coffee
 

What is the best way to store coffee for long term storage and please don't say instant freeze dried coffee!!:bear_w00t:

Currently I buy green beans in bulk and roast my own coffee at home. Its a great system but very dependent on electricity. Green beans in a burlap sack will stay fresh for several years so under proper storage they could last a long time but you still need electricity for roasting and grinding.

http://www.greencoffees.com/?gclid=C...FQQjPAod0WJ_eg

Re: coffee
 

I dunno but I wanted to tell you:

I like that avatar you have now best.....you need to kep that one for a while

okay??.....

Now..carry on people


T

Re: coffee
 

You need electricity for roasting and grinding ?

So they didn't drink coffee prior to Mr. Edison ? :D

Come on now......think a little outside the box.

Re: coffee
 

Roast the green beans in a cast iron skillet over a campfire...roasting is roasting, you don't need fancy equipment to roast. If you have the beans, you'll figure out how to use them.

Re: coffee
 

My Avatar suits my mood lately. :)
The weather is good and this is the week I get my new shot gun out and learn to fire the damn thing. Im psyching myself up for the event.

Re: coffee
 

I can think outside the box. When it comes to coffee I am highly motivated. :tongue_ma:

Re: coffee
 

I feel your pain...I have a glock17 that I have yet to take classes for.....because money is REALLY tight so I just look at the thing and buy as much ammo as I can....

If it really came down to it ...I could teach myself...... but I know aboout that anxious feeling you have..

Good for you.....


T

Re: coffee
 

Don't see any reason the beans wouldn't store long term real well. They're not really high in oils, right? I think I would use the 1 gallon mylar bags from Frugalsquirrel. Vacuum sealed with an O2 absorber, then put them in a bucket with a gamma seal lid.

As for avatars my daughter still likes the one with the Indian princess and the wolf. She has a print of something like that in her room. All my kids liked the little possum.

SB

Re: coffee
 

The beans will last longer than the ground coffee will. Neither will last a long time (like other foods with a fairly high oil content, they just don't save well), but I've used high-quality beans stored in an airtight cannister that were a couple of years old, and they still brewed a pretty decent cup of coffee.

If nothing else, store up a year's worth and rotate regularly. That's the way I handle it anyway. At least if the SHTF to the extent that coffee becomes unavailable or too expensive, I'll have time to get used to the idea that my coffee supply is running out! I don't drink it regularly, but it's a great "comfort food" item.

Re: coffee
 

Are coffee beans that high in oil, compared to say Kidney beans, or Pintos? I know we don't see coffee at Walton feed or Emergency Essentials but I think they predominently sell to Mormons so that wouldn't surprise me.

SB

SB

Re: coffee
 

There is a lot of oils that come out of the beans when you roast them dark. If you roast them too long they will litterally be wet with oils.

Anyone ever grow green tea? Thats one option for caffiene when coffee gets too expensive (and it will)

Re: coffee
 

The green beans are very dry, the longer you roast the more oils come out and the milder the coffee gets. People are under the misconception that dark coffee is the strongest. Not so, the lighter roasts are more robust and have more caffeine.

Coffee roasting is an art and it took many tires to get it right at home. I use a little Iroast unit and roast on the back porch because roasting inside will set off all your smoke detectors.

I'm sure Andy is right and they roasted and ground coffee long before electricity..lol Ill have to read up on some open fire roasting methods and find a hand grinder. I need one for camping anyway.

Re: coffee
 

images of coffee roasting;

http://www.sweetmarias.com/Roasters-SweetMarias.html

google page on wood fired coffee roasting;

http://www.google.com/search?q=wood+...L_enUS254US254

Re: coffee
 

I've never carried more than a years supply of coffee, and that is ground stuff.


I decided to leverage folgers packaging tech. Shelf life for folgers ground coffee unrefridgerated is pretty long. I seem to get a year or so.

I buy 12 of the 11.5 oz plastic airtight containers. Amazon ships them, although I'm not sure the price worked out to my advantage.

Here's something interesting:

http://www.folgers.com/storebrew/sto...erfect_storage

Notice the life span of the coffee singles. I year, after being opened at room temperature.

