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Which supermarket Italian espresso to try next?

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The Instigator
My italian emigrant friends are pretty unanimous in choosing Bustelo even though it's Cuban.

Wife completely rejected illy this morning as bitter/sour ... it IS a taste thing; Italy vs. Latin American coffees.

I know Lavazza and illy are good coffees. Bustelo and Pilon are just what we learn to prefer, apparently.

AA
 
So much depends on the brew method.

Moka pot is much more forgiving than an espresso machine. Don't try using a press or pour over unless you don't have an American taste for coffee.
 
Wife completely rejected illy this morning as bitter/sour ... it IS a taste thing; Italy vs. Latin American coffees.

I know Lavazza and illy are good coffees. Bustelo and Pilon are just what we learn to prefer, apparently.

AA
So true !....Bustelo is very cheap coffee, a mixture of low grade Arabica beans and low grade Robusta beans...People who are raised on the Robusta flavor usually find high quality Arabica coffee " too weak " in flavor. There are very high quality Robusta's around however... Robusta Coffee - Len's Coffee
 

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The Instigator
Ok, we tried a new one, Cafe La Rica.

"The cafecito of the Florida Marlins" baseball team, alledgedly this replaced Red Bull in their locker room by request.

It's not bad. Nicaraguan, apparently, but that's right next door to Costa Rica, and they certainly have great coffee.

I'd rate it below Bustelo and Pilon, but higher than the good Italians.

Would you believe that it's under two bucks? A real cheapie, wife bought it as a goof... But we're drinking it. Since we blow through a brick of espresso in less than two weeks ... $2 vs. $6 might come up, someday. Try it.


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TexLaw

Fussy Evil Genius
20190316_145111.jpg


I came across this one, another $1.99 brick at the supermarket. As one might expect from the name, it also is not from an Italian maker. The package gives no indication at all as to the origin or type of beans used.

I whipped up a cup in the moka pot and made a shot with the DeLonghi, and it's not half bad at all for what one might expect. The aroma is rather pleasant, mostly baker's chocolate. I even pick up a little bit of fruit in it and the flavor. The espresso was very much chocolate, almost like a chocolate cake. It has a very harsh, lingering bitterness, though, more in the moka pot version than the espresso.

That bitterness probably goes away if you want to make it Cuban style with a boat load of sugar. This stuff does advertise itself as "specifically blended for the Latin Taste," so I suppose I should not be surprised.

I wouldn't say this is a great coffee, but it's a mighty good value at $2/brick.
 

Ad Astra

The Instigator
View attachment 963309

I came across this one, another $1.99 brick at the supermarket. As one might expect from the name, it also is not from an Italian maker. The package gives no indication at all as to the origin or type of beans used.

I whipped up a cup in the moka pot and made a shot with the DeLonghi, and it's not half bad at all for what one might expect. The aroma is rather pleasant, mostly baker's chocolate. I even pick up a little bit of fruit in it and the flavor. The espresso was very much chocolate, almost like a chocolate cake. It has a very harsh, lingering bitterness, though, more in the moka pot version than the espresso.

That bitterness probably goes away if you want to make it Cuban style with a boat load of sugar. This stuff does advertise itself as "specifically blended for the Latin Taste," so I suppose I should not be surprised.

I wouldn't say this is a great coffee, but it's a mighty good value at $2/brick.

Got you beat! We went back and Cheapo La Rica was $1.19 on sale! See if your sketchy one notes origin ...

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