I have to admit that I have a peculiar taste when it comes to coffee: I only enjoy americano, and only with dark blend coffee. I never liked milky drinks, and whilst I do drink filter coffee occasionally (when an americano isn’t a choice), I can’t tolerate the taste of the plain espresso. I will probably perish on this hill.

And in my limited time on earth, I did manage to get a taste of plenty of bad coffee. I mean no disrespect to the roasters and the company, but I threw out the cup I got from the shop after a few sips. I also got a bag of El Fresno to try at home (big mistake!) and my baseline cup from the shop had me dreading to open that bag.

Firstly, El Fresno is a medium roast. Yes, I normally prefer dark roast, and I’m still getting used to the new coffee machine I got. But I tried every possible combination with the bag I got, to make a decent cup of coffee. Maybe someone with more experience than me can make a better cup, but in honesty, I failed to do so. In the end, I emptied my grinder and threw out what’s left of the beans.

Here’s the recipe for the most drinkable cup of coffee I managed to make with El Fresno beans:

  • Coffee: 18.5g
  • Grind: 6 (inner burr at 4)
  • Out: 45g
  • Time: 28-35s
  • Water: 180ml