Re: coffee
 

Coffee is like a religion to me, I like it hot, black and strong! I drink a pot every day. Just as long as it's not from Starbuck's.:tongue_ma:

Re: coffee
 

Coffee is like drinking the contents of your ashtray.They had to admit tobacco is a carcinogen but avoided he same mistake about coffee so 50% of people die of cancer.Any foodstuff heated above 100 Celsius has some carcinogens in it,the darker the more.

Re: coffee
 

Coffe can be roasted in an iron skillet and you should be able to find a hand grinder somewhere. Try an antiques store maybe?

Anyway, some of the best coffee I have ever had was done like this. Home roasting is far suprior to anything you can buy in the store too. Simply amazing!!!.
The green beans will store for 2 years or more but once roasted you should use the roasted coffee withion a week or so for best results anyway.

Re: coffee
 

Got any source for that information? My dad died at 53, he didn't like coffee and I never knew him to drink it even socially. My Mother lived to 91 and drank coffee every day, so did her father who lived to 94. Neither had any cancers and Grandfather smoked a pipe all his adult life. I'd just like to know your source for that information. I'm not in anyway refuting you.

Re: coffee
 

You mean people drank coffee before Starbucks? How archaic!! :shocked_ma:

Re: coffee
 

We have a gourmet coffee shop run by people who studied for years.

Coffee DOES have oils and its those oils that give it flavor - as coffee sits around it dries out and loses flavor.

The best way to store coffee long term is in bean form in the freezer........you can move some to a jar in the fridge, say enough for a few weeks at time.........but we just get ours from the freezer and grind them right away.

Re: coffee
 

There are plenty of chainsmokers and drunks living to a 100 like Churchill,Burns etc.There are individual differences in susceptibility to cancer.There is some info on google about coffee carcinogens but not much.If potato chips and bread crust are loaded with carcinogens(acrylamide) and they are only slightly yellow-brownish,think about what`s in coffee,especially the darker roasts.

Re: coffee
 

I love caffeine, don't drink coffee. I stock up on these:

100 - 200MG CAPs for $4.85. Sure beats vivarin prices:

http://www.dpsnutrition.net/get_item_pr191.htm

Re: coffee
 

Lt Dan, check out this article. :)

Is coffee good or bad for your health?
How would you like a drug which could lower your risk of Parkinson's disease, diabetes, as well as colon cancer? A substance which could lift your mood and relieve headaches? A drug that could lower your risk of getting cavities? Coffee appears to be that substance.



Studies indicate coffee reduces the risk for diabetes and Parkinson's
Some studies have shown that coffee may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. After analyzing data on 120,000 people over an 18-year period (1), researchers at Harvard have concluded that drinking 1 to 3 cups of caffeinated coffee each day can reduce diabetes risk by several percentage points, compared with not drinking coffee at all.

Even more significant, is the fact that in this study, having 6 cups or more per day slashed men's risk by 54% and women's risk by 30% over those who avoided coffee. This study is the latest of hundreds of studies which suggest that coffee may be something of a health food - especially in higher amounts.

Over the past 20 years, over 19,000 studies have been conducted to examine the impact of coffee on one's health. Overall, the results are good news for the 110 million Americans who routinely enjoy this traditional morning ritual.

"By and large, the studies (2) show that coffee is far more beneficial than it is harmful," says Tomas DePaulis, PhD, researcher at Vanderbilt University's Institute for Coffee Studies, which conducts its own research and tracks coffee studies around the globe. For most individuals, studies show that very little bad comes from drinking coffee, but a lot of good.

At least 6 studies (3) indicate that people who drink coffee on a regular basis have up to 80% lower risks of developing Parkinson's disease, with 3 of those studies indicating that the more coffee they drink, the lower the risk. Other studies indicate that, compared to not drinking coffee, drinking at least 2 cups per day can lead to a 25% lower risk of colon cancer, an 80% drop in the risk of liver cirrhosis, and nearly 50% the risk of gallstones.


Is it the caffeine that is responsible for those benefits? Is it the antioxidants in coffee beans, some of which become especially potent during the roasting process?



Studies indicate that it might be both those factors.

"The evidence is very strong that regular coffee consumption reduces the risk for Parkinson's disease and that in the case of Parkinson's disease, the benefits are directly related to caffeine," according to Dr. DePaulis (2).

