BEST COFFEE

[shah]

Wondering if anyone has experience with any of these ...

I normally just get Intelligentsia Black Cat, have tried some of their blends as well, but keep going back to the Black Cat. Local coffee shop brings in a variety of different things, supposedly getting Stump Town soon and now has Couter Culture Baroida and Bufcafe...

I've tried both Stump Town and Counter Culture espresso at 9th Street Espresso (they had one then switched to the other), but I'm hoping to get different beans for myself at home.

[Faust]

I keep going back to La Colombe's Phocea for my French Press these days.

[theetruscan]

I normally just get Intelligentsia Black Cat, have tried some of their blends as well, but keep going back to the Black Cat. Local coffee shop brings in a variety of different things, supposedly getting Stump Town soon and now has Couter Culture Baroida and Bufcafe...

I've tried both Stump Town and Counter Culture espresso at 9th Street Espresso (they had one then switched to the other), but I'm hoping to get different beans for myself at home.

In my experience, Intelligentsia got Black Cat just right. It's a delicious espresso blend, forgiving of temperature fuckups, and easy to make good espresso with. Their other coffees are less consistent. I've had some serious shit from Intelligentsia, and some winners too. But, I don't think they're in the same league as either counter culture and Stumptown.

I haven't had counter culture in a while (3ish years), but at that point, they were consistently very very good. Much better than Intelligentsia, but not, to my mind, as good as Stumptown.

Stumptown, well, I used to sit and work in the Stumptown annex for blocks of 4-5 hours at a time. Fantastic coffee. They occasionally go too far in the light-roast direction, but it's rare. If you like a light-medium roast, and enjoy the beans they get, they're hard to beat. I've never had better coffee from the same beans Stumptown uses. Their Kenyan coffees can be great, but are very very light bodied. Their central american coffees are really where they, to me, shine. The Finca El Injerto Bourbon ( http://buy.stumptowncoffee.com/latin...-varietal.html ) is an old classic. For a while they'd only been doing a reserve and a margogype, and that was a sad time. The reserve was excellent, but $36ish/lb. The margogype, well, not so great. That being said, I don't know if them having multiple variants of El Injerto means the normal one is less than it once was.

The stumptown espresso blend (hairbender) is reliable. I'd say it's a bit better than Black Cat when done right, but not nearly as forgiving.

Stumptown's Panama Esmerelda Especial is entirely skippable though, it's a $100/lb gimmick imo. That said, if you get some, don't drink it fresh. It's best after 2-3 weeks, I don't know why.

[Magic1]

I know nothing about coffee, but am interested in learning what you guru's think of the major coffee stores (I'm referring to places where you buy a coffee, not just beans/grounds). My favorite is petes, but right now Intelligentsia seems to be all the rage with the cool kids. Are they really that great? Any others that you prefer?

[Faust]

Below is my current NYC lineup heavily influenced by many editorial meetings with TheThief at various coffee shops , in terms of cappuccino quality only. Atmosphere is a bonus, of course)

1. Cafe Grumpy (special thanks to coup de grace for the intro)
2. Joe's Coffee (Waverly St. branch is the most charming)
3. Ost cafe
4. La Colombe (both the Church St branch and the Lafayette St. one)
5. Abraco
6. McNally Jackson (they use Stumptown. Bonus, free magazine browsing, supporting local bookshops).
7. Stumptown at Ace hotel (bonus, pretending to be desperately cool while looking at others pretending to be desperately cool - what can I say, it's contagious).

I wish I could say good things about Think Coffee, but I can't.

[shah]

theetruscan thanks for the insight. I actually don't even make espresso with the black cat, just use it in the bialleti as well as for making turko-greco-arabic coffee on stovetop pot with some caramelized sugar and singular cardamom pod. Will give the finca a try :)

Below is my current NYC lineup heavily influenced by many editorial meetings with TheThief at various coffee shops , in terms of cappuccino quality only. Atmosphere is a bonus, of course)

I wish I could say good things about Think Coffee, but I can't.

wonder what you say of 9th Street ? the one on 10th between A & B was not bad, though I think they switched from Counter Culture to Stump Town (or other way around heh) but I didn't like the branch in Chelsea Market ...

Also, while I do enjoy cappucinos, I try to rate based on pure espresso. It's rare to find a place that consistently pulls a good shot so maybe this is far too dependent on the person making it but hey that's part of the establishment. And I find it's rather uncivilized to have coffee w/dairy post lunch

As to Think...well it's where revolutionaries (such as the pre-occupy NYU take-over planners) sit and hatch devious and paradigm-shifting plots !

[theetruscan]

1. Cafe Grumpy (special thanks to coup de grace for the intro)

They make a damn fine espresso. There are a few places I want to check out, but it's hard when I could just go to Grumpy.

[t-bone]

Also, while I do enjoy cappucinos, I try to rate based on pure espresso. It's rare to find a place that consistently pulls a good shot so maybe this is far too dependent on the person making it but hey that's part of the establishment. And I find it's rather uncivilized to have coffee w/dairy post lunch

My man! I take my cue from MFK Fisher here... usually a 'spro in the afternoon, but sometimes I'll grab an americano (iced in the summer) or brew in the Chemex in the office, but always black.

[cowsareforeating]

you new yorkers make me feel like i'm missing out on meeting some people that share MANY interests...

anyone else like the taste of bleached chemex filters to koava cones...?

or anyone want to share a particularily good personal recipe on aeropress? for cofee of course

[jumpoff]

or anyone want to share a particularily good personal recipe on aeropress? for cofee of course

http://vimeo.com/16261120

[Macro]

http://www.gimmecoffee.com/

best coffee in NYC... and best espresso pull. The Piccolo Mondo in particular. Stumptown and Intelligensia are great, but don't trump this nerd-haven for the single origin aficionado. Now if they could only do something about the aesthetics...

[cowsareforeating]

http://vimeo.com/16261120

surprised it wasn't reverse aeropress but ill try it; many thanks

[jumpoff]

surprised it wasn't reverse aeropress but ill try it; many thanks

Tim Wendelboe definitely knows his stuff. Best roaster in Norway in my opinion.

Good read on coffee culture in Oslo in New York Times Magazine:

http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/20/ristretto-coffee-in-oslo/

[Faust]

http://www.gimmecoffee.com/

best coffee in NYC... and best espresso pull. The Piccolo Mondo in particular. Stumptown and Intelligensia are great, but don't trump this nerd-haven for the single origin aficionado. Now if they could only do something about the aesthetics...

They do make the best drip coffee I've head (sorry, blue bottle). Never had their espresso. Their asshole baristas definitely make it a nerd-heaven Nothing I'd go out of my way for. Besides, there is nowhere to sit.

Shasha, I've only tried that 9th st at the chelsea market and I don't care for it either.

[Macro]

E, next time you stop by gimmie try the slow brewed coffee. I don't remember the exact name, but they use this thing:

http://www.gimmecoffee.com/Clever-Coffee-Brewer-P89C7.aspx

so smooth and tasty, albeit a bit more expensive.

I can't stand sitting in there either... I need a big couch, or something equally cozy.