Mixing coffees

[sleddogn]

yes on burr grinder

 

[kesslari]

If Hamilton appliances produced a Burr grinder the world as we know it would explode...

 

[MJ5150]

Not all burr grinders are created equal, just sayin.

-Mike

 

[the general]

This is the grinder I have. It does a pretty good job I feel. A touch on the noisy side and a little big, but I have cupboard space to spare so that's of little concern. Don't think I paid that much for it at the time.

https://www.amazon.com/Baratza-Enco...c&qid=1639073587&sprefix=burr+,aps,109&sr=8-6

 

[MJ5150]

This is the grinder I have. It does a pretty good job I feel. A touch on the noisy side and a little big, but I have cupboard space to spare so that's of little concern. Don't think I paid that much for it at the time.

https://www.amazon.com/Baratza-Encore-Conical-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B007F183LK/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?crid=2XI1C63X2DWGP&keywords=burr+coffee+grinder+electric&qid=1639073587&sprefix=burr+,aps,109&sr=8-6

I am a big fan of Baratza. Their operations are just an hour or so north of us. We've been to their shop a couple different times. Great people and customer service too.

-Mike

 

[jnewmark]

here's mine.

 

[DrThumpenstein]

A burr grinder is definitely worth it for the consistency of grind and adjustability. It can be hard to find a reasonably priced one, but that Baratza looks legit.

I have found that the Bonavita coffee maker with the thermal carafe brings the goods. Seems to deliver the water from a showerhead at the right temperature with a quick enough brew cycle that you get good strong coffee without bitterness. I used to have a Technivorm Moccamaster, which gave me 10 good years of service before it died, and I’ve been happy with the Bonavita at half the price.

Lately, I’ve been digging a blend of 2/3 Costa Rican and 1/3 Kenyan beans for my daily fix.

 

[pie_man_25]

Not all burr grinders are created equal, just sayin.

-Mike

Yeah mine is kinda middling at best. I mostly just like that it's hand powered, I've thought about a timemore c2 I think it was. But this one works, might as well wear out the burrs and then look at what the market is like.

 

[Funky Ghost]

Mixing beans, also known as blending, is common. The Cafe Verona from Starbucks is a blend.
I wouldn't mix a blend with a blend, but what you can do is pick up a couple different single origins and give that a try.
What is a single origin? It has a few definitions when you get into it, but basically it is a bag of coffee where all of the beans are from the same coffee growing region. You'll identify them clearly at Starbucks or a grocery store when they just say the name of the country on the bag, Brazil, Kenya, El Salvador, etc. Inside that bag are beans all from the label on the bag. Taking it to the next level, which I don't think you want to do here, but it's worth just a moment to clarify, is the term single origin in itself has deeper definition. A true single origin in some circles means all of the beans in that bag came from the same country, region, farm, harvest. Not all roasters adhere to this strict definition but rather just the highest level, same country.
Blending is usually optimal when you use single origins from different continents. For example, a blend of Ethiopian and Kenyan coffee isn't going to be as diverse as a blend of Brazilian and Ethiopian.
For what you describe, I'd recommend a Central American coffee blended with a Sumatra. That'll get you close to the Cafe Verona. For the Central American, I'd recommend El Salvador or a Nicaraguan if you can find it. Costa Rica is legit and much easier to find. Even a Mexican coffee like a Chiapas would be great, although not technically Central American.
50/50 blends are easiest, but not typical. This is where it takes some experimenting and where the less experienced folks truly appreciate a high quality roaster who knows and understands the world of coffee.
But hey, it's fun along the way to experiment with blends. You likely won't ruin the coffee if the blend is off, it just won't taste how you wanted it to. So it's back to the drawing board to try again, which in itself is all kinds of fun.
I'll stop now so you can absorb what I've typed so far. Ask any other questions you'd like. This is my passion.

-Mike

Hmmm I'm like the OP, I am into dark, black, full bodied coffee. I'm curious Mike, can you re-roast a bean ( Hoping to achieve a darker taste ) or would that render the oils essentially void?


As an aside, the Tim Hortons recommendation was spot on. The donut shop blend is my wife's go to now.

 

[DrThumpenstein]

I am a big fan of Baratza. Their operations are just an hour or so north of us. We've been to their shop a couple different times. Great people and customer service too.

-Mike

Have you tried that grinder? That’s a good price if it’s decent.

I scored a KitchenAid burr grinder a long time ago on a tip from coffeegeek.com and it’s great. Makes great drip grind, makes great espresso grind, but it’s on his second set of burrs and I know at some point it’s going to shoot craps.

A couple of years ago I decided to splurge on a moderately priced Italian grinder. Plastic parts broke within the first couple of weeks. It made good espresso grind but couldn’t get course enough for daily drip. Went back to the trusty ol’ KitchenAid. But they’re not making those any more and this one has given me a longer service time that I had any right to expect.

 

[MJ5150]

Hmmm I'm like the OP, I am into dark, black, full bodied coffee. I'm curious Mike, can you re-roast a bean ( Hoping to achieve a darker taste ) or would that render the oils essentially void?


As an aside, the Tim Hortons recommendation was spot on. The donut shop blend is my wife's go to now.

