New coffee maker – disgusting taste!

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Martin Harris 9 on 16/02/2019 19:19:03:

Posted by SillyOldDuffer on 14/02/2019 21:49:51:Tea is sensitive to the type of water it's made from. Originally Yorkshire Tea was formulated to suit hard Yorkshire water, but now its sold in soft water areas as well. I'm not certain the Yorkshire Tea I buy in Somerset is identical to the Yorkshire Tea sold in Yorkshire! For the same reason, US Lipton may not be quite the same as UK Lipton.

I don't know which side of the Tees-Exe line you live and what your water is like but Yorkshire definitely doesn't have hard water – at least the bit where my sister lives – I tried to buy some de-scaler near Halifax and they'd never even heard of it!

Yorkshire Tea do a hard water blend in green boxes.

Obviously availability does relate to the local water!

Neil

[Martin Harris 9Participant @martinharris9]

Posted by Frances IoM on 16/02/2019 19:51:45:
I drink Kenyan – can be a delicate taste – suspect the mix of roasts has just enough bite from the high roast not to overpower the more delicate low roast which might well be destroyed by a No 4 roast – the local roaster to me was lost years ago – now its either Sainsbury's beans/grind or the somewhat higher roast Waitrose which IMO is not as good.

Your taste might be for more subtle flavours but if anyone enjoys a full bodied coffee with some bite, you could risk a very small amount of money on Aldi's Italian blend which I particularly enjoy. It compares with far more expensive coffees and is consistently good.

[Mick B1Participant @mickb1]

Posted by Frances IoM on 16/02/2019 19:51:45:
I drink Kenyan – can be a delicate taste – suspect the mix of roasts has just enough bite from the high roast not to overpower the more delicate low roast which might well be destroyed by a No 4 roast – the local roaster to me was lost years ago – now its either Sainsbury's beans/grind or the somewhat higher roast Waitrose which IMO is not as good.

My father brought me up on Chagga AA from Tanzania. I've found the Sainsbury's Original Blend bean is not half bad as a standard coffee.

[Clive HartlandParticipant @clivehartland94829]

To Martin, the coffee in Kenya was strictly controlled in the number of trees that a landowner could grow. My neighbour was allowed 22 trees only which just about satisfied his requirements.. Even then he took the beans to the central roasting place and asked for a certain length of roast.

Further to this is the type of coffee tree, They develop different types and they are given numbers, I remember no. 22.This because some trees are grown at higher altitude making a smaller harder bean. The red Murram soil also had an effect on the taste.

The different beans were roasted at a set time and this gave the mild taste or a much more sharper taste Also depended on the type of grind so maybe no.3 and no.5 were fine and a coarser blend. This blend was one which suited the taste of myself and wife. we just followed a friends reccomendation.

I recently had a question from a friend who resides in Tonga about roasting beans, Trouble is he has no resources to make a roaster but then it all became academic as the Hurricane a few weeks later ripped all the trees out. He lost everything, mangos, coffee, coconuts etc and had to start all over again. By the way he only had one coffee tree.

[Clive HartlandParticipant @clivehartland94829]

One thing I have never understood is drinking coffee made from beans that have passed through an animal and then roasted and ground. This coffee fetching a very high price!

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

P

My favourite camping food was a Vesta dried curry!

Neil

Otherwise know as redimix because if you didn't wash up straight away it set like concrete. And you needed 2 packets per person if you'd been doing anything strenuous

[ChrisHParticipant @chrish]

My take on the discussion:

Tea. Best made with freshly boiled water – not water that has previously boiled and has had all the oxygen boiled off it – in a tea pot warmed before the tea and water is added, using proper loose leaf tea leaves, not dust. Brand of tea to suit one's taste – I like Waitrose's own label English Breakfast amongst others. Tea pot should be china, but when my Dragon broke the teapot she replaced it with a stainless steel one which is surprisingly good. Tea bags, good quality ones, are an acceptable if poorer alternative if tea pot and loose leaf tea not available. Avoid poor quality tea.

