# Your coffee?



## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

I've recently started grinding coffee beans each morning and brewing with filtered water. Yes, tastes good. But is it worth the trouble? How about you? What do you drink, and how much do you care?


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## Headphone Hermit (Jan 8, 2014)

Welcome to the world of *real* coffee - rather like the difference between mono on a small transistor radio and stereo on high-end equipment

My ideal would be Jamaican Blue Mountain - is it worth the pocket-tearing price .... you bet!!!


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## mirepoix (Feb 1, 2014)

I'll drink almost anything from the supermarket own brands, but my girlfriend likes 'illy dark roast' and so that's what we usually have.


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## Kopachris (May 31, 2010)

We use a Keurig at home, and we typically buy some of these in bulk at Costco. I actually don't drink coffee as often as I used to anymore, so I've only tried the French Roast, but it was very bold and flavorful. Parents say the Rainforest Blend is superb.


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## Giordano (Aug 10, 2014)

KenOC said:


> I've recently started grinding coffee beans each morning and brewing with filtered water. Yes, tastes good. But is it worth the trouble? How about you? What do you drink, and how much do you care?


How many beans do you use for your morning coffee?


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Since about 2 years, we only drink coffee made from fresh ground beans (coming from selected places in the world, rather than a mix.... e.g. Colombia, Sumatra, Kenya, Brazil, Ethiopia). The tap water quality is good here, so we don;t bother doing something extra there. We drink it hot and black. Lovely.


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## Guest (Sep 17, 2014)

Dufay said:


> How many beans do you use for your morning coffee?


Precisely 60. _Vill_ you be staying for coffee, my dear Herr Anton Schindler?


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## Guest (Sep 17, 2014)

MUST have my mug of black Lavazza each morning, brewed on the hob in my Moka.

I have a Gaggia grinder but don't seem to bother with it.

I'd possibly prefer Illy but I can't justify the extra cost.

Carluccio's coffee is nice too. Currently breakfast there (coffee and a pastry) is two quid!!!!!!!

Mmmmmmmmmmm coffee........


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

I am a coffee fanatic. I'm happiest when grinding my own beans and use the pour over method to elicit all the flavor I can muster.

The problem is diminishing returns-the longer I keep the beans, the more the flavor is lost. I've tried everything-air tight containers, etc; and I only grind what I need per cup.

Because of this, I find myself using Green Mountain K-cups and my Keurig machine more frequently now. At least the K-cup is vacuum-sealed, so the coffee stays fresh until brewing.

I always drink my coffee black, with nothing added-no sugar-and prefer a very strong, dark brew.

The best coffee I ever tasted was on Maui-a private club-serving fresh 100% Kona. I've never tasted anything so good!

At this time, Double Diamond K Cups, the strongest coffee that Green Mountain makes for Keurig machines is my go-to coffee.


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## Guest (Sep 17, 2014)

I buy espresso-grind for my Gaggia and make an americano with milk every morning. Mostly I use Lavazza, but I have tried others - SegaFredo most recently - quite chocolatey - Illy previously (seemed unnecessarily expensive) and Taylors of Harrogate and Marks and Spencers. Lavazza gives the best crema.

I would grind my own beans if I could get the grind right! I need to splash out on a new grinder, I think.


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## Cosmos (Jun 28, 2013)

I love any kind of coffee, but I don't pay attention to specific types. I guess anything dark roasted.
Also, I need milk and sugar, but the older I get the less I use (I guess that's the deal with nearly everyone)


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## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

I buy whole beans, mostly geographicals, like Sumatran, Costa Rican, Kenyan, Guatemalan, Colombian, etc. Any provenance, given that it is a good coffee growing region, is fine. I am not so uppity that I must have the highest altitude coffees. I let my tongue decide. I think there is a lot of myth and snobbery to drive up costs. I am not opposed to commercial blends, but generally coffees are blended to keep cost down, so I think there is some sacrifice in quality.

