Hi, well, I am quite the Newb, as anyone reading my previous posts would know. I got the espresso blend last time, but I want to try other flavors and so forth. The place I am getting my coffee from now, though I will branch out in the future, is a place called Cashuacoffee.com, which I can purchase locally after roasting.

I dont really know what the flavors are of various beans, so I figure I will give a wide range a shot over the upcoming months, and brew them both drip and espresso trying to gauge different tastes. The ones I am most interested in are

(Im still in the process of learning my machine, but after 5 tests on this night it consistently put out 198-199 degree temps. using styrofoam cup methods, if that has any bearing.)

French Roast: Brazil

Full City Roast: Ethiopia Sidamo (top choice at the moment, sounds like a fun description) or Zimbabwe

Full City Plus: Kenyan (I am least interested in this one but understand darker roast are often better for espresso with mediocre equipment?)

Any recommendations are appreciated.

I don't know anything about Cashuacoffee, but those three sound like a good place to start. I'd be more interested in trying the Brazil at a lighter roast so you can taste more of the origin flavors instead of the roast flavors, but it's a start.

I'd pick up the three of them so you can compare the different origin tastes, the different degree of roast tastes (full city vs. french) and processing compare the wet processed Brazil to the dry processed Africans.

After you try each one, you could blend the three of them in different proportions and try it as espresso (normally with the Brazil as a base having the higher percentage).

If you order more beans then you can use in a couple of weeks, you might want to split the bags and throw some in the freezer as soon as you get them to take out after you've run through the first half. That'll help stop the clock on the beans in the freezer. I put mine in canning jars and stick them in the back away from the door.

Thanks for your advice! I think I might just try it with 2 (financial considerations). Maybe the Nicuragua (being shade grown and single estate sounds promising at least) and

either the Zimbabwe AA+

or the Ethiopia Sidamo to go with it. Do you think either of those would work with it?

hm, maybe I should just try the mocha Java....but the others sound so much more fun!

Whatever coffees you pick, try them both brewed and made as espresso. If both taste bad, get rid of the coffee. if just the espresso tastes bad, work on your shot making skills.

My next statements are controversial; but if you stick with them for now, it will give you a specific goal in your shot making. This will improve your coffee skills and knowledge rapidly. Once you have the skills and knowledge, you can change your goals or scrap them entirely:

• The coffee you use for espresso should taste good brewed. If it doesn't, throw it out.
• The espresso shot should taste like the coffee tastes brewed, only more intense, but with the flavors still in balance. If it doesn't, adjust the way you make the shot.

Thanks for the tips. I have got a long way to go making my shots, they are just so bad....I mean, I am sure some of it is my machine, but it cant be all the machine. Yet, I keep going over how to do the shots and I cant find any area that is really standing out. Cashua just released a new blend, Black Forest Blend which I ended up picking up so I could get the decaf for my wife...first couple of shots have tasted exactly the same as the others, and to be honest, I am not sure if it is sour or bitter, but...just terrible. The decaf was pretty good, though very mellow, drip. Havent gotten to try the blend yet drip.

I did just get a paradise surprise for 20% off though, so now I have to search the board and see which bags to get. Looks like a pretty good value if I keep it over the 26 dollars for free shipping, and am able to combine that with the 20%.