Quote:
Originally Posted by pennsiveguy
Quote:
Originally Posted by Red Bread
Try to find someone nearby. Intelligentsia is hard to beat. For me, Merit, LAMill, Olympia and Equator are the best I've found.
And yes, you will greatly benefit from single origin in a press. I've done press for about 20 years and primarily do pour over now, but still enjoy a press pot.
One note, for press, I really prefer natural process or honey over washed process, the acidity is lower and the fruit flavors should really shine. Just try to get fresh beans and use them as quickly as possible. Most places will roast after your order and send them immediately.
The freezer is awful for beans and please don't buy in quantity. I'd also recommend as light as possible of a roast. You'll get stronger flavors, more caffeine and a much cleaner palate from them.
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I got some Intelligentsia as a gift, and it was mediocre at best. Lots of broken beans and "dust". Really dry, had horrible static electricity in the grinder. Surprising pale, even the "Espresso" in the black bag. |
They're huge (part of JAB) and even sell on Amazon. But if you're buying in store, or ordering directly online, they should be better than that.
Of course their Black Cat espresso is a dark roast, so the beans will be brittle, having been through the second crack, so not entirely unusual for a few broken beans. It is probably a lighter roast than most grocery store espresso/French roasts, but I actually find it too dark for my non pressurized espresso machine.
Their In Season offerings are usually quite good. I use Intelligetsia as a control. They're not the best out there, but they're consistently good.