Great coffee.

[Sowega86]

My mom used to have a Gevalia coffee maker and all their different coffee blends. I assumed it was some kinda subscription thing. Most of it is okay. I mean as long as it ain't sissy flavors like hazelnut or vanilla etc.
On a day to day basis I go with Folgers Black Silk. I like darker stronger coffee. There are different blends of Kroger Private Selection coffee that are pretty damn good. My main gripe is that the coffee selection at most stores has been greatly reduced to make room for them damn pods.

Gevalia did start as a subscription. My folks taught me the mil-spec qualities in coffee at a young age and their favorite being Chock-Full-of-Nuts. I later found that Italian and French roasts and Folger's Black Silk were stronger (a.k.a. more caffeine and much darker roasting) than the dishwater Maxwell House (likely a light roasted bean). It might also have something to do with the bean quality, flavor from light roasting versus dark roasting, and the type of coffee beans.

 

[WallsGa]

In for more advice.

If you want to really nerd out here is a start. Check out roast levels, processing types, and bean profiles. It’s a deep rabbit hole:

Single Origin Coffee Beans

Explore single origins coffees from the world's premium growing regions, as well as recipes, expert brewing tips and FAQs.

espressocoffeeguide.com

Roasting Green Coffee

Roasting green coffee is the process of heating, cooking or drying coffee beans in a coffee roaster in order to transform the physical and chemical properties of the green coffee beans so the desired flavors

espressocoffeeguide.com

Coffee Processing Methods

Coffee processing methods of the world's top coffees is achieved by many different methods. These processing techniques can be grouped into four categories: Wet Processing (Washed), Dry Processing (Natural, Sun Dried), Pulped Natural Processing, and

espressocoffeeguide.com

And here is some of the information regarding flavor profiles I got from a roaster friend of Beulah Land . It’s a quick summary of some beans one of her suppliers offers.

 

[letusbuyyourcar]

Gevalia did start as a subscription. My folks taught me the mil-spec qualities in coffee at a young age and their favorite being Chock-Full-of-Nuts. I later found that Italian and French roasts and Folger's Black Silk were stronger (a.k.a. more caffeine and much darker roasting) than the dishwater Maxwell House (likely a light roasted bean). It might also have something to do with the bean quality, flavor from light roasting versus dark roasting, and the type of coffee beans.

Chock Full o Nuts used to be pretty good. Kroger USED to have an Italian roast but only in the small cans .
I figured out that at my house we prefer Columbian beans. Arabica is popular for some folks but to me it just tastes like stale gas station coffee no matter what brand.

 

[buellbrewer]

I like to blend beans after I roast them. Usually keep yirgacheffe around and like to blend with some from Guatemala or Hondurian. I shoot for a chocolaty, orangey kinda taste. If in the area of McDonough or Forsyth, Micha at Queen Bee roasters has pretty nice coffees.

 

[WyldeDime]

Another vote for Cafe Bustelo.

 

[WallsGa]

Chock Full o Nuts used to be pretty good. Kroger USED to have an Italian roast but only in the small cans .
I figured out that at my house we prefer Columbian beans. Arabica is popular for some folks but to me it just tastes like stale gas station coffee no matter what brand.

Arabica is the bean variety, Colombia is the country. You’ll find growers with both Robusto beans and Arabica beans throughout Colombia.

 

[letusbuyyourcar]

Still looking for someone that can make that Puerto Rican coffee like my ex mother in law used to make. I think the actual name is cafe leche. I think you're supposed to put coffee from the pot in a small pot with milk and let it boil.
It's been a LONG time so I might be leaving something important out. But damn it was good.

 

[GodBlessTheUSA]

I roasted my own coffee and sold some as a home roaster business for several years (more than 10 IIRC). Finally quit and sold my roasters in 2017 when most buyers slowed down.

That being the pretext and my limited bona fides, here's the caveat with coffee:

(almost) Any coffee will taste a thousand times better if it is consumed within a few weeks of being roasted. Period.

If you want phenomenal coffee, find a local roaster and buy whole beans that have been roasted just a few days ago. Coffee "de-gasses" for a day or two, so coffee right out of a roaster isn't as good.

Keep the freshly roasted stuff in a low to no oxygen (or air) container as the coffee starts to oxidize within days. Freezer or fridge or Tupperware, it really doesn't matter, so long as it's airtight.

Grind the beans immediately before you use them. If you set up a pot the night before, it'll be ok, but you may actually lose a bit of flavor.

And, the water needs to be around 192-195º F, not boiling. Boiling will evaporate or dissipate some of the flavor oils.

French / Coffee Press with a coarse grind is the best way to extract all the flavor.

Lastly, Starbucks has convinced Americans that all coffee should be dark roasted. This is absolutely not true.

There is French bread, Italian bread, Sourdough bread, etc. And if you leave any of them in the toaster too long they all taste the same; burned.

Coffee varietals require different amounts of roasting. There was (maybe still is) a descendant of the famous Mavis Banks plantation family that lived in Cumming. That's the place that makes real Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee. He would show people how light that coffee was roasted.

Blends or single origin are a matter of taste. I sold more blends because different coffees complemented each other.

Sumatran and most other Indonesian coffees have great flavor when roasted dark (Italian or French Roast), while a lot of South American and African coffees have more "brightness" and distinct flavors when roasted lighter (less than City or Full City)

Kona coffees are usually blends (10% Kona) for the flavor and aroma. Pure 100% Kona is pretty acidic.

Gimmicks: You may see companies saying that their coffee is better because it's roasted at high altitude so there's less oxygen and therefore their coffee is fresher. High altitudes do have less partial pressure of oxygen, but it's the time period after roasting that is more important. Or a company touts that their coffee has more of the "healthy" chlorogenic acid that makes you feel better. Chlorogenic acid can be good or bad for your body, it's often what causes GI / gastric distress in people who have stomach issues with coffee.

Arabia Coffee is real, flavorful, coffee. Robusta can / will have more caffeine, but has less flavor.

Bottom line: If Maxwell house of Folgers floats your boat, good for you. It's kind of like beer or wine or liquor: if you're happy with an inexpensive American beer, or a $6 bottle of wine, or a $12 bottle of whiskey, go for it. But if you want to really experience the best that can be had for a reasonable price point, have some imported German or Belgian beer, or a bottle of Dom Perignon, or an $60-80+ bottle of Scotch. (Your individual tastes in this matter may vary, think sirloin vs filet mignon).

Coffee has more flavors than fine wine. But while wine ages to perfection, coffee is always going to be best within a week or two of having been roasted.

Buy Freshly Roasted. Grind it yourself (burr grinder, not a spinning blade). Use fresh clean water at 195ºF in a Coffee Press and enter nirvana.

Coffee snob out.
(I brewed my own beer for years as well, so I'm a beer and coffee snob).

 

[BHPSteel]

Still looking for someone that can make that Puerto Rican coffee like my ex mother in law used to make. I think the actual name is cafe leche. I think you're supposed to put coffee from the pot in a small pot with milk and let it boil.
It's been a LONG time so I might be leaving something important out. But damn it was good.

The key is scalding the milk

Cafe con Leche

Cafe con leche is Spanish for coffee with milk. It is a hot coffee drink made with espresso and scalded milk. Sugar is added to taste.

barefeetinthekitchen.com

 

[dhal22]

Hell I drink it black because I like the taste of good coffee.

Black here as well…..