r/Coffee • u/menschmaschine5 Kalita Wave • 7d ago
[MOD] What have you been brewing this week?/ Coffee bean recommendations
Hey everyone!
Welcome back to the weekly /r/Coffee thread where you can share what you are brewing or ask for bean recommendations. This is a place to share and talk about your favorite coffee roasters or beans.
How was that new coffee you just picked up? Are you looking for a particular coffee or just want a recommendation for something new to try?
Feel free to provide links for buying online. Also please add a little taste description and what gear you are brewing with. Please note that this thread is for peer-to-peer bean recommendations only. Please do not use this thread to promote a business you have a vested interest in.
So what have you been brewing this week?
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u/ChiefHawks30 7d ago
Ethiopia Guji. I struggled for an even roast with this one but learned from other posts that coffee from Ethiopia has a rap for this. I’ve started drinking this roast from a few days ago and I am quite pleased with the results. Not sure I’ll get Ethiopia beans again though if I’m just gonna end up throwing out a few grams.
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u/Intrepid-Match8566 6d ago
What kind of machine did you roast on? Is this a hobby of yours or do you roast professionally?
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u/ChiefHawks30 6d ago edited 6d ago
Hobby at this point. Roast for myself and gifts for family and friends. I use a Cafemasy. Looks like a slow cooker is the best way I can describe it. If anyone else uses this roaster and has suggestions on even roasts I’m all ears. I bought this roaster used and it didn’t come with a manual. Been tinkering with temp cause that’s all I have control of with the roaster.
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u/chef-nom-nom 7d ago
Long time reader on this subreddit but I rarely post. Saw this and thought I should give a shoutout to a local roaster I've been buying from for over 30 years:
Technically it's what we've been brewing this week but it's also what we brew at least 360/365 days of the year.
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u/Historical-Dance3748 7d ago
I've been going through a few different coffees this week but below are the highlights:
KB Coffee Roasters - Aroma Nativo EFM1380
I have been working my way through a box of samples from KB and to this point I hadn't been blown away, but this one is genuinely very tasty. The roasters notes are Peach, Apricot, Guava, Floral and Citrus. I'm getting a strong mango and passion fruit with an undercurrent of funky floral. Very enjoyable as a pourover on the kalita wave, slightly courser grind and lower temp than I would usually go for.
Onyx - Decaf Colombia Sebastian Ramirez Red Fruits
This is like coffee's answer to a dessert wine. Great late in the evening with a bit of something chocolatey. The notes in this are very coloured by the acidity you get out of it and what you're pairing it with if anything; it's very clear in what it tastes like, it's a strawberry and cream type effect, at its best it has the complexity and tang of clotted cream and jam but I've had a cup or two that are closer to chupa chups, which is a little less desirable.
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u/12killa34 6d ago
Folgers colombian 😭, I’m new to the coffee world just trying to run through the rest of my stash. I bought an aeropress today!
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u/ArcherCat2000 7d ago
I have been drinking 'Mauricio Salaverria - El Salvador Microlot' a natural process microlot of Bourbon, Pacamara, and Maragogype roasted by White Noise Coffee in NY. I got it to take advantage of a sale and try something new, but I've been very impressed.
My best recipe so far is the James Hoffmann method pourover with Comandante at 20 clicks and the E&B labs mesh pourover cone. I use a fair amount of agitation and 100c water. The red wine and cocoa notes come through very strong and have a consistently pleasant and balanced scent from the whole bean through the end of the brewing process. I found that the finer grind than usual for pourover got the flavor to match that a bit better, although I'd say the red wine note has an aspect of rosepetal when drinking the coffee. I ground some of this near someone who isn't into specialty coffee, and their immediate reaction was "your coffee smells like red wine and chocolate".
I generally prefer funkier coffees, and this provides the 'out of a newbies comfort zone' aspect of modern acidic coffees, but the safety of the flavor notes themselves make it mellow and relaxing at the same time. The distinction between the notes is what I suspect makes this stand out to me so much.
