[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by gobolts

Hi, I just registered here so that I could reply to this post (I've been reading here for years, just had not registered to post). I love coffee and was so happy to see someone else roasting coffee! I don't drink it for the caffeine but just because I have always loved it since I was around 12 years old and used to see my dad enjoying coffee so much. I've been roasting my own coffee (green coffee beans) since probably around 2000 so close to twenty years and although I am by NO means an expert, I definitely know more about coffee than the average person. What OpusX1 says is completely correct, ground coffee is stale very quickly, within days, and that is regardless of whether it is vacuum packed or not. Now, this does not mean people won't enjoy it, most people are used to stale coffee because that is all you'll find at the grocery store, and they love it because that's what they are used to, totally understandable. And some will never appreciate fresh roasted coffee no matter what.

But there are so many other factors that go into a good cup of coffee, and freshness of the coffee itself is only the beginning (you can actually still make a really bad cup of coffee with fresh beans). It also needs to actually be good quality coffee, the water used to brew it needs to be good and of the correct temperature (hardly any drip coffee makers heat the water to the correct coffee-brewing temperature), and the brew method also makes a huge difference. I purchase green coffee beans at Sweet Maria's online and also learned all about coffee roasting from that site, so if anyone is interested they have tons of info there and roasting coffee is really easy, you guys should try it! I have no affiliation with them by the way, just that I have tried many different places online to buy green coffee beans and always go back to them.

And p.s. to answer the original question, I like cream and sugar in my coffee, and that is real cream from our cows. You people drinking low fat half and half just make me so sad lol.

I am impressed with your expertise, but do not intend to emulate you. I have been drinking coffee since I was very little, four or five, when given a little coffee and a lot of milk and some sugar. I grew to be 5'9" so it did NOT stunt my growth as I have sometimes heard and I love coffee, hot OR cold, always with half and half and the best is brewed by the lovely folks who live at my house from a red plastic can that says Folgers in the morning and a green can in the evening. I have...….maybe three cups a day and it keeps me from doing violent things.