Why Storebought Coffee Tastes Like It Tastes

[Mister Moo]

Forget that it is probably blended with a mess of low-rent Vietnamese robusto beans that arrive on our shores and sell (green) for less than $1.00/pound. That's gotta be hard for the suits at Folgers Galactic Hqs. to resist.

And forget every possible way you may may unfairly taint (what might have been) good beans with bad water or brutal brewing practices in your kitchen.

But check this out - words direct from a coffee roasting/retailing el Presidente who roasts very good specialty coffees that sometimes end up in grocery stores:

"Each Grocery chain has their rules and policies... I know we date stamp in two different ways for grocery. The bags hold fresh for 6 months unopened and three months opened and resealed by customer."

Since this mans company can date stamp for grocery stores in one of two ways - and since his coffee is not date stamped at the grocery store where I bought it - it appears there's a third choice for grocery stores: no roast date or "best if used before..." date at all. This guy really makes good coffee but believes six months sealed is still fresh (for grocery segment) and it appears he allows retailers to nix a "use before" stamp. His beans (or anyones at retail) can be well staled on the shelf. This is not landmark news, but it's interesting to hear it right from the boss.

What does it mean when a good roaster sez his stuff is considered fresh at six-months (sealed) or 3-months opened? It means I'm going to keep roasting my own. I might even grow some fresh tomatoes next summer, too.

[ResIpsa]

Originally Posted by Mister MaDuroo

Forget that it is probably blended with a mess of low-rent Vietnamese robusto beans that arrive on our shores and sell (green) for less than $1.00/pound. That's gotta be hard for the suits at Folgers Galactic Hqs. to resist.

And forget every possible way you may may unfairly taint (what might have been) good beans with bad water or brutal brewing practices in your kitchen.

But check this out - words direct from a coffee roasting/retailing el Presidente who roasts very good specialty coffees that sometimes end up in grocery stores:

"Each Grocery chain has their rules and policies... I know we date stamp in two different ways for grocery. The bags hold fresh for 6 months unopened and three months opened and resealed by customer."

Since this mans company can date stamp for grocery stores in one of two ways - and since his coffee is not date stamped at the grocery store where I bought it - it appears there's a third choice for grocery stores: no roast date or "best if used before..." date at all. This guy really makes good coffee but believes six months sealed is still fresh (for grocery segment) and it appears he allows retailers to nix a "use before" stamp. His beans (or anyones at retail) can be well staled on the shelf. This is not landmark news, but it's interesting to hear it right from the boss.

What does it mean when a good roaster sez his stuff is considered fresh at six-months (sealed) or 3-months opened? It means I'm going to keep roasting my own. I might even grow some fresh tomatoes next summer, too.

A better title for this thread might be "Why Store Bought Coffee Tastes Like Ass"........but that's just one man's opinion

[Jeff]

Originally Posted by ResIpsa

A better title for this thread might be "Why Store Bought Coffee Tastes Like Ass"........but that's just one man's opinion

Could you repeat that please Vic? I couldn't quite understand what you were saying with your new avatar distracting me in the background.

[ResIpsa]

Originally Posted by Jeff

Could you repeat that please Vic? I couldn't quite understand what you were saying with your new avatar distracting me in the background.

You like, Jeff?

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by ResIpsa

You like, Jeff?

D'uh... I was kinda wondering about that too. It is distracting, but in a better way then Blueface's. Uh huh.

[celticgent]

What is the accurate length of time before it goes stale?

And if there IS a sell-by date, is that a good indicator of freshness, or is it just bunk?

[ResIpsa]

Originally Posted by celticgent

What is the accurate length of time before it goes stale?

And if there IS a sell-by date, is that a good indicator of freshness, or is it just bunk?

General rule of thumb is coffee is considered to be fresh for 7 days after it has been roasted. Generally speaking you won't find "fresh" coffee in any kind of market unless they roast right on premises, even the loose beans they have in the bins have for the most part been sitting there a lot longer than 7 days.

[celticgent]

7 days?!?!?!?

even with a vacuum sealed bag?!?

