Let’s have coffee, friend? That’s basically what the title means. You see, I am venturing into a new hobby. Just last week, I got started on something that I’ve been thinking about doing for a few months now. I am grinding and brewing my own coffee at home. I am mostly grinding specialty beans. Right now, a friend of mine has gotten me started on this. He has been doing this for a couple of years now, and has been gently pushing me to do it too. The difference is that he also roasts the beans himself. He buys green coffee beans, roasts them, grinds them and brews them.
My friend is Bobby Timonera. We’ve been friends for years now, already into our second decade of friendship. Bobby resides in Iligan City. He is a former journalist, and a professional photographer. Bobby has a relatively new blogging venture too, called Kape Ta Bay, where he talks about his experience in making his coffee.
About 2 weeks ago, Bobby e-mailed me and made me an offer. If I would pay for beans, he would roast them for me, and send them to me. From there, I would handle the grinding and making the coffee. The offer sounded pretty good for me, so I said – let’s do it!
Bobby told me that I had to go buy a grinder and a French Press before he would send me any beans, so I did it. Feyma went to a local store here in Davao and bought me a cheap French Press – it’s a Chinese knock-off, just P170, about $3.50 or so. It’s a small french press that makes just a single cup of coffee. A couple days later I went shopping and found a small coffee grinder for about $10, and bought that. While I was standing in line to pay for my grinder, I texted Bobby and told him that I had all the supplies, so he could ship the coffee.
Bobby sent me about a pound (I think) of roasted beans. These beans are a Red Sea blend. A mixture of beans grown in Yemen and Ethiopia. Nicely roasted by Bobby. Within an hour of receipt of the beans, I was ready to go. I read a few websites about how to grind the coffee and how to use the french press, since I had no idea. Looked pretty straight forward, though.
I made the first cup. Watery.
I made a second cup. Better, but still not strong enough.
Third cup was a charm! Very strong, very rich, very tasty! Better than any cup of coffee I ever got in a coffee shop! Wow, this was coffee!
Bobby is coming to Davao later this week, and he is going to teach me how to roast the green beans. Yes, I love the coffee so much, I’ve decided to go all the way and do the whole process myself. I’ll roast, grind and brew, and then I’ll enjoy a super cup of coffee!
The hardest part about getting into this new hobby is finding the things needed here in the Philippines. Every step of the way, you have to search and search to find the things you need. Bobby tells me that you can’t really buy a good roaster here in the Philippines. You have to do it in a regular cooking pot, or in a popcorn popper. It works, but it is not ideal. The grinder that I have is not the right kind, but it is all I can find. I want to find a French Press that makes 3 or 4 cups of coffee, or better yet, an Aeropress (a different kind of coffee making device), but they are hard to find here. The worst part is the beans themselves. Finding good coffee beans in the Philippines is difficult. Most of the beans grown here are not really super quality. Bobby has been searching for good Philippine Beans for years now, and still has not found them. Bobby has been ordering green beans from overseas, and I suppose I will do that too. I want to find a local supplier, though, it’s just easier. We’ll see if I can find anything.
This is not just about drinking a good cup of coffee. It’s a hobby. It’s a search for the beans that are enjoyable. It’s for something fun to get involved in. I’m looking forward to getting more deeply into the hobby, learning about it, and enjoying some delicious coffee too!
Thanks for getting me into this, Bobby!
AeroPress Espresso Machine & Coffee Maker – New
Current bid: US $6.99 😉
I was going to suggest an espresso machine, but Tommy beat me to it. If you like good strong coffee, espresso is the way to go. Many good machines grind the beans also. The only drawback is they can be rather expensive.
mark C.
Nothing like going into WinnDixie and taking a brown coffee bag and putting it under a coffe bean spout containing the freshest Columbian and filling the bag about half-way and then off to another spout containing some fresh french roast and then finally a 3rd spout containing hazelnut coffee and putting just a hint in the bag for addditional flavor. Then of course the 9 grining options (from course to very fine)on the grinding machine right next to the coffee bins. Ohhhhhhhhhhh the smell of fresh grinding and ground coffee. Then it is off to my house where my Braun coffee maker is waiting desperately for my fresh ground coffee. ummmmmmmmmmmmm. The rest as they say is history. Close your eyes…….can you taste it!!!
Bob – sounds like fun. Your kitchen must smell so nice from the coffee. Hope this doesn't mean you are giving up on going to those coffee shops you mentioned. Otherwise you may have to invite everyone to your home for tastings on Monday's and Thursdays. yum……….
Hi Bob – I'd suggest obtaining a coffee maker (not a percolator type but a drip type), grind your beans a little bit on the fine side, use some fresh, clean and cold water, put things all together (per the instruction book, of course), push the "on" button, and sit back while one to twelve cups of life are created before you without any physical demands on your wrists. 😉
I do this here and back home there. I also use a paper filter (on sale where coffee supplies are sold) to hold the coffee. Makes even better coffee and removes a lot of mess when cleaning things up.
