Coffee Beans what's in your grinder ???

[Jay D in Jersey]

One of my Christmas presents from my son was this Stumptown Roasters Hair Bender. I brewed two pots of it so far...it's very good.
I think it's fairly popular too. The name is not derived because it's some hyper caffeinated roast. Something to do with a sign or building that the roaster operates in.

 

[Rich G]

One of my Christmas presents from my son was this Stumptown Roasters Hair Bender. I brewed two pots of it so far...it's very good.
I think it's fairly popular too. The name is not derived because it's some hyper caffeinated roast. Something to do with a sign or building that the roaster operates in.
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Stumptown is a nickname for Portland from the late 1800's. I've enjoyed quite a few bags of coffee from Stumptown Roasters, and a few visits to their brick/mortar coffee shop. It's good stuff, Jay!

R

 

[Jay D in Jersey]

Stumptown is a nickname for Portland from the late 1800's. I've enjoyed quite a few bags of coffee from Stumptown Roasters, and a few visits to their brick/mortar coffee shop. It's good stuff, Jay!

R

I'd buy another bag of this stuff for sure. Some of the better coffee places on the Main Line outside of Philly carry it. Don't think I'd order it from Amazon though. Not great experience ordering whole bean coffee from Amazon. Old or close to stale more than once.
Oh, and the name Hair Bender comes from an old Portland hair salon.

 

[Jay D in Jersey]

Second day of the SF Bay Coffee Company French Roast...this is a solid, good coffee. Smooth...no burnt bean taste at all. Definitely meets the description of a dark roast.
I opted to keep the Starbucks French Roast unopened and it's on deck until we use up this 3lb. bag of SF Bay. Got an unopened bag of Mayorga Cubano Roast on deck at the beach house but we're not dashing down there this weekend with this storm coming. My wife refuses to "sit in the house all weekend while it's raining". I kind of get it. It's very quiet and empty in Winter. 5 miles to the nearest grocery(Acme)...18 miles each way to our favorite Winter season restaurant...or as they call it at the beach, "cozy season".
The Lobster House
https://g.co/kgs/xuH4zgK

 

[LMichaels]

Yes, I have noticed 2 things with the SF Bay product. It NEEDS to be kept fresh. Otherwise it simply gives an insipid tasting, very sour and bitter result. I had given a bag to my son in law and daughter for their fancy schmancy espresso station. A long while later they gave it back some of it in a poorly sealed ziploc the rest in the original bag simply folded over with a rubber band. The beans were no longer glossy and aromatic. Honestly I should have thrown them away. But I used them in the Moccamaster.
But, another thing to be noted compared to either the OXO Brew 9 Cup or the Breville the MM tends to make all coffee leaning to a somewhat sour and weak taste. But, these beans had gone off so badly even standing there while brewing and blooming, stirring, changing grinder settings, etc. There was no "magic" in my bag of tricks to give me a nice cup out of there. And I don't think using the OXO or the Breville would have "saved" them.
Now on this new bag and I have tried them in both the OXO and Breville and they're brewing a MUCH nicer cup. No bitterness or sour taste, no bunt tastes. Just smooth and rich. But, these are freshly bought beans, stored in airtight containers, properly stored.
So, bottom line definitely a repeat buy for either coffee maker. I think the MM will be likely put on EBay. And then depending on how much I get I will then invest in either a brand new Breville, or perhaps an OXO Brew 12 cup. Only reason the OXO is on that list is it's design. Being able to orient front to back rather than sideways. So I don't have to constantly slide out from under the cabinet.
But back to beans. One thing I am noticing with my tastes as well. I am finding myself leaning more toward the medium/medium dark roasts rather than the super dark French roasts. I think this is due to my having been trying to find that richer, fuller, more aromatic character. I was constantly looking for the darkest roast beans for that illusive goal. Not realizing it was how the MM was brewing that was the issue. Now these other 2 brewers have opened up a whole new world of aroma and flavor.

