The gaggia machines came highly recommended to me, the Carezza machine I posted above has basically the same guts as their more expensive units for about 2 bills, pretty nice if you can deal with the pseudo-modern plastic styling on the outside. I prefer the classic look, but I'm holding out until I can afford the twin....
The spot I mentioned above in NY, Joe, gets all their beans from here , and I grab some fresh roastd beans every 10 days or so when im grabbing a cup . Once you go for the fresh jawns, the vacuum packed just doesnt cut it. Got some illy beans from gf's parents for christmas, and they only made it out of th cupboard once....
Fresh ground is where it's at but since I'm banned from using the grinder at 6.30am I have to go with the ready-ground. I generally buy beans about once a month and keep em freezy.
Haha, my grinder IS loud as shit, but the lady's always out of the house first, so I get a pass on that. My apt is next to the elevator, and my kitchens next to the front door, neighbors have mentioned hearing my grinder.
Btw, the people at the coffee spot frequently mention to keep the beans in a tupperware, but not to freeze them, to the point where I'm like "i know, i knwow, no freezer." Not sure if its different for whole bean vs ground tho....
keeping the natural oils on the beans is important, thus freezing or not grinding fresh makes a bad cup.
what's the shelf life on non-refrigerated whole beans? I forgot to grind the coffee I bought at costco (no-aficianado) while I was still there, so I've been doing it little by little every couple of days. The unground beans are just sitting out right now. I taped the package back up, but there's no sealing or refrigerating involved. Should I be making real world tupperware moves?
My father always made his coffee with Cona machines, with the little spirit burner under the reservoir. Beautiful machines and great coffee but what a pain in the arse it was.
Hey, is this the same method as that $20,000 machine at Blue Bottle Cafe?... how much one of these run?
I'd have that on my counter, if it makes quality brew!
keeping the natural oils on the beans is important, thus freezing or not grinding fresh makes a bad cup.
what's the shelf life on non-refrigerated whole beans? I forgot to grind the coffee I bought at costco (no-aficianado) while I was still there, so I've been doing it little by little every couple of days. The unground beans are just sitting out right now. I taped the package back up, but there's no sealing or refrigerating involved. Should I be making real world tupperware moves?
Sure if you think you should, but as long as its sealed you're fine. Also, if you have ground coffee and are not feeling it so much, use it in flourless cake or for a rub for ribs or a pork loin. I had ground coffee as a gift, so i keep it for cooking.
My boy went to SF a few months back and brought me back some beans from Blue Bottle...pretty alright stuff.
But me being a Chicago-ite, I love my Intelligentsia!!
And what, dude? You got no love for Philz? You were totally right about Oren's in Manhattan, by the way. That was a damn fine cup.
No, I just thought Philz was great. I am forever indebted to you for taking me there for the first time. I love Philz. Went back every day that I was in San Francisco (even when they were closed--why close at 8pm?). I just thought it was adequately covered by the time I read this thread. And I didn't want to throw salt on his name, but since you brought it up...
I think the coffee is done right, and I am for the general atmosphere of the place, with its part-time Burning Man welders and boxes of coffee lids stacked to the ceiling, not to mention the scavenged thrift store couches that are in desperate need of cleaning. Whatever, I'll tolerate all of that for the coffee. The fedoras in the Noe shop are a nice touch, even though they add to the Cosa Nostra vibe, leaving the store looking more like an adjunct building attached to the laundromat instead of it's own heavenly brew outpost.
But here is my main criticism: Philz, why you gonna make a grown man order something called "Canopy of Heaven" or "Jacob???s Wonderbar Brew" or "Phil???z Sooooooo Good" or, my favorite, "Ambrosia: Coffee of the gods?" For fuck's sake! These ain't teething rings, they're coffee drinks for grown-up motherfuckers. Why do I have to feel like I should be wearing a glow-stick or sucking on a pacifier when I order?
WHY?
Nothing, however, compares to the perfection of a caf?? con leche from pretty much any place in Spain. I'd fly back just for 6 of those a day.
Yes! Barcelona was not wrong in their coffee. I had several a day. So good. And when you can walk into just about any place and get a fine cup is really a pleasure.
We need an international coffee discussion in this thread. Speaking of...
here's my question. VN coffee. discuss. sometimes its just too sweet and burnt for me.
I love a traditional coffee after Vietnamese lunch. The ritual is nice, and the overpowering sweet/burnt combination is a strange compliment to the food. But I don't ever really crave it.
a shot of Neapolitan coffee (that Shig claims tastes burnt?!).
hey im a american! i like my coffee brewed, my crust removed from my bread, and gravy on my gohan.hey i met your reverend the other day and he told me his reverend name but i was kinda tipsy and now i dont remember. anyways, hey dude!
Hey dude! Rev. So Wrong. He's full tilt. Certifiable. Anyway. Hey yourself.
