Complete Coffee Newbie HELP Please :)

[Steve123]

Hey Guys, I know nothing about coffee,
- What is the best type of Coffee?
- What is safest way to make coffee? like either Chemex or a French press glass or any other safe methods with minimal amount of transfer from materials into coffee? (French press with stainless steel and borosilicate glass okay? Or are the filter papers used on the chemtex something that could transfer into coffee?)
- Any specific coffee's you guys use that you could link in so I can get an idea?
- Is instant coffee safe?
- Would you drink coffee out? At a local cafe or at Starbucks etc?
- Anything I should ask manafacturer of coffee before buying with regards to way its processed or possible toxins etc etc?
- How many grams of coffee do you put in each cup along with water?

Would the following coffee brands be fine?:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0...qid=1502042972&sr=8-5&keywords=organic+coffee

Premium Organic Ground Coffee - 100% Arabica Spanish Espresso Blend from Award Winning Café Saula 500g (2x 250g): Amazon.co.uk: Grocery

Or maybe something like this if going for an instant coffee?: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0...044107&sr=8-4&keywords=organic+coffee+instant

Thanks guys !

 

[omnivoracious]

I can't claim to know what is best. Through trial and error I have come to find I greatly prefer French Roast. I buy whole beans because they are cheaper than buying by the cup. I grind the beans the night before and have the drip coffee maker timer set to brew my coffee at 5am when I wake up. I pour the coffee into a thermos carafe and take the pot with me to work. The instructions on the bag tell you how much coffee to use and I have the setting to my grinder dialed in so I no longer pay any attention to the amount of ground coffee I use to prepare my brew: I simply press a button and the coffee grinder grinds the proper amount. I use unbleached filters in my drip coffee maker. I'm sure freshly ground beans brewed with a french press would be quite nice, it simply doesn't fit my lifestyle at the moment. So if you are considering going that route I am sure it would be quite enjoyable. I drink 24oz of coffee every morning and never drink more than this. You may need to work your way up to your intended amount of coffee consumption as you could experience strong effects of caffeine consumption for the first time.

I have consumed instant coffee in the past, and while I can't say whether or not there are any drawbacks health-wise I can say I truly didn't care for the taste. Your mileage may vary.

 

[keith]

I would say drink what you like the best. There probably isn't a significant enough difference to get too worry about how you make it. Plastic should probably be avoided as much as possible, but that requires more work. I do avoid the K-cups. I've read some things that scared me off them, plus I like it stronger anyway. I know RP has mentioned that with the drip method, the grounds actually do a good job of filtering the water, if your water isn't the purest. I personally drink a lot of instant, because I like to drink it mixed with milk and sugar for an instant yummy iced coffee treat.

 

[tara]

As someone with low tolerance for coffee, I'd say drink what you like the taste of, and start gently with a cup in the morning only to begin with to see how you react. Or you might find you are awake all night, or get other stress issues. Build up gradually if it suits you. And maake sure to drink it with or after a meal, not on an empty stomach, so you've got fuel to burn.

 

[keith]

As someone with low tolerance for coffee, I'd say drink what you like the taste of, and start gently with a cup in the morning only to begin with to see how you react. Or you might find you are awake all night, or get other stress issues. Build up gradually if it suits you. And maake sure to drink it with or after a meal, not on an empty stomach, so you've got fuel to burn.

Tara, as usual, a voice of wisdom. This is good advice. I've been a coffee drinker for so long, I forgot about the getting used to it part. I might also add that milk/cream and sugar add to the experience, adding fuel to burn, and perfecting the flavor.

 

[x-ray peat]

I would suggest buying organic as regular coffee uses a lot of pesticides. Stay away from decaf and preferably buy the whole bean and grind yourself to preserve the flavor.

 

[tara]

Stay away from decaf ...

Unless you find you react too strongly to full caffeine coffee, in which case decaf may be a useful option. There is more in coffee that may be valuable than just the caffeine.
Even decaf has some caffeine in it, though less. Low coffee drinker as I am, I get a noticeable kick from even quite a small amount of decaf.

