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Food Let's get it percolatin' - how do you take your coffee?

Discussion in 'Tilted Food' started by DamnitAll, Sep 5, 2011.

  1. DamnitAll

    DamnitAll Wait... what?

    Location:
    Central MD
    I keep telling myself I'm going to start making Cuban coffee with my Moka pot. It has yet to happen.

    Motivate me!
     
  2. AlterMoose

    AlterMoose Slightly Tilted

    Location:
    Pangaea
    I,m currently using Trader Joe's Colombia Supremo whole bean. Grind it fresh and put it in the percolator I got at the beginning of the year. I don't know why I haven't been percolating my whole life. Sometimes turbinado or demerara, sometimes raw honey, sometimes straight up. I've found coconut cream or milk to be a pleasant creamer.
     
  3. Baraka_Guru

    Baraka_Guru Möderätor Staff Member

    Location:
    Toronto
    Challenge accepted!

    Ingredients:

    • Find yourself a nice dark espresso roast. You might as well go with a proper Italian roast, which is just past French roast. The beans should be very dark brown and shiny. The oils should make those beans fucking gleam. Take a moment to just look at them. Admire how they shine brightly in the early morning sun.

    [​IMG]

    • Go out of your way to get actual demerara sugar. (White sugar really isn't worth it; it's more or less an abomination.) Any brown or raw sugar will work though. The darker, the better. More molasses, richer flavour.

    [​IMG]

    Method:

    First things first: Only use just-ground beans.

    It's a pretty simple process beyond that, but there are two basic methods.

    1) Add the sugar to the cup before pouring the coffee.

    2) Add the sugar to the coffee beans before brewing.

    Or, to make it easy for you, here are instructions (with photos!) using a Moka pot: 10 Tips on How to Make Cuban Coffee - wikiHow

    Result:

    You could make a regular espresso, I suppose. However, no matter how rich you make an espresso, there is no topping the sweet richness of a proper Cuban coffee!

    [​IMG]

    (Optional)

    Enjoy your coffee with a Cuban cigar.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: May 16, 2013
    • Like Like x 4
  4. DamnitAll

    DamnitAll Wait... what?

    Location:
    Central MD
    Thank you kindly, sir! I'll share my results once I get around to it. :)
     
    • Like Like x 1
  5. spindles

    spindles Very Tilted

    Location:
    Sydney, Australia
    Baraka_Guru, I'm going to give this cuban thing a go. I have one of these pots already - it is my main coffee making kit, and I already have non-white sugar in the house.

    On a different web page I saw this and thought it quite relevant:

    Babbie's Rule of Fifteens:
    Green Beans should be used in fifteen months.
    Roasted beans should be used in fifteen days.
    Ground beans should be used in fifteen minutes.
    Extracted beans should be served in fifteen seconds.

     
    • Like Like x 2
  6. Baraka_Guru

    Baraka_Guru Möderätor Staff Member

    Location:
    Toronto
    I made a proper Cuban coffee this morning.

    Guys, seriously....

    No...seriously....
     
    • Like Like x 1
  7. Charlatan

    Charlatan sous les pavés, la plage

    Location:
    Temasek
    I make my coffee in a moka pot and I mix my finished brew with brown sugar. It never occurred to me to put the sugar in with the ground coffee.

    I am already half way into this morning's coffee. I will have to try this tomorrow morning after my ride.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  8. spindles

    spindles Very Tilted

    Location:
    Sydney, Australia
    I tried it too - way too sweet for me. I took pictures, so I'll post them later. Need to get the sugar/coffee balance right...
    --- merged: May 18, 2013 9:07 AM ---
    The process from start to finish.
    All the bits ready to start:
    1. Raw Materials.jpg

    Ground Coffee:
    2. Ground Coffee.jpg

    Added brown sugar:
    3. addedSugarToCoffee.jpg

    Mixed sugar and coffee:
    4. mixedCoffeeAndSugar.jpg

    Added Mixture into the stovetop espresso:
    5. addedCoffeeAndSugarToPot.jpg

    Cooking with gas!
    6. brewing.jpg

    The finished product:
    7. theFinishedProduct.jpg
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 25, 2013
  9. Baraka_Guru

    Baraka_Guru Möderätor Staff Member

    Location:
    Toronto
    Yeah, that looks like a lot of sugar. I tend to shoot for one tsp per espresso shot (2 oz. or so).
     
  10. Baraka_Guru

    Baraka_Guru Möderätor Staff Member

    Location:
    Toronto
    Well, I went to the dark side. Although I have criticized them in the past, I now use one of those Keurig monstrosities.

