Why Does "Good" Coffee Taste so Bad?

9outof10mms said:
I know you said you're not interested in home brew solutions, but lemme solve your problem for you...

Buy this:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00YCP71VK/
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When I was younger we had a high end European expression maker. After a few years the aluminum tank was heavily corroded.
Since I’d like to skip, or put off Alzheimer’s, I’ve avoided espresso ever since.

This is our go to coffee maker. We prefer it over pour overs with ingredients weighed, and a French press.

FCC-2

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I have been "off" coffee for quite some time now.... I'm into tea now... like good stuff that I'll make another thread about. I have simple needs about coffee, hot and black. No cream, no sugar... just coffee flavored coffee. I have drank A LOT of coffee in my time.

I like coffee... I like how it smells.. how it tastes. I don't need it masked in some sort of "caffeinated culinary creation". I don't care how many shots of free range unicorn tears with a drizzle of soy free sunshine you can add to a 84oz milkshake with a dash of coffee. I care how you make regular coffee.

If you can't do that, then anything else you make is going to be substandard.

I can make an excellent cup of coffee at home with my Areopress or BODUM pour over, a "barista" with thousands of dollars of stuff behind the counter should be able to do better. Hell, my Keurig does better than most of them with decent cups.

I think this is like people who say they like bourbon yet hide it in some fru fru drink... I'll go get coffee with coworkers, if they wanted a milkshake, why didn't we go get a milkshake... I thought you wanted coffee?
 
I spent many of my early adult years in Germany & got spoiled by the rich, dark coffee there. I don't drink lots of coffee anymore, though & if I ever set foot in a coffee shop, it's for a cold, sweet, coffee flavored foo-foo drink, not their nasty, burnt, over priced "coffee". For the one or 2 cups a day I drink, a K-cup of Sumatran, Italian Roast, or Blue Mountain blend does me just fine.
 
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MacEntyre said:
Wifey's birthday last Saturday night at The Eddy in Saxapahaw... I ordered coffe. they brought me a French press with the plunger Up, and a wee little 3 min hour glass timer. They said, when the sand runs out, push the plunger down. Coffee was excellent. I was told they use Carrboro Coffee.
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You were right down the road from me. They do have good coffee there.
 
I'm more of a medium roast kinda guy, but I brew my medium roast strong. Because I want to taste coffee, not the ashes of over roasted coffee. Which is my complaint about many dark roasts. Cant do the French or Italian roast stuff. Tastes burnt.

We generally buy our coffee in huge bags from Wegmans or Amazon. And when I travel I bring my own coffee pot and real half and half. Screw that Keurig and powdered "creamer" in the hotel.
 
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I haven't had actual coffee from one of these places in a few years. If I find myself there I'm getting myself tea since they can't screw up earl grey. My wife gets pretty excited about pumpkin spice and chestnut praline drinks so I get a bit of earl grey this time of year.
 
Medium roast brewed strong; either French press or pour-over. If anyone else will be here to drink it, I make a pot in the percolator on the gas range.

Black or maybe 1 sugar, depends on the quality of the coffee. Sometimes a touch of sugar to cover the over-roasted flavor if we're out.
 
My go-to spot will have several brews each day, usually a light, a dark, a decaf, and a specialty flavored coffee
I usually go flavored (things like southern pecan...awesome)
But, yes, I prefer basic coffee from a gas station or folgers at home etc over many of the 'fancy' places
 
Tim said:
This thread is about uppity emos, philosophy majors, disinterested teenagers and tree hugging baristas pulling craft 'creations' at the local artisanal coffee shop.
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And here you go. Pretentious even for Orange County standards:

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For those of us wondering what the heck "Latte Art" is:

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On the rare occasions when I do go to a coffee house, I always seem to make the barista's day by saying: "large coffee. Leave room for cream. thanks."
 
Inglis said:
The best coffee I ever had came out of a old Stanley thermos in Graf on the day I made E-6. Hot, dark, no cream, no sugar, black like my M1911A1.
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Oh yeah,, really loved the coffee made over a diesel fueled stove. Big/huge pot of questionable water as the Mess crew dumps bags of coffee right into the boiling water. Better get there just at the right time, either too thin or thick as mud as you dipped your canteen cup into the dark murky mess. Want creamer, save the white chunky stuff from your C rat boxes. Hated Graf, Think everyone does. 😬
 
NKD said:
I like my coffee to have dark coffee notes, mixed with a slightly coffee feel on the togue, with a nice coffee finish on the back of the palate.



I also prefer my beer to be beer flavored.
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You, sir, win the day!

NCLivingBrit said:
They're going for young people who don't even like coffee, so they have to do everything possible to make it taste of not coffee. Look at Starbucks, most of their menu is creamer and corn syrup rather than coffee.
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A real order told to me by a friend who is an ex-barista:
"Venti salted caramel mocha frappucino with five pumps of frap roast, four pumps of caramel sauce, four pumps of caramel syrup, three pumps of mocha, three pumps of toffee nut syrup, double blended with extra whipped cream."
Insulin on the side...
 
