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Coffee beans: where and what to buy?

Coobeastie — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 07:25:02 -0800

UKCoffeeFilter: I know nothing about coffee. My boyfriend is an aficionado. Help me buy him some beans for Christmas that will make him think I'm awesome. Neither of us has a lot of money sloshing around, so he tends to stick to what he knows he likes. What I'd like to do is get him a selection of wee packs of beans (he's got all the grinding kit and so on) so he can try some new types. A variety also means that if I get him something he doesn't like it's not so bad.

I know so little about coffee that I suspect I'm using all the wrong words here. He's managed to instil into me 'beans good, pre-ground bad', but that's about as much as I know. So I need to know where to buy and what to buy!

I'll need to buy the beans online, as there's nowhere in my town that sells proper coffee. Budget probably £30 overall. Thanks in advance coffee fiends!

Help me find my favorite coffee mug, again

tomwheeler — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 20:52:28 -0800

Ten years ago I was given the most perfect coffee mug of all time. I'd like to get some more like it, only I don't know where to find them. Someone with experience in promotional items should be able to nail this. Way back in the dotcom days, I got a coffee mug with the Java (programming language) logo on it from the local Sun Microsystems rep. Although I've done a lot of Java development, it's the mug itself, rather than the logo or origin, that makes me want ten more just like it. The mug holds about 14 ounces, fits my hand perfectly and its lip tapers slightly inward so coffee tends not to drip down the side. Perhaps best of all, it's got a rubber base so it's hard to knock over.

Despite my total lack of photography skills, pictures might help to identify it. The front has the Java logo, while the back has the URL 'http://java.sun.com/', just above smaller type which reads 'brewed by Sun Microsystems'. I've also got a picture of the bottom where the ventilated rubber base is visible. The only other marking is the handle's underside which says 'Made' and 'U.S.A.' with an ironically inaccurate depiction of the American flag between those two words.

Any ideas where I could find more mugs of this style, regardless of what logo they have?

Keurig B30 won't brew

jsavimbi — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 18:21:23 -0800

Has anyone had any problems with a Keurig (K-cup) B30 coffee maker? My mom's is on the fritz and I'm having difficulty fixing it for her. The water heats up but doesn't make it to the cup. I've googled and no luck.

Good coffee, in taste and price.

CrazyLemonade — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 09:54:02 -0800

What’s the best single serve coffee machine for around $100? I want to give one to my husband as a birthday gift, even though he’s a very occasional coffee drinker. I’d like for the machine to be able to brew different types and flavors of drinks. This is what I was going for (we tried it at our hotel room during our honeymoon last year), before my sister told me she tried this at a friend’s house and really liked it (I hate the design, and the price isn't great either, but it does seem to have more variety in the drinks options.....?).

I looked at this question, but it’s too old to matter; this question’s best answers go to pretty expensive machines or things that only make espresso.

I thought I’d ask you all what you thought before making any decisions.

Help Me Find This Mug's Sucessor

mccn — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:43:25 -0800

Can someone tell me if MiGo still makes this screwtop travel mug (which doesn't leak and can be put into a backpack) with a rubber gasket top? At Christmas, 2002, my then-fiance bought me some coffee supplies, including a black rubber and plastic mug made by MiGo. (I think from Target.) I was gracious about it, of course, but not too excited - I usually hate travel mugs.

But this one was different. The top lid assembled in two pieces. When you screwed the lid onto the cup, it became leak-proof; the seal was tight, and I could throw a full mug of coffee into my overlarge handbag on my way to work. The mug quickly became my new favorite possession.

Sadly, after many moves and a graduate degree, a piece of plastic on the inside broke, and I haven't been able to use the mug for 5 years. I couldn't bear to throw it out - it was the best thing I'd ever found, and that includes the vacuum flask I grumpily use now. But searches were fruitless. I located one website that discussed MiGo's partnership with a company that made industrial gaskets, and I figured that this extraordinary screwtop came from there. But I haven't seen it on MiGo's product pages since - or at least I don't think I have; the travel mugs there now seem to have ordinary push-on lids (the kind where you can't turn the mug upside down).

