Why does coffee in cafes taste 100x better than at home?

[anotherdog]

This is it! I've tried everything and nothing beats a french press and freshly ground coffee with a burr type grinder. A little more work, but you will get coffeehouse grade coffee at home this way.

Just to add, Get an insulated (double wall) french press, it keeps the coffee HOT. you need to steep the coffee grounds for 5 minutes.
Filtered water and the conical burr grinder...god I need a coffee now!

 

[anotherdog]

I spent almost eight years in the office coffee business many moons ago. We use a Bunn for our brew to this day. It meets the standards for brewing established years ago by a number of groups involved in professional food service.

Those standards call for a water temperature of 200° (+/- 4°) and for the water to be in contact with the coffee grounds for no less than 2.5 minutes and no more than 3.5 minutes for a 12 cup (64 oz.) pot. The result is a range of extraction of the coffee oils considered ideal with variables for taste being the weight, grind, roasting and blend of the coffee itself. The Bunn uses an internal tank to heat and store hot water and keep it at the ready for the next pot. Brewers like the Mr. Coffee and stove top percolators heat the water from scratch resulting in a much slower brew, higher temperatures and over extraction of the coffee oils.

Starbucks and others have certainly changed consumer expectations of how a "good" cup of coffee tastes by using French Roast standards with their offerings. To me, French Roast is little more than burning of the coffee during the roasting process to hide the poor quality of the beans used in the blend. The most widely used blend, and the highest quality IMHO, is the "Pan-American" blend which consists of 1/3 Brazilian Milds, 1/3 Columbian, and 1/3 of any of the Central American mountain grown beans. It is medium roasted and a standard drip grind. Folger's Classic Roast is as good as it gets as far as what is available in the grocery store.

coffee hero

 

[AnotherSignManiac]

I, myself, am not a huge coffee drinker, but my dad is. And I know he loves his coffee 100 times over anything he can purchase. As many have said buy a good coffee maker and beans. My dad actually roasts and grinds his own coffee.

 

[oldgoatroper]

+1 on the Bunn coffee makers! A great pot of coffee ... in 3 minutes!

Here in Canada, Tim Horton's sells a not-quite-so-heavy-duty version of their Bunn coffee makers for the home for about 150 bucks. Nothing fancy about it. Just has an on-off switch and burner switch. It keeps a reservoir of hot water at all times so its always ready to brew FAST. You need to make always a full pot, they suck at making half-pots.

But, the coffee is seriously great and yes, its fast.

 

[sar bossier]

You need to get the right coffee maker, you have to buy the Bunn coffee maker for around a 100 bucks, also you need to get a grinder.

Buying your coffee whole is the best way to have it fresh, you can get a really nice grinder at staples for 20 bucks, I think Mr Coffee makes it.

Also, you need good filtered water or good spring or well water, you can't use stinky tap water.

If you follow this formula you can buy the unground coffee from Starbucks or most any smaller coffee roaster company and your brew will taste EXACTLY like it does from the store.

THIS!!!!

 

[Fred Weiss]

THIS!!!!

Pass the chicory please. :ROFLMAO:

 

[sar bossier]

Pass the chicory please. :ROFLMAO:

bwahahahahaha ... SOME chickory coffee is REALLY good - MOST is bitter. I prefer Jamaican whole bean, so there!

 

[MikePro]

k-cups taste the best in smaller portions. i always use the 3/5 or 4/5 cupsize option and it tastes great, but if i go for the 5/5 size, its watery.

 

[ucmj22]

Just buy one of these! they're only like 5k, and its the same espresso machine starbucks uses. I have 3 starbucks a day now

I'm sure you can imagine my dismay when I've been asking for a server for 13 months and the owners came home with 3 of these instead.

 

[signage]

Just buy one of these! they're only like 5k, and its the same espresso machine starbucks uses. I have 3 starbucks a day now

I'm sure you can imagine my dismay when I've been asking for a server for 13 months and the owners came home with 3 of these instead.

One of what

Oh now you add the photo

 

[genericname]

I'm sure you can imagine my dismay when I've been asking for a server for 13 months and the owners came home with 3 of these instead.

You're having trouble getting paid, and the business owner purchased 15k worth of espresso hardware? You need to leave.

 

[ucmj22]

bottom line is there are 2 things that dramatically affect the flavor of coffee for those with coffee palettes. first the time from roast to grind. coffee is best if it is ground within 3 days of roasting. Second, after grinding, it must be used nearly immediately. The higher end cafes wil have beans that are fresher, and they are ground in the machine when they press the button to make the order. So basically, the fresher the bean, the better the coffee.

 

[Rick]

I have an ooompa loompa make my coffee so it taste great... that,
and Trader Joe's 100% Kona...

 

[ChicagoGraphics]

Want a great cup of java, drink greek coffe aka turkish style, There's no expensive coffee makers or filters to mess with.

 

[TyrantDesigner]

There is a Coffee delivery service that makes a mean cup of joe ... they pass in front of the shop 3 times a day or more ... makes me want to throw a brick at them some times.

 

[2NinerNiner2]

- Tim Horton's coffee maker (Bunn - ready in 3 minutes!)
- Tim Horton's filters - there is a difference
- Tim Horton's coffee - fine grind (same as in the store)
- 18% coffee cream
- a "tad" of sugar
- minimum 3 pots per day

WAY better than in the store

 

[signswi]

This topic has been well covered but if you want a GREAT cup at work do four thrings:

1) Buy quality whole beans (I like Alterra out of Milwaukee)
2) Store it in a dark, cool place in a container that seals well. Not the fridge or freezer.
3) Grind it right before you use it with a quality burr grinder
4) Buy an Aeropress. The quality of the oil extraction with such a simple device is amazing and has to be experienced.

 

[SD&F]

I NEED my coffee and the key to making coffee is:
You need quality beans(Illy) really good stuff
You need to grind the beans and immediately brew the coffee in a quality coffee maker.
Here is your problem, the coffee makers need to be 1500 degrees or better and that is hard to find. If you find one that gets above that temperature let me know.

BTW: I drink coffee out everyday(can't find coffee pot hot enough) and not at Hooters.

 

[CheapVehicleWrap]

Instant here. Cheaper.

 

[Gino]

Y'all got it wrong. It ain't any good until you add and unwhipped cream with a dash of brown sugar. I just don't understand why you'd wanna ruin good whiskey ??

Even a black coffee drinker will enjoy this.....

Drinking coffee black, not the color of the drinkee............:Oops:​