[ResIpsa]

vacuum sealing isn't really going to help that much. Here's a link for you, pay particular attention to the last 2-3 paragraphs

http://www.quiknet.com/frcn/Coffee/Coffee81.html

[wij]

Originally Posted by Mister MaDuroo

I might even grow some fresh tomatoes next summer, too.

Very good information about coffee. I'm just afraid that if I ever get the real good stuff, I won't be satisfied with my lame home brew.

Shame on you if you didn't grow some tomatoes this summer. It's a violation of southern law not to grow maters.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by ResIpsa

vacuum sealing isn't really going to help that much. Here's a link for you, pay particular attention to the last 2-3 paragraphs

http://www.quiknet.com/frcn/Coffee/Coffee81.html

Very few coffee drinkers roast their own beans and make their own espresso. Those who do know that espresso can be raw or green tasting from roasting time to about 12-24 hours post roast. It may then develop, over a period of several days, into something dramatically different. I've had some roasts peak 7-10 days after roasting and still produce heaps of crema and drink well for two weeks (total).

I find brewed/press coffee very forgiving of shelf time compared to espresso or mokapot. Properly stored, I think roasts for brewed coffee hold up well for up to a month. While brewed may not be the greatest at a month post-roast, it certainly isn't degraded like espresso.

Someone in the biz talking about six months on the shelf and/or three months of customer use/resealing is either not a coffee drinker, saying what he must, has fallen for his own publicity, or is in fact, full of ... d'uhhhh... I meant beans.

Randy is a very exacting, detail guy whom I greatly respect. He's not wrong (below). I just think Randy and espressoheads (me included) in general are insane, unredeemable fanatics slightly more picky than most folks native earthlings.

[SIZE=1][SIZE=2]at www.espressomyespresso.com Randy Glass sez:[/SIZE][/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]About ten days old from the time the coffee is roasted is getting pretty old for espresso, and about two or three weeks is at the edge of coffee for most any other beverage. Sure, there are storage methods that can help extend that amount of time to some extent, but once opened to the atmosphere and/or thawed, the coffee rapidly stales to about the same level it would have been if not stored in some manner. At least to say that has been my experience. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Those of us who home roast, or at least have access to local, fresh-roasted coffee of known age and quality, know what freshness means. On the other hand, we rarely have to suffer the pangs of stale coffee so we may not always appreciate the difference that some folks experience when they drink our fresh coffee. So when you give away coffee, be sure to discuss freshness- it really does matter!
[/SIZE]

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by wij

...Shame on you if you didn't grow some tomatoes this summer. It's a violation of southern law not to grow maters.

I'm watching you Will. I'm watching you very closely. Did Rick send you a few cigars to start posting these low blows - is that it? Are you on his payroll?

[galaga]

Originally Posted by wij

...Shame on you if you didn't grow some tomatoes this summer. It's a violation of southern law not to grow maters.

The guy posts pictures of flowers and fields of flowers on here; refuses to drink anything but "fresh" coffee, and he can't even grow his own 'maters.....

Originally Posted by Mister MaDuroo

I'm watching you Will. I'm watching you very closely. Did Rick send you a few cigars to start posting these low blows - is that it? Are you on his payroll?

All I can say is "genius is as genius does"

[Mister Moo]

Still pimping the rookies, I see. What did WIJ cost you, Mister Galaga? Was it just cigars, or one of the black latex body suits you peddle on ebayafterhours.com? This mater attack has your fingerprints all over it.

You pop up at the oddest threads, Rick; let me be the first to invite you to the Carolina Herf or Herf Card judging. You allowed to leave the state yet?

[wij]

Originally Posted by Mister MaDuroo

I'm watching you Will. I'm watching you very closely. Did Rick send you a few cigars to start posting these low blows - is that it? Are you on his payroll?

Hey Dan thats just how I roll. No cigars necessary. I would like to meet Rick though he sounds like my sort of guy. He most certainly is a genius.

I have a personal crusade to enforce all the good values of the South and purge the bad.