A place where you can buy phenomenal coffee beans.

DCI Gene Hunt

I just adore the virtues of fine coffee and im delighted to see there are others here at bike radar. Im a big fan of using the cafetiere for my brew and own a de longhi beans grinder so as my medium-fine grind is always fresh. Where do other coffee aficionados here buy their beans and what sort do you prefer.

The beans that simply blow my mind, and I recommend them warmly to you, are sourced from a specialist tea and coffee merchant in Belfast called S D Bells and they have a website. Beans are roasted daily in house and the coffee is not of this earth. The beans which I purchase every month are called 1887 Barista blend and are a three quarter santos roast. The beans are Brazilian type and the 3/4 santos roast ensures there is flavour to die for without the horrible over nuttiness that some braz blends suffer from. When I first contacted the merchants I spoke to Mr Bell who has been a coffee merchant for almost 40 years , when I told him I wanted coffee beans to blow my mind and taste like coffee should , he told me I was a minority customer as so many miss the point and are looking for coffee that tastes nothing like coffee should :roll:

I really wince inwardly when I see someone drinking starbucks and going aaaaah that's good coffee when Im straining myself from telling them they are drinking worse than robusta floor sweepings muck. If I "have" to buy a bag of ground coffee from the supermarkets its at least a 5 strength for me as anything lower tastes to me like mucky water, and don't come near me with instant coffee incase I attack you with the jar

meanredspider

DCI Gene Hunt wrote:

. Im a big fan of using the cafetiere

I lost you at this point. Cafetiere is a terrible way of making coffee

DCI Gene Hunt

meanredspider wrote:

DCI Gene Hunt wrote:

. Im a big fan of using the cafetiere

I lost you at this point. Cafetiere is a terrible way of making coffee

Each to their own I suppose, I find drip machines make appalling coffee despite there being lots of satisfied drip machine owners, and there really is such a faff when using an expresso pressure coffee maker. No doubt the commercial pressure machines make great stuff , but those 80 quid machines from argos make really bad brew imo. I haven't got any probs with using French press technique for my coffee and the 1887 barista beans just ticks all the boxes for me. Interested to know your coffee preference.

meanredspider

I don't really understand why espresso machines are a faff - least of all compared to a cafetiere. For sure you need something good - I've had a Gaggia Classic machine for a few years and think it's relatively simple to use.

dork_knight

I currently run a Gaggia Classic and Eurika Grinder in the kitchen at work, not enough space at home.

Here are some roaster links which have some good/intense roasts;

http://ravecoffee.co.uk/
http://www.thecoffeehopper.com/
http://www.foundrycoffeeroasters.com/
http://www.hands-on-coffee.co.uk/on-coffee/
http://www.unionroasted.com/

Yet to try but next on my list are;

http://www.artisanroast.co.uk/
https://twodaycoffee.co.uk/
https://www.coffeebeanshop.co.uk/
http://www.hasbean.co.uk/
http://www.alchemycoffee.co.uk/
http://www.climpsonandsons.com/

I'll have a google for SD Bells..

meanredspider

There's a whole thread here

viewtopic.php?f=40012&t=12751344&p=19229884#p19229884

jds_1981

The way I like my coffee: -
Boil the kettle. While it's in the process of boiling, pour some coffee granules into a cup (by eye only). Once it has boiled, immediately pour over the granules and then add milk. Can't beat this...

pblakeney

This is all you need.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/30138262 ... 0&ff14=108
And the beans of your choice.

DCI Gene Hunt

jds_1981 wrote:

The way I like my coffee: -
Boil the kettle. While it's in the process of boiling, pour some coffee granules into a cup (by eye only). Once it has boiled, immediately pour over the granules and then add milk. Can't beat this...

Boy oh boy do you have so much to learn

Instant coffee = lowest of the lowest grade of the lowest quality wretched floor sweepings from the sourest and most bitter robusta beans. Believe me when I tell you in terms of flavour the only way is up for you, but if you like it then that's cool.

Also if you want to kill your coffee flavour stone dead just add milk as you do, you are seriously missing out on a whole new venture of coffee flavour drinking the muck you are presently consuming.

vermin

Magnificent trolling!

meanredspider

jds_1981 wrote:

The way I like my coffee: -
Boil the kettle. While it's in the process of boiling, pour some coffee granules into a cup (by eye only). Once it has boiled, immediately pour over the granules and then add milk. Can't beat this...

That's far too much trouble. I prefer mine direct from the machine in a plastic cup

dav1

TwoDay on St Micheal hill in Bristol (already mentioned in Dork Knights list). I'm in there twice a week to load up on beans. Only 100 g at a time to make sure its fresh usually on the day its roasted.

I have a gaggia baby at home with a la cafetiere hand grinder for the weekends and in the week I have a smartcafe cafetiere cup (a great way for a quick and decent cup in the office IMHO). Different blends for both as the espresso blend is too harsh for the cafetiere and the cafetiere blend too weak for espresso.

dhope

jds_1981 wrote:

The way I like my coffee: -
Boil the kettle. While it's in the process of boiling, pour some coffee granules into a cup (by eye only). Once it has boiled, immediately pour over the granules and then add milk. Can't beat this...

