Coffee Bean Facts

[barbszy]

I was watching America's Test Kitchen today and learned an interesting thing about coffee beans.

There are always some "dud" beans that make their way through the system. You can identify them in your bag of roasted whole bean coffee because they will not be smooth and dark brown--they will be lighter brown and a little rough looking.

The test kitchen people made a cup of coffee just with those beans and said it was disgusting.

Certain brands had more dud beans per pound than others....I won't name names here since they only showed 5 brands anyway....but I figure, the next time I buy a bag of coffee beans I will pour the whole thing into a big bowl and pick out the duds.

[cat lover]

Hmmm something I didn't know! With the price of coffee that would be horrible to spend all that money and get duds! Since they were listed on TV and I drink mega amounts of coffee; if you don't mind I'd love to know what those five brands where; if you still don't want to post them here would you mind PM me with them?

[barbszy]

I can't remember all of them but I think the order was:

1. Starbucks
2. Millstone
3. Green Mountain Coffee
4. Dunkin' Donuts
5. Chock Full O'Nuts

#1 and #2 were VERY close, almost no difference. Same for #5 and #4.

I checked my beans (Melitta) before grinding this morning. No duds in the bit I was using to grind. It's easy enough to just check them as a "batch."

[cat lover]

Thanks ! There are a couple on that list that I buy once in awhile, will have to check them out. I rarely buy anything except whole beans as I like to grind my own per pot!

[barbszy]

I guess I will just have to do my own experimenting using the brands I like the best.

I could do a lot worse than taste-testing coffee, right? :D

[bellissima]

Hmmm, I had no idea. My husband likes for me to make him coffee, but I am loving my Senseo coffee maker that I don't make him a regular pot anymore. I will have to remember this though for when I do. Whole coffee beans are too expensive to have duds in them.

[barbszy]

I have found that a pound of whole bean coffee lasts me longer than a pound of ground. Who knows why....but it might cancel out the cost. I think it's funny that the less-processed coffee costs more! :confused:

I have gone through some Melitta whole bean and some Green Mountain Coffee organic whole bean, and only found about 3 "duds" per pound bag in each of them. Not bad. I just pour the beans into my hand before putting them in the grinder.

[cat lover]

I think it probably lasts longer because of the grind you use;I know I don't grind mine very fine, but people all grind theirs different.

[Bilby]

And we have none of those brands I'll have to do my own testing LOL
I didn't know about the dud beans but now will go through and check before I grind them up.

Actually I think there is a Starbucks down the coast but that is an hour away and in a very touristy area.

[MindyBean]

I haven't ever ground my own coffee. How many beans (approx.) does it take to make a 12 cup pot of coffee? I was going to buy the coffee pot that has a grinder in it but my Mom pointed out that a coffee bean grinder would be a lot cheaper! I need to buy one but haven't done it yet.

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Interesting. I am so picky about coffee. I would not have suspected that Starbucks would be on that list. I don't drink that brand all that often, but with what they charge, it should be perfect. lol

[cat lover]

I haven't ever ground my own coffee. How many beans (approx.) does it take to make a 12 cup pot of coffee? I was going to buy the coffee pot that has a grinder in it but my Mom pointed out that a coffee bean grinder would be a lot cheaper! I need to buy one but haven't done it yet.


It depends on what grind you use, you can grind them from fine all the way to coarse; depending on the setting you use to grind them in your grinder.;)

Your mom is right; the individual grinder you can usually get from $100.00 on up; depending on how fancy you want. The $10.00 one works just fine.:D

[barbszy]

DeBora, they weren't listing all BAD brands....they had a cross-section. Starbucks scored the best. The chef on the show said that EVERY brand will have a dud or 2 in a bag. But the best ones will have very few.

My grinder doesn't let me select a grind but I think the longer I press the button the finer the grind will become. :confused: I have never ground for a whole pot and don't think I could fit that much in there at once! I make 4 cups at a time, and a REALLY BIG handful (I have small hands) is enough for that. To do a whole pot in my 12-cup coffeemaker I'd have to separately grind 3 handfuls....my grinder is kind of little but since I'm the only coffee drinker here, it works for me.

[cat lover]

My first grinder had a selection control on it my second one didn't and now my third one is Mr. Coffee brand and it doesn't either. Can you tell I drink lots of coffee? LOL

[DeBora4BobbyL]

DeBora, they weren't listing all BAD brands....they had a cross-section. Starbucks scored the best. The chef on the show said that EVERY brand will have a dud or 2 in a bag. But the best ones will have very few.