Can I find a replacement mug? I looked at the thread on recommendations for new ones, and might just try to go with one of those if I can't find this one. But MeFi is my last hope for trying to track down The Best Coffee Mug Ever made! Can you help?

Large amounts of decent coffee needed!

Jonathan Harford — Thu, 28 May 2009 06:35:29 -0800

How do I provide some not-terrible coffee to about 50 guests in Windham, NY? I'll be hosting a party at a house outside Windham (in the Catskills) next month. Relatives will be catering, and we're renting a tent and equipment from a party rentals place. The thing is, the only coffee makers they have are percolators.

So we're trying to figure out how to get/make decent, strong coffee in sufficient amounts to make everyone happy in the morning.

Options:
1. No coffee :(
2. Ask people to bring coffeemakers (messy, hassle for guests).
3. Buy a bunch of french presses (very expensive, messy, hassle for us).
4. Rent a giant drip machine (expensive? big hassle).
5. Get coffee boxes from somewhere. (But where? The nearest Starbucks is 25 miles away, and those boxes are cheesy to serve from.)
6. Brew coffee using an obscure technique that you know about, yet I do not).
7. ???

Eats and Joe near Ace Hotel (Seattle)?

ethnomethodologist — Tue, 19 May 2009 12:55:22 -0800

Seattle eats- cheap, cheerful, and coffee walking distance from the ACE Hotel? Hi- I'm eagerly looking forward to his first time in Seattle since 1985(!) this coming Saturday, have a week at Ace Hotel (loved, loved the one in PDX so giving this one a spin). I'll be on my own and like ethnic, especially Mexican which is thin on the ground up here (Calgary, and Canada in general), but also just about any stripe as long as it's good value, anything unpretentious and casual enough for shorts and runners (and comfy for a solo diner); and am a huge coffeegeek whose tastes run to places like Stumptown. Thanks!

Bad coffee brew

zenpop — Tue, 12 May 2009 15:37:07 -0800

Weird coffee question for baristas or home espresso machine owners: I decalcified my machine the other day and then got sick a couple of days later. Coincidence or connection? More inside: I've a five-year-old Francis Francis machine that had never been decalcified. It started acting up. I called customer support; they told me to get a decalcifier product called Durgol and run it through the machine. I did this, and then, when finished ran four or five cycles (tanks of water) through the machine too, wanting any residue gone. Made coffee as usual once machine was working again -- which it was. Problem was that a day and a half later I felt ill -- fluish, glands slightly swollen. My low back was killing me (which always signals kidney and or bladder trouble for me -- at least it has in the past). My question: what sort of shit is in the decalcifier? Is it dangerous? Francis Francis told me it's safe and 'citrus-based' but, well, I'd like to hear from a more objective source.

How to make sure I have coffee on hand for guests?

olinerd — Sun, 03 May 2009 17:34:05 -0800

As a non-coffee drinker, help me figure out how to have coffee available when I host guests. I don't drink normal coffee. I occasionally spring for a latte, but i don't drink the regular stuff -- and I have absolutely no clue how to, you know, *make* it. So I don't keep any coffee-related stuff at home.

But I host friends and family from out of town from time to time, and they always look astounded that I don't have any coffee in the mornings. There's a Starbucks a few blocks away that they can go to if they really need a fix, but I'd like to be able to provide something at home that they don't need to bother getting dressed for.

So what coffee hardware + beans should I have on hand that are (1) relatively inexpensive but (2) provide a decent level of quality (like, not Folger's Crystals)?

A Better Burr! I need a new grinder.

2oh1 — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 12:10:15 -0800

Coffeefilter!: Help me find a better grinder! I'm going to buy a burr grinder this time, but I need your help finding the right one. Each morning, I grind coffee beans to make a small pot of coffee. I drink two cups. Mmmmm... tasty.

Most of the burr grinders I'm finding are like this, with a container for beans in the top and a reservoir for grinds a the bottom. I don't understand this approach... don't beans get stale sitting out like that, at the top? And you're guaranteed some of yesterday's grinds in tomorrow's coffee as they get flung everywhere... right?

