Recommendation on Beans

[billy88]

I am new to roasting and trying to figure out what beans to buy. I know that I like my coffee smooth, medium bodied, creamy and slightly sweet. I hate to admit it but when buying roasted beans I have been partial to Starbucks Caffe Verona. Can anyone recommend some beans for me? Thanks in advance. Billy

[MrJerry]

Check out the beans at Sweet Maria's.

[Redheadz]

I would highly recommend Black Dog Coffee. Great people and the coffee is amazing.
They roast it fresh and the shipping is fast.

Try them out, Brian is a great person to deal with.

They are at www (dot) blackdogcoffee (dot) net .

[billy88]

Originally Posted by MrJerry

Check out the beans at Sweet Maria's.

I did Jerry. I was just trying to figure out which ones fit the profile of what I like. I did end up buying a couple varieties of Panamian and one Guatamelon and one Ethiopia. I havent got em yet and willl hopefully like em.

[Walter MItty]

Panama, Guatemala, Costa Rica, all provide great coffees that are neutral in character (acidity) and quite delicious. You will need to delve a bit further to find out the parentage of the bean and the altitude and grower to really make an informed choice.

And if you fall off that slippery slope, welcome to the insanity that is home roasting. Once you get bit by that bug you will see your bank account dwindle even further. Cigars, Pipe's, storage.

I look over at my 2 grinders and 5 coffee making devices, two roasters, 85 lbs of stored greens, and a partridge in a pear tree.

[Mister Moo]

When you roast your own coffee I'll bet the worst of it will taste better than 90% of anything you ever bought in a commercial bag.

I think when you just start there is a benefit to trying larger beans that tend to cook up with loud, clear cracks and a uniform finish. Your choice of Guatalmalan would be one of my first suggestions, right behind Costa Rican Tarrazu. The Panamanian should be an easy one to roast, too. Ethiopian beans are usually smallish and they can roast fast (2nd crack can run on to 1st crack ba-da-bing) and burn in a heartbeat - they can be a little more difficult when you're learning to roast; not like it's rocket science but you may find larger beans are easier to start with.

Ethiopian and Sumatran beans tend to roast to irregular colors; Sumatran beans may have a mottled appearance, for example, and many Ethiopian beans can finish out out in a range of lighter-to-darker in the same cycle. This is not indicative of bad roasting procedure but, lacking experience, the variations can appear confusing compared to Central- and South American beans.

But, as I said, you'll probably have a winner either way.

[billy88]

Thanks everyone. I did roast some Guatamalan Finca my first 3 times all to different stages that I really liked. I then tried some ethipopian Yirga which was dissappointing. Tomorrow I am going to try Panamainan Carmen Estate. Cant wait to taste that one. So its been very positive. Thanks again.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by billy88

ethipopian Yirga which was dissappointing...

Yirg may have a magnificent sweet spot and it may not. If it DOES have a magnificent sweet spot it takes some skill to hunt it out and reproduce it roast after roast. Roasting yirgacheffe to bring out the best is like sliding down a razorblade.