Where to get Whole Bean Coffee
Francesco's Coffee Company ·
Poppa Bean Coffee ·
Quitters Coffee ·
Bytown Beanery ·
Happy Goat Coffee ·
Equator Coffee Roasters (Almonte) ·
International Kafia ·
Bridgehead ·
Umi Cafe ·
Espresso Machine Repair Ottawa
Comments
2009 Jan 15
The main references I see to freezing coffee seem to be in bulk storage conditions (warehouse) where the beans would likely still be in their burlap sacks. This seems to have a drying affect on the beans which alters the flavour. Frozen in small quantities (a kilo or three) in a moisture-barrier container (ziplock bag, tupperware, etc) I have always had great success in freezing my beans in my pre-roasting days. All this talk really has me interested in doing a series of experiments with my freshly-roasted beans ...
2009 Jan 15
Chimichimi: I have two questions, that perhaps you...or someone else...could answer.
1) What if the coffee is air-sealed? Do the gases still escape? I know it says regardless of packaging, but using the bread theory, freshly baked bread is more likely to go stale if left out in the open air, or in hot or cold temperatures without proper packaging (ever left bread in the fridge?)
2)Further to point 1, I've heard that freezing coffee, regardless of packaging, is the worst thing you can do to it, regardless of whether it's ground or not.
(It's a bit funny actually, because when I worked at Starbucks, they made a big brew-ha-ha...pun intended..about storage and brewing of coffee. But it was always shipped pre-ground and in such massive quantities that there's no way it was "fresh")
1) What if the coffee is air-sealed? Do the gases still escape? I know it says regardless of packaging, but using the bread theory, freshly baked bread is more likely to go stale if left out in the open air, or in hot or cold temperatures without proper packaging (ever left bread in the fridge?)
2)Further to point 1, I've heard that freezing coffee, regardless of packaging, is the worst thing you can do to it, regardless of whether it's ground or not.
(It's a bit funny actually, because when I worked at Starbucks, they made a big brew-ha-ha...pun intended..about storage and brewing of coffee. But it was always shipped pre-ground and in such massive quantities that there's no way it was "fresh")
2009 Jan 15
This is what equator (equator.ca) has to say about staling:
Staling: Coffee goes stale within five days after roasting regardless of packaging. Freshly roasted coffee produces a naturally sweet tasting beverage with tremendous life, body and soul. Stale coffee produces a flat, bitter tasting beverage. The reason? Fresh roasted coffee beans produce seven times their volume in inert gas (mainly carbon dioxide), which bind with the coffee oils before escaping into the air as aroma. It takes five days for the gases to escape naturally. During this time coffee loses 85% of its true fresh taste. An excellent comparison is freshly baked bread hot out of the oven! To maximize the flavour of coffee, it is best to store roasted beans in a sealed container in the freezer. Grinding the beans further speeds up the staling process.
Staling: Coffee goes stale within five days after roasting regardless of packaging. Freshly roasted coffee produces a naturally sweet tasting beverage with tremendous life, body and soul. Stale coffee produces a flat, bitter tasting beverage. The reason? Fresh roasted coffee beans produce seven times their volume in inert gas (mainly carbon dioxide), which bind with the coffee oils before escaping into the air as aroma. It takes five days for the gases to escape naturally. During this time coffee loses 85% of its true fresh taste. An excellent comparison is freshly baked bread hot out of the oven! To maximize the flavour of coffee, it is best to store roasted beans in a sealed container in the freezer. Grinding the beans further speeds up the staling process.
2009 Jan 15
Zym, I'm so glad you said that, because I was worrying that I was losing my sense of taste.
I usually only buy enough coffee to last me three or four weeks, and I grind enough to last me a couple of days at a time (The rest is sealed in mason jars and kept in the cupboard). Over the course of those three or four weeks, the beans themselves don't lose much of their oomph. The ground stuff does, sure, but even then it's not like it magically grows terrible.
