I think he really does have some of the best/most interesting food related podcasts.
Often when he fails he just comes across as rude, dismissive and crass -this was one of those for me.
It’s too bad because this could have been a great guest.
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Yeah I agree. I enjoyed the interview but it could have been so much more.
This is the first episode I’ve listened to in a while and it’s only because Howell was guest.
I prefer Chang’s pre-pandemic interviews with Chefs and other figures. Maybe he’s gotten too comfortable with the my opinion is fact format.
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I have a totally stupid question. I’ve been to City Bean, Funnel Mill, Tenterro, etc. but when I need a cup for tomorrow morning, I go to Gelson’s and get Peet’s whole bean. Here’s my question: On the label they say the roasting date and the best by date. And for both the whole bean and ground, it’s the same three month period. I thought it was preferable to grind the whole beans as it was fresher, but according to Peet’s there’s no difference. Is there any difference in fresh-ground? I’m lazy and haven’t tested it myself.
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Grinding fresh makes a big difference. Even if you are using a whirl y blade grinder (i do)
i recommend at least once or twice weighing your grinds the multiple times 18 to get the amount of water you should be using the right ratio makes a big difference
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I grind my beans for each pot every time— I believe it makes a difference in the flavor (I have a burr grinder).
Warrior: the rule of thumb is that whole beans are good for no more than two weeks after roasting. Grinds three months later? You are mainly tasting oxidation at that point.
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I would not say that beans are “no good” after two weeks. Yes, they may start to decline (and the rate of decline depends on the bean and roast profile), but the current beans that I am brewing are like two months old. They have only lost a little bit of their magic.
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I store beans in the freezer and only take them out when I am brewing a pot that helps extend shelf life imo though I try not to have beans around for longer than 2 weeks either. I really like to change up origins regularly
This can be dependent on what type of roasts you are getting. For extremely light Nordic style roasts, I don’t open my bags until they are 2-3 weeks post roast and I still enjoy them even 10+ weeks later.
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I don’t think that first part is true; I’ve been advised multiple times that I should actually wait a couple of weeks after the roast date.
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I had always heard that you want beans as fresh as possible, but a few weeks ago I had a chat with a roaster who said this too. She said something about off-gassing and the CO2 released when you add hot water to too-fresh beans. I didn’t exactly catch it all but their beans had a “Best After” date that was two weeks post-roast.
I didn’t personally clock much change until they got about a month post-roast, at which point I thought they did go downhill a tad.
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Aquarela getting some well-deserved press!
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Warrior: The Blue Bottle Craft of Coffee (p. 54) says (paraphrasing): coffee gets more interesting for up to nine days after roasting. After that there is a decline due to oxidation. Darker roasts are more perishable and should be consumed within seven days. We like to sell our coffees no more than 48 hours after roasting. Ground coffee is even more fragile. Coarse grinds last twenty minutes to an hour.
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It’s an interesting question. The impression I’m getting is that given a sealed environment, perhaps the average light roast coffee peaks a little closer to the 2 week mark. But once you open a bag and expose it to oxygen, brew it as fast as possible.
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Warrior: Veering even more off-topic – There is a case to be made for aging beans before they are roasted. This place in Tokyo is worth checking out.
Café de L’ambre: Legendary – Tokyo Coffee. But fresh Blue Bottle or Verve coffee would be my preference.
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As an espresso guy, my impression was also that is the conventional wisdom, but interesting to hear @Srsly that the guidance differs for lighter, more scando roasts.
GGET pioneered/popularized pre grinding espresso doses. I was always skeptical but don’t quite have the knowledge base to really judge.
I used to buy Blue Bottle, but once they were capitalized/taken over by PE money, they switched from roasted on dates to best enjoyed, and I had a few bags that were months old and not exactly at their peak. Maybe this isn’t the case anymore…
This Fellow Atmos vaccum container is fun. Not sure how much of a difference it makes @aaqjr but I’ve been using it.
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I have a Blue Bottle single origin subscription. They roast the beans and ship them the same day (from Oakland, I believe). It arrives in 2 days. You can customize the quantity and frequency of delivery. VERY convenient.
I also store my bean in a vacuum canister that a coffee geek friend swears by and gave to me as a gift. I do think it makes a difference for the 2 week duration of my bag of beans.
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Blue Bottle was acquired by Nestle in 2017.
Not the least of Nestle’s unethical behavior, but a recent and local example:
https://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/nestle-water-california-legal-dispute/#:~:text=On%20Friday%2C%20California’s%20State%20Water,water%20under%20its%20Arrowhead%20brand.
I prefer to get my coffee from local, independent businesses, if possible.
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That place sounds awesome.
There are also some roasters aging green beans in used spirit barrels, which I have definitely enjoyed as an occasional oddity but wouldn’t want as an everyday cup. It looks like it’s become fairly common but Modern Times was the first one that came to mind:
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