Thanks for clearing that up.

[happy2bg33k]

Wow! I always wondered why some beans looked considerably different than others in the bag. I tended to leave those in the bag and come to think of it when we were down to the last beans the coffee tasted pretty lousy!

[vicki2]

Glad that got cleared up about Starbuck's. I'm addicted to the French Roast beans, and have never seen any light colored ones in bags. For me, the taste is by far the richest and I love it!

[Bilby]

Awww makes we want to try Starbucks coffee now, we don't have many stores here, actually there is only 1 I know of and that is 75 min drive from my place in a very touristy area

[barbszy]

Kathy, if you like dark roast coffee you will like Starbucks. If you are like me and prefer a mild flavor, Starbucks will NOT taste good to you. Even their "medium roast" is too dark for my taste.

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Kathy, if you like dark roast coffee you will like Starbucks. If you are like me and prefer a mild flavor, Starbucks will NOT taste good to you. Even their "medium roast" is too dark for my taste.

I love the darker roasts, so maybe that is why I don't have a problem with Starbucks. I didn't know they were different this way. Thanks for the information.

[vicki2]

YOu don't need to have a Starbucks near you to try the beans. Costco, A & P and loads of smaller supermarkets now sell the line of their coffees.
Costco has great deals on it!

[mamab]

I think the look of the bean is all dependent upon how long they are roasted or possibly things that are added. However, don't take my word for it. I don't drink coffee, so I'm sure I'm the last person to listen to. ;)

[barbszy]

The issue is that all the beans of similar type and roast should appear uniform in the bag. These "duds" definitely look and feel different than the rest.

[cat lover]

I think the look of the bean is all dependent upon how long they are roasted or possibly things that are added. However, don't take my word for it. I don't drink coffee, so I'm sure I'm the last person to listen to. ;)
Hmmm, don't drink coffee? How did you manage that! LOL I really can't remember how or when I started drinking it, but just seems like I always did! I'm really bad---I drink 3-4 POTS per day in the cold weather!

[Bilby]

I'm definately a meduim roaster, strongish but not "the spoon can stand by itself in the mug" strong! Starbucks not for me.
I did have a look at my bag o beans when I last ground some coffee just to see if there were any undesirables, there were a few mut not too many.

[barbszy]

Here's a link to the article on America's Test Kitchen (http://www.cookscountry.com/tasting.asp?tastingid=338&bdc=4056&extcode=L7JN4AF00) website with the coffee information.

I had to laugh as I read through this again. I like the lighter roast coffee, WITH milk and sugar. The darker roasts still taste burned to me. Guess I am not a connoisseur, but I know what I like and I'm happy to stick with it. The list breaking down the brands into the degree of "how dark is the roast" will help me choose among coffees I know I will like instead of wasting money on beans that taste burned to me.

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Count me as one of those coffee connoisseurs. lol I will have waitresses bring me coffee and tell me it is fresh. I can tell when it is and it isn't. I can also tell when it is a good brand or not. Most restaurants don't have the best coffees but they are okay. I have gone in and purchased the best brands, and I could tell which was the brand I bought. DH would make me my special brand and I would say that something is wrong with my special coffee since it tastes weird. That is when he tells me that he forgot and made it with the cheap stuff.

But, I will say this important thing. Coffee, whether cheap or expensive, tastes great with friends!

[Bilby]

My inlaws came over on the weekend and I made them coffee with my beans, my MIL said, what is this brand it's so much nicer than what FIL buys, they are bitter. LOL
So she is now going out to buy her own coffee beans to put in her plunger LOL

I agree soooo much nicer when there is some one to chat with!

[cat lover]

I love grinding my own beans for coffee; always tastes better to me! Now the days are starting to cool down my coffee drinking will start increasing! LOL Need to check my stock and watch for sales to stock up for the winter. Coffee with friends is nice, but here in the woods it's usually me and the TV LOL; DH doesn't drink much coffee at all and could live without it altogether!

[OnTheMenu]

Can you tell me what "dud" means? Like, is just the taste horrible or do you mean they taste horrible and there is no active caffiene strength in them? That is interesting tho!

[barbszy]

I don't know anything about the caffeine content of the "dud" beans. The article just says they have a bad taste to them. That's enough to keep me from using them!