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[mike837go]

In the WCDT the issue of the correct spelling of esprresso has been batted about.

That got me to thinking about how much I hate the stuff. It is the distilled essence of everything that is bad about coffee. Cheep beans. Overroasted. The bitterness, over-strong taste and very oily. 

A good quality South American or Middle Eastern bean lightly to moderatly roasted (cinimon-colored roast). Ground fine. Brewed using a continous flow of water not over 195F and a paper filter.

Served over a spash of milk and no sugar.

Now, that's good coffee! 

Nibble a bit a good chocolate on the side. Heaven!

[Boomslang]

I'm actually quite fond of Americano, for some reason.

It just tastes closer to what I expect coffee to taste than actual coffee. Still, I don't drink espresso by itself.

[Tiogyr]

Best comparison I can come up with is to tell you to think of espresso like the hard liquor of coffee, while regular coffee is like your given beer of choice (it's even referred to and/or served as a "shot"). I'm sure someone can come up with a flaw in that comparison, but I think it works rather well (espresso tastes best when served in a "mixed drink" of the shot + milk/cream/whatever, etc.).

[The Seldom Killer]

Brewed using a continous flow of water not over 195F and a paper filter.

Paper filter = fail. Paper absorbs the oils that basically holds a big part of the coffee flavour. If you're going to filter coffee, you'll get far better results using a gold filter, preferably in a ceramic housing.

Still, you're description of espresso is kind of off the mark. Kind of, because what you're describing there is what I've experienced from Starbucks. However, I've been to some places where the espresso is a luxurious, smooth delight and hardly described as bitter, easily as desirable as any filtered coffee. There is, after all, a reason why espresso based drinks are so prevalant on the continent. Worth bearing in mind that not all espresso uses cheap beans and they can be roasted for a range of time and/or temperatures.

So yes, espresso can be good coffee, the same way filtered coffee can be bad. It all comes down to that grey area of taste. For instance, my preference tends towards cafetiere coffee in the morning, espresso based coffee during the day and filtered coffee of an evening.

[pwhodges]

Paper filters remove oils which are implicated in raising blood cholesterol levels.  Taste vs  health, eh?

[The Seldom Killer]

Yep, it's the same reason I don't filter bacon.

Although more seriously, there are greater health concerns in the modern western diet than the impact of coffee on cholesterol and even without those, a more holistic lifestyle approach to cardio-pulmonary health is more important than a diet management only approach. Sacrificing taste for health is often a false economy.

[pwhodges]

I doubt it has a serious impact on either taste or health, frankly.

[Carl-E]

I described part of what caffeine does to me in the WCDT thread, but I'm also the recipient of what appears to be a family curse.  There's an amino acid in coffee (I forget the name) that burns a small amount of iron in the blood.  It's not related to the caffeine, either - it's in decaf, as well. 

My system over-reacts to this amino acid.  The same happened to two of my maternal uncles, and my maternal grandfather (my mother is unaffected, it seems to be a gender-biased reaction).  But it is definitely hereditary. 

After drinking two cups of coffee (OK, two 10-12 oz mugs), I would get pale and pass out in the afternoons.  I had not drank coffee regularly before college, this started my junior year when I started drink it more regularly.  I went to give blood, and the stick was so low in iron that the nurse asked me, "Why are you still conscious?" 

A visit to the doctor, and a long talk with my mother confirmed my condition.  More than an 8 oz cup of coffee a day = anemia, plain and simple, even with  iron supplements. 

And so, I am a tea-totaller.  My favorite (but I haven't seen it for years) was something called "Morning Thunder", which had a good strong blend of black tea and chickory, along with some cinnamon and vanilla flavors.  The caffeine level was somewhere between an avereage cup of coffee and an average single shot of espresso...

Just right!

[Is it cold in here?]

I don't understand why cold-brew is so widely neglected. If you're not in a hurry, you get plenty of flavor out of the beans without risking overheating them.

