Posted Sat Jan 1, 2005, 6:20pm Subject: Recommend Some Coffees to a Newbie
Hello Everyone,
I am just venturing into the world of fine coffee and was wondering if you could recommend a half dozen or so coffees for me to sample. I'm looking for a variety from smooth to bold. Basically, a good sampling just to get my feet wet and try to find out what I like. I know this is a broad request, but, as you might expect, I am overwhelmed with the number of coffees I see advertised and don't know where to begin.
Thanks in advance!
Tim
ps: I did a search, but couldn't come up with a list like this. I may have missed it and apologize if this is one of those questions that gets asked over and over.
Posted Sat Jan 1, 2005, 7:13pm Subject: Re: Recommend Some Coffees to a Newbie
Hi Tim,
Welcome to the Forums!!
First advice is to find a local roaster so you can get freshly roasted. Second advice is to get a decent burr grinder so you get the clearest cup possible so that you can best sample and experience the nuances and flavors of each coffee.
As for the varietals? Here are some of my favorites for drip coffee:
Haitian (if you can find it)
Yemen - pretty much any of the Yemen coffees.
Ethiopian - Sidamo, Harar and Yirgacheffe. All good.
Tanzanian Peaberry - just plain ol' good coffee, really good.
Papau New Guinea - more plain ol' good coffee, really good.
Posted Sat Jan 1, 2005, 7:28pm Subject: Re: Recommend Some Coffees to a Newbie
Jon, thanks for the reply. I'm going to try to find a local roaster, but the pickings are slim where I am located. I'm still searching, but may end up having to mail order and have found some good links on this forum. I have a Rancilio Rocky on its way to me now and am looking forward to starting my own grinding. Heck, I even bought a popper at Target today thinking I may give home roasting a try. I just need to get some samples under my belt before I go much farther.
By the way, are there any decent decafs out there to try? Also, I see some people talk about have a different grinder for their decafs . . . why is that?
Posted Sat Jan 1, 2005, 7:30pm Subject: Re: Recommend Some Coffees to a Newbie
Those are all great suggestions... Why not go to one of the green bean suppliers and buy a sample pack... Sweetmarias has a couple of different samplers...
Posted Sat Jan 1, 2005, 7:32pm Subject: Re: Recommend Some Coffees to a Newbie
Ron, SweetMaria's is on my list to try. As I said above, I bought a popper today, but need to do some reading on that before I give home roasting a try.
Everyone I know who ever tried roasting using a popper has said it is WAY easier than they thought it would be. I strongly encourage home roasting.
As for decaf, I only use decaf in espresso blends to lighten them up, but there are many good decaf coffees out there. The decaf process has gotten much better.
Some folks may use a separate grinder for decaf but I don't. I could see the need for folks who either like to keep a lot of coffee in the grinder hopper or if they make a lot of espresso shots for both decaf and regular. Grinding for espresso it seems like straight decaf needs a finer grind (everything else being equal) so in a commercial setting I could see it being crucial.
But at home, I have one grinder for espresso and one for everything else.
onocoffee Senior Member Joined: 5 Sep 2002 Posts: 729 Location: Towson, Maryland Expertise: Just starting
Espresso: La Marzocco Linea 2AV, 3AV &... Grinder: 4 Mazzer Major Autos, Compak... Vac Pot: That crazy Bodum eSantos Drip: Bunn CWT Twin, Bunn Water... Roaster: Petroncini The Crumb
Posted Sun Jan 2, 2005, 9:10am Subject: Re: Recommend Some Coffees to a Newbie
Tim-
Lots of great suggestions have been given but I think they're making it look more simple than it really is. While an Ethiopian Harrar can be a fantastic cup of coffee, the selection of the bean as well as the care in roasting will make for dramatic differences in cup profile. Most of these variables are handled by the roaster so find a great roaster and see what they think is rockin' this week.
The harrar thing reminds me of an experience I had last year at Stumptown in Portland. They recommended to try their harrar and it was fantastic - knock your socks off fantastic. I also tried the harrar at a local roaster and it was worlds apart - darkly roasted, moody and burnt - not too pleasant and nothing like the Stumptown.
So press on people some more and find out where they got their coffee from - it makes a big difference.
Well, the Kenyan I drink is Muthiani, but I hear Tegus are pretty good too. I hate saying "just buy a AA" but that's pretty much what's going to happen if you decide to go to a shop. The Mexican I got hooked on (1/2 pound in a day) is Pluma. Brazilian, my friend is a Brazil nut and likes Mogiana, but Santos and Cerrado are a couple other popular ones. The only Ugandan I've had was Bugisu.
These, of course, are going along with JonR10's suggestions. Listen to Jon, his advice has never steered me wrong.
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