OT: Favorite Boutique Coffee Brands

[Purple Stein]

Does Omar count as boutique? Large roasting operation in Newington but they have a factory showroom with about the freshest coffee you can get.

I love Omar! If I'm splurging I'll order McNulty's from the Village.

On the Keurig it's Peet's Major Dickason's+whole milk+agave. It''s fast and mindless for when you need fast and mindless.

 

[ScottBonz]

What's your grinder? That'll determine if you have the capability to adjust to different types of espresso.

I'd start with classics like Black Cat (Intelligentsia) and Hairbender (Stumptown) as those are fairly timeless for espresso blends. Once you get those where you're comfortable dialing in, then you can expand. Hologram and Apollo from Counter Culture are also good bets. Most good coffeehouses have good espresso blends, but I'd be wary of single origin espressos prominently featuring African or Central American coffees as those can be ridiculously bright (to be fair, some people actually like that).

Best espresso I ever had was Epic from 49th Parallel in Vancouver, but that was at a top notch bar on a really sweet espresso machine. I cannot come close to duplicating that cup at home on my equipment.

Oddly, although I probably consumed a gallon of espresso a week when I owned my shop, it was mostly for QC and not for enjoyment. I've lost the palate for straight shots, although I do enjoy a capp from time to time.

The breville machine we have has a grinder built directly into it.

 

[JohnFSilver]

stumptown is probably my favorite. as far as local stuff goes, everything i have had from giv (canton, ct) has been great.

that being said, i am just as likely to have a bag of pre-ground dunkin donuts on my shelf as i am anything super nice.

LOL I get ground costco coffee 3 lbs for $15. That's my everyday jam.

 

[Dove]

LOL I get ground costco coffee 3 lbs for $15. That's my everyday jam.

[looks left...looks right...] This house has always smiled when the top of the Chock Full o' Nuts pops off. Always in stock...(New York Roast)

 

[Madmannsucks]

Simple...the ONLY thing I ever flavor coffee with is Irish Whiskey, Amaretto, or Bailey's.

 

[Dove]

Big Island produces the best Hawaiian coffees I've tried. Award-Winning Hawaiian Coffee | Specialty Coffee From Hawaii

If you're a dark coffee drinker, their Dark and Deep collection includes three phenomenal coffees each from the three main Hawaiian producing regions.

Thank you....need.

 

[Lefty2one]

The breville machine we have has a grinder built directly into it.

Barista Express?

 

[brihman]

Loving the suggestions—Is a Breville espresso machine worth it? Sitting on the fence. I’ve got a decent coffee set up going Baratza grinder, try to buy fresh beans, AeroPress but wondering about espresso. I’d probably use it occasionally and my wife likes espresso but prob only a drink a day.

Also worth mentioning that I really like what breweries are doing with coffee beans - Night Shift and TreeHouse have been pretty good.

 

[storrsroars]

Loving the suggestions—Is a Breville espresso machine worth it? Sitting on the fence. I’ve got a decent coffee set up going Baratza grinder, try to buy fresh beans, AeroPress but wondering about espresso. I’d probably use it occasionally and my wife likes espresso but prob only a drink a day.

Also worth mentioning that I really like what breweries are doing with coffee beans - Night Shift and TreeHouse have been pretty good.

I think you have to really love straight up espresso and a bit of spare change to blow to get any benefit from having a dedicated machine. You can create an ersatz latte with an Aeropress and a milk steamer/frother ($20-$30).

It's a deep rabbit hole if you're trying to get to same quality of shots you get in a good coffeeshop. How many beans are you willing to waste each morning while you adjust your grinder and go through a couple to several shots to get to today's ideal brewing parameters? Espresso is a constantly moving target. With each passing day beans behave differently, and it's not only oxidation, but environmental factors like how humid is your kitchen today?

That said, if you like cappuccinos or lattes and aren't all that fussy, then sure. Milk can cover up a lot of flaws in the shot. I own a Barista Express (got it for free as I worked for Breville) and it's a fine machine for that purpose. The steaming is powerful enough to get decent mircofoam. I would not get the Bambino as it's simply not stable enough on the counter. I think the Oracle line is overkill.

