Coffee for drip macgibe5

[tomster]

OK so the wife has a small cafe in Pattaya and it seems to be going quite well so far so good. 

 

One thing I would like to introduce for her is decent filter coffee, obviously milk based coffee is the go to nowadays but there are a few people that only order Americano or long black, which her machine does not do a great with from what I am told. 

 

So I have seen a pretty decent drip machine (Zwilling brand) and I would like to offer black/filter coffee in her place as well as cappuccino etc. 

 

Thing is though, I am allergic to coffee so never drink it and have no idea on what beans to buy. 

 

She already has a burr grinder and thermal carafe. 

 

Need a bean recommendation that will taste good in drip (1 litre per brew) that is easy to get (would prefer to buy locally, but Lazada/Shopee also an option if the price vs quality is good. 

 

Something from Makro would be great, as long as they consistently have it in stock.

 

Price wise looking at the 300-600 Baht range which I understand should get us something decent. 

 

Thanks in advance. 

[richard_smith237]

What machine does she have now ???  - an Espresso Machine ?

 

A long Black - Hot water with Espresso added...  

Americano - Espresso with hot water added...  

 

Essentially the same drink - Milk can be added to either to make a regular coffee.... 

 

When switching to filter coffee - i.e. a drip machine...  the differences won't be noticed my most.

 

 

Filter coffee with milk is lighter in body.

Americano with milk is smoother but can feel slightly heavier.

Long black with milk has more texture and bite, especially with the crema.

 

 

When using a drip machine, a lighter roast is better, arabica bean for quality.

 

Good Thai Coffee for Filter: What to Look For

Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, and Mae Hong Son in Northern Thailand are the main growing regions.

Higher altitudes (1,200–1,500m+) give better complexity and acidity - ideal for filter.

 

Choose a light or medium roast, preferably labelled "filter roast".

Avoid the traditional dark or oily Thai roasts - they’re intended for strong milk-based drinks.

 

Beans: 

Doi Chang (Chiang Rai) Nutty, chocolaty, balanced acidity

Doi Saket (Chiang Mai) Fruity, clean, sometimes citrusy

Natural Processed ThaiBerry, tropical fruit, wine-like

 

Specialty Thai Arabica can make nice filter coffee: smooth, slightly fruity, often chocolatey with low bitterness.

Go for: High-altitude beans, Washed or honey process, Light-medium roast.

 

Avoid - Robusta beans

 

[scubascuba3]

Every decent coffee place can do Cappuccino and latte, need to get skilled with the milk, it's an art. I visit loads of coffee shops, if they all used this they wouldn't go far wrong, i have this at home.

 

https://th.shp.ee/bKLh7jH

 

I've managed to convince a lovely coffee shop lady to switch coffee to one i and my friends like, she has no clue about coffee 😔 probably doesn't drink it 😕 

 

 

[mogandave]

It’s your wife’s shop, and apparently, it seems to be going quite well. 

 

Let her do it. 

[richard_smith237]

17 minutes ago, tomster said:

Something from Makro would be great, as long as they consistently have it in stock.

 

Just make sure its a light roast Arabica bean from a higher altitude area...    thats should be good enough for most people.

[scubascuba3]

1 minute ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Just make sure its a light roast Arabica bean from a higher altitude area...    thats should be good enough for most people.

Light roast isn't great, most shops i go to seem to serve dark roast as standard

[richard_smith237]

Just now, scubascuba3 said:

3 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Just make sure its a light roast Arabica bean from a higher altitude area...    thats should be good enough for most people.

Light roast isn't great, most shops i go to seem to serve dark roast as standard

 

Medium-Dark and Dark roasts are ideal for many coffees, such as that pressed in an expresso machine especially when mixed with Milk for a Cappuccino or Latte... or coffee made in Moka Pot.

 

Ideally, for a pour over coffee, or 'filter coffee' - a lighter roast will be better...  i.e. light roast / light-medium roast..

And of course, the bean...  an Arabica not a Robusta.

 

 

A lighter roast is better for pour-over or filter coffee because of how the flavours and chemical compounds behave during roasting and extraction.

