The Coffee Thread

For anyone who likes iced coffee, let me introduce the Japanese method of brewing iced coffee:



This guy looks like a total hipster, I know, but give him a shot.

Idea is to grind your coffee a little finer and to replace a portion of the water you'd normally use to brew your coffee with ice cubes. You're brewing concentrated coffee directly over ice, which tastes far better than brewing hot coffee and diluting it with ice cubes. This is how I usually make coffee.
 
I recently gave up drinking coffee but I certainly enjoyed it for many years. I enjoy a good espresso with a thick crema but its not easy to find in my neck of woods.

It all starts with the beans: fresher roasted, and I agree with the previous comments of medium to darker roasts. Using a burr grinder is important also to ensure a consistent grind for the method.

When camping or hunting I had great success with the cowboy coffee method and transferring to a yeti quickly. The flavor and balance is perfect with very little acid when boiled correctly.

At home we have a Technivorm coffee maker. There are only a few drip coffee makers 'SCA gold cup certified' that are supposed to be able to brew the perfect cup. Technivorm is a little pricey but works every time and has a lifetime warranty...buy it once, cry once. There is a list on the SCA website that lists other gold cup certified brewers.

Once in a while I would drag out the French press which makes a nice, rich, oily cup of coffee. Not everyone's favorite but seemed to go well with hollandaise and bacon.
 
My Mr. Coffee recently died. I replaced it with a stainless steel stovetop kettle and a Brewista Smart Brew brand ceramic flat bottom steeping filter. I picked it because it fits the standard coffee filters I already had on hand. It has a silicone switch on the bottom so that you are able to steep your coffee prior to pouring. It also has a coffee mug style handle on the side.

I've just been using the same cheap coffee I used in the Mr. Coffee and it's works a treat. It's obviously a bit more work than the drip machine, but it doesn't require electricity (gas is free in my building) and my coffee no longer has contact with any plastic parts.
 
Man I freaking love coffee. I want to take a break from caffeine but I love the morning ritual and taste.

Aeropress with the inversion method is really good. You won’t get the ultimate richness of a proper espresso/cortado... but a good aeropress is better than a subpar espresso.

Cut down with added hot water and cream, one press can fill one big mug... perfect so I can try to stick to just one strong cup a day.
 
I will swear by Peet's Coffee and their Major Dickason's blend for anyone who can get it. It's what Starbucks wishes it could be. That said, I used to drink a large cup or two a day but now just have black tea on weekdays, and a cup of Peet's every Saturday or two. When you aren't a daily drinker it gets you straight JACKED and can last all day long. But the headaches and brain fog will come the next day. This tells me it's a semi-addictive substance that builds dependency, and regular use is probably best avoided.
 
I did get to try Black Rifle. I don’t know if I’d want to support those glows, but I was expecting average coffee with gun branding and got something surprisingly decent.

And yeah it is addictive. I think the mistake is trying to use it for more focus for office work. If you’re doing something more physical where you can’t control the amount of sleep you get and stakes are high enough (real life example: military training or deployment) any boost to alertness is essential(to continue being alive) and you’ll be tired enough to somewhat counteract the sleep impact.
 
Easy_C said:
I did get to try Black Rifle. I don’t know if I’d want to support those glows, but I was expecting average coffee with gun branding and got something surprisingly decent.

And yeah it is addictive. I think the mistake is trying to use it for more focus for office work. If you’re doing something more physical where you can’t control the amount of sleep you get and stakes are high enough (real life example: military training or deployment) any boost to alertness is essential(to continue being alive) and you’ll be tired enough to somewhat counteract the sleep impact.
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I agree with this. As much as I hate to say it, I think the coffee gets me motivated to want to focus but makes me lose focus more easily whereas, the physical alertness it provides is useful as low as the activity is low thinking. Glad to know there is actually a coffee thread, likely to contribute more in the future.
 
Lately, I've been getting coffee from this company:


They are based in Pennsylvania and ship out freshly roasted coffee beans, which tastes much better than most coffees I've found and they have really reasonable prices. I have no affiliation to them, but I've been very satisfied with their coffee and quick shipping -- I get a few "regulars" and then like trying some new varieties from time-to-time.

Edit: Also they are all organic and fair trade, for people who care about that stuff.
 
Knight.of.Logos said:
Lately, I've been getting coffee from this company:


They are based in Pennsylvania and ship out freshly roasted coffee beans, which tastes much better than most coffees I've found and they have really reasonable prices. I have no affiliation to them, but I've been very satisfied with their coffee and quick shipping -- I get a few "regulars" and then like trying some new varieties from time-to-time.