Let's discuss international coffees. Worldwide Strutters Please Advise.
coffee in koreatown is made from freeze dried flavor crystals and costs $5 a cup. something about coffee in asia. theyll actualy choose the tasters choice!
it ain't just koreatown drinkin flavor crystals...it's the whole country! they sell em by the sack, these big ass bags of "Maxim" brand instant coffee packetts. they had way too many starbucks over there too. i'm talkin stores across from stores. there were a couple cool little one room stands that sold only coffee & cigarettes. i thought that was cool, but the coffee wasn't any good.
Let's discuss international coffees. Worldwide Strutters Please Advise.
What about that crazy Greek frappe iced coffee that they drink all the time in summer. Instant coffee crystals, milk, and sugar, shaken with ice until frothy. It's not really part of this discussion, but it still kinda blew my pre-diabetic mind.
Let's discuss international coffees. Worldwide Strutters Please Advise.
What about that crazy Greek frappe iced coffee that they drink all the time in summer. Instant coffee crystals, milk, and sugar, shaken with ice until frothy. It's not really part of this discussion, but it still kinda blew my pre-diabetic mind.
I'll have a frappe once in a while. Prefer ice latte, though.
I hit up L.A. Mill today. Got a Clover-made cup of a Brazilian bean, described as "liquid chocolate, deep, intense."
Alas, I did not find it any of those things. I took it black, really tried to be open to it but I found it decently dark but kind of thin and not remotely intense or chocolate-esque. By the end of the cup, it also had that sweetyly-sour finish I can't stand.
I also wish L.A. Mill was more of a cafe and less of a restaurant; it doesn't throw off the same kind of vibe as Intelligensia, let alone my personal, local favorite: Venice Grind.
slightly off topic, but it's a coffee question, so here we go...
There's a stand at the farmer's market in Bmore that sells hot coffee, beans from a local distributor (Zeke's) that carries both organic/fair-trade beans and non.
They had a blend the other day that sounded appealing, but none of them were marked if they were organic or not, so I asked the middle-aged woman working the stand if the blend was organic. She gave me a condescending look and said "all coffee beans are organic until they're ground." Then she turned away w/ an air of annoyance to help other customers.
WTF? This didn't make any sense to me -- not in the moment, and not now. Is she looney or am I ?
slightly off topic, but it's a coffee question, so here we go...
There's a stand at the farmer's market in Bmore that sells hot coffee, beans from a local distributor (Zeke's) that carries both organic/fair-trade beans and non.
They had a blend the other day that sounded appealing, but none of them were marked if they were organic or not, so I asked the middle-aged woman working the stand if the blend was organic. She gave me a condescending look and said "all coffee beans are organic until they're ground." Then she turned away w/ an air of annoyance to help other customers.
WTF? This didn't make any sense to me -- not in the moment, and not now. Is she looney or am I ?
She's straight up loony. Unless she mis-heard your question.
south american coffees usually have that sweetly sour finish that u describe. could be the bean. try the pacific island or african coffees on that clover thing. what is that clover thing again?
south american coffees usually have that sweetly sour finish that u describe. could be the bean. try the pacific island or african coffees on that clover thing. what is that clover thing again?
Shiggy: It's a $11,000 drip coffee maker. For real.
Also, I'm still in Silverlake, working at Cafe Tropical. Any spots around here you'd recommend for me to get my lunch grub on?
I gotta head back to the Westside so any place b/t here and Santa Monica is open game.
slightly off topic, but it's a coffee question, so here we go...
There's a stand at the farmer's market in Bmore that sells hot coffee, beans from a local distributor (Zeke's) that carries both organic/fair-trade beans and non.
They had a blend the other day that sounded appealing, but none of them were marked if they were organic or not, so I asked the middle-aged woman working the stand if the blend was organic. She gave me a condescending look and said "all coffee beans are organic until they're ground." Then she turned away w/ an air of annoyance to help other customers.
WTF? This didn't make any sense to me -- not in the moment, and not now. Is she looney or am I ?
She's straight up loony. Unless she mis-heard your question.
whew. I thought maybe the term had two meanings in reference to coffee or something.
i don't think she misheard... i mean, she repeated the word "organic" back to me in her response. anyway, i'm new to drinking coffee in the last few years and thought maybe i was in the dark.
south american coffees usually have that sweetly sour finish that u describe. could be the bean. try the pacific island or african coffees on that clover thing. what is that clover thing again?
Shiggy: It's a $11,000 drip coffee maker. For real.
Also, I'm still in Silverlake, working at Cafe Tropical. Any spots around here you'd recommend for me to get my lunch grub on?
I gotta head back to the Westside so any place b/t here and Santa Monica is open game.
