Fresh brewed coffee vs Instant

[stinkynuts]

Not a big coffee person, but for the first time in my life, I made home brewed coffee. Got Tim Hortons whole beans, ground them up with an electric grinder to coarse size, poured in a cup hot water in a French press, added two tablespoons of ground coffee, and brewed for four minutes before pressing and serving.

I chose to buy a French press to not use a paper filter. Also, the mechanical coffee maker seemed more fun and hands on.

I added cream and sugar to my coffee.

I normally drink Nescafe gold instant.

So was there a huge difference? Not really? I think the fresh ground coffee taste smoother and rounder, and a bit better. I would say that the instant coffee is 85% that of the fresh in terms of taste, and probably not worth the extra time and effort to brew your own coffee. Maybe for guests I would.

I would say the difference would be like Coke and Coke Zero in terms of taste. There is a difference for sure, but the Coke Zero is 85% there, and good enough.

French press:

Amazon.ca

Grinder:

Amazon.ca

Tim Hortons Original Blend Whole Bean Coffee, 300 g - Walmart.ca

Buy Tim Hortons Original Blend Whole Bean Coffee, 300 g from Walmart Canada. Shop for more Coffee Beans available online at Walmart.ca

www.walmart.ca

 

[poker]

Them: Do you like your coffee strong?

Me: Strong taste? Or big caffeine jolt? Because they can be 2 different things.

Them: ???

Me: There are 5 grades of coffee. It’s based on the number of imperfect beans on a random sample. (About 30 beans, but I may be off). The top grade having the fewest imperfect bean count… and the bottom grade the greatest. Think of a bruise on an Apple. Still may be used for juice.

Van Houte is a good example of top Grade, as is Timothies. Folgers, Maxwell House, and Nabob bottom grade.

Then they roast the beans. They start off green…. And get roasted brown. The caffeine content is in the beans oils. The longer you cook it, the more it dries out.

You end up with:

Light Roast: highest caffeine content, typically a breakfast coffee. Mellowest flavour

Medium / Light

Medium: What Tim Hortons has bastardized Souther Ontario with for 50 plus years.

Medium / Dark

Dark Roast: “French Roast”. After dinner coffee. Strong char flavour. Less caffeine left due to being cooked out.

*** Espresso: specialty dark roast.

 

[unassuming]

 

[LTO_3]

Not a big coffee person, but for the first time in my life, I made home brewed coffee. Got Tim Hortons whole beans, ground them up with an electric grinder to coarse size, poured in a cup hot water in a French press, added two tablespoons of ground coffee, and brewed for four minutes before pressing and serving.

I chose to buy a French press to not use a paper filter. Also, the mechanical coffee maker seemed more fun and hands on.

I added cream and sugar to my coffee.

I normally drink Nescafe gold instant.

So was there a huge difference? Not really? I think the fresh ground coffee taste smoother and rounder, and a bit better. I would say that the instant coffee is 85% that of the fresh in terms of taste, and probably not worth the extra time and effort to brew your own coffee. Maybe for guests I would.

I would say the difference would be like Coke and Coke Zero in terms of taste. There is a difference for sure, but the Coke Zero is 85% there, and good enough.

French press:

Amazon.ca

Grinder:

Amazon.ca

Tim Hortons Original Blend Whole Bean Coffee, 300 g - Walmart.ca

Buy Tim Hortons Original Blend Whole Bean Coffee, 300 g from Walmart Canada. Shop for more Coffee Beans available online at Walmart.ca

www.walmart.ca

Grind the coffee to a finer grade without overheating when you grind the beans. You'll find that when you make the coffee, the flavour & coffee strength should increase significantly. I haven't used instant coffee in years. I find freshly ground coffee flavour significantly better than instant.

LTO_3

 

[jazzbox]

I grew up on Nescafé but but now drink espresso exclusively. I have tried instant coffee recently out of nostalgia but found it relatively sour tasting. That said, had Nescafé Azera instant espresso in France and it was on par with a lot of regular espresso you get in cafes. I have seen it for sale through Amazon.

 

[Insidious Von]

Never had instant coffee.

 

[Not getting younger]

I go through periods where my favs change.
I can go months wanting a good strong coffee, and always black, no sugar. Then months some thing else black with sugar or sugar and cream. There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason.

I always have a jar of Tim’s instant on hand. Don’t really enjoy it, but some days I brain cramp and forget to buy more. I drink a lot of coffee.

Presses and what not. Not for me. Find that’s like buying a good steak and cooking it to medium or worse. Drip over Keuregs all day, every day. Nothing beats a good old fashioned percolator. Every now and then I have a craving for cowboy coffee and will make some.

 

[jeff2]

Finding instant coffee really bad these days and I am not usually a picky guy.
Usually buy Maxwell House, but recently bought some Nescafe Rich on special.
Years ago, Rich was good, but I cannot stand it now. Maxwell House is better but not great like it used to be.

 

[stinkynuts]

I think fresh brewed coffee has a stronger coffee smell and taste. However, after adding cream and sugar, the difference between instant and fresh ground isn't all that great for me. I bet most people would find very little difference in a blind taste test.

I find McDonald's and Tim Horton's to have good coffee. Smooth, aromatic, flavorful. Not burnt or bitter, or harsh.

 

[lakersnuggets]

I think fresh brewed coffee has a stronger coffee smell and taste. However, after adding cream and sugar, the difference between instant and fresh ground isn't all that great for me. I bet most people would find very little difference in a blind taste test.

