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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Oakville, Ontario, Canada, eh?
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I drink my coffee HOT and I drink my coffee HIGH - clearly the Better Way!
My Big Wall French Press has been wrapped in a couple layers of closed-cell foam insulation, and secured with duct tape and a clip-in loop. It keeps the coffee hot for as long as it takes you to drink it. Note: Pre-heat the press first on cold days
I drink only dark roast bold coffees. The best coffee for my money remains Trader Joe's French Roast - great stuff for the price. Double cream, one sugar. And that's proper Hoser 18% coffee cream, not that Half and Half crap which is about all most of the Merrican stores offer. Coffee mate on the wall or in the woods.
At home, I always grind my coffee fresh each morning. I would love to find a hand grinder to take on the wall, however.
Cheers,
Pass the Coffee Pete
[at least until Changeover Time]
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Standing Strong
Trad climber
on top of the mountain seeing the other side
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i prefer very strong coffee. preferably organic. especially on days like today, because i couldn't sleep last night. so i had a large glass of wine, thinkin' it would make me sleeepy. and then another :)
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Fletcher
Mountain climber
Pahsawdehnaw, CA
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This is a cool thread... I am loving hearing what others like to drink! I used to be a coffee snob, but those days are long gone: Everyone has a different palate and I think even that varies over time (sometimes within the same day for me!). If your brew works for you, hat's off... who cares what someone else thinks? Nobody is forcing you to drink their brew... I hope!
That said, here is my brief history of coffee:
Right now, I'm using a French Press with Peet's French Roast.
I'm taking a break from this baby:
The la Pavoni is a beautiful, nuanced (i.e., fussy) work of art (side note: the opening page on their website has the best music... Nessum Dorma from Puccini's Turandot... brings a tear to my eye). It takes a while to get to know la macchina; eventually you'll develop a sense of timing and touch to get great espresso and milk. This learning curve has been so worth it and it's so much fun for me to make coffee as part of my morning ritual with it. I need to replace all its gaskets, so that's why I'm taking the break.
I take just about everything black these days; used to use milk more in the past and still will if making a latte with the la Pavoni. I use Peet's Italian or French Roasts for espresso.
I also like gold filter drip coffee: Peet's Major Dickason's Blend or Blend 101 are favorites. This is how I drank coffee when I was living in Hong Kong. Peets was the only thing I couldn't live without and had to have shipped in. Took the edge of the day and was totally worth it.
When I need to get down and dirty (like pull an all nighter), sometimes the only thing that does the trick is the old fashioned Nescafe crystals. Tip o' the climbing helmet to my wife for this tip!
I also love Moka pots too. As someone else pointed out, they are their own thing and are a great easy road to a good cup.
Anyone remember Agent Dale Cooper in Twin Peaks and his "cuppa joe"?
I also like certain teas too, especially spicy herbal blends (e.g., Yogi Tea's India Spice, Roobios, Redbush Chai). Nice after lunch or in the late evening.
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Gary
climber
Desolation Basin, Calif.
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Trader Joe's Sumatra Lingtong in a Bodum Santos vacuum pot.
Starbucks is horrid.
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TYeary
Mountain climber
Calif.
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You know, I've drank alot of coffee over the years. I really like an espresso or a capp. Some are better than others. Some are Much better than others. Everyone has their favs; Croft likes Pete's, Mike buys a Trader Joes blend, and so on. I have tried them all, but the best, in my opinon, is Piacere's Premium Blend. Formulated by Miguel Carmona, master coffee roaster and a fine climber, the Premium Blend has no equal. Miguel and I have exparimented with many blends and roasts at his plant, but nothing ever came close to his original blend.
Miguel can lecture for hours on the finer points of the perfect cup. I have , admittedly , become a coffee snob. But I offer no appoligy. I heartly recomend you give Piacere a try. Their Chi Tea mix is killer as well.
Tony
Piacere Coffee
116680 Goldring Rd Unit C
Arcadia, Calif. 91006
626/357/9330
Piacere
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Terry
climber
Spokane
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Love this thread
Dark, Bold and Freshly burr ground. French press - 4 min. no more no less. Island Coffees are consistently my favs - can't stand any of the South American crops - Yeah, im a coffee snob, make no apologies there. I only drink good coffee -why bother with the rest??