Researchers believe that some of coffee's reported beneficial effects are a direct result of its higher caffeine content: An 8-ounce cup of coffee contains about 85 mg of caffeine - about 3 times more than the same serving of tea or soda.

In another study (4), researchers looked at the coffee consumption and caffeine intake in 8,000 Japanese-American men. During the course of the study which lasted nearly 30 years, about 100 men developed Parkinson's disease. The risk of developing Parkinson's decreased gradually as the daily consumption of coffee rose from 4 ounces to more than 24 ounces per day.

In addition, the researchers found the same decrease in risk regardless of the source of caffeine. The men whose intake was less than 2.8 milligrams of caffeine per day were nearly 3 times more likely to develop Parkinson's than those whose caffeine intake was more than 107 milligrams from non-coffee sources.



Coffee and reduced diabetes risks
But other benefits can be derived from coffee which have nothing to do with caffeine. Coffee is loaded with antioxidants, including a group of compounds called "quinines" which when administered to rats in a laboratory, increases their insulin sensitivity. The increased sensitivity improves the body's response to insulin.

Researchers don't know exactly why coffee is beneficial for diabetes. Coffee also contains large quantities of the antioxidants tocopherols and chlorogenic acid, as well as minerals such as magnesium. All of those components have been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism.

This may explain why in the Harvard study (1), those drinking decaffeinated coffee also showed a reduced diabetes risk, although the reduction in risk was 50% that of those drinking caffeinated coffee.

Coffee and cavities
Some researchers believe another compound called "trigonelline" - which gives coffee its bitter taste and its aroma - may be responsible for giving coffee both anti-adhesive and antibacterial properties which help prevent dental cavities from forming.



Coffee consumption and moderation
On the other hand, it is clear that coffee is not for everyone. In excessive amounts - meaning more than whatever an individual's body can tolerate - coffee can cause nervousness, jitters, and rapid heartbeat.

Although studies investigating any relationship between higher cholesterol levels and coffee have yielded conflicting results, it is believed that in some people, drinking excessive amounts of coffee might cause elevated cholesterol levels (5).

However, coffee drinkers who consume filtered coffee should not worry themselves with respect to cholesterol levels, because research indicates that it is the coffee oils which are mainly responsible for the rise in cholesterol in people who drink nonfiltered or boiled coffee.

Most recent large studies show no significant adverse affects on most healthy people, although pregnant women, heart patients, and those at risk for osteoporosis may still be advised to limit or avoid coffee.



All in all, I certainly believe that coffee and caffeine are far less dangerous than soda. especially the "diet" kind.

One thing is certain: coffee is usually one of the most heavily sprayed crops, and is often contaminated with pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides. Therefore if you do drink coffee, you would be well advised to drink organic coffee only.

It is also a good idea to avoid putting milk and sugar in your coffee. The milk and sugar in your coffee are in fact much worse for you than the coffee itself.

Finally, use only non-bleached filters. White coffee filters, which most coffee drinkers use, are bleached with chlorine and some of this chlorine will end up in your coffee during the brewing process.

Re: coffee
 

This site has a nice assortment of cute hand grinders.
http://www.cudacoffee.com/antique_coffee_grinders.php

Re: coffee
 

thx, good article

Re: coffee
 

I knew about the headache relief from coffee, (first hand knowledge), I'd also heard some of the other things, especially the diabetes blood glucose lowering effects. I had a doctor at the VA (shrink) from India or somewhere, probably a tea drinker, try to tell me I shouldn't drink coffee. I got a second opinion from another doctor that told me it was good for me. Like he said as he held up his cup, "Go ahead and drink what you want, it's good for you!" The colon doctor (ouch) said to come back in 10 years. :applause_ Not that I ever want to go back, but that was good news. I did the math and took the one's advice whom I could actually relate to. The only time coffee makes me jittery is if I drink too much without eating. I believe this might be because of low blood sugar more than too much coffee. If I eat right I have no problem with jitters.

For me I think the pluses outweigh the minuses as for coffee drinking. Now my wife can not drink very much with out it bothering her. Low tolerance to caffeine.

BTW, Thanks for the info on coffee.