I have tried all levels of roasting, but I find the dark roasts less to my liking. Typically, the finest coffees are roasted medium, while inferior beans are roasted darker: roasting destroys the flavourful volatile oils. This morning, I opened a bag of medium-dark Sumatran, which is a pleasant balance between good coffee flavour and a slightly darker blend, however. I think it is also unnecessary to use dark roast when making espresso and other expressed coffees. I have superb results with the highly flavourful medium roasts. With the dark roasts, all you taste is the burnt beans.

I am not fixated on having the supposed highest quality, though. I like Nabob whole beans (geographicals, not the commercial blend), for example, but I am not fixated on any particular brand, either. Some of the more exclusive brands are organic and fair trade: I have tried a number of them and I have concluded that the cost is higher and the quality is lower.

I grind the beans by hand using a Peugeot burr grinder, but any burr grinder should do fine. An electric chopper is less desirable, but it will suffice. I use tap water. We have good mountain water here, although the towns upstream have grown considerably in my lifetime. If you have too many obstacles and costs to enjoying a cup, then you won't be into enjoying good coffee for long.

I like to use whole milk with my coffee. When I am out of milk, I will use ½ teaspoonful of honey, but I feel that the fats in the milk carry the coffee flavours the best. Cream, however, is simply too fat for my taste and alters the flavour substantially.

I bought an espresso machine about a year ago and I now use that exclusively. I let it run a bit longer, so my coffee is what is known as _lungo_, ie., it has more water than a concentrated espresso. I also like coffee made in the Bodum style, but the espresso machine has won me over. I don't go for the Keurig and similar machines, however. The cost of the pellets is astronomical, at about 50¢ a cup, compared to loose beans, at 10¢ or less a cup (I don't make a point of comparing prices, since I don't like their concept at all: sorry, no intention to offend). You have to buy their coffee pellets and you have an awful lot of plastic waste per cup. It is convenient, however, and sometimes I envy that  Still, it just goes against my grain.


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## Couac Addict (Oct 16, 2013)

Can't stand it. It may explain why I'm always fal...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz


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## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

^ And it likely explains why I have trouble sleeping


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

Starbucks: Pike Place (medium roast); Verona (dark roast). 1 - 2 cups in the morning, with cream.


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## scratchgolf (Nov 15, 2013)

Tim Horton's - Cream only. Easily my favorite of the chains. The southern US doesn't know what it's missing (As usual)


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

I'm new to this game. Using a drip brewer that has a pour-over funnel sitting on a glass-lined thermal carafe. Plus a very cheap chopper-type grinder. Still on my first pound of beans -- Starbucks French Roast. Grinding fine, which is not what the instruction book says but I like the extra strength.


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## Morimur (Jan 23, 2014)

KenOC said:


> I've recently started grinding coffee beans each morning and brewing with filtered water. Yes, tastes good. But is it worth the trouble? How about you? What do you drink, and how much do you care?


It's not _that much_ of a hassle. Grind your coffee beans in an an electric grinder, make sure you grind enough for a couple of days and voilà. I also don't mind drinking pre-ground coffee, but I WILL NOT, under any circumstances drink instant coffee -- I am not that poor.

:lol: :lol: :lol:


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

They use Maxwell House at the office and it tastes fine. Away from there I prefer the regular blend at 7-11 stores. Plain black coffee, no fancy flavors.


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## Morimur (Jan 23, 2014)

scratchgolf said:


> Tim Horton's - Cream only. Easily my favorite of the chains. The southern US doesn't know what it's missing (As usual)


Are you kidding me? I am originally from Toronto and grew up on that sewage water that passes for coffee. But who knows, maybe it tastes better down here.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

I don't drink coffee but I buy it and make it for my wife who loves the stuff. She goes for Starbucks "dark" - verona, sumatra, Italian roast and expresso. She likes it with a little fat-free half and half. Every few days I ask her how she's liking her coffee so I'll have a good idea of what adjustments to make. Unlike some of you folks, she isn't fussy about it. 

In return, my wife has always given me haircuts. That's getting a little problematic because she's losing her vision in her left eye. So far, no loss of blood although she did cut up her mom when working on her fingers.


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## TurnaboutVox (Sep 22, 2013)

Brazilian or Colombian 'rainforest alliance' beans from 'Booths' (upmarket supermarket chain in Lancashire / west Yorkshire, UK)
Lightly roasted so there is quite a fruity 'berry' flavour
Electric grinder which has been going strong for 26 years, 
beans finely ground
Tap water (tastes good around here)
Cafetiere
Strong and black
Dose: 1 mug, b.d. and p.r.n.


