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  • Javaphile
    replied
    Re: List your coffee myths

    Ive found Sumatran beans can yield the same mouth feel/crema as Robusta, you might try them in a blend for added crema as well as flavor.


    Java "Hhhhmmm.....Rich silky crema!" phile

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  • Bullitt
    replied
    Re: List your coffee myths

    Myth 43 beans in every cup....another take.

    I counted the beans in my 7g and 10g scoops, and got about 55 and 63 respectively (obviously would vary a bit depending on bean types), so unless it was a 7g sccop with elephant beans I cant understand how they worked out it was equivalent to 43 beans?

    Robusta, Hmm, yep there is a lot of marketing hype about that one. India apparently does grow some very good quality stuff, and some other places grow and sell bad stuff. The relative caffeine levels between Arabica and Robusta seem to be pretty well documented, so if your watching your caffien intake Arabica is the way to go, however....
    at the recent Hobart Coffee Training Day, so well done by our very own 2MCM, one of the mystery blends that I had to dial in on Silvia was a popular commercial blend which contained some Robusta, to my relatively untrained palate, once dialled in, the shots were good, dont recall noticing much difference in the crema, but there was definitely a nice mouth feel, (which seems a common perception
    Then I used it to make a latte, which was one of the best lattes I have ever had, anywhere!
    (Pity I cant make em that well at home all the time)

    Bullitt

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  • robusto
    replied
    Re: List your coffee myths

    Myth: 43 beans in every cup.

    I gazed deeply into my cup, and confirmed my suspicion. But that was not enough. I then pulled out a magnifying glass, and scanned the cup once again. Mmmm. But that wasnt enough. I then turned the cup upside down. Nothing fell from it.

    Myth busted. There are no beans in a cup.

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  • mbg963
    replied
    Re: List your coffee myths

    I thought that the reason for the higher caffiene levels was to act as a deterrent to insects etc. Robusta is generally grown at lower altitudes where insects/disease are more prevalent than compared to the higher altitude Arabica beans ???

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  • nunu
    replied
    Re: List your coffee myths

    Probably why robusta is very disease resistant.

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  • Javaphile
    replied
    Re: List your coffee myths

    Originally posted by nunu link=1160879403/30#38 date=1161265575
    Doesnt robusta also have a higher caffeine concentration than arabica?
    Yup! Roughly twice as much.


    Java "Taste before caffeine!" phile

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  • nunu
    replied
    Re: List your coffee myths

    Doesnt robusta also have a higher caffeine concentration than arabica?

    Maybe its also put into blends to boost the caffeine content. Theres food for thought.

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  • luca
    replied
    Re: List your coffee myths

    Originally posted by scoota gal link=1160879403/30#33 date=1161251860
    Everytime wed get a dirty look and told it was not worth anything, let alone a mention!
    Yeah, definitely an interesting one.

    Im sure that there are a lot of bad robustas out there, and there might well be more bad robusta around than bad arabica. The Vietnamese stuff springs to mind. Of course, there is also heaps of crappy arabica around. PNG T grade springs to mind ... the samples that I have seen are half black beans, sticks and concrete.

    Bottom line is that robusta is coffee and all sorts of things, like terroir and processing, can influence the cup. Check out this robusta, which scored a whopping 94 points from coffeereview.com! Id definitely be up for trying some uber, uber premium robusta ... like better than the kaapi royale.

    ... and, then, lets remember that there are a million different cultivars of arabica, which you practically never hear about. Im pretty sure that there are crosses of robusta and arabica around. Wonder if any roasters sell those as arabica?

    A long time ago, I think that I basically came to the conclusion that preconceptions are useful only insofar as they help you to get the best cup possible. I have had some truly splendid coffee with robusta in it. In fact, I remember that the blend that I used at the La Marzocco factory was something like 50% robusta!

    Hmm ... maybe people arent letting their robusta sit for long enough?

