Thread for the Coffee lovers
- Thread starter AMITNOIDA
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Thread for the Coffee lovers
Hi, If you are asking for instant coffee options, many would consider that, in audio terminology, entry level. If you are keen about experiencing true coffee flavour, you could try stepping up in the following sequence: 1. Ground coffee powder mixed with chicory. 2. Ground pure arabica sans...
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if you need a machine to grind coffee beans then may be @Lizard King can help
1. Good beans. From bluetokai, third wave coffee to start with. They have websites from where they sell as well as physical stores. There are also other beans you can explore on Amazon. No point giving links there are way too many. The first two also have enough beans from different estates to keep you busy for a bit before you need to explore further.
2. A grinder. Get a manual entry level one from Hario. They have a slim model amd a round bulbous one. Get the bulbous one. I got it for someone it’s good and easy. Personally I use a pro manual grinder from Orphan Espresso the Lido. Love manual grinding no machines for me. Or if you have money later a machine grinder from Baratza. Bluetokai has grinders and equipment also.
3. A mechanism to brew coffee. Again bluetokai has French presses and other methods, Amazon has the Bialetti Moka Pot which I use. You need the three pot one which makes enough for one person. 6 pot for two people. Can use an Indian percolator or a dripper also. Learn about all and see which one produces the coffee brew you might like strong like Moka Pot or weaker like dripper. There’s also an affordable espresso machine Indian make the name escapes me right now. It’s on Amazon about 10k.
4. If you have milk get a frother Hario from bluetokai or one from Instacuppa Amazon. And a frothing jug or a steel glass will also do.
Preferably get whole beans and grind em or start with coffee powder from the roasters I’ve mentioned.
Enjoy!
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keith_correa
Well-Known Member
How is the coffee off a Moka Pot using filter coffee powder from ye olde coffee powder vendors?
It’s good Keith. They generally grind for the Indian filter which uses a slightly bigger grind size. You need a grind size a bit finer for the Moka Pot but the filter coffee from say Cothas would work in a Pot. Not ideal and hi-res but a lossy substitute hehe. You could use a little bit more powder and tamp it down just a bit not too much so it compensates for the larger grind size.
Regards
Regards
Link?
Lizard King
Well-Known Member
Beans: Start with Blue Tokai. Can get directly from their website. As good as any fancy imported beans.
Anchal speakers of the coffee world.
Grinder: Hario manual (pro). I found it painful.
Grinder automatic: Baratza is available on Blue Tokai as well as on amazon. After my Delonghi grinder broke down after 10 years, I bought the Baratza. Will serve the need of 90% users.
Machine: Bean to Cup machines are too expensive (70K onwards) and no way to service in India. Also limited scope of changing the settings.
Devialet of the coffee world.
Espresso machines can be had for 15K to 20k. Mine is running well for 10 years, daily use.
Mokka Pot: Bialleti is famous. Local brands are also pretty good. Personal experience very less.
Aeropress: Never used but users are happy.
French Press: My evening drink. Super easy to use. Makes a brew that is relaxing rather than charging up. Bit rounded off, less acidity.
Valve amplifier of the coffee world.
South Indian percolator: Every grandma's best friend.
There is no one best way. Try out different varieties and methods and you will find what you like. For more than 10 years I got my beans from abroad. Now being forced to buy locally I realized that Indian beans are 2nd to none. Expensive beans are expensive not necessarily because they are good. It's often because of rarity, marketing etc.
If you have the way, get them from Ethiopia. I used Sidamo beans for many many years. My old patient used to send me through her local business contact in Hyderabad. She never took money (so cheap of me) as they were not at all expensive. When I bought a packet of Starbucks Sidamo in UK, it was ridiculously expensive and poor quality.
Now I am a firm supporter of local beans. Apart from Blue Tokai, there are multiple outlets for Karnataka beans. If you are from Hyderabad or New Bombay, get IKEA house brand Karnataka beans. Excellent they are.
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Very Good Thread, Mostly consume Tea regularly, but I'm a frequent Nescafe / Bru Instant consumer ; finding Continental Coffee better off late. Though I Still believe the Best Milk Coffee is called Kadak Tea 
(light hearted pun, no offence meant) .
Any Recommendations for Black Coffee Brands? This has been a recent development and I'm quite liking it.
(light hearted pun, no offence meant) . Any Recommendations for Black Coffee Brands? This has been a recent development and I'm quite liking it.
Great thread and it is good change from the audio related discussions.
I love tea and coffee but only coffee causes me acidity. No amount of tea or alcohol has done that to me ever.
