Coffee

[Malthus101]

Well, the 3,000 baht price tag doesn't seem so high (relatively speaking) anymore...

I just went to Central Chit Lom and then to Central World (what a behemoth of a centre that is! I was going crazy just trying to find a way out of that place!)

The top floors of both are excellently stocked with home appliances etc. But.... nothing cheap. Central Chit Lom had coffee "choppers" ie bladed machines. All between 1.5K and 2K. The only burr grinder I could find was a Krupp one for 4,000 baht. It looked good quality but was too much for me, don't even have one in the UK.

Even a hand grinder at Central World was 2.5K or something! Crazy.

They also had caffetieres and stove tops (Italian style espresso pots) - all too expensive for me. A less fancy cafetiere was still 2K.

That's £40 or so...

When I said coffee hasn't caught on, this is what I meant. Yes there are loads of coffee shops, good ones, but for home use, either the Thais have a totally different way of preparing coffee from the rest of the world or they use instant coffee (or just have it when out and socializing - possible)

Anyway, even kettles started at around 1,200 baht at these places. I saw a nice little kettle at Index Shopping Mall for 700 ish.

They also had electric percolators - it seems in Thailand, this is the cheaest way to prepare filter coffee, drip coffee as the Americans say.

So, I also went to that massive Big C shopping centre there - it's huge - excellent fresh produce area and lots of good looking bakery items too.

So before I get into ordering beans from Chiang Mai, I bought a bag of ready ground from VPP Coffee - anyone heard of them? 250g bag, was about 160 baht I think. It has Thai but also Japanese writing on it - got the premium blend, I'll let you know how it tastes!

Thanks all...

If you don't mind using a bit of muscle power, get a Hario Mini Mill, straight from Japan (~1,000 Baht, without shipping). They're smallish (depending on your personal taste preferences and coffee machine, a single grinding is for 2-4 cups), but they have an excellent ceramic burr grinder. I've been using one for some time now, wouldn't want to miss it as the taste of your coffee using freshly ground beans is so much better!

Just had a quick browse around: e.g. http://www.fac.co.jp/fs/coffee/hario-mss1b/ not even 650 Baht; that's a steal! I just don't know whether this particular shop ships to Thailand, but I'm sure there are Japanese websites/shops that do. You could always contact them at http://www.fac.co.jp/fs/coffee/c/contact/

So you receommend the Hario Mini Mill? I know some people complain about hand-mills but I used an old fashioned one in the UK and is was excellent and very quick!

Do you read Japanese, is that why you are finding them on Japanese sites? Where did you get yours? Thanks.

[Malthus101]

So I ended up buying a "Princess" percolator machine from Index Shopping Mall - it was only 650 baht. Cheap white plastic thing. Easy to use, kind of fragile looking but I'm treating it gently and it shows no signs of dying yet! I am using some of that VPP ready ground coffee I found at Big C. It is okaaaaaay but even when opening the bag you could tell it was already old and it does indeed contain robusta.

I am also finding I'm using 3 heaped desert spoons of coffee each time as the pot minimum is 3 cups. (but weirdly that only makes 2 small cups of actual coffee)

So 3 large desert spoons of coffee to make 2 small cups of actual coffee. This is economically not good! (and I am feeling a little excitable)

In a cafetiere, I would use 2 heaped desert spoons and a bit and get 2 and a half large cups of coffee out of that, proper coffee mug sized!

Trial and error.

So order bags of Hill Tribe coffee beans, grind them in a Japanese Mini Mill and chuck it in my cheap percolator machine.

I think I have found the way of the coffee!

[Gloucesterguy]

Hi, my partner and I are Pattaya newbies. Have just been introduced to to the green coffee diet via email:-

http://fatburnsolution12.com/?12/1

Watched this video with interest and now we would like to know if it is possible to source a regular small supply of green coffee beans locally.

Apparently the chlorogenic acid in the unroasted bean slows the release of sugars into the blood stream thus causing weight loss.

Anyway it worth giving it a trial if the beans are readily available.

Can anyone identify a source of a suitable coffee bean?

[Gloucesterguy]

Hi, we are relative newcomers to Pattaya and today received some information said to be an amazing discovery about green coffee's ability to cause fairly rapid weight loss (2-6lb per week) due to the acid content that significantly slows down the release of sugars into the blood stream. Here is the link to the TV show talking about green coffee extract:-

http://fatburnsolution12.com/?12/1

We would like to find a source of the most suitable bean in Pattaya and give it a trial.

Hopefully someone can assist.

[Gloucesterguy]

Does anyone know if un-roasted coffee is readily obtainable in Pattaya. I'd like to try making green coffee since this is now big news on the weight loss circles since a US TV show doctor gave it a huge send up. Seems like everyone is rushing to buy the chlorogenic acid extract from the green bean but I don't want to pay $50 a month for pills.

