Is coffee bad?
fj
-fj
OmManiPadmeOmelet
> Why?
>
> -fj
My gastroenterologist said it has nothing to do with the caffiene...
It's the acids and other nasty compounds in it that tend to irritate the
digestive system in a lot of people.
I'm not convinced tho', that in normal people with a non-irritable gut,
that coffee is harmful in moderate amounts.
Moderation is the key just like with anything else.
Don't drink a pot a day like some coffee junkies do. ;-)
Just my 2 cents, YMMV!
And no, I don't drink it...
I drink tea.
--
Om.
"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack Nicholson
Axel of the North!
i've heard it destroys the villi in the small intestine. also that it
increases stomach acid too much in some people.
also it is too high in caffeine for me. green tea is enough. white tea
is even more. and quality dark chocolate by itself is also enough. we
shouldn't be dependent on stimulants. using our adrenal glands for
energy is just faulty/dysfunctional living.
--
"If I died and went to hell, Satan would make me work out in the morning."
-Larry Hodges
JMW
Axel of the North! wrote:
> OmManiPadmeOmelet <Ome...@brokenegz.com> wrote:
>
> >In article <db68ib$pj2$1...@gist.usc.edu>, "fj" <f...@notSpam.com> wrote:
> >
> >> Why?
> >>
> >> -fj
> >
> >My gastroenterologist said it has nothing to do with the caffiene...
> >
> >It's the acids and other nasty compounds in it that tend to irritate the
> >digestive system in a lot of people.
> >
> >I'm not convinced tho', that in normal people with a non-irritable gut,
> >that coffee is harmful in moderate amounts.
> >
> >Moderation is the key just like with anything else.
> >
> >Don't drink a pot a day like some coffee junkies do. ;-)
> >
> >Just my 2 cents, YMMV!
> >
> >And no, I don't drink it...
> >I drink tea.
>
> i've heard it destroys the villi in the small intestine. also that it
> increases stomach acid too much in some people.
>
> also it is too high in caffeine for me. green tea is enough.
Caffeine is not the primary stimulatory pathway in green tea.
fj
>
> And no, I don't drink it...
> I drink tea.
> --
I know green tea is good. Unfortunately it doesn't taste like coffee.
bangsp...@gmail.com
drink it).
The Good Guy
drink it).
Right!! Stick to those coffee enemas and you'll be fine!
Runs With Knives
axe...@ypo.net (Axel of the North!) writes:
[snip]
>
> also it is too high in caffeine for me. green tea is enough. white tea
> is even more.
"White tea?" Hot water?
--
Jim Seymour | "It is wrong always, everywhere and
WARNING: The "From:" address is a | for everyone to believe anything upon
spam trap. DON'T USE IT! Use: | insufficient evidence."
jsey...@LinxNet.com | - W. K. Clifford, ca. 1876
Runs With Knives
"fj" <f...@notSpam.com> writes:
> Why?
I s'pose what you really meant by this question is: "Is coffee bad
for you?" That depends on a variety of factors. As with most other
things: Some people can't tolerate it. It would be bad for them.
Some people are overly sensitive to the caffeine. Regular coffee
would be bad for them. Some health folk believe the caffeine in
coffee overly-stimulates the system, even in people that don't feel
all that affected by caffeine, and recommend shunning it. OTOH, a
recent report said that men who drink two cups of coffee a day had a
vastly lower instance of one-or-another type of cancer (prostate or
colon, IIRC).
*My* opinion is that coffee is all right in moderation. I suspect
that people who drink coffee all day long are not doing themselves
any good by it. I know people that had suffered serious withdrawal
symptoms when they quit. (ISTM being addicted to something that,
when quitting, results in withdrawal symptoms like that is a sign
that what you were doing was Not Good For You.)
As to "Is coffee bad?"...
One thing you can do for yourself is drink *good* coffee. The vast
majority of what you get off the average super-market shelf and in
restaurants, here in the U.S., anyway, is garbage. Learn to enjoy
properly prepared coffee brewed from freshly-ground and properly
roasted Arabica beans. Not only will such coffee taste a helluva lot
better, but Arabica beans have about 1/2 the caffeine, on average, as
the cheap Robusta beans from which most coffee you find here in the
States is made.
ObOT: I've found, the hard way, that downing 20 oz. of strong coffee
before going target-shooting is deleterious to ones performance ;).
OmManiPadmeOmelet
True, but there is a whole world of teas. ;-)
I drink Earl Grays, hot.
With cream and splenda......
bangsp...@gmail.com
Your ignorance is astounding. Arabica is the cheapest, crappiest coffee
out there. That is why all the big chains use it. Columbian is premo.
bangsp...@gmail.com
I prefer beach sand enemas. More roughage.
mike
<bangsp...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1121397468....@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
> >Right!! Stick to those coffee enemas and you'll be fine!>
>
> I prefer beach sand enemas. More roughage.
>
Donovan Rebbechi
> Why?
No, at least not the stuff I drink. In fact, it's really good. I always have
a shot of espresso before my speed workouts ...
- Donovan, about to make some espresso with the beans he roasted 2 days
ago...
bangsp...@gmail.com
ago...>
Grown in his own, organically gardened, "Martha Stewart" style garden,
ground with only platinum tipped, stainless steel blades, at midnite,
during a full moon, roasted over a clean burning, propane fired furnace
that roasts at 3,000' F, using only the finest...blah blah blah
Mike
fj wrote in message ...
>Why?
>
>-fj
>
>
Coffee, tea, cocoa, cola soft drinks and energy drinks all contain
caffeine, a naturally occurring compound found in the leaves and fruits of
certain plants. As a stimulant, caffeine acts on the brain and nervous
system. In small doses, it can make you feel refreshed and focused. In large
doses, you are likely to feel anxious and have difficulty sleeping.