[Kugai]

Meh

I prefer Filter Coffee anyway

[DSL]

I like the stuff out of the vending machines at the convenience stores ...

[TheEvilDog]

Urgh. Coffee, the stuff makes me sick, literally. I have even the slightest taste of it I get extremely bad migraines for the whole day. (So its handy that I hate the stuff anyway  )

Long live English Breakfast tea!

[Boomslang]

Urgh. Coffee, the stuff makes me sick, literally. I have even the slightest taste of it I get extremely bad migraines for the whole day. (So its handy that I hate the stuff anyway  )

Long live English Breakfast tea!

I wonder what's in coffee that does that- it's definitely not the caffeine.

[Carl-E]

Maybe it's that flippin' amino acid...  I didn't get headaches, but I'm told I was horribly irritable and snapped whenever I spoke. 

Then I'd faint.  Well, not always, but often enough. 

I don't understand why cold-brew is so widely neglected. If you're not in a hurry, you get plenty of flavor out of the beans without risking overheating them.

I think you answered your own question...  who the hell isn't  in a hurry to get their morning fix coffee? 

[jwhouk]

I've generally preferred to get my caffeine from Diet Coke/Coke Zero or other similar drinks. I do indulge an occasional drink from *$ (Skinny Caramel Macchiato - yeah, yeah, I know), but most of the time the coffee I drink is mild French Roast with vanilla creamer and two Splenda packets.

[bicostp]

I just make Chase & Sanborn in a stovetop percolator with a bit of salt added and a paper towel as a filter. vv

[Carl-E]

a stovetop percolator

They still make those? 

[Boomslang]

I'm pretty sure they mostly make percolators like that for camping nowadays, but you might get one that's usable on a stove top.

I know for sure there are a number drifting around thrift stores and yard sales in my area, might check those out. I've never been able to use one without having enough grounds escape the filter to basically be drinking it turkish style without the spices.


BTW, if you haven't had turkish coffee, it's very good.

[bicostp]

They still make those? 

Yup.

've never been able to use one without having enough grounds escape the filter to basically be drinking it turkish style without the spices.

That's where the paper towel comes in. Fold the ends over to completely enclose the grounds and use a decent brand and you shouldn't get much of anything floating in the coffee.

[Carl-E]

Looks like they still make the glass ones, too! 

And they were designed for a much coarser grind than you get today, that's why you didn't need a filter... I remember the grinder at the A&P when I was a kid, with the different coarseness settings - from "perk" (coarse) through "drip" (fine) to "espresso" (extra fine). 

Of course, my grampa used to talk about "boathouse coffee" where the grounds were boiled in the bottom of the pot...   

[rje]

I drink Folgers with half a cup of Land o Lakes half-an-half (cold only! unless there's only powder but I prefer cold from the fridge) an 3 packets of equal, made in a 10 year old drip coffeemaker I bought for 8 bucks at a Goodwill when I got my own apartment for the first time. I can't believe the sumabitch still works. It's so stained I think you can see an impression of Jesus in the bottom of the pot.

AM I DOING IT RIGHT

but srsly all caffine is good caffine -u-
well except instant one-cup packets
i don't like those

[TheBiscuit]

Espresso is OK. It is by no means my favourite way of preparing coffee though. It's entirely possibly that has to do with the type of bean and roast level employed at the typical espresso-centric coffee shop though. I absolutely cannot stand Starbucks coffee. I dare say some of the smaller, independant coffee shops do a decent cup of espresso.

Personally I prefer coffee from a French press. It doesn't seem quite so much of a brash and bold flavour as other types. I want my coffee to be a subtle experience and not a slap in the face. By way of beans I use Guatemalan coffee, medium roast. Sometimes Hawaiian Kona...

[Tiogyr]

I drink Folgers with half a cup of Land o Lakes half-an-half (cold only! unless there's only powder but I prefer cold from the fridge) an 3 packets of equal, made in a 10 year old drip coffeemaker I bought for 8 bucks at a Goodwill when I got my own apartment for the first time. I can't believe the sumabitch still works. It's so stained I think you can see an impression of Jesus in the bottom of the pot.

