TaoMeow on Coffee

[i am]

brewing is going well, any particular recommendations for coffee beans? i checked out the bulletproof coffee but it seems a bit gimmicky, the place i get my beans from now roasts them right before shipping which would presumably be far fresher than the bulletproof beans. my free time is limited nowadays as i'm getting ready for school but i'd like to experiment with adding butter/coconut oil etc to the coffee... especially since i've reduced my carbs now

 

where are the other reviews? don't tell me i'm the only one that actually bought the ibrik

 

I bought one a couple weeks ago, but I'm really a tea drinker. So...I'll get around to it, but it will also involve buying coffee and a grinder...my current grinder is the crappy kind that heats up the beans too much, and I've been using it to grind other stuff that I don't want mixed with my coffee...

 

So it'll happen, but its the sort of thing I'll experiment with when I feel like it...I do fine with my tea, so I'm in no rush.

[Taomeow]

Shallow wells are dangerous cos they drain rain water directly while deep wells go below the impervious layers and drain water that has percolated through rock (and has probably been in the ground hundreds of thousands of years).

 

The artesian water I get is advertised as alkaline with a perfect PH, and comes from a town named Carlsbad after the European resort famous for its medicinal waters, because in the 19th century when the deep wells were drilled here and the water analyzed, they decided the composition was similar. Some Czechs started a European style water spa there that flourished till the Great Depression, which did it in. Now they have a watering hole for the public there, and it's a blessing, because this water is definitely better than everything else I tried locally. For a while I didn't even know it existed, I found it via a site --

http://www.findaspring.com/

-- that helps find all sources of good natural water available to the public in your particular location. Some of these are on private property, others may be public but very low key, it's an excellent resource.

Edited August 28, 2013 by Taomeow

[joeblast]

the best water I ever had was from a glacial pool...but no way would I have spoiled it by adding anything whatsoever to it, it was simply too too too rare

 

[i am]

I found that a spring about 15 miles away is on that spring site you linked. I keep meaning to fill up a big jug...

 

 

One of my favorite parts of backpacking is getting to camp and drinking some of the local water out of the nearest stream or lake.

Edited August 28, 2013 by i am

[i am]

the best water I ever had was from a glacial pool...but no way would I have spoiled it by adding anything whatsoever to it, it was simply too too too rare

 

 

Oh come on, wouldn't you love a packet of Crystal Light in that water??

[joeblast]

hahahaha

 

that stuff wasnt even water, it was some elixir of alive-ness. I wish I had a 5 gallon jug I could have strapped to my back, I gladly would have carried it the 4 hours back to the car

[Vanir Thunder Dojo Tan]

the best water I ever had was from a glacial pool...but no way would I have spoiled it by adding anything whatsoever to it, it was simply too too too rare

 

 

Saliva...

 

 

im hella jealous though... the best water i ever drank was here in Oregon, out past Eugene, near some hiking trails... god... it's always best fresh not quite glacial, but not far removed n_n

[Marblehead]

here in Oregon, out past Eugene, near some hiking trails...

If you go up to Washington into the Cascades you wil see water coming out of the mountain rocks all ofer the place. And it is likely just as cold and pure as the water JoeBlast is talking about. Lovely stuff!

[Vanir Thunder Dojo Tan]

im sad im not there now! :\

[Taomeow]

 

I drank it here... that's one of the glacial rivers speeding down Mt. Elbrus. The temperature of this water is below freezing -- it doesn't freeze because it moves at high speed, and roars! If you splash it on your face it's like liquid fire.

 

A writer coming originally from this area told the story of how folks from his village would take a trip to the nearest city to see people wearing glasses. It was like circus to them. They all had eagle's eyesight and couldn't figure out what eyeglasses are for until some old man explained to them, "people in the city don't have access to the kind of water we drink, so they make special glass to put on the face in front of the eyes, which can help them see through dirty water."

[i am]

I bought a hand-crank coffee grinder, so I'm one step closer to trying this coffee...

 

Now I just need the coffee!

 

And maybe some of that spring water...

Edited August 28, 2013 by i am

[Marblehead]

I bought a hand-crank coffee grinder, so I'm one step closer to trying this coffee...

 

Now I just need the coffee!

 

And maybe some of that spring water...

Keep pushing. You'll get there.

[i am]

[mantis]

i made some bulletproof coffee this morning, instead of using the ibrik i used the french press though and will probably be restricted to that for the foreseeable future per time constraints... anyway, i put 3 tablespoons of coconut oil and kerrygold butter along with my prepared coffee in a blender. it was an experience, to be sure, as i had never drank "frothed" coffee like that before and the creaminess of the fats added another dimension to the taste, as well.

 

it's interesting that when i first added coconut oil to my diet a few weeks ago it gave me intense nausea -- i vomited from it once. i persisted thinking perhaps it's lauric acid content was perhaps cleaning something, taking care of an issue i was unaware of but either way i can consume vast amounts of it now without reserve. i think the claims on the bulletproof website are a little farfetched but if nothing else it's an easy way to ensure adequate fat intake first thing in the morning.

[Taomeow]

This sounds like an awful lot of coconut oil and butter per cup of coffee! I only use a teaspoon. But of course I get my high-fat habit supported by using fats in abundance elsewhere -- in everything I cook and on everything I can spread them on.

