Coffee suggestions?

oldsak

So I'm going to try getting into coffee. I like coffee, but it's never been a regular thing for me. I'll usually only drink it socially after dinner or if i'm travelling and wind up regularly in diners or cafes. I've never needed it in the mornings as mornings are usually my most productive time anyway.

Now that I'm a student again, I figure it could be pretty good to turn to for those late nights studying. Plus it's supposed to be generally good for you, so why not? I've purchased a little coffee maker so I can brew my own at home. Not having a lot of experience with coffee, I find I'm lost when faced with the breadth of options on the coffee market today. I plan on looking into the fair trade coffee as my friend strongly advocates that, but I'd like to sample anything else people might suggest as being worth my while.

I usually take it with a little milk, though on occasion I've found a little chocolate as well is quite enjoyable.

MichaelLC

I like Starbucks. Either Verona or Komoda Dragon.

The beans are not as important as the proper brewing of said beans.
EDIT: That is, you can still make expensive beans taste like crap if brewed poorly.

1) Always buy whole beans, never have the store grind them.
2) Blade grinders are OK, burr grinders are better, but more $$
3) Buy an air-tight container to store the beans in, unless you;re going to go through them quick.
4) General measurement is 2Tablespoons of grounds per 6oz cup. You'll have to play with it for your beans and machine.

Pheezer

Actually, you really want to return that coffee maker and get a french press instead.

Then buy whole beans, and a burr grinder. Grind the beans to a uniform but relatively coarse consistency, and drop them into the bottom of the french press. Then add boiling water, give it a few minutes, and press the filter down.

Store your beans in a freezer bag in the freezer.


In terms of bean selection, the two ends of the spectrum are dark roast and mild roast. Mild roasts tend to be a good deal more acidic, dark roasts can have an almost ash-like or cocoa-like flavor. I strongly prefer dark roasts. Get a 1/2 pound bag of each from a local coffee shop that specializes in selling beans and work from there. Once you know which end you prefer, start sampling different blends from different parts of the world that lie on that end of the spectrum.

Also if you can get locally roasted beans, you'll probably find they're better than anything pre-roasted you can get at a Starbucks or a grocery store.

The Cat

There's no point drinking it too regularly, the effects wear off pretty quick and you only feel more efficient without any measurable improvement. Plus, it tends to hamper the metabolism.

That said, its enjoyable semi-regularly, and invaluable on occasion. I'd steer clear of the real sugary recipes, but definitely go for the fair trade stuff. If you want to get a feel for different varieties, goto wiki and have a read. And you can too have the store grind the beans, so long as you store them properly. Airtight is essential, and maybe a dark place.

MichaelLC

The Cat wrote: »

...And you can too have the store grind the beans, so long as you store them properly. Airtight is essential, and maybe a dark place.

Well, yeah, if you're going to use them up every week, but if it's a more once-an-awhile thing, I'd rather keep them whole. Kind of like editing a digital pic; you want to keep the hightest quality for the longest time before you go turning it to a 320x240 shot and posting it on Facebook.

ViolentChemistry

Stovetop espresso! Personally I mostly only drink espresso (though I have french-press sometimes if people have a press) for coffee because it has some body, texture and a more complete flavor than drip. French press is good for the same reasons, but espresso is significantly thicker and you drink it out of sweet tiny cups with little saucers and is complimented perfectly by a nice cigarette.

misbehavin

Gevalia!