# recommend some roasters and coffees please



## CoffeeJohnny (Feb 28, 2011)

I always drink Hasbean, James Gourmet and Square mile and like them all, but would like to try other roasters, I dislike union, grumpy mule and algie. I am about to order something from Extract and then Rave, other than that I would like some ore recommendations, for where I can get some good coffee for filter.

I dislike roasty tastes in my coffee so any help would be much appreciated.


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## pendragoncs (Feb 14, 2011)

Hands-On were getting a lot of love a few weeks back....in particularly the Lusty Glaze.


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## Obsy (May 21, 2012)

There's a company called eightpointnine that Glenn mentioned on his company's blog. You can use 2 sliders to change your preferences from what you want from your beans (they then give you the % of beans that make the blend) and post it to you in postbox sized packaging. Glenn's blog gives you a code to get 150g bag free and the site then automatically gives you the next 150g bag 1/2 price. May work out a little expensive after that but you can cancel your subscription at any time after that with no fees. Might be worth a punt to see what flavours you get?


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## Spazbarista (Dec 6, 2011)

If you like SM and Hasbean you probably won't like Hands On or Rave. Extract are kind of in the middle.


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## Earlepap (Jan 8, 2012)

I gave that eightpointnine thing a whirl a few months ago. Quite a nice idea, though sadly wasn't great. No idea when it was roasted or provenance beyond country, and was roasted too dark for my taste anyway. Worth a crack as the first bag is free, others might like it.

I enjoyed a bag of Small Batch's house espresso blend. Can't speak for their SO/filter.


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## Obsy (May 21, 2012)

Ah, in that case it'll probably be too dark for my liking too. Just thought as the 1st bag was free, might be worth a try. I'm debating getting some Jailbreak as it's very forgiving apparently!


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## CoffeeJohnny (Feb 28, 2011)

Thanks although it looks like eighpointnine.com is down appears in google but then can't click through to the website


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## fatboyslim (Sep 29, 2011)

Extract gets my recommendation having met Betty their 1950s Probat roaster.

I am a big fan of the strongman espresso blend.


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## Spazbarista (Dec 6, 2011)

What about Origin?

Never tried them myself, but wonder what style they do


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## carbonkid85 (Jan 19, 2011)

Earlepap said:


> I gave that eightpointnine thing a whirl a few months ago. Quite a nice idea, though sadly wasn't great. No idea when it was roasted or provenance beyond country, and was roasted too dark for my taste anyway.


I'm glad you've said that! I found my bag completely lifeless and stale. I contacted eightpointnine who assured me the coffee had just been roasted and was very fresh. I ended up throwing it away and I very rarely do that...

Good thread though. One of my favourite things about this board is that it saves me a lot of wasted time and money on roasteries/coffees which just wouldn't be right for my cup!


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## CoffeeJohnny (Feb 28, 2011)

Expobarista said:


> What about Origin?
> 
> Never tried them myself, but wonder what style they do


Well they have a Yirgacheffe I will buy some of that as that's normally the bean I use when judging if I like a roaster or not


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## chimpsinties (Jun 13, 2011)

Obsy said:


> Ah, in that case it'll probably be too dark for my liking too. Just thought as the 1st bag was free, might be worth a try. I'm debating getting some Jailbreak as it's very forgiving apparently!


I had terrible trouble with a bag a Jailbreak I got with my Vario. Not a fan at all.

What about CoffeeBeanShop? I really rate them.


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## forzajuve (Feb 2, 2011)

One thing I don't get about the eightpointnine is the packaging to fit a letterbox. I just received a 250g bag from HasBean that was packaged flat and in sleave bag to fit through any letterbox. Not sure if this is new as I usually order more than 250g but begs the question why others can't, perhaps also how expensive the 150g option is also.


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## Outlaw333 (Dec 13, 2011)

Origin are actually really good albeit a little limited on coffee selection but what they do have is good.


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## mike 100 (Jul 15, 2010)

> Seconded, consistently good,super fast delivery, try their Yirgacheffe it's terrific!


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## MikeHag (Mar 13, 2011)

forzajuve said:


> One thing I don't get about the eightpointnine is the packaging to fit a letterbox. I just received a 250g bag from HasBean that was packaged flat and in sleave bag to fit through any letterbox. Not sure if this is new as I usually order more than 250g but begs the question why others can't, perhaps also how expensive the 150g option is also.


