Forgiving Seattle-area blend?

[seattlesetters]

I was going to jump in this thread but feared hijacking it. I'm looking for a good espresso blend to start out with from a Seattle-area roaster. I plan on being fanatic about fresh beans and also plan to buy them locally rather than looking to internet order.

I absolutely love Dolce and Streamline, but gather neither is the most forgiving of poor technique. My wife loves Vita....again, unforgiving.

Any ideas about something relatively forgiving I can buy over the counter?

[peacecup]

I like both Caffe Umbria Gusto Crema, and Cafe D'Arte Firenze. Both have other espresso roasts as well!

PC

[desrever]

I'm in mostly the same position as you, maybe a couple weeks ahead. Been jumping around a lot. Started with Stumptown Hair Bender which turned out to not be my thing, so I can't speak to whether it was forgiving or not. Fiore Rosetto (roasted by Vita but AFAIK only sold at the 3 Caffe Fiore shops) seemed most forgiving and is really nice in milk. Lighthouse doesn't seem to be tough but I'm only two days in. I had trouble making something appealing from Zoka Paladino, don't know if that was personal preference or finickiness. Maybe somebody else can weigh in on the relative "difficulty level" of Victrola, Borogove(Stickman), Caffe Vita, and others I've not yet tried.

[peacecup]

I think its important to find a blend and stick with it for a few pounds. There are so many variables between the machine, grinder, and barista, and variations within a given blend, that switching blends often can really complicate matters.

PC

[seattlesetters]

I think its important to find a blend and stick with it for a few pounds. There are so many variables between the machine, grinder, and barista, and variations within a given blend, that switching blends often can really complicate matters.

PC

That's exactly what I'm after. A forgiving blend I can start with and get to know and develop my skills with. I just want it to be tasty (if/when I ever get it right!), too.

[DavidMLewis]

That's exactly what I'm after. A forgiving blend I can start with and get to know and develop my skills with. I just want it to be tasty (if/when I ever get it right!), too.

While I don't live in Seattle, I think it might help the group if you said what characteristics appeal to you, aside from liking Schomer's blends. From memory, those are fairly low-acid, with some fruit, and a bit of forest-floor from the monsooned base. Is something like that what you're looking for?

Best,
David

[seattlesetters]

While I don't live in Seattle, I think it might help the group if you said what characteristics appeal to you, aside from liking Schomer's blends. From memory, those are fairly low-acid, with some fruit, and a bit of forest-floor from the monsooned base. Is something like that what you're looking for?

Best,
David

Very true, David. I tend to favor blends that have a great deal of fruit, some floral notes, a touch of chocolate, butter and a "brown sugar-ish" (is that a word?), sweet finish. My wife tends to like heavy-bodied blends with strong notes of caramel, chocolate and honey. When she likes a blend, her drink of choice is espresso macchiato. If it isn't her ideal, she goes with a capp.

[IMAWriter]

I was going to jump in this thread but feared hijacking it. I'm looking for a good espresso blend to start out with from a Seattle-area roaster. I plan on being fanatic about fresh beans and also plan to buy them locally rather than looking to internet order.

I absolutely love Dolce and Streamline, but gather neither is the most forgiving of poor technique. My wife loves Vita....again, unforgiving.

Any ideas about something relatively forgiving I can buy over the counter?

Hi...funny thing, but for whatever reason I had no problem with Dolce...it is delicious and poured like honey (a little Robusta in helps). It also required a bit less grinder adjustment throughout it's 9 day life span at mi casa. Perhaps I just got lucky. Wouldn't be the first time.

I didn't notice your grinder, but I can say that my SJ, and others of it's quality might make a difference...uniform grind, etc.
It's been about 6 months...but I think I had it set pretty much at an average place for me...neiither on the coarse side, nor fine...
Truth is, poor technique (I've been there!) makes EVERY pull an adventure..Note..I offer this next nugget of so-called wisdom in the spirit of friendship...
INSTEAD OF LOOKING FOR FORGIVING BLENDS, AND PERHAPS LIMITING YOUR SCOPE OF CHOICES, WORK ON YOUR TECHNIQUE.
I've learned so much here and on CG. Ask questions. I bet Mr. Schomer or one of his baristi would be happy to let you observe, or ask a question when they're not slammed. After all, you are a serious customer.
I envy your location!
Respectfully,
Rob J

[cdrikari]

I'm across the water and the only thing fresh locally is Caffe Vita's Caffe del Sol (local cafe uses/sells it), which I have found to be more forgiving than most. Of Schomer's two blends, I think the Dolce is easier to work with than the Vita (I also like the taste better). I've had decent luck with Hairbender as well.

While I concur with the "improve your technique" idea (mine still needs a lot of work), I think using these blends as a newbie allows for figuring out what you have to do in adjustment of technique, grind and temp to get a nice shot but cutting the number of sink shots you pull. It eases the amount of frustration and (I think) makes the learning curve easier since you get a number of steps in the learning as opposed to "good shot" or "crap". Let's you know if you're heading in the right direction when you make an adjustment.

Opinions and all that, though.

[cdrikari]

I bet Mr. Schomer or one of his baristi would be happy to let you observe, or ask a question when they're not slammed. After all, you are a serious customer.

I don't get over there very often due to the hour-plus drive, but I haven't been in Vivace when they haven't been slammed. The line is always out the door. And when it isn't, it is within about 2 minutes. The magical appearing coffee line is...uncanny.

Um...not that this has stopped me from putting down 3 macchiattos in about 30 minutes...{twitch}.

[hperry]

I really like Bali Hai from Vashon Coffee (available at Visions Espresso). Both forgiving and has many of the characteristics you noted.

[shadowfax]

Hi...funny thing, but for whatever reason I had no problem with Dolce...it is delicious and poured like honey (a little Robusta in helps). It also required a bit less grinder adjustment throughout it's 9 day life span at mi casa. Perhaps I just got lucky. Wouldn't be the first time.

I feel like you must have! I got a half pound each of Dolce and Vita to "christen" my Vetrano, and the Dolce was horrible all but about one time. Someone in another thread described the taste as "rubbery," and that definitely matched my expericence on most of the shots. I was so disappointed, but I haven't re-ordered it.

Vita was the easy one for me. It was consistently sweet, especially in the aftertaste, with very controlled acidity. It is surely one of my favorites after only 1/2 lb.

@ the OP: I would agree with the folks here--get enough of any coffee you buy to learn it better than the "1 lb sampler." 1/2 lb was not enough to really judge Dolce. I wouldn't avoid "tough coffees" in particular, and I wouldn't be afraid to try different blends some even while you are working on technique. It can be a fun adventure. But, definitely pick a main coffee to use as a reference, so you can observe how it changes, how it compares to others that you sample, etc. I don't think there is any need to worry if it is finicky. That might be a little frustrating for awhile, but in the end I feel you might learn more consistency faster.

I have a blend that is easy for me to get locally that I use as my regular coffee when I am not sampling. It is pretty much a classic espresso blend, stopped early in the second crack, low acidity, heavy chocolate, slight sweetness, classic coffee aftertaste... Anyway, I have been through 10 or more lbs with it, I think, on both my La Pavoni and Vetrano. I got into a huge rut with it awhile back where I was updosing to like 20 grams (in a synesso triple basket!), and hating it. Always these intensely sour pours that smelled horrendous. I ended up downdosing to 18, and then back up to 19 grams, and 19 was where it started hitting really nice. I have been sampling CCC's Toscano and Biloya lately and enjoying pours with a 21.5 gram updose. I am talking, almost no expansion room. I went back to my regular blend and tried that dose, but much finer and a lighter tamp than before, and got a wonderful shot, with similar flavors to the coarser, 50+lb-tamped 19 gram dose, but with much heavier body, and a richer chocolate flavor. That variety of experimentation (for me) definitely takes a lot more than a pound to figure out. I am sure I will continue to keep tweaking it in the future, too.

Good Luck, though you don't need any in your awesome neck of the woods.

[zin1953]

In general, I'd think that -- difficult or not -- you want to be able to dial in the coffee you like. I principally drink Vivace's Dolce, so I was willing to work with that blend in order to dial it in. Now with a new machine, I'm having to do it all over again . . .

That said, you might think about using this coffee to "play with" initially. I find it very forgiving and very easy to work with.

[jsdp]

In the Seattle area, I would also recommend Caffe D'Arte Firenze and as well as trying some of their other blends ( http://www.caffedarte.com/page.aspx?pageid=1389 ). Their blends have been very forgiving for me and a joy to drink.