2 hours ago, Logosone said:

Jamaican Blue Mountain is very smooth, with low acidity, however, it is too tame, not powerful and bold enough for my taste. Good coffee though, still, not as good as Mandailing Estate Coffee.

Couldn't agree more. I find Blue Mountain boring, it's so smooth. I want some character in my coffee, richness. ????

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

3 in 1 is a bit of a crime though? full of sugar and dodgy milk substitute. I tried to find G7 not 3 in 1 and couldn't find it

They have it as instant coffee, without the sugar and milk, in Tops. Looks similar as the other, in a red carton.

i have one of these Coffee grinders, from the 60s, but i havent used it, just braught it over here. Do you think, I can get some good grounded coffee by using it? I never used a grinder before. Actually i liked it as display, but then..mecanically it works ????

2 hours ago, Logosone said:

Quite so, a quality grinder could be more important than a quality portafilter machine. The importance of grind size can not be overstated. If you use a Bialetti the coffee should not be too fine, if you use a machine you need to experiment but generally a finer grind is better.

 

Indeed the Delonghi Distinta is very cheap. So the benefit is that if it does break down you've not lost much, and frankly given the number of espresso machines I've had, the prices they cost and they still break down, to me a Delonghi Distinta is the best bet. That is because espresso machines are such complex machines that they seem to be prone to breaking down even with really expensive ones.

 

I have had the Delonghi Distinta for four years, used a lot, every day when I'm back in the Fatherland. Never broke down. The Saeco and several Gastrobacks broke down within a year. Very displeasing.

 

When you buy a grinder, make sure not to buy those cheap American grinders with the silly thin blades, you want a proper ceramic grinding mechanism or a good stainless steel blade. Most important is that you can choose the fineness of the grind. That's key, and not all grinders allow for this.

 

 

 

53 minutes ago, ravip said:

What do you mean by Nescafe really kills your stomach over the time? Been drinking that for decades and still living.

I wouldn’t call drinking Nescafé living ????????????

Amazon Americano (black) when out, Mocconno Espresso Instant (not 3 in 1), when at home. I like Amazon much more than Starbucks, and I'm American.

 

For an instant, the Mocconno is good. And I actually like it better heated in the cup in the microwave vs adding hot water to a cup.

 

I'd probably use an Espresso machine if I wasn't in a small condo, but I like the instant even more than Starbucks and it's cheap. About 200 baht for a jar that lasts about a month; 2 big cups daily.

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/moccona-espresso-instant-coffee-200-i289242851-s479046520.html?scm=undefined&trackInfo=abid%3A155514|item%3A289242851|pvid%3Af31cb9a1-1f51-4fbc-a0ce-0a65edc7e3c4|price%3A349.00|review%3A1.00|cat%3A14587|rating%3A5.0|discount%3A349.00|program%3A27020|trigger_item%3A289242851|brand%3A82661|scene%3A10443&clickTrackInfo=abid%3A155514|item%3A289242851|pvid%3Af31cb9a1-1f51-4fbc-a0ce-0a65edc7e3c4|price%3A349.00|review%3A1.00|cat%3A14587|rating%3A5.0|discount%3A349.00|program%3A27020|trigger_item%3A289242851|brand%3A82661|scene%3A10443

1 hour ago, Pedrogaz said:

I find Starbucks coffee to be very insipid and hate to drink the stuff unless I am on the road, although I am preferring Amazon coffee at PTT stations as it is stronger.

Starbucks don’t make coffee! I totally agree about Amazon. They make coffee you can actually taste and it’s always hot for half the price of Starbucks 

40 minutes ago, GalaxyMan said:

Couldn't agree more. I find Blue Mountain boring, it's so smooth. I want some character in my coffee, richness. ????

Yes, Blue Mountain is a very elegant silky coffee, it's a bit like sex with a refined model.

 

But Mandailing Estate coffee is like having sex with Rihanna, Selena Gomez and Miss Venezuela all at the same time.

 

Only Kona comes close maybe, because Hawaii also has that volcanic earth.

 

Yauco coffee is fantastic as well but so hard to get. Some African coffees are very good, but they don't have that complexity and depth the Indonesian coffees have.

 

Then again Savini's in London use Ethiopian coffee and their coffee is like sublime angels coated in MDMA rubbing themselves on your tongue.

9 minutes ago, Fairynuff said:

Starbucks don’t make coffee! I totally agree about Amazon. They make coffee you can actually taste and it’s always hot for half the price of Starbucks 

People dislike Starbucks mostly because they're vastly overpriced for what you get. However, their espresso is better than most coffees I've had in Chiang Mai. They also use Sumatra coffee, not the best there is, but it's perfectly drinkable.

 

Fantastically overpriced of course.

16 minutes ago, Fairynuff said:

Starbucks don’t make coffee! I totally agree about Amazon. They make coffee you can actually taste and it’s always hot for half the price of Starbucks 

Bitter coffee at Amazon which is not surprising as its Thai beans, plus they struggle with getting the size right, so let's give them 6\10 but the price is reasonable

I hear that Mandailing Estate coffee is pretty good.

55 minutes ago, liddelljohn said:

Doi Tung havesoem excellent coffee beans  and grinds ,, If u are in Pattaya  Benjamit  Cafe roast and grind their own excellent beans 

I use a French Press    use wate that is not fully boiling or you will burn the coffee

 

In a Bialetti the water is boiling i guess or it won't come up through the center pipe.

