The Prefect Cup of Coffee

[Toddy]

Remember coffee should be: black as night, hot as hell and as sweet as an angels kiss.

Now that's how I like my coffee like that even cold I love it.

Nice tutorial Red. :You_Rock_ I didn't know green beans stored well
Thanks for all the links,

Cheers,
Toddy

 

[Tadpole]

It's not the perfect brew if you're using a percolator, IMHO... Gotta be a stovetop esspresso pot (like the ones in dommyracer's post).

I’m sorry but I have to disagree. The perfect cup of coffee is made thusly
Grind enough Hawaiian elephant beans to make your coffee. I use 1 1/4 spoon of ground coffee per cup.
Boil a pint of filtered water (Brita type of filter) you must filter it as tap water is full of dissolved metals and chlorines that you need to get out.
Warm the Cafetiere before putting in your fine ground coffee, add the water (that has boiled and allowed to settle in the kettle for a minute) stir the Cafetiere once, then add a pinch of green cardamom (if you can get it, if not a tiny grating of nutmeg ) put in the filter plunger let stand for five minutes. Wrap the Cafetiere in a tea towel or pot cover. Wen it has settled Pour in to a small thick china cup (china keeps the coffee warmer for longer and does not taint the coffee like plastic or metal could.)

Now if you plan to drink a couple of cups of coffee in one go, then you can either dip a hard lump of “Chinese rock sugar” into the cup ( drinking the coffee before refreshing the cup with more hot coffee, the sugar will take quite along time to dissolve. When you have finished turn the cups upside down on the tray, turn the tray upside down over you head, the cups should stick to the tray. I find that three demi-tasse cups of coffee will dissolve the lump.) Or if you are feeling ethnic make your coffee in the way described, but lodge the lump sugar in the corner of your mouth. And drink the coffee, swilling it in your mouth and around the sugar as you go.

Now that is the perfect way to drink coffee. I was taught this method by the coffee buyer for one of the better coffee import company in Bristol. Mr Carwardine, the elder. Not his sell out of a grandson, who sells decaff******ted coffee beans. A "percolator" will burn the grounds making the coffee overly bitter
and esspresso coffee is a fad

 

[Lithril]

Excellent tutorial, cheers Red. Coffee for me should be black hot and strong, really can't stand it sweet. Milk is only to make instant taste passable, decent coffee doesn't need... but then thats me. Right to get some green beans now Wonder if they'll let me roast them over a bunsen at work

 

[Toddy]

I've just bought one of the £3.99 chestnut roasting pans from Lidl's.....wonder how that would work with coffee beans over an open fire

atb,
Toddy

 

[Lithril]

bugger was up there today and missed that one, will have to have another look.

 

[Toddy]

They've been in our store for about a fortnight now, there were half a dozen or so left this afternoon. It's long handled and comes with a chestnut cutter; like a pair of small salad tongs with a serrated blade inside. All right for under £4

atb,
Mary

 

[Spikey DaPikey]

Now THIS is the coffee ya need Red

http://www.firebox.com/?dir=firebox&action=product&pid=616

 

[Toddy]

Y'have to wonder, you really do.
How hungry must one be to eat weasel sick? yet folks buy it as a 'speciality' food.

Funny old world.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[British Red]

Weird stuff huh? The Kopi Luwak Lurch was describing above is similar. Don't know how to describe this on a family fourm...but I'll try


Its been through the digestive tract of a civit cat - although it progresses normally rather than making the animal sick

I'm kinda with Lithril and weaver here...I do like cafitieres (French Press for our colonial cousins ) but they do tend to cool the coffee too much. I also enjoy the occasiona espresso but I like a big mug of coffee too - if that was espresso I'd be bouncing off the trees!

Love to have a cup of EdS's or Tadpoles though....may have to try that myself! Anyone have a source for "Chinese Rock Sugar" please?

Quite like the sound of that chestnut pan though....nooo must resist!

Red

 

[chickenofthewoods]

Ha! I've got one Red. And no, you can't borrow it.

 

[British Red]

Guess I'll have to persevere with the big cast iron skillet jobby then mate. Sadly actually, there are very few sweet chestnuts round here - I'm blessed with so much else that I can't complain but we have a few horse chestnuts and very few sweet ones which is sad. Farmer is arranging to plant a new walnut plantation though...how very cool of the man (going to try to talk him into a few mulberry trees too - not that I'l ever get one but my grandchildren might)

Red

 

[chickenofthewoods]

I think your iron skillet would probably be better for beans anyway, it'll hold the heat better and more evenly.

But I'm still wondering why it is that chestnut pans have to have holes.