The wider bags steve uses (width being the key to their being posted flat) are more expensive to buy... at least on the websites I've seen. I reckon many roasters go for the less costly ones to keep the price down for customers, whereas steve perhaps buys large enough numbers to get bulk discounts so he can use them without adversely affecting price. (They're the best bags to keep beans fresh IMHO. )


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## forzajuve (Feb 2, 2011)

MikeHag said:


> The wider bags steve uses (width being the key to their being posted flat) are more expensive to buy... at least on the websites I've seen. I reckon many roasters go for the less costly ones to keep the price down for customers, whereas steve perhaps buys large enough numbers to get bulk discounts so he can use them without adversely affecting price. (They're the best bags to keep beans fresh IMHO. )


I guess it depends on how much more but not having to go collect from the local sorting office is a huge bonus. Only a small detail but means I will return for that reason compared to other suppliers. Obviously the quality has to be right but that's not in question!


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## Obsy (May 21, 2012)

The bag from eightpointnine is only 150g and it was free so I won't feel terrible about chucking it if need be.

Am wondering what beans to get next. I don't like anything too smoky or dark but having just come into this bewildering world, I'm rather lost. I'm also acutely aware that my palate leaves a lot to be desired as I've only drank instant or Costa before. I did quite like the Unkle Funka and Dr Strangelove from Extract although the Funka was hard to get a good shot most of the time. I read descriptions you guys make about tasting cherries, butterscotch, caramel, turmeric etc and all I can taste is coffee, of which I grade it undrinkable (sour as hell so pour down the sink), barely drinkable (hide in milk with syrup), almost drinkable (hide in milk), drinkable, little bitter (hide in milk), very bitter (hide in milk with lots of syrup) and undrinkably bitter (pour down the sink). Any suggestions on blends, SO would be appreciated, especially if the beans are quite forgiving - they'll need to be!


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## Earlepap (Jan 8, 2012)

Small Batch and Coffee Collectives house blends are both pretty forgiving, capable of great things, and are medium roast. Best shot I've ver pulled came from the latter.

I've not tried many SOs as espresso (at home), but as a rough rule of thumb I'd suggest Brazillians would probably be a good shout.


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## mike 100 (Jul 15, 2010)

Obsy,

Give Coffee Bean Shop a try, I would suggest their Yirgacheffe and the Peruvian Yanesha and the everyday espresso is also good. Plus the delivery is super quick too


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## Charliej (Feb 25, 2012)

I can also reccomend Coffee Bean Shop and their Yirgacheffe, I also like their Mocha Guatamala blend a lot as well, I always seem to end up with at least one bag of each when I order from them, although I've ordered some Lusty Glaze and Black Chough from Hands On this time round.


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

Obsy wrote, "I read descriptions you guys make about tasting cherries, butterscotch, caramel, turmeric etc and all I can taste is coffee..."

Are you varying brew ratios to see where that takes you? I'd perhaps stick to a bean for a couple of bags, trying it at regular espresso normale ratios (20-35%), then grinding finer and trying up to 50-70% to see how that affects the flavour profile. Some beans seem to be at their best closer to one end of the scale, than the other. Apologies for taking up bandwidth if you have already been doing this.


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## CoffeeJohnny (Feb 28, 2011)

Obsy said:


> The bag from eightpointnine is only 150g and it was free so I won't feel terrible about chucking it if need be.
> 
> Am wondering what beans to get next. I don't like anything too smoky or dark but having just come into this bewildering world, I'm rather lost. I'm also acutely aware that my palate leaves a lot to be desired as I've only drank instant or Costa before. I did quite like the Unkle Funka and Dr Strangelove from Extract although the Funka was hard to get a good shot most of the time. I read descriptions you guys make about tasting cherries, butterscotch, caramel, turmeric etc and all I can taste is coffee, of which I grade it undrinkable (sour as hell so pour down the sink), barely drinkable (hide in milk with syrup), almost drinkable (hide in milk), drinkable, little bitter (hide in milk), very bitter (hide in milk with lots of syrup) and undrinkably bitter (pour down the sink). Any suggestions on blends, SO would be appreciated, especially if the beans are quite forgiving - they'll need to be!


It sounds to me extraction issues on your part, not dialling the grinder correct, using incorrect dosing, you need to play with these parameters. It would be fantastic if we all had the same equipment and then you'd ask where to I set my grinder and how much do I dose.

