What's a decent bean for use in a cafetiere and expresso machine?
Been using Illy beans in the expresso machine - the missus always saw that as too much faff and has gone and bought herself a cafetiere. So am in need of a more general purpose bean to avoid swapping beans over in the grinder all the time.
I'd not use espresso beans in a cafetiere and I'd not use other beans in an espresso machine. We have a drip and an espresso and have 2 coffee beans on the go - just reduce the quantity you grind and keep the beans in the freezer.
Uh, branded beans ? I'm drunking Sumatra beans right now, locally roasted in Lancaster and ground this morning 
Quite smooth but lacking the oily bite of the Old Government Java I usually have...
Thanks. This will involve relaying some explicit instructions...
I get all my beans from this guy. Roasted to order and he has some really interesting/unusual stuff. For starters, I'd recommend trying the Brazil Fazenda Cachoeira and perhaps (surprisingly) the Australian Skybury, both favourites of mine.
btw, might not be advisable to keep beans in the fridge or freezer as moisture can build up, which is not good.
btw, might not be advisable to keep beans in the fridge or freezer as moisture can build up, which is not good.
the freezer tends to dry things out, but you should use a reasonably air tight container. I usually buy enough beans for a week, so they're always fresh.
Coffee Storage Tips
When considering coffee storage, keep in mind the two main enemies of fresh coffee flavour – air and moisture. Your coffee storage solutions should prevent either from getting at your coffee beans.
1. Don’t store ground coffee. Buy your coffee as whole beans, and grind it when you’re ready to brew. If you do buy ground coffee for the convenience, store it at room temperature in an airtight container after it’s been opened. A ceramic canister with a vacuum seal is a good choice – but avoid clear glass. Sunlight and heat are not good for your coffee.
2. Store up to a one week supply of whole coffee beans in an airtight canister at room temperature. You can use those pretty ceramic canisters, but they’re really not necessary. Any canister that you can seal with an airtight seal is fine, including the can that you bought it in.
3. If you find yourself with more coffee than you’ll use in one week, you can store up to another week’s supply in the freezer – but you should take some precautions to keep the air and moisture away from it first. Here’s how to store coffee safely in your freezer:
- Put the beans in an airtight canister.
- Or – put the beans in a zippered plastic storage back. Whoosh out all the extra air, or use a straw to suck it out. Then wrap the bag in one or two layers of plastic wrap and finish up with a layer of aluminium foil.
- Either way, once you take the canister or package out of the freezer, don’t put it back in. Refreezing your coffee will only dehydrate it and hasten the flavour decay.
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