ottawa foodies

I've always enjoyed good coffee - it's probably been at least 10 years since I've bought pre-ground coffee. It's got to be at least 5 since I could stomach the likes of Tim Horton's (gawd that stuff is terrible!). But ever since I started roasting my own coffee at home - coming up on 2 years now - I can't even drink the stuff served at most restaurants. I go out for breakfast and either have to have a cup or two at home beforehand, or wait til afterwards to brew some up.

2 years ago - just before I started roasting - I used to go to Cora's a fair bit for maybe 6 or 8 months. I used to really, really enjoy their coffee. Didn't have enough good to say about it. Last week I was meeting a friend there for the first time in about 2 years, and was not really very hesitant about their coffee because I had such good memories of it. Ug. It was terrible. 2 or 3 sips was all I could stomach. This morning I met him there again after Aikido class, so before I went to class I brewed up a french press of the good stuff and put it into a thermos which I left in the car while getting my morning ass-kicking. Then I drove to Cora's and poured myself 2 full travel mugs of piping hot coffee, and took both mugs in with me :-)

I'm wondering if anyone knows whether Cora's has changed their coffee in the past 2 years (the one on Rideau). Or is it that I've just become even more of a coffee snob?

Funny thing is that just yesterday a friend was telling me how bad Cora's coffee is. After seeing your posting, I asked him if Cora's coffee had changed within the past 2 years. He said there's a chance it got a little bit worse, but it was definitely bad more than 2 years ago.

So this supports the theory that you've become even more of a coffee snob... :-)

So, Zymurgist...what are your favorite beans?

Kristl

I'm still trying to develop favorites. Lately I've been ordering 3 different "sampler packs" from www.greenbeanery.ca so I get 12 x 1/2lb of different ones.

So far they all taste great :-)

Buy at roaster at Greenbeanery. I have the Z&D. Once you start roasting at home, you will never go back.

Mind you it will only aggravate your coffee snobbery issue.

Um, as I already said above, I do roast at home. Though I just use a corn popper - extremely effective and much cheaper (2 bucks at the Sallly Anne shop)

Zymurgist,

You use a corn popper to roast your coffee? Could you please explain this as I have a popper myself and I am seriously intrigued! :-)

First, make sure you have the right kind of popper. There are ones with a screen in the bottom of the cup - don't use. There are ones with louvres in the sides of the cup - use that one. And of course I mean a hot air popper.

Full details on how to do it are on my website here : www.bodensatz.com

It's really easy. Friends who have done the popper thing for a couple of years and bought a real roaster after that tell me the roaster is indeed better mainly in that it completely automates the process. And slightly better quality as well. But you can still get amazing quality with a popper - far better than what you buy for sure. And for the price it's certainly worth it - roasters start at about $200 including taxes.

Some day I'll get a real roaster, but I'm still going strong for close to 2 years now with a popper :-)

Side tip from my dad:

Don't use the same popper for both popcorn and for roasting coffee beans - you'll end up with coffee flavoured popcorn.

Yes, I was going to mention that but thought it would become obvious after a few roasts ;-)

Hmmmm....coffee flavoured popcorn.....could be good!

I am so excited about DYI roasting!! I have a 'Popcorn Pumper' which I bought for $3 at the Glebe garage sale this past summer. I thought about the coffee-or-popcorn exclusive use of the "pumper" and have decided that my love of coffee far outweighs my love of popcorn (which is significant).

Anyway...I was browsing your site zymurgist, and you recommend not doing this indoors? Is the smoke/smell that substantial? I am living in an apartment so my shed/backyard access is sadly limited.

The popcorn pumper is the best of the 3 or 4 different ones I have.

Yes, there is a lot of smoke when you do this. I did it in the house the first few times but my wife forced me outdoors after that ;-)

Do you have a stove vent hood that vents outside? Or a balcony?

Just try it indoors the first time and you should be OK. Well, there is a small chance it will set off a smoke detector depending on how close you are to one.

Hmmm no I don't have a vent hood but I *do* have a balcony. I also don't have a smoke detector (hey, I know, our landlord is putting one in next week!) so I could possibly get away with trying it in the kitchen/next to the open window.

One more question: do you have a specific source for your green beans in Ottawa or do you order them from elsewhere?

I used to buy from www.coffee.ca over in Gatineau but changed to ordering online at www.greenbeanery.ca