AM I DOING IT RIGHT

Folgers is seriously fucking up (only way I can make that nasty shit taste good is by putting some salt in the grounds prior to brewing, which sounds like something rancid but it actually makes a hell of an impact in the opposite direction than you'd expect), but other than that and your nasty coffeemaker (seriously, run some white vinegar through that thing a couple times and a few runs of water to rinse out the vinegar, you'll thank me later), you're still in the subjective taste range to not be too weird.

I like either Seattle's Best or Kona coffee for my drip coffee makers, but I'll use Maxwell House if I have to (Folgers is only for sheer desperation).

Screw Starbucks, the only way they make their coffee remotely drinkable is by putting so much sugar into it that you're essentially drinking a cup of liquid candy bar.

[mike837go]

Brewed using a continous flow of water not over 195F and a paper filter.

Paper filter = fail. Paper absorbs the oils that basically holds a big part of the coffee flavour. If you're going to filter coffee, you'll get far better results using a gold filter, preferably in a ceramic housing.

I like to use a paper filter for EXACTLY the reason you cite. I am looking for a 'fine wine' experience to espresso's hard liquor.

Call me even wimpier, I prefer 2% milk. Just enough for the coffee to be called light brown or dark tan.

[Occams Meataxe]

If you're drinking coffee for the caffeine remember that espresso has less than lighter roasts. All the caffeine you're going to get is in the raw bean. The longer you roast it, the more is destroyed.

I'm partial to "white coffee", roasted to the yellow stage. Once you've had it you'll realize that every cup you've had is burnt and bitter. It has a nutty flavor, a lot like barley tea.

[orinosuke]

BTW, if you haven't had turkish coffee, it's very good.

I had myself plenty of it when I was in Turkey, it's fantastic. Definitely not for everyone though, it's quite strong compared to your typical filtered coffee.

[mike837go]

BTW, if you haven't had turkish coffee, it's very good.

I had myself plenty of it when I was in Turkey, it's fantastic. Definitely not for everyone though, it's quite strong compared to your typical filtered coffee.

Correct me if I'm gnorw:

Isn't Turkish coffee ground coffee beans in a small pot with water and sugar, boiled three times and served hot?

[akronnick]

How has QC been around for as long as it has and this thread is only happening now?

It's a comic about hipsters that is set in a coffee shop. How in hell has it taken seven years before people started to get all 'SRS BZNESS!!!" about their favorite brew?

For the record, I don't drink coffee.

[mike837go]

[Dennis Rain voice]This kind of thing has happend before.[/Dennis Rain]

Check the WCDT when Hanners and then Angus tried the stuff for the first time.

It's a good thread for expressing strong opinions without offending anyone.

[Occams Meataxe]

Correct me if I'm gnorw:

Isn't Turkish coffee ground coffee beans in a small pot with water and sugar, boiled three times and served hot?

Turkish coffee. Greek coffee. Arabic coffee. Yep. They're all made like that. Best with a pinch of cardamom  in the pot.

[Welu]

I'm one of those people who'd probably get kicked out of CoD.

My favourite thing to get is a mint mocha out of a wee milkshake bar in my town. I even get my wimpy coffee out of a wimpy non-coffee house. 

[Skewbrow]

Turkish coffee. Greek coffee. Arabic coffee. Yep. They're all made like that. Best with a pinch of cardamom  in the pot.

This. I'm sad to say my sister is more skilled at rationing the cardamom. I tend to overdo it, but it is truly grand, when you get it right.

[cat_rant]

Alas my coffee is contaminated by Soya Milk. I like dairy, it just doesnt like me.

I tend towards a middle of the road medium roast coffee. I love a good Latte.

[Carl-E]

You and Angus.  My condolences - you miss the wonders of real cheese...

