"Maaaaakin' Coffeeeeeee"

Lets get real. We can't all afford to buy coffee out everyday.

Okay, well maybe I'm the only one who can't afford it- my college budget currently allots for ramen noodles and powdered orange drink.

Just because my budget is limited, does not mean my pallet is. I still look for quality coffee to brew at home (for less).

I'm going to break down some of the most popular brands and rate them according to my taste preferences. Not yours, because I don't know yours.

As a general rule, my coffee has to be arabica. If your coffee is not, you are not drinking coffee; you are drinking caffeinated arsenic.

Robusta coffee (the caffeinated arsenic) is cheaper to produce and often used as a filler for blended coffee grounds, its just not my style.

The next thing I look for in a good brew is its boldness, I like my coffee pretty bold. I want to know that I am drinking something that tastes like the energy I want to have. It also gives me more flavor to play with; more depth to enjoy.

And finally, I like faint, very light flavor- especially if its caramelly or nutty. I don't like citrus or acidic undertones.

Lets break it down now.

According to a 2009 issue of Consumer Reports, Eight O'Clock Coffee ranks the best out of 19 different ground coffees tested, because of its great taste for a great price. A close second is Caribou Coffee (a delicious franchise mostly in the North.)

The bottom of the list? Unsurprisingly, Folgers and Starbucks.

I have said before I will stand by Starbucks to the (quite literally) bitter end; BUT I am not a fan of their ground coffee. Maybe its all a part of a greater money-making scheme that the at-home grounds do not taste the same as the in-store grounds, or maybe I just can't brew it right, either way I usually pass on the often pricey Starbucks brands.

And as for Folgers, I started off drinking Folgers and I recommend it to anyone who is looking to get into the coffee-drinking habit, but can't stand the taste. Folgers offers many varieties of flavored coffee to appease even the most coffee-adverse person. But beware, you will grow out of the Folgers taste, probably quite quickly too. So don't buy it in Costco bulk.

I stopped drinking the French vanilla flavored Folgers years ago and I've never looked back. Ever. I can't even stand the smell of it.

Ever.

My favorite ground coffee is Texas Pecan, and I have only ever seen it sold at my favorite supermarket/mecca Costco. But you can only pay in cash at Costco and I'm cash poor and credit rich, so it's to the regular appropriately-packaged grocery store I go.

I've been on the hunt for the perfect ground coffee. My local H-E-B has plenty of coffees to choose from and that's the trouble; there are almost too many options. The coffee aisle can be a pretty overwhelming place to mull over a purchase. You don't want to look like someone who has never drank coffee before and stand dumbfounded at all the fragrant and vacuum-sealed options, but you also don't want to make a rash decision and end up grabbing an overpriced bag of mud.

What are your favorite at home brews?

After the Break

I don't like to post a blog about a cafe without having tried the coffee, but today I am pressed for time and can only comment on the ambiance. Just imagine this is a thrilling tv show, splitting episodes to boost viewer ratings.

So I ventured into Texas French Bread Co. the other day, and I have to say, I like what I saw.

I didn't get the opportunity to try out the coffee, but I did get a chance to talk to the barista about their coffee. Like many other shops in the area, Texas French Bread Co. gets their coffee from the local roaster Anderson's. Anderson's turns out different brews for different pallets, so although you might find their roasts sold in multiple shops, it is possible that each shop has chosen a different flavor roast, in the hopes of standing out.

The cafe is one big room. Huge. There is minimal electrical lighting as most of the store is lit by large, tall windows that capitalize almost all the free space available. The vast amount of natural lighting lends to the store the feeling of solace on an isolated oasis, plopped in the middle of a loud and bustling city.

Texas French Bread Co. is a break from the 9-5 monotony. The radio is set to NPR, filling the air with random bursts of off-beat music sandwiched between soft voices discussing the latest in all the news. I can't wait to try this cafe out. I have to dash (class is about to start) but I will be back here again very, very soon.


TO BE CONTINUED.....dun dun dunnnnnn duuuuunnnnnnnn

Coffee Makes Me Velklimpt

Get your shpilkes out of your genecktecessoink and settle down with a couple of Joe.

I was asked by a friend the other day what the difference between espresso and coffee is and if they come from the same beans.

Although I knew the answer I couldn't get into the specifics, which made me a little meshbuuka. So I decided the difference between espresso and coffee would be an excellent topic for today's blog.

