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Just upped my coffee game again

#61
i_got_a_mohawk said:
Well I sure ain't going for some boutique stuff like Kopi Luwak !
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uhhh..no. Kopi Luwak is only popular because of marketing. Civet cats (the animal from whose feces kopi luwak beans are taken) eat robusta beans which are considered some of the lowest quality beans on the totem pole. I'd rather go for some really good quality beans from east Africa or south america chosen for their taste and not their name, skillfully roasted in small batches, ground just before drinking and consumed within two weeks or so of roasting. You'll find that at places like the ones I mentioned in my last post. No hype, just amazing coffee.

:)

bc
 
#62
Basschalice,

Welcome, dude. The Oscar was about all there was in budget heat exchanger machines for a while. Then Expobar and Bezzera showed up with lower-cost and better quality machines. Now Bezzera has gone up above the $1000 line and that leaves Expobar as the winner for budget heat exchangers. I got mine used for a steal and it has served me well. Do you pour latte art? Have you thought about competing in any of the regional barista contests? I don't hang at coffee websites too much any more but when I do need some info I usually go to www.home-barista.com. Those guys are crazy detailed in all of their testing and discussions.

Mike,

Very cool, man. I have always heard great things about Baratza customer service. Have you noticed the difference that the grinder has made in your espresso?

I would typically choose the first two roasters I mentioned over White Rock but White Rock is good and they are very close so that means quick shipping. I always stop by there when I'm visiting my grandma in Dallas. They had a barista go to nationals last year and all the baristas are pretty good.

bc
 
#63
MJ5150 said:
Welcome!

I make an annual trip to Fayetteville for BB&B. We always stop at Arsaga's coming in and out of town. Great coffee. Common Grounds is good as well. We stay in Bentonville during our trip. Each morning starts with a trip to Kennedy's.

Thanks for the tip on the barista website.

-Mike
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Hi Mike!

That's really cool! I was trained 10 years ago by Cary Arsaga. I worked for those guys for about 4 years. That was such a GREAT job! We all hung out there all the time whether we were working or not. Cary knows his stuff, and the training was excellent. Great coffee and great local reputation!
Nice to 'meet' someone with a local connection here!

bc - I'm not a dude, but thanks for the warm welcome anyway! :smug:

My latte art is still pretty rudimentary but I can do a few lopsided hearts and rosettes from time to time. Hehe. I always make sure my foam is near perfect, though. Since I'm working the bar every day anyway now instead of mostly office work, I really don't have any need for a home espresso setup for the moment, but it would be great one of these days!

Later...
 
#64
I would love to work as a barista just for the benefits, but I don't have the kind and helpful demeanor required to get along with people for hours at a time.

If you're still making coffee at the end of September when my wife and I come to town for BB&B, we'll have to stop by and try one of your drinks out. I'm easy, 20 ounce quad latte. My wife gets a 12 ounce quad intermezzo skinny latte. Only at espresso joints where I know the barista, I will order a double ristretto.

-Mike
 
#67
Mhm, I guess my new scholarship could go on that...there's the tax return soon to... Mhmm

Nah, wouldn't be a wise move :p And it's not actually mine either...and I usually am lazy and just do a nespresso, which I won't talk about in this thread because I don't want to get lynched.
 
#69
I worked as a barista at an indie coffee place for about 6+ years, including night supervisor for most of that time. My machine was a 3 head Futura from Spain.

These days I'm happy to be french pressing at home instead, but it was great fun for a long time...nothing better than having to churn out a line of drinks for 8 hours straight without a break! Getting home at 2am was rough though.
 
#70
DigMe said:
.......from a regional roaster in Dallas - white rock coffee.
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Just got my order: one pound of whole bean Corinthian blend and one pound of whole bean European blend. We'll be having two other couples over this evening for same tastings. Looking forward to it for sure.

I called the shop, our beans were roasted on Tuesday, they arrived last night. Wahoo!

-Mike
 
#72
Cool, Mike. I haven't tried their blends but I went through 5lbs of their El Salvador Las Tres Puertas which was amazing coffee. They roast twice a week I think so even stuff sitting on the shelf is usually no more than 3 days postroast.

bc
 
#74
Alright. I was told our beans were roasted on Tuesday the 15th. I received them the afternoon of Thursday the 17th. I think they came from the Tuesday before, making them 10 days old by the time we got them. Which to us, is old for coffee. We don't have anything in our house 10 days old, maybe a week now and then. They didn't have the punch and aromatic qualities we were looking for. It did pull some good shots though.

I called this morning to talk to the roaster about it. He/she was out, so they are going to call me tomorrow. The girl who answered the phone was really nice, but she got really nervous when I said I was from the Seattle area. Maybe she thought I was part of the Latte Police? :D

*Disclaimer*....Brad and I take coffee to a level that few people do. So for most of the people reading this, the coffee was very good and had excellent flavor. I highly recommend it for your home brewing over anything from Fivebucks.

-Mike
 
#77
Honestly I don't typically buy a blend from a place unless I've heard it recommended pretty highly. I don't like that White Rock has THAT many blends and it seems like there could be no way they could really maintain the flavor profile adequately from season-to-season as the crops change. I've had good experience with their single origins though.

Some blends that I have tried and enjoyed are Intelligentsia's Black Cat Organic, Klatch's Belle Espresso and Counter Culture's Apollo and Toscana (I'm talking espresso only in all of these). All of those are roast-dated and usually get to me within 3 to 4 days of roasting if I order on a weekend or a Monday. Although Intelly and Counter Culture are a lot closer to me than they are to you.

In the end I'm mainly a single origin guy but I can appreciate a really good blend.

bc
 
#78
DigMe said:
Some blends that I have tried and enjoyed are Intelligentsia's Black Cat Organic...
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Funny you mention them. I just got off the phone with a friend who suggested we give it a try. I was on their website trying to decide on what to order. I sent the link to my wife so she can pick out a pound or two.

I am with you on single origins, we prefer those as well. When a blend is done right, it is most excellent. But that is difficult to achieve.

We'll do our coffee tasting this weekend and stick with some local roasts, Stumptown and Batdorf & Bronson. The "Cup of Excellence" program at B&B is always superb.

-Mike
 
#80
You can buy the same beans DigMe and I do. Just when you order, call the shop and explain to them what machine you are using and they can grind it for you so it works in your Mr. Coffee.

These beans are best served fresh, so you won't be able to keep it in your cabinet for six months like the Folgers though. :D

-Mike
 

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