Byrnesys Blabberings

Popped into MacBeans last week to pick up some beans and was feeling indecisive so I told the server that I had enjoyed the Old Brown Java I had a month or so ago and she recommended Gourmet Blend - Strength Rating - 4/5.

"A combination of dark roasted Indonesian coffees and our Breakfast Special producing a beautifully balanced coffee with a bittersweet chocolate texture."

The Beans smell delicious, not overly chocolate but a sweet coffee smell to them. It brews a very smooth coffee there is virtually no bitterness to the taste. I’m not sure if its because I am used to a bitter after taste but the coffee tastes somewhat weaker than the other two I’ve tried recently.

When I have been grinding these beans and then pouring water into the cafetiere there has been a lot of foam which I Imagine is created by the air escaping from in between the coffee grounds, once I let it settle I’m left with 1/3rd less coffee in the cafetiere than when I started! Does anyone know how to stop this happening, I’m wondering about pouring a lot slower.

I have worked out how much beans to grind for my little bodum cafetiere now, which saves me wasting the first 1/3rd of the bag on experimental quantities, though I have noticed that my grinder doesn’t give a very even blend and was wondering if anyone had a grinder they had found to be good?