Coffee Perfection - Chiang Mai

[freedomnow]

If you are a coffee lover where is your fav. coffee place ? It would be good to have a thread here to discover new places in C.M.

My top 1 is funnily enough not a trendy place but a street vendor 2 mins by foot south of Phra Singh main entrance opposite Lanna dental clinic and to the side of Oasis Spa on Samlarn Road.

For me he is a close match to Ristr8o coffee place on Niman. (my second best coffee place) for ice latte anyway.

His brother runs a coffee school opposite Shangri La. and roasts his own Chiang Rai brand beans.

I try street vendor coffee all over the place.....either too watery, too milky, too too sugary ,too charred ,too dusty, too acidic,too bitter.

I've yet to find a balance like this guy. below.

So please feel free to add your secret coffee haven to the thread so I/we can test them out !!!

[CMSteve]

1. - Thom - inside Rimping Nim City

2. - Cafe Amore - from Pantip going towards the Chedi about 100m from the intersection, on the right.

3. - Chuan Chom(sp?) - The women's prison in the center of town.

4. - Ama Ahka - Santhitam.

Actually 2 and 3 are tied and are interchangeable. There is a large gap between 1 and 2 , as well as, 3 and 4.

Most of the other places in town are over roasted, bitter and many time sludge-like.

BTW, this is for standard coffees

[freedomnow]

Great ,the ball is rolling...will be checking all those places out........indeed it is an art to get the right balance...and everyone's idea of the right balance is slightly different !

[amexpat]

Contributors should specify what they drink at their favorite shops.

In the old country, Starbucks was very popular among people who want, for example,

a 3/8 decaf cappuccino with sweet whipped cream and just a whisper of cinnamon.

Among people who just drink black coffee, not so popular.

[freedomnow]

Yes, great idea...I'm an ice latte man all the way !

[shepsel]

About the best coffee that I have found in Thailand is a brand called Red Cliff from Chiang Rai. It is available in a number of different roasts, and can be ordered ground or whole. I think Kasem sells it, but it can be ordered from their website.

I am quite difficult to please when it comes to coffee, and I found that this brand comes closest to my favourite coffee blends from Costa Rica. So, I prefer to drink coffee at home rather than go to a coffee shop and drink mediocre blends.

[heybruce]

Ok, how about a best place for black coffee, medium to dark roast? No cream, no sugar, not espresso roasted (espresso/French/Italian roasting breaks down the caffeine and the flavor), just good basic black coffee. I haven't found anyplace, so I brew my own.

[eyecatcher]

I am also very difficult to please when it comes to buying coffee. I always drink black coffee, as I dont like original flavours to be "hidden" with milk, cream and sugar.

Even then I find many of the coffees I drink here bitter or burnt or maybe "stewed" because they have been bubbling and evaporating from the machine since 7 in the morning.

it simply is not what I call fresh and infact often tastes no different to red cup instant nescafe.........on top of that for 40/50/60bt for a few slurps from a tiny cup; I often decide a 60bt "chang yai" is much better value

[CMSteve]

Any idea if there are any shops brewing red cliff? Would like to try without having to make at home.

About the best coffee that I have found in Thailand is a brand called Red Cliff from Chiang Rai. It is available in a number of different roasts, and can be ordered ground or whole. I think Kasem sells it, but it can be ordered from their website.

I am quite difficult to please when it comes to coffee, and I found that this brand comes closest to my favourite coffee blends from Costa Rica. So, I prefer to drink coffee at home rather than go to a coffee shop and drink mediocre blends.

[Ahnsahn]

About the best coffee that I have found in Thailand is a brand called Red Cliff from Chiang Rai. It is available in a number of different roasts, and can be ordered ground or whole. I think Kasem sells it, but it can be ordered from their website.

I am quite difficult to please when it comes to coffee, and I found that this brand comes closest to my favourite coffee blends from Costa Rica. So, I prefer to drink coffee at home rather than go to a coffee shop and drink mediocre blends.

Thanks for that tip!

I am a home coffee drinker, too, and I have been looking for some good coffee beans to buy in LOS.

I especially enjoy a morning cup of freshly brewed Jamaican Blue Mountain.