Like many other drugs, it is possible to develop a tolerance to caffeine,
which means ever greater doses are needed to achieve the same effect.
Caffeine is also found in chocolate bars and some over-the-counter
medications, like cough syrup and slimming tablets.
A short term burst of energy
Stimulants work on the body in similar ways to the hormone adrenalin. The
adrenal glands are located near the kidneys and, when we are frightened or
stressed, the glands squirt adrenalin directly into the bloodstream. The
results are dramatic and instantaneous, with an increase in breathing and
heart rate, accompanied by a short term burst of physical energy. Some of
the signs and symptoms of excessive amounts of caffeine include:
A rise in body temperature
Frequent urination and dehydration
Dizziness and headaches
After the energy burst, an even greater feeling of fatigue
Rapid heart beat (palpitations)
Restlessness and excitability
Anxiety and irritability
Trembling hands
Sleeplessness.
Addiction and withdrawal
Like many other drugs, it is possible to build up a tolerance to caffeine,
which means you need to take larger and larger doses to achieve the same
effect. Over time, your body might come to depend on caffeine in order to
function at its best. Withdrawal symptoms can include tiredness, crankiness,
a persistent headache, sweating and muscle pain. The easiest way to break
caffeine dependence is to cut down gradually, giving your nervous system
time to adapt to functioning without the drug.
How much is too much?
Your susceptibility to caffeine depends on your build, state of health,
metabolism, and whether or not your body is used to getting regular doses of
caffeine. Generally speaking, 500mg per day or less is considered an
acceptable dose. Approximate caffeine levels per cup in everyday drinks
include:
Chocolate drinks - 40 to 80mg
Coffee - 50 to 350mg, depending on the type and strength of the brew
Cola drinks - 40mg
Decaffeinated coffee - around 3mg
Tea - 10 to 80mg, depending on the type and strength of the brew.
Special considerations
Some people need to take special care with caffeine, for example:
Pregnant women - limit your caffeine intake to 200mg per day or less - or
eliminate it altogether.
Athletes - be aware that caffeine is considered a banned or restricted drug
at a competitive level. Depending on your build and metabolism, an intake of
around 500mg of caffeine over a few hours would probably be enough, in most
cases, to fail a drug test.
Where to get help
Your doctor
Chemist
Dietician.
Things to remember
Caffeine is a stimulant drug that acts on the brain and nervous system.
Like many other drugs, it is possible to become addicted to caffeine, such
that you need a certain dose every day in order to function normally.
Pregnant women and athletes should limit their intake of caffeine.
Helgi Briem
No.
There are only 2 varieties of coffee, Arabica and Robusta.
Arabica is the good stuff, Robusta is bad. Columbian coffee
is mostly Arabica.
--
Helgi Briem hbriem AT simnet DOT is
David Cohen
Helgi Briem wrote:
> bangsp...@gmail.com (gmail troll)wrote:
>
> >>freshly-ground and properly roasted Arabica beans.>
> >
> >Your ignorance is astounding. Arabica is the cheapest, crappiest coffee
> >out there. That is why all the big chains use it. Columbian is premo.
>
> No.
>
> There are only 2 varieties of coffee, Arabica and Robusta.
> Arabica is the good stuff, Robusta is bad. Columbian coffee
> is mostly Arabica.
Gmail Troll is wrong? Wow. Who would've thought?
David
Runs With Knives
Helgi Briem <HelgiB...@hotmail.com> writes:
> On 14 Jul 2005 20:12:48 -0700, bangsp...@gmail.com wrote:
>
>>>freshly-ground and properly roasted Arabica beans.>
>>
>>Your ignorance is astounding. Arabica is the cheapest, crappiest coffee
>>out there. That is why all the big chains use it. Columbian is premo.
>
> No.
>
> There are only 2 varieties of coffee, Arabica and Robusta.
Actually, there is more than that. But the other varieties are of
little commercial interest.
> Arabica is the good stuff, Robusta is bad. Columbian coffee
> is mostly Arabica.
Yahbut just cuz the can says, or the seller advertises, "Columbian"
doesn't mean that all, or even most, of what's in it is necessarily
Columbian, much-less Arabica.
OmManiPadmeOmelet
r...@LinxNet.com (Runs With Knives) wrote:
> In article <db68ib$pj2$1...@gist.usc.edu>,
> "fj" <f...@notSpam.com> writes:
> > Why?
>
<snipped>
>
> As to "Is coffee bad?"...
>
> One thing you can do for yourself is drink *good* coffee. The vast
> majority of what you get off the average super-market shelf and in
> restaurants, here in the U.S., anyway, is garbage. Learn to enjoy
> properly prepared coffee brewed from freshly-ground and properly
> roasted Arabica beans. Not only will such coffee taste a helluva lot
> better, but Arabica beans have about 1/2 the caffeine, on average, as
> the cheap Robusta beans from which most coffee you find here in the
> States is made.
I'll second that... ;-)
Before I pretty much gave up coffee, I had switched to Arabica coffee as
well. There is a WORLD of difference in flavor!
I did abuse it tho' and had a headache from withdrawl for a solid 2
weeks after giving it up cold turkey.
That was shortly after having an Endoscopy. <lol>
>
> ObOT: I've found, the hard way, that downing 20 oz. of strong coffee
> before going target-shooting is deleterious to ones performance ;).
Shaky hands aren't real good for holding a site eh?
Who'da guessed?
pea...@pt.lu
Steve Freides
news:11de6l2...@corp.supernews.com...
> In article <db68ib$pj2$1...@gist.usc.edu>,
> "fj" <f...@notSpam.com> writes:
>> Why?
>
> I s'pose what you really meant by this question is: "Is coffee bad
> for you?" That depends on a variety of factors. As with most other
> things: Some people can't tolerate it. It would be bad for them.
