So I bought some coffee while in Honduras and I need some help!

[estricklin]

While on a west Caribbean cruise this past week, I sourced myself some coffee from different places in Honduras, and some cacao beans from Belize to boot, but nevermind the chocolate right now.

Like many others on this forum, I not only love a well made brew but a nice hot cup of java too. My problem is, I'm a complete idiot when it comes to coffee. I love good coffee but only treat myself to it every once in a while, maybe some millstone or I've even ordered coffee online. For the most part, I just buy Foldgers 100% Colombian, which I'm sure is the "bud light" of coffee. In the past when I've got my hands on some decent coffee I've went at brewing it pretty haphazardly, and I don't want to do that to my mere 2 lbs of Honduran coffee.

I bought a new coffee grinder today as all my old ones always gave up after a year or so due to grinding so many spices in them I guess. It's just a 17 dollar Mr. Coffee with 3 grind settings I think. My coffee maker is a Bunn Thermofresh. I also have a REALLY old percolator in the cabinet that I use when camping or even sometimes on the stove top on rare occasion. As you can see, I do not have any fancy coffee equipment.

Maybe someone could give me an idea of the best way to go about this, maybe a starting point for how much coffee I should use and what kind of a grind I'm looking for? What about the quality of the coffee I bought, is it even as good as I think it's going to be?? I know that it was picked in the mountains of Honduras by a bunch of small families, and they dried it and sold it to a roaster in Santa Rosa de Copan I think?? I bought 1 lb each from 2 different sources and one of the packages has a little English on it, but the other is a very plain tow sack type bag.

Also if someone could recommend a good book on coffee, preferably that's available on the Kindle. I'm sure what I'm asking is probably a little too much for a thread on a beer forum, but I thought if I could at least get started, reading a book about coffee would be a lot more enjoyable while drinking some good coffee!!

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[soccerdad]

Grind at medium setting and use 4 ounces for a 10 cup pot.

 

[soccerdad]

If too strong go to 12 cups @ 4 oz or drop to 3.5 for 10

 

[estricklin]

If too strong go to 12 cups @ 4 oz or drop to 3.5 for 10

Ok thanks that should get me started, 4 ounces by weight?

 

[soccerdad]

Yeah - use your hops scale

 

[kickbundler]

Do a search for the amount. Most people make the mistake of not using enough coffee to water and end up with a thin, tannic, acidic tasting brew. I have a grind and brew machine so i havent measured in years.

 

[Curtis2010]

Don't know exactly what you bought, but I like the coffee from the Copan area. Beautiful part of Honduras too.

 

[estricklin]

Ok so I ground on medium today and tried some, IT WAS FANTASTIC. Really good coffee, wow I've been missing out all these years. It tasted somewhat earthy, and the bitterness seemed extra smooth, I think next time I will make it a bit stronger though.

 

[Curtis2010]

Since you liked Honduran coffee you might also try Guatemalan. Dieseldorf was one of the original German coffee fincas near Coban (not Copan), Guatemala. Awesome coffee which I think is avaible in the USA. Their Exclusivo blend is our favorite.

And if you ever have the desire to go to Honduras to purchase more coffee...the mayan ruins of Copan are awesome. You can buy several very good coffees right there in the pleasant little town of Copan.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

If you are able to, I'd highly recommend getting one of these for about $6 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0014CVEH6/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

A key to making great coffee is to use hot enough water (about 200-205 degrees F), which most drip machines don't come close to. If you can boil water, this pour over piece is a fantastic, cheap, and easy way to make great coffee. I actually keep one at work for my mid-morning coffee. Using hot hot water will improve your coffee even more.

Cheers!

 

[estricklin]

Since you liked Honduran coffee you might also try Guatemalan. Dieseldorf was one of the original German coffee fincas near Coban (not Copan), Guatemala. Awesome coffee which I think is avaible in the USA. Their Exclusivo blend is our favorite.

And if you ever have the desire to go to Honduras to purchase more coffee...the mayan ruins of Copan are awesome. You can buy several very good coffees right there in the pleasant little town of Copan.

Will definitely be picking up some more one day, hopefully first hand but if not I have found a source for Cafe Copan on the internet already. Am looking forward to trying other coffee regions too!