[cmsally]

One of my favourites has to be Duang Dee, I also bought a pack of good coffee on the Walking Street. I seem to remember something about Doi Saket in the name but might be wrong!

[WinnieTheKhwai]

1. - Thom - inside Rimping Nim City

2. - Cafe Amore - from Pantip going towards the Chedi about 100m from the intersection, on the right.

3. - Chuan Chom(sp?) - The women's prison in the center of town.

4. - Ama Ahka - Santhitam.

Actually 2 and 3 are tied and are interchangeable. There is a large gap between 1 and 2 , as well as, 3 and 4.

I *completely* agree with number 1. No matter how much anyone is willing to spend, you can not find better, all the way up to the Oriental Hotel Bakery (which does however has nice cakes).

The only other place I really visit is Mamia, because it's such a nice spot on the river. The coffee is as good as in most places, but doesn't get close to Thom of course.

It's almost ironic, because at Mamia you have pretty decent coffee and a stunning view, whereas at Thom you have stunning coffee, but you're looking at Rim Ping's cleaning materials isle. But I digress, I guess that just comes with living in a hardship location.

Anyway, Mamia is South from the Iron Bridge, before you get to the Kawila barracks. (So across the river from The Chedi and Wat Chaimonkhol and has good parking in front.)

Edited July 27, 2012 by WinnieTheKhwai

[TommoPhysicist]

Contributers should post the cost of their favourite drink. Pointless thread without cost.

1 Sala Cafe in the hills behind Mae Rim, iced latte 55bht (lunch also 55bht), almost perfect traditional Lanna setting

2 Art Cafe (aka PlaiFon) next to Movement short time hotel on the klong between Jet Yot and Chang Puak, iced latte 40bht, traditional Lanna setting

3 The Coffee Station, front of Petronis petrol station on Moonmuang (next to DK bookshop), iced latte 35bht, organic beans grown at Doisaket.

Ama Ahka would have been on my list, but this year their iced latte went up from 35bht to 50bht, and there were rats running around the place. Right beside where I was sitting.

Edited July 27, 2012 by TommoPhysicist

[HaleySabai]

Exceptional black coffee brew @ Luang Prabang Cafe across from Wat Pong Noi near (but not close to) Wat Umong.

The solo owner,P.Jeap, is an attraction on her own, along with famous Thais from BKK and beyond stopping in to sit & savour.

[haybilly]

Useful Topic--I won't say for a change, oops I just did--

I have recently treated myself to an Espresso machine, in the hope that I could have decent tasting, strong coffee at home--but, having tried Boncafe Espresso, and a couple of other Boncafe blends, Giovanni Espresso Caffe, Cafe Terra, Suzuki and a couple of other Thai blends--I have yet to find one that has got 'what it takes'.

I will try to find Red Cliff, Chiang Rai, and Duang Dee--and maybe go ask at Thom, Rimping Nim Plaza--let's hope I find some thing decent soon. I really cannot afford to buy stuff like Lavazza or other similarly priced imported brands--surely the locals can make a reasonable blend of strong coffee?

Oh yeah--and one to avoid at all costs--Ramino, from Raming Estate in Chiang Dao--coffee with, get this, a hint of tea--I only noticed the tea in the 'small print' after I made a cup and nearly spat it out.

Mind you--each to his own, I guess, someone might like their coffee with a hint of tea.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Contributers should post the cost of their favourite drink. Pointless thread without cost.

Aside from the 4-5 star hotel options, rip-offs like Starbucks, and "slightly-less-rip-off" chains like Wawi and Doi Chang, I'd say just about all of the independent coffee shops cost about the same. Almost all of them come in at 40-55 baht for your lattes and cappucinos. So unless the price is significantly higher or lower than that I don't think it's worth mentioning.

I have recently treated myself to an Espresso machine, in the hope that I could have decent tasting, strong coffee at home--but, having tried Boncafe Espresso, and a couple of other Boncafe blends, Giovanni Espresso Caffe, Cafe Terra, Suzuki and a couple of other Thai blends--I have yet to find one that has got 'what it takes'.