47 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Bitter coffee at Amazon which is not surprising as its Thai beans, plus they struggle with getting the size right, so let's give them 6\10 but the price is reasonable

As we know, coffee preferences are very personal. I find Amazon suits my taste better than any other here.

Making a good espresso is all about temperature and pressure. After that the dose , distribution in the puck, tamp and grind. Get those variables right then worry about what beans to buy.

Freshly roasted beans lose their Co2 very quickly, so after two weeks the beans will not be good for espresso.

I buy 500 gms from a local roaster every two weeks, it makes me two cups per day using 15  gms per cup.

 

The single most important factor when making espresso is the grinder. It will probably cost u more than the coffee machine.

57 minutes ago, Logosone said:

People dislike Starbucks mostly because they're vastly overpriced for what you get. However, their espresso is better than most coffees I've had in Chiang Mai. They also use Sumatra coffee, not the best there is, but it's perfectly drinkable.

 

Fantastically overpriced of course.

The thing I dislike most about Starbucks is.......well everything 

Nang non Dark Roast, Jet Yod street, Chiang Rai.

What is the shop name, I live in C Rai

11 minutes ago, Fairynuff said:

The thing I dislike most about Starbucks is.......well everything 

The service is very good usually, not always.  Their cakes are not bad. The espresso is good, the surroundings aren't unpleasant, the free paper is a bonus.

 

The only thing is the bill is huge. For what you get. They really gouge you. Often I would go to dinner, then Starbucks, only to find the coffee and pastry cost me as much as the dinner. It's shameless.

Easy

 

Moccona Green  Ground Coffee 250gm

 

Forget everything else on the shelf regardless of price. It's tasty, consistent and inexpensive relatively speaking.

 

 

I really like this ready-made brand of coffee called Arabus - specifically the caramel flavoured one. Really good. 35 baht per cup. They also sell ground coffee in bags. 

2 hours ago, jirathama said:

i have one of these Coffee grinders, from the 60s, but i havent used it, just braught it over here. Do you think, I can get some good grounded coffee by using it? I never used a grinder before. Actually i liked it as display, but then..mecanically it works ????

There is no good whole bean coffee here. 99% is robusto as well. East Asian rubusto - yuk. The Viet's have it down to a science, about as good as you'll get it but it's too strong and flat. Very one dimensional, lacking oil and body. The others are bitter and flat.

 

Moccona Green is the clear winner.

Hot (Coffee) Tip

 

If you're out and about in BKK perhaps elsewhere and need a coffee many 711s have coffee making machines that churn out an absolutely acceptable b25-35 Cafe Americano on the strong side. For 7 I was truly impressed.

 

10 hours ago, Liverpoolfan said:

 Currently looking at AGF Maxim, Chiang Rai Coffee and Doi chang on Lazada.

 

think i will get a bag of each and see which is best! ????

Arabica from Northern Thailand is Spot On ????

3 hours ago, Pedrogaz said:

I have a Starbucks espresso maker purchased here in 2008 for 18000 baht....there were none for sale in stores at the time. It is still going strong, but prices have come plummeting down, so for 10-15000 you should be able to get a great one.

 

I find Starbucks coffee to be very insipid and hate to drink the stuff unless I am on the road, although I am preferring Amazon coffee at PTT stations as it is stronger.

 

For home I buy Bon Cafe which is available in many supermarkets. They do a blend called 'crema' for about 175 baht for 250 grams.

They do other blends also good down to about 110 baht....and it comes ground or beans. Makro sell it.

 

I like my coffee and like you price is not really the deciding factor. I have tried Illy, which I liked in the States but it is too finely ground to work with the Starbucks machine.

 

My favourite coffee is Segafredo, but I have not seen it for sale here in Thailand.

Boncafe outlet in Udon Thani has this for sale.

11 hours ago, Logosone said:

 

 Mandailing Estate Coffee from Sumatra

Available at the Lotus/Tesco where we shop in Samut Prakan. 

1 hour ago, Logosone said:

The service is very good usually, not always.  Their cakes are not bad. The espresso is good, the surroundings aren't unpleasant, the free paper is a bonus.

 

The only thing is the bill is huge. For what you get. They really gouge you. Often I would go to dinner, then Starbucks, only to find the coffee and pastry cost me as much as the dinner. It's shameless.

When I go to a coffee shop it’s for GOOD coffee, everything else of little importance. I have never had anything that even resembles good coffee in a Starbucks, so to pay a stupid price for something that to me is undrinkable..... oh and then there’s the fact they avoid paying any tax....but that’s another story.

20 minutes ago, Fairynuff said:

When I go to a coffee shop it’s for GOOD coffee, everything else of little importance. I have never had anything that even resembles good coffee in a Starbucks, so to pay a stupid price for something that to me is undrinkable..... oh and then there’s the fact they avoid paying any tax....but that’s another story.

 

absolutely, anyone who knows anything about coffee wouldn't go anywhere near a starbucks, many people go there to 'be seen' there or for the wifi.

1 hour ago, OneeyedJohn said:

Making a good espresso is all about temperature and pressure.

 

Completely agree with you and that's how almost everywhere in Italy we drink the best in espresso

I’m at Starbucks having a cup of coffee right now with a lot of friends. 

2 hours ago, Number 6 said:

Hot (Coffee) Tip

 

If you're out and about in BKK perhaps elsewhere and need a coffee many 711s have coffee making machines that churn out an absolutely acceptable b25-35 Cafe Americano on the strong side. For 7 I was truly impressed.

 

I agree on the taste, but the portion is small. At least when I tried it; small cup barely over half full. I'm used to drinking about 20 to 24oz every morning.