The one time we don't have a fucking coffee thread and I have a coffee question

The one time we don't have a fucking coffee thread and I have a coffee question.
I'm sick of Starbucks garbage and I want to try a French press or aero press or something. I've always heard using fresh roasted coffee beans is much better than just pre grounded stuff. I was thinking I'd just get a hand grinder, but where do I get the beans? I don't have any coffee shops in my vicinity. What does "freshly roasted" imply exactly? Like literally right out of the roaster? Or is the shelf life long enough that I can order them online?

Why don't you just fucking google it, you ape

It's fresh as in, use within a week, stored properly, and only grind right before using with a decent burr grinder.

It's sounds pretentious, but the difference is day and night.

Because I like being spoonfed obviously

Is a burr hand grinder good? Electric grinder is not an option atm

Hand grinders take time, but they work fantastic.

Does Veeky Forums hate me for making coffee in cezve but filtering the foam and adding cream and sugar?

Get a Hario Skerton. Best hand grinder I've ever used.

> no coffee shops in vicinty
Where do you live? Antarctica?

So now that I've gotten my immersion brewing pretty much figured out (12:1 ratio a best), I want to improve my pourover, which always tastes like weak, vegetal shit.

Give me some general tips to make it better.

If there are Starbucks nearby, then you're close enough to civilization that the grocery stores near you will have some coffees in whole bean form. Ordering online is fine, too; freshly roasted is just a marketing term.

This.
I stopped at some coffee shop and ordered my normal of a cup of black coffee. It was like $3.75 and I was kind of irked. I watched them make it and they ground the beans by hand, used water an exact temp and then used one of those chemex coffee pots.
It was literally the best tasting cup of coffee I've ever had. I was surprised at the difference.

I prefer pour over but try out whatever method you want
>hand grinder
only get one if you make 1-2 cups at a time. its a bitch grinding enough coffee to fill a thermos with a hario skerton. otherwise get a ~$100 electric burr grinder.
>freshly roasted
usually means it was roasted a few days ago or less. autists will insist the beans are garbage after a week or two but it's no big deal. as long as they aren't roasted months ago.

Thank you for the replies. It sounds like a hand grinder would be good enough for me. How noisy are they?
Also is there a Veeky Forums approved coffee type or brand? I know literally nothing about it. Any good resources?

kek

...

Yes, would literally beat your assistance and call off the wedding over this

A lot of amazing roasters do online orders that will work fine if you're in the same country you're ordering from.

You don't want fresh fresh roast. It's going to be almost sour. You need to let it sit around 5 days off roast to degas.

Where I work, our espresso blend tastes best around the 7-10 day off roast mark. It's going to vary from coffee to coffee. When we run out of the older stuff and have to switch to newer roasts, it's always better as the days go by.

Forty Weight, Onyx Coffee Lab, Ascension Coffee.

I would order from these if I were to order online.

I've had all three and think they all make great coffee. But look around online. The coffee scene is booming and you can have a ton of fun getting into it as a hobby.

There are a lot of factors as to why you're not getting proper extraction for your pour overs. What's your recipe?


I work for a coffee shop/roaster and when I do Chemexes for demoes, I use around a 1:16.5 ratio.

My grind is usually between kosher and coarse salt.

Hand grinders are pretty quiet. Harios are great.
Brands vary a lot by locale, so don't worry about it too much. You want something roasted somewhat locally.

Hand grinder are quiet, moreso if you hold it in your hands rather than hold it in place against a counter or table. Some designs make this easier than others.

I've heard Happy Mug is a good site, but haven't tried it yet. I like Kroger's Private Selection brand since they actually have different types of coffees instead of just different roast levels. Might be a good place to start since they're fairly cheap but still have a good taste.

I've just been aiming for a 16:1 ratio but might have been grinding too fine.

How many pours do you do? I've seen some sites recommend one pass, which is what I do. but others say do 4.

I've got a melitta cone, if it matters.

Starbucks makes perfectly good coffee.

I've never used melita.

I'm familiar with Chemex, Kalita, and Hario.

You should be pulsing your pours and don't fill it all the way up.

>The one time we don't have a fucking coffee thread and I have a coffee question.
>I'm sick of Starbucks garbage and I want to try a French press or aero press or something. I've always heard using fresh roasted coffee beans is much better than just pre grounded stuff. I was thinking I'd just get a hand grinder, but where do I get the beans? I don't have any coffee shops in my vicinity. What does "freshly roasted" imply exactly? Like literally right out of the roaster? Or is the shelf life long enough that I can order them online?
French press is a fine start.
Even wal-mart sells whole beans, just start with Dunkin or some sumatra starbucks, or maybe some Target Archer Farms brand single estate stuff. You can even grind them still (in some groceries, but getting less and less since keurig took off like wildfire). When you make your whole bean purchase, just check a few labels and that roast by date, and pick the fresher.

You'll notice some improvements when you go french press for one thing, keeping all the yummy oils and foam without the paper filter. Then, you'll notice that your fresh grind makes a difference. From there? when you've gone through about 20 bags of storebought national brand various sourced variously roasted stuff? Then, you'll know where the roasters are in your state or online, and by then also have a pretty good ideas what kind of roasts you even like. You'll probably have invested in a good grinder by then too (they're not inexpensive, and no don't buy a hand grinder). And, if you want super "easymode" then get into the coffee of the month at Starbucks, or buy it in store after having the taste. The limited batch monthly stuff features some pretty unusual flavors, from cherries to citrus to just yummy hints of chocolate or spice. It's always pretty rich and nothing much like House blend.

Thank you for the advice, but why do you say not to buy a hand grinder? Everyone else says they're fine.