> Some people are overly sensitive to the caffeine. Regular coffee
> would be bad for them. Some health folk believe the caffeine in
> coffee overly-stimulates the system, even in people that don't feel
> all that affected by caffeine, and recommend shunning it. OTOH, a
> recent report said that men who drink two cups of coffee a day had a
> vastly lower instance of one-or-another type of cancer (prostate or
> colon, IIRC).
>
> *My* opinion is that coffee is all right in moderation. I suspect
> that people who drink coffee all day long are not doing themselves
> any good by it. I know people that had suffered serious withdrawal
> symptoms when they quit. (ISTM being addicted to something that,
> when quitting, results in withdrawal symptoms like that is a sign
> that what you were doing was Not Good For You.)
Good points, Jim.
People who do things like Paris-Brest-Paris, a 1200 km bike ride, often
stop drinking caffeine for a week or two before their event so that they
get the kick out of the coffee when they need it during the ride.
Myself, I find that after having a cup or two of coffee every day for a
week, I always want a day or two off from it, and sometimes I take a
week or two off. When I first met my wife (we were both in college),
she was one of those people who drank coffee all day long - we
calculated 8-12 cups per day. She began having some health issues and
her doctor told her to get off coffee - her detox wasn't much fun for
her or anyone around her. :) She now drinks 2 cups or so per day.
bc
Actually, as any coffee junkee knows, there are blade grinders and burr
grinders. If Donovan is paying attention, I'm sure he's burr grinding,
especially for espresso.
- bc
bc
Steve Freides wrote:
> Myself, I find that after having a cup or two of coffee every day for a
> week, I always want a day or two off from it, and sometimes I take a
> week or two off. When I first met my wife (we were both in college),
> she was one of those people who drank coffee all day long - we
> calculated 8-12 cups per day. She began having some health issues and
> her doctor told her to get off coffee - her detox wasn't much fun for
> her or anyone around her. :) She now drinks 2 cups or so per day.
My wife is definitely sensitive to caffein, and feels much better after
detoxing some years ago. For me though, decaf is just not the same.
- bc
Donovan Rebbechi
Absolutely. This is what my current espresso setup looks like:
http://sweetmarias.com/mazzer-anfimpics/anfim.jpg
http://sweetmarias.com/prod.pasquini.shtml
http://sweetmarias.com/prod.freshroast.shtml
Cheers,
--
Donovan Rebbechi
http://pegasus.rutgers.edu/~elflord/
bc
Yeah, but do you have the logo cups?
How do you like the home roaster? That's something I hadn't thought to
do myself.
- bc
Lee Michaels
"bc" <wscii_...@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:1121443322.6...@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
small shops. I don't do it anymore, but my wife will only drink fresh
roasted coffee.
Once you go to fresh roasted, it is difficult to buy/drink the stale product
that everybody else sells.
As far as the home roasters, I recommend the Hearthware products. The new I
Roast is a good unit. But it is a little loud and smoky. I have the older
model. We also have an alpenroast too..
fj
"Mike" <M...@Mine.com> wrote in message
news:db7fsj$shm$1...@mws-stat-syd.cdn.telstra.com.au...
woohoo, that's a comprehensive one.
I read at somewhere that caffeine is good for burning calories because of
the increase of heart rate. It gives me an excuse for drinking coffee.
-fj
Dr. Dickie
news:YfWdnblnot0...@comcast.com...
What do you think of the Alpenroast? I have been thinking of getting one
(although I had to stop brewing my own beer because
'she-that-must-be-obeyed' objected to the smell). They have a new,
"improved" model set to come out don't they?
--
Dr. Dickie
More to come...
Lee Michaels
"Dr. Dickie" <Dr_D...@chembench.com> wrote in message
news:db8uk3$5b8$1...@domitilla.aioe.org...
strengths. So ultimately it depends on the kind of roasting you want to do
and the kind of coffee that you like.
For small home roasters, they ultimately fail to develop certain flavors
that their bigger brothers can. That said, a lot of big roasters fail to
develop flavors well also because they run the roasters too hot and too
fast. They can't justify increasing fuel and labor costs to make a better
coffee.
Having said that, I will make a few comments about home roasters.
Hot air roasters are general cheaper than drumroasters. But as the size of
the roaster increases, so does smoke production. You either have to roast
coffee under a good range hood. Or go outside, garage, etc. I have seen
people put them in a basement room with a STRONG room vent. When I was
demoing the bigger machine out of my basement, I had both a dedicated vent
hooked up to the roaster and an industrial general powered vent for the
room.
Size of roaster is determined by how many ounces they can roast. One of the
most important accessries you can have for roasting is a good digital scale.
This will help standardize your roasts. Along with a storage area that has a
constant temperature for the beans.
Also, to nail a gourmet flavor, you have to make a blend of some kind. This
involves multiple batches of coffee. If my wife wants to make some
exceptional coffee, she will use both roasters.
As for some differences between the hot air roasters and drum roasters, here
goes;
Hot air roasters are gerneally cheaper and have models to choose from.
Hot air roasterschaff removal is more messy than drum roasters. Therefore
they are a little more dirty.
Hot air roasters can develop sharp flavors. But the flavors tend to be in a
more narro spectrum that with more sophisticated roasters. By the same
toke, if you over roast in a hot air machine, this tends towip out much of
the flavor. Drum roasters are much mnore forgiving if you over roast.
Drum roasters are bigger, more expensive machines. You can roast more coffee
at a time. So the need for good ventilation is essential. Unless you roast
outside or in the garage.
Drum roasters generally take a little longer to roast the coffee.
Drum roasters generaly don't do as well with the darker roasts. You can
certainly roast dark, but some of the "hot" derived flavors will be missing.
Drum roasters tend to develop more full bodied flavors. There is a
robustness and a wider spectrum than the air roasted coffees. But once
agaon, any sharp peaks of flavor are hard to bring out in the drum roasters.