Hot water eh? Fancy?
Bit of mud from the bottom of the shoe and some pondwater.
Just like Starbucks.

DCI Gene Hunt

dhope wrote:

jds_1981 wrote:

The way I like my coffee: -
Boil the kettle. While it's in the process of boiling, pour some coffee granules into a cup (by eye only). Once it has boiled, immediately pour over the granules and then add milk. Can't beat this...

Hot water eh? Fancy?
Bit of mud from the bottom of the shoe and some pondwater.
Just like Starbucks.

Starbucks can't hold a candle to some mud scraped off a boot in toilet bowl sourced lukewarm water.

desweller

PBlakeney wrote:

This is all you need.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/30138262 ... 0&ff14=108
And the beans of your choice.

I've got an electric one of those. Load it up the evening before, stick it on the timer and there's a pot of hot coffee waiting for me when I get up at 6AM.

OK it's not the best way to handle the coffee but believe me, if I try to do anything complicated at that time of day I'm liable to burn the house down.

qube

DCI Gene Hunt wrote:

Each to their own I suppose, I find drip machines make appalling coffee despite there being lots of satisfied drip machine owners, and there really is such a faff when using an expresso pressure coffee maker. No doubt the commercial pressure machines make great stuff , but those 80 quid machines from argos make really bad brew imo. I haven't got any probs with using French press technique for my coffee and the 1887 barista beans just ticks all the boxes for me. Interested to know your coffee preference.

You lost me when you imply you're a coffee buff.... then call it an Expresso. (sic)

Poor troll.

Must try harder.

ugo.santalucia

I've pretty much settled on the Waitrose branded mix... at 3.69 a tin is good value and excellent quality. Expensive beans are often over-roasted.

Being Italian I don't need fancy pressure machines to make an awesome coffee, 30+ years experience allow me to make creamed espresso with no pressure, but you unskilled folks with the wrong gene-pool should get one instead... 8)

pblakeney

Lavazza red at Costco is good value.

DCI Gene Hunt

Qube wrote:

DCI Gene Hunt wrote:

Each to their own I suppose, I find drip machines make appalling coffee despite there being lots of satisfied drip machine owners, and there really is such a faff when using an expresso pressure coffee maker. No doubt the commercial pressure machines make great stuff , but those 80 quid machines from argos make really bad brew imo. I haven't got any probs with using French press technique for my coffee and the 1887 barista beans just ticks all the boxes for me. Interested to know your coffee preference.

You lost me when you imply you're a coffee buff.... then call it an Expresso. (sic)

Poor troll.

Must try harder.

Your majesty, please forgive me for accidentally hitting the x key instead of the s on my laptop, :roll: (yaaaaaawn)

Any of you ever try the taylors of Harrowgate Espresso in the red bag ? Strength 5 and packs a punch, not bad at all for a coffee you don't know the date of the roast.

iPete

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Being Italian I don't need fancy pressure machines to make an awesome coffee, 30+ years experience allow me to make creamed espresso with no pressure, but you unskilled folks with the wrong gene-pool should get one instead... 8)

Sounds like a good excuse for me to loosen some spokes...

davis

ugo.santalucia wrote:

I've pretty much settled on the Waitrose branded mix... at 3.69 a tin is good value and excellent quality. Expensive beans are often over-roasted.

Being Italian I don't need fancy pressure machines to make an awesome coffee, 30+ years experience allow me to make creamed espresso with no pressure, but you unskilled folks with the wrong gene-pool should get one instead... 8)

You never offered me a coffee!

ugo.santalucia

davis wrote:

ugo.santalucia wrote:

I've pretty much settled on the Waitrose branded mix... at 3.69 a tin is good value and excellent quality. Expensive beans are often over-roasted.

Being Italian I don't need fancy pressure machines to make an awesome coffee, 30+ years experience allow me to make creamed espresso with no pressure, but you unskilled folks with the wrong gene-pool should get one instead... 8)

You never offered me a coffee!

Wrong time of the day... I only have one in the morning and possibly one after lunch at weekends.

For a real coffee there is only one place and that is Naples... anywhere outside Naples falls short in a way or another. They have the best roasts and the best water for the job

bompington

Whenever the coffee snobs get going (and, for the avoidance of any doubt, I am one) the phrases "blind tasting" and "might get a few surprises" always pop in to my head, for some reason.

ugo.santalucia

bompington wrote:

Whenever the coffee snobs get going (and, for the avoidance of any doubt, I am one) the phrases "blind tasting" and "might get a few surprises" always pop in to my head, for some reason.