 

 

A few reasons why... 

 

Flavour Clarity and Complexity

Light roasts preserve the bean's origin characteristics; floral, fruity, acidic, and subtle notes.

The more complex flavours are best extracted slowly, which is exactly what filter methods are designed for.

We get a cleaner cup of coffee with defined tasting notes – its not muddy or bitter which we can get from dark roasts.

 

Solubility and Extraction

Light roasts are less soluble than darker roasts – they still retain many of their natural acids and sugars.

Filter brewing takes longer and at low (atmospheric) pressure, which gently extracts those flavours without overdoing bitterness or body.

Darker roasts extract very quickly, often too much for a slow brew, which leads to an over-extracted, bitter tasting cup of coffee.

 

Acidity and Aroma

Filter brewing highlights acidity in a good way.. i.e. think citrus, apple, berry flavours come through.

Light roasts show up as they still have lively organic acids (like citric, malic, or tartaric acids), giving the coffee brightness and freshness.

With Dark roasts most of those acids are roasted off leaving a flatter, smokier flavour (with pour over / filter).

 

Body and Mouthfeel

Filter coffee with light roast is typically tea-like, with a cleaner mouthfeel.

If you use a dark roast, you get more body and bitterness, which might be better suited to espresso or French press, not filter.

 

If we use Darker Roasts in Filter brewing we get

Overpowering smoky, ashy notes.

Loss of origin character.

The coffee tends to taste flat, bitter, or one-dimensional.

Feels heavy, especially in pour-over where clarity is key.

 

 

 

The issue with coffee of course - is that most don't know so it doesn't really matter too much.

 

I suspect those who like a cup of decent coffee would more than likely go for an Espresso based coffee (lengthened as a long black of American - even with milk) over a Filter Coffee...   

 

Personally - I wouldn't bother with a filter coffee at all... But the Op asked.

[mfd101]

So if I walked in to the shop and asked for a 'double shot short black', what would I get?

 

(I do understand that one cannot order that in Usofa. I remember the first time I visited the US from Oz my friends all reminded me : "Don't whatever you do ask for a short black!")

[tomster]

16 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Medium-Dark and Dark roasts are ideal for many coffees, such as that pressed in an expresso machine especially when mixed with Milk for a Cappuccino or Latte... or coffee made in Moka Pot.

 

Ideally, for a pour over coffee, or 'filter coffee' - a lighter roast will be better...  i.e. light roast / light-medium roast..

And of course, the bean...  an Arabica not a Robusta.

 

 

A lighter roast is better for pour-over or filter coffee because of how the flavours and chemical compounds behave during roasting and extraction.

 

 

A few reasons why... 

 

Flavour Clarity and Complexity

Light roasts preserve the bean's origin characteristics; floral, fruity, acidic, and subtle notes.

The more complex flavours are best extracted slowly, which is exactly what filter methods are designed for.

We get a cleaner cup of coffee with defined tasting notes – its not muddy or bitter which we can get from dark roasts.

 

Solubility and Extraction

Light roasts are less soluble than darker roasts – they still retain many of their natural acids and sugars.

Filter brewing takes longer and at low (atmospheric) pressure, which gently extracts those flavours without overdoing bitterness or body.

Darker roasts extract very quickly, often too much for a slow brew, which leads to an over-extracted, bitter tasting cup of coffee.

 

Acidity and Aroma

Filter brewing highlights acidity in a good way.. i.e. think citrus, apple, berry flavours come through.

Light roasts show up as they still have lively organic acids (like citric, malic, or tartaric acids), giving the coffee brightness and freshness.

With Dark roasts most of those acids are roasted off leaving a flatter, smokier flavour (with pour over / filter).

 

Body and Mouthfeel

Filter coffee with light roast is typically tea-like, with a cleaner mouthfeel.

If you use a dark roast, you get more body and bitterness, which might be better suited to espresso or French press, not filter.

 

If we use Darker Roasts in Filter brewing we get

Overpowering smoky, ashy notes.

Loss of origin character.

The coffee tends to taste flat, bitter, or one-dimensional.

Feels heavy, especially in pour-over where clarity is key.