True coffee snobs will roast the primary coffee "base" in the drum roaster.
And add at least two "peak" flavors in with the air roasters.
Often a columbian or mexican coffee will be used for the base. More exotie
(expensive) coffees will be used for the peak flavors.
Drum roasters are generally less noisy and intimidating for roaster
neophytes. So you can demo the machine for your friends. And make coffee for
them. Once you get the hang of making a good blend, you can ask some pointed
question and roast up a personalized blend of fresh coffee. It is a much
appreciated gift.
That is all I can say for now. (I am at work, slow day)
Any other questions, give me a holler.
And if you want to talk or buy roasters, coffee, etc., I recommend
Lee Michaels
Steve Freides
The current compromise in our house is a mix of caffeine and decaf
coffee. That let's us drink more of it. Decaf is definitely not the
same, and the half and half mix is my wife's choice, not mine, and I'm
not thrilled with it, but it's not nearly as bad as having to drink
decaf.
> - bc
>
Axel of the North!
>Caffeine is not the primary stimulatory pathway in green tea.
EGCG?
i have an antioxidant blend, "Salada" brand, proudly declaring "Green
Tea w/ purple antioxidants" supplement fortified with grapeskins,
rooibos (red tea), anthocyanins & vitamin C. says its naturally
decaffeinated using only spring water and effervescence. the list of
ingredients continues under the supplements facts section: other
ingredients: hibiscus, natural blueberry flavor, elderberries,
rosemary leaves.
but this stuff keeps me awake for hours if i have it within even six
hours from bed time.
perhaps if i take enough l-theanine. i liked bulk nutrition's web site
for explanations on supplements (LEF is good, too). it's kind of sad
to feel like taking l-theanine, most likely extracted from green tea,
to counteract the energy burning (thermogenic) effect of my freakin'
antioxidant, naturally decaffeinated green tea bags.
what the hell do i gotta do to get some antioxidants and a decent
night of sleep?!!! gahhhhHHHH!!!
--
"The brightly shining mind is never absent but is
colored by the thoughts and emotions that people
put upon it. If you were to see the luminous
freedom of this mind, you would cultivate it
before any other, keeping it free from all
attachments."
-Anguttara Nikaya
Lee Michaels
"Steve Freides" <st...@fridayscomputer.com> wrote in message
news:3jqg0bF...@individual.net...
Steve, I don't want to sound like a broken record, but a home roaser will
produce a far superior coffee. When I used to do roaster demos, I would
roast up some decaf and include it in the samples. Most people couldn't tell
the difference.
Decaf coffee is inherently damaged in the decaffeination process. Therefore,
to develop the flavor, it must be roasted more slowly and/or at a lower
temperature. It also stales much faster than regular coffee. I can roast a
good quality, organic decaf and serve it to a group of people and maybe one
or two will catch it right away. Most people will figure it out after awhile
when they don't get the traditional caffeine "buzz".
Coffee lovers who have to give up their beloved java, always resent it. When
you can present an alternative like this, they often get very excited. I was
selling a $5,000 machine and I still received a lot of inquiries for just
this purpose. But with the variety of home roasters available now, there is
no excuse for giving up coffee flavor when drinking decaf. You just have to
"roll you own".
Not only will your wife love you for it, your friends will too. My wife
often roasts up small barches of coffee and gives it to friends She went to
get her hair cut yesterday and gave her hairdresser some fresh roasted
coffee. That guarantees some extra attention and service.
Lee Michaels
Lee Michaels
You can buy some very high grade decaf green beans. When this stuff is
freshly roasted to a little lighter than a traditional decaf roast, the
flavor is fully present. You won't actually save money with this approach,
but both you and the missus will be happier.
Lee
Runs With Knives
"Steve Freides" <st...@fridayscomputer.com> writes:
[snip]
>
> The current compromise in our house is a mix of caffeine and decaf
> coffee. That let's us drink more of it. Decaf is definitely not the
> same, and the half and half mix is my wife's choice, not mine, and I'm
> not thrilled with it, but it's not nearly as bad as having to drink
> decaf.
If it's the taste, rather than the lack of caffeine, that's the cause
of dissatisfaction, I suspect the problem is either inferior coffee,
an inferior roast, improper brewing, or a combination thereof. My
wife drinks decaf--can't tolerate caffeine. We buy her either decaf
Costa Rican or a decaf "house blend" (80% Columbian, 20% Sumatran,
IIRC) from the same local roaster whence I buy my coffee. Her decaf
is *terrific*. So good that I don't think I'd find it all that great
a problem to switch to decaf, myself. The only down-side is that I
like to switch between varietals on a regular basis, and they have
limited variety in decafs.
JMW
Axel of the North! wrote:
> "JMW" <jmwill...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> >Caffeine is not the primary stimulatory pathway in green tea.
>
> EGCG?
Yes, and to a lesser extent, some of the other catechins. They act as
an alternative substrate for O-methylation through the COMT/SAMe
pathway, thus increasing plamsa catecholamine levels (dopamine,
norepinephrine, epinephrine), with the end result being similar in
effect to an MAO inhibitor, though not as powerful. Also, SAH
(S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine from demethylated SAMe) acts as a feedback
inhibitor in this pathway, so the effect is self-limiting.
Runs With Knives
"Lee Michaels" <leemi...@comcast.net> writes:
[snip]
>
> Steve, I don't want to sound like a broken record, but a home roaser will
> produce a far superior coffee.
In most cases: Yes. But home roasting is not for the faint-of-heart,
IMO. Roasting coffee generates a significant amount of smoke and
chaff. The chaff can be contained/controlled, but the smoke *will*
coat/stain surfaces, so you really want it vented to the outside--
preferably in such a manner that it won't end-up coating outside of
your house.
If you've got a good local roaster, as I have, IMO the two big
reasons to home-roast become variety (you can roast small batches and
use them up before they go stale) and price (green beans are a
helluva lot less expensive than roasted beans).
