Please, No Fruitiness, No Chocolate, No citrus or berries

[Gibsongi]

I personally can’t give up any of the above, especially chocolate because every time I drink a coffee, it doesn’t have the same effect and taste without chocolate. I know you will or that it may be addictive but I can’t give up anyway and I love to try different types of chocolate. After doing san francisco food tours I was so amazed by the variety of chocolates and sweets they offer there, that I started shopping very often there and those products became my favorite ones. Does anyone here have the same preferences?

I also order from them quite often. My kids love these chocolates.

 

[strauss44]

Hi All. I thought it's time for an update on my search for coffee with a lack of the fruitiness, chocolate, citrus or berries tones. I hope I don't violate this forums policy, by giving you product names.

At our local Italian Market I have made friends due to frequent visits. Around Christmas, in our general discussion, I brought up this subject. Of course the chap had a suggestion. This time I was inclined to trust it, although for just testing it's a push to buy 1 KG, but it is the brand that they use for their Espresso bar. However he was not finished with his advice. He told me to get the flavour that I was looking for, I should really get an Espresso maker for at home. Hmm. Again expensive for just "trying" it.

That's when he came up with the best advice. He said "you have a any reward points" (yes the wording is just as he said it? Authentic). Why yes, I have. Checked my points and got a maker.

This is where I hope I don't offend. The Espresso Maker is a DeLonghi Dedicata, an excellent machine with a small footprint for a small counter top, and no tank to keep heated, and only 40 seconds to be ready to brew. Love it.

For my next hope of not offending. The coffee. It is a brand, so the chance of getting it again is good. It's Kimbo, Espresso Italiano, Crema Intensa. For filter preparation it is disapointing, the citric flavour came out. But through the DeLonghi, no citric. It is essentially perfect. For all options, single, double, cappuccino, or simply two button presses of double for a regular cup of coffee, perfect.

I am now happy. My search has ended. At least until either the machine quits, or the coffee brand changes.

Hope this is useful to all you coffee lovers.
Stay Healthy, strauss.

 

[PinkRose]

Hi All. I thought it's time for an update on my search for coffee with a lack of the fruitiness, chocolate, citrus or berries tones. I hope I don't violate this forums policy, by giving you product names.

At our local Italian Market I have made friends due to frequent visits. Around Christmas, in our general discussion, I brought up this subject. Of course the chap had a suggestion. This time I was inclined to trust it, although for just testing it's a push to buy 1 KG, but it is the brand that they use for their Espresso bar. However he was not finished with his advice. He told me to get the flavour that I was looking for, I should really get an Espresso maker for at home. Hmm. Again expensive for just "trying" it.

That's when he came up with the best advice. He said "you have a any reward points" (yes the wording is just as he said it? Authentic). Why yes, I have. Checked my points and got a maker.

This is where I hope I don't offend. The Espresso Maker is a DeLonghi Dedicata, an excellent machine with a small footprint for a small counter top, and no tank to keep heated, and only 40 seconds to be ready to brew. Love it.

For my next hope of not offending. The coffee. It is a brand, so the chance of getting it again is good. It's Kimbo, Espresso Italiano, Crema Intensa. For filter preparation it is disapointing, the citric flavour came out. But through the DeLonghi, no citric. It is essentially perfect. For all options, single, double, cappuccino, or simply two button presses of double for a regular cup of coffee, perfect.

I am now happy. My search has ended. At least until either the machine quits, or the coffee brand changes.

Hope this is useful to all you coffee lovers.
Stay Healthy, strauss.

Hello Strauss44,

It sounds like your new friend from the Italian Market gave you some good advice. Using your rewards points to buy a coffee maker was a very good idea.

It's good to know that you found a coffee (and a coffee maker) that's perfect for you. It's well worth the search when you finally find what you're looking for.

Thanks for the update.

~ Rose

 

[strauss44]

Hello Strauss44,

It sounds like your new friend from the Italian Market gave you some good advice. Using your rewards points to buy a coffee maker was a very good idea.

It's good to know that you found a coffee (and a coffee maker) that's perfect for you. It's well worth the search when you finally find what you're looking for.

Thanks for the update.

~ Rose

Hi Rose,

Thanks for your sentiments. It was a young (very) / old situation . The chap was very young, I am fairly old. So why would I pay attention to a young chap. Almost boyish. What would he know about "my" coffee tastes.