 

[Travis]

I have been drinking about a quart per day since I was 18. Total coffee fan here.

- What is the best type of Coffee?
⟹There's many different types of types of coffee. Must clarify.
- What is safest way to make coffee? like either Chemex or a French press glass or any other safe methods with minimal amount of transfer from materials into coffee? (French press with stainless steel and borosilicate glass okay? Or are the filter papers used on the chemtex something that could transfer into coffee?)
⟹French press. The only thing that contacts the coffee is borosilicate glass, stainless steel, and whatever coats the inside of your tea kettle.
- Any specific coffee's you guys use that you could link in so I can get an idea?
⟹Doesn't matter much. The degree of freshness (date from roasting) makes a bigger impact on taste than origin. South American coffees have the lowest mycotoxin levels, but some African coffees taste really good. The best thing to do is to go to a grocery store or coffee shop and grind it there (or at home). The preground vacuum-packed stuff on the shelves will not be as good, and it is always ground too fine for the French press. But oddly, when making espresso the pre-packaged coffee is always ground too course.
- Is instant coffee safe?
⟹Instant coffee tastes like dead horseshit (to borrow a term from Stephen King.)
- Would you drink coffee out? At a local cafe or at Starbucks etc?
⟹Starbucks is okay. They blend coffee like large cigarette manufacturers blend tobacco to produce a consistent taste. They think the customers want a predictable taste, and they're probably correct. Their drip technique can produce an acceptable coffee, but the cold-brewed coffees from Caribou are much better. As a general rule, the indie coffee shops produce better coffee and some even roast their own. Please check your local listing.
- Anything I should ask manafacturer of coffee before buying with regards to way its processed or possible toxins etc etc?
⟹Sun-dried (dry process) coffee has more mycotoxins than the wet process. In Africa, they dry the coffee cherries in the sun for days. The cherry surrounds the seed ("coffee bean") and if the humidity is high, mold can grow. The wet process involves floating the cherries in a tank of water, letting them ferment a bit, and then using rotating steel burrs to depulp them . This is popular in South America and produces low-mycotoxin coffee.
But the dry-process imbibes a nice fruity taste to the coffee bean. You have to try an Ethiopian Peaberry coffee some day for this reason
- How many grams of coffee do you put in each cup along with water?
⟹Experiment. There is no right answer. This depends on how strong you want the coffee and also depends on the temperature, technique, and fineness of grind.

I have roasted my own coffee. This is fun. You can buy green coffee beans for cheap from coffee shops which roast their own.

 

[dbh25]

Chemex with a paper filter
Organic coffee
2 tbsp. coffee per 10 oz. water
This will taste much better than Charbucks, and it won't cost $3 a cup

 

[x-ray peat]

Unless you find you react too strongly to full caffeine coffee, in which case decaf may be a useful option. There is more in coffee that may be valuable than just the caffeine.
Even decaf has some caffeine in it, though less. Low coffee drinker as I am, I get a noticeable kick from even quite a small amount of decaf.

That's true if you are really sensitive to caffeine. I would just make sure its decaffeinated by swiss water process and not with solvents. Decaf also raises ldl cholesterol whereas full caffeinated doesn't.

 

[tara]

I would just make sure its decaffeinated by swiss water process and not with solvents.

Probably a good idea. The one I sometimes drink is water processsed.

Decaf also raises ldl cholesterol whereas full caffeinated doesn't.

Really?

 

[DaveFoster]

@Steve123

https://raypeatforum.com/community/threads/fyhp-episode-2-coffee-youre-doing-it-wrong.18617/

 

[x-ray peat]

Probably a good idea. The one I sometimes drink is water processsed.

Really?

unfortunately yes and I just found a few others too
What is Healthier: Decaf or Regular Coffee?

 

[Steve123]

Guys thank you so much for all the input here :)

 

[schultz]

For lattes specifically, I really like Nescafe Taster's Choice. I used to buy green beans and roast my own coffee, but since I prefer lattes now I actually like the Tasters Choice over gound coffee. I recently thought I would try to revert back to grinding beans again and made a latte with some, but it wasn't even as close to as good as my instant coffee lattes.