I buy fresh-roasted (while I wait, in fact) coffee, a pound at a
time. It takes me a bit more than two weeks to go through a pound.
I've found that the "bloom is off the rose," as it were, somewhere
during the 1-2 week period. So what I do now is, immediately when I
get home with a new batch (sometimes it's still warm), I divide it in
half and freeze one half. The frozen half doesn't stay as fresh as
long, after being defrosted, as the unfrozen half originally does,
but it is a marked improvement.
> When I used to do roaster demos, I would
> roast up some decaf and include it in the samples. Most people couldn't tell
> the difference.
As I mentioned in my follow-up to Steve: Really good decaf *can* be
done. In fact: My wife served a cup of her decaf to a friend the
other day, and only revealed it was decaf after her friend had
remarked how good it was :). Her friend was quite surprised by the
disclosure.
I'm sure Lee knows the following, but for others reading these threads
that may not...
Besides good quality, freshly-roasted (and *properly* roasted) beans,
other things that affect the brew (in brief):
. Proper grind
. Grind just before brewing. Ground coffee goes stale *fast*
(Yes, the ground coffee you buy in the supermarket is stale as
it sits on the shelf. Really.)
. Proper grounds:water ratio (1-2 tbsp per 6oz. cup - if that's
too strong for you, brew to that strength and dilute with hot
water. The grounds:water ratio determines something called
"extraction." The wrong ratio and you get bitter or sour
coffee.)
. Brewing at the proper temperature: Water at 195F to 205F hitting
the basket (most [inexpensive] auto drip coffee makers have
insufficiently hot brew water--particularly those with a
warming plate.)
. Proper brew time. This is trickier. Ideally, for brewed
coffee, the water won't be in contact with the grounds for more
than about five minutes. Hardly any automatic drip brewers can
accomplish this--particularly when trying to brew 10-12 cups.
Then again: Few drip brewers have large enough baskets to allow
you to brew that much at once with the proper coffee:water
ratio ;).
. Never let brewed coffee sit on a warming plate. Get it into
a (pre-warmed) insulated carafe immediately. Better yet: Brew
only what you're going to drink right away.
. Good water. (IME Brita water filters usually produce acceptable
water from city taps or well water.)
Oh yeah, and the coffee newsgroup is alt.coffee :)
Donovan Rebbechi
> Yeah, but do you have the logo cups?
No, got some nice espresso cups ages ago with my first machine (Rancilio
Rialto)
> How do you like the home roaster? That's something I hadn't thought to
> do myself.
Very nice. Freshness is important enough that even when you botch it (bound
to happen when you're starting out), you produce very good shots. Without the
roaster, the only beans I'm game to buy are beans from a high volume coffee
shop that is willing to sell me the same bean they use for espresso drinks.
I'm not game to buy single origin pre-roasted beans, they are seldom fresh.
One thing Lee mentions is the smoke issue. I use a low capacity roaster, the
"Fresh Roast". I live in a small apartment, so I can't afford to fill it with
smoke.
The impression I have so far is that I only get smoke when roasting fairly
dark, and at least with the FR it's not very much smoke (though I can see how
that could increase if roasting 8oz or so with the Alpenroast)
It was a bit tricky to get a dark roast at first, but basically trapping some
heat to raise the temp of the air around the unit is sufficient to prevent the
roast stalling.
I haven't even gotten started on the blending yet, I'm still in the process of
learning what *fresh* beans from the different origins are like.
John
news:1121401322.9...@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
Actually, platinum is a soft metal. You wouldn't use it for blades to cut
butter, let alone coffee......
Steve Freides
Very interesting thread, gentlemen. Another question or two before I
present the idea of buying a home roaster to my wife.
One "show stopper" for us when it comes to coffee makers is the carafe
and heating element or lack thereof that holds the brewed beverage. My
wife and I long ago realized we didn't like the taste of coffee that,
after brewing, was continually being heated, so we settled on coffee
makers that dispense the coffee into an insulated carafe without a
heating element below it.
Do you coffee experts think this makes as much difference as we do?
Particularly in the summer, we often let the coffee cool and drink iced
coffee, and even when we like it hot, it's still plenty hot for a few
hours in the insulated carafe.
If the insulated carafe style is deemed "worthy", can anyone recommend
something that grinds and then brews in a single machine that has an
insulated carafe? I don't think I've come across one of these before.
Right now, although we used to grind ourselves, we don't because we
couldn't find a suitable machine. Grinding ourselves would be a good
first step for us, I think.
Lee Michaels
after that is cruel and unusual punishment. Around here, coffee is rarely
around longer than what is immediately consumed.
If it is necessary to actually store the coffee, we have some big airpots.
There are insulated containers with an airpump in the head. These will keep
coffee hot for hours and you can pump the handle on top to fill your cup. We
usually do this for company.
And if you are not using whole beans, you are using old, stale coffee. As
for a all-in-one coffee machine, just brew into the glass pitcher. Then pour
into the thermos or other insulated container. Anything that I have seen
that brews the coffee directly into an insulated container was quite pricey.
Donovan Rebbechi
> In article <1qudnVuYftt...@comcast.com>,
> "Lee Michaels" <leemi...@comcast.net> writes:
> [snip]
>>
>> Steve, I don't want to sound like a broken record, but a home roaser will
>> produce a far superior coffee.
>
> In most cases: Yes. But home roasting is not for the faint-of-heart,
> IMO. Roasting coffee generates a significant amount of smoke and
> chaff.
Disagree with this. The small air roaster generates a little smoke when I'm
roasting dark, and in fact if I roast for drip, it doesn't generate any
smoke (though there is a "coffee roasting" scent)
> I buy fresh-roasted (while I wait, in fact) coffee, a pound at a
> time. It takes me a bit more than two weeks to go through a pound.