I like grinders like this because they're easy to clean.

Is there a happy middle ground for a neat freak who craves a burr grinder?

Oh, and by the way... I have two coffee makers. I use my drip coffeemaker most of the time (but never use it's super-messy built-in grinder!), and I also have a Santos vacuum coffee pot, which I love.

Espresso Con Panna will bow to my will

toni_jean — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 22:31:16 -0800

Help me become a kick ass Barista.

I just got a job at an awesome coffee shop. I have a little Barista experience from working at a café in high school, I can steam milk, pull a shot, do your basic barista work, but what I really want is to be the best Barista on the face of the planet. Not because I want a promotion or need to impress anyone, I just love the business that I am going to be working for and I would love to be an asset to them.

So great people of MetaFilter please give me any tips, tricks, or resources pertaining to being the world’s greatest Barista; I am not interested in competing, and going to Seattle for training is out of the question. However I would be willing to travel to San Francisco if it was worth it to do so. I will read anything and everything pertaining to this subject. Also, if you are an avid coffee drinker and have a favorite Barista, what is it that makes them your favorite? I have the sweet smile and intellectual small talk; I need the chops to back it up.

Thanks in advance!

Also, the shop uses a 3 group Conti XEOS & Swift Grinders

Will drinking coffee daily help my headaches, or just make them worse?

katala — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 03:51:10 -0800

Will drinking coffee daily help my headaches, or just make them worse? Dear MeFites, I seem to be super sensitive to caffiene withdrawal and think I need to take an all-or-nothing approach to avoid constant headaches. This for me means:

All - Drinking one small cup of coffee first thing in the morning, and one again in the afternoon.

Nothing - Avoiding ANY form of caffiene - coffee, black tea, coke, chocolate, all out.

I don't *love* the taste of coffee like I know many people do, but it does seem to help reduce the severity and occurence of my frequent headaches. Also when I feel a migraine coming on drinking a good strong cup of coffee nearly always hits it on the head.

I know that medically-speaking I should avoid caffiene as it's not meant to be good for people who get a lot of headaches, but I don't want to be in the awful position of falling asleep at my desk on a Monday afternoon and having no real way to wake myself up that won't give me a withdrawal headache the next day.

- Has anyone else been in this situation?

- Do you get constant headaches and find that two cups of coffee a day is more helpful overall than harmful?

- Or do you find your headaches much better when you avoid caffiene altogether (and in which case how do you stay alert without it)?

I would welcome any advice you have to give me, thank you!!

What's a Casual "Let's Get Together" Phrase if "Go for Coffee" or "Go for a Drink" Won't Work Well?

WCityMike — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 10:41:52 -0800

Semantic question: When initially proposing a "getting to know you" predate, the common invitation is to go get some coffee or to go get a drink. If you don't enjoy coffee or alcohol (yet), what alternate phrase can you use that doesn't sound weird? "Get a soda" sounds like "let's go get a malted!", and proposing "getting a drink" and then not drinking alcohol yourself can be problematic — and engaging in even a one- or two-sentence-long explanation about how you don't drink takes the question's tone away from casual and into "sounds complicated-neurotic" territory.

Delonghi Ec5 Espresso machine

arcticwoman — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 08:33:02 -0800

How much water do I put in my Delonghi Ec5 Espresso machine? I have the machine with all the parts, minus the manual and carafe. I found instructions online, but the only information on how much water to add is measured in increments marked on the carafe I don't have. Through searching, I found that the carafe itself is 8.5 ounces, but I don't know the volume measured by each of the increments. Does anyone have this model? Failing that, is there a rule of thumb for how much water goes in per espresso shot out?

This coffee tastes positively Parman!

parmanparman — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 18:36:48 -0800

I need to be famous for other things. So I would like to make my own blend of coffee. At home and cheaply how can I get started? In terms of style, I would like to do something like a French Roast with the aroma of tilled farmland after a rainstorm.

I have heard you can use a popcorn popper to roast beans, but what else should I consider getting or trying in terms of tech and beans/spices/additives?

