3FE experience

duckworth

Anybody else notice a drop in quality in the filter coffees from 3FE?

Went into the Abbey street one yesterday and asked for a filter - they put some hot water water in a cup and then filled it up from some kind of filter machine.
The coffee was fine, but it didn't have the same depth of flavour it used to have.

For the same price they used to grind the beans fresh and make it in a Chemex. I used be fine with paying 3eur for the coffee, but its pretty steep now for what you're getting.

Also, the Grand Canal Dock still seem to do it to order, although they now do it with aeropress, which never gets the same wow factor on flavour as the Chemex. Brought a friend the other day and was pretty disappointed.

adrian522

duckworth wrote: »

Anybody else notice a drop in quality in the filter coffees from 3FE?

Went into the Abbey street one yesterday and asked for a filter - they put some hot water water in a cup and then filled it up from some kind of filter machine.
The coffee was fine, but it didn't have the same depth of flavour it used to have.

For the same price they used to grind the beans fresh and make it in a Chemex. I used be fine with paying 3eur for the coffee, but its pretty steep now for what you're getting.

Also, the Grand Canal Dock still seem to do it to order, although they now do it with aeropress, which never gets the same wow factor on flavour as the Chemex. Brought a friend the other day and was pretty disappointed.

They used a Kalita in GCS for me last weekend. I'd imagine if you prefer a Chemx they would be fine with that if you asked them to use one.

Very rarely get into town during the day so can't comment on the abbey street store.

puffishoes

Maybe a victim of it's own success.

I used to enjoy going and having the coffee done by the man himself who would pass some knowledge and it really felt like the "3fe experience"

Now it just feels like a run of the mill coffee shop.

Really disappointing to see as for me it was the only place for this unique feel in Ireland. Which previously i only found in the UK.

I think it has spurred on others to deliver a better product tho.

RIP

donnacha

duckworth wrote: »

Anybody else notice a drop in quality in the filter coffees from 3FE?

From my experience its improved over the years

duckworth wrote: »

Went into the Abbey street one yesterday and asked for a filter - they put some hot water water in a cup and then filled it up from some kind of filter machine.

I think those are the new Marco batch brewers they use - have had a mug or two and always enjoyed them.

duckworth wrote: »

For the same price they used to grind the beans fresh and make it in a Chemex. I used be fine with paying 3eur for the coffee, but its pretty steep now for what you're getting.

Did you ask for a Chemex? I'm sure if you had they would of sorted you - if you ever speak to Colin he is all about the customer and I'm pretty sure he gets that across to all his staff.

puffishoes wrote: »

Maybe a victim of it's own success.
I used to enjoy going and having the coffee done by the man himself who would pass some knowledge and it really felt like the "3fe experience"

C'mon - he has two shops now so he can't be in both places at once. I've ran into him on numerous occasions over the past 3 to 4 mths. In fact I've had better brews and espressos served by his staff than him.

P.S. If you want him to serve you today then don't expect him to be there as he is off respresenting Ireland at the World Barista Championships.
Looks like he has made it through to the finals also! http://new.livestream.com/worldcoffee/WBC2012semis

PPC

I'm sure they'd be more than happy to brew a Chemex if you asked.
The vast majority of customers don't want to wait 5 minutes for a filter coffee and would much rather a quick cup.
I've found they're more than accommodating of requests when you ask, Brian in 3FE GCS even ran through mojo'ing a brew with me to show me the process one day.

Don't be afraid to give feedback to them too, they really appreciate it and all involved benefit from it.

bro'

Believe Colin came a very respected 3rd place in finals ....http://new.livestream.com/worldcoffee/WBC2012finals

duckworth

I didn't ask for a Chemex because I asked for what I always ask for and got something different - I simply asked for a filter coffee.

On the menu they say filter coffee for 3, or Barista's choice for 3.50 (I'm not sure what this is) - I wasn't aware that you could ask for the method.

And I'm not sure the vast majority of people aren't prepared to wait 5 minutes - 90% of the people in there are coffee nerds - they're not looking for a quick in and out.

The coffee is still quite good - I've just found it lost it's wow factor - especially from the Marco Batch brewer they now use in Abbey Street. I'm not sure a coffee from that is worth 3 quid.

puffishoes

also i notice places that that used to use hasbean like murphy's don't stock it anymore.

wonder if it's related.

duckworth

I see Colin posted a link to this thread on Twitter.

Cue a load of people rolling their eyes and saying I don't know what I'm talking about.

I think I'm making a legitimate point though. I appreciate the logistics of doing to-order filter in a busy cafe is difficult - but I still say the taste is not what it used to be, in the Twisted Pepper especially.

puffishoes

Strange that he would post a link to it on twitter and not just engage with the thread.

