The place I usually go to roasts there own also and it is much more fresh. I didn't see a date on the bag so I am not sure how they could audit this 7 day system. I have had 3 pots so far and the bean quality is higher than what I usually buy so I will give it another chance, I will just tell them it needs to be fresh. Or I will ask the other place about this bean and possibly get it cheaper.
I'm curious. If you've never had this coffee before but you say it is very good otherwise, how are you concluding it isn't 'fresh'? ...because it doesn't have a date on the bag? I have a bag that I got less than a week ago (so presumably from the same lot as yours) and it's great as usual. Maybe my taste buds are off.
when coffee starts to age it gets a certain smell. I can tell what my smells like after a week or so. It gets the "coffee smell" similar to what folgers or something smells like.
Interesting. Not sure my pallet is that refined but I'm a little skeptical that you could identify this coffee smell without ever having tried this coffee before. If you only comparison is to other beans/roasters, it isn't exactly scientific. That said, I found a website describing how to tell. They did also mention smell but that is highly subjective. Here's a few other methods that are less subjective: Shiny Appearance - freshly roasted beans will have a glossy shine due to the oils still sitting on the surface of the bean. Wonderful Aroma - the aroma of freshly roasted beans is wonderfully thick and intense. If you can't smell the aroma of the beans wafting out from the shopping bag as you're driving home, then they aren't fresh. Frothy Brew - known as the bloom, the coffee gasses released from freshly roasted beans will cause your brew to froth as you pour on the water. Full Flavor - freshly roasted coffee will have a full, complete flavor. If your coffee tastes bland and lacks interest, then it is not fresh. Using this criteria, it passes the test, IMO. http://www.coffee-makers-cafe.com/coffee-bean-storage-keep-fresh.html What's interesting is above article also gives you a hard and true way to determine freshness by putting the beans in a plastic bag. Next time I go, which will be in the next day or so, I'm gonna try this bag test.
Wait a minute. How can you determine how fresh the beans they sold me were? My complaint was the beans I got were not fresh. Just do this test, pour half the beans in another bag and let them sit there for 2 weeks after you buy them. the more like Folgers they smell, the older they will be. How quickly do you usually go through a pound?
Oh and there is no way the beans you buy there will pass the plastic bag test. The gas that escapes is CO2 and it is from the roasting process. This s the reason you need to wait 24-48 hours after roasting to use the beans. Anyways, the best way is to just sit on some beans for a while and smell them at different intervals. I am not crapping on your coffee store, it was my fault for not asking in the first place.
CaseyH, I'm Sorry you didn't get the freshest batch of beans there. I think that Indian Premier is the bomb, but everyone's palate is different. Sounds like you're going to try them again. Definitely tell them the batch you got were not up to snuff. We got a few bags like that once, but they sent us new ones free immediately. From my experience with them while I lived in Houston and now over the phone, they seem like a pretty customer-oriented sort of place. Let us know how it goes.
Yeah the bean quality is great and the people were very nice. They offered me a cup of coffee when I was there buying the bag but I was in a hurry and declined.
I buy whatever's cheap. Folgers, HEB, whatever. I used to buy fancier coffee, but the difference in appreciation did not compensate for the difference in price.
Cause you mentioned when you went there ...and I just happened to have been there within a day or two of you and also bought India Premeir. So if you assume they are on a 7 day roasting schedule (which is what they told me in the past), then the odds are that we got beans fom the exact same batch. But it is possible that you got there on day 7 ...which means I got there on day 2 with a fresh batch. Okay. I'll give your method a try. I'll try the other way too described in the article. Their method seems a little more scientific because you can visually observe the result ...so we don't rely only my subjective nose. I'm interested to compare the results of each test. Check back cause I'll post the results with pics. I'll go by today and pick up a new bag and I'll specifically ask them about when it was roasted. It usually takes me about 2 weeks to get through a pound. I store in the freezer (which the article says you shouldn't do, btw). One way I can "see" freshness is I often make expresso. Fresh beans produce ample crema. By the end of two weeks, the India Premier beans make almost no crema. Then I get a new bag and the crema looks like I dumped brown whipped cream on top. yummy. Been using it for years and never been unhappy with it. But Scribo is right ...to each his own. He and I seem to be happy with the freshness over the years. Maybe your are more descerning or maybe you got a bad bag?
So just picked up another pound today. I have about one pot left in my old bag so I'll do a comparison of 1 week old coffee vs the stuff I just picked up. I'm also doing the plastic bag test. I'll report the results tmro. btw, I asked them specifically how often they are roasting these days and particularly the Inida Premier. Answer: they roast India Premier ever other day. He also said each night the count what is left on the shelf so they know exactly what they need to roast next.
I never drink coffee, but for those who regularly consume this... have you tried eating an apple in the mornings as an alternative to your caffeine? If so, does it really work? It's supposed to be better in terms of effect in waking you up.. and obviously much healthier.
Man, that's a sick coffee machine . I love Gevalia coffee. Ihops coffee is a close second, but it shall always be Gevalia in the morning.
Doubtful. How is an apple going to be a successful alternative to 200 + mg of caffeine? I've tried it in the mornings though, but usually in combination with coffee lol.