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Fletcher
Mountain climber
Pahsawdehnaw, CA
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Forgot to mention, once you get down the road, a good grinder can make a huge difference. You can get lucky per grind with inexpensive blade grinders, but it's hit or miss in terms of consistency. Might not ever get it right.
I'm saving up my sheckels for this guy:
Costwise, it'll run about three-odd camming devices.
Burr grinders (and there are several kinds of burr grinders if you're really ready to nerd out), are the way to go.
Good grinders can cost as much as or more than a good espresso machine! That's when you know you've really gone a ways down a twisted sick road. :-)
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nature
climber
Flagstaff, AZ
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I love my coffee like I love my women....
Hot, black, and bitter!
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WBraun
climber
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So after drinking this special coffee that everyone in this thread keeps talking about, what happens then?
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G_Gnome
Boulder climber
Sick Midget Land
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Fletcher, I use one of those and would really recommend a Rancilio Rocky instead if the $$$ don't kill you.
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10b4me
Trad climber
Hell A
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So after drinking this special coffee that everyone in this thread keeps talking about, what happens then?
that's what I'd like to know.
personally, I think the coffee over at Curry is pretty good, or the Looney Bean
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Euroford
Trad climber
chicago
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dunkin donuts is where its at!
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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...then you have to pee, Werner...
I use the same rig as Dingus, I never thought of it as espresso, but something along the way. Easy as pie to make, and not bad, depending on the coffee.
As I am trying to keep from expanding in girth I am off any coffee drink that is more than coffee... no milk, no sugar... just very strong. Doppios for me all the way.
Of course, I generally have on cup in the morning, and a doppio around 2pm, that's it.
And never on any mountain trip where water is melted from snow, it is just too damn disheartening to pee all that stuff out.
I tag along my wife's economizing, Trader Joe's French Roast... it varies greatly in quality... but it is definitely drinkable. I suspect a good bargin. I hit an occasional Starbucks or Peet's.
I used to like Viennese roast, but I haven't found a good one around. It is not as dark as French roast...
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MisterE
Social climber
RimDweller, AZ
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Triple Americano with 2% and honey.
In the summer I go soft, and get mocha frappachinos sometimes.
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nature
climber
Flagstaff, AZ
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honey?
you sissy!
(no skynard cover ehh? - see ya in the morn? ;-)
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MisterE
Social climber
RimDweller, AZ
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Tim and I are goin' fishin' at 11:00 for the weekend.
Rain check on the housework?
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paganmonkeyboy
Trad climber
the blighted lands of hatu
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i like to mix it up - i'll put expresso in the drip maker from time to time, then alternate with a medium 'morning blend' or dark roast
just something for variety, since i drink it all day long...and rice milk these days, though i was a cream snob for a while...
NO FLAVORED COFFEE.
love this baby though
(and you can use it to refine oils from, er, plant thingys...;-) )
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Werner wrote:"What happens then?"
Well, the short answer is, a nice buzz.
But most of this babble is aimed at preference for aroma and flavor.
It's sort of like the wine thing Werner.
If espresso is properly extracted:
bean selection (like sourcing the grape, generally dark & greasy is good for espresso, with endless variance to suit preference)
the grind & tamp (dictates resistance for draw time & a key to achieve proper "crema")
stable brewing environment (ensures consistent temperature control)
pump pressure (necessary to push the water through the tight grind at the proper speed)
draw time (key element for extraction of desired flavor balance)
The confluence of these selectively controlled variables makes the difference between a dense, bitter shot of black coffee distinct from a sumptuous, lean, yet robust & complex brew with a tangy zip.
For me:
Peets French Roast,
Doppio, long pull, touch of half & half.
Bellissima!
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Fletcher
Mountain climber
Pahsawdehnaw, CA
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Hey G_Gnome,
Yes, the Racilio Rocky is way nice. I'm pushing the budget with the Gaggia MDF, so maybe I'll go for that one next time around.
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