# Tesco Coffee Beans?



## videoradar (Oct 1, 2015)

Has anyone used Tesco Espresso Coffee Beans (Strength 5)?

My espresso machine is a Gaggia TD which I have had for seven years.

I have just acquired a Mazzer Super Jolly grinder and wish to experiment with grind size.

Would the above be a good place to start?


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

videoradar said:


> Has anyone used Tesco Espresso Coffee Beans (Strength 5)?


Livin the dream then......all the equipment and then use crap beans?


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## videoradar (Oct 1, 2015)

DavecUK said:


> Livin the dream then......all the equipment and then use crap beans?


Question was "has anyone used them?"


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## semi (May 12, 2014)

I have not used them


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

videoradar said:


> Question was "has anyone used them?"


You do not have to use them to know they will not be very good. You have the gear, source some beans locally from a roaster who can supply you with 'fresh' beans. As a point, the normal bean is good for about 4 to 6 weeks after roasting. The supermarket beans have a shelf life normally of 12 months. That is impossible for a number of reasons. Source locally produced recently roasted beans. that is what we all do on here, or buy from a reputable online roaster. If you tell us the notes or taste you are seeing, perhaps some will suggest and tell us where you are


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## espressotechno (Apr 11, 2011)

I think I used them once, in an emergency, many moons ago !

Best emergency beans IMHO are the Co-op Espresso Beans....but our local Co-op closed 6 months ago (being replaced by Aldi...)


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## Jumbo Ratty (Jan 12, 2015)

Ive used them.

Cant say they've stuck in my mind as something id try again, but havent stuck in my mind as that bad either.

I had these recently and they where much more acceptable for a supermarket purchase.

Marks & Spencer colombian single origin.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

If jumbo doesn't have a lot to say about them , then don't think there will be a huge amount more to come in terms of help or advice on these .

The majority of us drink fresh rested beans with a love of specialty coffee (for want of a better term ) Check out the roasters listed on beans forum or that what's in my cup thread for what is grooving in people's cups .


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## videoradar (Oct 1, 2015)

Thanks for the info.


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## Fevmeister (Oct 21, 2013)

probably get a better outcome in the cup if you grind whats in your kitchen bin up and use that


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

videoradar said:


> Thanks for the info.


The problem with using them to dial in - is that fresher beans or different roast level will require adjustments . The Beans will have a best before date on them but realistically 6 weeks past roast date for espresso is gonna be past peak


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## kadeshuk (Nov 22, 2014)

When I first got a Gaggia I tried the aforementioned beans - I think they were "finest". I ended up using them to prove my new grinder burrs. But I am using Costco Kirkland Columbian beans for my work caffatiere which provide a drinkable cup, though they are over-roasted imo. I have to wash my hopper after I grind them and brush & hoover out the grinder because of the amount of oils released.


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## h1udd (Sep 1, 2015)

I have used them .. The problem is, what happens when you miss judge coffee requirements and hasbean are not going to ship until Friday ..... You have a choice ... Don't drink coffee ... Or suffer a day of supermarket coffee ..... The latter isn't too bad if you are making lattes ... The over roasted bean doesn't do too bad a job of cutting through full fat milk.

the beans are stale though ... You need to grind finer to not under extract and water pour through them


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Keep a bag in the freezer - will be better, IMO, than any bag of supermarket beans.


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## ronsil (Mar 8, 2012)

I always carry an emergency bag of my favourite beans in the freezer.

Always very drinkable compared to most supermarket beans.


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## DoubleShot (Apr 23, 2014)

I've never frozen beans but curious...do you need to thaw them out for a number of hours prior to grinding them or are they okay to throw straight into your grinder?


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Tape over one way valve after compressing bag to drive out as much gas as possible and pop into freezer. When you want to use the beans, don't open until bag and beans have come up to room temp. Don't refreeze the beans.


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## Jez H (Apr 4, 2015)

I always have 2 or 3 bags on the go & re-order in plenty of time. Without sounding like a coffee snob, once you've had top beans why compromise & have an inferior cup? Booths supermarket did some, freshly roasted, Rocko Road a few months back. I have to say they were decent for £3.30!


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## jlarkin (Apr 26, 2015)

I think Matt Perger's recent suggestion was to grind them straightaway from frozen and that it may also improve particle distribution but that you might have to grind slightly finer? It's not my idea but the suggestion was on comments (reddit or somewhere?) that the water content of the coffee bean is quite low, so you don't really need to worry about it coming back up to room temp + I suppose you're going to heat it pretty aggressively anyway...