I find McDonald's and Tim Horton's to have good coffee. Smooth, aromatic, flavorful. Not burnt or bitter, or harsh.

Nothing beats a Fresh Brewed coffee.

 

[lomotil]

I think fresh brewed coffee has a stronger coffee smell and taste. However, after adding cream and sugar, the difference between instant and fresh ground isn't all that great for me. I bet most people would find very little difference in a blind taste test.

I find McDonald's and Tim Horton's to have good coffee. Smooth, aromatic, flavorful. Not burnt or bitter, or harsh.

My preference is black coffee and for me the gold standard is an impractical, fresh roasted, fresh ground , drip coffee sequence.

You are right, those who like good amounts of milk, cream, and sugar might not be able to tell the differ between instant and fresh ground, similar to those who like the works on their burgers whom might not be able to distinguish between a heavily processed frozen patty burger and fresh ground good quality chuck burger.

Instant coffee requires much work by a chemist or alchemist.


I am often a minimalist, I like black coffee, few if any toppings on my burger, natural tits and women with minimal to no makeup.

 

[John_Jacob]

Lately I've been doing instant. If I do the coffee maker, I end up drinking the whole 10-cup pot. This tends to make me a little 'jittery'. If I do instant, I'm too lazy to go boil more water (seriously...) so I end up drinking a lot less coffee.

That being said, I find Instant coffee sucks but with milk & sugar? Not bad.

 

[LTO_3]

Lately I've been doing instant. If I do the coffee maker, I end up drinking the whole 10-cup pot. This tends to make me a little 'jittery'. If I do instant, I'm too lazy to go boil more water (seriously...) so I end up drinking a lot less coffee.

That being said, I find Instant coffee sucks but with milk & sugar? Not bad.

Simple solution. Make only 1/3 or 1/2 of a pot of coffee on the coffee maker. That way if you drink it all, you're drinking less but drinking better coffee.

LTO_3

 

[Insidious Von]

I bought a cuccuma but I haven't used it yet. I'll probably grind some beans to cafe level and give it a go.

 

[John_Jacob]

Simple solution. Make only 1/3 or 1/2 of a pot of coffee on the coffee maker. That way if you drink it all, you're drinking less but drinking better coffee.

One would think I would do that but no. Let's face it, I'm here on TERB so foresight isn't my strongest suite right?
I even have the smaller 5 cup coffee maker...still in the box.

Hence, I depend on my laziness to refuse to get up and boil more water. "Know Thyself"

 

[stinkynuts]

Try this coffee. Thank me later.

Home made latte.

 

[stinkynuts]

I bought a cuccuma but I haven't used it yet. I'll probably grind some beans to cafe level and give it a go.

She's pretty hot.

 

[Ceiling Cat]

I find that President's Choice coffee is just fine for me, I buy the beans and give them a quick roast in an iron skillet before I grind them. If you use 1/3 evaporated milk to 2/3 regular milk in your coffee it really makes a good cup of coffee. Try it at your next gathering and watch your guest gush over your coffee. The smell of fresh roasting coffee also enhances the experience.

President's Choice Earl Grey tea is a fine product, I add evaporated milk to my tea as well.

Many years ago someone asked a question here on TERB : Would you become a vampire if it means you will never die? My answer was : No, because at tea time the other vampires would make me use Tetley's Tampons and I prefer Earl Grey with some evaporated milk.

Lately I've been doing instant. If I do the coffee maker, I end up drinking the whole 10-cup pot.

You can get a Melitta Pour-Over Coffee Brewer or a stainless steel coffee filter with built in mesh at Ikea so that you do not have to buy filters. You can brew one to four cups with the pour over coffee makers..

ÖVERST metal coffee filter, stainless steel - IKEA

ÖVERST metal coffee filter, stainless steel A filter that you can use pretty much forever. For those who are both coffee lovers and nature lovers at heart. With ÖVERST you don’t have to use paper filters and save both trees and money.

www.ikea.com

Amazon.com

 

[stinkynuts]

I find that President's Choice coffee is just fine for me, I buy the beans and give them a quick roast in an iron skillet before I grind them. If you use 1/3 evaporated milk to 2/3 regular milk in your coffee it really makes a good cup of coffee. Try it at your next gathering and watch your guest gush over your coffee. The smell of fresh roasting coffee also enhances the experience.

President's Choice Earl Grey tea is a fine product, I add evaporated milk to my tea as well.

Many years ago someone asked a question here on TERB : Would you become a vampire if it means you will never die? My answer was : No, because at tea time the other vampires would make me use Tetley's Tampons and I prefer Earl Grey with some evaporated milk.



You can get a Melitta Pour-Over Coffee Brewer or a stainless steel coffee filter with built in mesh at Ikea so that you do not have to buy filters. You can brew one to four cups with the pour over coffee makers..

ÖVERST metal coffee filter, stainless steel - IKEA

ÖVERST metal coffee filter, stainless steel A filter that you can use pretty much forever. For those who are both coffee lovers and nature lovers at heart. With ÖVERST you don’t have to use paper filters and save both trees and money.

www.ikea.com

Amazon.com

Great advice. Will try the evaporated milk thing.

 

[Ceiling Cat]

Great advice. Will try the evaporated milk thing.

Make sure it is evaporated milk and not condensed milk. Evaporated milk is available in the Carnation brand and No Name Brand at Loblaw and affiliated stores. I am sure the No Name Brand comes from the same place as Carnation Brand, I can not tell the difference.