[rsokolowski]

I bought a french press, and we brought two bags of starbuck's dark roast coffee for our month long visit to Thailand. I wake up in Buriram to a strong cup of black coffee each morning.

[Route21]

"It causes cancer."

Not sure where you got your info about coffee vs cancer but, according to Wiki:

"Health benefits

Coffee consumption has generally been shown to have little or no impact on cancer development.

Other studies suggest coffee consumption reduces the risk of prostate cancer, Alzheimer's disease,dementia, Parkinson's disease, heart disease, diabetes mellitus type 2, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, cirrhosis and gout."

See http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee

Also, here in Thailand, I believe many "fruit juices" contain significant amounts of salt and/or sugar. Check the labels to see how much (it's regularly written in Thai).

Me? I prefer jasmine-flavoured green tea (no milk/sugar). Works out at about 1฿/pint!

R21

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[robenroute]

So you receommend the Hario Mini Mill? I know some people complain about hand-mills but I used an old fashioned one in the UK and is was excellent and very quick!

Do you read Japanese, is that why you are finding them on Japanese sites? Where did you get yours? Thanks.

Apologies for the late reply... I have used several electric mills and only some of the the really expensive ones (think 7,000 Baht up) use proper ceramic grinders. You do not want to get a grinder that uses blades or other chop-chop mechanisms. In emergency cases, I found a mortar and pestle way better than any of those blade choppers!

I cannot read Japanese, but I know the Hario mini mill is a Japanese mill, so I googled --Hario Mini Mill site:.co.jp-- and it showed a few websites that advertised the grinder. Write to them. Why not? I got mine from Amazon, but I paid more for it (roughly 1300 Baht, without shipping that is!). I really recommend this little gem, but be prepared to spend 2 minutes grinding before enjoying your freshly brewed beans ;-)

[Jasun]

You could do much worse than the Illy machine with pods. There's an importer on Asok, midway between Suk & Phetchaburi.

[joeaverage]

I use the Krupp burr grinder. Have been using every day for some three years now. I think I paid around 3,000 and it has been worth it, as a burr grinder is necessary to the best coffee. Must have have gone up. A blade grinder simply won't produce a good coffee. I guess whether a burr grinder is too expensive for somebody comes down to a matter of priorities and willingness to compromise.

Just remember, when you bean some nice beans and chop then in the blade machine (because that's what you're doing, chopping, not grinding) and you just cannot get a decent tasting cup of coffee, DO NOT blame the beans.

does the krupp burr grinder grind a uniform fine grind for espresso?

also, be careful when buying what you think is a burr grinder, many are simply disk grinders represented as burr grinders

[Lancelot]

tried the rest,now try the best, duang dee hill tribe coffee you wont get better than this.

look at their web site,and but direct.

+1 for Duang Dee. I too have a 300 baht Big C coffee maker and it works fine. I buy Duang Dee at Tops, about 100 baht for 250 grams. If you have a grinder, buy the whole been- its even better!

Chok dee krab!

[Malthus101]

Ah, funnily enough I was just coming back on here to say that Foodland stock the Duang Dee coffee, both ground and in bean form. In fact, Foodland seems to be very well stocked in Western type produce - is that their forté?

So, while there looking for sea alt, I grabbed a bag of classic blend ready ground (as I still don't have a grinder)

It's split into 2 separate bags so I threw them both in the freezer.

I'm using some Tesco Finest Colombian Supremo Coffee at the moment - 100% Arabica. (comes in a cool looking red and black bag)

I think the coffee is OK but I have a feeling that Princess percolator machine of mine is putting water through at 100% boiling temperature as all the coffee out of it tastes bitter, regardless of blend.

You think I might be right?

I have a friend coming over in August from London - perhaps I should get him to bring me a steel, insulated-wall French press - then I can control exactly the temp of the water I use.

Anyway - Foodland = Duang Dee coffee!

[Ticketmaster]

I use the Krupp burr grinder. Have been using every day for some three years now. I think I paid around 3,000 and it has been worth it, as a burr grinder is necessary to the best coffee. Must have have gone up. A blade grinder simply won't produce a good coffee. I guess whether a burr grinder is too expensive for somebody comes down to a matter of priorities and willingness to compromise.

Just remember, when you bean some nice beans and chop then in the blade machine (because that's what you're doing, chopping, not grinding) and you just cannot get a decent tasting cup of coffee, DO NOT blame the beans.

does the krupp burr grinder grind a uniform fine grind for espresso?

also, be careful when buying what you think is a burr grinder, many are simply disk grinders represented as burr grinders

It's definitely a true burr grinder; I take it apart for cleaning. But there are two kinds of burr grinders: Conical (best) and flat (good). The Krupp I have is a flat burr grinder. I have never found a conical burr grinder here (other than very expensive commercial models).

