# Advice please



## Jubbly (Jan 7, 2011)

Hi

I currently have a nespresso which is fine for an espresso but not great when trying to make a proper mug of coffee which i prefer first thing in the morning.

I have just bought a steel french press and used it with ground coffee which tastes ok.

I am thinking about buying a Bodum Bistro burr ginder which i think will be fine for french press coffee.

My question is regarding beans, i am sure everyone will tell me that i should buy beans online so they are as fresh as possible. But they are twice the price of supermarket beans. Would supermarket beans be any better than supermarket ground coffee ?

Also i have a Whittards local to me which i thought might be a happy medium between the two however i phoned them today and they said that their bags had various roasting dates between oct and dec, so i presume these are not going to be very good either.

Any advice appreciated.

Thanks


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

Welcome to Coffee Forums

Which area are you based in? We may be able to suggest a deli/roastery/cafe that sells decent beans

The grinder you mention will be okay for French Press


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## Jubbly (Jan 7, 2011)

Thanks for quick response, i live in Basingstoke, Hampshire and cant seem to find anywhere local.


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

Not sure if you go to Reading much but next time you do, pop in and pick up some beans from *Workhouse Coffee*

Alternatively, if heading past Teddington then go to *Astrora Coffee Roasters*

Hopefully others may be able to assist you here too


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## Jubbly (Jan 7, 2011)

Excellent, thanks i may try the place in Reading.

I guess the question that i am asking is which is best out of the following and are either better than supermarket ground coffee ?

1) Vacuum packed/canned beans from the supermarket such as illy,lavazza,own supermarket brands.

I thought these cans and vacuum packaging were supposed to keep the beans fresh, is this marketing bo**ocks ?

2) Coffee beans from Whittards that have been in the shop for between 1 and 3 months.

I'm not even sure how they store them in the stores but even on their website is says to use coffee beans within 4 weeks.

Sorry if these are silly questions but i would like some advise before i purchase the grinder.

Many thanks again.


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

Go for the Whittards beans, roasted in December. They are likely to be fresher than the other options


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## BanishInstant (Oct 12, 2009)

+1 Whittards. Its worth search amongst the bags for the latest roasting dates, which could be well at the back.


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## sandykt (Dec 3, 2009)

I would also recommend beans from Costa, the ones they sell in their tins are the same used in their stores. Not expensive either.


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## scrufftyguy (Jan 6, 2011)

Hi!

Just have a look at https://www.hasbean.co.uk/, it's really not that much more than Illy etc (depending which beans you buy) and generally you'll receive them just a couple of days after roasting! I get the 12 month subscription and really can't fault them!


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## sandykt (Dec 3, 2009)

I cannot recommend Steve @ Hasbean highly enough. Great service and great coffee.


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## Jubbly (Jan 7, 2011)

Thanks for the suggestions.

Checked both Whittards coffee and Costa tinned beans that were mentioned and both had a roasting date of Mid Nov so seven weeks old ! Is this ok or too old ?

Am i right in thinking that supermarket coffee could have been roasted anywhere between weeks to many many months ago ?

Do the tins and vacuum packs not make any difference at all to the "you should use beans within 2/4 weeks of roasting rule' ?

Also bought the Bodum Bistro burr grinder, how often do you need to clean them, will be using 1 or twice a day for small quantities of coffee ?

I also noticed that you can't remove bottom burr and that the chute between burr and coffee container has left coffee grinds in it, what is the best way to clean ?

Again many thanks for help, i appreciate it.


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## sandykt (Dec 3, 2009)

General rule -stay away from buying beans from the supermarket, they are usually old and storage conditions not good. I currently buy online from Hasbean and then revert back to Costa when I am waiting for my next beans to be roasted/delivered which is not long as Steve's customer service is excellent.


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## RolandG (Jul 25, 2010)

I'll add another recommendation for online buying (and Hasbean) - with a note that the subscriptions are the best value, since you get one delivery fee and a price that is actually below the average price for the coffees you get.

Anyway, to actually answer a question







- supermarket beans are very variable, but I'd generally avoid. Because most commercial beans don't list a "roasted on" date, it's pretty impossible to work out when they were actually roasted - and yes, that could be weeks or frequently months (particularly if it's sat around on the shop shelf for a few more weeks/months).

Seven weeks is a little on the long side (I'd prefer no more than a month), but still a big step up on supermarkets. In terms of how long beans last, tins and vacuum packs are better than open bags would be, but don't impact the 2-4 week ideal (at least that's my understanding).

At the same time, beans with a lighter roast, more delicate flavour and/or more acidity will lose their flavour more quickly. Darker roasted beans, with a heavier flavour and less acidity will tend to keep flavour a little longer (if they have oils visible on the beans the flavour is theoretically lost more quickly - however the "roastier" flavours are more persistent in my experience than the floral/aromatic ones).


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