 

 

 

The issue with coffee of course - is that most don't know so it doesn't really matter too much.

 

I suspect those who like a cup of decent coffee would more than likely go for an Espresso based coffee (lengthened as a long black of American - even with milk) over a Filter Coffee...   

 

Personally - I wouldn't bother with a filter coffee at all... But the Op asked.

So how about the medium roasted version of this:

 

https://th.shp.ee/RaQu4Mo

[novacova]

1 hour ago, tomster said:

Need a bean recommendation that will taste good in drip (1 litre per brew) that is easy to get (would prefer to buy locally

Hillkoff, French or Black Thai. 

[connda]

1 hour ago, tomster said:

So I have seen a pretty decent drip machine (Zwilling brand) and I would like to offer black/filter coffee in her place as well as cappuccino etc. 

Drip coffee is drip coffee whether it drips out of a 20,000 THB machine or the 350 THB machine I have at home. It's hot water pouring though coffee grounds and dripping out. It's not rocket science.  You could buy the 350 THB machine I have and make three cups of coffee on demand as it doesn't seem like there IS a high demand for plain drip coffee.  Heck, just a filter cone will do the job.

[richard_smith237]

9 minutes ago, tomster said:

So how about the medium roasted version of this:

 

https://th.shp.ee/RaQu4Mo

 

Its an Double A Grade Arabica Bean

Grown at 1200-1400 MASL in Doi Pang Khon  (in Huai Chomphu, Chiang Rai).

 

I reckon a Medium Roast will be fine for pour over or filter coffee....

 

If you order the bean - then you can see the roast level yourself.

You can then also grind yourself to specified grind level - usually going for a medium grind for Filter Coffee (so its not over extracted and too bitter).

 

 

Looks like a decent bean - I might give it a try myself.

 

[scubascuba3]

17 minutes ago, novacova said:

Hillkoff, French or Black Thai. 

Yep the French is good, similar to the one i posted above for 200 baht rather than 350 baht Hillkoff 

[scubascuba3]

40 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Personally - I wouldn't bother with a filter coffee at all... But the Op asked.

I agree, the only drip coffee i liked was the Haven restaurant in Pattaya, now closed

[JAG]

28 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

So if I walked in to the shop and asked for a 'double shot short black', what would I get?

A small chap from Buriram with a shotgun?

 

Incidentally, do they still do the stuff extracted from elephant pooh?

[richard_smith237]

6 minutes ago, connda said:

Drip coffee is drip coffee whether it drips out of a 20,000 THB machine or the 350 THB machine I have at home. It's hot water pouring though coffee grounds and dripping out. It's not rocket science.  You could buy the 350 THB machine I have and make three cups of coffee on demand as it doesn't seem like there IS a high demand for plain drip coffee.  Heck, just a filter cone will do the job.

 

Some machines have a more consistent and even distribution of water over the coffee bed, but many tend to "channel" or "wash out" specific areas of the grinds. This leads to uneven extraction - some parts of the coffee are over-extracted while others remain under-extracted, resulting in a flat or unbalanced cup.

 

This is one reason why manual pour-over has become more popular than traditional filter coffee machines in specialty coffee settings. Filter Coffee machines are convenient, but they often lack the control and finesse required for optimal flavour extraction - they were more a thing of the 70's with an alarm, or in an office setting where the manager is not into coffee and the put just stews all morning  !!!...

 

Your point is quite valid, though - there's limited demand for automatic drip or filter coffee these days, especially in cafés focused on quality. As such, it often makes more sense to skip the filter coffee machine entirely and prepare pour-over manually when someone orders a filter-style coffee.

 

In that case, the most critical factor becomes how the hot water distributed during brewing.

The pour technique - including speed, pattern, and consistency - is key to ensuring the coffee bed is evenly saturated, promoting balanced extraction and a more refined cup.

 

Thus a set up as below is perhaps more idea for individual cups.

Not the Pot with a long spout so the pour can be controlled.

 

But, if in a 'high footfall area' where lots of coffee is being ordered and customers want speed - this may not be idea as the method is a bit slower and takes server attention.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

6 minutes ago, JAG said:

A small chap from Buriram with a shotgun?

