The Coffee Thread

Time for a coffee thread! Figured this could be a cool place to share roasters/brew methods/cool shops across the country. For those who may be interested but unsure exactly what specialty coffee is, it's essentially a movement that aims to produce high quality beverages that elevate coffee beyond a commodity into more of an artisanal realm (think craft beer). Specialty coffee is sometimes referred to as "third-wave".

I'll kick off, this morning I had a pour over of Perc's Ethiopia Kochere (via a Kalita), and this afternoon I'll be drinking Counter Culture's Hologram as espresso.

Any baristas/home brewers out there? Where do you work/what are you brewing with?

 

I have a Keurig (not so great, however very convenient), but I really want a French press. I plan on getting one soon, but really don't know which one to buy.

 

When I decided I wanted to stop spending crazy $$ on buying coffee out, I went with a french press. They have their plus sides - notably they're an easy way to brew multiple cups at once, and if bitterness or thickness are desirable traits for you, french press coffee tends to be a bit higher in both those aspects (in a mostly pleasant way). Bodum is the main company and you'll be totally happy with one if you go with that.

That said, I got a Chemex to make pourover coffee with a couple years ago, and I prefer it now by a lot. It's not much harder to use and to me it makes better coffee.

And no matter what you go with, it's worth spending $20 on amazon for a scale to make sure you know how much grounds and water you're using. May be too nerdy for some but chances are if you are interested enough to take the time to french press/pourover/aeropress you're interested enough to take one or two more steps to make your coffee a lot better.

 

I used to specialize in coffee makers (though I hate coffee) and all anyone ever cared about was the capacity on the Keurigs. It was so hard to convince people to buy a better coffee maker.

 

After living in Italy for nine months, I've pretty much just mentally agreed with myself to settle for easy coffee while in the US or I'll always be disappointed.

 

Agreed on that scale. Seems nerdy but it's so much easier than using a scoop and measuring cup for water. Not to mention it makes it easier to get consistent results.

Where do you live?

 

Now? Knoxville. While in Italy? Just outside of Casarsa at the base of the Alps, between Udine and Pordenone, in the northeast corner about an hour and a half away from Venice in one direction and two hours from Trieste in the other.

 

Nice! Ok, so disclaimer: I've never been to either of these shops. That said, I've gotten pretty ok at picking out quality shops by looking at social media feeds in places I'm visiting ha. I'd recommend checking out (if you haven't) Remedy Coffee & Spero Coffee. Looks like both serve quality roasters and have both pour overs and a nice selection of espresso based drinks. You'll have to let me know if you check them out, I think you'd be presently surprised at the quality, even stack up against Italy.

What were you drinking over in Italy?

 

I think as far as french presses go, you're not going to find a crazy difference in quality. Most are glass walls with a metal mesh for filtration, with some slight variations here and there. Definitely a solid place to start in terms of manual brewing. The bigger factors would be the coffee you use, water temp, whether or not you grind fresh or not, and if you are, your grinder.

I'd also recommend checking out an Aeropress as an alternative. It's not quite as involved as a pour over set up, but it's really cool haha. They're also super cheap, like 30 bucks for an entire kit.

 

Remedy isn't that great for the two times I've had coffee from there. Not heard of Spero before.

A lot of straight espresso. Illy cafes were my favorite.

 

A fellow espresso lover, nice! Have you tried pour overs? And if so, do you like them? Obviously they're two totally different animals, I sometimes find myself in a mood for one of the other, but am generally a fan of both.

Maybe give Spero a try. You could even mention to the barista that you lived in Italy, explain what you like and see what they suggest. I've found that a lot of coffee professionals are super excited to here your "coffee story" and help you find something you like.

 

I drank pour overs in Costa Rica. Really did enjoy it! But haven't done it in the US.

It's a lot closer to my house than Remedy is, so I may do that the next time I'm in that area.

 

You've been all over the world drinking coffee, jealous haha.

As far as pour overs go, there's a lot of shops here in the US doing it right. Most have multiple options, so if you go somewhere and would like to give one a try, most coffees have tasting notes listed, or at least the barista can give you a quick run down. You'll have to keep me posted on what you try, there's definitely some solid coffee to be had in the states, just gotta find the shops the do what you like.

 

I prefer instant coffee, Oro is the best that I've tried. It's from Mexico.

 

Until about 3 years ago, coffee to me was either Starbucks, folgers, or shitty diner coffee with unlimited refills. Specialty coffee showed up in my town and I gave it a whirl and I haven't looked back since. Loved it so much I become a barista haha. Now I've been working in coffee for over 2 years and I love it.

 

paging @Anna Acosta

i feel so basic reading this thread, haha. i just ain't got the money to get any fancy coffee brewing system type stuff. i have a basic Black & Decker coffeemaker and my brother just recently bought a Keurig machine (convenience since he always has to get up early)

and i swear there's like 6 Starbucks' in my town but almost no place to get anything i'd describe as "specialty"

 

I was a barista for 5 or so years at specialty shops (starting in 2009) and I have to say, I've never waited 25 minutes and paid $7-8 for a pour-over that was even remotely worth it, at least not in this country.

Don't get me wrong, they're good coffee when you get a place that does it right- but even as a die-hard snob I'm not convinced it's different enough to be worth it most of the time.

I mean, I've had the $90/lb Jamaican blue mountain beans, Intelligentsia/Blue Bottle/Groundworks/etc here in LA and frankly, you get just as satisfying a cup at a Coffee Bean. I know I'm not supposed to say that (and definitely wouldn't say the same about Peets or Starbucks) but I've been doing this for years and here we are. I think at some level (again, this is only in the US) the novelty plays in as much as anything else.

But what I can say for sure? Never buy a cold-brew maker. You just need a bucket, coarse ground beans (think French Press) and industrial coffee filters and you can make the world's best cold brew in the comforts of your home.

 

I love coffee and I'm tragically bad at brewing it at home.

But if anyone lives in/visits NYC and is around the World Trade Center/financial district, Voyager Espresso makes the most amazing coffee things I've found in the city.

 

Nice! Where are you working at?

 

Your first paragraph shocked me until I read you live in LA haha. I've never waited in a 25 minute line or paid $7 for a pour over PERIOD haha. I guess things are a little different here in the south east.

I'll agree that as with just about any industry, there's a good bit of hype and novelty that goes into it. You got to sift through some mess to find some gems, that's for sure.

 

No need to feel basic! If the Black & Decker works for you, more power to you! Went ahead and renamed the thread to reflect more of a general coffee thread.

 

Haha location no doubt has a lot to do with it. San Francisco is equally awful in that way.

 

I want the convenience of a Keurig and the quality of a pour-over or French press haha. Thanks for suggesting the Aeropress, Bodum, and Chemex. I'll be checking all of them out shortly.

 

There's a place on the South Shore in MA called Marylous. It's what converted me into a coffee drinker. So good.

 

also, what exactly are people referring to when they say "pour-over?" is that a coffee term i'm not aware of or does it just literally mean pouring coffee into a cup? i'm not sure if i'm overthinking this, hahaha