☕ What's your definition of "good" coffee?

[Beano]

Definitely a barista guy, but will accept a good machine ground coffee. We have one at work so probably drink too much. Pods not great, but adequate.

 

[DejaBrew]

I tend to view 'cafe' culture and 'coffee' culture as related but different things, and many times you get one or the other.

For example, I would say that France has a great 'cafe' culture. All about the venue, surroundings and ambience. Not so much about the actual coffee.
On the other hand, some places sell you a great coffee, which you grab and sip as you hurry off to work, No much about the cafe.

That's a fair point.

Specific to my comments on South Korea, I guess what I was meaning is that there are a lot of boutique places that can be found both on and off the beaten path. Some of these are - to your point - trying to achieve a certain ambiance rather than focusing on the coffee per se, but I found plenty of places that are just as passionate about what they serve.

For example, the "943 King's Cross Wizard Cafe" - which if I'm not mistaken, was originally known as the "King's Cross 9¾ Wizard Cafe" - in Seoul is (as you might have guessed) a Harry Potter themed cafe. They've gone all out trying to recreate a sense of being in Hogwarts and other well-known locations from the books/movies, but I'd suggest that coffee comes secondary to the theme. Admittedly the image below was a hot chocolate.



Going back to the coffee end of the spectrum, we have %Arabica in the CoEx Mall, who have gone for a very modern appearance...



...but really, they can let their coffee do most of the talking when just outside is the Starfield Library -:



Not my video, but same show I saw last year...

On Jeju Island, you could try a "Hallabong Einspänner" whilst relaxing at Gyuldangri Cafe, located along the Sinchang Windmill Coastal Road...




Or for something a little different, try a Tangerine Latte at Cafe Tangerine Flower Attic, a dessert cafe in Seogwipo City that occupies an old stone building that's been converted into a beautiful space filled with memories from the owner's childhood growing up with their grandmother. You can even dine at the benches outside, surrounded by tangerine trees -:





I guess my point is that there's a definite mix in South Korea. Plenty of great little places to explore - some purely focusing on the ambience, others focusing more on the product they serve. Either way, there's plenty to explore and discover, and plenty of hidden gems serving up all sorts of tasty beverages (coffee or otherwise).

 

[VPS]

• Simon Coll

Original Drinking Chocolate 45% cocoa cinnamon 200g | Simón Coll

Buy Original Drinking Chocolate 45% cocoa cinnamon 200g at the Simón Coll online chocolate store.

www.simoncoll.com

Drinking Chocolate 60% cocoa with cinnamon 200g | Simón Coll

Buy Drinking Chocolate 60% cocoa with cinnamon 200g at the Simón Coll online chocolate store.

www.simoncoll.com

I like my chocolate at least 70% preferably 85%

 

[harvyk]

Tastes good, not too weak, not too strong, made from good quality beans.

I personally prefer barista coffee, when made by someone who knows what they are doing. I will drink pods (and do so at home), and pods are better than a bad barista coffee.

 

[SeanExile]

Cant stand most coffee in Australia. Its seriously piss poor. few things annoys me as much as when Aussies, put their nose in the air and seriously think they understand coffee. If there ever was anxiety about the lack of own cuisines, look at the recent (20 years) coffee culture in Australia.

There is a reason why most of the world isn't as impressed with Aussie coffee as the Melbournites seem to think. Foir those of us fortunate to have lived across the world, we dont think that good coffee means buying a fancy machine that equal coffee with espresso. Nor employing a barista and giving them three hours training, then sourcing low quality Arabica beans from a local suburban massmarket roaster that sells them on the promise of high quality and fair trade in a 'sassy' packaging. Seriously burnt espresso with to hot milk thats semi frothed (machine isnt good at it) thats not quality coffee...

Give me a decent cup in Asia, in most of Europe anyday over the Australian burnt espresso made from cheap arabica beans anyday.

Pls from the entire world to annoying Melbourne yuppies that havent travelled enough, understand that espresso and coffee are two different things...

 

[Forg]

^ I obviously went to all the wrong places in Europe.

Can understand how/why your experience of a decent cup in Asia being really really hard to find, though. Asian cultures just don’t coffee.

 

[oz_mark]

^ I obviously went to all the wrong places in Europe.

Can understand how/why your experience of a decent cup in Asia being really really hard to find, though. Asian cultures just don’t coffee.

The ones that grow coffee seem to do coffee.

 

[Chicken]

Give me a decent cup in Asia, in most of Europe anyday over the Australian burnt espresso made from cheap arabica beans anyday.

I last went to Singapore and Hong Kong and China around 2018 and 2019, and I didn't like the coffee there.

Singapore: kopi is too watery and too weird for me. Why is the kopi sweet? It's weird to me

Hong Kong: there is no good cuppa or flat white. They have iced Hong Kong style coffee in 'tea restaurants' (Cha chaan teng 茶餐廳 ), which I consider OK in hot humid summer, but not something I would drink in the morning.

China : I did order a specifically marked "flat white" in Shanghai once, and it was drinkable.