But I am not ready to accept full criticism. It is my age long experience that helped. The chap grew up in Northern Italy, the part that pokes up in to Austria. From experience I do know that in general Europeans have a different taste for coffee than North American born (notice I said in general, so please no flame war). This chap grew up in Italy just long enough to have been part of the coffee experience. And it is experienced different "over" there. It is more spiritual. A barista would NEVER get away with making even just an intermediate cup or Tasse. The customers would complain very indignantly. So it was worth to pay attention to the young chap.

All the Best,
strauss

 

[Mr.Peaberry]

I like my coffee to have hints of moss, wet stone, roof tar, ashphalt, cigarette butts, coriander and several days old mussels.

Me too!! LOL! Love the sense of humor, but also the irony. The American consumer's taste preference evolution is a product of a marketing concept that is best understood with what someone once described as zeroing in on just how bad coffee had to be before it was rejected. Before the specialty coffee market got a foothold in the US, the prevailing attitude about coffee was that it was a drink that, by virtue of it's strong and objectionable (acerbic) flavor, separated the "men" from the "boys". In part, the Great Depression played into this acceptance of poor quality as consumers sought to stretch their dollars by diluting the coffee, or brewing through spent grounds twice. The coffee perculator and other torture devices added to the degradation of the American palate for quality coffee!

I am hoping someone will chime in on this thread about roasting and the Maillard reaction or "carmelization" reaction that takes place during roasting and the more generally recognizable olfactory sensations that occur during roasting.

 

[ManuelPalmaCoffee]

flavor is impacted by 3 different things - origin / roast level / processing. The origin is simply the country the coffee is grown in and various parts of the world tend to taste slightly different due to the soil/mineral content. The second factor is the roast level - which unfortunately there is not really a standard in our industry. My medium roast is most likely 'light' if comparing to a large commercial roaster like $tarbucks. Once a roast has hit a certain level the sugars within the bean start to burn an the coffee takes on more of the 'burnt' taste vs. The origin. Lastly, the processing, a washed processed coffee is typically cleaner / brighter tasting cup. Natural processed coffee are typically sweeter and have fruity notes.

When i'm evaluating coffees i cup/taste and review against the sca flavor wheel. This is the best way to understand what your tasting - honestly without having some visual guide its very difficult unless you have an extremely good pallet. I spend a lot of time doing sensory training with small 'smell kits'.. You open the container, smell and trying to determine what flavor your smelling. It's hard... So i guess the fact that people can't recognize the flavors in coffee is not unusual. However, it's certainly not fictitious, it's just that your pallet has learned those flavors. When i have tastings in my shop i have people focus on the inner ring - those are the most 'generic' tastes. I do understand from the customer's perspective how it can come across gimmicky... I try to avoid putting to much emphasis because most can't take taste the nuances.

https://www.scanews.coffee/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/scaa_flavorwheel.01.18.15.jpg

now, regarding the original op, there is not a lot of info to be able to really suggest a good coffee for you. Considering you were in europe having the best cup of coffee it may have been robusta (vs. Arabica) coffee which is not as common in the us. It's known for higher caffeine content, bolder flavor but not consider as good (but that is changing). For you, assuming your based in the us, find a local roaster and try their dark roast blend. I would also recommend maybe starting with south american coffee (peru / brazil). Hope that helps!

yes and more yes

 

[strauss44]

Considering you were in Europe having the best cup of coffee...

Because of the many replies by many readers, some going in different directions because of their different flavour needs, I want to ask readers that for the purpose of my posting in this forum, the quote by Musicphan "having the best coffee...", should be read as applicable to me. I would never want to claim that I had the best coffee, and that it would be best for everybody else. I am sure Musicphan mean it in this manner as well.

Best Regards, Stay Healthy, strauss.

 

[Musicphan]

Because of the many replies by many readers, some going in different directions because of their different flavour needs, I want to ask readers that for the purpose of my posting in this forum, the quote by Musicphan "having the best coffee...", should be read as applicable to me. I would never want to claim that I had the best coffee, and that it would be best for everybody else. I am sure Musicphan mean it in this manner as well.

Best Regards, Stay Healthy, strauss.

Yes... I think I'm tracking. I was just stating that Robusta is very prevalent in Europe/Asia but US markets don't typically carry it. Simply stating what you had may have been Robusta.

 

[strauss44]

Yes... I think I'm tracking. I was just stating that Robusta is very prevalent in Europe/Asia but US markets don't typically carry it. Simply stating what you had may have been Robusta.

I know you meant no, what may be called to-day as, narrow view. For me, your comment was appreciated. Thanks Musicphan.

Stay Healthy, strauss.