So here's the deal; coffee beans are used to make both coffee and espresso. The difference between the two comes down to the grind and the processes they undergo while brewing. Brewing espresso is a much faster process than brewing coffee.

First, lets talk about the coffee bean itself. Coffee beans are actually pits of a fruit, not really a bean at all. They come from small flowering trees called coffeas and are typically found in tropical environments. The fruit on this tree is often referred to as a cherry, and within the cherry is a set of two small pits, or coffee beans. Some of these cherries are a bit abnormal and only contain one bean, a peaberry. Peaberries are rounder than traditional coffee beans because they haven't had to share the fruit's center with another bean.

Some coffee is made from only peaberries, as they require a different roasting process than traditional beans. While the verdict is still out on whether or not the peaberry actually itself yields higher quality coffee, its generally believed to brew a nicer coffee.

On to espresso. Espresso is made with very finely ground coffee beans. These ground beans are then tightly packed into a spoon used to make the espresso; the tighter they are packed, the stronger the espresso. Next, very hot water is highly pressurized through the beans creating an somewhat syrupy liquid with a light foam layer balancing on top, called the crema- this is your finished espresso.

Some brave souls are ready to take the espresso straight up once its finished brewing. Others like me, prefer a little milk and flavoring, called a latte, to join the espresso in a delightful caffeinated beverage.

 Of course every barista and coffee shop has their own preference for just how hot the water should be and and how much water to use. That's why two coffee shops could brew the same espresso but have two completely different tastes.

Other drinks besides lattes that feature espresso includes: red eyes, macchiatos, cappuccinos and americanos.

If you couldn't already guessed by the etymology, espresso got its start and gained popularity in Italy.

NOTE: if you ever happen to be traveling in Italy (lucky you) please note that espresso is often referred to as caffe (translated as coffee)- because espresso is the standard coffee-based drink.

Moving on to coffee. Coffee is made from ground coffee beans (duh). Ground beans that are to be crafted into coffee are a little more course than the grind for espresso. The two most common ways to brew coffee is with an automatic coffeemaker or with a French press.

Automatic coffeemakers push hot water through a coffee filter filled with ground beans, resulting in a hot steamy liquid- coffee. The paper coffee filter absorbs the bean's oils and prevents them from mixing in with the actual coffee beverage.

The French press method is a favorite of mine. Ground coffee beans and very hot water are mixed together in a small glass container, fitted with a large stamp-like fixture with a handle coming out of the lid of the lid of the coffee maker. After a few minutes go by, the stamp is plunged into the coffee-water mixture and pushes all the grounds to the bottom, separating the two elements. This process generally produces a stronger and much more flavorful coffee, due in part to the presence of the bean's oils that are left behind in the filters of  traditional coffeemakers.

Most people think that espresso is by nature stronger than coffee. But they have the wrong thoughts. Coffee is stronger and more caffeinated than espresso. So, I guess it's actually kind of a bonus that coffee makers are cheap enough and small enough to be in the cramped confines of every dorm room in America.

Okay, I need to take a spritz. Talk amongst yourselves. I'll give you a topic: the ecological pressures modern citizens of the world are experiencing as a result of the decline in population of the African honeybee.

Discuss.

Once, Twice, THRICE

   

I pulled my big, black 2001 Ford F-150 into the narrow parking spaces in front of ThaiFresh and Thrice Café. After slamming my car doors I look into the completely windowed front of the building and see movie cameras and men dressed in ubiquitous charcoal-colored vests.

They must have known I was coming.

I can’t even write my blog without paparazzi chasing me around downtown, trying to get me to leak the latest week’s blog leads.

That’s what fame will do to you.

It's not easy being this famous.
photo courtesy of 3.bp.blogspot.com

I pull my over-sized sun glasses over my eyes and dart in through the less frequented door on the far left. I drop my things by a corner table and scan the room for crazed fans: I’m safe…for now.

Wasting no time, I lean over the counter to ask the barista in a hushed voice why reporters are here. He looks puzzled. Maybe he doesn’t know who I am.

After looking around the corner questionably, the presumable hipster comments “oh, they’re some film crew that goes around the country filming shows about restaurants who provide quality, really local food to customers.”

I look at him out of the corner of my eyes, “sooooo, they aren’t here for me?

“What?”

