Just got a Gaggia classic, so now I need some coffee (needs to be ground until I get around to buying a decent grinder). So can anyone recommend a coffee from Hasbean that they particularly like? I like it fairly strong and not too bitter if that helps! I’m a little overwhelmed by the choice at present!!

Cheers!

Get a starter pack first up.

I like Blake bestest.

Just looking at those, might be a good starting point!! Cheers

Sub?

Ideally looking for something I can use regularly so if possible under £6 or so

I went for the 12 week “in my cup” sub. Different one each week, some you’ll love instantly some need to grow on you. Out of 24 that have dropped through my door so far theres only one packet I didn’t want to finish.

We keep the empty packs we like best (and sometimes draw a smiley face on the ones that really stand out)and at the end of a sub buy half a dozen of whatever ones we liked most that are still available. Then we take another sub when those run out.

The ones we re-ordered from our latest sub are Kenya Karatina AA, El Finca Retiro Bourbon 2012 and the obscenely expensive but punch-the-air gorgeous Costa Rica La Pira Tirrazu 2012 (typing all that I feel like I’m announcing the winners at Crufts). We have our coffee black and seem to get on best with anything that mentions ‘toffee’ or ‘caramel’ on the tasting notes.

Christ. When did I come such a ponce.

This week it’s Blake, last was Jabberwocky which is probably my favourite of their blends (Kicker is good too but a bit pricey for the small imo difference). Jabberwocky is quite sweet. The bitter taste is often a result of over-extraction and fiddling around with grinds/volume/tamp often sorts that. The last pack of breakfast bomb I had was weird as the beans seemed too big for my grinder and a large number just sat in the hopper refusing to succumb to their fate.

I didn’t believe all the coffee going stale woffle until I started grinding my own. It’s amazing now how even when keeping the beans as beans in their airtight pack and only getting out what I need how the dregs of the pack are not as good as when they were fresh(they never last in the house more than 10 days). With my pavoni (which is admittedly very picky) I have to change all the settings by the end of the pack to get the extraction acceptable. Get a grinder as soon as you can.

I miss the STW deadline blend. That was nice.

Jabberwocky and Phil Ter are my most recent purchases, both were excellent.

Just ran out, so I need to order more myself.