Edit: Also they are all organic and fair trade, for people who care about that stuff.
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Their prices are reasonable, around $9 a bag for 12 oz, $20 for 2 lbs. You say it's pretty solid stuff then? For good quality coffee, that's definitely better than I've seen at other online and local places. I know previous posters have talked about Black Rifle, which I have often considered buying but for starting $15 a bag at their cheapest, I just can't really justify the purchase. I have been buying lesser known whole bean brands at my local supermarket and grinding them fresh. That certainly makes a difference as well. Also, I have been purchasing espresso beans from my local coffee shop, (NOT Starbucks), and fusing some of those grounds with my regular brew and that has added a noticeable improvement to my "Coffee high" and energy stability. Happy Coffee Drinking!
 
G Fuel is as strong as two cups of coffee. I get a bang out of my buck. But regular one dollar coffee is okay. Don't feel the need to spend a lot of money on something like Starbucks or other fancy brands.
 
Easy_C said:
I did get to try Black Rifle. I don’t know if I’d want to support those glows, but I was expecting average coffee with gun branding and got something surprisingly decent.

And yeah it is addictive. I think the mistake is trying to use it for more focus for office work. If you’re doing something more physical where you can’t control the amount of sleep you get and stakes are high enough (real life example: military training or deployment) any boost to alertness is essential(to continue being alive) and you’ll be tired enough to somewhat counteract the sleep impact.
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Absolutely agree. When you are stationary all day at the computer the extra adrenaline and energy doesn't do a lot to help you, but I would definitely use coffee for important situations where you have to perform at a high level and you know you'll be able to catch up on rest later. And yeah, Black Rifle is so over the top...even if you ignore their stance against Kyle Rittenhouse, that type of blatant pandering to the military and veteran market just strikes me as an insincere marketing ploy.
 
Easy_C said:
On that note: Are there any good monk-made coffees besides mystic monk?
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All-Merciful Saviour Monastery on Vashon Island, WA produces a variety of blends of Monastery Blend coffee. You can get it on their site, and I know that Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY and Holy Cross Monastery in Wayne, WV both also carry it in their online stores. (I've heard it is good, haven't tried it personally.)
 
I drink more coffee than I probably should. However, when I have access to coffee, I tend to have little desire for soda or milk tea so it is positive. I may try alternating between tea and coffee to reduce caffeine intake though. Most of the time, I drink it black and I drink the cheapest store brands which tend to be more bitter. I actually prefer the cheaper bitter coffee.

I wrote a paper about the coffee industry for economics class (we could choose any industry to write about) and I used the following book as my main source. The book is light reading but tells you a lot of the most important facts about the industry and is more interesting than such a subject would seem. There are cheaper versions for sale on other websites if you are considering buying it (the library might have it as well as mine did).


I just checked one of these videos (10/16-the economics of coffee-this was something I remember well from the book). She used the book I read as a main source and also recommended it. If you don't feel like reading the book and want light videos about coffee, she seems to have some good ones:

 
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Cr33pin said:
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This was a good interview. It is challenging finding a balanced approach on coffee and caffeine. I feel like doing it every day is excessive, but also that never doing it is also missing out from a useful, pleasant, and mostly healthy substance. Tea is a nice compromise, black is a bit more energizing but not as much as coffee, and green is more mellow... yet sometimes I think I should have some time I abstain even from this. Maybe I should ask my priest.
 
Coffee was my only "vice". I gave up drinking coffee 6 years ago. It was a difficult in the beginning but it was well worth it.
Sadly drinking coffee , even is small amounts, can have damaging effects on your health on a long run.
 
InquiringMind said:
Coffee was my only "vice". I gave up drinking coffee 6 years ago. It was a difficult in the beginning but it was well worth it.
Sadly drinking coffee , even is small amounts, can have damaging effects on your health on a long run.
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You wanna back that up with something? Not trying to sound like a hardass but I am curious to why you think that. I know/knew a lot of folks that drank coffee and lived to be old, healthy, and productive for their ages. (including my grandparents)
 
Cr33pin said:
You wanna back that up with something? Not trying to sound like a hardass but I am curious to why you think that. I know/knew a lot of folks that drank coffee and lived to be old, healthy, and productive for their ages. (including my grandparents)
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Moderate consumption is usually ok. However, most people drink way more than they should.
that's where the problems start.
www.hsph.harvard.edu

Is coffee good or bad for your health?

Although early studies of coffee suggested that it could lead to health problems, recent research provides strong evidence that drinking coffee actually has a variety of health benefits.
www.hsph.harvard.edu www.hsph.harvard.edu
 
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