 

Incidentally, if it's hot chocolate rather than coffee, I'll put a spoonful of butter in that too, or even a couple (since I normally don't drink milk and use soy or coconut milk for hot chocolate, this vastly improves the taste.)

 

And when I make my own chocolate from scratch... anyway, don't let me derail my own thread any further.

[mantis]

getting my coffee from this place now:

 

http://rutamaya.net/

 

i really enjoy the fact that it helps the indigenous mexican population. i brewed a cup today and it's really, really good. this is my first experience with shade grown organic coffee and i'm a believer to say the least.

[i am]

I finally did it!

 

Light/medium roast, ground right before brewing in my new hand-grinder.

 

3 heaping teaspoons of coffee, just less than 1 teaspoon of sugar, just over a cup of water.

 

My results:

 

I had an image of the fine foam breaking through the cork which didn't play out...it was a lot less obvious, and I found that the cork was not going to be completely submerged before the coffee was boiling. So I just got it as close as possible, three times, before calling it good.

 

Let it sit for a couple minutes and poured it out. Right away I was afraid I could see too far into it...not strong enough. But then I remembered this is not a dark roast coffee.

 

It's been about 5 years since I was a coffee drinker, so I'm not the best guinea pig for this.

 

So my opinion: It's good coffee! I'm sure my method is lacking some things, and will get better. It was definitely not bitter, and didn't seem strong. Is 3 heaping teaspoons a lot of coffee for one cup? I don't really know.

 

I didn't used to add sugar to my coffee. So it's hard to compare it to what I remember. I mostly tasted sugar. Maybe I'll try it once with no sugar.

 

Anyway...I'm a bit more wired than I would be with my normal tea! But not jittery.

[Marblehead]

I would say that you didn't let the water get hot enough or let it sit at near boiling temperature long enough. I would think you used plenty of coffee.

 

Yes, coffee does kick harder than does tea.

[Taomeow]

IAM, congrats on a brave experiment!

 

What you describe is an incomplete process -- the reason may be the size and shape of your ibrik not matching the amount of water and coffee you used. I.e. it may be too big, in which case the cork that forms won't be thick enough for the stuff underneath to build up enough pressure for the fine foam to break through. When you start, the level of your ibrik's contents must come to just below the narrow part (if it's got a "neck," that's right under the "base of the neck" -- if it doesn't it is a bit different... does it?) If you taste sugar, it means the pressure was not enough and the resulting liquid an outcome of incomplete extraction. So, if your ibrik is too big for 3t/1t/1cup to come to below the narrow point, you need to increase the amount of everything -- water, sugar and coffee -- and if it's too small and there wasn't enough room on top for the foam to foam up freely, then, accordingly, decrease the amount while keeping the proportions. To me it sounded as though it might be too big. If you tell me its capacity and shape, I can probably give you the adjusted amounts to use toward perfection.

[Marblehead]

Thanks for coming in on this Taomeow. I was just grabbing my butt.

[i am]

Ok, I understand what you're saying. This is what I have. The whole thing tapers from the start, but it "necks down" quite a bit about halfway, then stays about the same width.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Turkish-Coffee-cezve-wooden-handle/dp/B003NQJGE4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380481725&sr=8-1&keywords=Turkish+Coffee+Pot+%28cezve%2Fibrik%29+with+wooden+handle+-+XL+14+oz

 

So it looks like 14oz.

 

Thanks!

Edited September 29, 2013 by i am

[thelerner]

From Marksdailyapple.com

If you've tried butter & ghee then its time to take the next step .

note. Just found this and haven't tried it yet.

 

Primal Whole Egg Coffee

Think of this as a whole foods-based protein shake. Ingredients:

• 1 cup (240 ml) coffee
• 2 pastured eggs
• 1 tsp sugar
• Pinch of salt

I started by beating the eggs together, whole, as if you were making scrambled eggs. You could also blend them. For a 1 cup dose of coffee, I did two whole eggs. Once the eggs are beaten or blended, slowly drizzle in the coffee. You don’t want to cook the eggs. You want them to stay creamy. If you’re really concerned about the avidin in the raw white, dump the coffee in to ensure maximal heat exposure. Otherwise, just drizzle.

 

I think a higher egg:coffee ratio (using a large shot of espresso, for example) for a stronger coffee flavor would work really well. Also, two eggs in this recipe created a nice and creamy concoction. I suspect three eggs might even be better.

Again, I added a little sweetener plus some salt. It made the coffee taste a bit like a liquified custard. Really, really tasty.

Edited October 3, 2013 by thelerner

[soaring crane]

 

If you're not going to use this, the French press or the Italian stovetop percolator are your second best choices.

 

 

 

 

 

Puuurrrrr ....

 

I wanted to point out another style coffee maker:

 

Karlsbader Kaffeemachine

 

I don't know what it is in English, but it's excellent. If you see one anywhere, get it, try it. It could also be called the Bayreuther Kaffeemachine (made by the porcelain manufacturer 'Walküre' - in Bayreuth, get it? hehe)

 

Also, hand-grinders are gentler and don't damage the coffee the way electric grinders do:

 

The classic coffee grinder

 

Oh, here's the Bayreuther version

Edited October 3, 2013 by soaring crane

[C T]

Has anyone here tried Blue Mountain Jamaican coffee?

[Apech]

Has anyone here tried Blue Mountain Jamaican coffee?

 

Jamaican coffee? No sorry I just had some.