Originally published at: I hope my neighborhood has reached peak coffee micro roasting - Boing Boing
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Last week I needed to get a couple cups of ordinary black coffee for my grandma to go with her birthday cookies. (She just turned 99 and is still a coffee addict). I was surprised when I went into a local Starbucks (which, happily, had no line) and found that they did not have any brewed coffee prepared. I had to wait about 10 minutes for them to brew some. So yeah, getting plain old “coffee” at a coffee shop is apparently a specialty order now.
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I can usually get a black drip to go. I think the beans on the shelf are maybe the result of some local battle between the bean-buyers to find the ultimate champagne of coffee?
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That caffine is a hell of a drug.
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Of the tasks that I’ve taken on to suit a specific need or preference, roasting my own coffee beans may be the easiest. Eventually I’ll branch out to other regions, but I tend to stick with Guatemalan and can roast to the level I prefer.
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There’s something to be said for lowering your standards.
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Articles like this make me glad that, in my own coffee journey, I have discovered that I actually like the darker roasts that coffee aficionados poo-poo in favor of the fruity, acidic specialty coffees that just taste weird to me. I can get a huge bag of beans at Costco and be perfectly happy with the results, whether I’m using my French press or my inexpensive pour-over carafe.
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Coffee that tastes like other things is for people who don’t like coffee.
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Most places in Europe, they just don’t do drip coffee. But their Americanos are pretty good.
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Agreed – Jose’s French Roast, available at Costco in 3 pound bags, is my staple coffee. Kauai Coffee (medium roast) is my frou-frou splurge, but their quality of late has been variable.
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Not to mention the cost savings. I’ve been home roasting for ages, with quality unroasted beans costing well under half what shops charge.
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Congratulations and good health to your grandmother!
Here in Airstrip One it’s almost impossible to get filter coffee at cafes. Most places only serve an Americano, which I find acidic, bitter and flat tasting. Hence I usually have English Breakfast tea.
At home I rely on Aldi or Lidl’s best, which are not as good as coffees costing twice as much but you soon lose the difference in taste. I’ve recently turned back to the pour-over method of brewing. It’s very convenient when you just want one large cup.
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I find a home made Americano is even more convenient for a single cup!
Not to start a coffee argument, I like drip pour over whatever, but I just prefer an Americano from fresh ground beans and think you can get away with not the most expensive beans that way. Lidl/Aldi are okay but I usually go a step above that. I do buy third wave style coffee the odd time. Mostly it’s not actually worth the multiples you pay for it.
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I’ve got one of those Italian things made of aluminium, which makes a kind of espresso you can use for an Americano. It’s quite fun, though a bit of a faff to clean. Sometimes I make espresso martinis at home.
At any rate, “chacun son gout!”
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i use that type of coffee maker to make Cuban-style cafecito at home. the coffee comes preground to an almost powder, very black, dark, “espresso” roast (Cafe Bustelo brand). it makes a strong, bitter, yet oddly full-flavored brew. like all cafecito served around here, it is sweetened. i prefer agave syrup, but the puristas say only cane sugar will do. sometimes it is nice to have it con leche, when i need to ease into that blackness.
roasting coffee beans produces an unpleasant odor, IMO, one that makes me feel a bit queasy. a boutique coffee roaster moved in next door to a printshop i once worked at and it was nasty! that oily, burnt aroma that smells nothing like the finished beans or grounds was just so thick in the air.
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Yes. Don’t.
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Light roast/breakfast blend in my Bunn drip coffee maker. Bought online or with groceries. I put some calcium powder in the grounds because it smooths it and because I need calcium and it’s a super cheap way to get it.
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I buy Katz’s coffee beans from the fancy grocer. They do deliver, btw. Decided a while ago that $14-$18 a pound for beans that will taste great as a cold brew was worth it for me. Keeps me from going out to get less satisfying, although sweeter, coffee.
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The best coffee I ever had was Jamaican, of course. It’s also fucking hideously expensive.
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The last time I went to Jamaica on a family trip, my family were all wondering why I had such a large suitcase but packed so little. Very handy that bags of coffee are packed in Pounds so you know exactly how many you can fit in your checked suitcase 
It was actually pretty awesome getting to see a couple of family members try Blue Mountain coffee the first time, it is one of those eye opening experiences if you have never had it.
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