I think I went through the snob phase and I'm more in a Bourdain phase now... where I just like a cup of coffee and I don't care if it's from a diner or whatever... if it's nasty, I'll throw cream in there.
First, I've been kinda insane about coffee for years and years, so I'll share what I know so we can have a point of reference.
The process (as I understand it)
- Natural: They don't wash the beans, they just dry them in the cherry (the fruit portion of the coffee bean)... It takes 3-6 weeks and the coffee has more of a fruity flavor... sometimes wine-like, sometimes berries, lemons, etc. It has higher malic and citric acid, but lower chlorogenic acid (the one that bothers your stomach).
- Washed: They wash the cherry off the coffee bean and dry it. You lose a bit of the fruit flavor, but people say it's a "cleaner" cup. It's just good coffee, but I miss some of the extra layers of flavor when I have it.
- Honey Process: They wash the coffee bean, but leave some bits of the fruit on the bean... so it's a middle ground.
Roasts:
- Light - fruity, acidic, and the most complex. It has both the highest and the lowest caffeine. You really taste the bean with this one, so it better be good.
- Medium - rounded acidity, still great flavor like the light, but less complex. Medium caffeine
- Dark - can be smoky, lower acidity, higher oil, the roast kills most of the bean's character... low fruit, low complexity, chocolaty, molasses, etc. This is roast flavor over bean flavor... and big chains use this to maintain consistency (Starbucks Pike Place Roast - their default). Most grocery store stuff is dark or medium/dark
I get local beans from this place: https://www.cunninghamcoffeeroasters.com/
I always go for light roast and I prefer the natural process. I do like light/medium roasts too, but dark is kinda one-note, imo.
I used to order from Mocha Joes in Vermont. They are still one of the best and if you want to try extremely high-quality beans... well, here:
https://mochajoes.com/
Their prices have risen by about 40% in the past two years, which sucks, but they are still low for the quality.
Grinders:
If you like light roast and are not making espresso at home... this is the gold standard for under $200:
https://www.baratza.com/en-us/product/encore-zcg485
I don't recommend dark with, well any grinder. You have to clean them far more often due to all the oils. With light, you can clean it every few months.
Here's the kettle I use for pour-over:
https://cosori.com/products/electric-go ... e-co108-nk
ALWAYS boil it! Don't listen to people who say you're going to burn your coffee beans. That's nonsense. I do tea at 180F... coffee, boiling.
This is my coffee storage container:
https://christopherbean.com/kivy-vacuum ... -canister/
Coffee pour over thing: https://www.publicgoods.com/products/7- ... ter-holder
I also have a scale, but I only use it for pouring the water at the moment. If I get new beans, I'll figure out how much I need... usually 25g. For my current beans, that's 4 tablespoons.
As for bean characteristics. I generally go for Papua New Guinea, Honduras, Ethiopia... but there's lots of good stuff out there... Guatemala isn't bad usually... Columbia are generally kinda boring to me... not as complex and wild, but still OK.
Anyway, I have 1-2 cups like this per day.
TLDR
I but local natural process beans that are light to medium/light. I prefer about 25g of beans for 12.5 oz of coffee. I make the coffee with a cone and boiling water. It's good.
I had an espresso setup too... but I recently sold it all. I was never happy with the steam wand's strength, so milk didn't froth properly... I save cappuccinos for special occasions.
So, what are you into when it comes to coffee?
Also, Coffee Talk was fun:
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