I'm thinking about how a particular coffee should taste and using that expected taste as a means to calibrate my machine(s).

So can anyone point me in the direction of a single source bean that is readily available with a description in detail of what it ought to taste like?

I'm finding at the moment that, while what I am making is quite good and occasionally very good in terms of being flavours that I really like, I have no idea whether what I am tasting is what I am meant to be tasting. Obviously when I get something I really like, I'm less bothered by what I should and should not taste. But much more often I am left wondering is it me and my equipment, or is it the coffee.

Any help greatly appreciated.

Hi

Your questions have a semi philosophical nature and don't have specific answers. My guess is that you would need to define in specific terms what good taste is to you before you start seeking specific answers to calibrate the machine, the grinder, etc. Also, each combination of espresso machine + grinder + mano + coffee + person, make a different world of flavor on its own.

There is this topic which is related:

It's the Barista, Stupid

Cheers

Thanks for the reply Arpi. What I was really meaning was coffee X should, when correctly brewed, give you the following flavours........ In addition flavour Y is predominant with flavours A and B less so, for example.

I just looked at a bag of coffee I got from the supermarket and on it is written that it has a sweet nutty flavour. I mean there are no end of sweet flavours and I suspect quite a broad range of nutty ones too. And if I under extract a bit I'll probably get sweet flavours more and nutty ones less; and possibly the opposite if I slightly over extract.

I'm just wondering if there could be more precision in the description instead of such broad and vague ones.

I'd suggest going to a "3rd wave" coffeeshop, trying their espresso, buying a bag and bringing it home. What it tasted at the shop is a guide of what it should taste like at home.

Marvin

Ian_G wrote:I have no idea whether what I am tasting is what I am meant to be tasting.

Brilliantly put. That is one of the big dilemmas of doing coffee on-line.

One method is to find a good local cafe that sells whole bean bags of the coffee they serve. Have their espresso and brews, buy some beans to take home, and compare your prep to theirs. There will alway be differences; but you'll be able to tell if you're playing in the same league.

If you find that your home coffee is a lot better than the cafe's even after trying them several times, then the experiment is a failure, since the cafe you were using was probably not very good.

You'll beat even a good cafe on occasion, since everyone has bad days, but not consistently. So a good cafe is one good resource for testing yourself.

The other good possibility is to find another Glaswegian amateur with whom you can compare notes.

Finally, combining the two in a local get together among amateurs and pros is the best way to assess yourself.

Thanks again for the replies and ideas. I know of two cafes where the coffee is pretty good, i.e. I don't mind paying over the odds because it's worth it. Not sure if they sell the beans that they use though, but I can find out today.

Hi Ian - I'm in Glasgow as well (for now), been lurking for ages but registered to post - I would recommend stopping by artisan roast and tasting their house blend as espresso (jansoon) then bringing a bag home to experiment with.

It's an intensely flavourful fruity espresso with a near fizzy efferevescent mouth acidic mouth feel. I found it more difficult to really get the best out of compared to other Glasgow roasted beans, but you will know when you have dialled in your technique if you get anything resembling what you taste in the shop. Hope this helps.

Hi Finbad thanks for the information. I just googled them and see a location on Gibson Street in Glasgow. This is a street I drive along often and I'm amazed that I have never noticed them. So I'll be going there shortly to try them out. I'm also stopping in at Kember and Jones on Byres Road as I like their coffee too, and they sell the beans.

So if you're interested in meeting up?

Ian

finbad wrote: I would recommend stopping by artisan roast and tasting their house blend as espresso (jansoon) then bringing a bag home to experiment with.

Finbad I did as you suggested - what an experience! Utterly superb coffee. So I've got a bag of janszoon and will give it a go tomorrow.

Readers of this thread are going to think what follows is made up, given what the start of the thread was about.

Anyway with the bag of coffee I got a card enclosed with it. On this card are details of the Origin of the coffee; recommendations for preparation e.g. weights to use for espresso or cafetiere; Flavours to be expected for espresso, flat white and cafetiere methods, as well as info on storage and usage.

To top it all of one of my favourite comedians was sitting having a cup as well.

So what a great day.

you could cup the coffee at home. if you have a grinder, a 7ish ounce cup, and a spoon or two, and a timer, its not that hard.