 

 

 

6 minutes ago, JAG said:

Incidentally, do they still do the stuff extracted from elephant pooh?

 

The Thai take on the Indonesian Kopi Luwak - the cherry is ingested and the bean excreted by the Civet cat after the stomach 'acids' have done their job on the bean. IMO - lot more of a novelty than something truly remarkable. 

 

In this case ingested by elephants - Black Ivory Coffee (I've never tried it).

https://blackivorycoffee.com/collections/all

 

Thailand also has its own wild civet coffee produced by Doi Chang Coffee.

An other producer in Thailand is Bluegold civet coffee, though it does not specify whether it's wild or farmed. 

[JAG]

1 minute ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

 

 

 

The Thai take on the Indonesian Kopi Luwak - the cherry is ingested and the bean excreted by the Civet cat after the stomach 'acids' have done their job on the bean. IMO - lot more of a novelty than something truly remarkable. 

 

In this case ingested by elephants - Black Ivory Coffee (I've never tried it).

https://blackivorycoffee.com/collections/all

 

Thailand also has its own wild civet coffee produced by Doi Chang Coffee.

An other producer in Thailand is Bluegold civet coffee, though it does not specify whether it's wild or farmed. 

Thank you - I confess curiosity rather than a burning desire to try It!

[richard_smith237]

Just now, JAG said:

Thank you - I confess curiosity rather than a burning desire to try It!

 

Best to experience what life has to offer before the hobbit from Buriram chases you down with a shotgun !!!

[scubascuba3]

9 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Some machines have a more consistent and even distribution of water over the coffee bed, but many tend to "channel" or "wash out" specific areas of the grinds. This leads to uneven extraction - some parts of the coffee are over-extracted while others remain under-extracted, resulting in a flat or unbalanced cup.

Not an issue with a moka pot if you tap down a little, which i think is 1 bar pressure, got to be an advantage over drip coffee

[radiochaser]

On 7/9/2025 at 4:16 AM, scubascuba3 said:

Not an issue with a moka pot if you tap down a little, which i think is 1 bar pressure, got to be an advantage over drip coffee

Thanks for that tip.  I will try that with the pot I bought here in Thailand.   Should the basket be completely filled?

 

Anecdote follows: 

 

Years ago in California, I bought a moka pot at a flea market for $1.00.  The couple that sold it told me it leaked down the side when the coffee was poured out and they could not figure out why.   I found out.  Just lift the lid and there was no leak.

 

 

This was an Italian made pot that had a different size gasket from other moka pots.   It was difficult to find replacements.  It also made extremely good tasting coffee, better than any coffee plot that I had before or after!  You could put bad coffee beans in it and get a good cup of coffee.

 

I mistakenly told my wife one day, I can't find a replacement gasket.  I kept checking different shops until one day, about 3 months later, I found the right size gaskets.   Then I found out that my wife threw my moka pot away after I told her I could not find a gasket.

 

 

[richard_smith237]

On 7/9/2025 at 4:16 AM, scubascuba3 said:

On 7/8/2025 at 7:06 PM, richard_smith237 said:

Some machines have a more consistent and even distribution of water over the coffee bed, but many tend to "channel" or "wash out" specific areas of the grinds. This leads to uneven extraction - some parts of the coffee are over-extracted while others remain under-extracted, resulting in a flat or unbalanced cup.

Not an issue with a moka pot if you tap down a little, which i think is 1 bar pressure, got to be an advantage over drip coffee

 

100% Agree... Mokkapot is my go too after my Espresso Machine...   though that take a little 'technique' to get it right.... 

 

I also have an Wacaco PicoPresso for camping - which presses an excellent cup... but its very labor intensive.

At some point I just think e'ff it... and have a 'dirty coffee' - cowboy style, which effectively is a Turkish coffee made with espresso grind and leaving the sludge in the bottom of the cup !!... 

 

I've never seen Mokko Pot Coffee sold in a coffee shop - I wonder why ?... Perhaps because most all use an espresso machine (not to get mixed with US style diners that have filter coffee stewing all day)... 

