Best Ground Coffee

[Archangel]

Following on from the Instant thread, please give some recommendations for ground coffee.

I'm a newbie where ground coffee is concerned, but have a very good espresso machuine. Usually make Latte.

I liked Waitrose Columbian.
And Gaggia Intense (Pods)

Thanks

[realityhack]

And Gaggia Intense (Pods)

Ach

Step 1: Get yourself a grinder.
Step 2: Buy some good coffee beans. I've been told the Jamaican Blue Mountain variety are the best, but I prefer a harsher taste, so I buy Illy 100% Arabica, works for me.
Step 3: Put the coffee beans in an airtight container and keep them in the freezer.
Step 4: When you want a coffee, pop the kettle on, grab beans from freezer and grind away (this takes seconds), put coffee in whatever you're using to brew (cafetiere, stovetop espresso thingy, full-on coffee machine like the gaggia cube et al), and away you go.

Since switching to freshly ground, I'd say the coffee's 2 or 3 times better than pre-ground, easily. Chuck the pods in the bin, they're disgusting.

And yes, I'm a coffee snob, sorry about that.

[P1mpAndPr0ud]

Agree - Beans are SO much better than ground! I use one of those stovetop espresso makers, drink the whole lot and I'm buzzing for hours after that!

Tesco Finest Columbian beans are really nice, and Harrods do some lovely flavoured ones if you fancy splashing out.

[DiscoStu]

My favourite is a blend of Javan and Costa Rican beans, freshly ground.

[Board Game Geek]

I agree with RH, having joined the Gaggia owner's club in November 2007, and starting to make and appreciate coffee properly.

I wouldn't recommend Jamaican Blue Mountain in anything but a cafetiere, since part of the brewing process involves the 4-minute water/coffee infusion.

An espresso machine will force hot water through the brewing head and coffee basket in about 6-7 seconds per dose.

Therefore you won't get the full richness of the percolation process.

I've also tried a number of "Jamaican Blue Mountains" from a variety of shops in the UK, and I personally think there is something odd going on. In theory, the taste should be fairly identical across the board, but in practice, it varies widely. This, to my mind, is more than just different drying techniques from the assorted farms.

Suffice to say, the only JBM beans that I can rate over the last few months have been the beans sold at Fortnum & Masons.

For espresso, I also prefer the Illy espresso beans.

I did receive a present the other week of some beans from a Farmer's Market, where there was a coffee trader present, and these beans were fantastic. I'll pop along next month and find out more details.

[realityhack]

Cheers for the tips BGG - the JBM beans I bought were from Whittards. Disappointing really, even after 4 min I found the coffee too understated and bland, not as complex as I'd have liked - will investigate Fortnum & Mason, and appreciate any other advice. Bought my dad a Gaggia Cube for his birthday and he seems pleased with it, having owned a few espresso machines.

[Board Game Geek]

No worries.

I am concerned about the JBM fiasco out there at the moment.

I've almost come to the conclusion that some beans, provided they were grown within a 1000 x zoom telescope's sight of Blue Mountain, manage to get labelled as "Blue Mountain", even though there are supposed to be stringent rules on labelling this product.

I've even seen some beans called "Jamaican Blue", which is just a cynical and devious way to get people to buy a product, thinking it is "Blue Mountain" when in fact it wasn't grown in the area at all.

I'm wary of the JBM pitfalls now :-)

Aye, the Gaggia's are great machines...just make sure he descales regularly.

[The Lone Gunman]

What the hell are you lot doing buying from expensive shops?
try here www.discountcoffee.co.uk. There are others who deliver too go google.
Illy, Lavazza and Sagfredo are all good, but we have been using Moka Efti lately.
We have a built in machine.