Coffee. Should be made with freshly ground beans and best served hot black and strong with no sugar. If you must, add a splash of milk. We use freshly boiled water, seems OK.  If freshly ground beans are not available bought in already ground coffee is acceptable as a stand-by until more beans can be obtained.

On NO account should instant coffee be used, EVER. Stuff is disgusting, an abomination, and should be totally banned. How people can drink that stuff is beyond me, it's revolting.

A day should be properly started with a couple of cups of tea – it's the best way!

Trying to get a decent cup of tea abroad is a tricky animal. Most serve you a cup of hot water and a tea bag separately – it just does not do the job. However, we did find in.a seaside resort in North Brittany the exception to the continental rule, a hotel that served tea in tea pots properly made, even if they did use tea bags.

Chris

Edited By ChrisH on 17/02/2019 10:54:39

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

It seem a novelty these days when a tea shop makes tea in a pot with loose tea and you get a tea strainer, seems a long time ago when this was normal at home.

Mike

[WatfordParticipant @watford]

Posted by Mike Poole on 17/02/2019 11:09:13:

It seem a novelty these days when a tea shop makes tea in a pot with loose tea and you get a tea strainer, seems a long time ago when this was normal at home.

Mike

That's with fresh cream and strawberry jam to go with the newly baked scones I take it?

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

Posted by Watford on 17/02/2019 12:36:22:

Posted by Mike Poole on 17/02/2019 11:09:13:

It seem a novelty these days when a tea shop makes tea in a pot with loose tea and you get a tea strainer, seems a long time ago when this was normal at home.

Mike

That's with fresh cream and strawberry jam to go with the newly baked scones I take it?

Absolutely! And the cream goes on first then the jam.

Mike

[Roderick JenkinsParticipant @roderickjenkins93242]

Posted by Mike Poole on 17/02/2019 15:57:12:

Absolutely! And the cream goes on first then the jam.

Mike

No dogma here please. A proper engineer will determine whether the cream or jam is the more viscous and then apply the thicker of the 2 first, thus enabling consistent layering of the 2 components.

Rod

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by Roderick Jenkins on 17/02/2019 16:35:04:

Posted by Mike Poole on 17/02/2019 15:57:12:

Absolutely! And the cream goes on first then the jam.

Mike

No dogma here please. A proper engineer will determine whether the cream or jam is the more viscous and then apply the thicker of the 2 first, thus enabling consistent layering of the 2 components.

Rod

No one has mentioned the most important feature of the English Strawberry Cream Tea Ceremony. It has to be eaten outside whilst surrounded by a swarm of angry wasps. In Cornwall, true gourmands also insist on being mugged by a seagull the size of a Jumbo Jet as well… It's TRUE!

[blowlampParticipant @blowlamp]

Posted by SillyOldDuffer on 17/02/2019 17:39:13:

Posted by Roderick Jenkins on 17/02/2019 16:35:04:

Posted by Mike Poole on 17/02/2019 15:57:12:

Absolutely! And the cream goes on first then the jam.

Mike

No dogma here please. A proper engineer will determine whether the cream or jam is the more viscous and then apply the thicker of the 2 first, thus enabling consistent layering of the 2 components.

Rod

No one has mentioned the most important feature of the English Strawberry Cream Tea Ceremony. It has to be eaten outside whilst surrounded by a swarm of angry wasps. In Cornwall, true gourmands also insist on being mugged by a seagull the size of a Jumbo Jet as well… It's TRUE!

That sounds like St Ives at the bottom of Fish Street.

Martin.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

strawberries

Stands the church clock at ten to three? And is there honey still for tea?

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by ChrisH on 17/02/2019 10:52:31:

On NO account should instant coffee be used, EVER. Stuff is disgusting, an abomination, and should be totally banned. How people can drink that stuff is beyond me, it's revolting.

You're obviously too young to remember coffee powder.

When freeze-dried granules came out people complained 'it's not the same'

Neil

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Bazyle on 17/02/2019 18:40:34:

strawberries

Stands the church clock at ten to three? And is there honey still for tea?