I usually only buy enough coffee to last me three or four weeks, and I grind enough to last me a couple of days at a time (The rest is sealed in mason jars and kept in the cupboard). Over the course of those three or four weeks, the beans themselves don't lose much of their oomph. The ground stuff does, sure, but even then it's not like it magically grows terrible.
2009 Jan 14
"Fresh" is a very subjective term (as my partner just noted, a "fresh" pastry could simply be so old that it talks back...)
IMHO, fresh roasted coffee is coffee that is used within a week or two, and vendors selling fresh(ly) roasted coffee aim to roast what they need so as to maximize freshness.
IMHO, fresh roasted coffee is coffee that is used within a week or two, and vendors selling fresh(ly) roasted coffee aim to roast what they need so as to maximize freshness.
2009 Jan 14
Some coffee geeks will tell you that 2 weeks old is not "fresh roasted", but personally I find very little difference in my home roasted coffee in that period of time. I know that when it originally opened, Francesco's used to boast that their coffee was usually used up within 3 days of roasting, which of course took place on site in Westboro. I have no idea what the stats are today since they outgrew their original Westboro location, but I believe they still do all their roasting within the city.
2015 Jan 7
Quitters is currently using Pilot "Big Bro" coffee beans (www.pilotcoffeeroasters.com) for their espresso. I purchased a bag to take home and compare to my home roasted Bolivian beans. I was able to make a latte at home that was similar to what I've had at Quitters. These are high quality beans, with that mellowness that North American hipsters love.
I roast my home beans a little darker, giving my coffee more of a European treatment. As a result, my own lattes taste "more like coffee" -- whatever that really means. In any case, I like a variety of beverages and Quitters' product is totally in line with the best in Ottawa. :-)
If you do buy a bag of beans there ($18 for 375g), be warned that it comes with a complimentary beverage. Don't buy it on the way out like I did and have to pass up the freebie!
I roast my home beans a little darker, giving my coffee more of a European treatment. As a result, my own lattes taste "more like coffee" -- whatever that really means. In any case, I like a variety of beverages and Quitters' product is totally in line with the best in Ottawa. :-)
If you do buy a bag of beans there ($18 for 375g), be warned that it comes with a complimentary beverage. Don't buy it on the way out like I did and have to pass up the freebie!
2015 Aug 18
I've been seriously loving the Happy Goat Espresso Dolce coffee beans I purchased after a recommendation by Sarah of Bread By Us.
After seven years of enjoying my own home-roasted coffee beans, this product has convinced me that it's no longer worth the time and effort. Sure, they cost double what my green beans did, but the result is noticeably superior.
After seven years of enjoying my own home-roasted coffee beans, this product has convinced me that it's no longer worth the time and effort. Sure, they cost double what my green beans did, but the result is noticeably superior.
2011 Mar 6
The promise on the Happy Goat website is this : "I will only sell coffee less than 48 hours out of the roaster to my customers, so they may enjoy coffee at its peak of freshness and flavour. I will only use the finest organic, and pesticide-free, fair trade coffee.”
It is pretty difficult to get any fresher than that!
It is pretty difficult to get any fresher than that!
2009 Jun 8
I spoke with one of the Barristas and he told me that the roasting was done outside of Montreal (likely between Ottawa and Montreal)
He also told me that they were preparing the roasting facility as we speak, so I am guessing that they will have some excellent roasting over by the end of the year.
He also told me that they were preparing the roasting facility as we speak, so I am guessing that they will have some excellent roasting over by the end of the year.
2009 Jan 14
Coffee at Bridgehead is roasted about an hour's drive from Ottawa, and is used within two weeks of roasting (which is some pretty good turn around for a chain, if you ask me). They also grind it in store (unlike Starbucks/Second Cup), meaning that the roast/blend changes depending upon how quickly they sell out (they grind in 5 lb doses).
The company is working on developing their own roastery within the next year or two.
The company is working on developing their own roastery within the next year or two.
Captain Caper
Feel free to place your nose to your computer screen and breath in deeply.