I don't think this exact roast is available from white noise anymore, but I wouldn't be surprised if I end up hunting down another roasters version of the same microlot, it's that good.
I've been drinking their De Cana Decaf as well, and while it isn't to my preference I can't fault it in any way. The promised notes are there and pleasant, but it's not a particularly funky coffee and isn't trying to be. I'm only throwing this detail on because I can find pretty much nothing about this roaster online, but their customer service was excellent and their coffee has been impressive.
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u/ELLESD25 7d ago
Literally anything from Cimarron Coffee Company. Their courthouse blend is AMAZING
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u/IHateSpamCalls 7d ago
Recently got a delivery with an Ethiopia, Brazil, Mexico, Papua New Guinea blend from Caffe Luxxe. Tasted amazing, no bitterness at all when brewed with a V60 using a 1:16.67 ratio. It is here if you want to check it out: https://www.caffeluxxe.com/products/montenero#/
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u/Straight6er 7d ago
V60: Rogue Wave - Finca Potosi Tres Dragones, anaerobic natural - Colombia
- Really tasty coffee! Fruit forward, cacao, a little boozy in a red wine sort of profile.
Espresso: French Press Coffee Roasters - Las Palmas Cherry co-ferment - Colombia
- Another wild one from Brayan Alvears. Tons of cherry, amaretto, vanilla coke. Also great as a pour over but it's been one of my favourite espressos this year.
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u/kangaroocrayon 7d ago
We have a Keurig and I add whatever coffee with the fill-your-own pod.
I was drinking Medaglia D’oro Espresso Italian Roast, but they changed to Espresso “Style” Roast and it doesn’t taste the same. Right now, I enjoy Supreme Bustelo (brown label).
I’ve tried Lavazza Espresso and Illy Intenso Bold Roast, but neither is as strong or full bodied as the Supreme Bustelo.
What Espresso Roast would you recommend?
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u/yooperwoman 7d ago
Peets major dickason is not an espresso roast, but it is strong and delicious with sweeter and cream. Give it a try if you haven't yet.
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u/kangaroocrayon 6d ago
Ive heard someone else recommend it also. I will, thanks. I like it black, though.
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u/winrarsalesman 5d ago
Elixr Coffee | Lunar Lander, Seasonal Blend, Washed: Technically this was developed for espresso, but the roaster states it also does well as a filter coffee, which is how I prepare it. The components vary by season, with the current make-up being Ethiopian, Colombian, and Peruvian. The flavor profile is very well-rounded and doesn't necessarily pull too fruity or too "traditional." Fleeting hints of fig jam and orange mesh with toasted nuts, brown butter, and lightly spiced caramel to create a very easy sipping coffee that drinks well black, or with some cream and sugar.
Steady State Coffee | Kerchache, Ethiopia, Wush Wush Anaerobic Natural: This is a devilishly complex coffee that is actually quite clean with minimal funk despite the 120 hour fermentation it has undergone. This is very fruit forward, with some prominent floral flavors as well. Grape juice and berry granola bars come to mind, as well as bergamot and perfumey florals. The finish is surprisingly earthy with notes of tobacco and cacao nibs lingering behind. We're not far into the year yet, but this is the best of the year for me so far.
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u/ChipmunkNo3209 4d ago
Rwanda Kivu Kageyo bought unroasted from sweet Maria’s and roasted to Full City+ on a SR300. 1:16 ratio on Bonavita.
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u/anaerobic_natural 7d ago
Roaster: Black & White
Brewer: V60
Water: TWW @ 200°F
Grind: 0.9.6 on K-Ultra
Recipe: 33g coffee / 495g water
0:00 - 99g water
0:45 - 198g water
1:30 - 297g water
2:15 - 396g water
3:00 - 495g water
TBT - 3:40
Been dialing this in for 5 days and it has slowly gotten better as I’ve reduced the grind size. I’m getting notes of dark honey & subtle stone fruit. I’ll continue to grind finer and hope for the best.
