Didn't like coffee for years but one Valentines Night out with the missus I decided I'd try a double espresso at 11:30pm. Delicious, but needless to say I didn't sleep that night – for the wrong reasons.
"Great enjoyment" from coffee!?? They like being snobby about it.
Nope, good coffee is a genuine pleasure. Instant coffee is cack. No need for snobbery.
Don't listen to any of that purist crap above. Milky coffees or lattes are not evil, they do not taste like sick. Some people don't like them, but that's ok and many people do.
Some points:
1) Coffee should not be bitter. If it is, it's been made wrong. Water too hot makes it bitter. Do not use boiling water.
2) Coffee goes off, quite quickly. Beans last maybe 4 weeks, ground coffee maybe 2. It has to be stored well though. Best way is in a bag with all the air squezed out and sealed, and in another sealed container. Not in the fridge. If you don't drink it fast enough divide into smaller sealed squeezed bags and keep those unopened in the freezer til you need them
Try as many different kinds as you can, both brewing methods and beans. Beans are mainly differentiated by continent. Africa, Indonesia, Central America mainly, but also Hawaii, Carribean and Australia.
Each bean has it's ideal roast, lighter or darker. African coffees are lighter and they can make a lighter infusion, more tea like.
As for milk, sugar, vanilla etc, to taste! Espresso based drinks like latte and cappuccino are generally better with dark roasted beans or espresso blends.
Alfabus I too am in London in the week with little to do besides work, let me take you out for a coffee 🙂
Don't listen to any of that purist crap above.
I'd accept the wisdom of your words, Molgrips, if it wasn't for...
1) Coffee should not be bitter. If it is, it's been made wrong. Water too hot makes it bitter. Do not use boiling water.2) Coffee goes off, quite quickly. Beans last maybe 4 weeks, ground coffee maybe 2. It has to be stored well though. Best way is in a bag with all the air squezed out and sealed, and in another sealed container. Not in the fridge. If you don't drink it fast enough divide into smaller sealed squeezed bags and keep those unopened in the freezer til you need them
Try as many different kinds as you can, both brewing methods and beans. Beans are mainly differentiated by continent. Africa, Indonesia, Central America mainly, but also Hawaii, Carribean and Australia.
Each bean has it's ideal roast, lighter or darker. African coffees are lighter and they can make a lighter infusion, more tea like.
Pure purist crap, God bless ya. 😉
Not sure I really want to go out to a posh coffee place, order something very basic and sit there making faces while I drink a tiny bit of it!
They just sell you the ground coffee, you take it and do what you want with it!
Alfabus I too am in London in the week with little to do besides work, let me take you out for a coffee
Might take you up on that some time 🙂
Brewing up another STW bromance? 🙂 Molgrips, I hope you're not just planning on taking him to your local starbucks.
My route in was a week in Italy and discovering espresso. I'd never been into instant but discovering what coffee should taste like got me hooked.
coffee snobs can't even say the word, but a s***bucks double-shot soy latte is a 'non-challenging', enjoyable drink.
while you're all here, how do i stop my moka-pot coffee tasting bitter?
(i've heard that i should / shouldn't fill the pot with cold / pre-heated water. But this is all clearly bollocks, as the water has to boil to generate a little pressure for the pot to work - the temperature of water when it's filled is irrelevant)
Pmsl you guys aren't really doing much for the stw stereotype here by backing up the "coffee snob" part. 😀 Fine ales of the cask variety yes, but coffee
Bleuuuggghhh.
Now for the big question. ... what cup size for coffee in Wales @ 80°c.... To bring the flavour alive. 
op stick to tea Ftw!! 🙂
Has anyone else had Lao coffee? It's like a 'rounder', sweeter espresso. Not that regurgitated weasel stuff, btw!
Don't bother getting into coffee unless your poo doesn't run on time in the mornings (it will become as punctual as a German train) or you like getting the jitters*
*I may be caffeine sensitive
Glad to read that someone else rates Aldi Java, I put hot milk and honey in mine. 😛
Pure purist crap
I'm not the one saying it has to be black. I just had a vanilla latte, I'm hardly a purist!
But this is all clearly bollocks, as the water has to boil to generate a little pressure for the pot to work
Nope. Boiling water would force the water through very fast and too hot. Trick is to let the steam from the non boiling water push it through gently and slowly.
and (3) unlike tea, it's not a [s]n[/s]man drink.
FTFY.
I'm not the one saying it has to be black. I just had a vanilla latte, I'm hardly a purist!
Hey, I'm not the one giving exacting temperature/storage/country of origin instructions!
I'd forget espresso at first and start with a few less heavy roasts in a cafetiere / filter machine, or something like an all day, or house blend from a good coffee supplier. If there's a booths supermarket in your area they do some nice ones, their all day blend is really nice.
and avoid americanos unless you like strong bitter coffee.
I do enjoy a nice espresso but I think there's a lot of snobbery and willy waving about espresso machines and espresso in general as if its the be all and end all of coffee. There's a lot more ways to enjoy coffee than a tiny cup of the strong black stuff.
molgrips - MemberNope. Boiling water would force the water through very fast and too hot. Trick is to let the steam from the non boiling water push it through gently and slowly.
well, maybe, but it's still non-dependent upon the temperature of the water at the start. Which is what the rest of the internet tells me i'm doing wrong/right.
i'm letting it rise slowly, at barely a trickle, but it still tastes/smells like burnt tar
maybe i just prefer cafetiere coffee... which is a pain, because i enjoy the faff of a moka pot.
That's not purism, it's how to brew coffee, and some basic information. Storage is important wether you like espresso or Pumpkin Spice Lattes with whip. Stale coffee is good for nothing but the garden.
it's still non-dependent upon the temperature of the water at the start.
Yes, true. However if you use cold water it takes quite a while on a low heat. If you put it on high then you have to be right on the ball to turn it down at the right moment.
It shouldn't taste burnt at all, maybe it's still too hot or something. I generally use cold water and a low ish heat til it starts to appear from the nozzle, then I turn it all the way down, and off if necessary, so it just oozes out as slow as possible. I also wet the coffee beforehand, no idea if this helps or not. Coffee comes out tasting non-burnt and really amazingly flavourful. Strong tho 😯
Ah, okay then. You're just really knowledgeable and exacting about your generic coffee experience? 😉
Vanilla latte, eh? Sweet.
Sorry I CBA to read all this but I suggest leaving a shed-load of work until the last minute. Then you will surely appreciate coffee!
Two kids is what made my wife appreciate coffee.
You're just really knowledgeable and exacting about your generic coffee experience?
Wot you talking about?
I find the secret with a moka pot is that you need to be on the ball and turn the heat completely off as soon as it makes any hint of gurgling / spitting noise, otherwise you boil the coffee. Other than that I get on fine starting with hot water out the kettle and putting the heat up full. Nice and quick too that way.
Don't drink instant it is not the best coffee. Ground or beans, persevere with it, but if you dont like the aroma you could be onto a loser.
Two of the best smells in the world, fresh bread and fresh coffee. I'm salivating just thinking about it!
I didn't like beer when I first tried it..........!
load of old poodle****, pretencious nonsense.
coffee is a means to an end, served black, tepid and strong as you think your heart can handle
i only drink it cos iDave told me to.
It tastes like hangover piss.
Sir has tried this delicacy? Why?
Sir has tried this delicacy? Why?
Initiations are a bitch. I also had to quaff some vomit (not mine) but at least it was mixed in.
I've had better days.
