Coffee beans, recommendations please?

[sidaorb]

I've always been a tea drinker, not really into coffee at all, then during our holiday in France last year I got totally hooked on expresso and I mean HOOKED.

Fast forward and my partner has just bought me a Sage Duo Temp and Pro grinder, being a bloke, impatient and not bothering to check, I promptly shot off to my local supermarket and bought some beans, resulting in really ummm crap coffee.

So now starting from scratch as I realise I need freshly ground beans.

I know taste is a very personal thing when it comes to coffee, but having looked through website after website from various roasters around the country I'm a little bit overwhelmed as to where to start.

I'm trying to recreate that 'wow' buzz I experienced in the various cafes in France so looking for something strong.

Recommendations please folks.

[HappyMidget]

We use Pact at home for a weekly delivery, and then if that runs out I tend to prefer M&S beans.

What type of grinder is it you have? Burr or blade?

[sidaorb]

It's a burr grinder

[HappyMidget]

Good. It takes a bit of trial and error with each new type of bean but you need to get the grind as small as possible whilst still allowing a decent flow rate through the espresso basket. Also get a knock box (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Grindenstein-Knock-Out-Box-Black/dp/B0016J7YQM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1487756257&sr=8-3&keywords=coffee+knock+box) if you haven't got one yet.

[HotJambalaya]

Probably not much help, but there's a little ethopian guy that roasts green beans in a tiny frying pan over a flame at a farmers market near me. Best coffee ever!

As for buying them, its basically personal taste, which means lots and lots of trial and error

[Shaw Tarse]

sidaorb said:

I've always been a tea drinker, not really into coffee at all, then during our holiday in France last year I got totally hooked on expresso and I mean HOOKED.

Fast forward and my partner has just bought me a Sage Duo Temp and Pro grinder, being a bloke, impatient and not bothering to check, I promptly shot off to my local supermarket and bought some beans, resulting in really ummm crap coffee.

So now starting from scratch as I realise I need freshly ground beans.

I know taste is a very personal thing when it comes to coffee, but having looked through website after website from various roasters around the country I'm a little bit overwhelmed as to where to start.

I'm trying to recreate that 'wow' buzz I experienced in the various cafes in France so looking for something strong.

Recommendations please folks.

It was at typo wasn't it?

[prand]

Chris, the Smokey Barn dude is a PHer and does a very good mail order ground coffee and beans. I've used him a lot and coffee quality is excellent.

He usually has a wide selection of coffeee from small producers on his website, with details about the types and strength of flavours of the beans (sweet, chocolatey, acidic, floral etc), plus some useful instructional videos.

Does a fast mail order of very freshly roasted beans.

It's very hard to go back to a supermarket coffee after this sort of stuff.

[Shaw Tarse]

HotJambalaya said:

Probably not much help, but there's a little ethopian guy that roasts green beans in a tiny frying pan over a flame at a farmers market near me. Best coffee ever!

Where's that?

HotJambalaya said:

for buying them, its basically personal taste, which means lots and lots of trial and error

As he said, try different stuff http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[Truckosaurus]

prand said:

Chris, the Smokey Barn dude is a PHer and does a very good mail order ground coffee and beans. I've used him a lot and coffee quality is excellent.
...
It's very hard to go back to a supermarket coffee after this sort of stuff.

Indeed. My latest delivery from Smokey Barn has popped through the letter box this morning.

Finding coffee beans that have different flavours and don't just taste of 'coffee' was a revelation.

If you are looking for somewhere to start try Ethiopian Yirgachefe beans.

[chockymonster]

Truckosaurus said:

If you are looking for somewhere to start try Ethiopian Yirgachefe beans.

Yirgachefe is a favourite of mine. Lightly roasted it's a bit of a wild card though, it's very boozy fruit. In milk it's almost like strawberry milkshake. That'll sound bizarre to a new coffee drinker but there are more flavour descriptors for coffee than there are wine!

My favourite roaster is foundry in sheffield, (https://foundrycoffeeroasters.com/) I've never had a bad bean from them.