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## yardbent (Aug 8, 2015)

videoradar said:


> Has anyone used Tesco Espresso Coffee Beans (Strength 5)?
> 
> .I have just acquired a Mazzer Super Jolly grinder and wish to experiment with grind size...?


here's my novice thoughts

all above are correct - fresh beans to obtain a superior taste

supermarket may be OK to 'season' new burrs

BUT.. different beans 'may/will' need different grinder settings

i found - using a different bean this morning

RAVE fudge beans - grinder set to #2 delivered 17.5grams - my choice

but HASBEAN El Salvador Belloto - same grind/timer settings gave 24.6grams..!

so why waste your money..?

buy the beans you'd like to try and dial-in the grind at the start

just ordered 3 x500g espresso pack from Coffee Compass - discount +pp = £23.70

£3.95/250g = less than Sainsburys .....*.WIN WIN *


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## AL1968 (May 3, 2015)

No no no please don't use supermarket beans look at the bean supplier list on this forum, try freshly roasted you'll never go back. Give your location I'm sure you'll get plenty of personal recommendations. I use Extract Coffee, Foundry Coffee and 200 degrees in Nottingham. SWMBO was sceptical about noticing the difference between supermarket beans and those from an artisan supplier, after tasting the freshly roasted the supermarket beans were scattered to the 4 winds (chucked in the bin by her own fair hand!!)


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## Guest (Oct 14, 2015)

videoradar said:


> Has anyone used Tesco Espresso Coffee Beans (Strength 5)?
> 
> My espresso machine is a Gaggia TD which I have had for seven years.
> 
> ...




I think I used them once, in an emergency, many moons ago


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

videoradar said:


> Has anyone used Tesco Espresso Coffee Beans (Strength 5)?


Where are you based @videoradar?


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## videoradar (Oct 1, 2015)

DavecUK said:


> Where are you based @videoradar?


Blackwater, Camberley


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## Rhys (Dec 21, 2014)

I've used Tescos finest when I started out, quite liked them compared to instant. Now after using fresh, decent beans I find the following analogy might be suited..

You know a pub beer garden, where they have picnic tables, and you find an ashtray? Have a look at one that's been left out overnight, preferably when it's been raining. Fish out the tab-ends and pour the ramianing liquid into a glass.. Smell it, taste it.. That's supermarket beans


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## lotuseater (Dec 25, 2015)

today, I was caught out by the Xmas shutdown and forced to buy Tesco 'finest' Columbian. Thin, short, dead, are the three words I'd use.


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## YerbaMate170 (Jun 15, 2015)

My local Waitrose has started selling Union wholebeans - didn't know they did this in supermarkets, but they had 4-5 different varieties as whole bean.

Curiosity got the better of me so I bought some 5 weeks old (roasted 17th november) Revelation blend - I'm really not a fan of dark roasts but you could tell these beans were at least good quality, wasn't bad at all. Just, dark.

I don't plan to run out of beans on a regular basis but it's nice to have speciality beans being stocked in supermarkets, for emergencies.


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

Jez H said:


> Without sounding like a coffee snob...


I gave up trying to do this a long time ago


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## h1udd (Sep 1, 2015)

lotuseater said:


> today, I was caught out by the Xmas shutdown and forced to buy Tesco 'finest' Columbian. Thin, short, dead, are the three words I'd use.


I think that's good for them .... Not that I think they are lying bastads or anything, but I wouldn't be surprised if a year from now it's in the news that there coffee is actually horse


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## risky (May 11, 2015)

YerbaMate170 said:


> My local Waitrose has started selling Union wholebeans - didn't know they did this in supermarkets, but they had 4-5 different varieties as whole bean.
> 
> Curiosity got the better of me so I bought some 5 weeks old (roasted 17th november) Revelation blend - I'm really not a fan of dark roasts but you could tell these beans were at least good quality, wasn't bad at all. Just, dark.
> 
> I don't plan to run out of beans on a regular basis but it's nice to have speciality beans being stocked in supermarkets, for emergencies.


Interesting, the Union in my local Waitrose has never had roasting dates on them.


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## lotuseater (Dec 25, 2015)

h1udd said:


> I think that's good for them .... Not that I think they are lying bastads or anything, but I wouldn't be surprised if a year from now it's in the news that there coffee is actually horse


I have not been able to get anything drinkable out of them all day, i think they have been on the shelves for months. Shocking, and going straight in the bin after I get some proper stuff tomorrow. A very instructive experience though and, while painful, worthwhile.


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## YerbaMate170 (Jun 15, 2015)

risky said:


> Interesting, the Union in my local Waitrose has never had roasting dates on them.


I'm not sure if they've changed packaging recently, but the date was on the bag itself, half covered by the paper box that's also part of the packaging. Was printed quite small.


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