I finally got why people roast their own beans after visiting that tiny shop in Astoria

Stopped into this little place called Coffee Girl down by the river last week while the kids were at a playdate. The owner was just finishing up a batch of Ethiopian beans and the smell was so different from what I'm used to... more like toasted nuts and berries than that burnt smell from the big chains. She let me taste a sip of the fresh roast compared to something that had sat for 3 weeks and it was like two totally different drinks. The fresh one was bright with this almost wine-like finish. Now I'm looking at those $30 countertop roasters on Craigslist. Has anyone else done a side by side like that with fresh vs old beans?

2 comments

2 Comments

carter.jennifer19d ago

Oh man, I totally get this now! I used to think fresh beans were just a snob thing until my neighbor brought over some beans he roasted in a popcorn popper (of all things) and we did a blind taste test with my store-bought stuff. The fresh ones had this crazy blueberry note I never would have believed, while mine tasted flat and kind of dusty in comparison. Now I'm the weirdo saving up for a proper roaster because that one taste really did change my mind about the whole thing.

campbell.nora18d ago

Hold your horses, it's just coffee.