Doodee

puffishoes wrote: »

Strange that he would post a link to it on twitter and not just engage with the thread.

I'm sure he will once he is back and settled from Vienna. Tbh, It warrants a well thought response which is more comfortably done with a keyboard and coffee than off an iPhone/iPad screen.

alastair

I saw Colin pouring a jar of Maxwell House into the back of the Marco boiler one morning. Maybe that's somehow related?














Disclaimer: I did NOT see Colin pouring a jar of Maxwell House into anything. It was Nescafe.

puffishoes

alastair wrote: »

I saw Colin pouring a jar of Maxwell House into the back of the Marco boiler one morning. Maybe that's somehow related?














Disclaimer: I did NOT see Colin pouring a jar of Maxwell House into anything. It was Nescafe.

There's the start of the twitter responses.

this isn't going to end well.

llatsni

@duckworth
Let me get you straight: You asked for a filter coffee, they gave you a filter coffee.

The rest is subjective - and in my opinion - mostly your problem.

There's plenty of coffees / methods that I try and do not like, but that is as interesting to me as the ones that really wow.

Try figure out *why* you didn't like the flavours of the coffee you received and not instantly leap to blaming it on the brew method or the shop. You might learn something and be able to provide some helpful feedback to the barista/owner and perhaps here.

adrian522

llatsni wrote: »

@duckworth
Let me get you straight: You asked for a filter coffee, they gave you a filter coffee.

The rest is subjective - and in my opinion - mostly your problem.

There's plenty of coffees / methods that I try and do not like, but that is as interesting to me as the ones that really wow.

Try figure out *why* you didn't like the flavours of the coffee you received and not instantly leap to blaming it on the brew method or the shop. You might learn something and be able to provide some helpful feedback to the barista/owner and perhaps here.

Love the way people are jumping down his throat because he had the gall to criticize 3FE which seems to be same sort of sacred cow for a lot of people on here.

In what way are the issues he has "his problem"?

Seem like perfectly valid criticisms to me. It shouldn't be up to the customer to figure out why the coffee isn't as good as it used to be (in his opinion).

duckworth

llatsni wrote: »

@duckworth
Let me get you straight: You asked for a filter coffee, they gave you a filter coffee.

The rest is subjective - and in my opinion - mostly your problem.

There's plenty of coffees / methods that I try and do not like, but that is as interesting to me as the ones that really wow.

Try figure out *why* you didn't like the flavours of the coffee you received and not instantly leap to blaming it on the brew method or the shop. You might learn something and be able to provide some helpful feedback to the barista/owner and perhaps here.

I've been hooked on 3FE for quite a while, and found the place beautiful. I've been in at least 30 times over the past couple of years.

All I was saying was this - the last few times I was there the coffee was fine, but not as spectacular as the previous times. I asked if anybody else had found this.

If you think this is my own problem, fair enough - but I think it's a legitimate point and a legitimate question. Alot of the negative posts here and on twitter seem to be attacking me as some kind of uneducated gob****e who doesn't know any better.

puffishoes

llatsni wrote: »

@duckworth
Let me get you straight: You asked for a filter coffee, they gave you a filter coffee.

The rest is subjective - and in my opinion - mostly your problem.

There's plenty of coffees / methods that I try and do not like, but that is as interesting to me as the ones that really wow.

Try figure out *why* you didn't like the flavours of the coffee you received and not instantly leap to blaming it on the brew method or the shop. You might learn something and be able to provide some helpful feedback to the barista/owner and perhaps here.

It's a bit like going to chapter one and asking for a soup getting handed a cup o soup coming here to complain and someone coming a long and saying

"you asked for soup and you got soup"

I'm sorry but this nonsense does not hold water, if he wanted any aul filter he could have went to starbucks you don't go to 3fe for a cupo soup.

alastair

Cup-a-soup metaphors etc aside, could it simply be that you preferred the earlier beans? I've had a number of coffees from 3FE that didn't float my boat at all, but it's been down to the beans - same story with the hasbean subscription - some you love, some not so much.

puffishoes

alastair wrote: »

Cup-a-soup metaphors etc aside, could it simply be that you preferred the earlier beans? I've had a number of coffees from 3FE that didn't float my boat at all, but it's been down to the beans - same story with the hasbean subscription - some you love, some not so much.

Try reading the original post, he didn't like how he was served the cup of coffee.

this has nothing to with soup, maxwell house or any other hilarious antidote.

Obviously every bag 3fe open will not be to everyones liking, of course there maybe times where it's very busy and people don't want to wait for X.

but in earlier times this would not have happened or at least the barista would have asked. how this is related to the standard of bean i have no idea.

duckworth

alastair wrote: »

Cup-a-soup metaphors etc aside, could it simply be that you preferred the earlier beans? I've had a number of coffees from 3FE that didn't float my boat at all, but it's been down to the beans - same story with the hasbean subscription - some you love, some not so much.

