My morning ritual is either pour-over (V60) or AeroPress.

I usually buy my coffee beans (mostly single origin) from Departure Lounge / Artisan Roast / Coffee Famille / Coffee Ritual / EspressoLAB. Artisan Roast has the freshest coffee beans as they roast twice a week.

I'm a heavy coffee drinker (3~5 cups a day), recently I've been trying to grind the coffee and put them in empty tea bags (got them from Daiso). When I'm in the office i can just add hot water to it, much better than instant coffee

I usually finish my coffee beans within 2 weeks from the roast date (not the same as expiry date).

Standard coffee package is 250gm, it's hard to finish if you only drink 1 cup a day.
That's why I like to buy beans from cafes that offer small batch package, such as Departure Lounge (100gm) and Coffee Famille (150gm).

If the original "one-way-valve" package is not opened, coffee beans can be kept fresh up to 1~1.5 months.
But once the package is opened, the coffee beans will become stale within 10~14 days due to oxidation and aroma dissipation.
Putting them in vacuum container will help extend their freshness.

I don't buy coffee beans from supermarket as most of them don't state the "Roast Date" on the package.
The "Expiry Date" or "Best Use Before" date tells you nothing about its freshness.

Coffee freshness Rule of 15:

Green (un-roasted) coffee beans should be used in 15 months.
Roasted coffee beans should be used in 15 days.
Ground coffee should be used in 15 minutes.
Extracted/brewed coffee should be served in 15 seconds.

It's more expensive than those sell on supermarket/Tesco...
but I think it's worth it in terms of quality and freshness.

Departure Lounge (5 Senses from Australia):
100gm - RM20
250gm - RM48
500gm - RM92.50

Coffee Famille:
150gm - from RM25 to RM32
Price is different based on regions and farms. Eg: Panama Lerida Estate (RM28); Ethiopian Yirgacheffe (RM30); Guatemala Antigua (RM32)... etc.

I'm sipping my coffee now as I typed

haha, i've just finished my 3rd cup of coffee... (from espressoLAB eCurve)

After 5 Senses roasted the coffee, they will FedEx to Departure lounge.
So it depends on how fast FedEx delivers...

I switch my coffee beans very often, but so far the freshest coffee I've bought from Departure Lounge is 4 days after the roasting date.
You can call them up to check,
or just drop by their cafes, they usually write the roast date on their grinder hopper.

True~ almost all my friends drink 3-in-1 instant coffee.
The demand for fresh whole beans in Malaysia is still very low.
But it's been increasing rapidly for the past year, 'cuz two years ago you can't even find any cafe selling fresh roasted beans.

I think coffee is an acquired taste.

If you drink instant coffee / stale / bad coffee everyday and never tasted freshly ground and brewed coffee before, then you will probably think all coffee taste the same as instant coffee / stale / bad coffee.

However, the best coffee in the world is the coffee you love, not the best coffee beans.

I went to a coffee workshop at RAW cafe few months ago,
the owner Michael Wilson showed us how he can adjust the acidity, sweetness, and bitterness of his coffee beans by changing the roasting temperature and timing (of reaching 1st and 2nd crack).
It's true that roasting can determine the final taste of the coffee.


(image from Lighthouse website)

But the origin of the bean (same variety) still contributes quite a bit on the flavor.
According to "Coffeeology"'s author, this is because different soil and climate condition will affect the concentration of acids, proteins, and lipids present in the coffee beans.
Those difference in coffee chemistry will in turn affect the final taste and flavor of the coffee.
For example, both Sumatra Mandheling coffee in Lake Toba region and Aceh's Lake Tawar region will taste slightly different due to different soil condition, even though they belong to the same coffee varietal.

Departure Lounge is now serving Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Gelena Abaya (5 Senses), roast date: 14th Jan.
I'm gonna go re-stock my coffee later today

This post has been edited by ahsham: Jan 20 2013, 02:20 PM

yeah, i know about that coffee flavor wheel,
but i have absolutely no idea how cineolic / camphoric / piney taste like

Leong from espressoLAB told me he's going to create a different coffee flavor wheel that's more useful for Asian people,
using tropical food such as longan, rambutan, mango... etc to describe coffee taste...

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

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 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).

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.

I notice some of you are using AeroPress, what's your preferred recipe?

I've been trying many different recipes (see below links),
my preferred mothod is a slight modification of Stumptown version, I let it blooms for 20 sec before I stir.


AeroPress Recipes:

For those who want to buy green beans for home roasting, can contact Leong from EspressoLAB, they are now offering a wide selection of green beans for sale:
hxleong@gmail.com
leong@espressolab.asia

original post:
http://coffeeloversmalaysia.com/index.php?...msg4564#msg4564

If I'm not mistaken, MBC is on March 23 and 24.
this weekend is just a media launch...

Same~

AFAIK, French press was invented first, then many years later some people found that it can be used to strain tea leaves.

NOTE: you are not supposed to "press" tea leaves, otherwise all the bitter and unflavored stuff will be squeezed out from the leaves.

In terms of mechanism and structure both are the same, but the material used and build quality can be very different (thus the price difference).

For example, there are cheap glass material, like those used in Daiso glassware, which is very easy to break and cannot use in direct heating.
Then there are expensive glass, such as those produced by Bodum and Hario, there are more durable and can sustain high heat.