Comment One more for the "freshly roasted" bandwagon. (Score 1) 592
I recently bought a basic home coffee roaster (Freshroast Plus 8) and grinder (Gaggia MM Burr Grinder) and a selection of unroasted green coffee beans.
The difference is incredible... even the bean varieties I ended up liking *least* are noticeably better than the best gourmet coffees I'd had before. The beans I like *best*... well it's an entirely different beverage.
I dont use anything special to do the brewing, in fact, Im still using the same devices Ive had for years... a very basic drip coffee maker (I think I bought it from Sears), a very basic Black & Decker espresso maker, and a one-cup bodum.
From what Ive observed so far, the bean variety, darkness of roast, and fineness of grind seem to make far more of a difference in the end-product than the device used for brewing. I may someday try out some fancier brewers to compare, but for now I dont really see the need.
My favourite bean variety so far is Costa Rican "La Amistad". My s.o., who tends to likes stronger flavours than I do, has gone totally ballistic over Sulawesi Kolossi. Other beans weve enjoyed: Guatamalan Huehuetenango, Mexico Hacienda Miravalles, and a blend called Espresso Choco.
The difference is incredible... even the bean varieties I ended up liking *least* are noticeably better than the best gourmet coffees I'd had before. The beans I like *best*... well it's an entirely different beverage.
I dont use anything special to do the brewing, in fact, Im still using the same devices Ive had for years... a very basic drip coffee maker (I think I bought it from Sears), a very basic Black & Decker espresso maker, and a one-cup bodum.
From what Ive observed so far, the bean variety, darkness of roast, and fineness of grind seem to make far more of a difference in the end-product than the device used for brewing. I may someday try out some fancier brewers to compare, but for now I dont really see the need.
My favourite bean variety so far is Costa Rican "La Amistad". My s.o., who tends to likes stronger flavours than I do, has gone totally ballistic over Sulawesi Kolossi. Other beans weve enjoyed: Guatamalan Huehuetenango, Mexico Hacienda Miravalles, and a blend called Espresso Choco.