Thai coffee : What's with the condensed milk? Eww.

Vietnam coffee : That's just disguesting.

So, I just drink bubble tea in Asia.

 

[qaz]

I like my chocolate at least 70% preferably 85%

any recommendations for drinking blocks that dark?

i recently considered trying The Original Cocoa Traders' Shadow Tiger (63% powder) or Ship to Wreck (70% flakes), until my local fortunately restocked Simon Coll

Best Dark Drinking Chocolate Powder — The Original Cocoa Traders

Organic. Low GI. Wholefoods. Dark chocolate.

www.toct.com.au

 

[elanshin]

I've had a few more cold brews this fortnight.

We really all need to let the airlines know this is a great alternative option onboard. A solidly made coffee that is designed to be in the fridge.

People can still have their hot airline "coffee" but if I saw cold brew on the plane menu I'd probably go for that in a heartbeat knowing it was properly made on the ground.

 

[JohnK]

$1 7-Eleven Coffee.

Or the $1 coffee at Coles Express that is free on Fridays with purchase of fuel.

I don't drink coffee and I don't understand this obsession with designer coffee. I don't understand the number of people lined up to get their fix.

My 7 year old daughter likes to drink coffee. I don't know where this started but guess it started with baby cino etc. We occasionally have coffee in lounge or in flight and she doesn't finish it so I finish it. We also buy the various bottled coffees in supermarkets when they are marked down.

Just like wine all coffee tastes the same.

Just sayin....

 

[DejaBrew]

Just like wine all coffee tastes the same.

Heresy!!!

To be fair, I used to love the smell of coffee but couldn’t stand the taste.

 

[elanshin]

Or the $1 coffee at Coles Express that is free on Fridays with purchase of fuel.

I don't drink coffee and I don't understand this obsession with designer coffee. I don't understand the number of people lined up to get their fix.

My 7 year old daughter likes to drink coffee. I don't know where this started but guess it started with baby cino etc. We occasionally have coffee in lounge or in flight and she doesn't finish it so I finish it. We also buy the various bottled coffees in supermarkets when they are marked down.

Just like wine all coffee tastes the same.

Just sayin....

It's could also possibly a smell /taste combination. If you have slightly dulled senses in one then everything becomes similar.

 

[Chicken]

Just like wine all coffee tastes the same.

May I introduce you something like the Hunter Valley Wine School or equivalent?

I knew nothing about wine, like 'why would you drink that? OK, whateves', to able to choose and appreciate wine, because I went to this.

At an event like this, there would be someone who gives you a run down on the basics, then they would pour 8 or 10 glasses of red, and another 8 or 10 glasses of white, leave them all in front of you, and you get to taste all of them back and forth, so you could actually tell the difference.

And also, they are there to help you find what you like, with no judgement (unlike some of those pretentious drinkers). It's a drink positively event.

Kinda like, what would you do if you were to stand in front of the ice cream fridge in Coles? So many options, but they are all ice cream. So, most people would just pick Peters Original or Streets Blue Ribbon. They take it home, it tasted OK, so they would pick the same thing when they go into Coles next time.

Even if you were to take a chance next time, and buy a Bulla tub, it's unlikely that you would have Streets Blue Ribbon with you at the same time to compare against

And how long would it take you to compare everything from the freezer in Coles?

But imagine, if someone was to scoop one scoop from each tub from the freezer in Coles? You could taste everything next to each other. You would quickly realise how cough is Peters vanilla, and you would also quickly realise that many people like mint but you don't because you had tried mint from every manufacturer, and even though most people don't like mochi ice cream but you actually really do like it a lot, and that's fine, because everyone likes different things, and those pretentious eaters who like mint and look down upon people who don't like mint are just wa*^ers.

Coffee is similar.

 

[Forg]

It's could also possibly a smell /taste combination. If you have slightly dulled senses in one then everything becomes similar.

No, it’s just that if you don’t like something then you basically don’t consume it, and the taste of those things is close enough that they actually do all taste the same.

I mean, I’m sure @JohnK said it in jest knowing this full well … John, I’m sure there is something(*) you eat or drink which you’re passionate about, the difference between proper barista coffee made properly & instant coffee to someone who likes coffee is like the difference between the best expert-who-knows-what-they’re-doing version of that food-or-drink and the worst frozen generic-supermarket-brand TV-dinner version of it.

Mind you there are also plenty of people who’ve never (or rarely) had good coffee & only drink it because of the caffeine addiction &/or because it’s free at work. Those who’ll enthuse over filter-coffee, for example (most of those being in the US). I’m very much in agreement with you, John, that it’s like wine - it’s quite a strong flavour and so is definitely an acquired taste, and it does take the right circumstances to be bothered to acquire the taste (with wine I don’t even know what those circumstances were for me - with coffee I always liked the smell if not the flavour and mochas at coffee-shop team meetings were basically that gateway).


(*) Having said that, there are people who just don’t enjoy eating or drinking, and only do it ‘cos they’re hungry or thirsty … I suspect it’d be best for my health if I were one of these, although life would be extremely colourless!

