Coffees from India and the Pacific: Sumatra | CoffeeReview.com

Posted by UncommonSense 11 years, 9 months ago to Entertainment
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Attention coffee lovers: this is a great site for everything you ever wanted know about your favorite coffee & more!

Thanks to Khalling & the brief comments on we had on coffee that got me on this topic. BTW, the Gevalia Espresso (set to strong-brew) was superb this morning. Cheers.


All Comments

  • Posted by SolitudeIsBliss 11 years, 9 months ago
    Nothing better than a good cup of Java. The Puerto Ricans make some fine gourmet coffees.
    Gevalia is also pretty darn good.
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  • Posted by 11 years, 9 months ago in reply to this comment.
    In the Air Force, a Letter of Reprimand was given out to anyone who did NOT pack the coffee & rugged coffee maker as part of deployment. Yes, we used Folgers "military-grade" (my opinion) regular-blend: it's nothing to brag about, but sure beats the hell out of instant.
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  • Posted by khalling 11 years, 9 months ago in reply to this comment.
    that 's weird. Ginger tea for upset stomach. I drink a throat coat blend when i have a vitus. Oolong and green blends.
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  • Posted by Hiraghm 11 years, 9 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Oh, just Lipton instant.
    I used to try to get into "real" teas, but then everyone went nuts over "Earl Grey" because Picard drank it in Star Drek TNG, and that put me off.

    Have you any recommendations?
    I've been wanting to drink more tea, because I drink way to much soda pop, and not only is the caffeine and the high fructose corn poison bad for me, the carbonation causes my stomach to bloat. But, when I drink too much tea, I get muscle cramps :(
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  • Posted by $ minniepuck 11 years, 9 months ago in reply to this comment.
    nah, i don't need to avoid fat -- just wheat. good thing i got a good sized bag of sumatra. i'll try it with heavy cream when i pick some up at the store. i have an espresso pot -- a little bialetti one. i love that thing! thanks for the tip.
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  • Posted by freedomforall 11 years, 9 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Unless you need to avoid fat, I recommend heavy cream if you like to soften the coffee flavor. Its very rich and doesn't take much. It also doesn't sour quickly and can be kept in the fridge a long time (assuming you don't want to buy regular milk to use for something else.)
    If I am out 'roughing it' in a camper or motorhome I use a stove-top espresso pot (which has the advantage of being unbreakable) for good coffee and add heavy cream since the espresso will be quite strong.
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  • Posted by freedomforall 11 years, 9 months ago in reply to this comment.
    You can roast them in a regular oven, but, aside from wasting more energy in the oven, the popcorn popper forced air turns the beans so that they are uniformly roasted on all sides without burning the beans. I usually do mine outside (or in the garage if bad weather.) When the beans crack the outside 'skin' breaks off and makes chaff. This lightweight stuff floats out the top of my popper and can go everywhere. Easier to cleanup if done outside... it's biodegradable so no cleanup really required. In the garage just the car vac or shopvac is a quick easy solution.
    (I also use the popper to roast raw almonds.) My popper takes about 10 minutes to roast 2-3 oz med to dark. There are articles on using poppers to roast coffee. Example:http://www.sweetmarias.com/airpop/airpopmethod.php
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  • Posted by $ minniepuck 11 years, 9 months ago in reply to this comment.
    i'll write it down and see if central market carries it. if not, i'll have to order online.

    i discovered how to properly make loose leaf tea a few years ago...WOW...never going back.
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  • Posted by khalling 11 years, 9 months ago in reply to this comment.
    lol. I knew the two of you needed to connect. uncommon is ...uncommon is a breath of fresh air in the gulch minniepuck.. he probably hasn't seen your cartoons. link!
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  • Posted by freedomforall 11 years, 9 months ago
    Seriously, for years I had difficulty finding a roaster that wouldn't over roast the beans. So many shops think they have to burn them to get flavor from them. Fact is that tastes vary. Some like a stronger cuppa than others. And beans can be roasted light, medium, or dark, each giving a different experience.
    My solution was to start roasting at home instead of buying already roasted. First I had to find a supply of green (unroasted) beans. I found a roaster that supplied lots of shops and therefore had good turnover and fresh supplies. Green coffee beans usually cost a little less per pound, but you lose a little weight when they are roasted so the net result cost is about the same unless you buy in larger quantity. Green beans also don't go stale for 6 to 12 months so that can be an advantage, too.
    The easiest method is to buy a hot air popcorn popper machine. They are perfect to roast coffee beans and you can choose how dark you want to roast them, You roast only a 2-3 oz (~100gm) at a time and after roasting leave the beans to rest in a container with a loose fitting top for 24 hours. It's very easy. After that you grind them just before you make the coffee. The beans are best for about a week after roasting, then the flavors in the coffee you make diminish. So its best to use it when fresh. Grinding just before making the cup also insures that the cuppa is at the height of coffee flavor. Sumatra roasted this way is amazing. A few little things like this are what makes coffee in some cafes taste better than made at home.
    Yum, gotta go make a cup.
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