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NCnative said:
There was a squad leader in my platoon that would takeoff his sock and use it as a filter to make coffee from MREs. Perhaps some of those with a more refined palate would find this method more pleasing in the search for a better cup of joe.
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This idea has me pondering possibilities... I'm going to need a young female barista with flexible morals and good hygiene.
 
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Catfish said:
This idea has me pondering possibilities... I'm going to need a barista with flexible morals and good hygiene.
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I'm sure there's a gentleman's barista service somewhere where they don't use their sock.
 
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Crazy Carl said:
K-cup of Sumatran, Italian Roast, or Blue Mountain blend does me just fine
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I have not found a K-Cup that even remotely reflects true Jamaican Blue Mountain. *TRUE* Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is...how do I say it...exquisite. Like a blend of tea and coffee in terms of smoothness.

My favorite K-Cups (I use "favorite" loosely here as a K-Cup is a holdover where good coffee is not feasible):
- Gevalia Majestic Roast
- McDonalds Venice Cafe' and Premium Roast (yes, I'm serious)
- Green Mountain Sumatra
 
Lager said:
Oh yeah,, really loved the coffee made over a diesel fueled stove. Big/huge pot of questionable water as the Mess crew dumps bags of coffee right into the boiling water. Better get there just at the right time, either too thin or thick as mud as you dipped your canteen cup into the dark murky mess. Want creamer, save the white chunky stuff from your C rat boxes. Hated Graf, Think everyone does. 😬
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The only good thing about Graf was leaving.
 
I've come close, to but never actually landed, sampling Kopi Luwak coffee. I get people interested in going in on a small bag, but it never materializes. Yes, that's the cat shit coffee. For $200 per pond, there's got to be some magic in there.
 
Tim said:
Disclaimer: I don't give a double espresso what you make at home or if you think paying $4 for a cuppa joe is stupid. Do you take some virtue-signaling pride in buying 50# of Folgers at a time and hauling it around your 1975 vintage Stanley Thermos? Sweet, you do you. This thread is about uppity emos, philosophy majors, disinterested teenagers and tree hugging baristas pulling craft 'creations' at the local artisanal coffee shop.

OK, now that we have that out of the way...*

I like Coffee Shop coffee. Comfy couches, good WiFi, I see people I know, I can get work done without being stuck in an office all day. It USED TO BE you could get a good quality dark roast that actually tasted good. Like the aforementioned Folgers, but with depth and a robustness that really sets it apart from stale grocery store brands.

Nowadays, it seems that every 'good' coffee shop is going nutty with "floral essence" and "notes of cranberry and fairy dust"...like they're some wine peddler. I haven't had a decent cup in months. Everything has a 'bright' or overly acidic after taste. And I've been to 4-5 different cafes, they're all doing the same thing.

Is it just me? Do I need to just stay home and join the masses swilling their reasonably priced and perfectly acceptable drip-o-lator offerings?










*Sorry Zoomies, I didn't mean to trigger you with the Ellipsis of Hate.

**Remember folks, I am a FORUM MODERATOR, and therefore superior to you. If anyone dares disparage my love of hippies and $10 Flat Whites you will feel my wrath via a sternly delivered 'harrumph'.
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I used to feel like you. I like the coffee shop experience, even if the coffee itself was sub-par. Unfortunately, I no longer even like the atmosphere at most coffee shops. Moms in yoga pants letting their horrid brats caterwaul and run all over the place. Purple haired they/thems with gauged ears and vape pens. Crappy coffee-ish milk shakes served by entitled twits who think pouring a cuppa deserves a $5 tip... no thanks! Starbucks and their ilk can all go the way of Bud Light.
 
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Flashpoint said:
I hate coffee so I have nothing to add, but can I just say that the same thing happened to beer many years ago and is still happening. I can't find my favorite beers in most stores or sometimes even bars because of all the Foo Foo beers of the week/month.

[/hijack] [/rant]
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you realize me and you could come to blows over this subject? I am a craft beer fanatic.
 
anyway the best nothomeroasted coffee I ever had was a pot of boiling water and I could not find a percolator and all I had was some grounds and instant (Sanka). I took about 1/2 cup of coffee and dumped it in the boiling water, then took some ice water and poured it in once it had settled about 4 mins. All the grounds sank to the bottom and I poured out into a cup and left the sludge in the bottom of the pot. It really was good coffee.
 
I just go there for the occasional high priced double caffeinated milkshake, AKA Frappucinno. Other than that it's home for me. But I drink a pot a day so I'd go broke buying it.

Way different vibe but a truck stop might deliver on your coffee, coffee. Then again, I've seen some crazy flavor options there too.
 
