Thursday, Jan 5 - Coffee Quest 1:1
Coffee No. 1 - Honduras Finca el Puetne$15.75/lb
I feel like I should tell you a bit about my methods before delving into the coffee itself.
Pt 1 - Water
When I wake up in the morning, I hop into the shower. When out, I slather on shaving cream, and while it softens my whiskers, I put on a kettle of water. Here is my first potential issue. I should be using water that's been filtered or bottled (NEVER distilled, however). I'm using tap water. It doesn't have any off tastes, and I drink it, so it is not a major issue, but still... I bring the water to a boil while shaving. Once the coffee is in the pot and ready, I turn the heat off, and let the water calm down for around 30 sec. From what I can tell, adding boiling water to grounds is a bad move.
Pt 2 - BeansI get good beans, and for this quest, I'll be getting some of the best (COE). But what about the grind? Each method of brewing coffee (French press, percolator, drip with a cone filter, drip with a flat bottomed
filter) requires a slightly different grind. French press, the method I use and the best for home preparation (in my opinion), requires a coarser grind that drip. I have a blade grinder. Admittedly not the best. A burr grinder would be better. I am shopping around for one now. Blade grinders work, but it's hard to get the grounds to the correct size, and then, the grounds aren't consistent in size. Burr takes care of all those issues. I spoon 6 teaspoons (not the measuring spoon, my actual eating spoons) for whole beans into the grinder and pulse until they look good, then dump them into the French press.
Pt 3 - BrewingSo, the grounds are in the French press and the water is rested and off it's boil. What next? I pour the water into the French press atop the grinds. The grinds form a sort of cap on top of the water. I stir them in and pour a bit more water into the French press to fill it up. At this point, I set the timer for 3 minutes. Then I position the plunger in the pot, depressing slightly to submerge all the grounds. When the timer runs out, I depress the plunger completely. Ready to drink. I think this is the only step of my method that is currently unflawed. One more note, for those following my method, get the coffee off the grounds right away, into a mug to drink, or into some sort of thermos of insulated pitcher. Leaving coffee on the grounds will diminish the flavor and increase bitterness (think of oversteeped tea).
Pt 4 - PreparationI pour the coffee and the half in half into a mug simultaneously. I take a bit more dairy than most, I'd say, but that's how I like it. Yep, I am sure the dairy masks some of the flavors. That's a problem, but again, that's how I like it. The only thing I can say is that this bias will be consistent throughout the 'Quest.' Oh, and I am going to use the same mug every morning. Wine tastes different in different shaped wine glasses. Why should coffee be any different?
OK, now that I have typed all this, I have finished the mug I was going to write about, and I have the remainder of the pot in my travel mug to take to work. And I am running a little late. And I have a review this morning. Tomorrow, I will discuss the coffee itself.
Peace.
posted by Hungry T @ 7:07 AM
10 Comments:
explicamelo -- burr grinder? I know a quick google search would answer my '?'s, but I'd rather hear from you.
Also, what's your take on acidity levels in drip v. press? I would assume a certain inherent acidity in the bean, also that prep affects ultimate outcome. perhaps for a future post?
I don't care if your coffee is $100 a pound or whether it came from a dollar store, or how in hell it's made, please heed the advice I am giving you, COFFEE DRIES YOU OUT. The caffeine is doing a number on your kidneys.
I can't imagine anybody wanting to read all this dribble (no pun intended).
Write more about food, you'll get me back, as well as more visitors to your site.
Or maybe you just don't care.
Meg Ryan look-alike
Also, you know how coffee mugs get stained even though the person is washing them well? That is a pet peeve of mine, it grosses me out.
Before I thought that whatever coffee mugs were made of, was a non-porous material, but, from some coffee mugs I have seen (Yeck!) this is NOT the case. Well our teeth are porous. So whatever coffee does to your mug it is also doing to your teeth. Or maybe you have false teeth. Or maybe you just don't care. Well, fine.
Your body is the temple to your soul. And you are what you eat (or drink).
On your death bed, whenever that is, heaven forbid, you may remember back on what I have told you. Coffee is lethal.
I know, I know, everyone drinks it.
But honestly, I don't. And you should see me. I'm very healthy in comparison with my coffee-drinking flunkie-counterparts.
So if coffee stains the mugs, the teeth, the counter, and clothing, what is it doing to your insides?
Think about it.
And for God's sake, stop glorifying this lowly beverage! Enough already !
Meg Ryan look-alike
hey anon -- stop reading if you don't like it. It's Hungry T's blog, he can talk about whatever the fuck he wants to.
you're a wise-guy or girl, 5:45 p.m., whatever the case may be...I was only trying to educate Hungry T, that's it. I'm gone.
It just so happens I am a registered Nurse here in Canada and I work in the Oncology Dept.
I've heard and witnessed a lot of horror stories, yes. I wouldn't just come on here and give unauthorized advice, although I know many do.
Sure, Hungry T can write whatever he wants. Anyone can. His blog just caught my eye, that's all. I've been fed up with coffee drinkers since the get-go. All garbage collectors do is pick up Tim Horton coffee cups all day long off the streets in town here (that's equal to Starbucks in the USA). And on the bus or in a taxicab you have to put up with people slurping that awful poison right in your ear through that little partition they put in the lid.
So, yeah bloggers are for all, but the comment section is there for a reason, Evan G S...look-alike.
Meg Ryan look-alike
oh I forgot...coffee is NEVER o.k.,BUT it might be passable if one could drink maybe one cup a day in the middle of 8 spring waters before and 8 spring waters afterward, to flush it all out.
But no one , of course, does that.
It's too bad, Evan..look-alike (whoever that is), you never had anyone in your family (heaven forbid) that had their kidneys all reamed out or their bowels all reamed out as a direct result of daily moderate coffee consumption.
You should stroll through the clinics more in your area and do some homework of your own.
Meg Ryan look-alike
jesus christ, victoria, who do you think is stupid enough not to pick up on you being the previous anon? freak
I'd say that having raging borderline personality disorder is far worse for you than a beverage that has been enjoyed by cultures for millions of years.
Caffeine has been shown to improve short term memory, alertness, and focus without any of the addictive side effects of other substances. Just like wine, it can dehydrate you if you have poor water intake ... but just like wine, it has benefits as well, not the least of which is the pleasurable sensation of endorphins. What's wrong with a few endorphins? Apparently, you haven't had enough of them lately, which is why you are so crabby.
I'm curious, is it caffeine that you hate (due to your bogus health concerns), or is it coffee (for the social annoyances you say it causes you)?
I wonder what the people on the bus think of you.
OK, has anyone else noticed that this "Victoria"/anonymous person is the SAME person that posted all about how she doesn't like bistros because they leave her feeling hungry, and she prefers junk food of all kinds? Just read the comment under Hungry T's post on Caprial's.
Victoria/anonymous, you may wish to consider your fat, sugar, salt, transfat, and additive intake long before you gouge someone's eyes out for enjoying a cup of coffee.
How very odd you are.
Gee funny there's been hardly any blogs on this site since I started that little bit of controversey on the health hazards of coffee.
People accusing me of being another person, and all the rest.
I guess I gave your Blog some publicity anyway for a while, but I ain't comin' back. I've had enough of this one.
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