Don't forget the impact of the grind. Are you grinding yourself in a reasonable grinder? Many espresso machines are notoriously finicky about grind. If you're buying 'one size fits all' pre-ground coffee that's been on the shelf for a bit then you're not getting the best out of the machine. At the very least you'd want to go to a place where you can select both the roast and the grind (such as Hillkoff), but would be better to also get a decent burr grinder. (Also for sale at Hillkoff, but spendy)

Edited July 27, 2012 by WinnieTheKhwai

[freedomnow]

I often decide a 60bt "chang yai" is much better value

Sorry, what does that mean eyecatcher....is that a brand name or Thai expression ?

[Thailand]

[eyecatcher]

I often decide a 60bt "chang yai" is much better value

Sorry, what does that mean eyecatcher....is that a brand name or Thai expression ?

a big bottle of Chiang beer.....I sometimes go safe than risk bad coffee

[eyecatcher]

Ama Ahka would have been on my list, but this year their iced latte went up from 35bht to 50bht, and there were rats running around the place. Right beside where I was sitting.

obviously a higher standard of clientele demands a higher price then now. ....ouch

[CMSteve]

To be fair the coffee there isn't bad, but not really that good. They got some good press form the local TV and since its been the place to go for coffee, but I've listed 3 places(not including the ultra-high end) that are much better.

Ama Ahka would have been on my list, but this year their iced latte went up from 35bht to 50bht, and there were rats running around the place. Right beside where I was sitting.

obviously a higher standard of clientele demands a higher price then now. ....ouch

[elektrified]

One of my favourites has to be Duang Dee, I also bought a pack of good coffee on the Walking Street. I seem to remember something about Doi Saket in the name but might be wrong!

I agree. The Duang Dee coffee I brew at home tastes better than most of the places I've tried that charge 40-60 THB per cup. The only better beans I've had since I've been here was a 1 kg bag I bought on a whim while up at Doi Inthanon. I've never seen the same beans anywhere else.

I just recently exhausted a 5 year supply of Lavazza Rossa that I brought with me from Europe that I use for Espresso. Anyone seen it around C.M.?

Edited July 27, 2012 by elektrified

[TongueThaied]

Buy and Store Coffee in LOS

Making good coffee consistently is a science -- NOT an art. I confess I am a bit of a coffee snob. I enjoy drinking fresh roasted and ground coffee each morning, and insist on grinding the beans myself. I wrestled with the coffee thing for a couple years after arriving here (Phitsanulok). At first I could not even find whole beans, then discovered Doi Tung at Lotus, but at 250 baht for 200 grams, the price was ridiculous. Also, it had been on the shelf several weeks since roasting and was not fresh. I drove up to Chiang Rai and went to the Doi Tung facility, got their contact info and began buying 5 kg at a time (their minimum) from them, but it came routed through Bangkok. It was still fresher than the off-the-shelf stuff, but at 700 baht/kg, it was still expensive, too. Then one day about three years ago I was driving north from Phitsanulok and stopped at a little roadside hill tribe coffee shop called Landoy Coffee. It was in Uttaridit or somewhere.

The coffee was delicious, so I asked about buying beans by mail, she said yes, and I have been one happy coffee drinker ever since. Their coffee is nothing less than outstanding. They grow it somewhere in Chiang Rai. It has had a couple of price increases since I started doing business with them (was 350 baht/kg), but is still a bargain at 450 baht/kg (for Thailand, anyway). I think their price has now gone up, but they have held it at 450 for me as a continuing customer. You might have to pay 500. The beans are large and uniform (number 2). It comes packed in convenient 500 gram Mylar sacks, and I order 4 kg. each time (8 sacks). You MUST request the 500 gram sacks, as they also pack in larger sacks, which is not good for the non-commercial consumer. They send it by post collect, which costs about 200 baht. When I open the last 500 gram sack (must ask for this size when ordering), I have my wife who speaks Thai call them to place another order. I highly recommend these people. Their quality has proven consistent and they have proven themselves completely reliable. They tend to roast a little dark, so if you order a medium roast, it will be nearer medium/dark (like a French roast), which is perfect for me. After you order the first time, you can adjust your roast request to your tastes. The beans are roasted to order, so they are extremely fresh when they arrive -- much fresher than anything you will ever find on a store shelf. I have attached their business card. Just tell them the farang named John from Phitsanulok sent you. If you feel four kilos is too much, they may be willing to ship three, or perhaps you can share an order with a friend.