> I've found that the "bloom is off the rose," as it were, somewhere
> during the 1-2 week period.
Tom at sweetmarias website for example believes that many beans peak
after they get time to degas a little.
> . Brewing at the proper temperature: Water at 195F to 205F hitting
> the basket (most [inexpensive] auto drip coffee makers have
> insufficiently hot brew water--particularly those with a
> warming plate.)
Yep. For this reason, I prefer the press to a drip machine. Another thing
I found worked well was something like the "swiss gold" method -- I simply
took the cone out of a drip machine, loaded it up, and held it over the cup.
> . Proper brew time. This is trickier. Ideally, for brewed
> coffee, the water won't be in contact with the grounds for more
> than about five minutes.
(-; two words -- french press.
> . Never let brewed coffee sit on a warming plate. Get it into
> a (pre-warmed) insulated carafe immediately. Better yet: Brew
> only what you're going to drink right away.
Yep.
> . Good water. (IME Brita water filters usually produce acceptable
> water from city taps or well water.)
Especially with espresso. Had boilers on espresso machines die because of
lime scale from tap water (even with Brita -- I suppose I didn't change the
filters enough). I always use bottled water now.
Donovan Rebbechi
> Very interesting thread, gentlemen. Another question or two before I
> present the idea of buying a home roaster to my wife.
>
> One "show stopper" for us when it comes to coffee makers is the carafe
> and heating element or lack thereof that holds the brewed beverage. My
> wife and I long ago realized we didn't like the taste of coffee that,
> after brewing, was continually being heated,
Leave it on the heater and it goes bad really quickly.
> so we settled on coffee makers that dispense the coffee into an insulated
> carafe without a heating element below it.
I agree with Lee here -- you could just get a thermos.
> Do you coffee experts think this makes as much difference as we do?
I think actively heating coffee makes it undrinkable really quickly. So
you're dead right.
But I also think you've got some priorities wrong (from the myopic point of
view of someone who wants good coffee).
Extraction temperature is important. As another poster pointed out, very
few drip machines do this right.
I'd suggest getting a machine from a reputable vendor. I've purchased from
1st-line.com, and these guys are good. They only sell good quality equipment.
Take a look at these, they may interest you:
http://1st-line.com/machines/home_mod/homedrip.htm
Unless you're particularly partial to the all-in-one solution, I'd recommend
a french press plus a burr grinder instead, but it's your coffee.
Runs With Knives
> present the idea of buying a home roaster to my wife.
Check the Google archives for alt.coffee and the reviews at
coffeegeek.com before buying. I think Sweet Maria's may have
forums/reviews, as well.
>
> One "show stopper" for us when it comes to coffee makers is the carafe
> and heating element or lack thereof that holds the brewed beverage. My
> wife and I long ago realized we didn't like the taste of coffee that,
> after brewing, was continually being heated,
That's because, as I noted in a follow-up to Lee, warming plates
destroy the coffee.
> so we settled on coffee
> makers that dispense the coffee into an insulated carafe without a
> heating element below it.
That possibly has two advantages, actually. The most obvious is the
coffee isn't being destroyed by being constantly heated. The other,
less obvious, reason is that many drip coffee makers with a warming
plate share a single heating element for the warming plate *and*
heating the brew water. These, almost w/o exception, do not produce
sufficiently hot brew water.
>
> Do you coffee experts think this makes as much difference as we do?
No question.
[snip]
>
> If the insulated carafe style is deemed "worthy", can anyone recommend
> something that grinds and then brews in a single machine that has an
> insulated carafe?
Again: Check the reviews at coffeegeek. I think the Cuisinart Grind
& Brew gets generally good reviews. But it's grinding with a "whirly
blade" grinder (not really a "grinder," per se), which is
sub-optimal. Better, far better, than buying pre-ground, tho.
> I don't think I've come across one of these before.
> Right now, although we used to grind ourselves, we don't because we
> couldn't find a suitable machine. Grinding ourselves would be a good
> first step for us, I think.
I grind with a Capresso Infinity. Filter the water with a Brita.
Brew with a Cuisinart Brew Central using a metal-mesh, gold-tone
filter.
Then again, you could always go with a super-auto. The Jura-Capresso
Impressa Z5 grinds, brews, heats/froths milk, does any of about, I
dunno, 6 or 8 different drinks at the push of a button, has
selectable brew strength... all for only about US$3,000 or so ;).
Steve Freides
news:Omelet-A0CAE5....@corp.supernews.com...
> In article <db6lsu$spg$1...@gist.usc.edu>, "fj" <f...@notSpam.com> wrote:
>
>> >
>> > And no, I don't drink it...
>> > I drink tea.
>> > --
>>
>> I know green tea is good. Unfortunately it doesn't taste like coffee.
>>
>>
>
> True, but there is a whole world of teas. ;-)
> I drink Earl Grays, hot.
Green Earl Gray (Grey?) tea is available. We get it at Trader Joe's.
Earl Grey is just the addition of a bit of oil of bergamot to the tea -
once can buy oil of bergamot separately although I've never done this
myself.
-S-
> With cream and splenda......
OmManiPadmeOmelet
"Steve Freides" <st...@fridayscomputer.com> wrote:
> "OmManiPadmeOmelet" <Ome...@brokenegz.com> wrote in message
> news:Omelet-A0CAE5....@corp.supernews.com...
> > In article <db6lsu$spg$1...@gist.usc.edu>, "fj" <f...@notSpam.com> wrote:
> >
> >> >
> >> > And no, I don't drink it...
> >> > I drink tea.
> >> > --
> >>
> >> I know green tea is good. Unfortunately it doesn't taste like coffee.
> >>
> >>
> >
> > True, but there is a whole world of teas. ;-)
> > I drink Earl Grays, hot.
>
> Green Earl Gray (Grey?) tea is available. We get it at Trader Joe's.
