Coffee Talk

[guzelkiz]

I've been chatting with some fellow coffee addicts over in the Random Thoughts thread but I thought maybe I should make a separate thread.  So let's discuss anything/everything about coffee!

I just got the Peet's Sumatra blend in the k cups and I really like it!  Need to make a note to try their Major Dickinsons Blend since it's so popular.

[WinglessOne]

@snoflakefaerie  Hooray for half-off a carafe! And I’m glad I’m not the only one who keeps a couple extra French presses for spare parts. Some people think that’s strange until they break a carafe. 

Compared to every blade grinder I’ve ever used, a burr grinder's made a big difference in the taste of my coffee. Sometimes my blade-ground coffee tasted too bitter because of the grounds were too fine. When trying to eliminate that problem, I often wound up with too coarse a grind or too many large grounds in the mix, resulting in weaker or more acidic (yucky sour acidic, not bright or citrus tangy acidic) coffee. Even if you're not sure you'd notice the difference, it could end up being one of those "didn't realize [food/beverage] could taste better til I tried [different thing]" experiences. Besides the taste difference, my burr grinder lets me consistently get the grind I like for the way I brew coffee, every time I brew. I don’t have to babysit the grinder: no pulsing or holding down a button for any reason, and no eyeballing (or trying to eyeball) the grind size while blades spin. I can grind more beans in one go than I could with even the largest capacity blade grinder I ever had. (Dunno how large they make ‘em nowadays.) 

I use a Capresso Infinity conical burr grinder. I still like it a lot but don’t recall how long I’ve had it… eh, a few years. But if you’re considering this one, I’ll warn you to clean it after each use… maybe after every 2nd use, but definitely no longer than every 3rd use. It leaves a lot of grounds behind, and those have to be manually removed. Most burr grinders are kind of a hassle to clean (gotta get into all the grooves of the burrs to remove old coffee oil), and maybe some have the same issue as the Capresso: there are many places in the burr housing for grounds to end up, and brushing them all out can seem like an endless chore. I do like that I can lift one of the burrs out of the housing for easier cleaning, but the other one’s fixed to the housing. So at least once a month (ideally more often), I run some grinder cleaner tablets through the grinder to remove coffee oils. I’ve used Capresso CleanGrind pellets and Urnex Grindz tablets; both work well. 

There are more expensive burr grinders out there and I’m sure some are better than the Capresso. There might also be some less expensive ones that work as well as the Capresso. It’s been a while since I looked up reviews, but I bet many people still rave about Baratza burr grinders. 

[guzelkiz]

@WinglessOne I have been meaning to pull out my French press.  I have one somewhere in this kitchen but never used it.  To be completely honest, I only bought it because it's rose gold and was too pretty to pass up 😂  You've inspired me to go find it and try it out!

I'm particular about my coffee too.  Like my dad goes to McDonald's for his "senior coffee" and I cringe.  I know many people do like their coffee, but I can tell that it tastes cheap, you know?  

[WinglessOne]

@guzelkiz  🤣 I'm cracking up about the McDonald's senior coffee because my dad does it, too. My parents also grind and brew beans at their house, but I think my father just likes getting "senior" anything. And hey, I understand: I'm in my 50s and will happily seek out whatever extra age-related discounts I'm entitled to as I get older and wiser. McD's coffee's not the worst (not by a looong shot) I've had, and I'll drink it if it's the most available option at the moment. 

Starbucks's coffee—the stuff they keep available for ready-serve—has gone downhill over the years. Once upon a time, I could rely on consistently good drip coffee from any Sbux location. Not so much lately. It's as if their Pike Place beans are too dark roasted (beyond the medium they're supposed to be—and this comes from someone who love dark roast coffees) or something's not quite right in their brewing process. Their "Reserve" beans are generally still good, though I hate that I can't order them online anymore and have to visit a location that stocks them. In my city, that usually means visiting the local Sbux roastery since some of the kabillion "regular" locations don't carry Reserve coffees. 

