What kind of Coffee Do You Buy?

[dancingalone]

My personal favorite for coffee is a Vietnamese coffee called Cao Nguyen. Vietnamese coffee has a unique taste, strong but no bitter. It is also the only coffee, imho, that retains sufficient flavor iced to be worth drinking.

http://www.howtobrewcoffee.com/Vietnamese.htm shows how it is usually made. I have made it in a french press, but I don't think it is a good that way. I really don't like the Cafe Du Monde with chicory. As a last resort (Vietnamese coffee can be hard to get), I may drink it, but may just as well not and switch to some other aribica.

When I first encountered it in Vietnam, I was introduced to the iced version. I liked it. Later, I learned to drink it hot. Even iced, it should be prepared hot first, then after any sugar and sweetened condensed milk is put in, poured over the ice. I eventually moved away from sugar and sweetened condensed milk, until I was diagnosed with type II diabetes. For some reason, I then began craving it with sweetener, so I began using Equal or now, Splenda.

All that said, after many years in the US Army, I can still drink and enjoy just about any coffee if I don't have a choice. :uhyeah:

Vietnamese coffee is overwhelmingly of the robusta variety and therefore can't be any good. Never had Cao Nguyen, but I used to drink Trung Nguyen every now and then. I believe all of the Trung Nguyen line is robusta unless they specifically say arabica bean.

Here in Texas, most of the Vietnamese cafes use Cafe Du Monde with chicory for their iced coffee drinks. It's easy to get and I guess it does the job if you're going to add lots of ice and sweetened condensed milk anyway.

 

[oftheherd1]

Vietnamese coffee is overwhelmingly of the robusta variety and therefore can't be any good. Never had Cao Nguyen, but I used to drink Trung Nguyen every now and then. I believe all of the Trung Nguyen line is robusta unless they specifically say arabica bean.

Here in Texas, most of the Vietnamese cafes use Cafe Du Monde with chicory for their iced coffee drinks. It's easy to get and I guess it does the job if you're going to add lots of ice and sweetened condensed milk anyway.

I just looked on a can I have here at work and it doesn't say. But I remember reading that before somewhere on the internet (they can't lie on the internet you know

) that it was aribica. I have never tried the Trung Nguyen as all I have seen are pre-sweetened. I have tried the Cafe Du Monde and it just doesn't satisfy me. I know that many Vietnamese prefer that. I can only guess it is because it is something they never had in Vietnam. I know some who have said it is like Vietnamese coffee. I'm happy for them, but I just can't agree.

EDIT: I meant to add that in reading the writeup on the can, I discovered "Ca Phe Cao Nguyen is the finest, most delicious coffee created by our roast masters using premium beans selected from the lust (sic) coffee growing regions of Vietnam..." I miss Vietnam.

 

[dancingalone]

I just looked on a can I have here at work and it doesn't say. But I remember reading that before somewhere on the internet (they can't lie on the internet you know

) that it was aribica. I have never tried the Trung Nguyen as all I have seen are pre-sweetened. I have tried the Cafe Du Monde and it just doesn't satisfy me. I know that many Vietnamese prefer that. I can only guess it is because it is something they never had in Vietnam. I know some who have said it is like Vietnamese coffee. I'm happy for them, but I just can't agree.

Vietnam's status as a mass coffee EXPORTER is a fairly new phenomenon. Prior to the eighties, many of the people who drank coffee generally drank something French or American though of course coffee bean cultivation has been around for centuries in Vietnam. My parents drank some French brand in small cups...Quite unlike the large tumbler that I quaff every morning.

I'm not sure exactly why Cafe Du Monde is so ubiquitous in Vietnamese restaurants, but I've seen the familiar orange/tan can in cafes in California, Quebec, Maryland, even Paris, France. It's a standard for some reason.

 

[dancingalone]

Mystery solved regarding Cafe Du Monde. A friend just told me that the somewhat coarse grind of the chicory flavored blend is perfect for the brewing method used in Vietnamese cafes.

Huh. You'd think as a restaurateur, it would be fairly easy to get a custom grind anywhere in the world, even if we jump back a few decades.

 

[oftheherd1]

Mystery solved regarding Cafe Du Monde. A friend just told me that the somewhat coarse grind of the chicory flavored blend is perfect for the brewing method used in Vietnamese cafes.

Huh. You'd think as a restaurateur, it would be fairly easy to get a custom grind anywhere in the world, even if we jump back a few decades.

I would have thought they would be using the method I linked to above. It is also what I use at home. However, the 'filters' one buys in the USA, are not like the ones used in Vietnam, at least when I was there. They used aluminum filters. In the USA, I have only seen stainless steel. I think the holes are a little smaller too.

 

[Uncle]

I buy the cheapest coffee I can find. It all tastes like dirt to me and I don't mind it black. It's just caffeine juice as far as I'm concerned.

 

[granfire]

I buy the cheapest coffee I can find. It all tastes like dirt to me and I don't mind it black. It's just caffeine juice as far as I'm concerned.

<shudder>

 

[ballen0351]

WAWA Kona coffee black

 

[Carol]

I had a shift partner who retired a year ago who hated coffee, he was an ex Para (1 Parachute Regt.) said coffee was for women and Yanks.........

So? :lol2:

 

[Darksoul]

Coffee...must admit to being a fan of Dunkin Donut's but prefer live DDs coffee over home brewed. We have no DD's here in Denver although there are rumors that will change next year. One reason I miss NY. DDs and a breakfest bagle is perfect any time of day. At home the girlfriend and I usually buy Folgers or store brand, but mix it with something a little more fancy for flavor. I do love MJB, that stuff is great, although pricey. I like Gevalia as well. Never got into espressos but may have to change that. Working security at nights demands coffee. Has anyone ever used a vaccuum press coffee maker? Not sure if that is the actual name but my girl tried one once, said it made the best cup of coffee she ever had.

Andrew

 

[Darksoul]

-Oh yeah, the Keurig machines seem like a waste at home but we do have one at work in the office, certainly a good place for one. I usually use whatever medium roast is available, but I will use the same cup twice. Just push the thing open and close it again to brew again, although the 2nd time I go with the smallest amount available. Tastes fine to me. I'm weird.

Andrew

 

[granfire]

-Oh yeah, the Keurig machines seem like a waste at home but we do have one at work in the office, certainly a good place for one. I usually use whatever medium roast is available, but I will use the same cup twice. Just push the thing open and close it again to brew again, although the 2nd time I go with the smallest amount available. Tastes fine to me. I'm weird.

Andrew

I actually tried that once, since my husband does the same at the office (but he is not really a coffee drinker and one time used Keurig is on the strong side)

It worked fine for me, but my machine is a bit dated, the 'large' hardly fills up a regular mug...

 

[dancingalone]

I received a gift basket from some friends that included a few coffees. First quick review: Starbucks Naturally Flavored Vanilla. This is a strong roast coffee that smelled great out of the package. Once brewed however, I thought the alcohol (?) from the vanilla beans contributed to an artificial aftertaste that I did not like. If you like vanilla coffee, I suggest brewing a cup of your favorite first and then adding a syrup instead.