Coffee snobs....a question....

[Fountain79]

I can't really tell the difference between the difference kinds of coffee..I just don't drink it enough for taste...I drink for effect. I had about question about which country do you feel provides the best coffee. I had heard about Colombian coffee for example, but I had also heard the Jamaican coffee was also quite good and in fact hard to come by. Any thoughts?

[Droopy]

1. My favorite coffee comes from Canada

Bet you didn't know they grew coffee up that way. And you can get it at your local Tim Hortons.

[Fountain79]

2. Well...

Since I live in the Midwest.....Tim Horton's isn't that local for me.

[Droopy]

3. No Tim Hortons in MO, eh?

We got 'em here in Ohio. There's one right down the street from me that I frequent every night on my way into work. I really have no idea where their coffee beans come from, but they make delicious coffee.

[Captain Hilts]

8. Tim Horton's coffee is very weak and served FAR too hot. They want to put

cream and sugar in it for you.

I don't like strong coffee, but Horton's is just brown, excessively hot, water.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

11. I agree

Their iced coffee is marginally better. The donuts are good, though.

[Captain Hilts]

13. And it's great to be able to get a cookie or muffin also. Yes. The Tim Horton's right by

the U. Toronto on Bloor St. has completely changed the fabric of that part of town - for the better, I might add. Too much Cartier and Louis Vuitton shit.

It's the heart and soul of U of T now.

[Droopy]

17. I'm thinking that not all Tim Hortons do everything the same way

Because the one by my house has good coffee. It's not weak and they don't serve it boiling. I get a 24 ouncer there before work and it gets me rolling for the night.

[Captain Hilts]

19. It might be served differently in Ohio, and regulations on temperature might also be different...

and the US market might be different than Canada's. I don't know.

Perhaps Canadians like their beer stronger and their coffee weaker?

Off all the low-priced coffees out there - and I like a lot of them and actually prefer them to Starbuck's - 7/11, McDonald's, Dunkin' Donuts, etc. Horton's in Ontario is really hot and really weak.

Sounds like you've got one that takes their coffee seriously!

[bif]

4. If you cant tell the difference, buy the cheapest coffee you can

However, if you want to try the tastiest coffee on the planet, try Peet's.
http://www.peetscoffee.com/
It's roasted every day and is incredible.

[Pierre.Suave]

9. Seconded

I order Peets and have it delivered all the way to Minnesota from California!

[Blue_Tires]

5. depends on the brand and quality

do you use instant? pre-ground? or do you buy whole bean and grind it yourself?? maybe it's too watery or you load it down with too much cream/milk/sugar?

[RadiationTherapy]

6. Costa Rica. Legendary.

Rumor is, they only export their "shitty" coffee. The good stuff stays put.

[redqueen]

7. Oh yes... and Kenya. And Sumatra.

Mmmm mmm.

[RadiationTherapy]

10. Mmmm. I love coffee.

Here's a million $ idea: World Coffee Cruises.

[Fountain79]

21. I've heard the opposite

that they keep the worst kind and export the best stuff. The same is true I've heard about Colombia.

[Jokerman]

12. Jamaican Blue Mountain is the best.

Unfortunately the certified Blue Mountain brands retail for as much as 50 bucks a pound around here, when you can find it.

Even multiple pounds ordered through the internet go for $30 or more per pound.

From what I've been told, most of their crop goes straight to the Japanese market which drives the price through the roof.

http://www.wallenfordblue.com/
http://www.jablumonline.com/


My second choice would be Kona from Hawaii which is more reasonable and easier to find, just beware of some "Kona Blends". 100% Kona is very good stuff.

[MajorChode]

27. Most espensive doesn't mean best

Jamaican Blue Mountain isn't the most expensive anyway. I find it and Kona to be highly overrated, but that's just my subjective taste. The price of coffee is driven by many factors and quality is not the primary.

[Jokerman]

28. Never said it did.

Just bemoaning the fact that my personal favorite is over-priced on the local markets. I can get Kona relatively cheap around here but that doesn't factor into how much I like it.

[pokerfan]

14. My current favorite blend is from Sumatra

[deucemagnet]

15. My favorite is from Ethiopia.

Ethiopian Harrar is my all-time favorite, and Ethiopian Peaberry is pretty good, too.

[surrealAmerican]

16. I agree.

I like strong coffee with nothing else in it. I have yet to find coffee any better than Ethiopian.

[redqueen]

18. Yep, it's delicious.

:thumbsup:

[Lydia Leftcoast]

20. My all-time favorites:

Peet's Coffee's Garuda blend

Peace Coffee's French Roast

Caribou's Obsidian blend

[billyoc]

22. Avoid the bitter aftertaste of slavery, buy Union grown coffee.

Sumatra, my ass.

http://www.usacoffeecompany.com/

[MajorChode]

26. There are plenty of socially responsible coffees available...

including Sumatra coffees.

[ohheckyeah]

23. I prefer Columbian.

I tried the Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee and didn't like it. I don't drink a lot of coffee but when I do I want Starbucks Columbian. I buy it and make it at home.

[tjwmason]

24. I drink Papua New Guinean

partially because it's organic and fair-trade. There's something about Columbian which I really don't like, even if it's a small component in a blend of different coffees the taste comes through...it took my a while to realise why I didn't like certain coffees until I realised that they all have Columbian in them.

Ethiopian is also delicious, as is Jamaica Blue Mountain though the latter doesn't work so well as the thick dark stuff which I like.

[MajorChode]

25. Why coffees taste the same

Here's the official coffee snob answer. To really appreciate coffee, the beans must be freshly roasted (at most 1 month out, but preferably less), and it must be ground immediately before preparation. If this is not what you're doing, you might as well drink Folger's and get out cheaply. Otherwise find a source for freshly roasted coffee (there are a number of good mail order places if you can't find a local one). Grind the beans with a decent quality burr grinder, and brew at the correct temperature. A French press and a tea kettle is the cheapest way out there.

My favorites are usually African coffees, but I also like some South American ones. I tend to not like island and lower elevation coffees. However it's really like saying French wines are better than California wines. Some French wines are better than some California wines and vise versa. The same is true for coffee.