So what do you recommend? Nothing too strong or nothing that resembles dirty dish water neither. Just a good drinkable smooth coffee.
Also looking forward to using the bean grinding machine in the supermarkets too. Simple things...........
I am wanting to buy a coffee machine and I don't know what beans I need to buy and which are any good. I will be buying a filter coffee machine where the coffee once made sits on a hot plait. We have only ever bought nescafe instant but now I need beans i'm confused especially as it is written in German and still not my strong point.
Personally, I enjoy the "Chicco Doro Tradition" brand. It makes a very smooth coffee. You can find it in Volg or Coop.
I really like La Semeuse, particularily the Mocca variety.
I would recommend a variety of coffee bean - Arabica. It is not harsh but rather smooth. It is not bitter. The best Arabica is from Colombia. I grow coffee in Colombia and roast my own when I am there. Since my coffee is not ready to sell here yet - I'm still in the process of having it certified - I would recommend Mövenpick. You can buy it in Coop.
To grind at Coop: Set the machine to "6". Keep coffee in a container with a latch on time to maintain freshness and aroma. Keep it away from the sunlight and in a cool place.
Coffee machine: The kilo price of coffee for Nespresso machines and those with the compressed bags are costly (approx. 219 Fr-). Coffee can even be prepared with a hand-held cloth filter - the old fashioned way in Colombia - as well as other alternative methods. A lot of people will spend big $$$ on a coffee machine. I use a Phillips (10 cup) I purchased with points! It is not fancy, maybe looked down by some, but it brews a good cup of coffee. If you have a coffee scoop use one heaping scoop to 4 cups water. If you don't have one, use a tablespoon to measure the coffee. Try to find the brew you like. A "muddy" brew is the result of either too much coffee or too little water. A tee-like appearance is the result of not enough coffee or too much water. Water can also influence your coffee. The water is much harder here than in Colombia, so my own coffee will taste different here than there. (Both are very good!)
Enjoying coffee is like enjoying wine: it's what you like. Region produced, harvest year, etc. are important. So is the roasting method as well as blend (or lack of). I personally like a stronger brew served 3/4 in my mug, topped off with warm milk and 2 sugars. The "proper" way to drink it is black. When I want to enjoy a "tinto" (black coffee), I like it served in a small cup with saucer and a little sugar - and sitting outside in the shade on my farm.
I enjoy 2 mugs of coffee every morning, one before the crew awakes, and one after they leave, enjoying the peace and quiet. After that I am human!
Nothing beats the aroma of a freshly brewed coffee!
Gaebigirl
What's important is that you choose the correct grind. This is summarised here:
http://coffeetea.about.com/od/grinding/a/grindguide.htm
Espresso needs a very fine grind, as the water has a very short period of contact with the coffee, while a french press, where the coffee sits in water for a while, uses a coarse grind, etc.
I would recommend buying your own grinder and playing around with it at home. I picked one up in Fust for about 35 Francs. It's a burr grinder, meaning the coffee is passed through the grinder and collected below (so it is ground just once), rather than the cheaper models where the beans are in with the blades and are randomly ground, depending on the time you grind.
I've used chico d'orro, Migros select, Lavazzo, and some others. Both in my espresso machine and in french press, having to throw cups away when I use the wrong grind (the bitterness can be quite remarkable) when I'm finished with this lot I'll head to Schwerzenbach in Zurich for some of their more obscure roasts.
Enjoy. There's no comparison between fresh coffee and instant!
Personally I think most of the supermarket sold coffee is undrinkable.
IMO, the best out of the bunch, and smoothest for a non-espresso machine or cafetiere are:
Co-op Bio Café Marimba 100% Arabica beans.
I buy the beans but I think you can get them pre-ground but if you grind them for a filter machine then select a medium setting.
For your filter machines, when choosing beans in a packet, get those that say "café" rather than "Espresso".
If you are not sure whether you are buying beans or ground coffee if then squeeze the packet to see whether it contains beans.
Have fun!
Excellent post!
Cheers,
Nick