Mmm...coffee...

[SecretAgentMa'am]

Originally Posted by Yellow band

Very informative link, thank you. Espresso is a roast, came right out of my
tutorial book that Zack and Dani's sent along.

I've seen that book. The author seems to have just decided to stick in their very own label for a roast level in between a couple of the standard roast levels and call it espresso roast. They could just as easily have called it dinosaur roast or purple roast. They're the only author I've seen who seems to think it exists.

I burr my grind my beans all at once. If I read your post correctly, you grind as you brew?

Yes, I grind as I brew. Coffee goes stale very quickly, and the greater the surface area the faster it goes stale. You get the best flavor by pulling your shot no more than 30 seconds after grinding.

[Dominique]

I know about the beans being completely stale within 10 days of roast. I mentioned I am friendly with a starbucks manager, they *grind* as they go too. But I don't pay too
much attention to some of the things she says, as she honestly believes those beans she is *grinding* are fresh.

We have talked, and been reading up on our future purchases. I'd like an espresso maker made of brass and has the water coming right into it from the water line. But then reality sets in and I am reminded that my Mr. Coffee
really does meet my needs. So perhaps an upgrade to that and definitely a newer roaster. Do you know anything about the hot air roasters? I see they are pushing two hot air models.....(is that too get rid of them) I wonder about the
consistency f the beans being roasted.

[Apocalipstic]

I love coffee and can't imagine life without it, but I don;t really like the smell of rtoasing coffee. There was a roasting plant next door to our house when I was a kid and it ruined it for me.

I am enjoying reading about your experiences though. Great thread!

[Dominique]

Originally Posted by SecretAgentMa'am

Yes, I grind as I brew. Coffee goes stale very quickly, and the greater the surface area the faster it goes stale. You get the best flavor by pulling your shot no more than 30 seconds after grinding.

Quincy Magoo here. I almost missed this. Another 30 second rule.

30 pounds of pressure, 30 seconds after slice, and a 30 second pull.

MMM I'm glad you started this thread. This time of day is the roughest for me. Everyone is walking around with an afternoon something. Coffee,
(orange pop is popular in here??) and almost everyone has a water can.

We have a really nice water cooler/filter thing. And they won't buy disposable cups. I like that idea. Customers use China. Off topic, distracted by smell of coffee brewing.

[SecretAgentMa'am]

Originally Posted by apocalipstic

I love coffee and can't imagine life without it, but I don;t really like the smell of rtoasing coffee. There was a roasting plant next door to our house when I was a kid and it ruined it for me.

I am enjoying reading about your experiences though. Great thread!

I also used to live near a roast house. The smell of a big, commercial operation is nothing like the smell of a small home roaster. It's entirely possible that you only hated the smell because it's really intense when large volumes are being roasted. What you're smelling is more smoke than anything else, and the smoke from roasting coffee smells gross. Many home roasters (like the ones that have been mentioned here) have catalytic converters so you don't get any smoke at all. When I'm roasting a pound or less, there's barely any smell at all. The smell that does exist is kind of a nutty/toasty scent.

[SecretAgentMa'am]

Hey coffee lovers! Today is National Coffee Day in the US!

In honor of the day, my usual double latte is being replaced with a quad mocha breve. That's 4 shots of espresso, chocolate syrup, and steamed half & half. I don't even want to know how many calories and fat grams are in that.

[SecretAgentMa'am]

Also, The Oatmeal is awesome.

The actual image is way too big to post here, just click the link to go see 15 Things Worth Knowing About Coffee: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/coffee

I'm a half and half coffee snob.

I love Illy espresso coffee made in a Bialetti stove top pot but rarely drink coffee at home. I gave up copious amounts of caffiene quite a number of years ago (with the same months long headache that Yellow band spoke of which was no worse than the months long headache I had from drinking too much of the damn stuff!) and tend to only drink coffee when I'm out and about.

I drink coffee in the independent coffee shops in town. In the last 12months I've moved from drinking Barista House blend in a cappucino to a machiato or a tall machiato, again with Barista House blend; or Dolce's house blend if at my other current favourite coffee shop.

I would rather eat my own eyebrows than drink McStarbucks.

However, I do drink the brown liquid that passes for coffee at college or at friends houses.

[Dominique]

Originally Posted by SecretAgentMa'am

Hey coffee lovers! Today is National Coffee Day in the US!

In honor of the day, my usual double latte is being replaced with a quad mocha breve. That's 4 shots of espresso, chocolate syrup, and steamed half & half. I don't even want to know how many calories and fat grams are in that.

I've never had half & half.....I afraid to ask half what (I'll look it up) ^ that
sounds wonderful.....and a few oreo cookies to dunk in....and i'd be right be back to my old habits.

I can hardly stand it around here. Every day at Two Oclock they make fresh coffee and that's all I can smell. I'm Jonesing for it. It doesn't help that I am on an insomniac streak. Last night at 12:30, I was watching the HSN promote these cheap ass blenders. They were making green smoothies. They smooth after 7 minutes of blending. Maybe they thought no one was paying attention.

Was anyone giving away free coffee on National Coffee Day?

[femmennoir]

My morning coffee is triple espresso with half and half, and a spoonful of organic raw sugar. I make the espresso in my Italian macchinetta on top of the stove. I cannot start my day properly without it!

Elle*

[Abigail Crabby]

I have become addicted to expresso -

I already broke one machine from too much use and plan to buy a newer grander one.

For now I get my freshly brewed expresso at the coffee bar at work,

hand over my coffee and no one gets hurt......

