Espresso in Winnipeg?
Dave S
I've been reading alt.coffee and CoffeeGeek forums and SweetMaria's list
and have learned that there are some fairly stringent requirements to
making a good espresso, among them being:
- freshly roasted beans (not more than two weeks old)
- freshly ground coffee (not preground)
- coffee not roasted so dark that you can't distinguish origin (a la
Starbucks)
- a 30 lb tamp
- a 25 second pour
- etc, etc
So I've tried Roca Jacks on Portage and Roca Jacks on Corydon and Fyxx
on Broadway. The best of those was Roca Jacks on Corydon; the worst was
Fyxx where there was almost no flavour in the (dish)water.
What are your recommendations?
Dave S.
cd69
called requirements but those are very personal choices and what I like and
what you like might be very different and either could be right.The sites
you mentioned are also predominantly north american and the majority in
taste may be different than what I would consider a good espresso
considering I was raised on espresso(and some wine :-) )and have European
roots.I would also say that the requirements you posted aren't all
necessarily true.For example,I have had some espresso made out of preground
coffee that had been made a while back and was better than most coffee you
will get in any coffee shops.That coffee had been properly packaged and
vacuum sealed which made a whole difference.The main ingredient is the bean
and what you do with it once it has been roasted and grounded.That will be
at least 75% of what you will taste in the results,at least for the vast
majority of tasters.If the beans were not of great quality or not properly
stored,it may come out in the taste.As well,the roasting vary from place to
place and will be a question of taste and experience.After that,it is very
much a question as to how it is stored and packaged and if mixed,in what
proportions.
Then you come to the actual preparation of the espresso.As much as you may
disapprove on Starbucks,as far as technicalities on preparing,they are very
proper on most of it.But them,like Second Cup and most of the chain and even
some private coffee places make the same mistake when preparing an
espresso.And I want to clarify I'm not talking about latte's and the rest of
the mix coffee drinks.A lot of people make a big thing about the 25 second
pour and other details of the sort and forget to actually pour the espresso
directly in the cup and instead pour first into a stainless steel container
and transfer into a demi-tasse after.By doing so,you just ruined a fine
drink if you are a true espresso drinker.What happens is that you just got a
lot of mixing going and you destroyed the top part of the espresso called
the "crema" in Italian which provide a very distinctive flavour to an
espresso.It is that brownish foam on top of the espresso.
There is mainly 2 camps when it comes to espresso taste.The north american
preference and the european.I have a european taste bud and my favourite is
from Nucci's Gelati on Corydon and Delucca's on Portage for example.At
home,when I make my daily espresso,I use coffee from Delucca's warehouse and
they ground it for me and I always keep it in a sealed container and the
extra is in the freezer.In all honesty,when drinking mixed drinks,like my
white mocha,I go to Second Cup and I'm fine with it as the sugar syrup and
the blend make null any espresso flavour.I hope this help in making choices.
"Dave S" <dabcs...@mts.not> wrote in message
news:8vGOf.73$3Z...@newsfe19.lga...
Stoneman
Man you're not too fussy, are you? Just kidding. Nothing beats good,
fresh coffee. Unfortunately I have no idea since I only 'discovered'
fresh coffee a few years ago. I live in Halifax. Have you thought of
investing in your own Gaggia?
Stoneman Auto Review
http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/sar
One test drive at a time!
cd69
<c_c...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:9s3n029u2m2osduac...@4ax.com...
> X-No-Archive: Yes On Sun, 05 Mar 2006 17:47:38 -0600, Will
> <wi...@REMOVEcrime.ctf.edu.invalid> wrote:
>
>>X-No-Archive: Yes
>>to have coffee out I usually get something sugary and it tastes pretty
>>good. At home I got a Anita/Mazzer Mini/IRoast (soon to be Hottop I
>>hope) so any good coffee I drink is pretty much at home :D
>>
>>Where abouts are in the city? didnt know there was any fellow coffee
>>geeks around.
>
>
> The fellow who owned a coffee house on portage avenue sold it about a
> year and half ago and built a building with two huge roasters in it.