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## Jos (Oct 14, 2013)

View attachment 51421


Beans from Lavazza (Cream e gusto or the redlabel) for daily use.
Sometimes Kilimanjaro mountain beans, a bit of a hassle 'cause I have to adjust the grinder, a very old Italian machine, very big and very loud !

Limited to 5 shots a day because of cholestrollevels.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Jos said:


> View attachment 51421
> 
> 
> Beans from Lavazza (Cream e gusto or the redlabel) for daily use.
> ...


Looked this up and it seems that you have to watch out for unfiltered coffee -- espresso or French-pressed. Filtered coffee has far less of the suspect chemicals, since filtering removes the oils.


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## ProudSquire (Nov 30, 2011)

Straight from Starbucks, if not, I'll settle for a Yemeni, Colombian or Turkish cup.


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## david johnson (Jun 25, 2007)

black coffee for me - Colombian, Jamaica Blue Mountain, Eight O'clock, Community Club (light medium), sometimes I enjoy some added chicory


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## Rhythm (Nov 2, 2013)

I'm good with Seattle #4. Sometimes I buy the beans, so grinding them will make for a distinctive behavioral change that'll jar my brain in the kitchen, in the mornings .

This is my all-time memorable vid for filtered coffee. Enjoy!
Music by http://muccapazza.com/picsvids/


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## Morimur (Jan 23, 2014)

Starbucks is overrated. I'll take McDonalds coffee over Starbucks any day, but Panera beats both by a long shot.


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## Couac Addict (Oct 16, 2013)

I don't understand why coffee cups have handles. If it's too hot to hold, surely it's too hot to drink.


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## Headphone Hermit (Jan 8, 2014)

^^^ Aargh! No, no, no!

I only drink espresso and always *always * the cup MUST be hot - it must be heated first with boiling water and then the hot coffee put straight away into the cup (never a paper mug - and especially never one with a plastic baby-lid covering it).

It depresses me how many places don't understand the proper way to heat up an espresso cup - I think I'll have to move to Italy, just for that!


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Morimur said:


> Starbucks is overrated. I'll take McDonalds coffee over Starbucks any day, but Panera beats both by a long shot.


I agree. Around where I live, Panera brews the best fresh, dark coffee. The girl-watching there is excellent too!
It's almost like you can't get in there if female, unless you look like a model.


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## BaronScarpia (Apr 2, 2014)

Illy and Lavazza are my favourites. Neither are Fairtrade, though, so I rarely drink them 

Nothing beats a Nero macchiato though, or, dare I say it, a _flat white_ from Costa.


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## scratchgolf (Nov 15, 2013)

Morimur said:


> Are you kidding me? I am originally from Toronto and grew up on that sewage water that passes for coffee. But who knows, maybe it tastes better down here.


You've obviously never lived in Texas. If you had, you'd also crave Tim Horton's, and civilized society in general. Think String Quartets with Cowboy Hats.


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## Morimur (Jan 23, 2014)

scratchgolf said:


> You've obviously never lived in Texas. If you had, you'd also crave Tim Horton's, and civilized society in general. Think String Quartets with Cowboy Hats.


Tim Hortons in Texas? That's a long way from Hamilton, Ontario where it was founded by the Hockey player, Tim Horton.


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## scratchgolf (Nov 15, 2013)

Morimur said:


> Tim Hortons in Texas? That's a long way from Hamilton, Ontario where it was founded by the Hockey player, Tim Horton.


My point that Timmy's doesn't stretch much further than border states. Certainly not Texas, where your options are gas stations or.......other gas stations. I'm also aware if it's roots, and have always enjoyed the coffee. I'm certainly no coffee connoisseur.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Just received my Bird Rock Coffee Company's Bird Rock Blend, freshly roasted beans, overnighted from La Jolla CA. Ground 'em right up and used the pour over method. Fantastic taste! Problem is each time I grind the beans, the flavor declines. It is so damn hard to keep those beans fresh!