[*Anya*]

My drink is freshly ground Peets French Roast with 2 Spenda and one teaspoon of half-n-half (YB, it is made of 1/2 milk and 1/2 cream). Calories for 1/2& 1/2 =40 and I count it in my daily total since I love my coffee that way

Drink up y'all!

[crashhere4eva]

Originally Posted by Yellow band

I've never had half & half.....I afraid to ask half what (I'll look it up) ^ that
sounds wonderful.....and a few oreo cookies to dunk in....and i'd be right be back to my old habits.

I can hardly stand it around here. Every day at Two Oclock they make fresh coffee and that's all I can smell. I'm Jonesing for it. It doesn't help that I am on an insomniac streak. Last night at 12:30, I was watching the HSN promote these cheap ass blenders. They were making green smoothies. They smooth after 7 minutes of blending. Maybe they thought no one was paying attention.

Was anyone giving away free coffee on National Coffee Day?

I use to manage Dunkin Donuts once in MA and 2 years ago in IN and we gave away a free small coffee on this day.

[crashhere4eva]

I miss Iced Coffee from home, they don't have it here in Iowa. I like one or two expresso shots in it too and like flavored creamer like buttascotch, toffee or somethin like that.

[SecretAgentMa'am]

Yellow band, half & half is a 50/50 mixture of milk and cream. Lighter than cream by itself, but thicker than milk. It's wonderful, and the texture is like silk when you steam it.

I love flavored syrups to sweeten my coffee, but they're expensive, so I make my own. This weekend, I'm making Pumpkin Spice syrup. When that's gone, it'll finally be eggnog season!

[SecretAgentMa'am]

Originally Posted by Anya/Georgia

My drink is freshly ground Peets French Roast with 2 Spenda and one teaspoon of half-n-half (YB, it is made of 1/2 milk and 1/2 cream). Calories for 1/2& 1/2 =40 and I count it in my daily total since I love my coffee that way

Drink up y'all!

A teaspoon? Isn't it more like 2 tablespoons for 40 calories?

[*Anya*]

Originally Posted by SecretAgentMa'am

A teaspoon? Isn't it more like 2 tablespoons for 40 calories?

Hey yeah! I was @ work, didn't have container handy. I have been overestimating the cals better than underestimating!

[Dominique]

Originally Posted by SecretAgentMa'am

Yellow band, half & half is a 50/50 mixture of milk and cream. Lighter than cream by itself, but thicker than milk. It's wonderful, and the texture is like silk when you steam it.

I love flavored syrups to sweeten my coffee, but they're expensive, so I make my own. This weekend, I'm making Pumpkin Spice syrup. When that's gone, it'll finally be eggnog season!

Good morning. Sorry, due to my inability to sleep sometimes, yesterday was not a good for me to be formulating sentences. I have always just done the black coffee thing. I like to taste the coffee. Right now having a double espresso. (and a treximet...rescue me) Plus, I have this thing about
cow products and how many antibiotics they shoot into them (another one of my weirdnesses).

I was doing the syrups...and buying the sugar free, Target sells a brand that the american diabetic association endorsed, the house brand, is it Market Pantry? Anyhow.....I stopped using them, again, I love to taste my coffees. I keep Skim milk on hand for any guests who want a latte. However, if it'll make a better drink, I'll try the half and half. Thank you for the tip!

Anya, I read where you wrote someplace "I'm so vanilla"....I think I am too.

[Dominique]

Originally Posted by Anya/Georgia

My drink is freshly ground Peets French Roast with 2 Spenda and one teaspoon of half-n-half (YB, it is made of 1/2 milk and 1/2 cream). Calories for 1/2& 1/2 =40 and I count it in my daily total since I love my coffee that way

Drink up y'all!

PEETS, theres that word again. I'm going to look this up on the internet. Is splenda zero calories? Am I missing something with this cream and sugar in the coffee?

I think I mentioned this before, maybe in this thread. I was a late in life coffee drinker. In my thirties. Someone must have told me the buzz was better if you drank it black. I remember exactly when I started drinking it. When I started doing shift work. Then, a pot of coffee a shift wasn't enough, along came the 20 oz.Mt. Dews.....I see that Code red in the stores and always think, wonder how that tastes. But don't dare taste it, for fear I'll love it and will start drinking that again. I will never EVER forget how awful the caffeine withdrawl was. That's why I don't give smokers a hard time about struggling with quitting.

[Dominique]

Originally Posted by Incubus

I'm a half and half coffee snob. Another ONE!!!

I love Illy espresso coffee made in a Bialetti stove top pot but rarely drink coffee at home. I gave up copious amounts of caffiene quite a number of years ago (with the same months long headache that Yellow band spoke of which was no worse than the months long headache I had from drinking too much of the damn stuff!)Rebound headache, weird how that works isn't it? and tend to only drink coffee when I'm out and about.

I drink coffee in the independent coffee shops in town. In the last 12months I've moved from drinking Barista House blend in a cappucino to a machiato or a tall machiato, again with Barista House blend; or Dolce's house blend if at my other current favourite coffee shop.Dolce's is another name in coffee that I have been seeing very recently. It's a K Cup (over here) and it's made by Nescafe
Used to be Folgers ~gag~!

I would rather eat my own eyebrows than drink McStarbucks.Burnt! However, they own Seattles Best, and that isn't as bad...in my opinion.

However, I do drink the brown liquid that passes for coffee at college or at friends houses.

Me and my stainless steel thermos, if I want a mid day java, I make my own. I won't risk bad coffee.