 

I've never seen 'our over coffee' sold in a coffee shop either - but then I make all my coffee at home with an espresso machine and never drink coffee in the afternoon.

 

[scubascuba3]

2 hours ago, radiochaser said:

Thanks for that tip.  I will try that with the pot I bought here in Thailand.   Should the basket be completely filled?

 

Anecdote follows: 

 

Years ago in California, I bought a moka pot at a flea market for $1.00.  The couple that sold it told me it leaked down the side when the coffee was poured out and they could not figure out why.   I found out.  Just lift the lid and there was no leak.

 

 

This was an Italian made pot that had a different size gasket from other moka pots.   It was difficult to find replacements.  It also made extremely good tasting coffee, better than any coffee plot that I had before or after!  You could put bad coffee beans in it and get a good cup of coffee.

 

I mistakenly told my wife one day, I can't find a replacement gasket.  I kept checking different shops until one day, about 3 months later, I found the right size gaskets.   Then I found out that my wife threw my moka pot away after I told her I could not find a gasket.

 

 

Water just up to the valve, for other details check this thread and youtube

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1338975-the-moka-pot-thread/

[scubascuba3]

13 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

I've never seen Mokko Pot Coffee sold in a coffee shop - I wonder why ?... Perhaps because most all use an espresso machine (not to get mixed with US style diners that have filter coffee stewing all day)...

I used to go to a coffee shop in Wat Yan that had many moka pots on the go, of course it can't compete with shops making good coffee with a machine and milk frother, eventually they bought a machine.

 

A machine definitely doesn't guarantee good coffee

[radiochaser]

On 7/12/2025 at 1:37 PM, scubascuba3 said:

Water just up to the valve, for other details check this thread and youtube

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1338975-the-moka-pot-thread/

I have always filled the water pot to just below or just touching the pressure release valve.   What I was wondering about was about filling the coffee basket.   Should the coffee grounds be filled up to the top of the basket?

 

I went to the thread you posted and read about using boiling water in the pot.   How do you screw the top part on?   Do you use a glove or dishcloth to hold the bottom as you screw the top part on?

[scubascuba3]

1 hour ago, radiochaser said:

I have always filled the water pot to just below or just touching the pressure release valve.   What I was wondering about was about filling the coffee basket.   Should the coffee grounds be filled up to the top of the basket?

 

I went to the thread you posted and read about using boiling water in the pot.   How do you screw the top part on?   Do you use a glove or dishcloth to hold the bottom as you screw the top part on?

Best to use the dosing ring (shown in the link), it makes the job a lot easier, I have the ground coffee to the top, once you pat it down a little it will be just below the top, but this is all trial and error, you may prefer slightly less, so up to you. I tried using less coffee but wasn't strong enough and inconsistent results, by having it at the top every time means your coffee should be consistent

 

Yes I use a dish cloth to hold the base when screwing the top part on as its hot

[richard_smith237]

On 7/12/2025 at 1:45 PM, scubascuba3 said:

I used to go to a coffee shop in Wat Yan that had many moka pots on the go, of course it can't compete with shops making good coffee with a machine and milk frother, eventually they bought a machine.

 

A machine definitely doesn't guarantee good coffee

 

I agree - its not so much about the 'machine' although all other things being equal (and done correctly) the machine then does make a difference.

 

Otherwise... Bean quality, grind consistency and correct timing of extraction guarantees the best quality.

 

In 'the other' thread, I noticed you used a blade grinder which IMO is a no-no as it does not provide a consistent grind size...  you're way better off with any 'burr grinder' (preferably a decent one) thats the biggest improvement that can be made to 'any' brewing set up.

 

 

[scubascuba3]

28 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

In 'the other' thread, I noticed you used a blade grinder which IMO is a no-no as it does not provide a consistent grind size...  you're way better off with any 'burr grinder' (preferably a decent one) thats the biggest improvement that can be made to 'any' brewing set up.

 

The blade grinder produced a consistent ground coffee for me, 3 bursts of 9 seconds with a shake in-between was the optimum, I've since switched to a different grinder which produces just enough for one coffee (shown in the moka pot thread)