Are we really this pathetic?

Oh. French press is plunger coffee. Maybe I've just not had good plunger coffee, but I find it tends to dilute the taste of the coffee.
 
paul_valaru said:
Tim Hortons.

no froo froo crap for me
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You must have a good, consistent location you go to. I've been looking into Tim Hortons and the sense I've gotten from various Canadians all over the internet is that when the coffee's good, it's really good, and if it's not spot-on, it tastes like transmission fluid, and you never know what you're going to get.
 
Inkara1 said:
You must have a good, consistent location you go to. I've been looking into Tim Hortons and the sense I've gotten from various Canadians all over the internet is that when the coffee's good, it's really good, and if it's not spot-on, it tastes like transmission fluid, and you never know what you're going to get.
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that is when you go back in.

actually the secret is to create a freindly relationship with the people working there, and you get the fresh pot. The one I go to with my boss in the mornings there are 2 tills and we only go the one on the left, we know the women there, and the coffee is fresher, and they take pride in their work.
 
BeardofPants said:
Oh. French press is plunger coffee. Maybe I've just not had good plunger coffee, but I find it tends to dilute the taste of the coffee.
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It should at least triple the richness if anything. They are probably not using near enough coffee or giving it enough time to brew.
 
BeardofPants said:
Oh. French press is plunger coffee. Maybe I've just not had good plunger coffee, but I find it tends to dilute the taste of the coffee.
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1. Do you grind your own? It should be quite a little finer than the perk grinds although not as fine as drip grind. With a little practice you can get it so it's just coarse enough to not go through the screen.
2. Don't boil the water. Around 90C is good.
3. Put the grounds in first and then poor the water in after.
4. Swirl it around after a minute or two.
5. Plunge slowly.

Couple of points:
The finer you grind the less time you have to give it. I generally wait about 4 minutes but I like it strong.
Don't leave it in the pot. It keeps brewing after you plunge and can get pretty nasty after a short while. You can always make more.
You do know to never, ever re-heat coffee, right?

I find press coffee to be more flavorful, more aromatic and less bitter than any other kind. Note that I prefer espresso though, it's just too much trouble most mornings.
 
190F/88C for us

I pour enough water on the grounds to cover them by an inch, give it a swirl to mix, and then let it sit for a 10 count. I then observe the grounds to see it they have started to froth. A fresh bean will release a goodly amount of gas akin to yeast proofing. If there is no gas, the beans are dead and the coffee will be shit. If the beans are good I fill the plunger up all the way and give it a quick stir with a chopstick to agitate and distribute the grounds. I then set the plunger cap on top to retain the heat.

We tend to wait at least 5 minutes as we like stronger coffee. Plunge. Serve. We don't bother with a second vessel for the finished coffee as it never lasts long enough to bother... besides... it will only get stronger... which is fine by us.
 
unclehobart said:
190F/88C for us

I pour enough water on the grounds to cover them by an inch, give it a swirl to mix, and then let it sit for a 10 count. I then observe the grounds to see it they have started to froth. A fresh bean will release a goodly amount of gas akin to yeast proofing. If there is no gas, the beans are dead and the coffee will be shit. If the beans are good I fill the plunger up all the way and give it a quick stir with a chopstick to agitate and distribute the grounds. I then set the plunger cap on top to retain the heat.

We tend to wait at least 5 minutes as we like stronger coffee. Plunge. Serve. We don't bother with a second vessel for the finished coffee as it never lasts long enough to bother... besides... it will only get stronger... which is fine by us.
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Oh, I don't use a second vessel either, I just make what I think I'll drink. Dara likes flavored coffees and I don't but she leaves for work while I'm showering so it works out. I find if I let it sit past a second cup it gets a little bitter but maybe I drink them more slowly than you guys. I'm stealing your 10 count method though. Our beans are usually pretty fresh but still...
 
Indeed. And sometimes its not even all that much offgassing. All you need is something other than nothing. Sometimes that inch of water will kick up an inch thick layer of foam... most of the time it will just be nice and creamy... and actually creamy is best as it indicates that enough of the nitrogen vaccuming has given way and left only the oxygen. Oxygen is good for the flavor, nitrogen sucks... but the oxygen sets up a rapid deterioration of the rest of your beans. You usually only see super-frothing in beans that are less than like 4 days from the roasting machine.
 
Professur said:
This is where most coffee drinkers bugger up a good cup of tea. Tea needs boiling water. A disturbing number of restaurants can't seem to grasp that idea.
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Boiling is only good for black teas. The oolongs and green like it a shade cooler.

I think your restaurants are probably using boiling water... water that has been boiling for an hour... so there is no oxygen left in it... No oxygen in the tea water makes for tea (and coffee) that tastes like fishing weights.

Chic,
We forgot to mention that you use only cold water to start a boil and never hot. Hot water that originates from the house water tank has already been kept at a high temp for hours.. making it devoid of oxygen.
 
unclehobart said:
Boiling is only good for black teas. The oolongs and green like it a shade cooler.

I think your restaurants are probably using boiling water... water that has been boiling for an hour... so there is no oxygen left in it... No oxygen in the tea water makes for tea (and coffee) that tastes like fishing weights.

Chic,
We forgot to mention that you use only cold water to start a boil and never hot. Hot water that originates from the house water tank has already been kept at a high temp for hours.. making it devoid of oxygen.
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Well, at your house. I have an "on demand" water heater. ;) I always use cold anyway, but another reason not to use hot is that there are a lot of impurities and sediment in your water heater tank which adversely affect the flavor of everything, not just coffee.
 
Which means that we need to be putting our water through a filtering agent before it even gets to the boiler in the first place. I just need to rig up a fishpump oxygenator to my Brita so that my coffee water can be its dead sexiest best. :D
 
SnP could prolly help you set up a distillery system upstream of your oxygenator. :D
 
Nixy said:
Anyone who orders a non-fat latte with whipped creme and sprinkles needs their head checked anyway..."PLease take the fat out of my coffee but add it all, plus more, back on top...k thanks"
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Can I use this as a quote? An email sig? I'm officially asking.
 
So, my company got the starbucks delivery contract. I've never set foot in one until recently (don't drink coffee)....

WTF is a frappacino?
 
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