    What can I say? They're damned convenient, plus it gives me more control over my consumption.

    The issue I had with fresh beans and a French press was that I am the only who drinks coffee at home. So, if I buy, say, half a pound of coffee, I feel obligated to get through it within a reasonable timeframe. I also have to grind at least four cups' worth at at time with my grinder. This leads me to drink more each day—more than I care to.

    Since I've been trying to cut down my consumption again (from about 3 cups/day), I find the Keurig helps. Everything is single serving and has a longer shelf life than beans bought in bulk. So if I buy twenty-four cups' worth, I don't feel like I need to drink it within a week or so. I can drink just one cup a day, which is my current max. I'm also drinking my coffee black now, as I'm avoiding added sugar in my diet. (I've been adding more than 100 calories a day in sugar with my previous drinking habits.)

    The quality isn't the same, but it isn't bad. Even before I used K-Cups, I liked the Van Houtte brand. I didn't mind the vacuum-packed beans bought at the grocery store if I didn't want fresher beans from a cafe. I tended to like a few of their roasts. Recently, I've been drinking a lot of their K-Cups. I tend to find them a bit better than some other brands. (Though Timothy's seems good as well.)

    Anyway, what prompted me to post this was their website has some cool descriptions of different roast characteristics. I often see these labelled on beans but never really thought much about what they meant. I'll post them here because I found them entertaining at least.

    What sounds good to you?

    Mellow & Fruity:
    These fine coffees have a light body, no bitterness and display slightly tart flavours. Their smooth personality unveils a generous taste of wild berries and distinguished floral tones. Taste buds will be delighted with their subtle and sweet aromas.

    Mellow & Woodsy:
    These delicate and well-rounded coffees evoke the open wildness of nature while softly caressing the palate. Their aromas blend spices and nuts, and the beans’ light roast gives them a slightly sweet flavour with no bitterness.

    Velvety & Fruity:
    These well-balanced coffees showcase a supple body with the perfect harmony between sweetness and tartness. With flavours of berries and citrus, and floral notes in the aroma, these coffees suggest a lively composition in every cup and a warm brightness on the palate of those who enjoy a fine roast.

    Velvety & Woodsy:
    These coffees feature both body and a soft, satin mouthfeel. They offer a savoury experience that puts together the comforting flavours of cocoa, spices and lightly toasted bread. This harmonious amalgam pleases classic taste enthusiasts.

    Bold & Fruity:
    These coffees reveal floral and herbal notes on top of a rich, full-bodied taste. They are the darkest and most tempestuous of the fruity coffees with their luxurious aromas, and flavours that are evocative of citrus or berries. Epicurean palates appreciate their depth and complexity.

    Bold & Woodsy:
    These coffees are full-bodied and deliciously intense. They offer notes of spices and cocoa with smoky tones, and sometimes even dusky hints of the forest floor. Their rich aromas are reminiscent of caramel, toasted bread or nuts. They awake the senses and stir up the passions.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  11. GeneticShift

    GeneticShift Show me your everything is okay face.

    I used Girl Scout Cookie Thin Mint creamer this morning.

    It was delicious, coming from someone who usually isn't in to all the sweet stuff.
     
  12. snowy

    snowy so kawaii Staff Member

    Bold and fruity is how I usually go, @Baraka_Guru.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  13. Baraka_Guru

    Baraka_Guru Möderätor Staff Member

    Location:
    Toronto
    I don't mind that now and again, but I tend to lean towards bold & woodsy, because it's just like me: full-bodied and deliciously intense. :rolleyes:
     
    • Like Like x 1
  14. Katia

    Katia Very Tilted

    Location:
    Earth
    I'm a velvety, woodsy and mellow, woodsy kinda girl. What can I say, I like wood. ;)
     
    • Like Like x 2
  15. Baraka_Guru

    Baraka_Guru Möderätor Staff Member

    Location:
    Toronto
    That's steaming hawt. :D
     
    • Like Like x 1
  16. Why don't I have this??????

    When I go back to drinking coffee more regularly, I shall find this and make it mine. I will then eat Thin Mint cookies with said coffee.
     
  17. Katia

    Katia Very Tilted

    Location:
    Earth
    Yes, a little sugar, lots of cream. Yessss, Baraka. Come to the dark side! Oh my, I think I might be percolating too much! :p
     
    • Like Like x 1
  18. hamsterball

    hamsterball Seeking New Outlets

    I'm still swooning......
     
  19. GeneticShift

    GeneticShift Show me your everything is okay face.

    It's really tasty! We got the Samoa one too, but I haven't tried it yet.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  20. Samoas are my second favorite.