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I need help... with my coffee!
http://mowrystrings.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10102&t=13144		 Page 1 of 3
Author:  Bruce Dickey [ Thu Aug 09, 2007 12:58 am ]
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If I could, I'd make my own, but I don't know beans about coffee.

I have never been so disqusted with the taste of coffee. I love a regular cup of coffee that has a good taste. Maybe the best way to say what I like is to say what I've tried that I do not like.

My family went to Hawaii ten years ago and I promised myself if I ever went back, I'd take my own coffee. Of course everyone in Hawaii loves their Kona coffee and serve it with pride. I do not like Kona coffee.

We used to get a house brand Kroger coffee in little bags that you grind at the store coffee aisle, make a mess, fold the top and clasp it, and toss it in the buggy. That was good stuff, but it's changed, and doesn't taste good anymore? I don't know why.

I have two plastic tubs of coffee here in front of me. Both are Folgers brand, one is 100% Columbian with MED Dark roast. The othe is Folgers Custom Roast, MEDIUM roasted blend, finely ground.

Just looking into the ground coffee beans, the Columbian appears a bit darker than the Custom, but you can see dark bean in the Custom as well. They both smell slightly burned to me, which reminds me of dark French Roast. I hate French Roast, so that may be why both of these coffees are unappealing. My wife brings me a cup and when she's not looking, I pour it down the sink, yuck!

I remember a time ten years or so ago when there was a coffee bean shortage in South America. Coffee prices went high, and we noticed the quality go way down. Same thing, we hunted high and low for a new brand that was consistently good tasting.

Starbucks, did someone say Starbucks? I've purchased two cups of coffee from this establishment, once in LA at the International airport and once in Little Rock at the mall. Both times we tried a few sips and in the trash it went. They call that coffee? Tastes like something I drained out of my truck radiator.

So, if I were to make up the worst coffee in the world it would be Starbucks French Roast with Kona blend during a coffee bean shortage. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

I just want a decent cup of coffee, can you help me? I need something to wash down the rosewood and ebony dust.
Author:  Aust Tonewoods [ Thu Aug 09, 2007 1:10 am ]
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Bruce what you need is a real coffee machine and someone who knows how to roast beans. I have a Saeco Incanto double boiler which reliably makes my coffee every day. You need to froth the milk yourself and select the amount of brews you want in one cup and away you go!! Once you have the right machine you will need to go a on a net search to find good suppliers in the US.

Tim
Author:  Bruce Dickey [ Thu Aug 09, 2007 1:28 am ]
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Thanks Tim. My Mr. Coffee has served well to make me good coffee over the years. I think it's the beans and the roast? However, I'll take a look at the machine.

I remember an old brick layer that used to come on the construction jobs early in the morning. He'd make mortar and distribute it and bricks to the layers then he'd start in on his morning coffee.

After building a small fire, he'd heat water in a metal coffee can. Then he'd add his instant coffee out of a jar. He never offered me any, so I don't know how it tasted. I guess it worked for him, to wash down the masonry dust....?   
Author:  WaddyThomson [ Thu Aug 09, 2007 1:42 am ]
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Bruce, I don't know your taste, but I have tried most of the import coffees, and find them to be harsh, for the most part.  A cup of Kona is nice occasionally,  It is funny, but when I try a new one, I might like it for a few days, but day in and day out, they don't work for me.  I use Chock Full o Nuts every day.  It is the coffee I always go back to after trying some new blend or designer type.  It holds up for me every day.  That said, I do not like my coffee too strong. I find Starbucks, for the most part, to be bitter and nearly undrinkable to my taste.  When I buy coffee out, one of my favorites is Bruegger's.  They don't make it so strong.  That is my take on this, but I know it is very subjective and personal tastes vary greatly.  Look at the success of Starbucks.  But, I'm not big on Latte's & and fancy stuff, or spending $5.00 on a "good" cup of coffee.  Give me a nice gentle cup of coffee.
Author:  Pwoolson [ Thu Aug 09, 2007 1:44 am ]
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My wife is the biggest coffee snob on the planet. In fact, she puts "regular" coffee snobs to shame. And by proxy some had rubbed off on me.
Try Pete's Coffee. You can order it online. Maybe give them a call and tell them what you want.
There's a company here in Mad Town called Just Coffee. They're a fair trade roaster. www.justcoffee.coop
If you can't find something at either of those places, then maybe you should switch to whisky.
Author:  old man [ Thu Aug 09, 2007 2:40 am ]
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I drink Folgers. I used to get 100% Columbian all the time at Sam's but they quit carrying it, so now I'm drinking 100% Arabica. I like it pretty well, if I don't make it too strong. Always start with very cold water.