 

[Jay D in Jersey]

Yes, I have noticed 2 things with the SF Bay product. It NEEDS to be kept fresh. Otherwise it simply gives an insipid tasting, very sour and bitter result. I had given a bag to my son in law and daughter for their fancy schmancy espresso station. A long while later they gave it back some of it in a poorly sealed ziploc the rest in the original bag simply folded over with a rubber band. The beans were no longer glossy and aromatic. Honestly I should have thrown them away. But I used them in the Moccamaster.
But, another thing to be noted compared to either the OXO Brew 9 Cup or the Breville the MM tends to make all coffee leaning to a somewhat sour and weak taste. But, these beans had gone off so badly even standing there while brewing and blooming, stirring, changing grinder settings, etc. There was no "magic" in my bag of tricks to give me a nice cup out of there. And I don't think using the OXO or the Breville would have "saved" them.
Now on this new bag and I have tried them in both the OXO and Breville and they're brewing a MUCH nicer cup. No bitterness or sour taste, no bunt tastes. Just smooth and rich. But, these are freshly bought beans, stored in airtight containers, properly stored.
So, bottom line definitely a repeat buy for either coffee maker. I think the MM will be likely put on EBay. And then depending on how much I get I will then invest in either a brand new Breville, or perhaps an OXO Brew 12 cup. Only reason the OXO is on that list is it's design. Being able to orient front to back rather than sideways. So I don't have to constantly slide out from under the cabinet.
But back to beans. One thing I am noticing with my tastes as well. I am finding myself leaning more toward the medium/medium dark roasts rather than the super dark French roasts. I think this is due to my having been trying to find that richer, fuller, more aromatic character. I was constantly looking for the darkest roast beans for that illusive goal. Not realizing it was how the MM was brewing that was the issue. Now these other 2 brewers have opened up a whole new world of aroma and flavor.

I think any brand, type of beans need to be stored correctly.
I ordered and installed a new style gasket on the Baratza. The original is like a silicone rubber funnel. The newer style is more like a large, concentric "o" ring. No difference in grind results but I noticed in cleaning yesterday there was zero chaff in the grind chamber. The funnel shaped gasket easily had a tablespoon or more. So the aftermarket Baratza gasket is a design improvement as I see it.

 

[DanHoo]

Yes, I have noticed 2 things with the SF Bay product. It NEEDS to be kept fresh. Otherwise it simply gives an insipid tasting, very sour and bitter result.

My first bag of SF Bay French Roast has been un-inspiring. It is likely my last.

 

[Jay D in Jersey]

My first bag of SF Bay French Roast has been un-inspiring. It is likely my last.

I like it. Not the best, but just a solid, decent brew. But I like switching between mostly dark roasts. So when this 3lb bag is done, I'll open the Starbucks French Roast and try it. If I had to pick an overall favorite, it'd be Peets Major Dickasons.

 

[DanHoo]

I like it. Not the best, but just a solid, decent brew. But I like switching between mostly dark roasts. So when this 3lb bag is done, I'll open the Starbucks French Roast and try it. If I had to pick an overall favorite, it'd be Peets Major Dickasons.

Perhaps I got a stale bag. I prefer a dark, robust cup and this just isn't there.

 

[LMichaels]

Perhaps I got a stale bag. I prefer a dark, robust cup and this just isn't there.

Possible. I gotta say, when this SF Bay stuff "goes off" it REALLY goes off. Quite honestly I bought a ton of it. Costco had it on sale and the "rumor crowd" was going on to how it was going to be near impossible to find much if any coffee and especially darker roasts. And quite honestly this is what I was seeing as well. Small bags of dark roasts (if you could find one at all) there were none at Sam's and at the regular markets they were outrageously expensive, and even at Costco there were no dark roast coffees available other than huge shelves of SF Bay. And they had it on sale ridiculously cheap. So I bought up IDK, maybe 10 bags. Storing it in a dark cupboard in my basement. I gave a bag away to my daughter and SIL, which a while later they returned.
Now, I have to admit there were a couple things going against it. One, I was not aware of, was my OXO grinder was gradually going on the fritz. Two, I was brewing with the Moccamaster. It was "good" not fantastic but, it was coffee. Well, dark started coming back, but as of late I discovered 2 things were at hand. One, the MM was not the best brewer for that product. (actually any product) unless I did the whole ritual of pulling the carafe out, holding the switch in and "cheating" to get the full basket wetted. But, now with the Breville, and brewing at slightly lower temps, for slightly longer times along with a nice 40 sec bloom the SF Bay is really "come to life". I did not know it was "that good".
I also tried it in the OXO Brew 9 Cup and here too it's pretty eye popping good. Maybe even a hair better than the Breville but perhaps I can play with the Breville just a touch more but quite honestly in both cases compared to making the same beans in the MM you would not even know it was the same coffee.

