I Splashed Out
This little plunger I couldn't pass up at a 40% discount. It's 600ml but I'll only be making one cup in the morning for myself. I bought this last month and this month I was so excited to add some ground coffee to my shopping list...but I made a dreadful mistake it seems.
When I was a child I remember visiting a small coffee merchant with my parents. The shop was tiny and could barely squeeze a handful of people into it, but you could smell it a mile away. Every day they would grind coffee beans from all over the world to make various blends and even though I wasn't allowed to drink coffee at the time, I loved that smell. It was glorious. I couldn't wait to be a grown up so that I could sample the delicious taste that would obviously accompany that aroma.
That particular coffee shop was one of the first ones to become established in the Western Cape of South Africa and from humble beginnings they expanded into an empire. They are one of the most well known coffee makes around and I should have gone with my gut instinct and bought that brand .... but I'm a moron sometimes and I ignore what my senses tell me to do and then I do stupid things.
I bought the most economical ground coffee thinking "How bad could it be right?" This morning I was excited to start my plunge coffee morning ritual and I warmed up the beaker before hand. LL was also excited and wanted to know what this new kitchen contraption was, so I showed her and let her plunge the first coffee.
This beautiful brown liquid was poured with a smile and then I eagerly lifted it to my lips expecting the taste to resemble the fantastic coffee smell that had wafted up to my nose when I first opened the vacuum sealed bag
What trickery is this? It didn't taste even remotely close to it's smell. It was bitter as all hell and had a really sharp edge which was almost caustic, catching in my throat. I struggled to not spit it right out and the expression my face must have looked desperate because LL asked if I was alright.
I added more milk. A LOT more milk and a quarter teaspoon more sugar. It was almost bearable now, but colder than I would have liked. What an absolute fail for a first cup of filter coffee.
Perhaps I need to adjust the quantity I add. Maybe it had to do with having brushed my teeth just before? I'm really hoping that it was one of these things. Tomorrow I will try it again. I love my new plunger, but perhaps I should have gone with the coffee brand that I know.
Lol. Yeah, you have to get better stuff or it ends up being like bitter floor sweepings!
Hahaha I haven't tasted bitter floor sweepings but I would imagine the likeness to that coffee was very close. My cup this morning is a lot better so maybe it was the method more than the coffee, although it still isn't wonderful.
You cant beat a good cup of joe on a Sunday morning! Cheers!
I'd probably cry andrastia, just a little bit. Another attempt will determine if this coffee is a fail or not, until then don't lose hope.
Becca 💗
Hi Becca
Yes, it's really quite sad, but the second cup was a lot better, I've been drinking instant coffee for so long now that I was really looking forward to being able to brew a fine cup of filter coffee in-house.
At least I have coffee - the alternative could be much, much worse, don't you agree?
I have spent a few moments contemplating the no-coffee paradigm you mention and yes, there are far worse things than bad coffee and no coffee is one of them.
Becca 💗
Hey Andy,
That's such a shame about the taste. I wonder if the coffee was a bit old? They recommend 1 tbsp of ground coffee for every 100ml of coffee. I don't have any measuring cups at the moment, and we tend to prepare a full French Press about that size. We use only about 4 tbsp of coffee; that might not be the perfect measurement, but the coffee tastes very good then. The thing is, we get an affordable Italian Blend of coffee from Lidl that taste so freaking good. Yet the expensive Brazilian coffee that we bought recently, taste insipid unless we add a lot more coffee to the pot.
We have our coffee black, but I would say experiment with the measurement and probably do a tasting of it black first, before adding milk.
I'm happy you got the plunger though:)
Hi Milly
Thanks for your message. I don't think so, it was vacuum packed and smelled delicious, I think that it was possibly more me at fault than the coffee. I'll buy the other brand in a bit that I know is yummy and then I'll compare - if this one is still crappy then I'll seal it up and put it into the "When the world ends box"
I'm keen to get an Italian blend, but I'm so biased. I blame lasagna!
