Sly Bald Guys Forum

Discussions About Being Bald => General Discussion => Topic started by: TwistedLefty on November 11, 2008, 09:05:22 AM

Title: Coffee/Espresso anyone?
Post by: TwistedLefty on November 11, 2008, 09:05:22 AM
I started my love for the Java at 11.
I'm 6'2" so i guess if it stunted my growth i woulda' been about 7'
The wife bought me a cheap combo drip/espresso machine a few weeks ago and I'm lovin' it!
i can already make a great Mocha Latte, cinnamon Hazelnut Latte, and a killer Caramel Macchiato that puts starbucks to shame!
any other sly "Baristas" out there?
(https://www.slybaldguys.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm3.static.flickr.com%2F2327%2F2241414822_a3e2718360.jpg&hash=5ad02db691d366dd2bdca398a017126484174ab9)
Title: Re: Coffee/Espresso anyone?
Post by: PowerOfCheese on November 11, 2008, 09:10:13 AM
I'm far from a barista and too lasy to make a caramel macchiato or even cappuccino but I have a coffee press and really enjoy a double espresso on Sunday mornings.

I don't drink espresso before work. Makes me too hyper for a desk job.

Do you have a favorite bean?
Title: Re: Coffee/Espresso anyone?
Post by: TwistedLefty on November 11, 2008, 09:45:44 AM
Do you have a favorite bean?

not yet really, i'm trying to master my own grind now and have only tried a few roasts. any suggestions?
Title: Re: Coffee/Espresso anyone?
Post by: PowerOfCheese on November 11, 2008, 10:07:46 AM
No suggestions really. I get a pound of important Italian espresso beans once in a while when I'm near a particular specialty market by me. I just can't taste the difference between the fancy imported and the $8.99 a lb stuff I get at Acme.
Title: Re: Coffee/Espresso anyone?
Post by: Timmay on November 11, 2008, 05:24:59 PM
twistedlefty..that looked like an onion in there lol. 

I only drink coffee in the winter time.  I had bought a pound of coffee while I was in Haiti, I just broke it out last night after dinner.  Good stuff.  oh and i drink it Black....
Title: Re: Coffee/Espresso anyone?
Post by: Brkeatr on November 11, 2008, 06:16:05 PM
I like coffee but am not allowed to drink caffeine.....so I have to find decafe that tastes good and sometimes that's hard to do.... :-\
Title: Re: Coffee/Espresso anyone?
Post by: Mike on November 11, 2008, 07:09:00 PM
I dont make espresso but I do make coffee with some added stuff. Almost every morning I make a pot of black coffee and drink a cup or two of that to wake me up. Then when I am more awake I add some peanut butter and some caramel sauce and some chocolate syrup. It sounds gross but its great. When I go to the little coffee stands I always have a special order. I like vanilla coffee with caramel, starbucks always makes it just right.
 My wife goes to the espresso stands and knows all the fancy names for everything. It sounds like a foreign language to me, lol.
 
Title: Re: Coffee/Espresso anyone?
Post by: wpruitt on November 11, 2008, 07:29:23 PM
Gotta have my Joe
Title: Re: Coffee/Espresso anyone?
Post by: GASlick on November 12, 2008, 06:56:41 PM
I'm so simple.  Just black coffee for me.
Title: Re: Coffee/Espresso anyone?
Post by: andrew on November 12, 2008, 07:21:12 PM
I have coffee issues (when I'm not living in a hotel)

I roast my own beans and use a commerical grinder.    Everything is carefully timed, as ground coffee goes stale in 40 seconds.   Also, I give away unused beans after 10 days, which is when they begin to stale.  I roast for espresso, drip and press pot brewing.

I have friends and family begging for my coffee -  many who didn't expect to be able to tell the difference.

When we move into our house, the roasting shall begin again...
Title: Re: Coffee/Espresso anyone?
Post by: ChallengeMe on November 12, 2008, 10:58:47 PM
I roast my own coffee too, have been for the past year. I didn't know what good coffee till I started home roasting, you can taste the different flavor in it. This week I am drinking "Sumatra Lintong Grade One" with hints of herbal aromatics, tobacco, clove and pepper. I no longer want to order coffee when we go out to eat, or drink commercial coffee. With commercial coffee, when it gets cool you need to pour it out or warm it up. With home roast, that is when the flavor comes out.

----------------
Now playing: Boz Scaggs - Harbor Lights (http://www.foxytunes.com/artist/boz+scaggs/track/harbor+lights)
via FoxyTunes (http://www.foxytunes.com/signatunes/)
Title: Re: Coffee/Espresso anyone?
Post by: TwistedLefty on November 13, 2008, 05:45:27 AM
God stuff Andrew & Challengeme,
 please share more about getting into home roasting!
i agree about the quick death (staleness) of coffee after opening or grinding and would suggest what i use to put it off a bit (good coffee ain't cheap)
i use the round canisters to store both my fresh beans and freshly ground.
i used to try and only grind enough for what i was using that day but I've found that if i vacuum seal it right away there is little to no noticeable difference if used within a few days.