It's worse in Italy... there are Olive Oil snobs... if you spend less than 20 Euro for a bottle of Extra Virgin you are frowned at in places...
And wine of course... wine is never expensive enough... in a country that is going to the dogs folks spend in excess of 100 Euro for a bottle of Amarone and Brunello... bollox

veronese68

My preference is to use a moka and Lavazza red at home. Although the wife has a machine that makes a longer weaker cup that she prefers, I'll drink it but prefer the moka.
I don't usually buy a coffee if I'm out and about in the UK as the quality is so variable, I usually opt for a cup of tea. When driving to, or through, Italy the coffee in the machines in motorway services is surprisingly good. I would never get a coffee in a plastic cup out of a machine here.

ugo.santalucia

Veronese68 wrote:

My preference is to use a moka and Lavazza red at home. Although the wife has a machine that makes a longer weaker cup that she prefers, I'll drink it but prefer the moka.
I don't usually buy a coffee if I'm out and about in the UK as the quality is so variable, I usually opt for a cup of tea. When driving to, or through, Italy the coffee in the machines in motorway services is surprisingly good. I would never get a coffee in a plastic cup out of a machine here.

Lavazza red has become worse and worse over the years. The gold one is still bearable, but a far cry from the quality it had back in the 80s and 90s. Coffee demand has increased dramatically over the years and traditional high quality stuff from the Americas and Kenia has been replaced with dreadful beans from Vietnam by the big brands.

Phil_D

PBlakeney wrote:

This is all you need.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/30138262 ... 0&ff14=108
And the beans of your choice.

+infinity.

I've tried pretty much everything, from the most basic seive over a cup to a megabucks big thing that creates loads of steam. All with the same brand of coffee, and I've never found anything that beats this little fella. I've burnt myself numerous times picking the damn thing up, but it's a marvel at virtually no cost.

pblakeney

ugo.santalucia wrote:

bompington wrote:

Whenever the coffee snobs get going (and, for the avoidance of any doubt, I am one) the phrases "blind tasting" and "might get a few surprises" always pop in to my head, for some reason.

It's worse in Italy... there are Olive Oil snobs... if you spend less than 20 Euro for a bottle of Extra Virgin you are frowned at in places...
And wine of course... wine is never expensive enough... in a country that is going to the dogs folks spend in excess of 100 Euro for a bottle of Amarone and Brunello... bollox

And that is before you get them started on balsamic vingar! :shock:
I could at least taste the difference though.

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Veronese68 wrote:

My preference is to use a moka and Lavazza red at home. Although the wife has a machine that makes a longer weaker cup that she prefers, I'll drink it but prefer the moka.
I don't usually buy a coffee if I'm out and about in the UK as the quality is so variable, I usually opt for a cup of tea. When driving to, or through, Italy the coffee in the machines in motorway services is surprisingly good. I would never get a coffee in a plastic cup out of a machine here.

Lavazza red has become worse and worse over the years. The gold one is still bearable, but a far cry from the quality it had back in the 80s and 90s. Coffee demand has increased dramatically over the years and traditional high quality stuff from the Americas and Kenia has been replaced with dreadful beans from Vietnam by the big brands.

It was an espresso at an Italian service station that opened my eyes (taste buds) to coffee. Very good!

Sad to hear about the Lavazza red although it is still my favourite out of those that I have tried, and I have tried some of those mention in the other thread.
The Lavazza gold is my favourite for taste but it is ground too fine for my Bialetti moka and I end up with granules in my cup.

veronese68

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Veronese68 wrote:

My preference is to use a moka and Lavazza red at home. Although the wife has a machine that makes a longer weaker cup that she prefers, I'll drink it but prefer the moka.
I don't usually buy a coffee if I'm out and about in the UK as the quality is so variable, I usually opt for a cup of tea. When driving to, or through, Italy the coffee in the machines in motorway services is surprisingly good. I would never get a coffee in a plastic cup out of a machine here.

Lavazza red has become worse and worse over the years. The gold one is still bearable, but a far cry from the quality it had back in the 80s and 90s. Coffee demand has increased dramatically over the years and traditional high quality stuff from the Americas and Kenia has been replaced with dreadful beans from Vietnam by the big brands.

I might try the Waitrose one you recommend. I mean for home, I wasn't inviting myself over.
The quality of so many things has deteriorated over the years. I think the Italian trait of being knowledgeable about food and having an opinion is a good thing as suppliers are less able to get away with selling rubbish to the public. Unfortunately some, especially my brother in law, take it too far and cannot eat anything without criticising. Mind you he is a pratt.

ugo.santalucia

PBlakeney wrote:

And that is before you get them started on balsamic vingar! :shock:
I could at least taste the difference though.

The real balsamic vinegar is not something you and I can afford, you are looking at maybe 100 Euro for a tiny bottle. The stuff you buy is essentially glorified vinegar and caramel and that includes the stuff you buy in Italy.
The production of Modena balsamic vinegar is probably less than 0.01% of what is sold as balsamic vinegar around the world.
Fortunately the craze for the brown stuff is fading a bit... at one point it was bonkers, you had to have balsamic vinegar everywhere

leeefm

Loumidis on the hob in a pan... Absolutely gorgeous. Don't get me started on the best way to make it though