I like using 17g doubles in my espresso/ristretto, and dialling the grinder so that the pour is tight and I hit 25secs with the single shots coming in at around 20ml I think if you have a play around that sort of area you could find some interesting results.

remember change only one thing at a time, don't go for wholesale changes as you are asking for trouble there.

Is your tamping technique right and consistant?

Do you weigh your basket post grind when dialling in?

They are the two things I look at first. Basically coffee should be tasty to your taste, you may not like my dosing and brewing method but it's a starting point.

Hope this is of some help.


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## MikeHag (Mar 13, 2011)

Obsy said:


> having just come into this bewildering world, I'm rather lost. I'm also acutely aware that my palate leaves a lot to be desired as I've only drank instant or Costa before. I did quite like the Unkle Funka and Dr Strangelove from Extract although the Funka was hard to get a good shot most of the time. I read descriptions you guys make about tasting cherries, butterscotch, caramel, turmeric etc and all I can taste is coffee


You've struck upon yet another thing that doesn't get enough attention... sensory skills. When we taste wine then similarly we often struggle to find some of the tasting notes that an experienced wine taster would find, and we don't just magically obtain that ability by drinking lots of wine (if that was the case I'd be the World Sommelier Champion by now







) Lots of varied tasting helps, but it needs to be *directed*. Same goes for coffee. There's an established methodology for identifying coffee characteristics. It is how professional coffee cuppers and Q graders learn to do their job properly but is also something that we can all learn if we wish to. I'm slowly learning at the moment by reading the SCAA coffee cuppers handbook, which has some amazing insights into how the olfactory and gustatory systems work and how you can identify what these body systems are picking up. I really recommend buying it if you can (from the SCAA website). Another thing you can do is take a sensory course from an SCAE authorised trainer or from the London School of Coffee.


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## Spazbarista (Dec 6, 2011)

Never underestimate the power of suggestion.


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## Obsy (May 21, 2012)

Lordy my head hurts! MJWB - you've lost me on brew ratios I'm afraid. This is where my inexperience shines. Any info on this would be appreciated.

Geordie - I've tried sticking to same amount of beans in basket each time. I find 15g is where I get more drinkable shots. I've tried grinding them on different settings and each affects the pour over 28 secs (I just picked 28 to keep the same). As for tamping, I have no idea although I do know that I often tamp unevenly as my pours are less on the right. So hard to know if you're doing this the same each time.

MikeHag - am going to order that book and see how I get on. I feel a trip to the Highlands may be in order! I don't drink much and deffo not wine, can't stand the taste of it. I know I have an incredibly sweet tooth, will that mean I'm more likely to prefer a certain area/bean?

Expo - the power of suggestion got me away from instant rubbish! It shall also play a part in any upgraditis I get I'm sure!

Thanks Earle and Mike. That's the next few weeks' beans sorted! Shall keep you posted on my progress (or lack of!)


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## CoffeeJohnny (Feb 28, 2011)

with a sweet tooth you will certainly find this affects what beans you like, you can save a trip to scotland if you want to come to newcastle, if nothing else I can teach you how to tamp,

but for now try holding your tamper if it's short enough, in such a way, that it allows you to feel the rim of the basket with your finger tips that way you can feel if it's straight.

I can talk you through this over the phone but its better to show you.

as for having a sweet tooth has bean, james gourmet and possibly square mile will suit you and pulling your shots shorter (or ristretto) will bring the fruitier sweeter tastes through naturally.

I have a small library of coffee books you can have a look at if you choose to pop up and pay me a visit.

I can even come to you if that helps, as I always want people to drink great coffee


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## mike 100 (Jul 15, 2010)

Obsy,

If you are having problems tamping check out some video's on you tube, http://www.seattlecoffeegear.com and http://www.metropoliscoffee.com spring to mind, full of useful information not just tamping but everything coffee related well worth a look.. Nil desperandum!


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

Obsy wrote: "Lordy my head hurts! MJWB - you've lost me on brew ratios I'm afraid. This is where my inexperience shines. Any info on this would be appreciated."