No my friend, it is not possible to re-roast a coffee bean. You can roast it again later but you'll just burn the bean, it won't change the flavor.
Tim Hortons is good coffee for what it is.

-Mike

 

[pie_man_25]

Tim Hortons is good coffee for what it is.

-Mike

i can jive with that. I've had better McDonalds and starbucks but in all honesty it's either really good from those places OR it's usually just thin and ashy. Tim's is a consistently decent cup. It's even alright room temp three days later.

 

[Pilgrim]

As Robert Heinlein wrote in Glory Road, coffee comes in five descending stages:
Coffee, Java, Jamoke, Joe, and Carbon Remover.

I'm good with any of the top three as long as it's dark, moderately strong, and black.

Mix those beans all you like - people do it all the time. Some can tell the difference; some claim to even though they can't; I can't. (Don't really care either.) We buy a lot of Don Francisco's at Safeway, coz it tastes good to us.

 

[MJ5150]

Have you tried that grinder? That’s a good price if it’s decent.

I scored a KitchenAid burr grinder a long time ago on a tip from coffeegeek.com and it’s great. Makes great drip grind, makes great espresso grind, but it’s on his second set of burrs and I know at some point it’s going to shoot craps.

A couple of years ago I decided to splurge on a moderately priced Italian grinder. Plastic parts broke within the first couple of weeks. It made good espresso grind but couldn’t get course enough for daily drip. Went back to the trusty ol’ KitchenAid. But they’re not making those any more and this one has given me a longer service time that I had any right to expect.

Not that exact model. We have a Vario.
Here's the thing with Baratza, while they aren't cheap they are built like a commercial grinder. Meaning the components inside are good quality and replaceable by a home user later. That makes them above average and built to last. The customer support at Baratza is some of the best you'll ever experience. Coffee lovers work there and answer the phone when you call. They love coffee too and want your Baratza to work forever so they do what they can to help out.
We've had our Vario for over 12 years now and had to replace the gear that turns the burrs. It was plastic. When we called to get a new one they told us they since starting using a metal gear so sent one to us free of charge with clear and specific directions written in English and a link to a YouTube video if we'd rather watch how to replace the gear.
Yes, I am a major fan of Baratza. They are good people.

-Mike

 

[jnewmark]

I really like my Cusinart, blade grinder ( pictured above ). I just keep it on Coarse all the time as I use a French Press. Have had it for years. Kind of loud, but gives a great, coarse grind.

 

[the general]

Not that exact model. We have a Vario.
Here's the thing with Baratza, while they aren't cheap they are built like a commercial grinder. Meaning the components inside are good quality and replaceable by a home user later. That makes them above average and built to last. The customer support at Baratza is some of the best you'll ever experience. Coffee lovers work there and answer the phone when you call. They love coffee too and want your Baratza to work forever so they do what they can to help out.
We've had our Vario for over 12 years now and had to replace the gear that turns the burrs. It was plastic. When we called to get a new one they told us they since starting using a metal gear so sent one to us free of charge with clear and specific directions written in English and a link to a YouTube video if we'd rather watch how to replace the gear.
Yes, I am a major fan of Baratza. They are good people.

-Mike

That's good to know! Thanks for that info.

While I'm on here, might as well ask this question for anyone who uses a French press: what ratio/weight of water to coffee do y'all use?

I'm using 4 TBS of ground coffee to 14 oz of water and it tastes ok. I don't think I'm getting the full flavor the coffee has to offer though. I steep the grounds for at least 3 minutes using water around the 205-210 degree range. And my water tastes pretty good out of the tap. Maybe too coarse on the grind?

 

[jnewmark]

That's good to know! Thanks for that info.

While I'm on here, might as well ask this question for anyone who uses a French press: what ratio/weight of water to coffee do y'all use?

I'm using 4 TBS of ground coffee to 14 oz of water and it tastes ok. I don't think I'm getting the full flavor the coffee has to offer though. I steep the grounds for at least 3 minutes using water around the 205-210 degree range. And my water tastes pretty good out of the tap. Maybe too coarse on the grind?

I've done different things with my press, but lately I use filtered water. I just use the cup I'm going to drink out of, heat that to almost a boil, pour it over two scoops of really coarse coffee, let it sit for one minute with just enough water to let the coffee bloom a bit, then pour the rest of the water in, cover it, and push the plunger down about half way for three minutes, then press. Works for me.

 

[BassNugget]

Here is my old bean grinder. Purchased in Chiba, Japan for about $90.00 in the late 90's. It's all brass with Moroccan patterns. The burring is stainless steel. A screw and spring assembly on the bottom let's you adjust the fineness of the grind. It is much easier to use this kind vs. a tabletop grinder. You can hold this close to your body and grind away.

 

[the general]

I've done different things with my press, but lately I use filtered water. I just use the cup I'm going to drink out of, heat that to almost a boil, pour it over two scoops of really coarse coffee, let it sit for one minute with just enough water to let the coffee bloom a bit, then pour the rest of the water in, cover it, and push the plunger down about half way for three minutes, then press. Works for me.

Mmmm....filtered water eh? Might be worth a try.

 

[jnewmark]

Mmmm....filtered water eh? Might be worth a try.

Makes a big difference in taste, depending on how your local tap water tastes, of course.