Anyway... I hope you enjoy using your French press! Figuring out how coarse to grind beans for your press can be kinda frustrating until you've got that down. (I don't grind beans as coarse as everyone says you should.) I have a Bodum 8-cup. I actually have 3 of them: one's my original old press; the other 2 I keep for spare parts, in case I break the carafe or wreck a filter, or get so lazy about washing the filter that stubborn mold takes up residence. Sometimes Marshalls or TJ Maxx has them for $12-15 USD, which is sometimes cheaper than ordering replacement parts online. I've considered buying a smaller French press just for frothing milk. 😄 

[guzelkiz]

@WinglessOne haha, I think it's a dad thing.  All my dad's friends do the same and sometimes he forwards me texts from his friends when they write that McDonald's has the best coffee 🙄 

I used to go to Starbucks every single day on my way to work but once I changed jobs I switched to Peet's (a local chain that I understand isn't in many other parts of the country outside of California) which has much stronger coffee and I prefer the syrups they use there.  Starbucks syrups taste painfully artificial to me.  I also just never know what to order because I feel like everything is super sweet. Nowadays though, since I work from home, I just make my coffee at home which is great because it has gotten super expensive to buy coffee out.

That's a good point!  I'll have to work on the grinding because I do grind my beans somewhat coarsely to make cold brew but I don't do it precisely or anything, just eyeball it.  My grinder doesn't have any settings, you just press down to grind more.  If you need a milk frothing solution I highly recommend those handheld electric frothers.  They are so cheap and do such a great job!  I had one for months just sitting there before I finally gave it a try and I'm hooked.  I can't believe I used to warm my milk in a mason jar, put the lid on, and shake it to froth.

[WinglessOne]

@guzelkiz  We have Peet's in Chicago, too. 🙂 I sometimes buy their whole beans. Their Mocha Java's been inconsistent over the last few years, but when it's good, it's very good. I'm working through a pound of their Panama Don Bosco now: they dark-roasted it but, thankfully, not dark enough to kill the lemon flavor note in this coffee. 

Starbucks's coffee drinks do seem very sweet compared to what's available elsewhere. Usually I just order a black coffee, but I'm also a hot caramel macchiato fan and can't resist them. I kinda hate PSLs because they taste like straight-up sugar in a cup to me. Those things are so sugary, I can't taste much spice. I could always ask for less pumps of whichever syrup(s) they're made with, but I'm not the type of Sbux customer who customizes their drink orders much. The most I do is ask for soy milk in my caramel macchiato (hooray lactose intolerance). Anyway, good for you for making more coffee at home! That's one of those expenses you don't realize is so high until you start tracking it. Starbucks owes many of us a franchise by now. 😂 

I've thought about getting a handheld frother. One thing I miss from my old espresso machine days is the attached steamer/frother. A French press can froth milk but, of course, won't steam it. If I ever start using my moka pot again, I might buy a frother then. 

[guzelkiz]

@WinglessOne Ohh that's cool, I thought Peet's was mostly in California.  I'm a latte aficionado - that's pretty much the only thing I order at any coffee shop.  I find most other drinks to be too sweet for me and you are right about Starbucks. I can't stand their syrups anymore.  Before the pandemic I went to Starbucks every day on the way to work but since I've been working from home and making my own coffee I have lost the taste for their drinks.  Like if I happen to go because I'm meeting someone I don't know how many pumps of syrup would be perfect for me so I usually just get a plain latte and add raw sugar to it.  I'll be honest, I'm not a PSL fan at all.  I don't feel like it even tastes like pumpkin and I have had it from different shops. I found that the Peet's tasted kind of like pumpkin but, as you said, way too sweet.  

Another problem I have with coffee shops is how much they charge for substituting the milk.  If you get oat, almond, soy, etc. they charge so much.  I'm not lactose intolerant at all but I prefer oat milk, that's all I buy.  I like how creamy it makes the coffee and some brands froth incredibly well.  My espresso machine does have a frother attached but I haven't really used it much because I adore my handheld frother.  It's just so much easier.  I just microwave the milk a bit before frothing and voila!  It's amazing!  Maybe you could also try microwaving the milk, not too much since you don't want the glass of your French press to shatter, but enough so when you froth it it's still warm.  That'll be better than frothing cold/room temp milk.

[QueenMarceline]

@WinglessOne Haha, you're absolutely right I probably should have clarified I'm not totally limited to an electric coffee maker but it's definitely something I need. I would love to expand my coffee making skills in the future but for now I only have the coffee-drinking type of skills. 🤣 I am definitely not a morning person and the problem I have is clicking snooze a bit too much (coupled with a ridiculously early start time at my job) and oftentimes all I really can afford time-wise is to throw in a pod and click a button. I would love to find a machine that has multi-capabilities but I am limited to something the size of a Keurig or smaller within my current coffee nook. 