> Earl Grey is just the addition of a bit of oil of bergamot to the tea -
> once can buy oil of bergamot separately although I've never done this
> myself.
>
> -S-
>
But, I don't like green tea! :-P
It tastes wierd.
I prefer variations on black tea, of which there are many,
and it has it's own "medicinal" properties. :-)
Suze
>But, I don't like green tea! :-P
>It tastes wierd.
I don't care for the taste much myself. Unsweetened, it tastes weak
and bitter. Sweetened (with Splenda), it just tastes like a cup of
hot Splenda water to me.
With a generous squeeze of fresh lemon, it's not that bad though.
Steve's suggestion about the Earl of Grey (bergamot) flavored green
tea doesn't sound like a bad idea either.
I drink a few cups a week; generally when I just don't feel quite
motivated to lift for whatever reason. It seems to help me to get my
arse in gear, moreso than either black tea or coffee would.
JMW
>Quoting OmManiPadmeOmelet:
>
>>But, I don't like green tea! :-P
>>It tastes wierd.
>
>I don't care for the taste much myself. Unsweetened, it tastes weak
>and bitter. Sweetened (with Splenda), it just tastes like a cup of
>hot Splenda water to me.
Try matcha. Super fine powder mixed directly with water, the same as
in the Japanese tea ceremony. I don't guarantee you'll be fond of the
taste, but it will definitely be strong enough for you. The
psychoactive effectives are stronger, too.
Steve Freides
news:ikhid1hhff7junasr...@4ax.com...
> Quoting OmManiPadmeOmelet:
>
>>But, I don't like green tea! :-P
>>It tastes wierd.
>
> I don't care for the taste much myself. Unsweetened, it tastes weak
> and bitter. Sweetened (with Splenda), it just tastes like a cup of
> hot Splenda water to me.
I don't understand sweetener in tea or coffee - first of all, I don't
like articificial sweeteners and stay away from anything low-fat,
no-this or reduced-that. But sugar really changes the experience of
drinking tea. Lemon doesn't seem to ruin tea, neither does cream, and
likewise I don't find cream to ruin coffee, but sugar - yech. My
personal preference is for light cream in my cold coffee, nothing or
light cream in my hot coffee, and nothing in my tea.
> With a generous squeeze of fresh lemon, it's not that bad though.
> Steve's suggestion about the Earl of Grey (bergamot) flavored green
> tea doesn't sound like a bad idea either.
Our favorite green tea is Japanese "sushi bar style" tea - I don't know
exactly what makes it "sushi bar style" but the Japanese have several
kinds of green tea and that's the one we prefer. (I think maybe there's
some sort of rice in it - will have to check...) Japanese friends of
ours get it for us from a Japanese grocery store, and in the summer we
usually use an old coffee carafe to brew up what we drink as iced green
tea. We mix and match, sometimes using all Japanese tea, something half
and half with plain American green tea, and sometimes throwing a Earl
Grey green tea bag into the mix. The variety is nice. We throw the tea
bags in and just leave them there for the day usually, generally using
2-3 tea bags for 8-10 cups of water, and it seems plenty strong.
OmManiPadmeOmelet
Suze <suze_anderson@spamcop/dot/obvious> wrote:
As I am well aware of the benefits of green tea, I take a green tea
extract capsule as part of my pre-workout supplements...
And you are right. It gets you moving!
This way I don't have to taste it...
There are a couple of different brands on the market of the extract
capsule that are quite effective. Check Sun Harvest or Whole Foods.
Suze
>Try matcha. Super fine powder mixed directly with water, the same as
>in the Japanese tea ceremony. I don't guarantee you'll be fond of the
>taste, but it will definitely be strong enough for you. The
>psychoactive effectives are stronger, too.
Thanks -- I may give it a go.
Suze
>I don't understand sweetener in tea or coffee - first of all, I don't
>like articificial sweeteners and stay away from anything low-fat,
>no-this or reduced-that.
I don't really care for any of them except for Splenda, and in this
case am basically using it to cover up the taste :).
>But sugar really changes the experience of
>drinking tea. Lemon doesn't seem to ruin tea, neither does cream, and
>likewise I don't find cream to ruin coffee, but sugar - yech.
Interesting; I've heard several tea lovers say this.
>My
>personal preference is for light cream in my cold coffee, nothing or
>light cream in my hot coffee, and nothing in my tea.
>
>> With a generous squeeze of fresh lemon, it's not that bad though.
>> Steve's suggestion about the Earl of Grey (bergamot) flavored green
>> tea doesn't sound like a bad idea either.
>
>Our favorite green tea is Japanese "sushi bar style" tea - I don't know
>exactly what makes it "sushi bar style" but the Japanese have several
>kinds of green tea and that's the one we prefer. (I think maybe there's
Thanks for the recommendation.
Suze
>As I am well aware of the benefits of green tea, I take a green tea
>extract capsule as part of my pre-workout supplements...
>
>And you are right. It gets you moving!
>
>This way I don't have to taste it...
>
>There are a couple of different brands on the market of the extract
>capsule that are quite effective. Check Sun Harvest or Whole Foods.
Okay, may do so. I already take a lot of supplements in pill form
though. Between the fish oil, and the electrolytes, vitamins, blah
blah...
Oh the other hand, what's a few more ?
OmManiPadmeOmelet
Suze <suze_anderson@spamcop/dot/obvious> wrote:
<lol> I know exactly what you mean...... ;-D
Geezer Boy
>> couldn't find a suitable machine. Grindibong ourselves would be a good
>> first step for us, I think.
>>
>That goes without saying. You only need to brew the coffee once. Anything
>after that is cruel and unusual punishment. Around here, coffee is rarely
>around longer than what is immediately consumed.
>
>If it is necessary to actually store the coffee, we have some big airpots.