If I was really into espresso, I'd get a separate grinder (which you have) and something like the Rancilio Silvia, which has a big following, so lots of online advice on using it. Generally on any combo grinder/brewer, espresso or drip, the grinder will break down well before the brewer does. But then you're well over a grand for even a beginner setup.

 

[Lefty2one]

Loving the suggestions—Is a Breville espresso machine worth it? Sitting on the fence. I’ve got a decent coffee set up going Baratza grinder, try to buy fresh beans, AeroPress but wondering about espresso. I’d probably use it occasionally and my wife likes espresso but prob only a drink a day.

Also worth mentioning that I really like what breweries are doing with coffee beans - Night Shift and TreeHouse have been pretty good.

The wife and I bought a Barista Express earlier this year. I love the damn thing and I drank nothing but black coffee until about two years ago. We found it on sale for $450 so that made the decision easier. Espresso, lattes, Americanos, etc. every day really is a treat. One of my favorite reviews on the machine was (paraphrasing): "Having this machine in your home is a significant lifestyle upgrade." Semi in jest but also true. I'm not a drinker and we don't go out to eat often so this was our one food/drink splurge. I did the math because I'm a frugal idiot and it costs 99 cents on the nose to make an oat milk latte at home, vs $5.15 at our local coffee shop. Between me and the wife the ROI on this machine isn't that far out.

One of my favorite things about having a machine like this at home is that you can play with ratios and settings to find your perfect drink. I never really liked lattes because there wasn't enough coffee flavor. Standard coffee:milk ratio for a latte is 1:3 (typically 3 oz espresso, 9 oz milk) but at home I've found my ideal cup is 3 oz espresso and 7 oz milk. I get the stronger coffee flavor I don't find in most coffee shops, though I assume I could ask for less milk. I've also learned that iced lattes on a hot day are amazing. The slightest dash of maple syrup in there somedays, and I'm not a fan of sweet drinks.

As storrsroars mentioned though, I'm not a straight espresso drinker. This machine covers up flawed shots quite well with any milk-based drink. I do give a straight shot on many weekends to my 63-year-old Italian neighbor and he says they're amazing, and we have the kind of relationship that he'd be sure to let me know (over and over again) if the shot was terrible lol.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Shabazz is the man

 

[Dove]

So, I have some Kona beans from McNulty's. Got them 2 Christmases ago.

Still good?

 

[storrsroars]

So, I have some Kona beans from McNulty's. Got them 2 Christmases ago.

Still good?

As a soil enhancer.

 

[UCLJ0211]

Bulletproof is great, probably not considered “boutique” though

 

[storrsroars]

Bulletproof is great, probably not considered “boutique” though

Butter, Beans, Blah! 3 Coffee Experts Taste Test Bulletproof Coffee.

While hardcore coffee fans debate the merits of automatic Chemex pour-overs and how many grams of water it takes to make the perfect cup of coffee, there's significant buzz building over another area of the coffee world, and it has nothing to do with the minutia of bean culture whatsoever. It's...

www.foodrepublic.com

 

[Deepster]

I think you have to really love straight up espresso and a bit of spare change to blow to get any benefit from having a dedicated machine. You can create an ersatz latte with an Aeropress and a milk steamer/frother ($20-$30).

It's a deep rabbit hole if you're trying to get to same quality of shots you get in a good coffeeshop. How many beans are you willing to waste each morning while you adjust your grinder and go through a couple to several shots to get to today's ideal brewing parameters? Espresso is a constantly moving target. With each passing day beans behave differently, and it's not only oxidation, but environmental factors like how humid is your kitchen today?

That said, if you like cappuccinos or lattes and aren't all that fussy, then sure. Milk can cover up a lot of flaws in the shot. I own a Barista Express (got it for free as I worked for Breville) and it's a fine machine for that purpose. The steaming is powerful enough to get decent mircofoam. I would not get the Bambino as it's simply not stable enough on the counter. I think the Oracle line is overkill.