Re: coffee
 

Lt Dan, did you have ruin a nice post about coffee by mentioning the Colon Doctor.:bear_w00t:

The colonoscopy, yet another indignity of getting older. Many of my fellow employees at the Hospital actually have their colonoscopies done there. There is no way in hell I would have that done at the Hospital I work at!!!!

Heres an old Hospital joke for you Lt Dan


A Cardiologist died and was given an elaborate funeral:

A huge heart, covered in flowers, stood behind the casket during the service.

Following the eulogy, the Heart opened, and the casket rolled inside.

The heart then closed, sealing the doctor in the beautiful Heart 'forever'. At that point, one of the mourners burst into laughter.

When all eyes stared at him, he said, "I'm sorry, I was just thinking of my own funeral.........I'm a Gynecologist."

The Proctologist fainted.

Re: coffee
 

I don't intend to be insulting... but Folgers is about the worst you can get. Try grinding some fresh roasted beans !

Re: coffee
 

I roast with a freakin air-pop popcorn popper and it does wonderfully.
BUT, I do see it in my electric bill, it's like running a hairdryer for an hour every week. Right now, the savings on buying green beans offsets the electricity cost. But I'm trying to figure out a good way to roast efficiently with propane.

Re: coffee
 

jaybone, I use the I-roast unit and its a glorified hot air popcorn popper. If you come up with a better method please let me know.

Re: coffee
 

No worries about being insulting, I get people turning up their nose at it all the time. It's obviously a matter of taste, to me starbucks tastes burnt, and tully's tastes like basted color crayon, but they all sell pretty well.

Re: coffee
 

Has anyone tried Kentucky coffee tree beans as a substitute for real coffee? Does it have any caffeine?

Re: coffee
 

I use the newer I-roast unit, is that the one you have? Because mine does this weird thing about half way through the roast where the fan speed alternates faster and slower almost random. Sweetmaria's says the new unit is supposed to alternate, but this seems like a defect . I'm just wondering if its supposed to do it like that or what. It works perfectly fine its just a little annoying.

Re: coffee
 

Yup roast em in a frying pan then put em in a sock and pound em between two rocks. That's the old buzzard prospector's way.

Big tin cans that they call "coffee cans" are good for long term storage too:bull-buddy-icon:

Re: coffee
 

reailitycheck, my Iroast unit was bought a little over a year ago so I don't know if that's considered a newer unit. Mine does change speeds about halfway through too. I had some problems adjusting to the unit because I ended up having to roast about 12 minutes to get a nice dark brown roast as opposed to the 6-8 minutes they suggest. It also took me a few tries to figure out roasting had to be an outdoor event. LOL
All in all I'm pleased and have been doing it over a year now.

Re: coffee
 

Jaima, do you have a link to that article?

As for Folgers, after a long deprivation, it might actually taste good. But not before that, and maybe not even then.


goldsilverman, from wikipedia: The common name "coffeetree" derives from the use of the roasted seeds as a substitute for coffee in times of poverty. They are a very inferior substitute for real coffee, and caution should be used in trying them as they are poisonous in large quantities.

Re: coffee
 

+1

You might also throw in a few small chunks of dry ice as you fill the bags, and let them fully change to CO2 before sealing them. Then store in the coolest place you can find.

I'm not sure if they would store better green or roasted. I would guess roasted, since there are fewer oils.

Re: coffee
 

Jaima

What is the best or a least a good type of Pot to make coffee with.

My electric pot is just funky.

E-A

Re: coffee
 

Unclad here is a good link. http://www.healingdaily.com/detoxifi...iet/coffee.htm

I do want to make one health disclaimer on coffee. I think moderation is the key for some people. [ I stick to two to three cups a day]. I work with cardiac rhythms at the hospital and have had irregular heart rhythms myself and as much as I would like to think caffeine doesn't have a down side there is no denying it does. Some people can not tolerate too much caffeine. Too much caffeine combined with sinus medication or certain over the counter diet pills or other stimulants like chocolate or soft drinks can bring on some dangerous heart rhythms for certain people. Chances are if you are one of those people you already know you have to be cautious with stimulants in general.

