RE: How Europe Ruined Coffee For Me - My Recovery So Far
Um...there's no such thing as an espresso bean. Those marketed for espresso are the same types of beans used for normal coffee. It's just that coffee beans can have quite a variation on taste depending on where they're grown, how much water they get, etc. They also have to be relatively fresh, like everything else.
I can only guess that what you bought as "espresso powder is likely a finely ground bean that you happen to like. It might also have artificial flavouring. I don't know.
You just have to find an actually good bean that you like and possibly consider switching away from drip coffee to french press or espresso or even the old style of coffee makers that boil it up into a basket. The main thing is the beans though. Americans for some reason think "good" coffee is stuff from Starbucks. That stuff is mediocre, at best. More accurately, it's on the lower side of mediocre. There's better coffee available for half the price...but you pretty much have to try tons of them until you find one that's good for a good price. I personally like using an espresso machine as well and just running through extra water. This makes a very strong coffee using less grounds and has less oil.
Oh, yes.. I know it’s not a different bean.. I don’t think I said so, but I’ll double check. I get it’s all about how it’s grown, roasted etc. And yes, you are 100% the espresso powder (which is just ground up coffee beans, no flavoring) just happens to be a similar taste as the coffee I had in Europe.. and is why I was excited.
Starbucks is horrid I agree! I do prefer a percolator or French press, but it was something about the flavor. So, the espresso powder will hold me over until I find that perfect bean for me.. or move to Europe.. whichever is easier 😜
I thought coffee was that black water you drink in the morning because MDMA is too expensive. I could have never guessed theres a science behind it.
Hmm.
I used to think that the most important question with coffee was:
Im such a simpleton. :(
Science is just a process, a set of rules. Experimenting with multiple coffees, brewing them in different ways, at different temperatures, in order to determine the best way can be scientific, in a way. But then again, so is trying to figure out a recipe for the perfect pie. But then, once you're done, what's left is just a recipe, a means of production, that if you follow, you get a "perfect" result.
Just like making MDMA, you start with your base ingredients processed from plants and follow the recipe to derive your product. The process of discovering it is scientific, but once you figure it all out, it's just a recipe.
A lot of instant espresso powder is freeze dried espresso. That stuff, if you can find an okay brand, doesn't leave grinds - so it's suitable for cooking with too. That is unless you like chewing on beans - chocolate dipped coffee beans are quite nice.