On the roasting end, you could "do it yourself" if you have an oven and permission from the "boss" of the house! 😆
There's no better way to do something then to do it yourself Bob ..Phil n Jess
aaahhh a fellow coffee addict….its all in the freshness of the roasted beans….best coffee i ever had was in Quito Ecuador…a lil coffee shop that roasted its daily coffee beans…been the bench mark since. Sounds like a GREAT hobby Bob, I can see it now "Bobs Beans" opening shops all around the RP !!!
Kamusta ka Bob,
I don't really enjoy drinking coffee, unless it is absolutely freezing outside. But I do love the smell of fresh brewed coffee in the morning, along with eggs and bacon cooking in the morning too :).
I hope you enjoy your new hobby Bob, and keep us posted on your finds.
Salamat kaayo,
Danny
Hi M-Bob,
I seem to recall reading on this site about some Catholic friars in Bukidnon that grew and sold their own specialty coffee. I may be wrong but just a thought.
Sounds like an interesting hobby. I'm not a coffee drinker myself but I love the smell of fresh-roasted coffee!
Hello Bob,
First day I was there Josey and I had to go to G Mall and get a rice cooker for the house and then I saw the drip coffee maker so I bought it too. I have have home brewed coffee sron a french press and wow it was good. I bought two diffent types of coffee from Phils aready ground and was not that impressive. But at home here I have coffee maker that is called Cusinart grind and brew. And we have some shops that roast beans daily. Even with out french press are pretty good. Oh I guess what I was trying to say is local coffee there I not so good. But it is much better than none. hehe
Bob,
I have always preferred brewed coffee to the instant version.
The first time I visited here I wanted my cup of hot coffee in the morning, but did not want to invest in a drip maker here if it would just be shelved once I returned to the states. So before I fly here I went into a Starbucks and bought a French Press similar to the one in the photo. It even came with a little timer that would beep after the 4 minute advised time to brew.
At first I did not enjoy the little powder sediment in the coffee but now miss it if I have coffee made the old fashioned way.
We still have the Press even though the times is dead. It can make up to 8 cups.
Every morning Elena makes us our morning coffee, mine in a big mug and hers in a cup. I like stronger coffee so Elena will add some extra water into her cup to lighten it up.
I looked here for a replacement in case ours break, and as you stated, they are not readily available here.
Bob, this brews for you. 🙂
Hi Bob,
Nice post! As you know, a topic very near and dear to my heart. Your friend Bobby is correct — french press + proper grind + freshly roasted bean = great coffee!
I am launching a new company this year — I have imported a commercial coffee roaster from Europe and will be roasting coffees for use in my current coffeehouse business and hopefully as freshly roasted beans for sale throughout the Philippines as well. The problem has been lining up good green bean suppliers here in the Philippines, but I'm working on it!
As a side tip for those of you who brew at home — cold, pure water is necessary. Temperature is important too and if possible make sure the water is almost at a boil when you add it to your coffee. Furthermore, a lot has to do with the grinding itself. Too fine and you'll have sediment even in a french press. Too large and you won't extract enough oils and flavor out of the coffee. Finally, coffee starts to oxidize withing minutes of roasting, and it is the oxidization process that drastically affects how your coffee tastes in general. As was already mentioned, try and find a supplier who roasts on demand for you in small batches so you can always enjoy a great cup of coffee!
PS — don't brew too much at once . . . keeping coffee warm is difficult and coffee can start to lose its freshness even after 20 minutes.
Cheers!
Hi Martin – I just sent you an e-mail with info on two sites that you might want to check out. I am sure that Bobby would be happy to meet you when you are in Iligan. He's a very nice guy. Very modest, though… he'll never even admit that he has much knowledge about coffee! Even though he is a professional photographer, he even tells me that he is not a very good photographer, and he has had photos published in worldwide magazines! 😆
Thanks, Bob!
I appreciate the links and I really do hope to meet Mr. Timonera! He sounds like a wonderful man of many talents and great taste!
Oh Wow! Mark Prince has been my hero for years. So I'm very much looking forward to hooking up with Bobby and Martin.
Martin – I've been trying to find a source of freshly roasted coffee using varieties of quality, local beans – with different roasts. Although I live in Malaybalay, the monks are using a blend that includes robusta, and that just doesn't cut it for me. Are you in Davao?
Bobby – will you show me how to develop B&W film? On the cheap? Your website is well done and the photos are beautiful. I really really want to get my camera out of the closet.
Hi Martin – No problem, happy to help. Between you, Bobby, Nick Nichols and me (and some others that Bobby knows) I think we can build up a little community of coffee connoisseurs here in Mindanao! That could lead to some nice things happening on the Mindanao coffee scene.
Hi Nick – Between all of us here in Mindanao who have commented on this, I think we can get a little group together to do some bean purchasing and such. It should be fun for all of us.
Hi Nick,
I'm also based in Mindanao. I reside in Butuan City. I'm still sourcing local beans of different varieties. Malaybalay is a pretty city — I was there a year ago and fell in love with the climate. I would be surprised if you were unable to buy arabica beans in the market or from a coffee buyer there in Malaybalay.
I agree that arabica beans are a clear winner in just about everyone's books when it comes to enjoying quality coffee. However, there are many roasters who swear some varieties of robusta beans work well in espresso-based blends (they allow for a richer crema).