$11,000 for drip coffee?!? how much for a cup? i went to milk this morning. they have really good coffee but at west hollywood prices.
whats your flavor today? i mean from silverlake to santa monica is quite a stretch of real estate and ethnic dining options.
but none of them were marked if they were organic or not, so I asked the middle-aged woman working the stand if the blend was organic. She gave me a condescending look and said "all coffee beans are organic until they're ground."
hahahaha, go smoke some hemp. j/k. i'm tryin to get my hands on some of that kenyan blood-bean son.
Intelligentsia remains the jump off in my opinion - superior in every way. The clover is real ill. Unfortunately I can't really ball out with ill brewing methods or nothin....but for a baller on a budget (and if you're a bit of a pussy, like me) I highly reccomend the
Just heat some milk on the stove and throw that bad boy in there for a bit. Make a great latte (even though, technically, it's not really a latte)
slightly off topic, but it's a coffee question, so here we go...
There's a stand at the farmer's market in Bmore that sells hot coffee, beans from a local distributor (Zeke's) that carries both organic/fair-trade beans and non.
They had a blend the other day that sounded appealing, but none of them were marked if they were organic or not, so I asked the middle-aged woman working the stand if the blend was organic. She gave me a condescending look and said "all coffee beans are organic until they're ground." Then she turned away w/ an air of annoyance to help other customers.
WTF?
She's got her head up her ass. By definition:
Organic coffee beans are coffee beans that have been produced without the use of pesticides or herbicides. The definition of certified organic coffee can be extended to include an emphasis on recycling, composting, soil health, and protection of the environment.
Most organic coffees are certified by the Organic Crop Improvement Association. Here's a list of some:
south american coffees usually have that sweetly sour finish that u describe. could be the bean. try the pacific island or african coffees on that clover thing. what is that clover thing again?
Shiggy: It's a $11,000 drip coffee maker. For real.
Also, I'm still in Silverlake, working at Cafe Tropical. Any spots around here you'd recommend for me to get my lunch grub on?
I gotta head back to the Westside so any place b/t here and Santa Monica is open game.
$11,000 for drip coffee?!? how much for a cup? i went to milk this morning. they have really good coffee but at west hollywood prices.
whats your flavor today? i mean from silverlake to santa monica is quite a stretch of real estate and ethnic dining options.
Lets put it this way: my current Eastsid(ish) spot has been My Taco in Highland Park. Their bbq lamb is that shit! (Potato tacos are dope too).
So I'm looking for cheap and good. And hopefully something that won't clog my arteries too bad.
Depends on the bean though...at Groundworks downtown, their clover cups can go as high as $6 or more if you select some superduper private reserve bean.
easy. dino's burgers on pico near vermont. its technically in the byzantine latino quarter but its basically the pico-union area, fyi. theres only one thing to get there. the chicken. i think they call it "el pollo maniaco" but just hold your index finger up and that basically means 1 chicken plate. low budget eating in a high culture area. i love pico-union.
Comments
Haha, my grinder IS loud as shit, but the lady's always out of the house first, so I get a pass on that. My apt is next to the elevator, and my kitchens next to the front door, neighbors have mentioned hearing my grinder.
Btw, the people at the coffee spot frequently mention to keep the beans in a tupperware, but not to freeze them, to the point where I'm like "i know, i knwow, no freezer." Not sure if its different for whole bean vs ground tho....
hey im a american! i like my coffee brewed, my crust removed from my bread, and gravy on my gohan.
hey i met your reverend the other day and he told me his reverend name but i was kinda tipsy and now i dont remember. anyways, hey dude!
what's the shelf life on non-refrigerated whole beans? I forgot to grind the coffee I bought at costco (no-aficianado) while I was still there, so I've been doing it little by little every couple of days. The unground beans are just sitting out right now. I taped the package back up, but there's no sealing or refrigerating involved. Should I be making real world tupperware moves?
Hey, is this the same method as that $20,000 machine at Blue Bottle Cafe?... how much one of these run?
I'd have that on my counter, if it makes quality brew!
Sure if you think you should, but as long as its sealed you're fine. Also, if you have ground coffee and are not feeling it so much, use it in flourless cake or for a rub for ribs or a pork loin. I had ground coffee as a gift, so i keep it for cooking.
My boy went to SF a few months back and brought me back some beans from Blue Bottle...pretty alright stuff.
But me being a Chicago-ite, I love my Intelligentsia!!
A few blocks from Intelligentsia.
LA MILL
They also use the clover
No, I just thought Philz was great. I am forever indebted to you for taking me there for the first time. I love Philz. Went back every day that I was in San Francisco (even when they were closed--why close at 8pm?). I just thought it was adequately covered by the time I read this thread. And I didn't want to throw salt on his name, but since you brought it up...