If you are able to, I'd highly recommend getting one of these for about $6 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0014CVEH6/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

A key to making great coffee is to use hot enough water (about 200-205 degrees F), which most drip machines don't come close to. If you can boil water, this pour over piece is a fantastic, cheap, and easy way to make great coffee. I actually keep one at work for my mid-morning coffee. Using hot hot water will improve your coffee even more.

Cheers!

Thank you for the advice! Bunn states on their website that their home machines maintain a temperature between 195-205F during the entire brewing process, I haven't ever actually checked it with a thermometer though. That thing looks really awesome for making a single cup of coffee at home or for taking camping though, I think I may pick one up.

I've been playing around a bit with my grind size and the amount of coffee that I use. I ordered a restricted spray head from Bunn's website; it's supposed to slow the brewing process down by about a minute, which should bring me to 3 minutes for a 10 cup pot, it's currently taking 2 minutes give or take because the original sprayhead has come off and I didn't know it!! I found that grinding smaller I didn't have to use nearly as much coffee and seemed to improve the taste actually.

I bought some 8 O'clock coffee from Wal-Mart as they didn't seem to have a very good selection. I am pondering ordering from online more often again, anyone know a good website?

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

I bought some 8 O'clock coffee from Wal-Mart as they didn't seem to have a very good selection. I am pondering ordering from online more often again, anyone know a good website?

Before I started roasting, I bought 90% of my coffee from this place: http://www.coffeeandtea.com/ I lived down the road so I would just stop by there store so I didn't pay shipping - not sure how their shipping charges are. BUT, they had great coffee for a really fantastic price. I couldn't find a place to beat the quality for the price.

If you want to buy some really really REALLY good coffee, I'd highly suggest La Colombe: http://www.lacolombe.com/ The coffee is really good, and I found it wasn't as expensive as a place like Intelligentsia.

 

[TheDudeLebowski]

What kind of coffee grinder are you using? I'm a noob but noticed a huge improvement when I used a burr grinder. It was only like $50 but made the biggest difference in what I brewed.

 

[soccerdad]

I do a lot of work with two small roaters (each roasts 100,000 to 150,000 lbs per year) - all organic, all fairly traded, and tested for quality on a weekly basis. www.cafecampesino.com and www.sweetwaterorganiccoffee.com They do single origin coffees as well as blends.

If you send me a PM I can prob get a sample that will do a pot or two.

Ordering 2 to 3 pounds at a time amortizes shipping costs to a reasonable level ... $1 an ounce or less.

 

[Jonkl]

I got a box/bag of coffee from Honduras when I was down there a few years back. I thought it had more of an earthy flavor compared to Guatemalan, but they're definitely in the same family of coffees. Good stuff.

I would second The Dude's burr grinder suggestion - it gives a uniform grind, which your standard spice grinder can't really give you. I think I got a decent one from Target for $35 or so.

 

[estricklin]

What kind of coffee grinder are you using? I'm a noob but noticed a huge improvement when I used a burr grinder. It was only like $50 but made the biggest difference in what I brewed.

Just a $20 dollar one.

I do a lot of work with two small roaters (each roasts 100,000 to 150,000 lbs per year) - all organic, all fairly traded, and tested for quality on a weekly basis. www.cafecampesino.com and www.sweetwaterorganiccoffee.com They do single origin coffees as well as blends.

If you send me a PM I can prob get a sample that will do a pot or two.

Ordering 2 to 3 pounds at a time amortizes shipping costs to a reasonable level ... $1 an ounce or less.

Thank you for the info!

I got a box/bag of coffee from Honduras when I was down there a few years back. I thought it had more of an earthy flavor compared to Guatemalan, but they're definitely in the same family of coffees. Good stuff.

I would second The Dude's burr grinder suggestion - it gives a uniform grind, which your standard spice grinder can't really give you. I think I got a decent one from Target for $35 or so.

I have noticed the grind isn't as even as it could be, I'm going to use this one to make some chocolate and grind some spices so I'll probably burn it up soon anyway, and then replace it with a bur grinder. I'm going to scout the local Kroger tomorrow and see what I can find for more coffee to try.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Speaking of grinders: I have a blade grinder I bought my wife for Christmas 3 years ago. Back then, I didn't touch coffee - couldn't stand the stuff. But I found a good looking blade grinder (De Longhi) and gave it to her. Eventually the coffee bug caught up to me and now we drink....a lot of it.