The search continues for the perfect Philippine coffee farm and crop!
Cheers!
Hi Bob.
you certanly are passionate about coffee. I, very often buy beans from Ethiopia in a specialty store, were they grind it for me. Only a little amount so it will keep fresh. I too use a French press, althou we call it piston coffee maker, but I quess it is the same.
I guess we have to drink coffee together, next time I will be there, I would like to try the durian coffee.
Hi Preben – The durian coffee is quite good, especially at Blugre. They do it right! I'll be looking forward to that cup of coffee! Hope to see you soon!
Wow, atta response my sangay's post generated!
@Martin, sure, would like to hook up with you when you come to my city. I've been to your cafe a few times some years back. My wife was more into coffee then, I was into Swiss Miss, so what I remember most were the sandwiches. Yummm! 🙂 Yeah, sourcing good quality green beans in this country is frustrating, coz growers only know Nestle as their market. I think I spent more in my experiment with local beans than spending for specialty beans from online shops. Best chance would be to help educate the farmers. In my trip to Davao in the next few days, I'm meeting one coffee grower there, and we're planning to go to the farm. I sent him the same Red Sea blend I sent to Bob, and a little of the last of my Brazil beans so he could tell what specialty grade coffee tastes like. Many talents? Haha! I can hack your PC, too, so it'll run Mac OS. 😉
@Nick, now that you mentioned b&w processing … we might be in that journey together. I'm a little tired shooting digital, although clients demand digital. I might just go shooting Tri-X again for personal shoots. I gave most of my darkroom equipment (enlarger included) to another Leica boy in Manila a couple of years back, but I still have a processing tank. Hmmmm … now that everybody shoots digital, I miss the smell of the darkroom. I sure know how to process b&w films cheap! I'm not sure yet if I'm driving or taking the bus going to Davao on Thursday. Should I drive, hope to see you in Malaybalay. Oh, I was there for the Kaamulan last weekend.
Kape ta bay!
Bobby T.
Hi Sangay – First, let me explain, because a lot of these guys will have no idea what "sangay" is. In Tagalog it's Tokayo. It means two people with the same name. Since I am Bob, or Robert, and Bobby is too, we are "Sangay" to each other! 😆
Sangay, I think that we are on the edge of starting up a Mindanao Coffee Community of our own. We'll talk on Friday when I see you, and work out all the details!
Thanks for visiting my LiP Web Magazine.
Ahh fresh coffee….the smell of a freshly made cup of coffee makes all the problems of the previous day go away. It is the perfume of nature, it brings joy to my heart. Every topic can be discussed with friends, its the brew of the Gods.
Ahh soory, just got carried away, I felt I was back in Italy, drinking an espresso or cappuccino in a white china cup, close to midnight before we went out to go to a night club. It also reminds me of the romance of being in a Greek "kafenio" (cafe)on the waterfront, full of smoke from the tzaki (oven)cooking souvlakia or yeeros. In the atmosphere of the men drinking metrio/yliko " sweet or unsweet mud coffee" while playing cards or "tavli" ( backgammon ). In the Pines coffee means waking up to the aroma of love made with special care from my Pina partner. The type of coffee only a Philippina can make. I sit on the balcony overlooking the beach and watch the sea as it laps the shoreline. During this time I am also keeping an eye on the bucket, as drop by drop, it takes about 30 minutes to fill up so I can take a "budt"( bath ). Gives me a good excuse to order another coffee.
So SIR BoB, enjoy your coffee memories.
you need to go to marbel near general santos ,my friends are from there they grow coffee down there brought me back some home grown grinded fresh ! it was espresso beans wish i had some more!
Hi Bob, just want to jump in. Have you tried the coffee in Manila called "BARAKO"? Freshly brewed and really great tasting coffee. I've tried the famous coffee in Canada, Starbucks, Cappuccino in Europe, like Gevalia, Colombian and African coffees…but it seems the Barako coffee from Manila has a great tasting as well, it has a smoothness as well.
Might be a good idea SIR BoB. Open up a coffee shop in davao and call it "Hey Joe"!
Martin – Yeah, I probably just need to make the right contacts in Malaybalay. If you have any, send me their cp# and I'll try to hook up.
I get to Butuan City periodically, since I'm working on a project with ANECO – on technical loss-reduction, you'll be pleased to hear :). Will try to catch up with you next time I'm there if I can.
Bob – group buying in Davao City sounds like a great idea. But I don't there so much any more. [sitting here at house in QC drinking my high-priced Ethiopian roasted by Starbucks – aptly named, btw.]
Hi Bob, thanks for the blog feedback on the Barako (means in tagalog, macho man).
I found these article: "The Macasaet clan, who planted the Philippine’s first coffee tree in Pinagtung-Ulan, Lipa City, in the 1800s."
Just thought to share it. Not sure if anyone will be interested about the Barako coffee history. 🙂
Lipa’s ‘Barako’ coffee goes mainstream
Sorry to fill up your storage system 🙂
The article was from Inquirer:
By Mei Magsino
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 19:14:00 07/26/2008