Ron
Author:  K.O. [ Thu Aug 09, 2007 4:01 am ]
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Hot and strong enough to float a mule is my motto.
So I am not of much use here.
I even like the taste of roasted chicory and dandelion root.
Author:  burbank [ Thu Aug 09, 2007 4:54 am ]
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I think Paul means Peet's coffee. I used to love their house blend when I lived in near San Francisco back in my coffee swilling days. You can order online.
Let us know what you find!
Author:  Pwoolson [ Thu Aug 09, 2007 5:16 am ]
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[QUOTE=burbank] I think Paul means Peet's coffee. I used to love their house blend when I lived in near San Francisco back in my coffee swilling days. You can order online.
Let us know what you find![/QUOTE]
Yup, I was talking and typing at the same time. It would have been worse if someone else was in the room or I was on the phone...
Author:  WaddyThomson [ Thu Aug 09, 2007 5:19 am ]
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Sometimes, Paul, it is just hard to find someone else intelligent enough to carry on a conversation with!   
Author:  Bruce Dickey [ Thu Aug 09, 2007 5:20 am ]
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Ron, does the Arabica Folgers have a roast meter on the label? I don't really want to order online. I have looked into that in the past but didn't.

I do want some decent tasting coffee though.

Waddy, I like the thought of "a gentle cup of coffee".

Coffee shouldn't come with a roll of Tums if you asked me, ay?
Author:  Billy T [ Thu Aug 09, 2007 5:27 am ]
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[quote] and the guitar builders peeing in the banjo makers coffee……” [/quote]


Hesh - always great ideas from you man!

    One thing about making coffee at home most people don't really know how to clean there coffee making apparatus. Coffee is very strong alkaloid. These alkaloids build up over time and are not easily removed by soap and water.

     I saw a coffee machine vendor cleaning out his machine with lemon juice and this was his reason for doing it, as he related. I don't really drink coffee but, according to comments, it does work.

     I've heard good things about Nabob's coffee. It's made, in of all places, Canada! Turns out it's made by Kraft foods. I don't think it's directly available here in the USSA. At least I'm not familiar under what brand.

P.S. Don't let Hesh get your coffee! Er...or any other dark colored potables
Author:  WaddyThomson [ Thu Aug 09, 2007 5:30 am ]
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Try the Chock Full o Nuts.  Available at any major grocery chain in cans or bricks.  I usually buy mine at Wal Mart because it is about $1.00 cheaper per package.  I buy the bricks, because they are easy to store, and stay fresh while sealed.  It is not an expensive coffee, as coffees go.  Probably more than Folgers or Maxwell House, but not expensive.  It is good black or with condiments.
Author:  WaddyThomson [ Thu Aug 09, 2007 5:36 am ]
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Hi Billy!  The best thing for cleaning a coffee maker is white vinegar.  Run about half a pot through the maker, and then run a pot of clear water.  Takes out the scum & crud.

Another thing.  Some of the makers - Krups, Cuisinart, Braun, and I'm sure others, make with hotter water than some of the cheaper ones.
Author:  Pwoolson [ Thu Aug 09, 2007 5:38 am ]
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[QUOTE=WaddyT] It is good black or with condiments.
[/QUOTE]
Like Catsup? Yuck!
Author:  WaddyThomson [ Thu Aug 09, 2007 5:56 am ]
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I was thinking more in terms of the Chemical Sweetener of your Choice, and the Chemical Whitener of your Choice. 
Author:  SteveCourtright [ Thu Aug 09, 2007 6:04 am ]
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Ahhh, sweet Theobromines, one of my favorite subjects. My wife is Scandanavian, so if it doesn't stain the cup permanently, it isn't coffee!

You are too funny, Hesh!!!