    Cheers,

    Luca

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  • telemaster
    replied
    Re: List your coffee myths

    Originally posted by rayzurhed link=1160879403/30#35 date=1161252799
    Heres one thats been going round for ages- "You must always use older milk to foam up. The fresher stuff doesnt cut it!"
    RH
    Wow, never heard that- Id heard the one that only lite milk would froth. Interestingly, until I got my milk skills in better shape (still having trouble with weather changes) I needed fresh milk to steam.
    Brett

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  • rayzurhed
    replied
    Re: List your coffee myths

    Heres one thats been going round for ages- "You must always use older milk to foam up. The fresher stuff doesnt cut it!"
    RH

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  • grendel
    replied
    Re: List your coffee myths

    Yeah I think you hit it pretty close there - Robusta has its place - it doesnt have to dominate but it is useful! Ive used a small amount in many blends, and like arabica robustas are not all the same - a good robusta is interesting to try on its own but even better in a blend.

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  • scoota_gal
    replied
    Re: List your coffee myths

    I know that Robusta is a dirty word but (and heres another dirty word I guess... ;D) Paul Bassett on one of his early DVDs (Coffee Crazy I think it was) on his travels around Italy and France, kept talking about Robusta and in the end we thought, "Well itd be nice to try this." On our own coffee travels round the country wed ask roasters and coffee people alike if they used/liked/tried robusta in their blends. Everytime wed get a dirty look and told it was not worth anything, let alone a mention!

    Up until I stepped into a roaster in South Melbourne, who showed me their most popular blend. At first the lady wasnt going to tell me what was in it until I blurted out "Are those bigger beans Robusta?" and she smiled and said yes and opened up and told me all about their business and why they liked the robusta in their blends. It was like they were embarrassed to let people know they were using robusta.

    I kind of feel sorry for the robusta bean. Its being rejected because theres a myth that arabica is the one and only!

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  • mbg963
    replied
    Re: List your coffee myths

    Here is an article from a roasters website that provides a good overview of the merits or otherwise of using Robusta. I quite liked it as it appears to present a balanced view. Not sure if it has been posted here before or if I found it while wondering around the net.

    http://tinyurl.com/yjlftb

    In the end I wouldnt mind adding some Robusta to a blend to see what changes are effected.

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  • telemaster
    replied
    Re: List your coffee myths

    Originally posted by scoota gal link=1160879403/30#30 date=1161244334
    Originally posted by telemaster link=1160879403/15#29 date=1161237608
    ps My roaster friend is beginning to reintroduce robusta to his blends (and I have to admit they tast great) so myth 2 may be contentious
    Hmm, interesting you should say that, Brett. I brought home from a Melbournian roaster a blend with about 20% Robusta beans and quite enjoyed the coffee it produced. Others here would probably argue that you can get just as good a coffee without the robusta but I certainly didnt think it detracted from the taste at least.
    Hi Scoota
    interesting you should say 20% was good- the roaster, Ian, is using about that (and recently up to 30%). I tried mixing robusta with different coffee blends he had- the resulting blends varied quite a bit. If the blend had above average acidity the robusta was not a good addition.
    His feeling was that the 100% Arabica thing was another American must, and that the Europeans had no such rule. In fact the Italians often favour a mix with some robusta for fullness of flavour and enhanced crema.
    Heres one for you- recently I commented to him that his flavour had come back after a bit of a drop. Id assumed that hed been buying inferior beans. The opposite, he said. Hed asked another roaster how to get back the character in the beans he thought he had lost. It was suggested that many suppliers had such a rarified product that roasting/blending might be improved by adding some of the more rough or earthy beans. Cant remember which ones, but whatever- the flavour is back in abundance!
    Brett

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  • scoota_gal
    replied
    Re: List your coffee myths

    Originally posted by telemaster link=1160879403/15#29 date=1161237608
    ps My roaster friend is beginning to reintroduce robusta to his blends (and I have to admit they tast great) so myth 2 may be contentious
    Hmm, interesting you should say that, Brett. I brought home from a Melbournian roaster a blend with about 20% Robusta beans and quite enjoyed the coffee it produced. Others here would probably argue that you can get just as good a coffee without the robusta but I certainly didnt think it detracted from the taste at least.

    Leave a comment:

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