My partner loves tea so in the future I would really love to have a little designated area for coffee making, my collection of cups as well as a little tea station within my home and would definitely love to add on a french press. My kitchen is unfortunately quite small right now and I'm a major foodie so the amount of devices, mixers, blenders, waffle irons, etc. that I have within the kitchen storage and counter space is already overflowing. One can only hope that my dreams for the future caffeine oasis come true. 😂

[tastelikewater]

When I moved to my new apartment in 2020, I treated myself to the Ninja Hot and Cold Brew machine. I love cold brew in the summer, so I like that I can make it fresh every day. It also has a separate basket and controls for loose leaf tea, which is perfect because I never remember what temperature/time for each type of tea. 

[QueenMarceline]

@tastelikewater Wow, thank you so much for sharing. I actually have a Ninja Blender and Food Processor that I use very regularly and LOVE, so I'm not sure how I missed their coffee products on my radar. I'll definitely check out the machine that features cold brew, so far the ones I'm browsing are mostly limited to hot coffee only. This is one of the reasons why I actually find my Keurig so limited and admittedly end up spending the most on "local coffee" during the spring-summer seasons for that reason. Definitely something I should consider when researching my new device. 

[guzelkiz]

@QueenMarceline you honestly don't need anything special to make cold brew.  It's super easy and cheap to make.  Just grind the coffee beans (for me 80g is perfect, not too strong or too light) and put the ground coffee in any kind of pitcher/large mason jar and fill it up with water.  Let it sit in the fridge overnight and all you need to do is get some cheesecloth and strain the ground out.  I do have a pitcher that is made for cold brew, pictured here: 

You put the ground in the filter part in the middle and fill the outer part with water. 

[Anonymous]

Try to taste the new nespresso capsules

[jen143xo]

I remember a while ago @guzelkiz mentioned she received a free K-cup sample from Starbucks for being a rewards member.  I just received one in the mail.  It was a Tazo Chai Tea K-cup. 

[guzelkiz]

@jen143xo  Oh you did?!  That's awesome!  (Btw Jen, I'm so not on here much but did you try to add me on IG? ) 

[jen143xo]

I haven't been on BT as much as I use to be either. But I thought of you when I got this package with the sample.

 I just requested you.  My husband uses my Instagram too, we share it so you'll see lots of sports related pics In between my pics hahah. 

Heres a a pic of the sample. 

[guzelkiz]

@jen143xo Aw!  Thanks!

Added you!  

Ohh interesting that's like the Gevalia ones I love so much that have the foam packet you put in the cup first before brewing the K cup on top of it.  Tell me how you end up liking this one.  I'm curious!

[guzelkiz]

I was leafing through the Bed Bath & Beyond ad that just came in the mail when I saw another brand that makes recyclable K Cups!  Apparently it's exclusive to BB&B.  I may pick up some to check out sometime soon.

[laketom]

Chocolate cake? Yes, please!

[guzelkiz]

Haha!  They have a lot of other varieties too.  Just happened to take a screenshot of this one 🙂

[guzelkiz]

I discovered a new brand I hadn't seen before.  Honestly, I only discovered it because I got a coupon at the register at Safeway for it.  The brand is Marley and is named for Bob Marley's son (which doesn't really matter to me, I just thought it was interesting).  The coffee is actually really good but I actually am really into the packaging of the K Cups.  So it's actually a recyclable cup!  I'm always feeling bad throwing used K Cups in the trash.

It has an arrow that points to a tab that you flip up.

Then you pull and the whole filter part with the ground comes right out!  You can actually throw this in the compost bin (if your waste management company gives you a bin for this).  Then you toss the plastic part in the recycling.

(I know, so random.  But I am excited about it so I thought I'd share.)

[laketom]

Oh that is so cool! Love companies that take the environment into consideration for their packaging. Completely random but there is a small local chain of a grocery store where I live that sells their house brand with the mesh so the pods are recyclable. The coffee is also so delicious!  

How does the coffee taste?

[guzelkiz]

Ohh that's cool!  I'd never seen this before so I was really excited.

It's actually really good!  I've purchased 2 varieties so far - one is a medium roast and one is a dark roast.  Both are really good!