I use the De Longhi every morning, and have used it 90% of mornings, for probably the last 7 months. Before that, I'd use it a few times a week for 3 years. It would grind the beans pretty consistently actually - especially for all the knocks blade grinders get. But since I've really been using it a lot over the last few months it has gotten worse and worse. I end up with full beans mixed in with finely ground coffee when I'm using it (and usually I'll pulse it, shake it, etc to get the most evenness I can out of it). The blades are dull now.

So, what I'm saying it, blade grinders aren't all that bad necessarily - especially if you are only looking to use it a couple times a week. BUT if you are looking for a long-term grinder I'd spend the extra money on a Burr.

I'm in the situation right now where my spouse doesn't think we need a new grinder. The horror.

 

[estricklin]

So I have tried just about every coffee I could get my hands on in 3 counties now. So far I love the Starbucks Breakfast blend, Community Coffee Original, and oddly enough Dunkin Doughnuts coffee. To take to work I have decided on 8 O'clcok, I went through a bag of Colombian Peaks but I have tried the Dark Italian Roast also. I take a thermos full every day even if I don't drink it, so I need someone that isn't too expensive to take to work, and save the good stuff for on my off days. I am considering trying the Central Highlands next. I went back and tasted the Cafe Copan again, and I still LOVE it. I am noticing that I like coffee that isn't roasted quite so dark. Is that to be expected? My wife, actually loves the dark roasted stuff.

 

[MerlinWerks]

I bought some 8 O'clock coffee from Wal-Mart as they didn't seem to have a very good selection. I am pondering ordering from online more often again, anyone know a good website?

I would definitly take a look here: http://www.happymugcoffee.com/en/

Really nice guys and passionate about coffee.

I roast my own coffee and buy 90% of my greens from Matt.

Do try to swing a burr grinder. A Baratza Encore is considered decent entry level if you don't intend to get into espresso. It will also let you dial in the grind to your machine much easier, like you are trying to do with the Bunn brewer.

Baratza posts new factory refurb deals every Thurs on their website.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

I am noticing that I like coffee that isn't roasted quite so dark. Is that to be expected? My wife, actually loves the dark roasted stuff.

It is pretty much all a matter of taste and situation. I generally love the lighter roasts because I want to taste the flavors that come from the origin of the beans - plus I love getting a lot of caffeine out of each cup and the lighter roasts provide the extra boost. But if you have a poor quality bean, the light roast definitely shows the bean's quality (hence one reason why Dunkin, Starbucks, etc tend to roast darker - they can use cheaper beans and the flavor profile is that of the roast, rather than the bean's origin).

For me, darker roasts make great afternoon sippers because they have less caffeine content

 

[MrTux]

It is pretty much all a matter of taste and situation. I generally love the lighter roasts because I want to taste the flavors that come from the origin of the beans - plus I love getting a lot of caffeine out of each cup and the lighter roasts provide the extra boost. But if you have a poor quality bean, the light roast definitely shows the bean's quality (hence one reason why Dunkin, Starbucks, etc tend to roast darker - they can use cheaper beans and the flavor profile is that of the roast, rather than the bean's origin).

For me, darker roasts make great afternoon sippers because they have less caffeine content

I completely agree. I get my roast from a group in Belize. I only get it once and a while. But I'll have to share, this coffe is for more special occasions. About every two years the wife and I take what we call a hippie walk. It includes a light roast we get from said belizian group. Ground with a hand crank to a small mill size(which if you have a grain grinder, your good). I use a heavy 5oz per quart of water mix. With the lighter caffeinated brew and the taste of the young beans, WOW! My brew is thru a percolater, one brew with full beans, let cool, and a final brew of half beans with the same brew coffee, and half a fresh vanilla bean on top of the grounds.
Most times when we have this, we are on vacation at some island some place, and on a boat. Usually sail, and half naked in the sun.
So, breakfast, lunch, or dinner and listening to a song say... Like this, http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...&mid=194781526F0B4C9460B7194781526F0B4C9460B7
Just....yeah!

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

My brew is thru a percolater, one brew with full beans, let cool, and a final brew of half beans with the same brew coffee, and half a fresh vanilla bean on top of the grounds.

That sounds fantastic. I was reading yesterday about a technique to add a vanilla beans when storing whole bean coffee just to give the coffee a hint of vanilla flavor. Sort of similar to what you mentioned. I love my coffee black and single origin, but I may try your vanilla bean method sometime!