30 Comments
User's avatar
⭠ Return to thread
RJ Rambler's avatar

The darker the coffee the less bitter it is. Seriously!

Expand full comment
Politico Phil's avatar

Depends on how you brew it, the grind, the draw and the water temp. Personally, I prefer the light to medium roast which generally has a more complex combination of flavors. Typically American brewed coffee is just a dark burnt flavor overloaded with sugar and creamer. IE, Starbucks. They put so much sugar in their coffee, they have to use a very dark burnt roast to be able to taste the coffee through the sugar. (I think burnt is a more accurate descriptor than bitter.)

Expand full comment
Verve's avatar

Spot on, Phil. And I used to laugh at the "conspiracy theorists" who said their logo was somehow demonic - I don't know about that, but more like the whole company is. A couple years ago I was in NYC and my sister said let's check out the new multilevel Starbucks Reserve that had recently opened up. Has a bar/lounge vibe, serves alcohol and has a much more extended food menu. It was woke heaven. Aggressive Barristas who eye you up and down with disdain and just a bizarre way of ordering food and having to pick it up from another area of the restaurant from clueless employees who don't speak English and are just rude rude rude. But the piece de resistance were the restrooms. Holy crap. First, they're in the basement of the place. Second, they pipe in loud clubby music which is much lounder than up in the main floor. Weird. Third, the lighting was very low and RED - think Robert L Peter's speech in philly in 2022 with the hellish red background lighting. Fourth: you guessed it - Completely co-ed bathroom with individual stalls that seemed very country club like - like you could have a hook-up in there. do drugs, whatever and absolutely nobody would care. I can't tell you how horrible it is for a woman to go into a bathroom like that after a guy has just peed everywhere and the seat is up, it's just absolutely an assault on my humanity. I think I threw my shoes out later that evening.

Expand full comment
John Galt (MAHA/MAGA)'s avatar

Starbucks just opened their 100,000th location, in the Men's room of an existing Starbucks

Expand full comment
Verve's avatar

literally. The debauchery is real.

Expand full comment
Valerie's avatar

My husband and I hate the taste

Of Starbucks. Burned beans… ick.

Expand full comment
CMCM's avatar

That's why coffee geeks call it Charbucks!

Expand full comment
Politico Phil's avatar

LOL...

Expand full comment
Anita from Tucson - Now In MI's avatar

That logo is NOT a mermaid... it is a split-tailed siren of some sort.

Expand full comment
Verve's avatar

yes you're right. I just saw something recently about it and how the founders of SBUX wanted something that had a logo that positioned the product as "irresistible" which on surface level seems like clever marketing. But if you look at the greek mythology of it sirens were inextricably linked to death and the "underworld." Really creepy. The original SBUX logo is much more graphic https://duckduckgo.com/?q=original+starbucks+logo+image&iax=images&ia=images&iai=https%3A%2F%2Fenriqueortegaburgos.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F08%2Ffirst-starbucks-logo.jpg

And Just like Apple changed their logo from sir isaac newton sitting under a tree with an apple dangling above him, the new apple logo is an apple with a bite out of it, in the rainbow pride flag colors, although they aren't in the same order as the pride flag. Apple says no to it being some reference to sin etc., but people are left to make their own conclusions. Most don't notice or care. It's really interesting.

Expand full comment
Verve's avatar

Thank you - that was the article I was referring to!

Expand full comment
KC & the Sunshine's avatar

The Apple logo always remind me of the verses in the bible that say,

“If your right hand offends you, cut it off” and the one in Genesis talking about how God warned Adam & Eve NOT to EAT (or partake of) the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

I typed this into my

apple

phone with my right hand. I get the irony.

Expand full comment
Verve's avatar

LOL I'm with you KC. A mind bending experience on a daily basis with that iphone, and now that I've lost complete confidence in most everything in this world since the plandemic, I absolutely believe Apple created that logo as a great big "ef-u" to us. It's an example of Occam's Razor if there ever was one.

Expand full comment
KC & the Sunshine's avatar

It seems to be a giant fist-shaking in the face of God.