Is there anything more perishable than freshly roasted coffee beans?


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## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

I've noticed that, too. It is best to grind only as much as you intend to use. I keep the beans in the freezer (compartment), but I have read that it is better to keep them in the refrigerator. Who knows?

Sometimes I think they must inject a puff of aroma into the bag when they pack the beans, so that you get that great whiff of intoxicating odour when you first open it. Have you ever noticed that the strong odour is gone by the next day?


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

brotagonist said:


> I've noticed that, too. It is best to grind only as much as you intend to use. I keep the beans in the freezer (compartment), but I have read that it is better to keep them in the refrigerator. Who knows?
> 
> Sometimes I think they must inject a puff of aroma into the bag when they pack the beans, so that you get that great whiff of intoxicating odour when you first open it. Have you ever noticed that the strong odour is gone by the next day?


When the beans are fresh and then ground, just the amount you need, and you use the pour over method for adding the hot water, as soon as the water hits the ground coffee, you can see it bubble up. That's a sign of freshness! So many times I've bought supermarket beans and after grinding, there were no bubbles upon adding hot water proving that the beans are stale.

So, I order my beans from a good coffee shop in CA. They freshly roast them and ship over night. So for a couple of days I have great coffee. But after that, no matter how meticulous I am at trying to keep the air away from the beans, I always fail and the water hits the ground beans and there's hardly any bubbles, telling me the fresh flavor is just about gone.


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## Jos (Oct 14, 2013)

KenOC said:


> Looked this up and it seems that you have to watch out for unfiltered coffee -- espresso or French-pressed. Filtered coffee has far less of the suspect chemicals, since filtering removes the oils.


Exactly the words of my GP. Also the Turkish or Indonesian way are not too healthy; tasty though.
Things get even worse when the coffee is actually made with boiling water. Those nice Italian moccapots on the stove are the real arterycloggers.


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## Headphone Hermit (Jan 8, 2014)

^^^ does just one espresso a day have the potential to have a *significant* artery-blocking effect?

I'm asking in all seriousness


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## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

Coffee: artery-clogging? It sounds very suspect to me.

Here's an article from the Mayo Clinic that suggests that the benefits outweigh the risks for most people:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-l...expert-answers/coffee-and-health/faq-20058339


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

brotagonist said:


> Coffee: artery-clogging? It sounds very suspect to me.


Here's the article about cholesterol. Only unfiltered coffee it seems.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/441424-high-cholesterol-coffee/


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## Jos (Oct 14, 2013)

Headphone Hermit said:


> ^^^ does just one espresso a day have the potential to have a *significant* artery-blocking effect?
> 
> I'm asking in all seriousness


HH,just one, no. And I'm very serious about this too. 
My cholestrollevels were somewhat high but dropped after cutting down on the espresso; this after consulting my doctor.
I make my espresso like the Italians do so they are small. I used to take in 10 or 12 of these shots a day. That sounds excessive, but you know how small these cups are.....
Now I do 2 in the morning, one after lunch and 2 in the evening. I cancelled the 4o'clock "pick me up"shot.
Cholestrollevels are fine now. 
All in moderation...ghee, can't believe I'm realy saying this.....


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## Headphone Hermit (Jan 8, 2014)

^^^ Thanks, Jos

I only take one espresso a day, and never in the afternoon/evening - coffee after mid-day makes my head spin so much that I have to lie down for a quick nap or I'd fall over.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

brotagonist said:


> Coffee: artery-clogging? It sounds very suspect to me.
> 
> Here's an article from the Mayo Clinic that suggests that the benefits outweigh the risks for most people:
> 
> http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-l...expert-answers/coffee-and-health/faq-20058339


Nah! Cardiologists recommend coffee. Has more good stuff in it than just about anything.

Just look at me. I drink 3-4 cups a day and my posting has accelerated!


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Headphone Hermit said:


> ^^^ Thanks, Jos
> 
> I only take one espresso a day, and never in the afternoon/evening - coffee after mid-day makes my head spin so much that I have to lie down for a quick nap or I'd fall over.


When I was in Italy, I think my blood turned to 63% espresso.


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## Headphone Hermit (Jan 8, 2014)

hpowders said:


> When I was in Italy, I think my blood turned to 63% espresso.


the effects have been profound and very, very long lasting ... are you sure you weren't drinking _lentissimo_ instead of _espresso_ :lol:


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## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

I'm not concerned about it presently.

Firstly, it's only one study; 
secondly, the Italians drink a lot of espresso and they are generally said to have low cardiovascular disease; and
thirdly, my daily consumption is 4 espressos a day, which I think is within a moderate range.

I think one needs to take a look at the whole picture: is coffee the only or primary fluid you ingest? how much do you drink? massive quantities once in a while or every day? do you have it with cream, sugar or other known risk factors? And more importantly: how is the rest of your diet? is there a preponderance of foods that are implicated in arterial disease? And beyond diet: how is your health? how fit are you? do you have a predisposition to arterial disease?

Also, If you are consuming massive quantities of coffee daily, then I believe you are creating an imbalance of nutrients (coffee has healthful nutrients), which can have consequences on the longer term. You need to ask yourself: why am I relying so heavily on only one liquid to meet my fluid needs? why do I need stimulation from caffeine so badly? is my sleep deficient?

Etc.

Sure, it tastes good, but so do other things. It is industry that wants to coerce us into making a religion of it.


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## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

On second thought, maybe I am just a little bit concerned  Maybe I'll cut down to 3 espressos a day  but I'm still going to have one right now :lol:


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## mtmailey (Oct 21, 2011)

I drink it but not to often it has a bitter taste .I rather have warm coffee with milk.


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

A medium to dark roast black, with Kahlua on the side, or is it coffee on the side, is nice.


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## Orpheus (Jul 15, 2012)

Here in Brazil, where the coffee is actually grown, we prefer in my household to think of ourselves as something in the nature of coffee connoisseurs, and therefore rigorously utilize a highly complex and sophisticated method of preparation each time we drink coffee. It requires the following stages, which must be followed, in order, with religious scrupulosity and scientific precision to produce good results:

1) Boiling tap water.
2) Transferring pre-ground coffee from packet into filter. 
3) Waiting for water to go slightly off the boil (important, we don't like coffee that tastes acrid and burnt). 
4) Pouring water and waiting for caffeinated liquid to accumulate.
5) Pouring coffee into cup, adding full-cream milk (myself) or honey (the spouse) to taste. And finally:
6) Drinking coffee. Mmm, delicious.

We find that this method produces an excellent brew in 100 percent of cases, providing we use a good coffee to start with. Many of the cheaper coffees here taste like they have too much _robusta_ in the blend, which tends to make a weaker, sour tasting coffee with little complexity and a bland aroma, or else are over-roasted (sometimes both). Since brands of vastly better quality really do not cost much more, however, and are bargains anyway by US or European standards, buying the cheap stuff seems like a distinct false economy.

The coffee we drink most often, therefore, is the standard (but good) local brand, Café do Sítio, which is grown on farms not too far away, processed at a factory a few blocks away from our home, delivered to the local corner store where we buy our coffee as beans, and ground and packaged for sale immediately. It probably therefore gains in freshness what it might otherwise lack in quality (though it is, in any case, a nice flavourful coffee, on the strong side of medium roast, with a rich aroma and plenty of body, just the thing to get you going in the morning, or any other time for that matter). Clearly everyone else around here thinks so too, as this brand represents about one third to one half of the _total_ coffee for sale in most local stores, despite costing about 50% more than the cheaper kinds - a pocket-busting $3 US or more (equivalent) for 500g!

It's rare to see non-Brazilian coffee for sale here, the most common exception being the very expensive "luxury" imported Italian brands that some stores stock, which presumably have snob value for certain people. However, given that this was most likely coffee that was sent in the first place from Brazil to Italy, where it acquired pretty new packaging before being sent all the way back, losing through the long journey in freshness what it gained in price points, I don't really_ see_ the point.


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## trazom (Apr 13, 2009)

I've been a coffee addict since I was in elementary school(it's easier when you start young).

For those who can't abide the taste there is still hope: coffee enemas. Yes there are health risks, and while I can never go back to Starbucks again, THE POINT IS it worked.


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