Coffee

[LarryG]

(We've had beer threads, booze threads, music threads; have we had a coffee thread? I don't remember one, but then my memory is ... uh ... what was I saying?)

Did anyone catch the Modern Marvels episode called "Coffee" a couple nights ago? Really fascinating stuff (as a lot of MM episodes are), with some amazing factoids. Chief among those: more money is spent trading coffee than any other commodity in the world, save oil.

One segment illustrated a brewing method known as a vacuum pot. Anyone familiar with these? I use a conventional drip maker most days, a French press on occasion, and have a cheapo espresso machine, but I'd never heard of a vacuum pot. Does anyone have one?

[bigsteel15]

(We've had beer threads, booze threads, music threads; have we had a coffee thread? I don't remember one, but then my memory is ... uh ... what was I saying?)

Did anyone catch the Modern Marvels episode called "Coffee" a couple nights ago? Really fascinating stuff (as a lot of MM episodes are), with some amazing factoids. Chief among those: more money is spent trading coffee than any other commodity in the world, save oil.

One segment illustrated a brewing method known as a vacuum pot. Anyone familiar with these? I use a conventional drip maker most days, a French press on occasion, and have a cheapo espresso machine, but I'd never heard of a vacuum pot. Does anyone have one?

I didn't buy one becasue Starbucks wanted $100 for it and the coffe it makes isn't any better than a Fench Press, IMHO.
I do consider myself a bit of a coffe snob.
No Tim Hortons or DD for this guy, only Second Cup and on occassion Starbucks.
I'll drink water before I'll drink coffee from a gas station, donut shop or regular restaurant. Or even drip at home for that matter.
LOML doesn't like dark roasted coffee, so I usually only have FP coffee at home.

[meika123]

Did anyone catch the Modern Marvels episode called "Coffee" a couple nights ago?

No, but I did catch the special last night, either Modern Marvels or The Discovery Channel on "BEER".

Dave in NC

[meika123]

I did buy a new Bunn unit not long ago that I like pretty much. Just wish it kept my "Gevalia" coffee a bit hotter.

Dave in NC

[Tom Miller]

Mmmmmmm, coffffffeeeeeeee....

I wonder if that was the MM coffee episode that I caught a few minutes of a while back. In the show I saw, they were ready to ascribe all the advancements of the Renaissance to the fact that folks were jacked up on the java. Interesting theory.

A couple-three years ago, I bought a Krups Gusto pump espresso machine.
Since then, I've had two doubles every AM (straight up), and every now and then a mocha (? espresso dripped into hot milk) in the evening out on the front porch. I impress the kids by making a smiley face in the foam (two drip spouts make the eyes, and a spoon hole for stirring makes the mouth). They're easily impressed.

At ~$150 retail, the Gusto was reviewed fairly favorably for what it was (i.e. it wasn't a $500-$1000 espresso machine). The reviews were kind of like "Hey, this doesn't suck as bad as you'd think", which is high praise for coffee snobs. Krups stopped selling them just before I got interested, so I got one of the last NIB units from e-bay. But when it gives out, I'm screwed, because I think the next comparable machine is gonna be ~$500(!).

Regards,
Tom

[Ken Weaver]

I can remember as a kid my parents having one of those vacuum pots. I love the stuff (Dad was Navy, I was AF, can't get away from it). I have found a place that has great deals on coffee beans http://www.coffeebeandirect.com/. They have great coffee and better prices ranging from $3.25 per lb and up (comes in 5lb bags). You can get samples cheap so you can try them.

[PALefty]

One segment illustrated a brewing method known as a vacuum pot. Anyone familiar with these? I use a conventional drip maker most days, a French press on occasion, and have a cheapo espresso machine, but I'd never heard of a vacuum pot. Does anyone have one?

