Comments on: Coffee Common: roasters roast one other at TED http://boingboing.net/2011/02/28/coffee-commons-ted-r.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Thu, 20 Jun 2013 06:52:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: kmoser http://boingboing.net/2011/02/28/coffee-commons-ted-r.html#comment-1039115 kmoser Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1039115 Coffee preference varies so widely among individuals (one person's OMG is another's WTF) that I don't see how you can come up with universal principles about "good" and "bad" coffee. Coffee preference varies so widely among individuals (one person’s OMG is another’s WTF) that I don’t see how you can come up with universal principles about “good” and “bad” coffee.

]]> By: Sean Bonner http://boingboing.net/2011/02/28/coffee-commons-ted-r.html#comment-1039131 Sean Bonner Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1039131 One persons preference of a certain kind of wine over another doesn't negate accepted standards about what makes wine good or bad. Preference and quality aren't mutually exclusive either - I have friends who swear they prefer $10 boxed wine over anything they get served in restaurants. Same goes for coffee - you and I may have individual preferences, but that doesn't mean either one of us could get hired as a professional coffee taster. One persons preference of a certain kind of wine over another doesn’t negate accepted standards about what makes wine good or bad. Preference and quality aren’t mutually exclusive either – I have friends who swear they prefer $10 boxed wine over anything they get served in restaurants. Same goes for coffee – you and I may have individual preferences, but that doesn’t mean either one of us could get hired as a professional coffee taster.

]]> By: lasttide http://boingboing.net/2011/02/28/coffee-commons-ted-r.html#comment-1039133 lasttide Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1039133 I've been roasting my own coffee beans for a few months and it has been awesome. After drinking my office's dreadful freeze-dried Folgers for a year, I decided to bring in good coffee and a press and went characteristically overboard. Now I've got Indonesian beans roasted a bit into 2nd crack (dark but short of burnt French roast) and I'm making fresh coffee every morning in an aeropress (you can actually make good, regular coffee in these by completely ignoring the directions and treating it like a tiny French press with a filter: 1 scoop of fine ground coffee, 1 cup of hot water, stir, 1 more cup of hot water, stir, wait 4 minutes, press). I’ve been roasting my own coffee beans for a few months and it has been awesome. After drinking my office’s dreadful freeze-dried Folgers for a year, I decided to bring in good coffee and a press and went characteristically overboard.

Now I’ve got Indonesian beans roasted a bit into 2nd crack (dark but short of burnt French roast) and I’m making fresh coffee every morning in an aeropress (you can actually make good, regular coffee in these by completely ignoring the directions and treating it like a tiny French press with a filter: 1 scoop of fine ground coffee, 1 cup of hot water, stir, 1 more cup of hot water, stir, wait 4 minutes, press).

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2011/02/28/coffee-commons-ted-r.html#comment-1039645 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1039645 ritual roasters in sf has that flag hanging outside their shop. http://www.theculturebite.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/ritual-coffee.jpg ritual roasters in sf has that flag hanging outside their shop.

http://www.theculturebite.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/ritual-coffee.jpg

]]> By: Antinous / Moderator http://boingboing.net/2011/02/28/coffee-commons-ted-r.html#comment-1039390 Antinous / Moderator Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1039390 Oy! Is it possible to have a discussion about something as innocuous as coffee without descending into sniping at each other? Oy! Is it possible to have a discussion about something as innocuous as coffee without descending into sniping at each other?

]]> By: zuludaddy http://boingboing.net/2011/02/28/coffee-commons-ted-r.html#comment-1039136 zuludaddy Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1039136 Do love that flag - who designed it? Do love that flag – who designed it?

]]> By: scifijazznik http://boingboing.net/2011/02/28/coffee-commons-ted-r.html#comment-1039137 scifijazznik Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1039137 Couldn't agree more. I'm baffled as to how Starbucks became so popular selling such awful coffee. But lots and lots and <em>lots</em> of people seem perfectly happy to pay for it. And people scoff at me when I say 7-11 coffee is way better than Starbucks. All's I know is, every time there's a thread like this, I gots to bust out my favorite ode to coffee snobs from the 1980s. Don't turn around uh-oh The coffee czar's in town uh-oh-oh Couldn’t agree more. I’m baffled as to how Starbucks became so popular selling such awful coffee. But lots and lots and lots of people seem perfectly happy to pay for it. And people scoff at me when I say 7-11 coffee is way better than Starbucks.

All’s I know is, every time there’s a thread like this, I gots to bust out my favorite ode to coffee snobs from the 1980s.

Don’t turn around
uh-oh
The coffee czar’s in town
uh-oh-oh

]]> By: Sean Bonner http://boingboing.net/2011/02/28/coffee-commons-ted-r.html#comment-1039929 Sean Bonner Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1039929 Growers and farmers are part of the industry. Growers and farmers are part of the industry.