 

[MikeD]

I’m just getting into grinding beans. I bought an Oxo conical grinder and basically leave it on 7.
I had been buying the Colombian supreme k cups from Sam’s so bought that brand whole beans as well.
We have a local coffee shop that takes weekly orders for fresh roasted beans, but my palate isn’t that good really to tell a ton of difference with the bags I bought.
I use a Cuisinart combo pot / k-cup and will fill the k cup up with ~15-17 grams.
I’m having an issue with the pot, using too much apparently as the grounds overflow if I use more than about 60 grams for 9 cups.
Wonder if I should grind coarser for pots.

 

[LMichaels]

I’m just getting into grinding beans. I bought an Oxo conical grinder and basically leave it on 7.
I had been buying the Colombian supreme k cups from Sam’s so bought that brand whole beans as well.
We have a local coffee shop that takes weekly orders for fresh roasted beans, but my palate isn’t that good really to tell a ton of difference with the bags I bought.
I use a Cuisinart combo pot / k-cup and will fill the k cup up with ~15-17 grams.
I’m having an issue with the pot, using too much apparently as the grounds overflow if I use more than about 60 grams for 9 cups.
Wonder if I should grind coarser for pots.

Don't be afraid to "play around". I am finding coffee is much like BBQ. Find a flavor profile you like, then build on that with different beans, grind settings, brewer settings if you have a brewer you can do that with, or read some of the coffee maker threads some of us have started and check comments on them

 

[Brett-EDH]

My first bag of SF Bay French Roast has been un-inspiring. It is likely my last.

Just for reference, SF Bay roasters are close to us.

San Francisco Bay Coffee

1731 Aviation Blvd Lincoln, CA 95648

 

[Jay D in Jersey]

I have it on good authority that SF Bay Coffee Company is the supplier for Costco for Kirkland Signature coffees that do not bare the Roasted by Starbucks on the bag. That would primarily include the Colombian Supremo and likely the more colorfully packaged Sumatra and Guatemalan roasts as well.

 

[LMichaels]

I have it on good authority that SF Bay Coffee Company is the supplier for Costco for Kirkland Signature coffees that do not bare the Roasted by Starbucks on the bag. That would primarily include the Colombian Supremo and likely the more colorfully packaged Sumatra and Guatemalan roasts as well.

That could very well be. IDK what makes more difference though in a coffee, the roaster or the sourcing of the beans. As on those other roasts/beans sourcing seems much different. Also, I have to say, the Kirkland FR beans I tried (ones did not say roasted by Starbucks), were seriously mediocre at best. So if they're "made" by SF Bay brand for Costco I found them pretty shamefully bad. Nowhere near the level of the SF Bay branded FR.

 

[Jay D in Jersey]

That could very well be. IDK what makes more difference though in a coffee, the roaster or the sourcing of the beans. As on those other roasts/beans sourcing seems much different. Also, I have to say, the Kirkland FR beans I tried (ones did not say roasted by Starbucks), were seriously mediocre at best. So if they're "made" by SF Bay brand for Costco I found them pretty shamefully bad. Nowhere near the level of the SF Bay branded FR.

I agree about the Kirkland FR. I don't roast my own beans so I can't speak to the specifics but with any commodity, there are various levels of quality.
That has to be a quality of bean issue. It's also the least expensive whole bean Costco sells. I'm sure they're plenty of folks that find it to be quite adequate. I'd rather spend a few $$ more for a better bean.