If I was really into espresso, I'd get a separate grinder (which you have) and something like the Rancilio Silvia, which has a big following, so lots of online advice on using it. Generally on any combo grinder/brewer, espresso or drip, the grinder will break down well before the brewer does. But then you're well over a grand for even a beginner setup.

So I’ve read articles about wine that 95% of the wine drinkers can’t tell the difference between a 10.00 and 100.00 bottle. Back to the original post, is this an accurate piece of advice? They’re trying to come up with a decent non-Keurig option and I’m not sure the thread has much of that. It’s a lot of coffee nerd flex.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

So, I have some Kona beans from McNulty's. Got them 2 Christmases ago.

Still good?

Unfortunately, no. Probably stale as hell.

 

[Dove]

Unfortunately, no. Probably stale as hell.

They somehow got placed to the back of a pantry shelf. Sad.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

They somehow got placed to the back of a pantry shelf. Sad.

Give it a shot and see what happens. Pretty sure coffee beans don't grow mold, so the worst that happens is you make a crappy cup of coffee.

 

[storrsroars]

Give it a shot and see what happens. Pretty sure coffee beans don't grow mold, so the worst that happens is you make a crappy cup of coffee.

True. It's possible if the bag were never opened it might still have a glimmer of its former glory, and probably still better than Folgers.

So I’ve read articles about wine that 95% of the wine drinkers can’t tell the difference between a 10.00 and 100.00 bottle. Back to the original post, is this an accurate piece of advice? They’re trying to come up with a decent non-Keurig option and I’m not sure the thread has much of that. It’s a lot of coffee nerd flex.

I'd say that's probably much more true for wines between $20 and $100, but I'd have a hard time believing $10. Barefoot offers $10 wines that could never be mistaken for anything more than that.

For @brihman, if the goal is lattes/capps, then I'd suggest heading to someplace where they can taste a couple of drinks made on a Nespresso and see if that does it for them. For many people it does. In your analogy, let's call them the 95%.

If a Nespresso doesn't do it for them, then the key questions beyond budget are really, "Am I going to use this every day?", "How many drinks/day will I be making?", and "How much countertop space am I willing to forfeit for this hobby?"

Also, while he owns a Baratza grinder, only the Preciso and Sette lines will be good for espresso. The Encore and Virtuoso models won't be up to the task for reliable espresso grinds. The grinder is far more important than the espresso brewer when it comes to getting reliably delicious shots.

Keep in mind that the people who generally buy dedicated espresso grinders paired with home espresso machines are the coffee nerds who make up the 5% of people who will digest anything and everything in their quest for the "God shot". Spend a few moments on home-barista.com or coffeegeek.com to get an idea of just how involved devotees get with this stuff.

 

[brihman]

This is really helpful advice—thank you.

 

[storrsroars]

This is really helpful advice—thank you.

Forgot to mention, if you want to try a Nespresso, any Williams-Sonoma should do the trick. Most staff should know how to operate it and often on weekends there may be a traveling Nespresso rep in the store. W-S sells a ton of Nespresso equipment.

 

[CL82]

[looks left...looks right...] This house has always smiled when the top of the Chock Full o' Nuts pops off. Always in stock...(New York Roast)

Well, it is a heavenly coffee. Better coffee millionaires money can’t buy.

 

[Dove]

Easy last week I was thinking how I haven't bought myself anything in a long time. Was thinking of an expensive mirrorless camera but then this thread popped up and I was thinking maybe a new drip coffee machine. On Thursday I ordered the Bonavita Connoisseur (same as 1900 but the filer tray slides into the unit instead of having to be on the carafe). Looking forward to its arrival.

Will be trying an East Haven roaster for fresh beans. They were closed when I rolled up on Friday.

 

[8893]

I don't like dark roasts in general so I don't love espresso, but I loved it Italy when it was part of the everyday culture and you could always find a well-made one within reach. One of the places we rented for more than a week had a Bialetti stovetop maker as the only coffee maker so I used it to make my regular coffee (although stronger). I decided I'd like to have the option of making espresso at home once in a while so I bought a Bialetti and that's what I use when I get a hankering. I cheat though and use my regular coffee beans, again because I like it less bitter. Works well enough for occasional use, but nothing like what a good barista could produce: