The Coffee Thread!

[Katie H]

I've never been much of a coffee drinker. Well, when I worked at the hospital it was the fuel that kept us going. When I quit working there, I lost 15 pounds. I suspect the lack of "cream and sugar with a little coffee" was the reason.

Here, since our house isn't air-conditioned, we only drink coffee in the colder months and then just on Sunday with breakfast.

I do have to say that we are coffee pot junkies. We have a Bunn and an assortment of other electric and vintage makers, along with a French press. Now, the French press does make a fabulous cup of coffee. Depending on our mood, we'll make coffee using one of our devices.

We tend to like dark roast over other blends and only care for the flavored ones as dessert. We are from the "if you want coffee" school, just have coffee.

We also prefer to use whole beans and grind them ourselves. Our grinder is an old Braun that is at least 30 years old. It's been a real trooper.

 

[redkitty]

mmmm....coffeeeee.

Today is the coffee pot day since I dont want to make time for the press. I LOVE dark roast and would never even consider drinking instant coffee! Back home I would add FF Vanilla Coffeemate, which they dont have here. So I gave up all creamer and now I'm a 3 sugar girl in 1 large cup! I can only drink that 1 large cup, cant keep drinking it during the day.

Thanks for all the replies!!

 

[Mel!]

Hello Redkitty

I love coffee too.
I think it does not matter which coffee maker, that coffee is made in, as long as it is made with fresh coffee grinds. And, I like them to come from beans, with a strong flavour. I dont like mild coffee much.

Mel

 

[boufa06]

Like Katie E, I am not much of a coffee drinker also. Even though I have previously worked for a major importer and exporter of coffee & other spices, and tasted gourmet coffee like Emerald Mountain, Kenyan AA, Italian Dark Roast, Aged Sumatra Mandeling to name a few, my daily cuppa is now Nescafe with sugar and milk and 'coffeelite' made from natural herbs. During trips, I will resort to the South-East Asian convenience of the 3-in-1 (coffee, sugar and creamer) sachets.

 

[Snoop Puss]

Boufa, I was expecting you to tell us how great Greek coffee is. Because it is! This was altogether a dangerous thread for me to look at as I've just spent the last half hour or so looking up websites where I can buy a briki from. Tin-lined copper, stainless steel, what about a grinder, could it really grind the coffee fine enough...? Questions, questions.

Anyway, at the moment I drink very, very milky coffee made with espresso coffee. No sugar. Two thereof in the morning and none for the rest of the day. But I could easily drink a metrio right now... Oh dear.

 

[boufa06]

Snoop, it goes to show that things don't turn out always according to expectations. In fact, they rarely ever do. As for your best source of briki, any supermarket or convenience store would do here. Unfortunately, this may not be the case where you live. The trick is to find a suitably small pot that can take more or less the exact amount of coffee you intend to make. Here you can find them for 1, 2, or rarely for 3 or 4 cups of Greek coffee. The most important feature of these little coffee pots (brikia) is that the the side of the pot is not vertical but tapers gently inward and at the top flares out again. This shape is important to get the Greek coffee you make to foam. Any coffee pot of this shape and appropriate size would do just fine regardless of the material of construction.

 

[yankeefaninseattle]

Well, People, more power to you for stickin to the plain coffee thing. We drank so much coffee in college, I don't really care for it anymore. We just purchased a 5c auto drip maker, and have a pot btwn 2 of us in the AM, but it is a precursor to our lattes. Being a starbucks freak for 15 years now, we have invested in a latte machine, no not the big one Santa is bringing me for xmas next year, but the little krups. We get the starbucks espresso, 3 of the syrups, I make my own caramel sauce for the macchiatos. Each of us has one a day, sometimes 2.
My current favorite is a cinnamon caramel macchiato w/ extra caramel sauce (you sub the cinnamon syrup for the vanilla syrup.)
At starbucks, my favorite is a quad venti or triple grande 2% no whip 1 pump raspberry white mocha, or same cinnamon spice white mocha, or their cinnamon dolce is a good one too. I love their green tea frappes...
B.

 

[ChefJune]

Black, with just a bit of sugar. I love the French press also, unfortunately, don't have one!

Eggg-zactly the same for me!

Think I need to do something about that.

 

[mraa]

This is my kinda thread ... when I lived at home (growing up) and the days (Sundays) I wasn't working or in college, my mom & I could down a 12 cup pot in no time flat. These days, since I live next to Central Market, I really enjoy the flavored stuff. The brand (vice) of choice is Lola Savannah. They put out sample packages for .99 and for me, it makes 3 pots, or there abouts. I used to drink it 'straight' up, but when my mom got addicted to Starbucks Sumatra, I started doing a drop or 2 of cream, and a scoop of sugar. Mom likes home brewed Starbucks, not the stuff @ the store. Oh, and our favorite Lola Savannah flavor is 'Cosy Winter's Night', esp. since in Texas, we only have 2 of those per year!!!!!

 

[skilletlicker]

2 cups of black coffee every morning. During the week I usually make it, fresh ground and made in a Chemex coffee maker. Can't give a brand - we buy our beans green and roast usually 2 or 3 times a week. Depends of the beans. We used to do a lot of dark roasts, but lately we've been roasting a little lighter - to get more of the flavor components. It was fun a couple weeks ago - we had a coffee that had a distinct blueberry taste - it was so fun, and even better cold than hot - I hope I can get more so we can have it iced this summer.

I've been away and so missed this thread 'til now. Like Harborwitch, I drink it black, fresh ground, and home-roasted. I enjoy being able to compare the taste of beans from various locations and sources. There aren't many of us home-roasters around because people think it's too troublesome and time-consuming, but it really is not. I spend ten minutes a week roasting and the morning grind takes less time than separating and inserting a coffee filter.

 

[Dina]

I take fresh Starbuck's medium roast beans, toss them in the grinder and make one shot of espresso. Froth the warm milk, topped with espresso and dulce de leche syrup. Mmmm....we haven't been throwing our money away buying expensive coffee at Starbucks anymore. We make it at home.

 

[Mel!]

I got lucky, this week.
I came accross whole nutmegs. Somebody here on this forum told me, that these freshly ground are delicious in coffee. Today, I will try it.

Mel

 

[redkitty]

That sounds good Mel, let us know how it turns out!

I have not had coffee in 12 days! Probably won't have any for another week. But I miss it soooo!

 

[Mel!]

I am drinking it right now, Redkitty.
I tastes great. I would also have added some cinnemon, but I have run out.

Mel

 

[Robo410]

black, no sugar. I like dark roast for many such as Sumatran, or American roast for rich winey coffees like Columbian. I like the Fench press...good coffee like good tea needs to be fresh and an 8 cup pot is only useful if you are serving dinner to 8 people. Unlike tea which can sit for a few minutes and a second cup can be had, coffee doesn't age in the pot well. So the big mug size French press is an ideal size. Restaurant supply stiores sell them and they are very reasonable (under $12 often)

I do tea after lunch, coffee before. Picky about tea also...The UKers are lucky about that. They know how to make a propper cuppa.

 

[evenstranger]

As Mr Wolf says in Pulp Fiction:

Lots of cream, lots of sugar.

And if it's in the evening, a dash of vanilla extract and some good cinnamon.

 

[The Dessert Diva]

I have a bodum vacuum pot and love it! I was using the old TNT Mr. Coffee pot for years and then just decided one day that "I was worth more then the inferior instant stagnat that is sold to me in stores" and went out on a limb, bought my pot and now have a wonderful man about 1/2 hour from me who buys beans direct and roasts them for me. I make a bi-monthly trip up to see him, purchase my 6 lbs and I am off to home to enjoy my roast. Black, 1 level tsp of raw sugar and a touch of fresh cream. MMMM...supurb.

 

[Rom]

I use the stove top coffee maker. I love espresso coffee...essentially i drink a cold "flat white". Have had it since i can remember, the only change is i put more espresso in the milk as i got older

 

[jet]

Douwe Egberts?

Last winter, I had some Douwe Egberts decaf at a hotel that was the best coffee I have ever had. I asked the staff and they told me the brand and that it comes as a concentrated liquid. Later in the year, I had the same coffee at a business lunch. I bought some Douwe Egberts ground decaf at a German-themed store over the summer but it was not the same coffee. Any ideas?

 

[Fisher's Mom]

Last winter, I had some Douwe Egberts decaf at a hotel that was the best coffee I have ever had. I asked the staff and they told me the brand and that it comes as a concentrated liquid. Later in the year, I had the same coffee at a business lunch. I bought some Douwe Egberts ground decaf at a German-themed store over the summer but it was not the same coffee. Any ideas?

Jet, I've been on the same quest. The system is a cold brew one that produces a concentrate. You keep it in the fridge and then add a certain amount to hot water to make a cup of coffee. I bought a Coffee Toddy and it does work very well. Now I'm trying to find the right coffee.

Douwe Egberts makes several "flavors" of coffee that are available to consumers but so far, I haven't found the right one. I'm afraid it may be one that's made only for their proprietary concentrates and systems and may not be available to folks like us. (Burger King's new gourmet coffee, BK Joe, is a Douwe Egberts concentrate.) If you find a source for this stuff, please post it! I'll do the same.
BTW, welcome to DC! We're glad you're here!