My wife and I aren't the type of people who go on and on about having the best of everything. For one, we can't afford the best of anything, so we like to play a little game where we seek out the best we can afford. Take wine, for instance. We're certainly not connoisseurs, but we both know what we like. Usually $12 is about our limit for a bottle, so we'll seek out specials and ask around about which ones really outshine their price point. Having a dear friend who is a wine nut also helps, as he's turned us on to several that are (to me anyway) truly outstanding considering their $10-$12 price tag. Scotch is another. I've found a blend that, while it's about a quarter the price of my favorite single malt, is 80% as good. It's called White Horse, by the way.
Good coffee is another thing we both like, but can't afford to splurge on very often. We used to have a client who lived in Ethiopia, and she'd send us a 5lb. bag about every other month. I have no idea what it was, as it was unlabeled and came from a plantation up the road from her, but it was incredible. She's since moved back to the 'States, so that source is no longer.
Back when I was single and living on my boat, I started buying Cafe Bustelo. At the time it was around $2.00- $2.50 for a 14oz. can, which was a pretty good price even then. It was a buck fifty or so cheaper than Maxwell House or Folgers, and tastes about a thousand times better. Nowadays, the price has gone up and the can is now 10oz, but it's still our go to.
Anyway, our church is involved in this coffee cooperative in Africa. I can't remember the actual country at the moment, sorry. What they do is help set up local farms so the local people can benefit from the crop, rather than being exploited. They say they're doing good by the people, and I really have no reason not to believe them. They serve their coffee at the little get together after Mass each Sunday, and it's really good. About once month, they'll set up a little booth where you can buy their coffee, which we do about 2 or 3 times a year. It's fairly expensive at $13 a pound, but since it's going to what appears to be a good cause, we splurge. Yesterday, there was the booth, and since it had been a while, we decided to get a pound. The usual variety we get was right there, but there was this other bag.... It was black and foreboding looking and I was immediately intrigued. The guy said is was their espresso blend, and it was very "intense and adventurous". He made a big deal about how intense it was, and the lady there with him said she hoped we were ready for it. Histrionics aside, I do like bold coffee, so I bought it. The first problem was that since we haven't used whole bean coffee for quite a while, our coffee grinder has been relegated to spice duty. Of course without thinking, I bought whole bean coffee. Not really wanting to buy another grinder, I took the still sealed bag to our grocery store and asked the manager if I could run it through their coffee grinder. I suppose I could have just done it and all would have been fine, but I could totally see me getting banned from the store for something stupid. She was very nice about it, and explained that while it was against policy, since the bag was sealed and we have been going there 2-3 times a week for like a million years, it would be fine. She even walked over to the coffee section with me in case another employee came along and took issue with it.
So, this morning dawns. I've been thinking about this damn coffee all night, and can't wait to brew some up. I go to take that first sip, noticing even before the cup reaches my lips that something is amiss. There is zero aroma. Aside from that, it's somewhat lighter in color than I'm used to. I take a sip. AGGGGHHH, it's worse than Maxwell House. The only "flavor" is a noxious bitter acidity. Zero body, zero complexity, NUTHIN. I had set the grinder one notch finer than medium, which I've done many times. I used the same amount of water, same amount of coffee (slightly heavy handed) that I always do as well. So here I sit, thoroughly disappointed. I may go get a French Press later today and try steeping the grounds a little longer to see if that makes a difference. I have little hope, however. I hate Mondays.
Good coffee is another thing we both like, but can't afford to splurge on very often. We used to have a client who lived in Ethiopia, and she'd send us a 5lb. bag about every other month. I have no idea what it was, as it was unlabeled and came from a plantation up the road from her, but it was incredible. She's since moved back to the 'States, so that source is no longer.
Back when I was single and living on my boat, I started buying Cafe Bustelo. At the time it was around $2.00- $2.50 for a 14oz. can, which was a pretty good price even then. It was a buck fifty or so cheaper than Maxwell House or Folgers, and tastes about a thousand times better. Nowadays, the price has gone up and the can is now 10oz, but it's still our go to.
Anyway, our church is involved in this coffee cooperative in Africa. I can't remember the actual country at the moment, sorry. What they do is help set up local farms so the local people can benefit from the crop, rather than being exploited. They say they're doing good by the people, and I really have no reason not to believe them. They serve their coffee at the little get together after Mass each Sunday, and it's really good. About once month, they'll set up a little booth where you can buy their coffee, which we do about 2 or 3 times a year. It's fairly expensive at $13 a pound, but since it's going to what appears to be a good cause, we splurge. Yesterday, there was the booth, and since it had been a while, we decided to get a pound. The usual variety we get was right there, but there was this other bag.... It was black and foreboding looking and I was immediately intrigued. The guy said is was their espresso blend, and it was very "intense and adventurous". He made a big deal about how intense it was, and the lady there with him said she hoped we were ready for it. Histrionics aside, I do like bold coffee, so I bought it. The first problem was that since we haven't used whole bean coffee for quite a while, our coffee grinder has been relegated to spice duty. Of course without thinking, I bought whole bean coffee. Not really wanting to buy another grinder, I took the still sealed bag to our grocery store and asked the manager if I could run it through their coffee grinder. I suppose I could have just done it and all would have been fine, but I could totally see me getting banned from the store for something stupid. She was very nice about it, and explained that while it was against policy, since the bag was sealed and we have been going there 2-3 times a week for like a million years, it would be fine. She even walked over to the coffee section with me in case another employee came along and took issue with it.
So, this morning dawns. I've been thinking about this damn coffee all night, and can't wait to brew some up. I go to take that first sip, noticing even before the cup reaches my lips that something is amiss. There is zero aroma. Aside from that, it's somewhat lighter in color than I'm used to. I take a sip. AGGGGHHH, it's worse than Maxwell House. The only "flavor" is a noxious bitter acidity. Zero body, zero complexity, NUTHIN. I had set the grinder one notch finer than medium, which I've done many times. I used the same amount of water, same amount of coffee (slightly heavy handed) that I always do as well. So here I sit, thoroughly disappointed. I may go get a French Press later today and try steeping the grounds a little longer to see if that makes a difference. I have little hope, however. I hate Mondays.
