Been wrong for sooooo long. (A thread about coffee)

va_rider

va_rider

Wizard
fz1boone.blogspot.com
I watched a thing on the morning news the other day... talking about checking to see if your coffee is fresh... basically, you take a half cup of "fresh" coffee grounds or so, and put it in a ziploc bag.. if the bag fills with air, your coffee is actually fresh... long story short, they took 10 popular brands of ground coffee that you'd find in grocery stores, and put them to the test.... anyone want to guess how many bags rose?


..
..
...
...
...
ZERO. Not a single damn bag rose... so, even though your coffee from the store (ground) is sold as "fresh" ... it's not. In fact, after the beans have been ground, they're only fresh for about 10 days. So, if you go to the store, get a bag of beans, grind the whole bag and bring it home, by the time you get down to the bottom of that bag of grounds, the coffee is no longer fresh...

So... I've been increasingly unhappy with my coffee for the past several months... I've tried many different brands: Eight o' Clock Coffee; Dunkin Donuts Original and Dark Roast; Folgers of damn near every type; Maxwell House of almost every type; Chock Full of Nuts; Ghirardelli of many types; Several different Organic coffees, and whatever else I could really get my hands on....

The control during this whole experiment was my local bakery/coffee shop where I'd inevitably go every morning, pour out my coffee in the parking lot, and go inside and buy a cup.... I did this so much in fact, that the employees noticed I was dumping my coffee before walking in every morning... So, I ended up talking to the owner of the place, and he asked me why I was pouring out my coffee every morning before coming in... I explained to him about my quest for coffee that was comparable to what he was selling... even though his coffee was something different every day, it was always something wonderful.... he told me pretty much exactly what I expected to hear, and that was no matter how good the beans were, when you grind them, then take them home, the coffee continually gets worse and worse as it gets stale... The only solution is to grind your own...


So... finally... today I went out and got my own grinder....

This guy from Hamilton Beach:
00000113488-HamiltonBeachCustomGrindDeluxe15CupCoffeeGrinder80374-large.jpeg



K-Mart (Yeah, we still have a functional K-Mart) had it on sale for $15... so, I figured that I had nothing to lose.

I went back to my local bakery, picked up a pound of their Honduran beans, came home and ground up just enough for one pot of coffee... and viola. It's finally just as good as the stuff I was buying every morning.


So... summary being.... if you like to have a good cup of coffee in the morning... go out and buy yourself a grinder.

If you think you're getting a good cup of coffee from your store bought grounds.... you have no idea what you're missing.... Do yourself a favor. Get a grinder.
 
I'm a big coffee drinker. I'm not at all surprised with your test results. However, I also find an important component in a good cup of coffee is the coffee maker. We have a coffee company in the NW called Tulleys. I love their drip coffee; when they make it I grind their beans with my own grinder and can't get the same taste. I have them grind a bag exactly as they grind for themselves, and still can't get the same flavor. Must be something about their coffee maker.
Currently, I'm drinking coffee, ground at the store and then stored in the freezer, from Trader Joe's. (May not be in your neck of the woods) I like it well enough and they always have one of their coffee selections on sale for about $3.50/14 oz.
 
Polestar said:
I'm a big coffee drinker. I'm not at all surprised with your test results. However, I also find an important component in a good cup of coffee is the coffee maker. We have a coffee company in the NW called Tulleys. I love their drip coffee; when they make it I grind their beans with my own grinder and can't get the same taste. I have them grind a bag exactly as they grind for themselves, and still can't get the same flavor. Must be something about their coffee maker.
Currently, I'm drinking coffee, ground at the store and then stored in the freezer, from Trader Joe's. (May not be in your neck of the woods) I like it well enough and they always have one of their coffee selections on sale for about $3.50/14 oz.
Click to expand...

You should NEVER freeze coffee beans! When you do it forces the oils that are essential for flavour out. The beans will become stale very quickly. I have been grinding my own beans and brewing my coffee for many years. The trick is to buy in smaller quanity and keep it in a sealed bag at room temperature. Put a water filter on the coffee machine or use filtered water in the machine. You will notice a big difference! When you buy 1/2 lbs. it cost a little more (per pound) but the difference is worth it having better coffee, and still cheaper than take out.
 
Had no idea. I just drink one cup, and that's at 4:30 am, so taste is not that important to me.

You know the dunkin donuts coffee? I wonder if their secret is fresh.
 
Good points. Yes, I knew about this for a long time and have been grinding for years.

Ever wondered about that plastic valve on the bag that coffee comes in? That is to release the gases or else all the bags would pop before the consumer bought them. ;)

Also, last tip... always brew your coffee with water at 201 - 204 degrees. Any less and you're not extracting all the flavor. Any more and you "cook" the grounds before extracting the flavor.
 
Last edited:
FZ1inNH said:
........Also, last tip... always brew your coffee with water at 201 - 204 degrees. Any less and you're not extracting all the flavor. Any more and your "cook" the grounds before extracting the flavor.
Click to expand...