Electric -Amish, the quest for the perfect coffee pot. I have tried many and hopefully someone here has found it. :)

My main complaint is the coffee never gets hot enough in a home drip maker. I have tried a variety of pots.
This one was cute but I was not happy with the results and now its a decoration

http://www.wrapables.com/images/product/A53361.jpg


After trying many drip makers this is the one I like best although it is far from perfect. It has a temperature setting so you can get the coffee a little hotter then the average drip maker. http://www.everythingkitchens.com/cu..._DCC-1200.html

When it comes right down to it my camping coffee pot is my favorite and makes the best coffee. Its hot and strong but it takes more time and attention.


http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.c...2_1938_6640324

Re: coffee
 

Jaima, this has got to be one of the most interesting threads for me in a while on a survival/preparedness forum. Usually we talk about how much ammo we have stashed, or what gun is the best survival gun, how much TP we stock, or food we hoard, our BOV, it just gets a little repetitious, but you have to throw in "COFFEE". Earlier I said I drink about a pot a day. Didn't mention the size of the pot or how many cups I get out of the pot or even how big I consider a cup of coffee to be.

My tolerance for caffeine must be very high or I'm so addicted that I've built up a tolerance beyond normal. Now my wife has very low tolerance for anything containing caffeine. It turns her into a basket case in no time. I can drink coffee anytime day or night and it does not seem to even bother my sleep. Just to prevent any possible sleep problems I try not to drink coffee after 7PM.

Because I'm the only coffee drinker in the house I tend to just buy the already processed brands (like Folgers) to make in one of those "Mr. Coffee" coffee makers. I don't care for the special blends of coffee like Starbuck's, fact is I don't care for any of the caffeine free kinds either. Anytime I buy myself one of those stove top percolators my wife pitches the guts. Then uses the pot to boil water in for tea.

I love it when my Mom-in-law comes for a visit. She is a coffee drinker and an early riser, the coffee is ready when I drag myself out of bed. My Dad-in-law died back a few years ago now, he was not a coffee drinker. He had a lot of colon problems and died of cancer. He never smoked nor was he around people that did that much.

What chemicals that might be in the coffee I drink can not possibly be as harmful to me as was agent orange and that was government approved.

What you and others say about moderation is something to live by. It is strange that I can go without coffee for a day or two but then, the second day I start having sinus problems and headaches related to sinus, also my blood glucose tests start going up calling for more medication. A couple other problems also arise. I look at coffee as an alternative medicine.:D

Re: coffee
 

LT Dan, I started a coffee thread for people like you and me. For some of us coffee is a survival food. :D
I know the last time we were off the grid for three days due to an ice storm coffee was number one my priority list over heat and food. LOL

That's interesting that your wife has a low tolerance for caffeine. This is why one size does not fit all in any aspect of life. I'm also a big believer in caffeine for headaches and I have seen it used in emergency asthma attacks.

Re: coffee
 

On the Coffee pot thing - I use this:

http://www.bialettishop.com/MokaExpressMain.htm

I have a couple, just use a stovetop burner or a portable camping propane when the lights go out. My only complaint is it doesn't make enough coffee.

Re: coffee
 

She does take a gulp or two of my coffee on occasion for the immediate effect it has on sinuses, mood and the lift it gives. She just can not handle a full cup.

A Doctor once prescribed a medicine for her asthma that contained a caffeine like drug and it really made her have more problems. That caused her to do a lot of research of her own on different drugs, her allergies and find out a lot about her tolerance to even foods. She found that she was very allergic to some common house hold items that in turn caused her asthma.

Basically her worst allergenic reactions are foods based on any type of mold, milk products and just all the junk in the air. She took the shots for a while but in time learned her weaknesses and has done well to avoid the worst stuff.

On a different note, I had goats for a while and she didn't have any of the problems drinking goats milk she did from store milk or even raw cow's milk. She often makes thing using soy-milk now if the recipe calls for milk. Milking goats takes a lot of labor and someone around that the goats are comfortable with to milk and relate to. They are very personable critters and don't do well if their routine is thrown off. I used to tell people if God had intended for man to drink cows milk, we would have been born with four hands. :D

Back to coffee, my wife can tolerate some caffeine for some of the same results I get from it, just not in the large quantities as I.

Re: coffee
 

It probably tastes better because you are out camping when you use it. :D

Re: coffee
 

LT Dan, goats milk is all they had in Greece when I was there. Its good stuff. I was thinking about getting a milk goat but I would probably end up naming it and turning into a house pet so I better not.

