I thought I would bring a post over I did at SS. Coffee is a fun hobby I got into about 5 years back. I thought I would share.

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Most coffee lovers stop at starbucks or dunkin' donuts to get their morning cup o' joe. Those that truely love their coffee...might even grind their own beans with a whirly blade grinder they bought from Bed, Bath and Beyond. This is usually where the "hobby" ends. If asked where the best beans in the world are grown...most would say Columbia. Some odd individuals might even say they don't like coffee. When asked why...they might say because it's bitter.

Folks...good coffee is rarely bitter. And great coffee starts at home. You will not get it at Starbucks...or even Dunkin Donuts. It starts with roasting your own beans. Roasting your own beans? SMG...that sounds really complicated...and time consuming...maybe even expensive. Roasting your own beans takes about 20 minutes a week (depending on how much you drink), and will save you 4-8 dollars a pound. And it starts with a good green coffee bean.



In the picture...to the left is a bag of green coffee beans. To the right is an I-Roast 2...which I use to roast the beans to a nice dark chocolate brown (what they call in the coffee circles as a Full City+). With little effort...and a small learning curve...you can roast your own beans right at home. I use
[url]http://www.sweetmarias.com[/url]for my supplies but there are many great sites on the net. BTW: most of the worlds best coffee beans are grown in ethiopia. I know...odd huh.

After a good roast and a 24 hour resting period in a vented bag...it's time to grind. To get a good grind for adequate extraction of the bean you need a quality grinder. I use the Rancilio Rocky...which might be an overkill for drip coffee. You can get a decent burr grinder for around 100 dollars. Toss the whirly blade grinder.



A quality grind is HUGE...don't scimp on your grinder. Next, thing you need is a coffee maker that actually gets the water hot enough for quality extractions. Very few coffee makers get the water hot enough. I personally use the Technivorim Mochamaster which has three characteristics I like. One...it gets you really hot water...two it has a feature where the hot water can sit in the grounds before a slow drip is allowed...giving you a fuller tasting coffee. And finally the thermocarafe keeps the coffee warm without burning it.



So, in review:

1) buy green beans
2) buy a roaster
3) buy a quality grinder
4) buy a quality coffee maker

practice, practice...then practice some more. But, I promise you that what you will be drinking will be the best coffee you have ever tasted. It will also be a whole lot cheaper in the long run if you make an early investment.

Here is my Rancilio Ms Silvia espresso machine...