Places to eat/coffee in Downtown Houston

abdulf — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 14:15:17 -0800

What are some good coffee shops and lunch places in Downtown Houston? I'm thinking about meeting friends and business contacts for lunch or coffee in Downtown Houston. This is a mid-day (11am-2pm) or afterwork (4:30-6pm) type thing.

This would be fairly frequent, once or twice a week, so it would have to be affordable for me. I have a budget of $10 for lunch and $5 for coffee.

They have to be downtown, since I take the bus to work. Ideally they should be walking distance from the light rail line. I work at the County Courthouses on Franklin and Caroline.

I'd prefer to pick places that are local (not Quiznos) and have places to sit and talk. I'm not really sure what I'm going to talk about, but supposedly it's good to get out and touch base with people.

It actually doesn't even have to be a food place. I just can't think of any public spaces in Houston setup for socializing.

Espresso and turning pages

Happy Dave — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 10:18:56 -0800

Books, sofas, coffee and the Sunday papers - good independent bookshops in London that are made for relaxing of a Sunday morning? Me and the dear wife recently visited some friends of mine in Aberdeen, where I went to university, and we had a lovely morning in Books and Beans, an independent second hand bookshop/cafe hybrid. Now we're back in London, and looking for similar things in London. So far, we seem to be stuck in between the extremes of corporate bookshops with built-in Starbucks and musty Charing Cross Road places that smell faintly of mildew.

South London would be awesome, but we're willing to travel a bit for that perfect books, newspapers and coffee feeling.

One thing - we know about both the Waterstone's Picaddilly bar (not comfy enough) and the Foyle's Jazz Bar (also not comfy enough). Sofas and such are a definite plus.

Coffee + Laptop? Never again.

Phire — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 02:52:06 -0800

Another laptop + spill question. Am I in the clear or have I simply screwed things over now? Spilled about .. 20 mL worth of coffee (milk, no cream or sugar) onto laptop. Immediately powered down, removed battery. Removed the keys that were spilled upon, wiped off as best I could, then dismantled chassis and hard drive to eyeball whether or not the spill seeped through. The keyboard is dry, the innards looked normal and thankfully dry.

The remainder of the coffee (that went onto the table) has dried in the mean time. Since I have assignments and job applications due later today, I reassembled the computer and turned it on. Cursory browsing of files indicate that my computer is still healthy and hasn't lost anything. But browsing metafilter for similar spill accidents is making me nervous. (This is my only computer access for the next half a day or so, and the only computer with all of my job data)

Could something unforeseen arise from this spill in the future if currently things seem mostly okay? Is my precious computer going to die and eat up everything I've worked on in the past year? Or am I in the clear?

[Currently typing from victim computer]

Looking for high quality espresso beans in Silicon Valley

spiderskull — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 11:51:24 -0800

GiftFilter: Where can I buy high quality beans for an espresso lover in Silicon Valley? I'm looking for recommendations for beans for a good friend's personal espresso machine. I am, unfortunately, grossly ignorant on the fine art of choosing the right beans.

I'd prefer a local joint that roasts their own beans -- organic would also be nice.

Thanks!

Where can I get good coffee in Boston?

gregb1007 — Thu, 27 Apr 2006 13:50:36 -0800

Where can I get good coffee in the Boston area? I like the taste of my Taster's Choice instant coffee that I make at home. I hate Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts coffee because it tastes very bitter and acidic. Are there any Boston-area shops where you can get a cup of coffee that doesn't taste very bitter and acidic (I think those coffee shops .. starbucks and dunkin donuts probably serve coffee that's been standing around for a while. Plus, they probably brew it wrongly by burning the beans. That's what could cause the very bitter/acidic taste.

Coffeshop Wifi Social Networking Application

pwb503 — Tue, 15 Mar 2005 23:02:12 -0800

In the last week or so I came across a tool online for coffee shop owners who want to offer wifi to their customers. It was a mix between friendster, plazes, and a generic login system, where the user would create an account, tell the system a little about themselves, upload a photo, etc., and they'd be able to see who else was there at the coffee shop using the WiFi connection, and information about them too. I think it was open source and it seemed like a cool idea. I cannot find the link now, can anyone help?