That must be my problem. My water is not hot enough.

You should NEVER freeze coffee beans!
Click to expand...

I didn't know that. However, I don't actually freeze that beans, I'm freezing ground coffee. (perhaps that same principal holds?)
 
Thanks for the tips! I should get a grinder. I think I have one but it's buried in the wife's clutter piles in the attic. Not worth the aggravation and arguments to dig it out.

I used to love chock full of nuts but lately it doesn't seem as good as it used to be. I wonder if they cheapened the blend.
 
By the way - on the food subject- I also learned something the other day, putting a box of baking soda in the fridge to keep odors under control is effectively useless.. " " America's Test Kitchen tv show.
 
Coffee

VA my Man, We all love a good coffee in the morning, I know I don't function well if I miss mine. I especially like the flavor of stuff like the big coffee shops have, usually a primo house blend, it has that 'kind' flavor you only seem to get at their shops. Having said that, I'll let you in on a TOP SECRET 'kind' coffee that will knock your socks off, I ain't kidding one bit...... The place for the beans is out of Logan Utah. Theres a little known coffee house there called the "Straw Ibis", a heady eclectic thespian hangout. The owner still drives a VW buss...lol.. THE COFFEE: it's called Highlander Grog, and it can be mail-ordered over the internet. I would '''forcably'''.:)...suggest contacting them, and get yourself a pound, or even half pound, it's like 16 bucks a pound, but worth every penny of it,OH YEA..!! I ''SO'' suggest this coffee blend, I'll offer to pay you for your expence's if you don't like it, thats how sure I am that you will be floored....................I kid you not!! Its the 'Chronic', the 'Kind', the stuff of dreams......I promise... .....Rich....
I'v got a twenty on the table to cover it if you don't like it....:) :) :)

............... Caffe Ibis Coffee Roasting Company .............. punch and hit 'flavored' coffee...:) These are 'EXOTIC' coffee's in the EXTREME.
 
Last edited:
I take NO RESPONSABILITY for all the Neighbors who will be milling around your front door , wanting to know what that Erotic Aroma emenating from your abode is? It will be like winning the lottery, people will show up out of no-where.
 
Well VA better to learn eventually then never learn at all.

I use a Melitta Mill and Brew. The grinder is part of the coffee pot and the whole thing is on a timer. All you do is add the whole beans and water the night before and at in the morning you wake up to fresh ground coffee. It's a great machine. I actually ordered it when I was in Iraq in '06/'07 and it still works great; very rugged machine.

View attachment 2186

I like Ruta Maya coffee from Austin. I can buy it at the shop, or at Costco. Ruta Maya in South Austin, Texas Serving Live Music, Fresh Roasted Organic Coffee, More!
 
Rich - I might have to order some of that stuff once I exhaust my current reserves.... unfortunately, I do have about a pound of grounds I need to use up....

But... I woke up this morning and *jumped* out of bed... in anticipation of grinding some fresh beans and making a pot of coffee.... it's brewing now, and filling the whole house with a wonderful smell....

This is my poison this morning:
MOCHA1lbimage.jpg


https://www.larrysbeans.com/store/home.php?cat=249

Check this guy out... he's fairly local to me... and has some great beans.... prices ain't bad, and it's all "Fair Trade" and Organic.
 
VA, another two things.

Make sure the blades in your grinder are not metal. Metal heats up the beans and can burn them in the grinding process. I use a stone blade grinder.

Also, get a French Press. Auto Drip Machines take a TON of flavor away from your coffee. French Presses are just as easy to use and I can promise you'll never go back to a drip machine.
 
Haileyan said:
I will remember this for the rest of my life. :) I never heard of coffee refered to in this way. I suddenly picture a swingers part where everyone brings coffee. :)
Click to expand...

When he described that, I pictured either Austin Powers or Mike in the cafe in "So I married an Axe Murderer" :th_smiley_rotfl2[1]
 
I've had my last cup of mediocrity this am.....going to take the new found information and I'm on the hunt.....I've tried the high dollar drips and presentlly on a cheapie....but does anyone have a recommendation if a new coffee machine is in order?
 
Bunn makes the only one I know of that heats the water close enough to that 201 degree minimum. It's $100 but it makes a QUICK pot because the tank of water you pour in forces out the pre-heated tank. You only have to be careful of not using it often enough. Because the water stays so hot, it will evaporate and burn out. There is a second switch to shut off the holding tank if you're leaving for a week. If you don't use it but it is on for several days, I'd recommend running a half pot of water through it without grounds to "top off" the tank before making a fresh pot. It's typically ready in about 3 - 4 minutes to brew another pot. Walmart has it for $78.00 I think.

base_media


One more tip for the coffee lovers..... NEVER leave coffee on the warming plate! Go get a good glass thermos caraffe and pour the coffee into that and cover tightly. Open it only to pour your next cup. The last cup is as good as the first!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top