 

[VPS]

I don't drink coffee and I don't understand this obsession with designer coffee. I don't understand the number of people lined up to get their fix.

I don't understand people that gamble but doesn't mean to say you should you diss the people that do

 

[VPS]

any recommendations for drinking blocks that dark?

i recently considered trying The Original Cocoa Traders' Shadow Tiger (63% powder) or Ship to Wreck (70% flakes), until my local fortunately restocked Simon Coll

Best Dark Drinking Chocolate Powder — The Original Cocoa Traders

Organic. Low GI. Wholefoods. Dark chocolate.

www.toct.com.au

It looks like it would be hard to get those Ship to Wreck flakes but they look good.

There used to be a shop in the Adelaide Central market that had the 70% beads but they closed.

I sometimes get the Lindt 85% or 90% and just melt that in milk and stir it up.


These are also OK

Callebaut Dark 70% Belgian Chocolate Buttons - 2.5kg | eBay

This makes it the ideal chocolate for boosting rich chocolate flavour in your creations.

www.ebay.com.au

Callebaut Dark 70% Bittersweet Chocolate 400G | eBay

It has an intense, yet very balanced chocolate taste. This makes it the ideal chocolate for boosting rich chocolate flavour in your creations. Recipe n° 70-30-38 is one of the dark chocolates that is favoured by many chefs and chocolatiers all over the world.

www.ebay.com.au

https://www.amazon.com.au/Callebaut-Dark-Chocolate-Callets-400/dp/B0794ZBTZY/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1X2MLFR9UOR4U&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.CYs8UvK47msPo3Ff7uS7tzsI5h0JOtM0etfayrDZQ9vDh2o5C7jS1nYdKbxGAFKqslqNkK9psByWnG7dbt5ztEErkB4L9iz9cddKcvVgUIonl7JqIySxvNGN04nQjHI8kwf93V68SjwNj406-2XARutGMU0uzg6vr8tvWSaqBIaP2Nwz4KihlXrYl9s969SYnETxYPvwZyLKsTOFwOKArRYGqzJ_u0oXFNpUZosdjJT_FIU6TFkEu54-6bxPnTfgYmC4NI6WSemZGZ94DDRSPGhqtpt3Pa79jnw9T7DrIcc.IOGfFogULyrR0X8Q23LxRYG7VU766niRB2_jMroGlms&dib_tag=se&keywords=Callebaut+Dark+Chocolate+Callets+70.5%25%2C+400+g&qid=1725166884&s=grocery&sprefix=callebaut+dark+chocolate+callets+70.5+400+g%2Cgrocery%2C249&sr=1-1

 

[Seat0B]

To be fair, I used to love the smell of coffee but couldn’t stand the taste.

I’m still a bit like this after chemo last year. I was devastated to go off coffee. Still not fully back on it, which leads to my observation that paying the same as a coffee for a pathetic tea bag and a cup of not even boiling water is a total rip off. There is only so much hot chocolate or chai latte or milkshakes a person can drink, so I have cut consumption quite a lot. Which then makes my milk (as a proxy for calcium) intake problematic as the free school milk program in the 1960s and 1970s has totally made me hate milk unless it’s disguised in ….coffee or a milk shake.

 

[qaz]

It looks like it would be hard to get those Ship to Wreck flakes but they look good.

they're at my same local with Simon Coll

These are also OK

Callebaut Dark 70% Belgian Chocolate Buttons - 2.5kg | eBay

This makes it the ideal chocolate for boosting rich chocolate flavour in your creations.

www.ebay.com.au

Callebaut Dark 70% Bittersweet Chocolate 400G | eBay

It has an intense, yet very balanced chocolate taste. This makes it the ideal chocolate for boosting rich chocolate flavour in your creations. Recipe n° 70-30-38 is one of the dark chocolates that is favoured by many chefs and chocolatiers all over the world.

www.ebay.com.au

https://www.amazon.com.au/Callebaut-Dark-Chocolate-Callets-400/dp/B0794ZBTZY

thanks - i have some 70-30-38 callets (2.5kg bag!), as well as 100% cocoa powder, but never actually considered trying to use them for hot chocolate, for which they package 811 callets

Callebaut - Dark Chocolate for Drinks - Hot Chocolate 811 - 35g Callets | callebaut.com

The dark, intense chocolate to stir in hot milk. Intense and round chocolate taste with solid cocoa flavours.

www.callebaut.com

 

[VPS]

they're at my same local with Simon Coll


thanks - i have some 70-30-38 callets (2.5kg bag!), as well as 100% cocoa powder, but never actually considered trying to use them for hot chocolate, for which they package 811 callets

Callebaut - Dark Chocolate for Drinks - Hot Chocolate 811 - 35g Callets | callebaut.com

The dark, intense chocolate to stir in hot milk. Intense and round chocolate taste with solid cocoa flavours.

www.callebaut.com

What local shop has that - I should check with a boutique place near me. They might get them in.

The 811 are only 55% and I prefer darker.