I think the coffee is done right, and I am for the general atmosphere of the place, with its part-time Burning Man welders and boxes of coffee lids stacked to the ceiling, not to mention the scavenged thrift store couches that are in desperate need of cleaning. Whatever, I'll tolerate all of that for the coffee. The fedoras in the Noe shop are a nice touch, even though they add to the Cosa Nostra vibe, leaving the store looking more like an adjunct building attached to the laundromat instead of it's own heavenly brew outpost.
But here is my main criticism: Philz, why you gonna make a grown man order something called "Canopy of Heaven" or "Jacob???s Wonderbar Brew" or "Phil???z Sooooooo Good" or, my favorite, "Ambrosia: Coffee of the gods?" For fuck's sake! These ain't teething rings, they're coffee drinks for grown-up motherfuckers. Why do I have to feel like I should be wearing a glow-stick or sucking on a pacifier when I order?
WHY?
Yes! Barcelona was not wrong in their coffee. I had several a day. So good. And when you can walk into just about any place and get a fine cup is really a pleasure.
We need an international coffee discussion in this thread. Speaking of...
I love a traditional coffee after Vietnamese lunch. The ritual is nice, and the overpowering sweet/burnt combination is a strange compliment to the food. But I don't ever really crave it.
Hey dude! Rev. So Wrong. He's full tilt. Certifiable. Anyway. Hey yourself.
Let's discuss international coffees. Worldwide Strutters Please Advise.
coffee in koreatown is made from freeze dried flavor crystals and costs $5 a cup. something about coffee in asia. theyll actualy choose the tasters choice!
Anybody actually been here to cosign?
Here's what I want to know:
Anyone use a Zazzenhaus for a grinder?
What about that crazy Greek frappe iced coffee that they drink all the time in summer. Instant coffee crystals, milk, and sugar, shaken with ice until frothy. It's not really part of this discussion, but it still kinda blew my pre-diabetic mind.
I'll have a frappe once in a while. Prefer ice latte, though.
Alas, I did not find it any of those things. I took it black, really tried to be open to it but I found it decently dark but kind of thin and not remotely intense or chocolate-esque. By the end of the cup, it also had that sweetyly-sour finish I can't stand.
I also wish L.A. Mill was more of a cafe and less of a restaurant; it doesn't throw off the same kind of vibe as Intelligensia, let alone my personal, local favorite: Venice Grind.
There's a stand at the farmer's market in Bmore that sells hot coffee, beans from a local distributor (Zeke's) that carries both organic/fair-trade beans and non.
They had a blend the other day that sounded appealing, but none of them were marked if they were organic or not, so I asked the middle-aged woman working the stand if the blend was organic. She gave me a condescending look and said "all coffee beans are organic until they're ground." Then she turned away w/ an air of annoyance to help other customers.
WTF? This didn't make any sense to me -- not in the moment, and not now. Is she looney or am I
She's straight up loony. Unless she mis-heard your question.
Shiggy: It's a $11,000 drip coffee maker. For real.
Also, I'm still in Silverlake, working at Cafe Tropical. Any spots around here you'd recommend for me to get my lunch grub on?
I gotta head back to the Westside so any place b/t here and Santa Monica is open game.
whew. I thought maybe the term had two meanings in reference to coffee or something.
i don't think she misheard... i mean, she repeated the word "organic" back to me in her response. anyway, i'm new to drinking coffee in the last few years and thought maybe i was in the dark.
$11,000 for drip coffee?!? how much for a cup? i went to milk this morning. they have really good coffee but at west hollywood prices.
whats your flavor today? i mean from silverlake to santa monica is quite a stretch of real estate and ethnic dining options.
hahahaha, go smoke some hemp. j/k. i'm tryin to get my hands on some of that kenyan blood-bean son.
- the reverse ronnie mervis of coffee
Just heat some milk on the stove and throw that bad boy in there for a bit. Make a great latte (even though, technically, it's not really a latte)
She's got her head up her ass. By definition:
Organic coffee beans are coffee beans that have been produced without the use of pesticides or herbicides. The definition of certified organic coffee can be extended to include an emphasis on recycling, composting, soil health, and protection of the environment.
Most organic coffees are certified by the Organic Crop Improvement Association. Here's a list of some:
http://www.ota.com/organic_and_you/coffee_collaboration/buy.html
Lets put it this way: my current Eastsid(ish) spot has been My Taco in Highland Park. Their bbq lamb is that shit! (Potato tacos are dope too).
So I'm looking for cheap and good. And hopefully something that won't clog my arteries too bad.
$2.50 for 8oz. $3 for 12oz.
Depends on the bean though...at Groundworks downtown, their clover cups can go as high as $6 or more if you select some superduper private reserve bean.
They got them baller chocolate muffins though - highly recommended. Apparently they've got a really good hamburger too.
Oh, and there's always good lookin wool in there. (INSERT picture of Joe Mantegna from Money Pit here)
pico-union via massive attack {?!?]