That being said, at a clients house once he made me an espresso with beans that were no more than 2 weeks old and a machine that was several thousand dollars. That espresso was the best I've ever had. Another client made me a latte with his espresso machine (not as nice as the other guys, but still quite nice) and it was definitely better than my instant peasant lattes.

If I had the money I'd buy an espresso machine, grinder and one of those drum roasters. For now I'll stick to Taster's Choice.

Instant coffee tastes like dead horseshit

Most do. I have found a couple I like, though I don't make a "cup of coffee" with them, but lattes rather.

 

[lollipop]

I am totally into the chemex taste and results. In my opinion @schultz better even than expensive espresso machines. A lot less expensive as well! I use a low acid coffee that causes no speed up nor any slow down, just steady energy. Also, I can quit for days with absolutely no withdrawal symptoms.

36 grams coffee to 600 grams water.

 

[Travis]

@lisaferraro has my coffee grinder! [checking kitchen]

It's actually a bit of a work out to grind coffee by hand. I bought it when I had one of these (the coffee grinder at thee grocery store does not grind fine enough for espresso):

I bought a used one similar to this on Ebay for like $130. I then had to buy a second one for parts. When I took it apart, I noticed that the date of manufacture was 1979.

These are indestructable. I didn't use mine too often since it takes more time to make a shot of espresso than to drink it. When I still drank milk, It was worth it. But after stopping milk (and cheese), it was just too much work for a very small amount of extremely strong coffee.

Some guy in Washington bought mine off of Ebay. If anyone ever buys one of these, rest assured that the price will not depreciate. These old ones will go up in value. Just make sure you oil or wax the base so it doesn't rust (water collects by the rubber base).

The only thing that can possible break is the heating element (if you leave it on or run the tank dry.) Everything else is brass or steel.

 

[schultz]

I am totally into the chemex taste and results.

I have never tried a Chemex. It looks like it is essentially drip coffee? (forgive my ignorance). I used to use an aeropress and I thought it made pretty great coffee. It's like drip coffee but then you have to press it out.

@Travis that espresso machine looks like a beast! I can imagine it being a lot of work though just for 1 shot. Heck, I'm so lazy I use instant.......

 

[lollipop]

@lisaferraro has my coffee grinder! [checking kitchen]

It's actually a bit of a work out to grind coffee by hand. I bought it when I had one of these (the coffee grinder at thee grocery store does not grind fine enough for espresso):

I bought a used one similar to this on Ebay for like $130. I then had to buy a second one for parts. When I took it apart, I noticed that the date of manufacture was 1979.

These are indestructable. I didn't use mine too often since it takes more time to make a shot of espresso than to drink it. When I still drank milk, It was worth it. But after stopping milk (and cheese), it was just too much work for a very small amount of extremely strong coffee.

Some guy in Washington bought mine off of Ebay. If anyone ever buys one of these, rest assured that the price will not depreciate. These old ones will go up in value. Just make sure you oil or wax the base so it doesn't rust (water collects by the rubber base).

The only thing that can possible break is the heating element (if you leave it on or run the tank dry.) Everything else is brass or steel.

WoW...what a machine! I bet the coffee from it tastes AMAZING @Travis.

Yes @schultz, you are correct - essentially very slow drip. I tried it once with a high concentration of coffee to water and it tasted like an espresso, though a refined espresso drinker would probably laugh at me - lol.

 

[Travis]

The cool thing about the French press is that you can make both hot-, and cold-brewed coffee with it. Some people might think that cold-brewed coffee is identical to hot coffee poured-over ice or cooled-down in the fridge.

Not true. By brewing the coffee cold, an entire different chemical profile is extracted. The result is less acidic and more chocolate-like coffee.

The only perceivable downside is that the French press makes coffee drinking so easy and convenient that you might end-up drinking it all day; liters upon liters of coffee. A schizophrenic amount of coffee.