Lets talk premium coffee

(Dirty Lazy Keto'er, Sucralose freak ;)) #1

So I could have drank Folgers for the rest of my life, and been totally fine with it… Until my GF messed me all up by introducing me to all kinds of premium coffees. So in the last 4 years I’ve tried a BUNCH of premium coffees… a lot of whole beans, some ground, some premium blends, etc.

About 2 years ago, I picked up a bag of Costco coffee which was labeled as Ethiopian Dark Roast. Turned out to be “the best coffee” hands down, that I had, or have ever since tried. I was SO ready to go back and get two more big bags… And of course they were out, and have been ever since :frowning: Kills me when this happens.

So, I’m about out of coffee, and was surfing around looking for some good coffee, at a good price, and I found a place, Coffee Bean Direct,


that had great reviews on a couple of their whole bean, dark roasts. I was all set to pull the trigger on a 5 lb bag of dark roast blend for only $29… Then, just for the heck of it, I started scrolling through their list of other coffees, and I saw Ethiopian Dark Roast Yergacheffe… And I instantly flashed back on the Ethiopian coffee I had gotten from Costco. Checked reviews and found that this coffee was a top favorite among connoisseurs. So it figures, it cost $46 instead of $29 :frowning: But you only live once, right ? Just had to pull the trigger.
Will report back a review, in a couple days.

What is your favorite premium coffee ? Is it a blend ? Whole bean or ground ?

(FRANK) #2

Chris,
I have been on a quest for the perfect decaf coffee. I like a cup after dinner and prefer decaf, but I have yet to find a good full bodied dark roast blend.

I too am stuck with Folgers for a leaded product, so I will wait patiently for your review of the Ethiopian Dark Roast.

#3

I don’t like bitter, and I’m not even in the same league as some others because I brew K-Cups. I’ve found a McDonald’s light roast I like. I think it’s a breakfast blend.

(John) #4

hands down the best coffee I have ever had was on the big islad of hawaii. went to a coffee farm and did some tasting. even my wife that does not like coffee straight liked it. no bitterness at all. They said why coffee is bitter but I dont remember what it was. I think it was the amount of the shell or something left on the bean

(Ellenor Bjornsdottir) #5

Coffee gives me hypoglycemia. So I have tea instead, which still gives me the effects I want. Lately my favorite black tea has been Hasmukhrai & Co.'s Society brand pure Assam, but the workhorse previously has been Tata Tetley’s English Breakfast. I always put salt in the tea while brewing. Both teas are reasonably good tasting when mixed with sweetener, salt and cream.

(Dirty Lazy Keto'er, Sucralose freak ;)) #6

If I ever had to drink decaf, I’d then have to pop a couple caffeine tablets right when I was finished :grinning: lol

True story, a few years ago I went to visit my parents 2500 miles away from home. Mom was making the coffee. After the first morning, I developed an ugly, nasty headache that just wouldn’t go away. Was only visiting for a week. For 6 days, that nasty funky headache never went away ! I thought I had developed a brain tumor or something. Basically ruined my whole visit with my parents. On the last day, I just happened to ask my Mom what kind of coffee she used. She told me, oh I don’t remember, but it’s right there in the cabinet… So I opened the cabinet to find… Freaking DECAF ??? Ahhhh @## ! My own Mother had been trying to kill me !!! :flushed::open_mouth::open_mouth::grimacing::pleading_face::grimacing::frowning::dizzy_face::weary::astonished::flushed:

So I ran to the store as quick as I could, got a small jug of “real” caffeinated coffee… Brewed me a quick pot of double strength, high octane boost… Guzzled it down… And holy @# ! Immediately, I could feel my scalp tingling… Headache gone instantly. What a relief… And the next morning, it was time to go home.

Thanks Mom. Love you :slight_smile:

(Dirty Lazy Keto'er, Sucralose freak ;)) #7

I’m not sure how I could make those little cup things work, for one, because I brew straight into my 22oz mug, and secondly, I like at least double strength. I use enough grounds for my 22oz mug as most people would use for a regular pot. But then my one mug is all I drink for the day.

#8

Medium roast, whole bean, locally roasted blend of South American/Indonesian/African beans. They do not specify where the beans come from & I don’t care a jot. Best coffee I’ve ever had.

(Dirty Lazy Keto'er, Sucralose freak ;)) #9

Interestingly, I’m super sensitive to “bitter”. In fact, I’m convinced that I have a genetic thing going on that makes certain things bitter to me, when most others think it’s fine ? Like tea. Never had tea that wasn’t bitter in my life. Then people tell me… Oh but this tea is not bitter at all… Just put some sugar in it… And, yep ! Still bitter, just like I knew it would be.
That said, I’ve had some coffee I didn’t care for, but never really had any that was terribly bitter. Granted, I always use sweetener, heavy cream, and vanilla extract…

(Dirty Lazy Keto'er, Sucralose freak ;)) #10

Okay, but what’s the brand ?

#11

The roaster/cafe is called Alfresco.

#12

I must be also, I hate IPA and other hoppy beer.

(Dirty Lazy Keto'er, Sucralose freak ;)) #13

I can’t even remember the bitterness of any beer. Haven’t drank one for 30 years :slightly_smiling_face:

#14

I’ve not drank beer in a while either, if/when I drink it is bourbon.

(Dirty Lazy Keto'er, Sucralose freak ;)) #15

Holy moly ! I’d use that stuff as a disinfectant ! :grinning: Lol

(Allie) #16

Being in the UK I’m guessing I have different options available, but I quite like this brand -

(PSackmann) #17

My current blend is the Cafe Cubano from Costco. Good dark blend, not burnt tasting. I also like a strong pot of coffee; when people comment on how strong I make it, I tell them that they can always add hot water to their preference, but I can’t add ground coffee to a weak brew to bring it up to my preference. I’ve been known to bring a French press with me when visiting family, so they can make their strength and I can make my coffee.

#18

Coffee Bean direct has ridiculous coffee! Their Iced Coffee blend is the best Iced coffee I’ve ever had!

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #19

“Premium” is marketing-speak for “we charge a lot more.” Whether the extra cost is worth it, only you can decide. I notice, however, that $6.00-9.00 a pound is well within the price range of coffee at my local supermarket, so if you can get better coffee at those prices, it’s probably a decent deal.

I’m not that discriminating, myself. I buy and thoroughly enjoy the cheapest coffee from the supermarket, and whenever I do splurge on more-expensive stuff, it doesn’t taste enough better to be worth the price.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #20

A coffee store in one town where I used to live had decaffeinated beans, and their most popular blend was 14 ounces of Colombian mixed with 2 ounces of dark French roast per pound. None of our friends could ever tell that it was decaffeinated, and neither could my lover and I. It was tasty enough to compete with any of the store’s “real” coffee beans.