9outof10mms said:
I've come close, to but never actually landed, sampling Kopi Luwak coffee. I get people interested in going in on a small bag, but it never materializes. Yes, that's the cat shit coffee. For $200 per pond, there's got to be some magic in there.
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The Magic of Fritz the Cat.

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9outof10mms said:
I have not found a K-Cup that even remotely reflects true Jamaican Blue Mountain. *TRUE* Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is...how do I say it...exquisite. Like a blend of tea and coffee in terms of smoothness.
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sfbaycoffee.com

Jamaican Blue Mountain Blend OneCUP™ Pods

Our Jamaican Blue Mountain Blend is a smooth and balanced, medium roast made from beans grown in Jamaica. Roast Level: Medium Tasting Notes: Smooth, Clean and Balanced
sfbaycoffee.com sfbaycoffee.com

SF Bay coffee are hands down the best K Cups I've found. No plastic cup... actual coffee and filter.
 
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NCLivingBrit said:
Just dip your used socks in cheap beer, pretty much the same.
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Dude you have some kind of gall to be commenting on beer when you come from a country that drinks beer at room temperature and actually feels no shame in doing so! :)

I went into a delightful little pub in Greatham (near Liss) and ordered a pint. They put a nice tankard on the table, and watched me closely (all my table mates). they got a laugh at the yank who has never had beer "in its natural state."

I thought they were crazy. Genuinely delightful country folk. As non-pretentious as you could find.
 
tanstaafl72555 said:
Dude you have some kind of gall to be commenting on beer when you come from a country that drinks beer at room temperature and actually feels no shame in doing so! :)

I went into a delightful little pub in Greatham (near Liss) and ordered a pint. They put a nice tankard on the table, and watched me closely (all my table mates). they got a laugh at the yank who has never had beer "in its natural state."

I thought they were crazy. Genuinely delightful country folk. As non-pretentious as you could find.
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Its not as cold as it is here, but unless they're messing with you it's not warm either.
 
NCMedic said:
sfbaycoffee.com

Jamaican Blue Mountain Blend OneCUP™ Pods

Our Jamaican Blue Mountain Blend is a smooth and balanced, medium roast made from beans grown in Jamaica. Roast Level: Medium Tasting Notes: Smooth, Clean and Balanced
sfbaycoffee.com sfbaycoffee.com

SF Bay coffee are hands down the best K Cups I've found. No plastic cup... actual coffee and filter.
Click to expand...
I tried them a few years ago. Tasted stale to me. Like the openness to air got to it.

Stale coffee is an immediate turnoff for me.
 
Best non-coffee store coffee: Circle K if it’s from one of their “grind it right then and there” machines. Dark Roast.

It puts a slight crema on the brew and is fresh ground.

In addition to tasting good, it’s not expensive. I think $2 for a large.
 
And I have finally decided that all Keureg coffee is just crap. Yes, I have tried it, it's convenient, it's easy, no brainer. But I had about decided that I did not like coffee anymore. Then I made one more in my French Press, and said "oh yeah, that's what its supposed to taste like".
 
tanstaafl72555 said:
Dude you have some kind of gall to be commenting on beer when you come from a country that drinks beer at room temperature and actually feels no shame in doing so! :)

I went into a delightful little pub in Greatham (near Liss) and ordered a pint. They put a nice tankard on the table, and watched me closely (all my table mates). they got a laugh at the yank who has never had beer "in its natural state."

I thought they were crazy. Genuinely delightful country folk. As non-pretentious as you could find.
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Why do they drink warm beer in England? Lucas Refrigerators.
 
I hate coffee shops.

I hate coffee you buy at coffee shops.

I hate the price of coffee you buy in coffee shops.

I hate the people who are in coffee shops. Especially in Woke county.

Alcohol helps me like strangers.
Caffeine does not.

Brewing Trader Joe’s medium roast “Joe” makes me happy. It’s the best coffee I’ve ever had.

And the fact they practically give it away is just a bonus.
 
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tanstaafl72555 said:
I thought it a few degrees below room temp. I have had colder beer in Peru, out of a bucket of water with no ice in it.
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Lest you think I am dogging on England 1) Carole and I were SOOOO broke that we went and stayed with some people we had met in Switzerland because we simply had no money. Kind of a miraculous meeting with them at Gatwick. Did not have enough money for two britrail passes so we decided to hitchike. NO rides after about 6 hours. Gave up and stayed in a B&B, with plans to let Carole take the train in, and I would hitch. 1) the dear woman who took us in felt so sorry for us she volunteered to let us stay for free, and we could send the pmt from the states! We declined, but that was so kind. Also, YOU EAT AWESOME BREAKFASTS, in England. Eggs, and toast, and bacon, and sausage and tea, and coffee, and scones and butter, and porridge, and jam... and it just went on an on They had to ROLL me out to the A3. She took Carole to the train station. Beautiful and kind people.
 
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