The whole allergy subject is interesting. My oldest daughter went through a series of tests and found out she was allergic to foods she ate daily like eggs and potatoes. In her case with her other autoimmune problems we worked more on building her immune system to handle inflammatory processes and its helped a lot. My youngest daughter who is a vegetarian figured out many of her problems were due to a dairy allergy. Once she switched to rice milk and started supplements to improve the environment in her gut her problems improved too.

About soy milk. I'm a little leery of too much soy. I have been reading some not so nice stuff about soy especially about the soy baby formulas or if its taken in large quantities. I'm wondering if some of the health problems my kids have had were increased by soy. Has your wife tried rice milk.?

Re: coffee
 

I had names for all the goats I owned that I milked and some that I raised to butcher. But I didn't usually butcher any goats unless they were extra males I wasn't raising for milkers. While the meat is the best of all the meats you can raise on a small place, you can get more out of the young goats by selling them for milkers or even 4H projects if you stick with pure-bred animals.

As for coffee, since I usually bought the canned coffee I got to thinking I should at least try buying the beans that are already roasted and grind them at the store. I also picked up some unbleached coffee filters. The coffee I bought from Sam's club and put it in the freezer when I got home.

What grind is best in the store machines? I did mine for electric drip as that's the type of maker I have. I thought maybe I should experiment with different type and grinds until I find what works best for me, before I invest in another system, other than what I've used for most of my life.

Re: coffee
 

I do, too. Caffeine is a vasoconstrictor. I get migraines, and sometimes if I can get a cup or two of coffee in me quickly enough at the onset of one, the vasocontriction effect of caffeine can abort it. Most of my migraines are too strong for that, but it does help me from time to time, and at the cost of migraine meds, it's welcome!

Caffeine is used in some of the weaker migraine meds, and those Excedrin for Migraine tablets that are advertised as "formulated especially for migraine" are nothing more than aspirin (which doesn't have any effect on migraine) and caffeine!

Re: coffee
 

Maddie I know you do a lot of food prices. Since you are a coffee fan what type of storage have you decided on? I'm going to stick with bulk green beans in 50 lb bags and if the lights go out I will be roasting over an open fire.

LT Dan, if you are a coffee fan beans are the way to go. What brand did you get? I know Costco has good deals on nice brands of beans so I assume Sams does too. Always grind the coffee to the setting make of you coffee maker. The store grinders are pretty accurate. I made a horrible mess in my drip maker when I accindently ground to espresso. It all backed up in the coffee filter and went all over the counter!

Re: coffee
 

It depends on where you live but some can grow coffee or tea. Coffee does not produce much per little tree though so unless you have a big place in climate zone 8 or warmer, tea might be the better bet. Coffee is an understory plant, however, so it will grow in an area where a nut tree or 3 might be shading it. Pecans upstairs, coffee below.

But coffee does not like it too hot or too cold. It is grown commercially in tropical highlands of perpetual spring. I don't think Florida has any highlands that high, but sometimes San Francisco has felt like the right kind of climate because of the climate effect of the sea.

this site has some growing information.

http://www.beyondpeak.com/drugs-beyondpeak.html

Most of us will have to trade a lot of eggs or cheese or something at the flea market or general store to get imported coffee. Maybe enterprising sailboat owners will trade with central american coffee growers. Going in a flotilla to be safe from pirates like caravans used to travel on land.

Home brewed bourbon or wheels of cheese might be tradeable for coffee. Or solar kits if a local small business built those.

Re: coffee
 

Sam's has different brands and blends. Since it is geared for small businesses, they don't offer a lot in the way of blends. I bought the[store brand] "member's mark" brand which also says , "Marques De Piva" on the bag. I got the Breakfast blend.

First test this morning. I had to try it out even though I have a can of Folger's opened I need to use up. The taste wasn't a lot different, except I didn't notice any oily film on the top like with Folger's. So taste is preceptively better, but not enough to care about. It had a bit of a watered down taste, probably my fault, need to adjust the amount of grounds I put in the maker.

It's now later in the day and I heated some up. Still no oiliness or bitter taste. This may become a conversion experience for me. The grind was just right for my coffee maker, so I got that part right.