Expand full comment
Angus McPherson's avatar

In the coffee business, some people call Starbuck "Charbucks" for their roasting regimen. I drink dark roast coffee--just my preference. I like it black (like my heart). As you said, temperature is key. Coffee, no matter the roast, won't taste good unless it is brewed between 205 and 210 F. Consumer coffee makers are seldom higher than 190F. Many of them considerably lower.

Expand full comment
Tio Nico's avatar

emperature s only oneof the five variables involved in coffee brewing. I haveover the years played with all five.. and will, deoending on which coffee and its roast profile, brewed as low as 195F . In fact I have developed a three stage brew method that starts with a first soak at 130F. So ttem is just one more "handle" to play with. French press is my typical daily method, though AeroPress is a good alternative. IF you have the "flow control" option. (I had some early disasters following the introduction of the inverted brew protocol.. so went back to the venerable Frog Pot. Hard to spill that.

Expand full comment
Angus McPherson's avatar

Well Uncle Nico, you are talking at master levels to my novice level. I just know I can't stand "mr. coffee" drip and the like, and had someone explain the temp thing, and found it empirically to be true. I purchased a Japanese made imported drip machine that does output at the higher temps, and like what it makes.

Really interesting 3 stage stuff, and I'm amazed that level of knowledge that people are able to share in this comment section. I've learned a lot. Thanks for just this little insight from your larger store of knowlege.

Expand full comment
SteelJ's avatar

I like it black, like my heart. LOVE THAT. I'm using it. Not asking permission, I'm black-hearted. Being black-hearted, you'd never give it. Just gonna use it, thanks!

Expand full comment
Angus McPherson's avatar

Love your reply. Touché. Somehow, that phrase has always fit my life experience and my taste in the coffee.

Expand full comment
Tio Nico's avatar

Phil, you are close, bu exactly backward.

When you start with cheap beans, burn them to death, and overextrat them, the only way it would no be instatnly rejeted by anyone with more than four functioning taste receptors is to load it with "white and sweet".

Once you have tried quality coffee, carefully and correctly roasted, and brewed accurately, you will never again even think of "white and sweet" in your cup.

Expand full comment
Politico Phil's avatar

Sooooo true!

Expand full comment
Mrs. Mantle's avatar

What light roast do you recommend?

Expand full comment
Politico Phil's avatar

My longstanding favorite is a single origin Costa Rican coffee from Hunter Bay roaster in Montana. It is a light roast they sell. It's amazingly smooth. Another favorite of mine is their "Big Sky Organic" which is a combination of different origins and is a medium roast. Great flavor and also smooth. Again, it's important to get the right grind for each bean especially with the light roasts. If the grind and the brew is not adjusted for the bean, a light roast can be bitter as RJ pointed out. I have also been a heavy user of Puerto Rican coffee from puertoricancoffeeshop.com which sells a whole line-up of PR roasters.

Expand full comment
Tio Nico's avatar

there are light roasts that are bitter, and those that are not... depending on the skill of the roaster himself. The profile time/temp curve is critical. if that is not managed, the result can be bitter because the beginning of the maillard reaction comes too soon, and is not extended long enough. VERY gentle in the drying phase will result in a light roast that is full flavoured, comples, sweet/floral, and smooth. Start wth a great coffee stock, roast it well, and amaze your friends. Brewing is also critical, as overextraction tends toward a bitter cup no matter the roast. With the properly done light roast described above, it is even more critical. But once learned, oh my goodness, right in MY cup.

Expand full comment
Politico Phil's avatar

Totally makes sense. Based on that, Hunter Bay seems to be a good roaster. I have noticed the difference you talk about in brewing light roasted, some bitter and others just delicious. Light roast does require a bit more finesse when you brew it.

Expand full comment
Tio Nico's avatar

but once mastered, SO worth it!!!

Expand full comment
Valerie's avatar

Silencer smooth from Black Rifle is an excellent light roast, but I’m not a connoisseur like some of the people posting.

Expand full comment
Valerie's avatar

But the darker the less caffeine, if I remember right. What a choice! 😂

Expand full comment
On an island's avatar

It’s negligible though.

Expand full comment