Message 45 of 87 (420847) 09-09-2007 6:53 PM

Espresso is way of making the coffee.

To make espresso you need a very fine grind. The coffee is fairly tightly packed. Then steam is forced through the grounds.

The result is espresso.

Regular coffee is usually best brewed by running water at between 192-196 degrees F through it. The time that the water stays in contact with the grounds is also important, a finer grind usually takes less brew time than a coarser grind.

Many folk think that the best coffee is when the water makes one pass through the grounds. Percolators make multiple passes through the grounds and so a coarser grind works best there.

Other brewers like the Mr. Coffee model flood the grounds and then control brew time by the porosity of the filter paper.

The pod and Kcup brewers are a single pass system. The coffees are usually ground just slightly coarser than espresso grind. Some like the OPOD can do one or more "brew pauses" where it runs a small amount of water through, then pauses for a second or so, then resumes.

The big advantage of the Single Serve models is precise control over the grind, the amount of coffee, the temperature and volume of water and the brew time.

There are other methods. One popular method is the French Press. It is a glass cylinder. You add grounds, pour in boiling water, wait a few and then push down a plunger that has a built in screen. That pushes most of the grounds to the bottom.

It makes great coffee but is harder to clean up and lots of grounds always seem to get through.

Message 46 of 87 (420931) 09-10-2007 10:56 AM

Coffee arabica is more fickle but produces the higher grade of beans for flavor and is what you want from any varietal coffee. It is far harder to cultivate though and usually has far smaller yields per bush.

Currently, about two thirds of the world's coffee production (by the way, coffee is the SECOND largest commodity market. Only Oil does a greater dollar volume) is arabica beans and one third is robusta.

Coffee originated in Ethiopia (or perhaps Yemen) but is grown in many areas of the world. Today there are coffees from all over the world but the top producers in terms of bags are Brazil and Columbia.

Message 47 of 87 (421084) 09-10-2007 11:48 PM

Another reason for blends is to try to capture the characteristics of a particular varietal but keep the costs low. For example, they may create a Kona Blend, 10% or so Kona but the rest Brazilian beans.

The varietals, coffees from one location or even one estate will usually have more character, but they will also vary greatly from crop to crop.

Both blends and varietals have their place. I have a half dozen or so blended coffees that I really enjoy and try to keep on hand at all times. I know exactly what they will be like and can always turn to them.

Message 49 of 87 (421161) 09-11-2007 10:42 AM

Reply to: Message 48 by FliesOnly 09-11-2007 6:43 AM

Shopping for coffee online can be a daunting task but only because there are so many sources out there now. A lot will depend on how you plan on making your coffee.

A great place to start is Sweet Maria's. It is mainly directed to the home roaster but it also has a wealth of information about ever aspect of coffee including lots of information on the characteristics of current crops from around the world.

Many of the Coffee Estates now have websites and so you can buy directly from them. If you find a label you like, do a search and see if they have an online store.

There are also companies that specialize in particular areas. For example in the Single Serve world I have been very happy with these folk.

Better Coffee
Coffee Artisan
The Coffee Wiz
Keurig

If you do try the Single Serve route, most of these sites have sampler packs that let you try different coffees before buying large quantities.

And if you just want to try Single Serve without spending lots of money, as mentioned in Message 3 Senseo is running a promotion where you can get one of their machines for just the cost of shipping.

Message 51 of 87 (421276) 09-11-2007 8:22 PM

Reply to: Message 50 by crashfrog 09-11-2007 8:00 PM

Go to BetterCoffee or one of the other pod sources I suggested and get one of their samplers.

Better Coffee Samplers

Coffee Artisan Fratello Samplers)

Coffeewiz (ask for samples

Cool Beans

All these folk will send you a few samples for free and also have larger selections available.

Once you get the Senseo use one pod from the better sources at the two cup setting with the single pod holder. If you use the Senseo pods, use one pod at the one cup setting and two pods at the two cup.

Having good coffee will make a big difference. Usually just an email to one of the suppliers telling them what kinds of coffees you like will get a few samples of the type mailed right back to you.

AbE:

Check here for more sources

Edited by jar, : No reason given.

Message 53 of 87 (421371) 09-12-2007 11:21 AM

Reply to: Message 52 by Percy 09-12-2007 5:12 AM

I have both pod machines (way to many) and a Keurig Kcup one and honestly, love both. The Keurig makes a great 8 ounce (approx) cup of coffee, is quieter than the pod machine and gets lots of use. I keep both a Kuerig and Pod machine set up at all times.

The pod machine allows greater variety, seems to be slightly more consistent on water temperature, pauses during the brew cycle can be adjusted, the water temperature can be user adjusted and is flexible over a wider range of drop sizes.

Both make great cups of coffee.

Most of the suppliers today will give free shipping over some minimum order, and prices on the Kcups seem to run between $10-13 per package of 25 (24 in some varieties) cups.

Keurig is in the process of improving the brew cycle and recently introduced a new needle design that creates greater swirl effects and so does a better job of extraction so the nuances of the coffee stand out. Right now it is on the B-70 model but will likely transition across the whole line.

Edited by jar, : take out dup line

Message 58 of 87 (423858) 09-24-2007 4:36 PM

Reply to: Message 57 by crashfrog 09-24-2007 4:33 PM

Edited by jar, : No reason given.

Message 63 of 87 (658660) 04-07-2012 9:45 PM

Reply to: Message 62 by crashfrog 04-07-2012 9:16 PM

BUT...

pod format is still the way to go. Way more variety, selection and prices.

Check out the pods from the following sites, all will fit and work in your Senseo (or any of the many, many pod type machines).

The Coffee Artisan
CoffeeWiz
Shoffee Coffee

Message 65 of 87 (658690) 04-08-2012 4:11 PM

Reply to: Message 64 by Tangle 04-08-2012 4:42 AM

Sometimes on the weekend we would all pile in the station wagon (Chevy Belair Smushed Caterpillar Green and Yellow) and head out to the "KoffeeKup Diner" for dinner. It was an old Pullman Dining Car in front with some added on in the back, all glass and stainless and still with the B&O logo beneath the windows.

When you went in there were booths across the front and a long counter with stools, stainless edged with red vinyl seats that you could sit on and spin and the big folk sat in a booth and all the kids sat at the counter on the stools, high up, even higher than the heads of the adults in the booth, and you could look out across the parking lot to the cars and trucks that were going...where you never knew...but they were going there for sure.

At one end was a Great Wurlitzer Jukebox, a thing of beauty and bubbles and lights and if you were really good GPop would give you a quarter and let you play 5 songs. We would stand before the machine flipping through the list of songs and I would read the lists to the little kids and they always got to pick... from the littlest to the biggest.

Once they made their selection I'd put the quarter in and let them push their buttons to pick their record. A shiny stainless arm came out, the records rotated until it would reach down and pick one, then gently place the disk on the spindle. The tone arm would swing out and stop, pausing before it gently lowered down to the revolving platter.

Then it was back to the stools until the record ended, when all of the little kids would run back to watch it change records.

The Wurlitzer was a source of constant amazement and joy. It had tubes with bubbles flowing that changed colors and cast colored patterns that danced across the stainless wall. When it was in all its glory, all thought of food was forgotten as you bathed in its wonder.

Message 70 of 87 (658741) 04-09-2012 9:16 AM

Reply to: Message 69 by Phat 04-09-2012 9:03 AM

Usually beans will be fine for a week or so after grinding if they were not stale before grinding.

But if you like the taste, then that really is all that counts.

Message 73 of 87 (658746) 04-09-2012 10:16 AM

Reply to: Message 71 by Tangle 04-09-2012 10:00 AM

The Moka pot is a semi-espresso process, generally making about three bar pressure forcing the hot water up through finely ground coffee.

A Moka pot is a great way to make Cuban Style coffee drinks. The secret is that as soon as the coffee starts to bubble up into the upper part pour a little of it over some pure cane sugar (in the US Sugar in the Raw works well) and stir to make a paste while the rest of the coffee perks.

The paste makes a great topping foam as you pour the balance of the coffee from the Moka pot into a demitasse sized cup.