As to whether it will produce a good grind for espresso, I honestly can't say as I never make espresso. It has a knob that you can turn from fine to coarse. I use the coarsest setting and it is still finer than I wish it was. I use a French press. I am guessing, since coarse is so fine, that fine would be pretty fine, but again, I have never used it for espresso. I suggest you peruse the 348 Amazon reviews: http://www.amazon.com/GVX1-14-Grinder-Selection-Stainless-Conical/product-reviews/B0001I9R8C/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

As you can see, it doesn't get very good reviews, but it has worked for me every day for several years now, and there simply are not many options here. I should add that many of the reviews say the beans get stuck in the throat and the machine free spins. Those people did not read the directions. Coffee beans are very oily and you have to pull out the top burr grinder and brush out the grinder and throat about once a month (a four minute job -- I use a toothbrush, which works better than the brush they provide). If you do that, you don't have this problem. I usually wait to clean mine until it happens. When it does happen, you just pick up the machine and give it a vigorous shake and the grinding resumes -- time to clean.

I see Amazon has a Krupp conical burr grinder at four times the price, which gets better reviews, but I haven't seen that one here. Don't make the mistake of ordering anything electrical from Amazon US as they are the 110V version.

Edited June 21, 2013 by Ticketmaster

[robenroute]

Ah, funnily enough I was just coming back on here to say that Foodland stock the Duang Dee coffee, both ground and in bean form. In fact, Foodland seems to be very well stocked in Western type produce - is that their forté?

So, while there looking for sea alt, I grabbed a bag of classic blend ready ground (as I still don't have a grinder)

It's split into 2 separate bags so I threw them both in the freezer.

I'm using some Tesco Finest Colombian Supremo Coffee at the moment - 100% Arabica. (comes in a cool looking red and black bag)

I think the coffee is OK but I have a feeling that Princess percolator machine of mine is putting water through at 100% boiling temperature as all the coffee out of it tastes bitter, regardless of blend.

You think I might be right?

I have a friend coming over in August from London - perhaps I should get him to bring me a steel, insulated-wall French press - then I can control exactly the temp of the water I use.

Anyway - Foodland = Duang Dee coffee!

Boiling water is definitely not the cause of the coffee to taste bitter. In fact, coffee should be brewed with water of at least 94-96 degrees C (higher is fine). The cause of the coffee tasting bitter could be many things, but most likely it's the coffee itself: amount of coffee you use, type of roast (industrial roasts tend to be high-temp and fast roasts that make coffee taste more bitter than roasts from a place that have true love and passion for coffee), origin, etc. It could also be a slow perculator: a full jar (1-1.5 litres) should be through in 6 minutes max. If it takes longer, the coffee will get bitter. Also, using plastic/nylon filters or inferior paper filters can cause coffee to become less enjoyable. Use paper filters for a perculator; they should be as thin as possible, unbleached and otherwise untreated.

Oh, and one more thing: never throw your coffee in the freezer (it slowly kills the taste). Just keep it out of direct (sun)light and in a properly closed (metal) jar. If you use ground coffee, leave the coffee in the aluminium bag it came in and close it directly after use. Make sure you finish the pack, once opened, within say a week or so. The advantage of using beans: always a fresh brew and you can store your beans a lot longer than your ground coffee.

[robenroute]

It's definitely a true burr grinder; I take it apart for cleaning. But there are two kinds of burr grinders: Conical (best) and flat (good). The Krupp I have is a flat burr grinder. I have never found a conical burr grinder here (other than very expensive commercial models).

Well, the Hario I mentioned a few posts back has a ceramic conical burr. Grinding results are excellent. Fair enough, it's a small grinder and it takes manual effort...

[marcusd]

If you like strong coffee then lavazza. There is a hill tribe brand arabica... not robusta as tgat is very high in caffeine... dance all week stuff...tge hill tribe brand is very good quality too. Tops market stocks it as does rimping

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[marcusd]

Ok no doubt about it. The absolute BEST machine you.can get is GAGIA andtgey have grinders too. Robinsons... central stores stock.them. I use one at home in oz. Italy makes the best machines

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[HidyHo]

Well, the Hario I mentioned a few posts back has a ceramic conical burr. Grinding results are excellent. Fair enough, it's a small grinder and it takes manual effort...

There are few youtube videos where they "mod" the handle and use cordless drill to grind faster.

[robenroute]

Well, the Hario I mentioned a few posts back has a ceramic conical burr. Grinding results are excellent. Fair enough, it's a small grinder and it takes manual effort...

There are few youtube videos where they "mod" the handle and use cordless drill to grind faster.

Had a quick look: 5-5-5! Well done. I would still prefer the manual job though. I'd like to believe the coffe tastes better if I have put my fair share of effort into it

[Ticketmaster]

Ah, funnily enough I was just coming back on here to say that Foodland stock the Duang Dee coffee, both ground and in bean form. In fact, Foodland seems to be very well stocked in Western type produce - is that their forté?

