I need a new brew

[JohnnyWayne203]

I usually drink Bustelo or Pilon. But after so many years, I’m looking for something new. Any suggestions?
If it helps;
I can’t stand Maxwell House.
Folgers is ok but doesn’t do it for me.
I wasn’t crazy about Yuban.
Starbucks Pike Place is good not great.
Lavazza was too strong a flavor for me.
Thanks

 

[Rhody]

Hpw about peets coffee?
Its affordable and widely available. And pretty good

 

[drquantum]

Hpw about peets coffee?
Its affordable and widely available. And pretty good

Peet's is great, but I'm a super dark roast snob.... If Starbucks isn't something he likes, and if Lavazza is too strong I'm not sure which Peet's would fit the bill.

I would suggest, if amazon is a purchase option, to look at the Verena Street coffees. A nice dark roast option is their Nine Mile Sunset; their Shot Tower Espresso roast is also good. Julien's Breakfast Blend is a good medium-roast option.

 

[bray144k]

I really like Eight O'Clock brand. It's easily accessible, cheap, and the flavor is much better than almost anything that comes in a can IMO.

 

[pault]

You didn't say how you prepare it?
Also Lavazza has many blends. I had used some in drip, currently using ORO in my breville oracle.
I like the oro as it is not oily and wont gum up the grinder.
I think you may need to get samples and see if you can find something that hits the spot.
Also peets, has samplers as prob many sites, where you can get 6 1/2 lb bags to try.

 

[Mick]

I usually drink Bustelo or Pilon. But after so many years, I’m looking for something new. Any suggestions?
If it helps;
I can’t stand Maxwell House.
Folgers is ok but doesn’t do it for me.
I wasn’t crazy about Yuban.
Starbucks Pike Place is good not great.
Lavazza was too strong a flavor for me.
Thanks

There are hundreds of artisan roasters.

Google.

Try a central America SO (single origin). Costa Rican hacienda la Minita is one of the most popular and one that I enjoy roasting and drinking.

You will never go back to grocery store swill once you have tasted "real" coffee.

 

[mglindo]

You didn't say how you prepare it?
Also Lavazza has many blends. I had used some in drip, currently using ORO in my breville oracle.
I like the oro as it is not oily and wont gum up the grinder.
I think you may need to get samples and see if you can find something that hits the spot.
Also peets, has samplers as prob many sites, where you can get 6 1/2 lb bags to try.

This post nails it as we do not know how you brew your coffee. Let us know so we can give better answers.

Mike

 

[JohnnyWayne203]

Just a regular boring Mr Coffee drip

 

[JohnnyWayne203]

I appreciate the feedback.
Peets was on the list, I was curious about Seattles best as well.
That cost rican coffee has me intrigued for sure.
Thanks guys

 

[pault]

If you have an instant thermometer, try seeing what the water temp is coming down from the mr coffee.
I doubt it is close to 180 , and you just may be making a bad cup with whatever you buy.
Worth checking.

 

[JohnnyWayne203]

I’m sure it’s not 180 either.
French Press might be worth looking into

 

[pault]

From national coffee assn. Brew temp
195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit

Your brewer should maintain a water temperature between 195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit for optimal extraction. Colder water will result in flat, under-extracted coffee, while water that is too hot will also cause a loss of quality in the taste of the coffee.

With that being said , it may be the coffee maker losing temp, way below 195 and resulting in a less than optimum brew for any coffee used.


Check your water temp for starters, and maybe its just the brewer getting old. Look for close to 195 in brew temp.
Most of the run of the mill brewers dont get to 200.

 

[Nubo]

Have you thought about roasting your own coffee? You get to control all the parameters, starting with the selection of green beans. It doesn't have to be expensive, I use a stovetop popcorn popper. How to roast your own coffee | Sweet Maria's Coffee Library - https://legacy.sweetmarias.com/library/how-to-roast-your-own-coffee

 

[MntnMan62]

I’m sure it’s not 180 either.
French Press might be worth looking into

Yes. Get yourself a french press if you don't already have one. I've been using french press almost exclusively for about 4 or 5 years now. It allows you to control pretty much every aspect of the brew process which allows you to control what your cup tastes like. You might need a good grinder for it, a scale to weigh your beans and water to ensure the proper ratio, a timer to time your brewing. And all the other stuff that people do with espresso like warming up the equipment before pouring stuff in to control heat loss. But that's half the fun. As soon as I started to really get anal with each step the coffee took a massive step upwards in quality. Then there's always making your own milk froth for cafe au laits.

 

[JohnnyWayne203]

Yes. Get yourself a french press if you don't already have one. I've been using french press almost exclusively for about 4 or 5 years now. It allows you to control pretty much every aspect of the brew process which allows you to control what your cup tastes like. You might need a good grinder for it, a scale to weigh your beans and water to ensure the proper ratio, a timer to time your brewing. And all the other stuff that people do with espresso like warming up the equipment before pouring stuff in to control heat loss. But that's half the fun. As soon as I started to really get anal with each step the coffee took a massive step upwards in quality. Then there's always making your own milk froth for cafe au laits.

If I grind say half a cup worth of whole bean (for example) and keep it sealed in the fridge, do I really need to scale it?
If I measure the amount added to each brewing by tablespoons.

 

[JohnnyWayne203]

Have you thought about roasting your own coffee? You get to control all the parameters, starting with the selection of green beans. It doesn't have to be expensive, I use a stovetop popcorn popper. How to roast your own coffee | Sweet Maria's Coffee Library - https://legacy.sweetmarias.com/library/how-to-roast-your-own-coffee

Roasting my own seems to be a little too time consuming for my schedule. But I will definitely check that link. Thanks

 

[Toothpick]

It would be a really hard decision from me if the choice was between a cup of mud and a cup of Seattles Best. I hate that crap. I would go with Peets

 

[kelbro]

Peets has some good blends. I 'discovered' Peets while stuck in SFO airport many years ago and much prefer their coffee to 95% of commercially available coffee.

 

[drquantum]

I appreciate the feedback.
Peets was on the list, I was curious about Seattles best as well.
That cost rican coffee has me intrigued for sure.
Thanks guys

Definitely try Peet’s, then. The French Roast is good, but I’m partial also to the Major Dickason’s Blend. If you are after some blends to try from Lavazza, the Qualita d’Oro is very good and Gran Crema is really excellent.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[merovirginian]

Peet's is a solid choice (I like Big Bang a bit more than Major Dickason's), and so is 8 o clock. If you do consider traveling down the single origin road, Costa Rican La Minita (as note above) is a good first choice as well (Kenyan and Rwandan are my current favorites though). As an alternative to French press, consider the Aeropress. It's been my preferred way since 2007 (using the inverted method, fwiw). Use it at home and at work.