>There are insulated containers with an airpump in the head. These will keep
>coffee hot for hours and you can pump the handle on top to fill your cup. We
>usually do this for company.
>
>And if you are not using whole beans, you are using old, stale coffee. As
>for a all-in-one coffee machine, just brew into the glass pitcher. Then pour
>into the thermos or other insulated container. Anything that I have seen
>that brews the coffee directly into an insulated container was quite pricey.
>
Yep. I just pour into a pre-warmed Thermos brand vacuum bottle(s) from
WalMart. About $8. Glass lined. I also have two of the unbreakable
stainless ones, but find the glass-liners seem to hold temps longer.
Hugh Beyer
We own the Cuisinart Grind & Brew machine, which grinds the beans and
brews into an insulated carafe. It fits the "quite pricy" description.
It's also tempermental -- the hopper isn't quite big enough to brew the
full 10 cups, the various mechanical bits are prone to sticking, and you
have to dry out the hopper if you're going from one pot to the next. But
even given all that, we're happy with it--the coffee is great and you can
put it on a timer so you get fresh-ground coffee first thing in the AM.
The insulated pot is *definitely* worth it. Second choice for us would be
a machine that brews into the insulated carafe with a separate grinder
(which we did for years).
Hugh
--
Exercise is a dirty word. Whenever I hear it, I wash my mouth out with
chocolate. ("Ladi")
Hugh Beyer
news:slrnddhbt9...@panix2.panix.com:
> On 2005-07-16, Steve Freides <st...@fridayscomputer.com> wrote:
>
>> Very interesting thread, gentlemen. Another question or two before I
>> present the idea of buying a home roaster to my wife.
>>
>> One "show stopper" for us when it comes to coffee makers is the carafe
>> and heating element or lack thereof that holds the brewed beverage. My
>> wife and I long ago realized we didn't like the taste of coffee that,
>> after brewing, was continually being heated,
>
> Leave it on the heater and it goes bad really quickly.
>
>> so we settled on coffee makers that dispense the coffee into an
>> insulated carafe without a heating element below it.
>
> I agree with Lee here -- you could just get a thermos.
>
>> Do you coffee experts think this makes as much difference as we do?
>
> I think actively heating coffee makes it undrinkable really quickly. So
> you're dead right.
>
> But I also think you've got some priorities wrong (from the myopic point
> of view of someone who wants good coffee).
>
> Extraction temperature is important. As another poster pointed out, very
> few drip machines do this right.
>
> I'd suggest getting a machine from a reputable vendor. I've purchased
> from 1st-line.com, and these guys are good. They only sell good quality
> equipment.
>
> Take a look at these, they may interest you:
>
> http://1st-line.com/machines/home_mod/homedrip.htm
>
We had that one for a while. The swing mechanism got wonky after a while--
it wouldn't get the grounds quite over to the pot and dumped water all
over the place. Plus the pot's not insulated.
> Unless you're particularly partial to the all-in-one solution, I'd
> recommend a french press plus a burr grinder instead, but it's your
> coffee.
Now that's good coffee.
Trouble with the separate burr grinders is, in the winter they impart a
static charge to the grounds. When you go to knock the grounds into your
filter (or press) they leap away from each other and go all over the
tabletop.
I do not understand why no one makes a grinder that grinds directly into
the Mr. Coffee or Melitta filter holder. Now there's a product idea
waiting to happen.
Dr. Dickie
"Hugh Beyer" <beyer...@acm.org> wrote in message
news:Xns96985F8DD4984...@130.81.64.196...
It isn't just in the winter. Hell here in Florida (with our 99% humidly year
around) I get grounds flying everywhere. Now of course the AC cuts the
humidly down significantly, still.
Only thing about the French Press is, grounds will get into you coffee.
Some folks have a real problem with that. A simple manual drip, where you
can heat the water in a kettle to the proper extraction temp (just below
boiling) and have the extraction done in under 6 minutes, will really kick
your coffee flavor up several notches. That and grinding your beans, is 99%
of the way to getting great coffee, after than it is diminishing returns
(although, they can still be significant!).
Also, I love my Bodum vacuum (same grinds problem for my wife). Of course, I
am a big chemistry kid at heart.
--
Dr. Dickie
More to come...
Bill
through it once myself and some of my best friends tried to make me
take it back up. ;-) I used to drink from 1-3 pots of coffee a day, get
so wired up it was hard to sleep.
I was down to 2-3 cups a day for a long time but then it started to
escalate again. It wasn't long before I was back to 2-3 pots a day
again.
One day my wife saw an ad on the web for a healthy coffee and sent for
a free sample. When it arrived, I was pleasantly surprised at its good
flavor so we ordered more.
Since drinking this coffee, I haven't had more than 2-3 cups a day and
still get the boost without the jitters. A little further investigation
discovered that it only had 10% the caffein of regular coffee, but it
wasn't decaf. It is one of the arrabica bean coffees. You might want to
try a free samle for yourself like we did. I like the boost and the
flavor.
beri...@comcast.net
Steve Freides
news:1121892785....@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>I can identify with your wifes problem going through detox. I went
> through it once myself and some of my best friends tried to make me
> take it back up. ;-) I used to drink from 1-3 pots of coffee a day,
> get
> so wired up it was hard to sleep.
>
> I was down to 2-3 cups a day for a long time but then it started to
> escalate again. It wasn't long before I was back to 2-3 pots a day
> again.
>
> One day my wife saw an ad on the web for a healthy coffee and sent for
> a free sample. When it arrived, I was pleasantly surprised at its good
> flavor so we ordered more.
Got a web site for this coffee?
Steve Freides
news:slrnddhb4v...@panix2.panix.com...
Well, I'll reply to yours this time, Donovan.
We use a gold filter in our drip machine, not paper.
The water we use is RO filtered (reverse-osmosis) - it's about as pure
as one can get short of distilled water.
I'll read more, poke around more, and report back.