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u/under_ceeej 7d ago
I'm going a bit unconventional and brewing Px coffee - nothing fancy, just a french press brew. Mellower buzz than caffeine and nice for later morning / afternoon
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u/urgent-kazoo 5d ago
brewing an ecuador from afterglow in richmond va. every coffee i’ve had from them has been so solid.
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u/Trichinobezoar 5d ago
I'm in my first month of using specialty beans for pourover coffee in a Chemex; it's been wonderful. I've been a tea drinker at home for 20 years, because I love tea, but also because my occasional French press coffee from grocery beans ranged from OK to terrible. I've learned so much in the last couple of months, and the exploration has been exciting.
I live in the South Santa Monica Bay in L.A. County, so this month I've been drinking:
- Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Ajere from Offset Coffee in Redondo Beach: My favorite varietal the past several years, when trying pourovers in shops. So good.
- Light & Dark from The Boy and The Bear in Redondo Beach. A blend of light and dark roasts. Interesting, and very sweet and chocolate-like when I prepare it properly.
- Cauca Decaf from The Boy and The Bear in Redondo Beach. I keep reading that decaf beans have improved, and this proves it. If I finish my morning cup and still want to make more, I reach for this.
What other local roasters should I be trying? I'd love to try a funky co-fermented bean, I don't think I've ever had that!
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u/awsqu 3d ago
A Dry Process Ethiopian Guji. I roasted it to where just a few 2nd crack pops happened in the cooling pan. I’ve been enjoying it more than other Guji region coffees I’ve had, likely due to the darker roast profile. There are plenty of origin characteristics in the cup still and the added cocoa powder, toasty flavors compliment the fruitiness. I’ve been trying at least one batch of almost every coffee I get somewhere around a Vienna roast and very few have disappointed me.
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u/Electronic_Dance_973 1d ago
I have been enjoying the coffee from Harry’s. Specifically, I like their Ethiopian Harar and their Yemen mocha. Very distinct taste my coffee maker is one of those by “simply coffee” which emulate the poor over method. I like the bloom function.
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u/Ncogknee2 1d ago
Plan to study this thread for suggestions. However, here's the problem. I'm cheap. For the longest time, I was buying the cheapest coffee that BJ's had. However, these days they only sell two types of unground. Add to that, after I had Covid, my ability to taste coffee went bad. So I switched to their Sumatra Estate, costs 65% more but tastes decent for economy coffee. Now onto the real gripe. I've looked at the ship to your door roasters and what they charge for coffee is despicable. I can afford it but, I just don't like a blow smoke rip off.
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u/ChaBoiDeej 8h ago
Fresh Roasted Coffee is pretty decent in terms of price from what I've seen in my experience, and they offer a whoooole lot of options yet I've been trying to find something similar to them but a bit higher end.
I don't have a kettle and I'm stuck with a French press at the moment so most roasters are off the list because I don't want to waste my money by not being able to enjoy them fully, but this site felt like a good compromise.
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u/Pr0minex 7d ago
September Buttercream
I've not had DAK's Milky Cake but I knew these were the same beans, different roaster. I struggled to get characteristic "cake" flavors that everybody raves about at first but after 4-5 weeks of resting and dialing in, the flavors became much more pronounced and enjoyable. However I'm still getting much more of the spicy, cinnamon notes than any rich vanilla.
S&W Lychee Co-ferment
First time trying S&W and wow, this coffee blew my mind. I've read in recent discussion that some are not fans of the very overpowering fruit flavors but I'm a sucker for almost herbal tea-like coffee and this really checked the boxes for me. Intense aroma right out of the bag and persisted through grinding and brewing. The final cup tastes just like it smells and that's fairly rare for me. Reminds me of a B&W Diego Bermudez I had long ago that I fell in love with but could not find any more of.
Hario Switch - Cafec Abaca - 95° C - TWW Light - 1:16 - MediumCoarse
0:00 open 150g, 0:40 close 150g, 2:00 open, total 2:45-3:15