> He gets beans from all over the world, roasts and as well grinds them
> if the customer wants. He supplies most of the upscale restaurants in
> Winnipeg, and ships all over the world.
> If you want to have good coffee I suggest the medium roast Costa
> Rican, or a medium dark Kenyan.
> I'll check to see if he's be willing to sell privately if there's any
> interest.
Are you talking about the previous owner of what was called Sunstone.If this
is it,he sold about 4-5 years ago and yes,he is an excellent roaster.The
beans he gets are similar or the same as a few businesses in the city as
they buy from the same wholesaler for many of them.
No Spam
news:9s3n029u2m2osduac...@4ax.com...
> The fellow who owned a coffee house on portage avenue sold it about a
> year and half ago and built a building with two huge roasters in it.
Who's that Stu?
Dave S
chance.
I only make "brewed" coffee at home, and am enjoying it much more since
I learned to buy great green beans from www.sweetmarias.com, roast my
own coffee, so that it's fresh, and I grind fresh for every cup.
I'm thinking that I wouldn't be able to justify the cost of equipment
and the kitchen counter space required for home-made espresso, so if I
can get some good stuff once in a while from a commercial establishment,
that will satisfy my occasional desire for espresso.
Dave S.
Dave S
> I never found anything really drinkable, Second Cup is okayish if I have
> to have coffee out I usually get something sugary and it tastes pretty
> good. At home I got a Anita/Mazzer Mini/IRoast (soon to be Hottop I
> hope) so any good coffee I drink is pretty much at home :D
>
> Where abouts are in the city? didnt know there was any fellow coffee
> geeks around.
I'm in Westwood.
I don't know what an "Anita" is, but I have heard that the Mazzer is
about the best grinder you can get.
I am curious about the Hottop roaster. Being Winnipeg, we have to roast
inside in the winter time, otherwise I'd be thinking of a drum for the
barbecue. I'm currently using a Westbend Poppery controlled with a
Variac to roast my coffee, so I'm limited to about 5 oz batches. If I
could double that, I'd be really happy to give away samples.
My latest brewing equipment is an Aerobee AeroPress I got from:
https://www.eureca.ca/eureca/catalog?mv_session_id=mJ4orghQ&mv_pc=7&category=AEROPRESS
It makes the best cup of coffee I've ever had.
Dave S.
cd69
recommend you pay a visit to Delucca's warehouse and check their
selection.You would be surprise of the quality of coffee being produced by
some of these small machines.I own a model by Gaggia and I'm very satisfied
and it doesn't take too much counter space and what a nice way to start the
day.
"Dave S" <dabcs...@mts.not> wrote in message
Will
> I'm in Westwood.
> I don't know what an "Anita" is, but I have heard that the Mazzer is
> about the best grinder you can get.
>
> I am curious about the Hottop roaster. Being Winnipeg, we have to roast
> inside in the winter time, otherwise I'd be thinking of a drum for the
> barbecue. I'm currently using a Westbend Poppery controlled with a
> Variac to roast my coffee, so I'm limited to about 5 oz batches. If I
> could double that, I'd be really happy to give away samples.
>
> My latest brewing equipment is an Aerobee AeroPress I got from:
> https://www.eureca.ca/eureca/catalog?mv_session_id=mJ4orghQ&mv_pc=7&category=AEROPRESS
>
> It makes the best cup of coffee I've ever had.
>
> Dave S.
Anita is: http://chriscoffee.com/products/home/espresso/anita
I figured the Hottop should be good outside for atleast 9 months here,
and I would just the IRoast to fill in which I have vented to the
outside. The Hottop from what I read is more of an oven and can keep
heat in a hell of a lot better than trying to run an IRoast etc during
the winter. The 250 gram batches and the silence of the Hottop are
probably its biggest selling point imho.
First time I've seen an Aeropress, looks interesting.
cd69
"Will" <wi...@REMOVEcrime.ctf.edu.invalid> wrote in message
news:vJqdnUYJCZs...@giganews.com...
You guys have provided me with lots of interesting reading.Thanks for the
links!