Some people worry about the coffee staying fresh. If the Mylar sacks are UNOPENED, you can (must) freeze them and they are perfectly preserved. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER open a frozen Mylar sack as moisture will immediately condense on the beans, and moisture is the enemy of coffee beans. After the sack reaches room temperature, I open it and immediately put the contents in a Tupperware container that holds exactly a half kilo. NEVER refrigerate this Tupperware, as moisture will condense on the beans every time you open it. Leave it at room temperature. Half a kilo lasts me about a 5-7 days. When I fill the grinder with the last of the coffee from the Tupperware, I take another sack out of the freezer to thaw for the next morning. Using this method, the last sack is as tasty as the first. And as I said, if you place a new order when you take the last sack from the freezer, it will arrive right on time.

One more thing. For the best coffee, get a burr grinder like the Krups sold by Central World and ThaiMart. Well worth every baht if you like great coffee. Blade grinders get the coffee overheated during grinding and do not grind uniformly; the coffee tastes like shit. If you use a blade grinder and wonder why your coffee is not that great, well, it's the grinder, don't blame the beans.

Enjoy.

Edited July 28, 2012 by TongueThaied

[butterisbetter]

About our black coffee. I am about to engage in what may well be the most unconvincing act of self promotion ever to disgrace the pages of thaivisa.com. (Which is saying a lot.) Unconvincing because I don't like the flavor of coffee at all. Someone above cited a coffee blended with a hint of tea. Well, if they were to replace all of the coffee with tea, that would be my idea of a palatable brew of coffee.

That said, I do recognize that lots and lots of people, including the entire family I grew up with, love the stuff. So when we opened Butter is Better, we knew we had to take extra care with the coffee. We started out by asking all kinds of coffee lovers about beans. Eventually we settled on the beans provided by the brother of the street vendor cited in the opening post.

But to make sure our black coffee was good, we bought what is supposedly the best coffee machine in the world. It's a Moccamaster machine made in the Netherlands by Technivorm. You can look up reviews on the internet. It's designed to brew coffee at the perfect temperature thanks to a huge copper heating element and lots of other refinements. It's also so ugly that occasionally our customers use it to frighten their children into behaving themselves. There's nothing hi-tech about it at all. It's hand assembled and so sturdy it could probably be used as a battering ram. It makes okay beans yield good coffee, good beans great coffee, and great beans yield...........great coffee. Well, how good could it taste? It's only coffee.

Anyway, we have lots of people telling us we have the best black coffee in Chiang Mai. Of course, it could be that they don't get around much. Lots of people have kinds words for our espresso based drinks too, but talking them up is an act of shameless self promotion I'll reserve for another day.

[ARISTIDE]

I think "Thom" coffee is particularly good when the fat guy at Nim City make it.

[TongueThaied]

About our black coffee. I am about to engage in what may well be the most unconvincing act of self promotion ever to disgrace the pages of thaivisa.com. (Which is saying a lot.) Unconvincing because I don't like the flavor of coffee at all. Someone above cited a coffee blended with a hint of tea. Well, if they were to replace all of the coffee with tea, that would be my idea of a palatable brew of coffee.

That said, I do recognize that lots and lots of people, including the entire family I grew up with, love the stuff. So when we opened Butter is Better, we knew we had to take extra care with the coffee. We started out by asking all kinds of coffee lovers about beans. Eventually we settled on the beans provided by the brother of the street vendor cited in the opening post.

But to make sure our black coffee was good, we bought what is supposedly the best coffee machine in the world. It's a Moccamaster machine made in the Netherlands by Technivorm. You can look up reviews on the internet. It's designed to brew coffee at the perfect temperature thanks to a huge copper heating element and lots of other refinements. It's also so ugly that occasionally our customers use it to frighten their children into behaving themselves. There's nothing hi-tech about it at all. It's hand assembled and so sturdy it could probably be used as a battering ram. It makes okay beans yield good coffee, good beans great coffee, and great beans yield...........great coffee. Well, how good could it taste? It's only coffee.

Anyway, we have lots of people telling us we have the best black coffee in Chiang Mai. Of course, it could be that they don't get around much. Lots of people have kinds words for our espresso based drinks too, but talking them up is an act of shameless self promotion I'll reserve for another day.