“Nothing,” I retort quickly, “I write a blog about local Austin coffee shops.”

“Oh, we have a lot of your type here today!”

Phew. Maybe I’ve finally found a coffee shop in Austin where I can blog and drink in peace.

I always do an initial investigation of potential coffee shops online before I actually pop into them. I want to know what the regulars order and what the best kept secret about “this place” is.

The one thing that really stood out to me on Thrice’s website menu (and what got some positive yelp.com reviews) was the house favorite caramel turtle latte. What’s nice about Thrice, and reminds me of Bennu, is the menu board dedicated to just popularly ordered drinks. Of course the friendly barista will make you anything, but a board of suggestions for first-time customers is really helpful.

Before he mixes up the caramel turtle, the barista lets me know that all the coffee beans come from Colombia and are locally roasted. Everything is fair trade. The attached restaurant/cooking school Thai Fresh is super local. Apparently, the chickens they cook with are raised just down the road from the shop. I am tempted to reference Portlandia, but I refrain.

all I could think about. 

video courtesy of youtube.com

Once he begins brewing my drink I head off back to my table to scope out the almost empty café.  Thrice kind of feels like a modern warehouse redecorated to feel like home. The unfinished ceiling is laced with a sterile white pipe and wrought iron weave; from it, hangs “Jetsons style” giant white lamps giving off bright orbs of light.

Hanging exactly three feet from my head, and right above the open mic section, is a jellyfish art installation; complete with long white tentacle thingys and a pink mushroom-capped head.

From my table I have a perfect view of the pastry case, which is packed with vegan sweet potato whoopie pies (highly recommended online, and the latest wedding dessert trend) and chocolate cake slices. Yum. If it weren’t for the startling image of me being stuffed into my soon-to-be-married sister’s bridesmaids dresses like a sausage, I would be taking full advantage of that pastry menagerie.

Sigh. I’ll see you post May 25^th…

Before I even realize it, a caramel turtle in a friendly blue mug is placed on front of me. The kind barista says, before he darts off to care for other customers, “let me know if it’s too sweet for you.” One thing is for sure, Thrice has customer service in the bag.

I can smell it almost as much as I can taste it. From the moment I pull the cup to my mouth my senses are filled with a warm, cinnamon aroma.

I know people smell the bouquets of wine and that real coffee connoisseurs smell espresso too;  but what my unrefined palate smells is chocolate. And warm flavors; Flavors that remind me of snowy New York evenings and bright blazing fires. I smell the sweet chocolate and the sharp espresso. I can taste the chocolate before it even hits my lips.

This espresso is less aggressive than other espressos I’ve had. 

My first sip is sweet, but the espresso taste is full and robust. I can taste its full bloom. Its almost as if each taste has a sweet chocolate beginning, followed by a sharp but blooming espresso bite that fizzles over my tongue and is trailed by another warm milky chocolate flavor. Sweet, then pleasantly bitter, then sweet.

Caramel turtle latte

There’s a friendly bit of hazelnut popping by just to say hello. I don’t mind. It can drop-in unexpected anytime.The espresso has a dark taste to be sure, but it doesn't cut all sweetness of the chocolate and it fades with the reappearance of the chocolate.

For anyone that wonders how espresso is supposed to bring out the flavor in chocolate, look no further; take a sip of this concoction and the world will suddenly make sense.

The further I get through my mug the more bite I taste. But it isn’t a bitter bite, its soft and full

I like it more, the less that is left- kind of how I feel about most fashion trends.

Behind me a patron has taken advantage of the open mic set up. He must come here a lot, because he knows the owner by first name. He’s warming up by strumming out soft melodies. They are a little melancholy but something in his chords make me feel that his heart is happy. I’m happy too.

His sweet but deep sound reminds me of my presently-finished caramel turtle latte. Now feels like as good at time as any to slip out the side door. Before I leave I thank the barista again, and once more take in a deep breath of Thrice Café. As I exhale, the door closes and I am halfway to my truck.

I’ll be back.

Coffee drinkers: Ask the barista to surprise you, they know what they are doing here.

Non-coffee drinkers: They have a LARGE selection of teas- take advantage of them.

Store location:

909 W. Mary St

Austin, TX

78704

Store hours:

Mon - Fri: 7am -9pm 

Sat - Sun: 8am - 9pm

512.447.9473