I started with those Nescafe and Bru sachet and later tried beaten cofee, finally progressing to French press coffee 3-4 years ago. Whenever I went to states I would prefer a Starbucks cappuccino with Vanila flavor as a evening drink which I still miss.
I also thought of buying a coffee machine for under 20K but somehow stayed away from it.
But this thread has again created some interest in the coffee and I would explore the options mentioned above.
I love tea and coffee but only coffee causes me acidity. No amount of tea or alcohol has done that to me ever.
I started with those Nescafe and Bru sachet and later tried beaten cofee, finally progressing to French press coffee 3-4 years ago. Whenever I went to states I would prefer a Starbucks cappuccino with Vanila flavor as a evening drink which I still miss.
I also thought of buying a coffee machine for under 20K but somehow stayed away from it.
But this thread has again created some interest in the coffee and I would explore the options mentioned above.
Lizard King
Well-Known Member
Like wine tasting, coffee tasting is also a well developed art/ science. You don't have to be a taster, but knowing the key attributes of good coffee can help you choose better.
Aroma: The smell that you get before sipping. Starts becoming evident from the time you start grinding. Hold the cup close to your nose for some time to prepare yourself for the drink and express gratitude to the poor farmers whose heartbreaking toil has brought you this cup.
Body: It's like the midrange of your speakers, where most of the action lies yet nobody talks about it. Very much dependent upon roast intensity. Most people are fond of medium body. But delicate beans do better with light roast to focus more on flavor. Deep roasted heavy body brew gives you that kick in your you-know-what.
Flavor: It's the smell that you get after you have started drinking. It's less spiky, more lingering. A marriage of aroma and body. It's the component that is easily appreciated by any new drinker. Flavor (and aroma), just like wine, can be complex with many fine top notes over a strong base note. Good coffee will have complex notes, and like wine, will reflect the terroir, i.e geography and the climate of where the beans are grown. One of the most important factors that determine cost of the coffee.
Acidity: Mainly due to tannins in the beans, it's the cold sweetish dryness that is felt at the back of your tongue and palate after you have sipped. Without acidity, coffee is bland and worthless.
Aftertaste: Contributed by many things, but mostly by the body and acidity. The aftertaste lingers on in your mouth, mostly at the back of your tongue and upper throat for several minutes. It's the time to cut off from the world, contemplate on deeper things and be generally happy and content with the blessings that we have.
Not a very scientific description, professional tasters may not agree. But from the average drinker's point of view, this is how I get my kicks.
Aroma: The smell that you get before sipping. Starts becoming evident from the time you start grinding. Hold the cup close to your nose for some time to prepare yourself for the drink and express gratitude to the poor farmers whose heartbreaking toil has brought you this cup.
Body: It's like the midrange of your speakers, where most of the action lies yet nobody talks about it. Very much dependent upon roast intensity. Most people are fond of medium body. But delicate beans do better with light roast to focus more on flavor. Deep roasted heavy body brew gives you that kick in your you-know-what.
Flavor: It's the smell that you get after you have started drinking. It's less spiky, more lingering. A marriage of aroma and body. It's the component that is easily appreciated by any new drinker. Flavor (and aroma), just like wine, can be complex with many fine top notes over a strong base note. Good coffee will have complex notes, and like wine, will reflect the terroir, i.e geography and the climate of where the beans are grown. One of the most important factors that determine cost of the coffee.
Acidity: Mainly due to tannins in the beans, it's the cold sweetish dryness that is felt at the back of your tongue and palate after you have sipped. Without acidity, coffee is bland and worthless.
Aftertaste: Contributed by many things, but mostly by the body and acidity. The aftertaste lingers on in your mouth, mostly at the back of your tongue and upper throat for several minutes. It's the time to cut off from the world, contemplate on deeper things and be generally happy and content with the blessings that we have.
Not a very scientific description, professional tasters may not agree. But from the average drinker's point of view, this is how I get my kicks.
keith_correa
Well-Known Member
Instant coffee:
When I was growing up, there were only 2 brands of instant coffee - Nescafe and Bru. I disliked Nescafe from the very first sip I took, and I wasn't even a regular coffee drinker to know the difference. I was even more horrified when I drank a cup of Bru - I thought it was vile!
My late father didn't consider the instant variety as coffee at all. I think he almost divorced my mother when she said she thought Nescafe was OK [she still does]. My father considered people who consumed instant coffee - "North Indians" [generically meaning any folks not rooted from the South of India] or tea drinkers who wouldn't know what "real" coffee was even if a coffee bean was shoved inside their nostril - and those days, it was true.
He considered people who drank Bru a downtrodden lot who probably could not afford real coffee and hence drank "that" instead! I still consider the garden variety Nescafe/Bru as very close to industrial sludge except for the Nescafe Gold which is OK. And these days, there are a lot of indie instant coffee brands which going by their hopefully undoctored glowing reviews, probably are good.
