So simpleish question.i use two highstreet coffee chains.when i finish my papercup of no frills black coffee one store always has traces of the grounds in the bottom.it then starts to taste slighlty more bitter.the other shop never has any trace of the coffee grounds/beans.completly clear.
So technically speaking which is better/correct in peoples eyes?

Neither, as they are bulk roasted/over-roasted cheap robusta beans from a high street chain.

Probably grind too fine for whatever filter they are using. If it’s an Americano then the espresso shot they use to make it most likely is not a good one if the grind is too fine.

Oh and what MrSmith said 🙂

Ok.well im open to education.if it was better roasted beans and better madecetc etc what would be better.im not synical…genuinly interested..

It would taste better. Like it would have flavour.

Do you add sugar? You’d probably find you don’t need to with a good independent. Go and try some.

Neither, as they are bulk roasted/over-roasted cheap robusta beans from a high street chain

Good High St chains don’t use robusta.

I end up with a few grounds in my coffee when I make it, I think it comes from the odd bits of grounds stuck to the basket or machine. If there’s some on the lip of the basket or the seal, and there’s too much in the basket the coffee sometimes overflows slightly around the seal and I get some that way. Never enough to affect the taste though, I’m talking traces, not even a whole pinch worth.

In your case I’d say it is likely to be the state of the seals in their machine.

Better preparation brings out more flavours and more nuance of better coffee. Imagine pop music played on a cheap radio, vs an expensive hifi vs Beethoven on an expensive hifi.

what mrsmith said. avoid high street chains if you want good coffee. over-roasted, stale, unexciting.

Good High St chains don’t use robusta

actually it doesn’t matter what they use, it’s poor quality blends machine roasted with no profiling to oblivion so it tastes of ash/tar/burnt. 8-10oz of milk tends to dilute that a bit.

The roast is not inferior, just a different style. You may not like it, however I prefer it to the fruity shit that you get in trendy hipster joints.

Are you also aware that they also do sell it without the milk?

I like grounds – I like to make fresh coffee in a pan no filter – it’s ready once grounds sink to the bottom of the pan – so there’s always going to be some grounds floating about – that’s optimum IMO ..

The roast is not inferior, just a different style. You may not like it, however I prefer it to the fruity shit that you get in trendy hipster joints.

Indeed, coffee has been associated with over-extracted burnt/bitter/ash flavours for many years and a lot of people are happy with that.

Though as for inferior, there is no profiling with bulk roasting, big vat of all the beans, hit go, empty 15min later.
Good roasters will alter settings after test roasts and cuppings to get the best out a batch of beans and the roast will watched carefully and the batch pulled at just the right moment, this is not done with industrial high volume roasting. The cheap beans used by the high volume brands would still deliver better coffee if roasted by an ‘artisan hipster’ you would also get to use them at their peak (2-4 weeks post roast) which is not guaranteed with bulk roasters as you get a use by date not a roasted on date.

Are you also aware that they also do sell it without the milk?

Well you learn something new every day.

coffee has been associated with over-extracted burnt/bitter/ash flavours for many years and a lot of people are happy with that.

Why do you think their own roasters do it like that? People who know way more about coffee than you? I’ll tell you – it’s called taste. Not everyone’s is the same. Stop being such a prize knob.

Why do you think their own roasters do it like that? People who know way more about coffee than you? I’ll tell you – it’s called taste. Not everyone’s is the same. Stop being such a prize knob.

Who said I know loads about coffee? I know very little compared to the people I know in the industry, they are the experts not me.
As for taste? It’ s’more to do with the bottom line, very little to do with taste.

Taste as in personal preference. I’ve been to well respected independent artisan roasters and had to leave the espresso it was so unpleasant. And others where it was lovely. Not everyone likes it the same way.

Not everyone likes it the same way.

Obviously, that’s why there is a costanerobucks on every high st.

The best beverage of all is a Starbucks vanilla whole milk latte.. Mmmmm.. Extra shot too…

I am a self- confessed coffe snob, however one of the nicest cups of coffee I’ve ever had was at pret a manger in stan stead airport.

The best beverage of all is a Starbucks vanilla whole milk latte.. Mmmmm.. Extra shot too…

Not sure if serious 🙂 I guess you did call it a beverage and not coffee.

Stop being such a prize knob.

😀

This

Not sure if serious I guess you did call it a beverage and not coffee.

I am serious. In the same way that ice cream is a great desert or a pie is a great savoury snack. You can enjoy coffee in its pure form, or you can also make sweet delicious things from it 🙂

It’s specifically their vanilla syrup which is different to everyone else’s, and whole milk. Otherwise it’s just meh.

odannyboy – Member

So technically speaking which is better/correct in peoples eyes?

technically speaking, whichever one (you think) tastes better.

half the fun of being a coffee bore is slowly refining your own preferences to the point where it’s practically impossible for anyone to make it to your liking.

I considered entering the aeropress world champs this year. My plan was to boil the kettle wap it in, squeeze it out and drink it within the time limit wbile everyone twatted about cutting beans in half and turning round three times to the left.