An Apparently Stupid Way to Make Coffee

[MarkSF]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

I am starting to roast at home. I presume the results will eventually be superior to buying already roasted beans, although I have yet to achieve the quality of what I get from the local roasters. I will not attempt this on board; too much faff and too much apparatus required.



One of the beauties of Nespresso (one of the several) is that the coffee is fresh roasted, immediately ground, and immediately packed into the capsules in nitrogen. The coffee doesn't go stale.


Home roasting is cheaper than buying from your small local artisanal coffee roaster, but it's still not dramatically cheaper than Nespresso. Over here good green beans are around €15-20/kg.

When you buy ground coffee or roasted beans, those are also packed in nitrogen and don't go stale, until they are opened. Which is why it's a good idea to keep opened coffee in the freezer, as you've now let the air in / nitrogen out.

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by MarkSF

When you buy ground coffee or roasted beans, those are also packed in nitrogen and don't go stale, until they are opened. Which is why it's a good idea to keep opened coffee in the freezer, as you've now let the air in / nitrogen out.

Condensation on the beans when you take them out of the freezer is an issue though. And even packaged in nitrogen the beans still off-gas and go stale, just a little slower.


So freezing a bag of beans you haven't opened yet is a good idea, but you should then thaw a container, bag, whatever for use and keep it thawed. Don't pull it in and out of the freezer each time you make coffee.



As far as freshness, regardless of packaging, freshly roasted beans will be at their best starting a couple days after roasting up to about 2 weeks after. Beyond that, they're starting to go stale (although they won't suddenly become terrible or anything). Most beans you find in a grocery store are way past their best before they ever hit the shelves, unfortunately. Ground coffee starts going stale within an hour, so there's no way to have truly fresh pre-ground coffee.

[ChrisJHC]

The pods I buy (from a small Australian company) are fully biodegradable.

[malbert73]

https://riseupcoffee.com/product-category/all/

Awesome local and growing Maryland company. They ship. I buy 5 lb bag of beans. Their house roast is superb. Others too. They roast fresh so you get great product.

And I use a cone filter with large filters on boat. Boil water, pour over fresh ground beans, into a glass lined insulated carafe.

[boatman61]

How many of you guys warm up your beans before grinding.. lovely smell when grinding, better consistency and faster flow.. and smooth.. just curious.