So, while there looking for sea alt, I grabbed a bag of classic blend ready ground (as I still don't have a grinder)

It's split into 2 separate bags so I threw them both in the freezer.

I'm using some Tesco Finest Colombian Supremo Coffee at the moment - 100% Arabica. (comes in a cool looking red and black bag)

I think the coffee is OK but I have a feeling that Princess percolator machine of mine is putting water through at 100% boiling temperature as all the coffee out of it tastes bitter, regardless of blend.

You think I might be right?

I have a friend coming over in August from London - perhaps I should get him to bring me a steel, insulated-wall French press - then I can control exactly the temp of the water I use.

Anyway - Foodland = Duang Dee coffee!

Boiling water is definitely not the cause of the coffee to taste bitter. In fact, coffee should be brewed with water of at least 94-96 degrees C (higher is fine). The cause of the coffee tasting bitter could be many things, but most likely it's the coffee itself: amount of coffee you use, type of roast (industrial roasts tend to be high-temp and fast roasts that make coffee taste more bitter than roasts from a place that have true love and passion for coffee), origin, etc. It could also be a slow perculator: a full jar (1-1.5 litres) should be through in 6 minutes max. If it takes longer, the coffee will get bitter. Also, using plastic/nylon filters or inferior paper filters can cause coffee to become less enjoyable. Use paper filters for a perculator; they should be as thin as possible, unbleached and otherwise untreated.

Oh, and one more thing: never throw your coffee in the freezer (it slowly kills the taste). Just keep it out of direct (sun)light and in a properly closed (metal) jar. If you use ground coffee, leave the coffee in the aluminium bag it came in and close it directly after use. Make sure you finish the pack, once opened, within say a week or so. The advantage of using beans: always a fresh brew and you can store your beans a lot longer than your ground coffee.

Another thing that will give coffee a bitter taste is grinding it too fine. A coarser grind takes more coffee, thus is more expensive to use, but tastier, too.

As for putting coffee in the freezer, there is much debate and disagreement on this. It is absolutely true that you should not store the coffee that you are USING in the freezer. Moisture is an arch enemy of roasted beans, and every time you take the coffee out of the freezer and open it, you get condensation. Thus, the coffee gets wetter and wetter as you use it.

If on the other hand you store the coffee in an unopened vacuum sealed Mylar pack, doing this will keep the flavor longer than at room temperature. The science is simple. Any changes in the beans are chemical reactions to their environment (oxygen, etc.). Heat speeds up reactions. Removing heat slows them down. Basic chemistry. When you are ready to use the coffee in that stored bag, take it out of the freezer and bring it up to room temperature before opening. Then store in a sealed container at room temperature until consumed.

I order four kilos at a time, which are delivered in eight 500 gram vacuum sealed Mylar packs. I get it within three days of coming out of the roaster (coffee beans kept at room temperature should be consumed within 10 days of roasting; the beans one purchases in the store are typically already old). I follow the practice above and suffer little noticeable loss in flavor. I consume four kg in 4-6 weeks.

[Glan Deas]

I like my coffee powerful and caffeinated--no sugar or sweeteners. I generally lighten it with entire milk, but 2% milk or half and half will work. If there's no milk or half and half accessible, I'll use non-dairy powdered creamer. I keep a canister in the cupboard just in case. What's in that stuff anyway?

Kopi Luwak

[Malthus101]

Well, I'm sure someone already mentioned it but I finally went to IKEA and they have good quality and large glass and plastic caffetieres (French Press) for 499 baht. So I grabbed one! I can use it as a teapot as well for Jasmine tea etc.

I was also in Gateway shopping centre in Ekkamai the other day and notied they have a Doi Chaang cooffee stall. This also sells the Civit cat coffee if anyone is interested! (I'm not)

http://doichaangcoffee.com/doi-chaang-wild-civet-coffee

Bon chance, mes amis.

[silvester2]

Check out http://innovacup.com they have a good selection of imported coffee.

[householder]

Well, I'm sure someone already mentioned it but I finally went to IKEA and they have good quality and large glass and plastic caffetieres (French Press) for 499 baht. So I grabbed one! I can use it as a teapot as well for Jasmine tea etc.

I was also in Gateway shopping centre in Ekkamai the other day and notied they have a Doi Chaang cooffee stall. This also sells the Civit cat coffee if anyone is interested! (I'm not)

http://doichaangcoffee.com/doi-chaang-wild-civet-coffee

Bon chance, mes amis.

I picked up a decent caffetieres on a chance trip to Paradise Mall last week. Shop on the ground floor that specialises in Chinese teas. 270 baht! Pretty content with it

Edited July 22, 2013 by householder