Fair amount of trash talking from some about the article. Interesting, a most respected coffee authority and our host Tom said "The article is by Harold McGee too - someone I respect a lot.". Hmmm, not trash talk here. The author's coffee portion is based on an interview with James Hoffman, 2007 WBC Barista Champion and after his year of WBC Champion duties founder of Square Mile Coffee Roasters in England where he's continued exploring coffee brewing methods to the extreme. While I don't necessarily agree part and parcel with all Jim's ideas, I'm most certainly not so closed minded as to be, well closed minded to not exploring taste possibilities. And I'd most certainly never denigrate his sincerity or passion or palate for great coffee in any brewed form. Keep doing exactly what you've always done and you'll get what you've always got. How narrow minded and boring. Slave to the Bean miKe mcKoffee www.NorwestCoffee.com URL to Rosto mods, FrankenFormer, some recipes etc:http://www.mckoffee.com/Ultimately the quest for Koffee Nirvana is a solitary path. To know I must first not know. And in knowing know I know not. Each Personal enlightenment found exploring the many divergent foot steps of Those who have gone before. Sweet Maria's List - Searchable Archiveshttp://themeyers.org/HomeRoast/Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://host.sweetmariascoffee.com/mailman/listinfo/homeroast_lists.sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |
As much as I respect many of the "authority's having to do with this article including and especially our host Tom, what we are talking about here is taste. As RayO said very clearly and I quote, "Whatever works- Have it your way". This is all about YOUR individual palate and your individual taste buds. If you like it go for it. If you want to streatch your palate go for it. If you think it tastes better because you dilute it with water, hey I say go for it. Don't even ask me or your best friend. Just do it. What is the worst thing that can happen? Ahhh, it won't taste good? Life goes on. I say taste it and taste it again. Joe On Mon, Aug 2, 2010 at 9:02 PM, miKe mcKoffee wrote: <Snip> -- Ambassador for Specialty Coffee and palate reform. Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://host.sweetmariascoffee.com/mailman/listinfo/homeroast_lists.sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |
Seriously, No disrespect to the original poster of this article. I took the time to read the article completely. Thank you for find and sharing this. I found it interesting but not much more than that. I guess I'm way too old school coffee for this, ahhh new wave of taste, so to speak. Hey, that said, put it in front of me and I will put my nose in it and taste it and throw in my 2 cents. In the case of Tom's list , posters beware, you often get a bit more than a "thank you that was cool" when bringing up a new topic or concept. Home coffee roasters can be a bit particular about their coffee. ;^))) Are we opinionated? Single barrel scotch? Over ice only as was already mentioned. Joe On Tue, Aug 3, 2010 at 1:13 AM, Joseph Robertson wrote: <Snip> -- Ambassador for Specialty Coffee and palate reform. Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://host.sweetmariascoffee.com/mailman/listinfo/homeroast_lists.sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |
Agreed, taste is subjective and just because an article is in the NYT
and the author has credentials is no reason to swallow it whole. I
just think the idea of overpowering our palates with higher
concentrations can lead to blocking them, in some way. I evaluate
espresso, in part, by adding water and making an "americano" and a
lot of times it clarifies some flavor that I am missing in the
straight, full strength espresso. But the idea of rolling back to
watery, economized coffee brewing is definitely not progress either.
I took this article more to be "bypass brewing" i.e. adding water
after the coffee is brewed to find a strength where we can sense it
better. Anyway, I never read this or anything as settled fact, it's
always a matter to debate. And debate we will! -Tom
<Snip>
--
-Tom
"Great coffee comes from little roasters" - Sweet Maria's Home Coffee Roasting
Thompson & Maria -http://www.sweetmarias.com Sweet Maria's Coffee - 1115 21st Street, Oakland, CA 94607 - USA
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I would have to say that this is what I thought of it also. "...and just because an article is in the NYT and the author has credentials is no reason to swallow it whole." I have been served lots of thin watery coffee over the years and it is inadequate and just because someone with credentials gets his opinion published in the NYT does not make wimpy coffee any better. Tom & Maria - Sweet Maria's Coffee wrote: <Snip> Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://host.sweetmariascoffee.com/mailman/listinfo/homeroast_lists.sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |
Tom, Thanks for the clarification from your end of this wonderful java spectrum. Especially thanks for your words on how you evaluate 'spro shots. When taking training on the east coast it was not really covered how to fine tune spro with this adding water approach. I like it and will give it a try. Blending and tasting and fine tuning espresso is a class I would sign up for from you given the chance. Cheers, Joe On Tue, Aug 3, 2010 at 4:17 PM, Tom & Maria - Sweet Maria's Coffee < sweetmarias> wrote: <Snip> -- Ambassador for Specialty Coffee and palate reform. Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://host.sweetmariascoffee.com/mailman/listinfo/homeroast_lists.sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |
"Keep doing exactly what you've always done and you'll get what you've always got. How narrow minded and boring." "This thing is unsinkable..." Whatever you do and however you do it, if the results are satisfactory, Don't Change A Thing. Western Electric, AT&T, Lucent, Avaya and Celestica changed nothing but the name. "Oh, no- you're rong, Ray. We're not sinking, we've always done business this way." The boss looked bewildered when he found the copy of *Management for Dummies * I left on his desk. Probably the same furrowed brow Captain Smith had some 88 years before. With inadequate sea trials on a new boat, one of the most experienced, respected and credentialed sailors on the seven seas sent the damn thing to the bottom while the power was allegedly set to Full Astern with a Hard Left rudder to avoid scratching the starboard paint job. Don't stop making misteaks, just learn from them. If you like the results, press on. Cheers -RayO, aka Opa! Got Grinder? Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://host.sweetmariascoffee.com/mailman/listinfo/homeroast_lists.sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |