jpender wrote:Of course I will try them. But isn't the point of this forum to learn from others' experiences?

Exactly. That's why I recommended them. I'm more careful these days about posting very skeptical takes where I don't have actual experience.

bcrdukes wrote:Hi HB'ers,

Hope everyone is well and healthy.

I'm curious if any roasters out there exist who focus on espresso using Robusta beans? I know Robusta beans have earned a poor reputation for being of poor quality and what have you, but I'm certain a good quality Robusta exists out there. I love the jolt that you get out of a Robusta. Any leads on this? Thanks!

Regards,

Mike

I don't need the extra caffeine. A good Brazil Natural or one mixed like Daterra Sweet Blue mixed with a fruity coffee of your choice does just as well for those that want the crema but don't need the caffeine.

I would get used to it. With global temperature increases it's all that will be available in the future, save for some hybrids we have to naturally select starting from square one.

I have a pound of robusta that a family friend's mother grew in her backyard. She roasted it personally so it's a bit darker than I prefer. Basically it will put hair's on the hairs on your chest.

That's the only thing I'll be pissed about as the world goes down in flames, crummy coffee, if there is any.

jpender wrote:How does their Neapolitan blend compare to authentic Italian Neapolitan coffee?

It's an oddity of our world that their coffee costs 30-40% more than the Saka. Mr. Espresso is located about 20 miles from my house versus 6000+ miles to Naples, Italy. While price is not the primary criterion for me when choosing coffee I can't help but wonder: Why buy an emulation of an Italian coffee when you can order the real thing for less?

Mr. Espresso has two coffees labeled Neapolitan. Organic Neapolitan is a medium-dark roast that is nicely complex and roughly comparable to Saka's all-Arabica blend. We prefer it to their "regular" Neapolitan, which is less dimensional and more rustic, but it does have a following. Since our local market changed hands and stopped carrying their beans, we haven't had ON in rotation for a while, but both of the Neapolitans are definitely worth trying, particularly for someone who is semi-local. Since, if you stop by their roastery in west Oakland (call ahead), you can purchase, for a good $/lb. price, 5 lb bags of their coffees, which carry hefty shipping costs otherwise.

You may be able to find 12 oz bags of one or both of those coffees at a market near you:
https://mrespresso.com/places-to-taste-2/

Thanks for that. I had already seen your earlier posts about those two blends. They were interesting to read because the Mr. Espresso website makes it sound like the organic one an attempt to copy the non-organic, just doing the best they could with organic-only ingredients. Instead it sounds like the organic blend is superior in taste.

At least for my address the shipping is a flat $5 whether I buy one 12oz bag or 100 pounds of coffee. The bridge toll alone is $7, never mind the usual hassle and waste of time in traffic dealing with visiting the east bay. Unless I happen to be heading over there anyway I think I'll just have them deliver it to my door. That's been my pandemic MO for quite a while now. Why drive when I can get it delivered?

Mr. Espresso is on my list. I'd probably order some more Saka first, since I really liked it, but the domestic retailer (Cantina Coffee) hasn't restocked. So it'll have to be one of at least 100 other great roasters to choose from. If there's a coffee Armageddon coming I don't see it, not yet. It seems more like a golden age to me. Drink it while you can!

I just ordered some of the Tuscan espresso from Mr. Espresso, which should be all Arabica. I like the taste of robusta but can't tolerate it, unless it's decaffeinated -- BTW I really enjoy the decaf Saka, which is 50% robusta -- I had contacted Luigi at Mr. Espresso to ask about sources for quality robusta and decaf robusta greens. He's a professional and can get them, but they're hard to come by. For me, $15 for 12 oz plus $5 shipping is pretty good. What's that cost per shot? Not much. The shipping is the same if you order two bags. I didn't check on more. Tasting a professional's espresso blend gives perspective to drinking what I roast.

Curious about the Saka decaf. Since it's robusta does it produce a lot more crema and actually pull properly? Decaf blends I've tried previously pull extremely watery, like stale coffee. Was curious about saka decaf since it has so much robusta I wondered if that compensated?

It pulls well, but then I haven't had problems with my home-roasted arabica decafs.

Wow, it's like the OP was reading my mind! I was just thinking about posting this question. Thanks, @bcrdukes!

I'm curious, for those who have ordered from mrespresso.com, where are you finding the larger bags (say, 5lb that were mentioned earlier) and where are you finding the robusta? I can't seem to find either on their website (and I'm usually pretty adept at figuring out online shopping, etc). Also, for anyone who has tried both, how does it compare to Saka? FWIW, my spouse and I both are really "out of step" with the times, I guess you could say because we enjoy really dark roasts. We both do milk drinks. I've been looking for a robusta blend but it's really hard to find just doing web searches. Oddly, even roasters who seem to use robusta (like, from what I've read from others on this thread, mrespresso.com) don't seem to like to mention it or even give a percentage.

Thanks so much, in advance, for any info you could share!!

raeyn wrote:Wow, it's like the OP was reading my mind! I was just thinking about posting this question. Thanks, @bcrdukes!

I'm curious, for those who have ordered from mrespresso.com, where are you finding the larger bags (say, 5lb that were mentioned earlier) and where are you finding the robusto %? I can't seem to find either on their website (and I'm usually pretty adept at figuring out online shopping, etc).

You need to call them for a 5 lb (or more) order. And they'll provide shipping costs based on where you live.

Also, for anyone who has tried both, how does it compare to Saka? FWIW, my spouse and I both are really "out of step" with the times, I guess you could say because we enjoy really dark roasts. We both do milk drinks. I've been looking for a robusto blend but it's really hard to find just doing web searches. Oddly, even roasters who seem to use robusto (like, from what I've read from others on this thread, mrespresso.com) don't seem to like to mention it or even give a percentage.[/quote]

AFAIK, Mr Espresso doesn't disclose the constituents in their blends. They probably change somewhat from time to time based on what's available. But I think I recall someone there telling me in passing that the Organic Neapolitan was all-Arabica.

We haven't done a head-to-head comparison of Organic Neapolitan to the various Saka blends we've enjoyed, and flavor memory being what it is, take the following with a grain of salt. On the scale of flavors, low acidity, finesse, and medium-dark roast level we like, the ON is roughly comparable to Saka's all-Arabica Top Selection blend. The latter seems to have a a bit of northern Italian coffee characteristics, at least more than the darker robusta blends from Saka and other southern Italian roasters, and frankly, despite its name, so does the Organic Neapolitan. But even if you like dark robusta blends as we do, the Mr. Espresso offerings are definitely worth a try, as they're expertly roasted and blended, and play in the same ballpark. Hope this helps!