]]> By: erg79 http://boingboing.net/2011/02/28/coffee-commons-ted-r.html#comment-1039429 erg79 Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1039429 "Go ahead and love your 7-11 coffee, but don't bash those that truly love the whole experience of coffee and have taken the time to learn about and discover coffee from well respected growers, roasters, and baristas. Also, maybe try some coffee from some of those roasters listed above, made by people who are well trained in making it, and then get back to us on this thread." The implication being that someone who likes 7-Eleven coffee is someone who hasn't had an awakening from one of those places, and doesn't know what good coffee is? I like Intelligentsia coffee, but sometimes you're not in the mood for a place as serious as that (and sorry, but I do think that they take themselves very seriously. It makes for great coffee, but it can be a bit much if you're not in the mood for that). The coffee that I've enjoyed the most has been as Philz in San Francisco, which is far more laid back than Intelli or some other "serious" coffee places, and the cafe con leche that you can get anywhere in Peru, but sadly almost nowhere in America. “Go ahead and love your 7-11 coffee, but don’t bash those that truly love the whole experience of coffee and have taken the time to learn about and discover coffee from well respected growers, roasters, and baristas. Also, maybe try some coffee from some of those roasters listed above, made by people who are well trained in making it, and then get back to us on this thread.”

The implication being that someone who likes 7-Eleven coffee is someone who hasn’t had an awakening from one of those places, and doesn’t know what good coffee is? I like Intelligentsia coffee, but sometimes you’re not in the mood for a place as serious as that (and sorry, but I do think that they take themselves very seriously. It makes for great coffee, but it can be a bit much if you’re not in the mood for that).

The coffee that I’ve enjoyed the most has been as Philz in San Francisco, which is far more laid back than Intelli or some other “serious” coffee places, and the cafe con leche that you can get anywhere in Peru, but sadly almost nowhere in America.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2011/02/28/coffee-commons-ted-r.html#comment-1039174 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1039174 Ritual forever! Best bean-roasters on the planet (or at least the the West Coast)... Ritual forever! Best bean-roasters on the planet (or at least the the West Coast)…

]]> By: zuludaddy http://boingboing.net/2011/02/28/coffee-commons-ted-r.html#comment-1039687 zuludaddy Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1039687 Ta, thanks Anon @#15. I admire the design work. Ta, thanks Anon @#15. I admire the design work.

]]> By: Godfree http://boingboing.net/2011/02/28/coffee-commons-ted-r.html#comment-1039220 Godfree Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1039220 @scifijazznik: Thanks SO much for the earworm. @zuludaddy: Someone from San Francisco, I imagine. I freakin' love that logo. I love it so much I went to Ritual Roaster's online shop and checked out their gear: http://ritual.myshopify.com/collections/other-fun-stuff I hope someday they decide to put the logo by itself in red on a black t-shirt. @scifijazznik: Thanks SO much for the earworm.

@zuludaddy: Someone from San Francisco, I imagine.

I freakin’ love that logo. I love it so much I went to Ritual Roaster’s online shop and checked out their gear:
http://ritual.myshopify.com/collections/other-fun-stuff
I hope someday they decide to put the logo by itself in red on a black t-shirt.

]]> By: Cazart http://boingboing.net/2011/02/28/coffee-commons-ted-r.html#comment-1039477 Cazart Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1039477 Maybe they haven't had their cof....never mind. Maybe they haven’t had their cof….never mind.

]]> By: redstarr http://boingboing.net/2011/02/28/coffee-commons-ted-r.html#comment-1039499 redstarr Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1039499 Something I often face with coffee is that the temperature is often wrong. I used to whine that it was too hot at most places, then my husband explained that it's because I'm the minority these days, in that I drink my coffee plain rather than adding cream/sugar/etc. and that the temp is right for most of the rest of the coffee drinkers because the things they add cool it down a little. This got me to thinking,though. I wonder if there's an optimal temperature for coffee overall or even an optimal temperature for different types of coffee. It makes a huge difference serving different types of wine at the right temperature. I could totally see it mattering with different varietals and roasts of coffee,too. If so, nobody is likely serving them at the right temps. Everywhere I go, no matter what kind of coffee you order, it's gonna be the same heat and home coffee pots only offer the one brewing heat. Something I often face with coffee is that the temperature is often wrong. I used to whine that it was too hot at most places, then my husband explained that it’s because I’m the minority these days, in that I drink my coffee plain rather than adding cream/sugar/etc. and that the temp is right for most of the rest of the coffee drinkers because the things they add cool it down a little.