[Skewbrow]

Forgive me forum for I have sinned.

You see. I had this six hour stopover at an airport waiting for a connection to my small hometown, and I needed some coffee. There were two coffee shops to choose from. Neither seemed to have a really good selection of baked goodness from tSB. Neither was a CoD. At the other coffee shop there would be a 67% chance that my coffee would be served by a hairy dude instead of a hot barista. So I went to the other shop. And it was a Starbucks. For the record: I had a tall mocha and a cinnamon swirl.

[rje]

I drink Folgers with half a cup of Land o Lakes half-an-half (cold only! unless there's only powder but I prefer cold from the fridge) an 3 packets of equal, made in a 10 year old drip coffeemaker I bought for 8 bucks at a Goodwill when I got my own apartment for the first time. I can't believe the sumabitch still works. It's so stained I think you can see an impression of Jesus in the bottom of the pot.

AM I DOING IT RIGHT

Folgers is seriously fucking up (only way I can make that nasty shit taste good is by putting some salt in the grounds prior to brewing, which sounds like something rancid but it actually makes a hell of an impact in the opposite direction than you'd expect), but other than that and your nasty coffeemaker (seriously, run some white vinegar through that thing a couple times and a few runs of water to rinse out the vinegar, you'll thank me later), you're still in the subjective taste range to not be too weird.

I like either Seattle's Best or Kona coffee for my drip coffee makers, but I'll use Maxwell House if I have to (Folgers is only for sheer desperation).

Screw Starbucks, the only way they make their coffee remotely drinkable is by putting so much sugar into it that you're essentially drinking a cup of liquid candy bar.

But Folgers has a handle on the tub! A handle!
<D
But no really I mostly grab a coffee from a Speedway or something most of the time, since I never have time to make it at home anyway anymore, and idk what the stuff they have at work is. Business bulk-buy coffee. I've had Seattle's Best though, and good brands from french presses and the like...I just can't taste a difference. I mean I wish I could, friends have been 'omg isn't this coffee the best' and all I can say is 'it's sure...coffee flavored.' All I can tell is if a coffee is too strong or weak for me, but other than that, it just all tastes the same.
But to be honest, lots of cheeses, herbs, spices, meats, sauces, etc taste alike to me too. It's probably just my taste buds, expensive gourmet brands might as well be generic store brands for all the difference it makes to my mouth.
I do like the smell of more expensive coffees better though I will say that. Beans smell gud.

[Arrgh]

Espresso is really about the grind (powder-fine) more than the beans or the roast, so you can use your favorite beans and roasting level for espresso rather than something marketed as an "espresso roast." It's not like espresso beans are any different from any other coffee bean; they come from the same trees. I have my own countertop roaster and a hand-grinder for ultimate quality control, though I haven't used either in a while, since it's much easier to just pop in to Starbucks (over-roasted mediocre coffee though it is).

[Carl-E]

But no really I mostly grab a coffee from a Speedway or something most of the time, since I never have time to make it at home anyway anymore, and idk what the stuff they have at work is. Business bulk-buy coffee. I've had Seattle's Best though, and good brands from french presses and the like...I just can't taste a difference. I mean I wish I could, friends have been 'omg isn't this coffee the best' and all I can say is 'it's sure...coffee flavored.' All I can tell is if a coffee is too strong or weak for me, but other than that, it just all tastes the same.
But to be honest, lots of cheeses, herbs, spices, meats, sauces, etc taste alike to me too. It's probably just my taste buds, expensive gourmet brands might as well be generic store brands for all the difference it makes to my mouth.

Are you a smoker?  'cause that'll kill your sense of taste quicker than anything.  I still can't understand how Anthony Bourdain has a job... must be his personality.  

Also, I haven't seen a Speedway since I left Indiana... what, 16 years ago?  I went there for college.  It took 15 years (three degrees, though).  Aren't they home-based in Indianapolis (hence the name)?  