It is nice to finally be able to make some proper filter coffee even if the first batch was awful. I'll keep going until it's awesome.
Have a great day Milly ☕️
💐
Hopefully the bad taste was one of the options you mention and not that you wasted time and money with that coffee.😅
It happened to me recently, I bought a coffee I didn't know and the experience was not good. I ended up mixing it with another quality coffee so as not to throw it away.
Hi Lis
You know, I hate wasting money so I was very disappointed yesterday. I don't think it's a total loss though, but definitely a lesson.
I guess we should just go with what we know is good. I'll use half the bag and then I'll probably end up mixing it like you did.
Hope your weekend has been good to you. 🌼
I totally understand you, if it makes you feel better remember that losing is also a victory, as you say, it was a lesson.
Happy day to you
Yup, you're right and if we can take away the lesson then it's not a total loss after all. Perhaps the taste of this coffee will grow on me and I'll come to like it, it's possible.
That press is cool. Good coffee when it gets to sit in the grounds for a while. Youre a boss!
Editing because ive had that kind of coffee in that package. It was one from Germany i think. Definitely makes the difference to have the good stuff though!
Hey Captain
Thanks for stopping by. This morning I made a flask with a LOT more coffee grounds and it actually was tasty. The bitterness wasn't there nearly as much. I think I'll keep tweaking it until it's just right.
I see you've got yourself some good coffee too :)
Twas decent dear. Its another day, so lets enjoy another coffee. I have work later, but doin some catching up here.
I'm glad. How long have you been doing night shifts with the sleep study diagnosing?
Can imagine that you probably drink as much coffee as I do as a result.
Bitter floor sweepings is how Boomy put it and I agree, one must get the good stuff. I hope your second cup is better and that coffee you bought wasn't a complete dud. But yep, the coffee and grind is everything.
Since joining Hive I have read some of the most epic descriptions for things and I think that is a good one isn't it! My cup this morning turned out much better. Perhaps toothpaste has a coffee aversion and there's some funky chemical reaction that tastes foul when it takes place on your tongue. You know - science!
How was your first cup of coffee this morning?
My first cup was an espresso, Nespresso Volluto, and it was predictable; meaning it's always the same - Good.
My second was the same, about four hours later and then I had a glass of no added sugar iced coffee. I'll have a decaf Nespresso later and that'll be it.
I have a feeling your coffee will get better...Just don't do the toothpaste thing before you drink it.
Oh cool, you have one of those fancy Nespresso machines with the pods? I have wet dreams about those machines lol.
I think the toothpaste may have something to do with it yes.
I do indeed and I love it. I've actually had it since 2007 and whilst it cost me a lot of money, it's worked flawlessly since then. I can't even imagine how much money I've saved by not buying coffee out as much. Maybe I'll do a post about it.
That's brilliant service - 15 years already! I got turned off a bit by the fact that beside the cost, you practically need a service plan for them like a car 🤣 I prefer old school vibes - you know, machines I can take apart into the various pieces and clean myself without having to send it away for descaling and so on.
I'm but a very simple person it seems, that's why the plunger works for me - no moving parts hahaha
There's nothing wrong with simplicity. I'm a simple dude and look where it got me! (In my pyjamas on a Sunday night at 9pm looking at Hive.) 😂
Org Img Src
Thank you so much Cinnamon Cup Coffee, the support is always appreciated. 😀
You're very welcome... Enjoyed your post, so it's a pleasure.
Have a nice Friday and a relaxing weekend, doing everything that makes you happy 😁
Oh no, what a shame. I'm really hoping attempt number 2 is better...
Annabelle 😊
Hi Annabelle
It was kinda revolting but my cup this morning has been so much better. Double the coffee, much better taste.
How has your weekend been?
Quiet, lol...just what we needed!
Glad the coffee is tasting better - nothing worse than a sup-par brew.
What a shame. You'll have to experiment a bit, but it's worth buying a brand that you are sure of. I love the coffee plunger - best invention ever.