This got me to thinking,though. I wonder if there’s an optimal temperature for coffee overall or even an optimal temperature for different types of coffee. It makes a huge difference serving different types of wine at the right temperature. I could totally see it mattering with different varietals and roasts of coffee,too. If so, nobody is likely serving them at the right temps. Everywhere I go, no matter what kind of coffee you order, it’s gonna be the same heat and home coffee pots only offer the one brewing heat.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2011/02/28/coffee-commons-ted-r.html#comment-1039510 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1039510 Redstarr, read around, temperature (to the 0.1°c) is incredibly important... for all brew styles and varietals, there is a huge amount of information online, a good start point would be jimseven.com if your interested in finding out a little more. Redstarr, read around, temperature (to the 0.1°c) is incredibly important… for all brew styles and varietals, there is a huge amount of information online, a good start point would be jimseven.com if your interested in finding out a little more.

]]> By: tarabrown http://boingboing.net/2011/02/28/coffee-commons-ted-r.html#comment-1039283 tarabrown Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1039283 @kmoser - so what are YOU passionate about? If you are really into potato chips, I bet you can come up with ways to compare good and bad chips. @scifijazznik - people refer to snobs when it's something they don't understand or aren't passionate about it. I'm not into wine and it doesn't matter how many wineries I go to or how many bottles of wine I drink, I'm not going to love wine. I'm never going to be passionate about wine, but does that make my friend who drinks wine every day, watches Gary Vee like it's a sermon, and does wine tours for vacation a wine snob? No, it means that he likes wine so much that he takes time to enjoy it to the best of his ability. Go ahead and love your 7-11 coffee, but don't bash those that truly love the whole experience of coffee and have taken the time to learn about and discover coffee from well respected growers, roasters, and baristas. Also, maybe try some coffee from some of those roasters listed above, made by people who are well trained in making it, and then get back to us on this thread. @kmoser – so what are YOU passionate about? If you are really into potato chips, I bet you can come up with ways to compare good and bad chips.

@scifijazznik – people refer to snobs when it’s something they don’t understand or aren’t passionate about it. I’m not into wine and it doesn’t matter how many wineries I go to or how many bottles of wine I drink, I’m not going to love wine. I’m never going to be passionate about wine, but does that make my friend who drinks wine every day, watches Gary Vee like it’s a sermon, and does wine tours for vacation a wine snob? No, it means that he likes wine so much that he takes time to enjoy it to the best of his ability.

Go ahead and love your 7-11 coffee, but don’t bash those that truly love the whole experience of coffee and have taken the time to learn about and discover coffee from well respected growers, roasters, and baristas. Also, maybe try some coffee from some of those roasters listed above, made by people who are well trained in making it, and then get back to us on this thread.

]]> By: forteller http://boingboing.net/2011/02/28/coffee-commons-ted-r.html#comment-1039808 forteller Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1039808 "to improve the experience of coffee for both industry and consumers" I wish you'd also mentioned the growers/farmers and their families. “to improve the experience of coffee for both industry and consumers”

I wish you’d also mentioned the growers/farmers and their families.

]]> By: scifijazznik http://boingboing.net/2011/02/28/coffee-commons-ted-r.html#comment-1039320 scifijazznik Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1039320 Oh, relax. I didn't bash anyone. Snob is a term of endearment. Genuine snobs don't bristle at being called snobs. Get back to "us" you say? You're precious. Oh, relax. I didn’t bash anyone. Snob is a term of endearment. Genuine snobs don’t bristle at being called snobs.

Get back to “us” you say? You’re precious.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2011/02/28/coffee-commons-ted-r.html#comment-1039832 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1039832 That would be included in the "industry" header. Everyone from farmers to baristas is the coffee industry. That would be included in the “industry” header. Everyone from farmers to baristas is the coffee industry.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2011/02/28/coffee-commons-ted-r.html#comment-1040872 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1040872 Every comment thread about coffee contains: (1) someone mentioning how great their home roasted coffee is; (2) a plug for a cafe not mentioned in the article. Maybe we could just assume the existence of these kinds of comments from now on, with no need to actually post them? Couldn't agree more about the Ritual logo -- nothing goes better with a cup o' java than a visual reference to communist dictatorships. Ah, the subtle nuance of gulags and purges. Every comment thread about coffee contains: (1) someone mentioning how great their home roasted coffee is; (2) a plug for a cafe not mentioned in the article.

Maybe we could just assume the existence of these kinds of comments from now on, with no need to actually post them?

Couldn’t agree more about the Ritual logo — nothing goes better with a cup o’ java than a visual reference to communist dictatorships.

Ah, the subtle nuance of gulags and purges.

]]> By: swag http://boingboing.net/2011/02/28/coffee-commons-ted-r.html#comment-1040377 swag Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1040377 What's with the pet status of farmers? That said, TED is like Vegas. Whatever happens there, stays there. If this is going to have meaningful legs outside of it, it's best outside of the TED circle jerk. What’s with the pet status of farmers?

That said, TED is like Vegas. Whatever happens there, stays there. If this is going to have meaningful legs outside of it, it’s best outside of the TED circle jerk.

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