Yes, this is a roundabout way of asking where you are located.  It's not just women.   

[mike837go]

<snip> At the other coffee shop there would be a 67% chance that my coffee would be served by a hairy dude instead of a hot barista. So I went to the other shop.

DM'ing our lives, are we?

Consider yourself cited for extreme nerdism.

[Got that one from Registered Weapon another fun web comic]

[Is it cold in here?]

Related but non-duplicate thread about coffee.

[mike837go]

Related but non-duplicate thread about coffee.

[Artie Johnson voice] Verrry Interesting [/Artie Johnson]

[pwhodges]

My condolences - you miss the wonders of real cheese...

Since my heart attack my diet has had a dramatic reduction in animal fats in particular; so I only get to taste cheese once every couple of months now, instead of several times a week. 

I had cheese this evening, about ten minutes ago 

[jwhouk]

My condolences - you miss the wonders of real cheese...

Since my heart attack my diet has had a dramatic reduction in animal fats in particular; so I only get to taste cheese once every couple of months now, instead of several times a week. 

I had cheese this evening, about ten minutes ago 

You wouldn't last here in Wisconsin (aka America's Dairyland). And if the cheese didn't get you, the beer and the bratwurst would.

[est]

If you want to set up an espresso straw man with "cheap beans. over-roasted" then sure, I can see how you'd think it was pretty shit.  Mass-market espresso beans (Vittoria, Lavazza, Mokador, etc) are pretty bad, but there is a mile of difference between those beans and decent stuff like Toby's Estate, Morgans, Campos, Jack & the bean and Caffe di Gabriel.

[cat_rant]

In work we have bean to cup coffee machines. They are not bad. I negotiated the new contract rates and consumables costs. I also chose the blend and strength of coffee. The only complaints I get are when they stop working ^_^. And yes I tend to fix them too. Most of the time I can sort it out rather than call out a technician.

Thanks fir the sympathy Carl-e, I miss cheese the most. You can get soya yogurts, icecreams and what not but all the cheese substitutes are horrific.

[The Seldom Killer]

My condolences - you miss the wonders of real cheese...

Since my heart attack my diet has had a dramatic reduction in animal fats in particular; so I only get to taste cheese once every couple of months now, instead of several times a week. 

I had cheese this evening, about ten minutes ago 

You wouldn't last here in Wisconsin (aka America's Dairyland). And if the cheese didn't get you, the beer and the bratwurst would.

If you were to overlay an outline of Wisconsin on England centred on where Mr. Hodges lives, or indeed anywhere in the country, you would get a higher variety of cheeses. That's before you consider the ones we frequently import from the rest of Europe. To know of the quality available but to be so severely limited in their consumption would be too hard a road for me to tread.

[cat_rant]

My condolences - you miss the wonders of real cheese...

You wouldn't last here in Wisconsin (aka America's Dairyland). And if the cheese didn't get you, the beer and the bratwurst would.

MMMMM Beer! - Dang it!  it's only Monday afternoon I should not be wanting beer

[Is it cold in here?]

Cold brew doesn't have to slow you down if you plan ahead: it produces a concentrate you can store in the fridge and still make good coffee out of.

I ended a sentence with two prepositions! For my next trick I'll write about the kid who didn't want to hear about the book about Australia.

[pwhodges]

(As quoted by Sir Ernest Gowers in Plain Words,  presumably.)

[CompSarge]

Cold brew doesn't have to slow you down if you plan ahead: it produces a concentrate you can store in the fridge and still make good coffee out of.

I ended a sentence with two prepositions! For my next trick I'll write about the kid who didn't want to hear about the book about Australia.

I used to work for [name of coffee place omitted to avoid being sued] and we served cold brew coffee. Loved the stuff, and got my dad addicted to it. When the store ended up closing, my dad bought the commercial cold brew system from the store and started making it at home. A half-sized batch of the stuff lasts us for close to 3 weeks, so it's definitely worth it!