When I was growing up, there were only 2 brands of instant coffee - Nescafe and Bru. I disliked Nescafe from the very first sip I took, and I wasn't even a regular coffee drinker to know the difference. I was even more horrified when I drank a cup of Bru - I thought it was vile!
My late father didn't consider the instant variety as coffee at all. I think he almost divorced my mother when she said she thought Nescafe was OK [she still does]. My father considered people who consumed instant coffee - "North Indians" [generically meaning any folks not rooted from the South of India] or tea drinkers who wouldn't know what "real" coffee was even if a coffee bean was shoved inside their nostril - and those days, it was true.
He considered people who drank Bru a downtrodden lot who probably could not afford real coffee and hence drank "that" instead! I still consider the garden variety Nescafe/Bru as very close to industrial sludge except for the Nescafe Gold which is OK. And these days, there are a lot of indie instant coffee brands which going by their hopefully undoctored glowing reviews, probably are good.
Tried several brands of coffee powders and found only the Cothas Hotel Blend to be consistent in flavour and fragrance. Currently using the usual steel filter to get the decoction done. Wasn't aware of Bialetti Moka Pot! Searched for it on amazon and now my parents want one
Btw any idea on the Bialetti Brikka? Looks like it produces cream to add to the texture
Anyways, thanks for the info @stevieboy
Most welcome @ktks1. The brikka has some special valve to generate more resistance hence more pressure and hence more foam. Might be worth checking out to see what user reviews say. But I feel it’s a gimmick since the bar pressure is hardly any higher than the regular moka pot. Higher bar pressure is what will get those flavourful oils out of the coffee bean and into your cup. I’m saving up for a cafelat robot!
Regards
Regards
Lizard King
Well-Known Member
Foam or froth, know as 'crema' is a sign of properly roasted and brewed coffee. For best crema one should go fully manual, easier said than done. A powerful 15 bar espresso machine will show its mettle in this situation.Tried several brands of coffee powders and found only the Cothas Hotel Blend to be consistent in flavour and fragrance. Currently using the usual steel filter to get the decoction done. Wasn't aware of Bialetti Moka Pot! Searched for it on amazon and now my parents want one
Btw any idea on the Bialetti Brikka? Looks like it produces cream to add to the texture
Anyways, thanks for the info @stevieboy
Crema is the interplay of aromatic oils in the beans and CO2 gas trapped in the beans during roasting. If one roasts less, then more oil is retained, but less CO2 is formed. On the contrary, dark roast like Vienna or French roast would have more CO2 but less oil. Medium roast is a combination of both, and easiest to produce crema.
However one can produce crema from light roast is possible by grinding fine, almost close to Turkish coffee and tamping hard. This will however risk the delicate flavors to be washed out. Can produce good crema from dark roast in the same way, at the risk of coffee becoming bitter.
Ability to pull a good espresso with ample crema is the hallmark of a master Barista.
I think this is another rabbit hole for people to explore! I'll try the Bialetti Moka Pot for now and see how it goes..
balavignesh002
Well-Known Member
Not an frequent coffee drinker. Buy I enjoy cafe coffee day late and capuchino very much with friends and family.
Been to Balli few times got some good coffee from there. Luwak coffee is special there.
One of my friend own coffee estate, use to get some dried coffee beens from him sometime.
Been to Balli few times got some good coffee from there. Luwak coffee is special there.
One of my friend own coffee estate, use to get some dried coffee beens from him sometime.
Delonghi coffee Automatic machines are available for sales as well as services by Orient electric, also available through Fresh and Honest Co that operates Lavazza brand in India.
Lizard King
Well-Known Member
Great news that. Checked Amazon, quite a few models are available.
Hi Lizard king,
Good to meet another coffee enthusiast! If I may add to this or amend this, while there are many factors affecting crema some of which you've covered, properly roasted coffee has nothing to do with how much crema is generated. Volume of crema is mainly a sign of freshness of the roast and varietal of bean among other factors including brewing like you mentioned. You can badly roast coffee and if its fresh you'll still get crema but badly balanced flavours and not the flavour profile you were aiming for. Stale coffee just won't generate crema cos the carbon dioxide has degassed completely. Certain arabica bean varietals will generate more crema and Robusta will generate more crema than Arabica which is also one of the reasons why its used in espresso blends.
I know you don't regard robusta as coffee, but Indian Kaapi Royale robusta is highly regarded worldwide as well as robusta from another Asian country I forget but was it Vietnam? Also Mysore Nuggets and Monsoon Malabar are world renowned.
Regards
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