What I'm wondering now is, how long do just the roasted beans last before they start to go bad? I put the bag of ground stuff in the freezer and just take it out to use when I want to make a pot. If the grid goes down the coffee will be stale. At least it should be usable for someone used to Navy style coffee. But then I'd need a different way to brew the stuff, electric drip might use a lot of gas in the generator.

I gotta think on this, or as Andy says, "Think outside the box!"

Re: coffee
 

Lt Dan, I dont think you are suppose to freeze already ground coffee. The best way to store it is in a airtight container. It looks like everyone including glad and ziplock are coming out with some type of airtight container.

You will get the hang of making fresh coffee. Its easy to make it too weak or strong until you get the recipe right. I'm betting after a while you will not want to go back to Folgers. :)

Here is an article on storing coffee.

http://www.ncausa.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=70

Re: coffee
 

Four large 34 ounce cans of ground coffee will last me a year, and I usually have six of those on the shelf. I can't tell the diffference if it has been sitting sealed there in the basement for a couple years, but then I am not a high maintenance type of coffee guy[middle name is JOE, not that jewish one Joseph, just JOE] and usually buy cheap Chase and Sanborn's when it is on sale. I have simple 12 cup and 4 cup stovetop perculators for power outages. Since I only drink a couple cups in the morning a full 10-12 cup electric drip load will last me three days as I store the excess it in two quart thermos' for the next two days use .

Am mostly a ice tea drinker and comsume that brew year around for my through the day caffine fix, now that I have given up the colas. There again, I am not very fussy and buy the dollar store ice tea "family bags", about 6 ounces in a box and one will last me about a month in the weak blends that I prefer. Have about a year's supply of those in the basement. I make a strong tea concentrate with my electric drip "coffee maker" once a week and store that in the frig, adding water and ice to get my drinks as I need them.

Figure I am spending about 30$ a year on my in house coffee and tea caffine fixes.

Re: coffee
 

The bag says to store the coffee in either an air tight container or the bag it came in and to place it in a dry area of either a refrigerator or freezer. I wondered about that, because I've never stored coffee that way. I use it up soon enough I've never noticed the bottom of the can tasting that much different than the top or first opened can.

I do have quite a bit of Folgers to use up, as my son or my wife usually buy me a can for Christmas. A can lasts me about a month, less when Mom-in-law is staying. Did I say, I have a wonderful Mom-in-law?

Re: coffee
 

I responded to this in post # 20..........

Re: coffee
 

But Master, I bought the already roasted beans at Sam's and ground them there. I brought the bag home and put it in the freezer. Are you meaning that's where I should keep it as I use it? From the bag, it says to keep the ground coffee either in the frig or freezer. The web link Jaima gave me says not to keep it in the frig or freezer after grinding. I've always heard that even with some wimp brand of instant that once you open it you should store them at least in the refrigerator.

Truth is I never have done either and except with some brands I've not noticed any change in flavor from the first pot to the last. There may have been a change, I just never noticed. I only have this special designated space in the cupboard I'm allowed to store my coffee and filters, with out getting in trouble with the queen. :wink: Seems the best way for me will be to keep them either in the bag or an air tight jar in a dark, dry location. Keep the natural oils and moistures sealed in until use.

BTW, I got barked at for the bag of coffee I brought home as it was different than she's ever seen me do and she thought I was going to make her hand grind those beans. :banghead: She calmed down when I told her I had already ground them at the store.

Re: coffee
 

Its best to keep them as whole beans - but if you do grind it, or buy it ground - yes you can keep it in the freezer.......OR an air-tight jar in the fridge, but the freezer is better cause it freezes the oils which contain the flavor........this is why coffee loses some of it flavor when kept out over time - the oils dry up. (Starbucks is often roasted weeks, even months, in advance before it arrives at their stores - then people pay big bucks for older, inferior coffee.....but thats ok, by the time they put all the artifical flavors and crap in it, its not really coffee anymore.......its coffee-flavored sweet-drinks! Most of their clients don't know coffee anyway - they buy it cause they think its "in"......sorry but thats the truth!)

So minimum - refrigerator
But best is freezer - lasts longer too.

Another tip.......if you use a machine you are going to have to run it as it is and thats fine.

But, if you use a cone-drip filter, or a gold one (those are the very best and not too expensive) when you start - pour in a little of the boiling water to moisten the grounds - give it like 1-2 mins, then pour in the rest.......that gives the coffee a chance to release its full flavor a little before you do the main water pouring.