Post your GPS coordinates and I'll add you to my GPS and visit next time I'm in CM.

[butterisbetter]

About our black coffee. I am about to engage in what may well be the most unconvincing act of self promotion ever to disgrace the pages of thaivisa.com. (Which is saying a lot.) Unconvincing because I don't like the flavor of coffee at all. Someone above cited a coffee blended with a hint of tea. Well, if they were to replace all of the coffee with tea, that would be my idea of a palatable brew of coffee.

That said, I do recognize that lots and lots of people, including the entire family I grew up with, love the stuff. So when we opened Butter is Better, we knew we had to take extra care with the coffee. We started out by asking all kinds of coffee lovers about beans. Eventually we settled on the beans provided by the brother of the street vendor cited in the opening post.

But to make sure our black coffee was good, we bought what is supposedly the best coffee machine in the world. It's a Moccamaster machine made in the Netherlands by Technivorm. You can look up reviews on the internet. It's designed to brew coffee at the perfect temperature thanks to a huge copper heating element and lots of other refinements. It's also so ugly that occasionally our customers use it to frighten their children into behaving themselves. There's nothing hi-tech about it at all. It's hand assembled and so sturdy it could probably be used as a battering ram. It makes okay beans yield good coffee, good beans great coffee, and great beans yield...........great coffee. Well, how good could it taste? It's only coffee.

Anyway, we have lots of people telling us we have the best black coffee in Chiang Mai. Of course, it could be that they don't get around much. Lots of people have kinds words for our espresso based drinks too, but talking them up is an act of shameless self promotion I'll reserve for another day.

Post your GPS coordinates and I'll add you to my GPS and visit next time I'm in CM.

I don't know which format you prefer so I'll post the GPS 2 ways.

18.780400 98.999704

18° 46.825’ N 98° 59.982’ E

[elektrified]

About our black coffee. I am about to engage in what may well be the most unconvincing act of self promotion ever to disgrace the pages of thaivisa.com. (Which is saying a lot.) Unconvincing because I don't like the flavor of coffee at all. Someone above cited a coffee blended with a hint of tea. Well, if they were to replace all of the coffee with tea, that would be my idea of a palatable brew of coffee.

That said, I do recognize that lots and lots of people, including the entire family I grew up with, love the stuff. So when we opened Butter is Better, we knew we had to take extra care with the coffee. We started out by asking all kinds of coffee lovers about beans. Eventually we settled on the beans provided by the brother of the street vendor cited in the opening post.

But to make sure our black coffee was good, we bought what is supposedly the best coffee machine in the world. It's a Moccamaster machine made in the Netherlands by Technivorm. You can look up reviews on the internet. It's designed to brew coffee at the perfect temperature thanks to a huge copper heating element and lots of other refinements. It's also so ugly that occasionally our customers use it to frighten their children into behaving themselves. There's nothing hi-tech about it at all. It's hand assembled and so sturdy it could probably be used as a battering ram. It makes okay beans yield good coffee, good beans great coffee, and great beans yield...........great coffee. Well, how good could it taste? It's only coffee.

Anyway, we have lots of people telling us we have the best black coffee in Chiang Mai. Of course, it could be that they don't get around much. Lots of people have kinds words for our espresso based drinks too, but talking them up is an act of shameless self promotion I'll reserve for another day.

I would agree that for regular coffee (the kind we would drink in the USA and not the kind of coffee like in Europe which is 'espresso' style), Butter is Better is absolutely the best.

[MilesCh]

By far the best coffee in Chiang Mai for many years is Ma Maison Coffee House, in a quaint wooden structure alongside a fashionable massage spa, 29/2 Center Park, Huai Kaeo Rd., just to the right of Kad Suan Kaeo and the neighboring Orchid Hotel -- Owner/manager, Nita Piu, has been making espressos both hot & cold, smoothies, cooking simple dishes, and blending outstanding coffee for years. Clientele is a mix of Thai and farang.

[Afrodite79]

Both my father and my two younger brothers are into their coffee and each own a very expensive coffee maker and as well as grind their own coffee. I usually bring back a couple of bags of Wawee espresso beans to them - one of their favorite beans in the world. However, I was contemplating bringing back some new and different espresso beans this time - also locally grown. Any recommendations for espresso beans?