Climate and soil do make fresh fruits taste difference. However, after drying difference is minute and hardly can tell.

Trouble with making your own coffee is that nothing tastes as good afterwards, especially when you also roast your own! If you want good coffee, you need good machines, at least one like the Rancilio Silvia and a good grinder, minimum Rancilio Rocky which will allow some degree of adjustment.
Of course, no point having good machines if you can't get the green beans to start off with! Does anyone know if green beans, whether local or overseas are available in KL?

You'll need special import permit license (AP) from FAMA for importing and selling green beans in Malaysia.
That's why it's very hard to find green beans here, people usually get them directly from cafe owners who roast their own beans.

If you are in Penang, can try ask Terry from Coffee Lane 咖啡坊 at King Street.
Last time he used to sell small amount of green beans in his cafe.
Contact: Terry Beh (owner)
04-261 0625
beh.terry@gmail.com

Another person you can try is Joshua, one of the partners of EspressoLAB.
He's the one who brings in all the coffee machines and accessories for EspressoLab.
He's now selling roasting machine for home use at his new online shop: https://www.facebook.com/asiacoffee.asia/app_135607783795
Contact: Joshua Liew
03-80614480
owner@asiacoffee.asia

Interesting, thanks!
I wonder what quantity of beans can you bring in with your luggage without a permit? Pity the green beans are so much heavier!
So you can buy roasting machines but not green beans? I've been using a heat gun to roast for years! Much cheaper option ;-)

Some traditional kopitium coffee powder suppliers used wok to roast coffee beans. Green beans are available from coffee beans whole seller.

Another option is Liberica beans from local farms (such as Johor Rengit and Chamek area),
if you are ok with liberica's unique flavor (many people don't like it).

Support Malaysian product!

I was being told by Joo Faa (Malaysia roaster) at Tg Sepat that most of the kopitiam nowadays are trying to use 2-3 time of the coffee powder. Meaning first brewed might from good local kopitiam, and they sell off the brewed coffee powder to 2nd local kopitiam to sun dried and brewed it for 2nd time. This doesnt end here. They might even sell it to the 3rd local kopitiam with a fraction of price and the last kopitiam may brewed if for the 3rd times! Well, thats how business goes. Of course it doesnt apply to all kopitiam lah..

Walau, not that scary kua?

Local coffee so expensive now till need to cheat this way? I haven't drink local coffee kopitiam for quite sometime.

Mamak stalls are the more likely buyer of this recycled coffee powder.

I once ordered a Kopi-O-Kosong from a very old kopitiam, totally regret it...
'cuz the kopi has no aroma or other flavors at all, taste like a glass of diluted bitter dark water.
now i know the reason...

Cafe Crawl at Publika this Sunday~ i heard it's free...
(cafes: The Bee, Plan b Roasters, Coffee Stain, Coffee Societe, Red Bean Bag, Magenta)




More info:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=522935504403488


Plan b Roasters and Coffee Stain also sell freshly roasted beans,
sometimes i will buy from them if I'm around that area (and if the roast date is recent).

Now u know yah...

I thought all Kopi-O is like that. :| They only have the burnt taste, without any aroma.

Kopi Recycle .

Local kopi need substantial amount of coffee powder to be flavourful. Many if not most kopitium cut down on portion used hence not tasty, and better to pay more at Old Town.

Blending is a common practice in wine and coffee trade. If a coffee roaster blends different roast (of the same variety) to claim different origins, few if any can tell.

This post has been edited by icemanfx: Jan 23 2013, 12:12 PM

One way to avoid this kind of cheating (fake origins using different roast levels) is to buy beans from reputable roasters / cafes.

I just bought some beans from Coffee Famille

Roast date: 2 days ago.

Freshly roasted beans need some time to "rest" or degas, otherwise the massive out-gassing of carbon dioxide will prevent proper extraction of the coffee.
Different beans required different rest period, normally about 24~72 hours to reach its peak (flavor and aroma).

For espresso, the rest period will be longer. Un-rested beans often produce very weak espresso and extremely bubbly crema that dissipates quickly.

My Brikka just arrived

Wow, show us the 'crema' yah...