You do not notice cause it loses its flavor very slowly over time, but your system is not that bad either - we are dealing with various degrees of improvement really........but the fridge or freezer is how the gourmets do it, especially if they are going to use it up in a couple of weeks.

You could experiment tho, and keep some in the freezer and some however you normally do it, and then, towards the end of your normal grounds, make two cups - one from the freezer and one from the non-freezer grounds. See if you can tell a difference.

You may or may not depending on how long the coffee was roasted before you bought it - something you often cannot tell. Mine gets roasted where I buy it - it often is still warm when it gets here. (And the UPS guys all ask me what it is and if they an have some beans - it makes their whole truck smell great!)


Might I suggest you get a small coffee grinder and whole beans........it takes just a secnd to grind enough for a pot and the coffee is much better

((If course, all this assumes one has the taste-buds to tell the difference - some people can't tell good coffee, from cheap canned coffee, from powdered, from instant, or from those cups out of those cheap machines........if they can't tell, no sense wasting money buying good coffee on them! Also, helps to use good water - often the chlorine in tap water dis-flavors the coffee!))

(((And cause I saw it discussed here - Folgers over roasts - or burns theirs - to give it the deep roast taste.......but its not really deep roast coffee - that would cost them too much and the price would go higher than most people would pay. Its economics - something people here are aware of with most things they buy. And how do I know this?? I did research and asked plenty of coffee experts........none of this is my opinion - well, except the Starbucks crack....but really.......coffee is not imporved, nor does it need foam.......or any of the other crap.......*lol*)))

Re: coffee
 

What about growing Robusta in areas Arabica doesn't do well?


Roasting is just like cooking. Once the oils have been processed, they're more likely to go rancid, sooner.

All the grains you've stored have oils in them; as long as you leave them in the whole berry form they'll like keep for decades. Same with green beans.

Re: coffee
 

LT Dan, I second Master Hos suggestion that you get a grinder and buy whole beans.

I think your years in the Service have done damage to your taste buds. I have a girlfriend like that too. She was an ER Dr. for years and drank gallons of that horrible coffee they serve ER employees ad EMS. When she comes to my house she thinks nothing of drinking coffee that has sat on the burner for hours and even microwaves to reheat!!!!:bear_w00t: It appears she cant tell the difference in coffees but I'm working on her.

Speaking of the cost of coffee. Someone mentioned spending 30 bucks a year on coffee. I did a check on my Visa bill and between Starbucks and buying whole beans Im spending about 50-60 dollars a month!!!! That is going to stop!!

Re: coffee
 

One of the reasons I've been doing my part to keep this thread alive is because of all I'm learning. Because it is so different from the ordinary threads that we talk about, yet is so much a part of what I call morale.

I made the second pot this morning and had some before going to church. Just when I finished mine and was putting my cup away, my wife grabbed it and said she had to have some, (must have been the oder). Remember, she doesn't like Folgers and always said she doesn't like coffee. She poured a bit and actually watered it down to cool it and decided it was good. Converted! A friend of hers came over this afternoon and my wife heated some for her and she complimented me on the coffee and asked what it was. Another convert! With all this converting, you might call coffee drinking a religion! LOL

Before church I went into the fellowship hall for a cup of the coffee they make. They use Folgers, the cups are Styrofoam, I told one of the other men about my conversion to this new experience as we drank the swill from the foam cups. I told him I may have some Folgers to donate to the church. There is something about drinking coffee out of a foam cup that would even ruin a great cup of coffee.

Taste buds? I've drank so much coffee over the years that was rotten, but I still know a bad cup from a fair to a good to a great. So taste has been secondary to the alternative drug caffeine. For me, Folgers was always something between fair and good depending on freshness, blend and strength. I could not say great and Folgers in the same sentence, well I just did, but not as a way of describing their coffee. It's not taste buds that are dead, it's what your you allow your taste buds to tolerate.

If I get a good to great cup of coffee using the method I am just now getting into then maybe I'll stick with it. Over time maybe look into going with bulk bean purchases and roasting, grinding a brewing my own. With it just being myself that drinks it I may not go any further.

As usual, I got a little long.....