Personal taste preference is a very broad, almost unlimited, question  - especially when it comes to coffee...! Just keep tasting and trying but in  dedicated Coffee Shops .....not just Cafes etc.. until you find a bean that you like. 

I find that small roasters are often not consistent with their product. 

No matter what coffee bean you chose the only way to maximise the "taste" is to use fresh roasted  whole beans and grind them before use - the grinder is the only way to control the "shot" time . 

And do not forget ...."You have not had enough coffee until you can thread a sewing machine .....while it is still running....!"

KB 

Cupie wrote:

---

I have recently purchased a Bialetti 6cup Moka Express Pot and their hand grinder and a frother.

The idea is to use it in the van using Gas, 230V hotplate or even campfire heat sources.

 

With the purchase we got some Merlo Expresso blend beans and preground .  We have also tried some Harris very strong 100% Arabica preground expresso.

 

Although quite good in both cappuccino and long black they just didn't have enough fragrance or taste for our liking. 

We usually drink Lavazza Intenso instant.

 

Can you please suggest a brand of coffee Bean that you enjoy.

 

ps.  At this stage we don't want to go to the expense of a quality high end coffee machine if we can avoid it.

---

 Hi Cupie,

Suggest you place a trial order with this roaster https://beanbay.coffeesnobs.com.au/ beans are always freshly roasted (very important) they ship promptly and are reputable.

You have a grinder, also important, so will be able to grind beans as you need them.

Harris, Lavazza, Vittoria etc are supermarket brands and are well past their best when you buy them.

I've heard some reasonable reports about Aldi beans, however I've tried them and not impressed.

All quality beans are marked with a roast date, any older than 3 weeks is pretty well past its best.

As a matter of interest I'm a member of CoffeeSnobs and have been buying green beans from them for over 12 years.

Good coffee is an important part of life, good luck with your quest.

Thanks for all the replies & advice.

I will join Coffeesnobs to improve my knowledge & choose one of their freshly roasted options (perhaps not the $147.50/kg Jamacian beans though).

Given the importance of freshly roasted beans I will also investigate any roasters near me and certainly look for coffee specialist shops in my area.

In the meantime, I will continue to practice with the beans that I already have in the fridge (I read somewhere long ago that that's the place to store them).

Once again .. Thanks

Quite a variety of excellent roasted beans available on Coffee Snobs for under $40 kg, no need to pay $80 kg.

If you do join Cupie don't be afraid to ask questions, plenty of members only too happy to assist.

Civet bum coffee beans up to $1000kg.

Radar wrote:

---

 

 

---

 Hi Cupie 

I read somewhere just last year during lock down "room temp only"  I now am confused.I had practise storing our different arrangements of coffee in the frig, now go in to the frig I can not find the coffee. Where is the coffee. 

---

Storing in fridge not a good idea, in and out of fridge can lead to condensation, definitely not good for beans, ideal storage is in one way valve bags in a cool dark cupboard.

Pretty sure Coffee Snobs ship in these bags, most reputable roasters use them, they are also available for purchase and are reusable https://beanbay.coffeesnobs.com.au/ViewProduct.aspx/1654-500g-coffee-bags-matte-black-(lots-of-10)

I'd like to know what is wrong with Nescafe Blend 43!? And especially the Safeway 2020 vintage! Answer me that... if you can....

Absolutely nothing wrong with Blend 43 if it's to your liking, and as a plus think of the money you save.

Not everyone appreciates the difference between instant coffee and quality roasted beans (or even want to) if instant suits your palate so be it.

Are We Lost wrote:

---

Blend 43 compared to a good quality freshly ground coffee is like comparing canned peas to fresh peas. Or cask wine to Penfolds Grange (not that I have had it).

Budget tells me I can't afford Grange, but with the low cost of coffee I have not bought instant in years.

---

 In other words a processed hamburger

vs

a real one with the lot: beetroot, pineapple, egg, bacon, tomato, lettuce, real cheese, actual beef mince, onion, butter, proper bread roll.

Whenarewethere wrote:

---

It is challenging getting temperature right doing it all by hand in the outback with vastly varying ambient temperatures.

---

 It's challenging to get your head around the fact that people are willing to taste, let alone pay $1000 per kg, for something that came out of a cat's arse but looks more like roo poo. Makes Blend43 (I like Nescafe Mocha sachets) look very attractive and think of all the beer you can buy with the savings.

Cupie wrote:

---

I have recently purchased a Bialetti 6cup Moka Express Pot and their hand grinder and a frother.

The idea is to use it in the van using Gas, 230V hotplate or even campfire heat sources.

 

With the purchase we got some Merlo Expresso blend beans and preground .  We have also tried some Harris very strong 100% Arabica preground expresso.

 

Although quite good in both cappuccino and long black they just didn't have enough fragrance or taste for our liking. 

We usually drink Lavazza Intenso instant

 

Can you please suggest a brand of coffee Bean that you enjoy.

 

ps.  At this stage we don't want to go to the expense of a quality high end coffee machine if we can avoid it.

Hi there

We use Aldi coffee beans and Aldi ground coffee. I go for dark roast in both. I use the beans at home in the espresso machine and take the preground travelling for use in the plunger. Give it a go, its not an expensive experiment.

I have read that room temp, dark, is the best place to store both. 

I dont like instant but my partner does and makes home mocka one spoon of instant coffee one teaspoon of milo. Not at all to my liking but he likes it. So Id say taste is a very personal thing. Go with what you like. 

CheersPaul 

Cupie wrote:

---

I have recently purchased a Bialetti 6cup Moka Express Pot and their hand grinder and a frother.

The idea is to use it in the van using Gas, 230V hotplate or even campfire heat sources.

 With the purchase we got some Merlo Expresso blend beans and preground .  We have also tried some Harris very strong 100% Arabica preground expresso.

 Although quite good in both cappuccino and long black they just didn't have enough fragrance or taste for our liking. 

We usually drink Lavazza Intenso instant.

 Can you please suggest a brand of coffee Bean that you enjoy.

 ps.  At this stage we don't want to go to the expense of a quality high end coffee machine if we can avoid it.

---

 Hi Cupie 

Early last year I had a reason to be up Clontaff Qld way getting some work done on the caravan, around the corner was one of those snobby coffee shops, I was desperate for a coffee, had some change in I go, the place smelt divine,  a very pleasant coffee smell. Most times I drink black coffee but to my annoyance coffee shop fail how I like it, so I just order flat white.

The flat white arrived, the fragrance was great, so looked around for white, I asked for white sugar, no we only use and recommend brown.

Man it was a great cup of coffee, I secretly have been back trice more.

I do some googling try to find the name, its in the industrial area.