great start . simple things also.Like never ever re boil water in a kettle etc .Fresh water all the time and never let it boil. Also if you are a woman and drink white coffee . Make sure you use the correct milk . And do not use Brown sugar . Adds too much taste .
brianashley said:
Aeropress is a great start .
simple things also.Like never ever re boil water in a kettle etc .Fresh water all the time and never let it boil. Also if you are a woman and drink white coffee . Make sure you use the correct milk . And do not use Brown sugar . Adds too much taste .
I always use filtered water and let it cool down for 30 seconds after boiling. I drink coffee black, no sugar (I'm not a lady...) I'm pretty sure my choice of ground coffee is largely to blame so I'm considering a subscription to The Coffee Tasting Club or similar.simple things also.Like never ever re boil water in a kettle etc .Fresh water all the time and never let it boil. Also if you are a woman and drink white coffee . Make sure you use the correct milk . And do not use Brown sugar . Adds too much taste .
I'd avoid supermarket beans altogether, they are seldom fresh. Check if there's any local coffee roasters / coffee shops which sell bags from their suppliers.
If not then there's lots of reputable roasters online.
Www.ravecoffee.co.uk
Www.unionroasted.com
Www.pactcoffee.com
To name but a few.
I'd highly recommend a grinder. If you're ok with a manual handgrinder then you can pick up a Hario Handgrinder for about 25 but it does take some effort. Then there's electric grinders; the Baratza Encore is a good one for a reasonable price - 150.
Note the above grinders are only suitable for chemex, v60, aeropress - they won't grind the coffee fine enough to make espresso. You'll have to spend a few more quid to get a grinder that can do that. I go through my coffee quite quickly so I just get my local roaster to grind the beans for me but I am considering investing in a decent grinder.
If not then there's lots of reputable roasters online.
Www.ravecoffee.co.uk
Www.unionroasted.com
Www.pactcoffee.com
To name but a few.
I'd highly recommend a grinder. If you're ok with a manual handgrinder then you can pick up a Hario Handgrinder for about 25 but it does take some effort. Then there's electric grinders; the Baratza Encore is a good one for a reasonable price - 150.
Note the above grinders are only suitable for chemex, v60, aeropress - they won't grind the coffee fine enough to make espresso. You'll have to spend a few more quid to get a grinder that can do that. I go through my coffee quite quickly so I just get my local roaster to grind the beans for me but I am considering investing in a decent grinder.
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