Coffee roasting competition in Melbourne out to find the best coffee in the world - Sensationalist Headlines

Coffee that isn't super bitter is the best kind of coffee

[QUOTE=Sobotnik;51939700]the main difference is that before tea, coffee, and tobacco pretty much the only commonly available drug around (alcohol) was a depressant the new stuff that started coming in the 17th century was stuff that acted as stimulants, although they didn't do much for the enlightenment[/QUOTE] The substances not as much directly, but more so the establishments that sprang up around them. European coffeehouses served as incubators for enlightenment ideas from the 1600s onward. They were basically a direct import from Arabia where they were used as social spaces for discussion of ideas and as social clubs.

[QUOTE=NoobSauce;51939917]Coffee that isn't super bitter is the best kind of coffee[/QUOTE] At the end of the day, I would rather have bitter coffee than no coffee. I drink on average two cups a day. Sometimes three, on very rare occasion, four.

[QUOTE=luverofJ!93;51940001]The substances not as much directly, but more so the establishments that sprang up around them. European coffeehouses served as incubators for enlightenment ideas from the 1600s onward. They were basically a direct import from Arabia where they were used as social spaces for discussion of ideas and as social clubs.[/QUOTE] nah you had that long beforehand (plus the enlightenment was overblown anyways), it was just as common for scientists and philosophers to meet in pubs and one another houses to drink booze and play cards

[QUOTE=Sobotnik;51940024]nah you had that long beforehand (plus the enlightenment was overblown anyways), it was just as common for scientists and philosophers to meet in pubs and one another houses to drink booze and play cards[/QUOTE] I think youre underestimating their influence. Lol not sure why you think the Enlightenment was overblown (the Renaissance maybe) but coffeehouses are usually cited as a more important part of social interaction and contribution to the enlightenment than pubs (though pubs were definitely big gathering places for revolutionary fervor too). The main difference being taverns were social spaces but the lack of intoxication at coffeehouses helped them be more exclusively spaces of idea/news sharing, i.e. more specifically intellectual rather than just social. Taverns had been around as social institutions since Roman times but something as simple as enjoying coffee with sugar in the 1600s became symbolic of global interconnectedness and the rise of trade networks, the birth of capitalism etc. as well as the birth of enlightenment ideas of modernity. PM for sources if you are interested enough.

Regardless of how much it influenced history, I think we can all agree that today is objectively better because of coffee than yesterday without coffee.

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;51940335]Regardless of how much it influenced history, I think we can all agree that today is objectively better because of coffee than yesterday without coffee.[/QUOTE] Legit my drug of choice, tea, coffee, yerba mate all are amazing.

[QUOTE=Amez;51938961]Generally speaking coffee shouldn't be very bitter. Usually that means the extraction process was messed up and the coffee was over-extracted. That or your coffee to water ratio was off. [B]There's a lot of nuances that many people don't know that factor in to making a good cup of coffee.[/B] There's a large variety of brewing methods available that each have their own pros and cons too. I personally prefer to use a french press. They're cheap, easy to clean if you get the right one, and best of all they allow you to control how you brew your coffee. I always buy freshly roasted whole bean coffee and then grind it right before brewing. Freshly grinding your beans will make your brew taste a whole lot better compared to pre-ground garbage. I also use a kitchen scale to measure how much coffee I add in to my french press in order to maintain consistency, so it's never too strong or too watered down. The coffee to water ratio is critical when it comes to taste. Another tip is to use hot water that is the appropriate temperature for your particular coffee bean, usually manufacturers will put that on the product packaging for convenience. My usual go-to temperature range is 195-205 degrees Fahrenheit. Some coffee can actually be burnt, just like tea. I fucking love coffee.[/QUOTE] This. When I got my espresso machine it took me forever to extract at the right pressure because each batch of beans needs to be ground differently (coarse or fine with very small adjustments) in order to reach that pressure providing you've tamped it properly. Beans also have to be 4-28 days after roasting, any more or less and the oils are wrong. I do love my espressos though, it can be compared to whisky when it comes to notes and stuff. Coffee is awesome and I really want to go to this :v:

[QUOTE=snookypookums;51938515]I've noticed on my trips to Australia that they have a pretty solid coffee culture there. You Aussies seem to be [I]very[/I] particular about your coffee and some of the best coffee I've had has, coincidentally, been at Aussie cafes. [b]Is there any particular reason you decided to not go with the rest of the commonwealth and not favour tea as much?[/b][/QUOTE] Hey now Canadians would rather have coffee than tea too. Except we're cheap bastards who don't want to pay any more than the price at Tim Hortons for it.

[QUOTE=luverofJ!93;51940227]I think youre underestimating their influence. Lol not sure why you think the Enlightenment was overblown (the Renaissance maybe)[/quote] both certainly were. i think the enlightenment itself wasn't even necessarily that much of a good thing to begin with anyways (probably because quite a lot of stupid ideas as well as good ones came out of it). like to speak of an "age of reason" for some given period of history is quite laughable [quote]but coffeehouses are usually cited as a more important part of social interaction and contribution to the enlightenment than pubs (though pubs were definitely big gathering places for revolutionary fervor too). The main difference being taverns were social spaces but the lack of intoxication at coffeehouses helped them be more exclusively spaces of idea/news sharing, i.e. more specifically intellectual rather than just social. Taverns had been around as social institutions since Roman times but something as simple as enjoying coffee with sugar in the 1600s became symbolic of global interconnectedness and the rise of trade networks, the birth of capitalism etc. as well as the birth of enlightenment ideas of modernity. PM for sources if you are interested enough.[/QUOTE] it's symbolic but that doesn't mean that they were wholly responsible. the entire intellectual culture that was widespread and going on was around and productive long before the coffeehouses (going back into the 1200s at least) came along. like you had masonic lodges, academies, church institutions, the pubs, brothels, dining rooms, universities, etc where all of these things happened just as much. citing coffeehouses as responsible is like claiming the industrial revolution was made possible by a single invention

For some reason, black coffee suddenly started feeling "slimy" in my mouth a few months ago and it never stopped I used to love it but I can't stand it now. With the bitterness my mind just jumps to "you are ingesting soap, stop"