LIZ
California
About me:Writer, photographer, coffee lover! In pursuit of the finer things in life.
My Equipment:
Stovetop espresso
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WOULD HAVE BEEN A 4-CUP RATING
Liz | Mon, 01/02/2012 - 18:42If they'd gotten the order right. I guess this review is about not just the coffee but the poor QC of the company providing it—Deans Beans. Ordered coffee ground for espresso and got whole beans. Not the end of the world except—that's not what I ordered. And I didn't have a grinder! !@#$%&#!? Thought about it for awhile. Grabbed a 20% off Bed, Bath and Beyond coupon that I'd almost thrown out with junk mail and hit the stores. Bought a Cuisinart grinder that wasn't very expensive but neither was it too cheap (been down that road before--not worth it). Ground some beans the next morning. Aroma--mmmmm. Taste——— now THAT'S coffee!! I think I've found the dark coffee I've been on safari for. Wonderful in my on-stove Bialetti. I look forward to it every morning. So thumbs down AND thumbs up! (Highly recommend Ring of Fire!)
WORTH THE WAIT
Liz | Tue, 12/20/2011 - 18:53My first cup of Higher Ground's Papua New Guinea Dark Coffee disappointed me. It looked dark and had a nice aroma but the taste was light, and I thought at first, something like stale. I've run into that before, and, while I don't actually know if it's stale, that's the only word I can think of to describe the taste. But subsequent cups proved me wrong. I really enjoyed this coffee. Even if it did take 2 weeks to arrive. ; ) I'm on safari for a really flavorful, aromatic dark coffee. This still isn't it. But very nice and worth waiting for. Time to start searching Roaste.com's select coffee offerings again.
VERY NICE FROM START TO FINISH
Liz | Sat, 11/26/2011 - 14:13I really enjoyed Deep Cello's Nostromo. Very smooth, very balanced with a glorious flavor. Never found it bitter or thin or overly acidic. Even now, the aroma arising from the ground coffee when I open the air-tight bag in which I store it is fresh and evocative of a wonderful cup to come. However, not as dark as I expected it to be! So I'm still in search. But, this is now on my Favorites list. I'll be ordering it again. Great selection, Roaste.com! Thanks.
GREAT STOVETOP COFFEE MAKER
Liz | Mon, 11/14/2011 - 20:43I'm a long-time fan of Bialetti stovetop coffee makers. I've had them over the years and they're dependable, easy to use, simple to clean and brew up a great cup of coffee. I also love their look and the Italian history behind them. If you don't have a Moka Express, you may not be familiar with its unique design. It's charming--especially in the 3 cup size. The word "cute" is definitely appropriate. There's a top and a bottom. After you add water to the bottom chamber and insert the coffee funnel, screw on the top. Place it on the burner. Be sure the hot area of your burner doesn't extend beyond the diameter of the bottom chamber. The heat (or flame) could affect the side and top of the pot, and potentially burn the handle. The water will boil up through the grinds and into the top chamber. At that time, it's ready for drinking! And I find it stays hot in the pot a nice long while. Recently, I purchased the big daddy 12-Cup model. Same design, same aluminum body with top and bottom chambers. It makes a great pot of coffee--enough for several 6 oz cups and more if you're using demi-tasse or espresso cups. So while the smaller pots are terrific, when you have a number of people over, the 12-cup version is a must. The only drawback may be that it's a bit unwieldy for smaller hands due to its size. So when unscrewing it to clean, you may have to work at it a bit more than with the 3-, 6- and even the 9-cup models. If you seek a simpler way of making coffee, then the Bialetti Moka Express model (made since about 1933 in Italy) may be just the choice for you.
THUMBS UP FOR FLAVOR AND DEPENDABILITY—ENJOYED EVERY CUP
Liz | Fri, 11/11/2011 - 14:05I came across Caveman Kicker Coffee on Roaste.com by accident. And I'm so glad it happened. I love dark roasts and thought I'd filtered for that. Caveman Kicker appeared and had some great reviews. So I bought a pound. When my coffee arrived a couple of days later (speedy—thanks, Rogue Coffee!), I immediately saw it labeled as a medium dark roast. I prepared for disappointment. While not as dark as I like in the wee hours of the a.m., Caveman Kicker Coffee is nonetheless full of flavor and has a very nice combination of smoothness and acidity. I also found it to be very rich but not overly so (to the extent where one can barely finish a cup--Peets brewed in-store is like this, I find). I use a touch of milk in my morning coffee so I can't speak for a Caveman Kicker experience without it. But I suspect it would be nice, perhaps especially with sugar. Additional detail: I made my Caveman Kicker in a Bialetti Stovetop pot. Every time, the brewed coffee tasted essentially the same. I rate that result highly because I don't fancy coffee redo's early in the morning. Definitely a thumbs up for Caveman Kicker by Rogue Coffee on Roaste.com. While I'm not buying it again immediately, I know I'll do so in the future. Glad I can access it so quickly and easily via Roaste.com!