And don't forget, the British Winnie the Pooh preferred chocolate to honey

Neil

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Mike Poole on 17/02/2019 11:09:13:

It seem a novelty these days when a tea shop makes tea in a pot with loose tea and you get a tea strainer, seems a long time ago when this was normal at home.

Mike

Not at mine, my dad refused to use such things so despite welcoming tea bags, I still leave 3/8" at the bottom of the mug to avoid the grouts.

Neil

[mark costello 1Participant @markcostello1]

Is Tim Horton's acceptable? Like their coffee.

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 17/02/2019 20:11:26:

Posted by Mike Poole on 17/02/2019 11:09:13:

It seem a novelty these days when a tea shop makes tea in a pot with loose tea and you get a tea strainer, seems a long time ago when this was normal at home.

Mike

Not at mine, my dad refused to use such things so despite welcoming tea bags, I still leave 3/8" at the bottom of the mug to avoid the grouts.

Neil

If tea is made properly I think the grouts should sink and you are safe just leaving the last bit to avoid the mouthful of leaves, I think a strainer is just a bit of insurance in case you go a bit too far, teabags have made reading you future a bit difficult.

Mike

[Nick WheelerParticipant @nickwheeler]

Tea – yuk, tastes horrible, and the indigestion is worse.

Scones – jam first, then a generous coating of clotted cream. If you do it the other way round, the heat from the scone makes the cream all runny. Cold scones are an abomination, with the exception of cheese scones.

[ChrisHParticipant @chrish]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 17/02/2019 20:08:31:

Posted by ChrisH on 17/02/2019 10:52:31:

On NO account should instant coffee be used, EVER. Stuff is disgusting, an abomination, and should be totally banned. How people can drink that stuff is beyond me, it's revolting.

You're obviously too young to remember coffee powder.

When freeze-dried granules came out people complained 'it's not the same'

Neil

Too young, I wish I was but at 72……. Powder or granules, it's/was all the same, disgusting, an assault on refined taste buds!

Chris

[Mick B1Participant @mickb1]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 17/02/2019 20:10:13:

Posted by Bazyle on 17/02/2019 18:40:34:

strawberries

Stands the church clock at ten to three? And is there honey still for tea?

And don't forget, the British Winnie the Pooh preferred chocolate to honey

Neil

Really, after surviving the friendly fire incident in his own airborne hive-raid as documented in 'Winnie The Pooh And The Bees'?

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Mick B1 on 17/02/2019 22:13:16:

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 17/02/2019 20:10:13:

Posted by Bazyle on 17/02/2019 18:40:34:

strawberries

Stands the church clock at ten to three? And is there honey still for tea?

And don't forget, the British Winnie the Pooh preferred chocolate to honey

Neil

Really, after surviving the friendly fire incident in his own airborne hive-raid as documented in 'Winnie The Pooh And The Bees'?

Silly me, it's the American version who liked chocolate (as well as hunny):

I think of things to chew, 

(Mmm, like honey, milk, and chocolate) 

With a hefty happy appetite, 

I'm a hefty happy Pooh.

Somewhere I read that the real Winnie the pooh preferred condensed milk to honey, which was alluded to in the book.

[Mick B1Participant @mickb1]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 18/02/2019 14:07:41:

Posted by Mick B1 on 17/02/2019 22:13:16:

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 17/02/2019 20:10:13:

Posted by Bazyle on 17/02/2019 18:40:34:

…

Silly me, it's the American version who liked chocolate (as well as hunny):

...

Yes. I worry a lot about him.

[davebParticipant @daveb17630]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 17/02/2019 20:08:31:

Posted by ChrisH on 17/02/2019 10:52:31:

On NO account should instant coffee be used, EVER. Stuff is disgusting, an abomination, and should be totally banned. How people can drink that stuff is beyond me, it's revolting.

You're obviously too young to remember coffee powder.

When freeze-dried granules came out people complained 'it's not the same'

Neil

Camp coffee, 50s, not sure if it's still around, a thick treacally liquid which I think was mostly chicory extract. One spoonful mixed with hot water made an interesting drink, didn't taste anything at all like coffee but I shouldn't think the real stuff was available in those days, not much else was!

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