Posted Thu Jan 19, 2012, 8:58am Subject: Re: Best Mail-Order Value For Thick Chocolatey Espresso Blend?
Have you tried Red Bird Espresso before? It's pretty good last I tried and it costs only $51.5 shipped for 5 lbs. One of the best bang for the buck coffee, that tastes good in both straight shots and milk drinks. It's a caramel nutty chocolate blend by the way. If you go the 5lb route, do freeze some if you're worried about them getting stale.
Posted Fri Jan 20, 2012, 7:14pm Subject: Re: Best Mail-Order Value For Thick Chocolatey Espresso Blend?
I second the Red Bird suggestion. I ordered five pounds recently and I'm going through it faster than any other coffee I've had. It seems to be easy to get a great shot even on relatively entry level equipment.
A lot of us have also had good luck with Deep Cello's "Nostromo," which lines up well with your criteria. It works very well with long or short milk drinks (or without for that matter) and has a Northern Italian dark richness without any char-y overtones.
Their $3 sample for about 1/3 pound postpaid is one of the best deals going - hard to justify not giving it a try. But let it rest a week from roast in order to taste it in it's prime. Justin hand-writes brewing recommendations on each bag depending on the roast, and they work out well in my experience.
Posted Fri Jan 20, 2012, 8:53pm Subject: Re: Best Mail-Order Value For Thick Chocolatey Espresso Blend?
You can't beat Red Bird. I just got 2 pounds and its as good as I remember it to be. I don't know how Jeff maintains the flavor profile over the time, but that takes some serious work.
The old fear of freezing - whole bean, not ground coffee! - has been pretty much dispelled, and there aren't many coffee geeks left who eschew it, including serious cuppers. My experience parallels that of many others', that Red Bird freezes just fine.
Still up for discussion without full consensus yet are whether (1) thawed beans can be re-frozen and (2) if frozen beans have a shorter life once thawed.
steven_meyer Senior Member Joined: 19 Jul 2003 Posts: 456 Location: San Bruno, ca Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Alex Duetto 3.0, ECM Giotto... Grinder: mahlkonig vario, Mazzer Mini
Posted Sat Jan 21, 2012, 5:53pm Subject: Re: Best Mail-Order Value For Thick Chocolatey Espresso Blend?
I second the recommendation for Redbird. 5lb for $52 including shipping is hard to beat. Probably easier and cheaper than driving 10 miles to Barefoot!
Posted Wed Jan 25, 2012, 7:07pm Subject: Re: Best Mail-Order Value For Thick Chocolatey Espresso Blend?
If you are worried about freezing beans, just remember never to open the bag until it is back to room temperature. This prevents moisture from freezing on the beans and eventually spoiling them. Water is the enemy of stored beans, they must be kept dry
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