 

[bilko]

Great tutorial Red, thanks.
I'm realy tempted to get a perc now and try some green beans.
I just love the idea of cowboy coffe , ie in an enamel pot on the stove although they never seem to use a perc. Maybe that's why it's so bitter, actualy they don't use a pec which is why they chuck the grounds over the fire with the last inch of coffee. I had no idea it could be so easy to roast your own beans either. have to be careful though, skillet, grinder, perc and beans could easily cost a ton! and that would have to be one fine cup of coffee.

 

[addyb]

Good stuff, guys. I've been a coffee fiend of years, I think I started when I was 13. I'm drinking a delicious cup of Black Gold right now, it's part of my morning routine before I go to class to sit here with a big steaming cup and check the forums.

I've had ulcers a few times from the stuff too; I get stressed out about exams and then I end up chain smoking, drinking too much coffee and in a couple of days...bam! Ulcer time.

And EdS, this one's for you: I like your turkish coffee recipe, but you gotta remember one thing: When you're making it in the cezve, remember to let it foam at least three times before you take it off the heat and allow it to settle!

Cheers,

Adam

PS: If you're making really strong coffee and you know it'll be bitter, add a pinch of salt to the grounds before you add the water. It's an old US Navy trick and it works amazingly well.

 

[Lithril]

I'm kinda with Lithril and weaver here...I do like cafitieres (French Press for our colonial cousins ) but they do tend to cool the coffee too much. I also enjoy the occasiona espresso but I like a big mug of coffee too - if that was espresso I'd be bouncing off the trees!

Urmm yeah, I was meeting someone at Heathrow once and they were late getting in, so I just sat there drinking coffee, think it was half way through my 4th large, strong americano from Starbucks that I decided it might be time to slow down or stop as sitting still was getting interesting and I definatly felt... unusual (more than normal)... bizarre feeling.

 

[British Red]

Bilko - doesn't have to cost much mate - second hand percolators can be had for a couple of quid from charity shops or just use your billy can and a tea strainer, a cafitiere etc.

I'll happily send some gree beans to try it out if you want (no charge). Hand grinders and electric grinders can both be had for under £15. I've heard you can use some food processors but I couldn't advise on that - never tried it.

As for roasting, use a wok, frying pan, heavy saucepan, dutch oven - whatever you have!

Other than the grinder and the beans, everything can be improvised - so you shouldn't be out more than £20

Red

 

[bilko]

Red
You are so kind, thankyou for your generous offer.
What i will do is scout around for bits and pieces as you have said and then when the time comes i will send off for some green beans.
I am not a great coffee drinker although i prefer 'proper' coffee to tea. i must admit that when i visited Italy and tried 'real' espresso, icouldn't get enough of it.
Funnily enough i have turned into a decaf person at home. not that i have anything against caffein but too much of it was interupting my sleep in a nasty way ( and i mean bad side effects ). like when you are just about to drop off you HAVE to turn over otherwise you are going to die.
i know, dramatic hugh, but i was getting worried.
still drink coffee at work though and i treat it more as an indulgence at home. gave up milk too for soya milk but i wouldn't dare put that in my coffee in front of any of you lot
Anyway i'm waffling.
thanks mate.

 

[Tadpole]

Love to have a cup of EdS's or Tadpoles though....may have to try that myself! Anyone have a source for "Chinese Rock Sugar" please?

Red

You can find all kinds of Rock sugar at your local Asian (Chinese) convenience store. It comes in several types white, yellow or even black. Yellow is the more traditional type. you can get rock sugar in som of the better tea and coffee shops butthe lumps tend to be smaller.

Once up on a time nearly all white sugar was sold in the form of a sugar loaf. You’d chop of bits of the loaf and crush or grind it into the grade of sugar you wanted. I guess not having to crush the sugar to put in your coffee was a simply a time and labour saving practice.

 

[rik_uk3]

Turkish coffee or mud as SWMBO calls it.

For each small (large expresso size):

1 desert spoon coffee (good dark roast) - very finely ground (powder) is possible
1 desert spoon sugar (I use slightly less sugar than coffee as I like a little bitterness)
1 cardomon pod (and also use cinnamon if you like).

Fill he post with cold water and slowly bring a rolling boil. Remove from the heat for a minute then bring back to simmer, remove again and rest for a minute and bring to simmer for 3rd time. (This 3 simmers makes most of the coffee settle to the bottom.) Leave for a minute or so for it to settle. Pour in to small cup and drink. Just watch the last part as there will be some coffee grounds in the cup.

Serve with a large stick baklava and glass of water.

Remember coffee should be: black as night, hot as hell and as sweet as an angels kiss.

Takes me back to when I lived on Cyprus I just use coffee and water (and a glass of water to go with it)

My gran made unforgettable coffee, "camp" brand liquid coffee, loads of sugar and sterilised milk

 

[Spikey DaPikey]

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Yup, im bored again LOL