Bruce, I know it is an acquired taste, but good coffee IMHO has flavor, and that means fresh and (relatively) strong. Here is a tip: we keep our beans in the freezer to prevent oxidation and age-related off-tastes.
Author:  WaddyThomson [ Thu Aug 09, 2007 6:12 am ]
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I tried that too.  Sometimes the palate is just not prepared for the heavier coffees, and this from a guy that used to drink stuff that had been sitting on a burner for 6 hours, out of a cup that had build-up like a pipe.  The problem, IMO, is finding a coffee that you like, day after day, and week after week.  I used to sometimes add a little fresh ground Kona, or a Costa Rican blend, or Columbian to sort of pop the taste for a little "change for the sake of change", but my wife always says, " What's wrong with the coffee today?"
Author:  Don Williams [ Thu Aug 09, 2007 6:32 am ]
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Bruce, you might also try cleaning your coffee maker with white vinegar. That helps to eliminate other foul flavors that get in the coffee, besides the foul flavor of the coffee itself. (I'm a tea drinker...) You could also try a plunge coffee maker, which will give you a more full-bodied flavor. The important thing is using arabica beans, and not the robusto beans, which aren't considered to be as good as the arabicas.
Author:  Pwoolson [ Thu Aug 09, 2007 7:14 am ]
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By plunge, I think Don is referring to a French Press. This is THE REAL way to make coffee. Boil water, put it in the press with desired amount of coffee, wait 4 minutes, press the grounds to the bottom (it has a very fine mesh plunger) and drink.
Author:  Bruce Dickey [ Thu Aug 09, 2007 8:16 am ]
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My son's friend Daniel, brought over his French Press. The coffee was good, but not your average Joe's cup of coffee with all the frothed milk. I think it was more on the line of a cappucino he was making. It was stout for sure.

Heat, hmmm, nah, that's not it, it's the coffee.

I can always remember opening a fresh metal can of ____________ (fill in the blank) coffee and it would fill the immediate area with wonderful roasted bean aroma. Now this stuff just smells burned.

I do occasionally remove the lid of the pot, and toss the coffee grounds receptacle with the little "steal a cup" spring loaded stopper in the dishwasher. Nothing like a sparkling clean pot to start with.

Now to the water, maybe our residential water supply is to blame....    Nah, it's the coffee, the water is great.

Okay, I'm headed to the store. One thing for sure, I'm not buying the big cannisters anymore. They're stacking up around here, unused and full.
Author:  Bruce Dickey [ Thu Aug 09, 2007 9:30 am ]
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Okay, I took some info found here and went coffee hunting. I found some good coffee to fit my taste. Evidently, I don't like dark roast and most coffees out there for sale are dark or medium dark roast, not to mention french roast.

The Community Coffee Company is located in Baton Rouge. One thing that caught my eye was: "Still One Pound" on the label. Ahhhh, no compromise going to 13 ounces to appear competitive.

Also, the roast is light medium. When I opened the bag it had a good smell, not over the top, but good. I made a ten cup pot with a pair of rounded up coffee scoops. I could tell it needed more coffee or less water when I poured my cup, it was a little thin.

I read the reviews on their website and as you can guess, most everyone responding loved their coffee. One person was completely honest one star out of five, no comments.

So, Ron, guess what? The beans are Arabica, just as you suggested. Okay, I guess if I want fresh roast I'm gonna have to roast 'em myself or get it mailed from their business..... Not what I wanted, but I gotta have some coffee that will get me going.

I did read one thing, the darker the roast the less caffiene is available to the cup. Hmmmm. Like I said I don't know beans about coffee.
Author:  johnfgraham [ Thu Aug 09, 2007 9:49 am ]
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There is a lot of robusta coffee that's used in the blends oposed to the
arabica. A great deal of the robusta these days comes out of Brasil and
Viet Nam and is generally machine harvested on huge plantations, and of
inferior quality. The arabica is often grown on the slopes of tropical
mountains by indigenous farmers and harvested by hand. Arabica is
considered the superior coffee and is more expensive. The elevation that
the coffee is grown (3000 ft and up to the frost zone for the best arabica-
altura) as well as the soils influence the coffee's character but the roast is
what is for most people the most important diference in flavor.

As coffee is toasted - waxes & oils are driven out of the bean and impart
a bitter flavor. You can see, for example, in a French Roast the beans are
black and shiny, the shinny part is the wax & oil. What is called a Full City
roast is where the coffee is toasted to the point where the waxes & oils
emerge from the bean, resulting in a full toast without the bitterness of a
French Roast. That's the way I like it. But for those who crave the most
buzz/cup - lighter roasts have more caffeine and also the cheaper
robusta.

Recomendation:
A good friend of mine, Dahinda Meda, has worked for many years with a
cooperative of mayan coffee growers in the Mexican state of Chiapas and
also helps them by custom roasting & selling their certified organic coffee
in the US, out of Oregon.

If you'd like to know more about this coffee or buy some -take a look at

cafemam.com

john
Author:  WaddyThomson [ Thu Aug 09, 2007 10:21 am ]
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Here I am again.  Try 1 heaping, not mounded, just rounded Tablespoon for every two pot-cups, then add 1 more measure.  Also use 1 cup more water than cups of coffee. i.e., 10 cups of coffee, use 11 cups of water, and 6 measures of coffee.  For 8 cups of coffee, use 9 cups of water and 5 measures of coffee.  It works really well for me.
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