Yes, this is a possibility. Although I have had it on more than one occasion, so I'm guessing I have tried it with different kinds of beans.

It's difficult to describe what is missing - it lacked some depth of flavour, and seemed slightly stale or deadened. I can't really put it into words other than to say it wasn't amazing like it had been in the past.

llatsni

I'm not a 3FE fanboi. I am a good-coffee zealot. 3FE have never failed to serve me expertly brewed coffee: some of which I have not liked; but that is hugely different to putting it down to "a drop in quality". I challenged the OP to consider the difference.

Perhaps the brew method is not highlighting a certain flavour from a particular bean. Perhaps some customers put great value on the spectacle of Chemex. This type of feedback is what I consider helpful.

Anyone who has as much knowledge and enthusiasm for what they do as the guys at 3FE, deserves more than bland criticism.

alastair

puffishoes wrote: »

Try reading the original post, he didn't like how he was served the cup of coffee.

Ehh no. The stated problem was in the taste. I'm pretty sure thats all anyone cares about in their coffee.

I suspect you meant hilarious 'anecdote'?

ntlbell

alastair wrote: »

Ehh no. The stated problem was in the taste. I'm pretty sure that all anyone cares about in their coffee.

I suspect you meant hilarious 'anecdote'?

Maybe you missed this bit

Went into the Abbey street one yesterday and asked for a filter - they put some hot water water in a cup and then filled it up from some kind of filter machine.
The coffee was fine, but it didn't have the same depth of flavour it used to have.

For the same price they used to grind the beans fresh and make it in a Chemex. I used be fine with paying 3eur for the coffee, but its pretty steep now for what you're getting.

alastair

ntlbell wrote: »

Maybe you missed this bit

Went into the Abbey street one yesterday and asked for a filter - they put some hot water water in a cup and then filled it up from some kind of filter machine.
The coffee was fine, but it didn't have the same depth of flavour it used to have.

For the same price they used to grind the beans fresh and make it in a Chemex. I used be fine with paying 3eur for the coffee, but its pretty steep now for what you're getting.

I missed none of this - he asked for filter, got filter, and didn't rate the taste.

ntlbell

I really hate to agree as I really loved 3Fe i have introduced so many people to 3fe.

Colin single handedly change everything I thought about coffee and now end up on too many coffee subs and drinking far too much coffee

but have stopped going to 3fe.

I can't really put my finger on what has changed either. the coffee? the atmosphere, the clientele I'm really not sure.

alastair your fanboy ****e is not helpful.

ntlbell

alastair wrote: »

I missed none of this - he asked for filter, got filter, and didn't rate the taste.

Re-read puffi's post, you seem to be taking certain parts of posters posts to suit you.

He wasn't expecting to someone to throw water into a cup.

It's fairly obvious why he wasn't happy.

llatsni

I think what annoys me most about this is that I'm absolutely certain if the OP had even hinted that they didn't like the filter coffee at the time, the Barista would have helped them figure out why and prepared something else.

alastair

ntlbell wrote: »

alastair your fanboy ****e is not helpful.

As opposed to your vague and undefined issues with 3FE? I'm honest enough to point out that coffee is a moveable and inconsistent feast - that won't satisfy you every time. I also think 3FE filter/chemex is poorer value than it used to be - simply on volume served - I'm not that great as a fanboy.

The OP had an issue with the taste of their coffee - anything beyond that is (as pointed out earlier) pretty subjective.

alastair

ntlbell wrote: »

Re-read puffi's post, you seem to be taking certain parts of posters posts to suit you.

He wasn't expecting to someone to throw water into a cup.

It's fairly obvious why he wasn't happy.

Yep - the coffee was lacking in taste. The Marco is a complete red herring.

puffishoes

alastair wrote: »

As opposed to your vague and undefined issues with 3FE? I'm honest enough to point out that coffee is a moveable and inconsistent feast - that won't satisfy you every time. I also think 3FE filter/chemex is poorer value than it used to be - simply on volume served - I'm not that great as a fanboy.

The OP had an issue with the taste of their coffee - anything beyond that is (as pointed out earlier) pretty subjective.

If I knew exactly what was wrong, I'd point out to col himself. But instead of coming here from a twitter post and blindingly defending 3fe I'm being honest to.

I'm sorry I'm not an expert and can only give my uneducated opinion on MY experience.

I take it you'll allow me this?

alastair

puffishoes wrote: »

If I knew exactly what was wrong, I'd point out to col himself. But instead of coming here from a twitter post and blindingly defending 3fe I'm being honest to.

I'm sorry I'm not an expert and can only give my uneducated opinion on MY experience.

I take it you'll allow me this?

My post wasn't directed towards you, now, was it?