[RizzoTheRat]

HasBean do a subscription where you pay them every month and they send you a pack of coffee every week or month depending on what package you're on. The coffees are really good and it means you try a lot of different ones that you might not have done otherwise. They also do tasting notes and videos if you're in to that kind of thing.
https://www.hasbean.co.uk/

I've also had some from Redber in the past that's been very nice, it seems they do a subscription now too
https://www.redber.co.uk/

[F-Stop Junkie]

Also worth looking at Caber Coffee as not only is the coffee great, but they support Mission Motorsport, and one of their folk got into the news for a relay to deliver his Subaru Brat.

[LordHaveMurci]

Shaw Tarse said:

sidaorb said:

I've always been a tea drinker, not really into coffee at all, then during our holiday in France last year I got totally hooked on expresso and I mean HOOKED.

Fast forward and my partner has just bought me a Sage Duo Temp and Pro grinder, being a bloke, impatient and not bothering to check, I promptly shot off to my local supermarket and bought some beans, resulting in really ummm crap coffee.

So now starting from scratch as I realise I need freshly ground beans.

I know taste is a very personal thing when it comes to coffee, but having looked through website after website from various roasters around the country I'm a little bit overwhelmed as to where to start.

I'm trying to recreate that 'wow' buzz I experienced in the various cafes in France so looking for something strong.

Recommendations please folks.

It was at typo wasn't it?

Oh the irony

[uncinqsix]

sidaorb said:

I'm trying to recreate that 'wow' buzz I experienced in the various cafes in France so looking for something strong.

The French, in my experience, are not exactly world leaders in espresso. With the kit you've got and some decent beans, you should be able to make something much, much better than what you had in France.

First thing you need to do is get some cheapy beans from the supermarket and spend some time getting your grinder and technique dialed in properly. This will involve tipping lots of coffee down the sink. Plenty of guides and videos online (such as https://prima-coffee.com/learn/article/making-espr... Once you're pulling consistent shots with the right extraction time and volume, then move on to better beans those others above have recommended (can't help with that myself as I'm not in the UK, but avoid lightly roasted coffees that are intended for filter. They don't work well in espresso).

[IrateNinja]

I just get my coffee from local roasters in Bristol (either Extract or Wogan). They have a decent choice, so I can pick and choose.

[anonymous-user]

Silver Oak Coffeedoes some good varieties

The wild variety from Taylor Street Baristas is usually unlike any other coffee I've tasted. In a good way.

Both available to order online.

[paul789]

Shaw Tarse said:

sidaorb said:

I've always been a tea drinker, not really into coffee at all, then during our holiday in France last year I got totally hooked on expresso and I mean HOOKED.

Fast forward and my partner has just bought me a Sage Duo Temp and Pro grinder, being a bloke, impatient and not bothering to check, I promptly shot off to my local supermarket and bought some beans, resulting in really ummm crap coffee.

So now starting from scratch as I realise I need freshly ground beans.

I know taste is a very personal thing when it comes to coffee, but having looked through website after website from various roasters around the country I'm a little bit overwhelmed as to where to start.

I'm trying to recreate that 'wow' buzz I experienced in the various cafes in France so looking for something strong.

Recommendations please folks.

It was at typo wasn't it?

Just to play devil's avocado, there's no need to escape goat him.

[Shaw Tarse]

LordHaveMurci said:

Oh the irony

[SHutchinson]

prand said:

Chris, the Smokey Barn dude is a PHer and does a very good mail order ground coffee and beans. I've used him a lot and coffee quality is excellent.

He usually has a wide selection of coffeee from small producers on his website, with details about the types and strength of flavours of the beans (sweet, chocolatey, acidic, floral etc), plus some useful instructional videos.

Does a fast mail order of very freshly roasted beans.

It's very hard to go back to a supermarket coffee after this sort of stuff.

After reading that recommendation I've ordered the sample hamper from here, looks pretty decent.

I fancy buying some green beans and having a go at roasting my own at some point. Anyone have a link to an online green bean supplier?

[Truckosaurus]

Smokey Barn used to sell the green beans, so I'm sure if you asked nicely they'd ship you some.