[Kirosia]

It just tasted like burnt swill. I was actually drinking the numerous concoctions I made yesterday (to try and adapt my palate), and I was ready to vomiy at the end of the night. This just can't be what coffee tastes like. Oh well, we'll see in a week.

 

[immtbiker]

Interesting related story. On my honeymoon in 1984 I had, what is still the best coffee I've ever tasted in my life in Jamaica W.I. It was Blue Mountain.

As soon as I got home, I went to the West Village (as in Greenwich) and bought some exotic Blue Mountain right out of the sack from a coffee specialties store but it just didn't taste the same. I went back and he told me that Jamaican mountain water is very "earthy" (ganga-like) and without it, I will never be able to duplicate the taste.

I boil my water after going through a GE filter, so I get rid of the harsh contaminates and the pesky NYC parasites. The water is tasteless and gives the coffee a chance to be all it can be.

 

[Chiliman]

How many of you drink your coffee black? At the very least I have to add milk to mine, Coffee is just too bitter for me.

 

[kugino]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chiliman /img/forum/go_quote.gif How many of you drink your coffee black? At the very least I have to add milk to mine, Coffee is just too bitter for me.

it could be that you haven't had properly roasted and brewed coffee, then. good coffee should not be bitter. yes, i've had bitter coffee and nothing - not even milk - can save that.

 

[kugino]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kirosia /img/forum/go_quote.gif It just tasted like burnt swill. I was actually drinking the numerous concoctions I made yesterday (to try and adapt my palate), and I was ready to vomiy at the end of the night. This just can't be what coffee tastes like. Oh well, we'll see in a week.

sent you a little package today

 

[Kirosia]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kugino /img/forum/go_quote.gif sent you a little package today

Awesome, thanks ku!

If this and the new batch from Intelly don't pan out, I'm just gonna claim tin tongue and go back to D&D.

 

[Chiliman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kugino /img/forum/go_quote.gif it could be that you haven't had properly roasted and brewed coffee, then. good coffee should not be bitter. yes, i've had bitter coffee and nothing - not even milk - can save that.

Really... Is there anywhere I can go that will make me a cup that won't be bitter? (Peets?) I just don't want to get too deep into this game before I realize that I just dislike the taste of coffee. When you say not bitter, do you mean, only slightly bitter, or not bitter at all.

Will espresso taste bitter if properly brewed? Black espresso makes me want to throw up, but I love a good mixed coffee drink. (Latte, Cappuccino - Both usually with some kind of sweetner.)

I plan on purchasing a French press in the near future, and I have a cheap Krups espresso machine that I got at a garage sale, but I do not own a grinder, are there any cheap, yet good, coffee grinders that I could purchase?

 

[kugino]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chiliman /img/forum/go_quote.gif Really... Is there anywhere I can go that will make me a cup that won't be bitter? (Peets?) I just don't want to get too deep into this game before I realize that I just dislike the taste of coffee. When you say not bitter, do you mean, only slightly bitter, or not bitter at all. Will espresso taste bitter if properly brewed? Black espresso makes me want to throw up, but I love a good mixed coffee drink. (Latte, Cappuccino - Both usually with some kind of sweetner.) I plan on purchasing a French press in the near future, and I have a cheap Krups espresso machine that I got at a garage sale, but I do not own a grinder, are there any cheap, yet good, coffee grinders that I could purchase?

i would not recommend peet's to be the first foray into black coffee if you get it brewed at the shop. peet's roasts dark and they also make really strong coffee. it's good, but a bit strong for someone who's not used to strong coffee.

if you brew your own coffee just follow the normal dosage and it should be the proper strength. there are two things to consider: quality of the beans (how long ago was it roasted? how fresh is it?) and proper brewing. most people tend to use beans or pre-ground stuff that's stale and past their prime freshness. roasted beans usually only last for about 10-14 days. anything past that and it is stale. even keeping it in the fridge doesn't help. just keep it in an airtight container that's preferably out of sunlight. and don't freeze beans. this is also why it makes sense to buy a little at a time if you do buy beans from peet's. just enough to last about 10-14 days.

then, you want water at the correct temp. and also have the proper brew time. with a french press this would be water at around 195-200 F and brewed for about 3.5-4 minutes. assuming the beans are fresh and properly ground, you'll get a nice cup that isn't bitter, but that has different flavors depending on the origin.

espresso will be bitter, but it shouldn't be SO bitter. coffee naturally has bitter flavors but extremely bitter coffee/espresso is probably due to bad beans and a bad extraction.

so in my experience even properly done espresso is a bit bitter, but not that bad, while properly brewed coffee, b/c of the amt. of water used, does not taste bitter at all. but that could be b/c i'm used to black coffee...

the best way to see whether you like black coffee is to brew a good cup yourself using a french press. that's the best way to ensure that you have all the variables taken into account.

sorry for the long rant...

 

[Chiliman]

Thank you, that was a great post! Very Informative.

Ok, I think I will get a french press sometime soon. What about a grinder, is there a good cheap model that I can get? Any beginner "sets" that you guys could recommend?

Man, college this year has turned coffee into a necessity! This site kills me, I swear...

 

[Kirosia]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chiliman /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ok, I think I will get a french press sometime soon. What about a grinder, is there a good cheap model that I can get? Any beginner "sets" that you guys could recommend?

The Bodum Antigua ($60-80) is probably the cheapest you can get away with. You can also try a refurbished Baratza Maestro ($75). http://www.baratza.com/refurb.php

 

[immtbiker]

There's nothing wrong with a Krups or a Braun.

 

[rb67]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chiliman /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ok, I think I will get a french press sometime soon. What about a grinder, is there a good cheap model that I can get? Any beginner "sets" that you guys could recommend?.

In my opinion, you don't really need a burr type grinder. A nice blade grinder will set you back about $20-30. Your grind won't be as precise, but it's a heck of a lot better than spending your money on a really nice grinder (when you're on a college budget). You don't absolutely need a burr grinder. They're luxury items IMO and you're better off spending money on really nice beans.

I have had this one and it's brought me through 3 years of college. (got it soph. year)
The Krups grinder.
http://www.amazon.com/Krups-203-42-T...3119105&sr=8-1

I use a french press, so you shouldn't have problems there. It's just getting to know the consistency of grind that you want.

 

[kugino]

i'd agree with the non-necessity of a burr grinder. the advantages of a burr grinder are that you get a more consistent grind and at much lower temperatures. the blade-type grinders chop the beans at very high speeds and it's difficult to control how big the pieces are. for a french press the blade type grinder will work well enough.

if you want to get into espresso, though, a burr grinder is a MUST.

 

[immtbiker]

This is what I'm saying. I've been using this one for 10+ years now, for both my French Press and my Expresso maker:

 

[Sarchi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob_McBob /img/forum/go_quote.gif Bialetti Brikka - The only moka pot that brews with enough pressure to produce crema. See photo and video. The 2 cup version is the one to get.

Thanks - this just went on my Christmas list! I'm on my second Bialetti but only on rare occasions do I get any 'crema'. Musa is the one I have now. I find the Bialetti makes a good cup of coffee and is pretty convenient to use (travels well also), so for the price I recommend it highly. The only problem I've had is the gasket stretching/coming loose, and it was usually my fault-- leave it on the burner with no water for a few minutes and the gasket will start to melt, there's no getting around it.