I may not know much about woodworking yet, but I do know quite a bit about coffee (though there is probably a lot I don't know). I love my French Press.. and use it daily. It is cheap ($10-20), lets you control all the variables (temperature, time, grind) and produces rich full bodied coffee. I also love vacuum pots which produce excellent coffee as well. The Yama and Santos VP can be had in the $40 range (I believe) though I got mine for $20-$30 during an Amazon sale. They are a little more work than a FP and take more time than I want to dedicate on a day-day basis.. but on a weekend when you have more time, they can't be beat. A VP is better suited than a FP to bring out delicate flavors from the coffee (such as Harrar blueberry). It will also typically produce a 'cleaner' cup depending on the type of filter it uses. They produce different results and are unique in their own way.. but both excellent and I recommend both of them. If you really want to raise the bar on your coffee experience... you should also look into roasting your own. Fresh roasted coffee is the bomb. It is not hard to do.. and you will be forever spoiled.

for roasting info... check out this site.

[bigsteel15]

I can remember as a kid my parents having one of those vacuum pots. I love the stuff (Dad was Navy, I was AF, can't get away from it). I have found a place that has great deals on coffee beans http://www.coffeebeandirect.com/. They have great coffee and better prices ranging from $3.25 per lb and up (comes in 5lb bags). You can get samples cheap so you can try them.

WOW, that's cheap for custom roasted coffe.
The local place here (Java Jive) that I buy most of mine from is $9-13/#
Of course the stuff LOML and I can agree on liking is $13/#
It is Cuban Peaberry. I've also tried some other Peaberry coffees.
They are really very good, as they lack the bitterness of some roasts.

My personal fave though is a nice dark roasted Sumatra.
Also really enjoy Costa Rican Fair Trade in the French Press. Nice flavour.

[mater]

Thanks Larry. You have me sitting here wanting a cup of coffee and doughnut. Guess I will have to go to KK and get some doughnuts.

[gerti]

I went through 2 Bodum Santos (electrical vacuum pot). They make great tasting coffee (probably the best I had at home) and are cool to watch. But they are a pain to clean and don't last. Even though I babied them, both failed (cracks in the plastic, leaking etc) after a little over a year (1 brew cycle per day).

[crokett]

Geez. You guys are coffee snobs. My only requirement is it be hot, black and strong. The Maxwell House from my Black and Decker every morning is just fine with me.

[bigsteel15]

Geez. You guys are coffee snobs. My only requirement is it be hot, black and strong. The Maxwell House from my Black and Decker every morning is just fine with me.

Yes I am and I'm not ashamed of it.
Actually my main reason that I stopped drinking "run of the mill" coffee was that it gives me heartburn.
Premium roast coffees, especially dark roast, don't have a problem.
I was having a shot of espresso every morning in my first cup, but my doctor said if I wasn't going to cut back the coffee, at least cut back on caffiene.
Most people don't realize that darker roast coffees actually have less caffiene than the normal crap you get at the donut shop.

[PALefty]

Geez. You guys are coffee snobs. My only requirement is it be hot, black and strong. The Maxwell House from my Black and Decker every morning is just fine with me.

Don't knock it until you try it. I drink swill if it is the only thing available. I also drink a pot a day... so why not enjoy it? If you like MH, then by all means... drink it. I drank it for many years myself and their sales prove that many people still do. Many people also buy furniture from a big box... rather than build their own too

[Ken Weaver]

I was surprised by the difference between a custom roast and the stuff, standard brand or premium, at the grocery store at twice the price (or more). The trick I think is to get a good grinder and grind the beans when you're ready to make it. It will spoil you - all snobbery aside.

[PALefty]

]

I was surprised by the difference between a custom roast and the stuff, standard brand or premium, at the grocery store at twice the price (or more).

Economies of scale, paying farmers pennies/lb, child labor, robusta coffee, non-coffee fillers... many ways for them to save a buck. I'm not saying there isn't markup with cusom roast though.. because there certainly is. Unroasted coffee that I buy is in the $3-5 range (retail). I haven't paid more than $3/lb in a few years.