http://www.foodsaver.com/Category.aspx?id=c&cid=89
Title: Re: Coffee/Espresso anyone?
Post by: PowerOfCheese on November 13, 2008, 08:04:21 AM
I've never roasted my own but from what you guys described it sounds awesome. It is now on my to do list.
Title: Re: Coffee/Espresso anyone?
Post by: tomgallagher on November 13, 2008, 08:22:59 AM
I'm a real low brow as far as coffee is concerned. I guess it goes back to all those years drinking Army coffee, hot, black and strong.
Title: Re: Coffee/Espresso anyone?
Post by: cooncatbob on November 13, 2008, 10:11:58 AM
Coffee guys have their own forums too.
http://coffeegeek.com/forums
Title: Re: Coffee/Espresso anyone?
Post by: ChallengeMe on November 13, 2008, 04:36:45 PM
God stuff Andrew & Challengeme,
 please share more about getting into home roasting!
i agree about the quick death (staleness) of coffee after opening or grinding and would suggest what i use to put it off a bit (good coffee ain't cheap)
i use the round canisters to store both my fresh beans and freshly ground.
i used to try and only grind enough for what i was using that day but I've found that if i vacuum seal it right away there is little to no noticeable difference if used within a few days.


I use a stove top popcorn popper to roast my coffee, but there are several other, more expensive coffee roasters. I bought my roaster and all my green coffee beans from Sweet Maria's.  (http://Sweet Maria's.)  http://www.sweetmarias.com/ (http://www.sweetmarias.com/) All the information you will ever need is on this site.

It does cause a little smoke and a lot of chafe, so do it outside or in the garage if you can. It's worth the effort.
Title: Re: Coffee/Espresso anyone?
Post by: andrew on November 13, 2008, 05:12:53 PM
God stuff Andrew & Challengeme,
 please share more about getting into home roasting!
i agree about the quick death (staleness) of coffee after opening or grinding and would suggest what i use to put it off a bit (good coffee ain't cheap)
i use the round canisters to store both my fresh beans and freshly ground.
i used to try and only grind enough for what i was using that day but I've found that if i vacuum seal it right away there is little to no noticeable difference if used within a few days.

http://www.foodsaver.com/Category.aspx?id=c&cid=89



I started out with a small roaster with a minimal investment.  It took me a while to learn how to get good results, but once I figured it out, I was hooked on home roasting.  After I got to the point where I was roasting for about 4 hours/week, I decided to step up to a bigger roaster.  The bigger one has yielded much more consistent results as well as cutting my roasting times quite a bit. 

Fresh roasting makes a giant difference, but proper grinding is the next important issue.  The less expensive whirly grinders and low-end burr grinders really don't cut it.  They result in granuals of different sizes and some powder sized granuals of which result in bitterness. 

A good quality burr grinder (they start at about $150 and go into the thousands) produce consistently sized granuals and no powder. 

I did tons of research on all of this and didn't believe the grinder thing until I upgraded my whirly grinder to a good one - GIANT DIFFERENCE.

When I bring coffee to work, people fight over it ...

Check out www.sweetmarias.com  (http://www.sweetmarias.com)  for great info on home roasting.
Title: Re: Coffee/Espresso anyone?
Post by: Tyler on November 13, 2008, 05:59:19 PM
It looks like the maker of this coffee is a Grateful Dead fan
Title: Re: Coffee/Espresso anyone?
Post by: TwistedLefty on November 14, 2008, 07:28:46 AM
Andrew & Challengeme~
Thanks for the info. i'm going to look into it.
i doubt i will be able to justify a burr grinder but ebay might have a used one.

Tyler~
I thought i was the only one who saw it ;D
"steal your face right off of your head"
Title: Re: Coffee/Espresso anyone?
Post by: PE#1 on November 14, 2008, 08:01:52 AM
I'm a coffeeholic.   C*f3  I really am not picky when it comes to coffee.  I mean sure, I love the "good stuff" over regular old coffee like Foldgers and the like.  I'll get the "good stuff" when I can and can afford it.  I have a coffee bean grinder that I put to use once in a while.  But for the most part I just take what I can get.   ;D  And just depends on my mood on how I take it.  Sometimes black and sometimes so much sugar my head explodes.   p0@^
Title: Re: Coffee/Espresso anyone?
Post by: TwistedLefty on November 14, 2008, 02:58:10 PM
do you think this is a good brand/product?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Cuisinart-Burr-Mill-Coffee-Espresso-Grinder-140-wt-BNIB_W0QQitemZ130260787262QQihZ003QQcategoryZ32882QQcmdZViewItem
Title: Re: Coffee/Espresso anyone?
Post by: PE#1 on November 14, 2008, 04:22:27 PM
Haven't never heard of it but if it's a whole bean then you can't go wrong.  Most of the time.
Title: Re: Coffee/Espresso anyone?
Post by: andrew on November 17, 2008, 05:32:30 PM
do you think this is a good brand/product?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Cuisinart-Burr-Mill-Coffee-Espresso-Grinder-140-wt-BNIB_W0QQitemZ130260787262QQihZ003QQcategoryZ32882QQcmdZViewItem

Check out http://www.wholelattelove.com (http://www.wholelattelove.com)  The lowest I recommend going is the
Baratza Maestro Coffee Grinder.  A great source of information for grinders and other coffee gear is http://www.coffeegeek.com/ (http://www.coffeegeek.com/)