 

[LMichaels]

I agree about the Kirkland FR. I don't roast my own beans so I can't speak to the specifics but with any commodity, there various levels of quality.
That has to be a quality of bean issue. It's also the least expensive whole bean Costco sells. I'm sure they're plenty of folks that find it to be quite adequate. I'd rather spend a few $$ more for a better bean.

Yeah, I bought a couple of bags. And honestly could not wait to finish them. Yeah, they were that "bad" to me. Which is totally not in the nature of my past experiences with Kirkland or Member's Mark products. as usually in both cases they tend to be "premium" products with great price points due to purchasing power and repackaging. But, yeah those 2 bags were my first and last

 

[Jay D in Jersey]

Yeah, I bought a couple of bags. And honestly could not wait to finish them. Yeah, they were that "bad" to me. Which is totally not in the nature of my past experiences with Kirkland or Member's Mark products. as usually in both cases they tend to be "premium" products with great price points due to purchasing power and repackaging. But, yeah those 2 bags were my first and last

I put that Kirkland FR on par with Eight 0'Clock whole bean...mid level grocery store whole bean...at best. When I was a cop, a cup of that would have been gourmet level coffee. Fortunately, my tastes have improved somewhat.

 

[Rich G]

That could very well be. IDK what makes more difference though in a coffee, the roaster or the sourcing of the beans. As on those other roasts/beans sourcing seems much different. Also, I have to say, the Kirkland FR beans I tried (ones did not say roasted by Starbucks), were seriously mediocre at best. So if they're "made" by SF Bay brand for Costco I found them pretty shamefully bad. Nowhere near the level of the SF Bay branded FR.

Like most things, if you don't start with quality ingredients, you can only take them so far, so yeah, sourcing of beans really matters. The skill of the roaster is critical to pull the flavors out of the bean that are desired (different roast profiles can accentuate different flavors.) Last, but not least, is the ability to blend beans together to produce a final product. This is a particularly critical skill as well, especially when you want to produce a "branded" blend that needs to be consistent from bag to bag. So, when I pick up a bag of Major Dickason, what I get in my cup is going to be what I expect.....not easy to do when you consider that the source product can vary (subtly, or less so) from harvest to harvest.

Of course, the price point and volume you are trying to hit affects all of these variables (and more) as well.

For my taste, Peet's is the most consistent producer of coffee I like. There are other, more expensive, roasters that I like as well, but 95% of my coffee gets roasted by me, so when I have the odd occasion that I run out, I usually just pick up some Major D.

R

 

[Jay D in Jersey]

Like most things, if you don't start with quality ingredients, you can only take them so far, so yeah, sourcing of beans really matters. The skill of the roaster is critical to pull the flavors out of the bean that are desired (different roast profiles can accentuate different flavors.) Last, but not least, is the ability to blend beans together to produce a final product. This is a particularly critical skill as well, especially when you want to produce a "branded" blend that needs to be consistent from bag to bag. So, when I pick up a bag of Major Dickason, what I get in my cup is going to be what I expect.....not easy to do when you consider that the source product can vary (subtly, or less so) from harvest to harvest.

Of course, the price point and volume you are trying to hit affects all of these variables (and more) as well.

For my taste, Peet's is the most consistent producer of coffee I like. There are other, more expensive, roasters that I like as well, but 95% of my coffee gets roasted by me, so when I have the odd occasion that I run out, I usually just pick up some Major D.

R

Major Dickasons is my favorite overall too. Fortunately, the local Costco stocks it full time. I'm not a fan of online coffee buying at all. It's a pretty easy to understand business model...they all need to get $15-$20/ 12 oz. bag PLUS shipping to make money. Anything less than that and your buying stale or near style or just lousy beans that no one else wants.
Won't buy coffee from Amazon either. Your chances of getting old beans are far greater than getting fresh beans. Fact.
So for me it's Costco, or a local roaster...but mostly Costco.