You're dosing at 15g, a regular "espresso normale" double would be ~60g(2fl. oz.) of drink. Or 4x the weight of grounds. Hence the grounds make up a ratio where they represent 25% of the final beverage (25% Brew Ratio). Pungent beans (Monsooned Malabar, OBJ, heavier Sumatran) may be too concentrated in brews much stronger than this, but many beans will tolerate higher ratios...some may only extract properly at high ratios. Regular beans will typically deliver an acceptable drink at 50% (15g beans giving 30g/1fl.oz of drink) and many suggest this as a starting point. Ideally you want to grind a little finer so that the shot blonds as you hit your desired weight...but you can just stop the extraction early (WRT blonding). As you up the brew ratio, you change the flavour profile towards sweetness (the bitter flavours tend to extract towards the end of a shot). Because the different components extract at a different rate, higher ratios do not equate directly to "stronger" coffee in a linear fashion...and because the resulting drink is often sweeter & more syrupy it can be easier to drink.

This seems a little counter intuative, it was to me too until MikeHag explained it & I gave it crack...of course, he was right.


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## CoffeeJohnny (Feb 28, 2011)

MWJB said:


> This seems a little counter intuative, it was to me too until MikeHag explained it & I gave it crack...of course, he was right.


he's seldom wrong, I love reading his tweets and catching up with his latest experiments he is a true coffee geek in the best possible sense of the term. Great guy too having met him I can vouch for that too.


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## Obsy (May 21, 2012)

geordie-barista said:


> he's seldom wrong, I love reading his tweets and catching up with his latest experiments he is a true coffee geek in the best possible sense of the term. Great guy too having met him I can vouch for that too.


His method of dosing has helped me considerably. I'll order a fair amount of beans Geordie and I'll be in touch about meeting up. I know you offered before but I didn't realise at that point you were unwell. I feel cheeky asking you to come down here but it may be easier if I can't get a sitter for the little one. I'll happily pay petrol and supply lunch/cakes/biscuits!


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## CoffeeJohnny (Feb 28, 2011)

Obsy said:


> His method of dosing has helped me considerably. I'll order a fair amount of beans Geordie and I'll be in touch about meeting up. I know you offered before but I didn't realise at that point you were unwell. I feel cheeky asking you to come down here but it may be easier if I can't get a sitter for the little one. I'll happily pay petrol and supply lunch/cakes/biscuits!


Lunch cake and biscuits I'll be there bud. Lunch better be a Parmo though and a good one at that ;p been ages since I had a decent one. Pm me ur name and number and we can fix up a day perhaps next week.


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## MikeHag (Mar 13, 2011)

I'd love to see you all up in Aberfeldy







But come for the fantastic outdoors and just tack a visit to the cafe along the way! Up here we have great white water rafting, canyoning, amazing mountain biking, a stack of munros to bag up Glen Lyon, very nice golf courses, Aberfeldy whisky distillery, a live music festival later in the year, etc etc etc!! And if you can get a nice coffee from us when you need a break then so much the better


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## dogday38 (Feb 15, 2012)

i have had consistently good coffee for pour over from two day in Bristol. they sell in as little as 100g bags.


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## Obsy (May 21, 2012)

MikeHag said:


> I'd love to see you all up in Aberfeldy
> 
> 
> 
> ...


When the little one moves on to adoptive parents, I may make an escape up your way Mike, just been having a look at some places on t'interweb and wow, it looks amazing


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## Obsy (May 21, 2012)

geordie-barista said:


> Lunch cake and biscuits I'll be there bud. Lunch better be a Parmo though and a good one at that ;p been ages since I had a decent one. Pm me ur name and number and we can fix up a day perhaps next week.


It's a done deal. Handmade cakes and biscuits and a Parmo for lunch. PM sent


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## Calidore (Jan 22, 2012)

I don't know about filter, but I've had such good experiences with espresso coffees from Coffeecompass that I bet their filter coffees would be worth a try (they do a gentle flavoursome style of roast). The delivery might seem a bit pricey (£3.90) and their bags are 500g, which might be too much at once for some people to cope with at once; but they roast specially for you and send it immediately in a bag with your name on it (which is cool). Arrives next day in my experience. They also are really nice guys. I ordered some green beans for the first time from them and they rang up to check that I hadn't made a mistake, since I'd ordered roasted before. Then the roaster rang me to give me advice about how to get the best out of them, and he was urging me to go gently with it and tease out the flavour. I was really impressed. They have a deal on a mystery coffee at the moment which I've ordered a bag of for the hell of it.


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