Korean Job Discussion Forums

[mithridates]

Coffee puritans are about the least fun people in the world to hang out with (assuming that's all they talk about). Starbucks is good for meeting people as well as wireless internet, and since Korea had almost no coffee culture before it came I assume it has given birth to a number of smaller places that have decided they can do it better than Starbucks can.
I'm not drinking coffee for at least a week though (since Friday). About six cups a day for two years and I just felt gross. Does coffee really give people withdrawl? I feel nothing, just better.

[Tiger Beer]

[itaewonguy]

[the_beaver]

I-guy, a good post and you know your coffee. Arabica beans can create denser crema than Robusta but Robusto, especially with an espresso, has a longer lasting flavor (which can be bad). I think, in general, an espresso mix of Arabica and Robusta probably shouldn't go over 15% Robusta.

The origins of all beans are from Abyssinia and Arabica is grown at a higher altitude than Robusta. Most coffee is sold nowadays (and as the world's second most traded commodity, that's a lot of coffee) is Arabica and generally Robusta is used as a cheap way to pack a punch.

About coffee in Italy -- yes, it is quite easy to tell the difference between blends, but an espresso is no better than a cappuccino or whatever other kind. In the case of coffee the variety of preparation methods and tastes makes comparison stupid. And if you really want coffee with a punch, drink Turkish coffee and eat the crud leftover on the bottom -- that gives a punch like no other coffee product I've ever tasted.

[itaewonguy]

[teachmeenglish]

My least favourite brewed coffee in the entire earth is Korean coffee shop coffee. If american coffee is dirty water then is yak's urine. tastes like the same grounds have been re brewed since the shop opened in the 80s. My second least favoute coffee is from 7/11. I do like starbucks (i'm from vancouver, the second starbucs city after Seatle), and like thier strong dark roasts.

As for beer....

[mindmetoo]

[Satori]

But don't just mistake strong for great tasting coffee. One of the biggest things in creating a good coffee is, like I-guy said, how fine the barrista sets the grind machine, how hard you pack the coffee, how long water runs through the grounds, and the heat and pressure the water is under. Most inexperienced or untrained barrista's set the machine to put too much water through the grounds. This is called "over extracting". The grounds only have so much flavour to give, then more water going through them starts to pull acids from the grounds. This is the strong bitter burned flavour. A true esspresso is a "short black", not a full cup of coffee, and it comes in a smaller cup, and should not be higher than 2 centimetres in this cup. Any more and you're not getting the full benefit of the flavour. And when done this way, a straight up short black should not be "strong" or hard to drink, it should be very smooth and nutty. It's hard to do this if your clientele are not educated because they often complain about not getting "value" when they see a short cup. But this is really the way to serve coffee. You ask a coffee freak, there are only three coffees worth having, an "esspresso" which can be called a "short black", a cappucino, and a latte. That's it. A coffee freak will never order a "long black", they don't even make them in Italy. They are too acidy.

Where I worked, unless it was peak rush hour, we would pack TWO handles, and make two short blacks, and put them together to make a "long black" with the proper nuttiness. It was still a little shorter than what most people expect from "a cup of coffee", but our clientele knew what they were getting.

And I agree Mith, coffee freaks are boring to have a coffee with if that's all they talk about. But it's like anyting that one has a particular interest in. Coffee is interesting and all, but it's not that complex that it would ever take up a whole conversation, even with people who are right into it.

[ddeubel]

I think coffee is way too expensive, especially given the fact that the little guy on the other end is getting next to nothing for his/her crop. Big profits, big mark up .

That said, I would pay a lot for a good cup. Like it has been said, it all is about more than the beans. Mostly the grind and especially the heat of the water. You have to have a good coffee machine to have a good cup of coffee.!!!! Most home machines don't have a high enough proximate temperature to extract flavour from the coffee....also as said, grind comes into play. The only good thing Starbucks ever did was start selling good coffee machines to the general public!

I used to live, be very addicted to Jamaican high mountain coffee.....not to be confused with its inferior cousin, blue mountain. A real drug and full of caffeine high due to its growing conditions. The peculiar combination of high elevation and high humidity. Then I couldn't find it anymore at my usual bean place. Not available. After much search, I finally ended up talking to an importer down at the docks. He set me straight and said the only place to get it is Japan. They bought it up for 20 years, guaranteeing a net annual price. Anyone ever find it in Japan?????

I love the coffee houses of Europe, the headquarters of civilization or atleast the birthplace.......large, airy and unpretencious. About conversation and not hiding away and pretense. If anyone ever gets to Prague, try the Slavia along the river. Wonderful place.

DD

PS. May I die like Balzac from too much of the black stuff....

[coffeeman]

[Qinella]

[weatherman]

http://search.hankooki.com/times/times_view.php?term=starbucks++&path=hankooki3/times/lpage/biz/200504/kt2005042418102311890.htm&media=kt

[mindmetoo]

[seethetraffic]

[jinju]

I like Starbucks...and thats a surprise as I hate coffee.