Two of my favorite things (Early Intel Mac edition).

[B S Magnet]

I remember a high school French teacher claiming to try espresso we could just make drip coffee and double the coffee. Er, no...

Non non non! Tabarnac!

I don't think I've ever had a latte, but I suspect that I wouldn't particularly like them with all the milk.

The milk, if lactose-intolerant, can be a lot (unless, say, it’s one of the microfiltered varieties, which for me tends to be less harsh on the GI system).

I tend to drink French press coffee at home by itself (the caffeine, please). If, however, I’m out and about and choose to order something more fancypants (I’m more fond of cortados than I am lattes, as I can do without the foam), these tend to be the beverages for which I’ll treat as a light dessert: I’ll add a packet of brown or raw sugar (yes, very different creatures) to them, or else honey, if available. Otherwise, it’s just a cup of hot milk with some espresso in it. (Meh.)

 

[Certificate of Excellence]

Here I am in an Air B&B stuffed into the guest bedroom bed with my two sons (5 & 7) like sausages (because they’re scared to sleep by themselves in a strange place) reading this thread at 5a dreaming about my coffee maker because I can’t sleep & I’d be into my second cup right now if I was at home

 

[eyoungren]

Here I am in an Air B&B stuffed into the guest bedroom bed with my two sons (5 & 7) like sausages (because they’re scared to sleep by themselves in a strange place) reading this thread at 5a dreaming about my coffee maker because I can’t sleep & I’d be into my second cup right now if I was at home

A couple years ago, my sister had us come up for Christmas. She put us up in an Air B&B. Now this is Seattle, coffee Nirvana.

This Air B&B had no coffeemaker. All it had was a kettle. And the kettle was finicky. We were there for a week, and survived on Starbucks instant and that kettle. No promised coffee maker from my sister ever appeared.

We had a rental car, but with snow on the ground and steep hills I was not adventurous enough in a place I did not know to try and find any coffee shops. We also had limited time because my sister had plans for each day.

So, by the end of our trip to coffee Nirvana we had managed to get espresso based coffee once, at SeaTac near the gate in the terminal. A Peets Coffee.

So yeah, we go to coffee Nirvana and get Starbucks instant.

 

[WriteNow]

Non non non!

Indeed.

I forgot to mention above that that French teacher was also the worst language teacher I ever had. Actually, the worst teacher in high school. So it's not surprising to me that she "taught" the wrong thing when it came to espresso!

Sad thing was that this was the 1980s, before Starbucks existed on every corner, but espresso was not that uncommon where I lived...

I tend to drink French press coffee at home

There was a pretty long period when French press was my standard coffee. Then, i got lazy and seduced by the ease of drip coffee...

raw sugar

I used to use raw sugar quite a bit--it was carried in a bulk bin at my usual grocery store. I liked to tell msyelf (delude myself?) that it might be a bit healthier than regular sugar, since it wasn't quite as refined...

(Not as refined...a good match for my personality. LOL)

 

[WriteNow]

we go to coffee Nirvana and get Starbucks instant

Well, at least it was instant from Starbucks, based in Seattle!

 

[WriteNow]

Last week, my light reading mystery novel included this commentary about Starbucks, when a couple of characters are arranging to meet for coffee:

​

'Do you actually like Starbucks?'​

​

'No.'​

​

'I don't think anyone does. It's success is one of the unsolved mysteries of the last fifty years.'​

Then there was this line:

"[This town] doesn't boast one of those friendly one-off coffee shops beloved of American sitcoms"​

(All this is from Death and the Decorator, by Simon Brett. Severn House hardcover.Pages 79-80.)

For those wondering, I don't actively hate Starbucks, but I don't love the place, either. It can be convenient, but I prefer those independents.

 

[Certificate of Excellence]

Interestingly, our trip up north for our communal family October birthday celebration (an absurd amount of us all born in October - seven in total) started with coffee from our local fav. We failed to verify (obviously) that this place we traveled to would have a coffee brewing option and by the time we got in, it was late, the kids were all asleep in arms or sleep walking, so it was straight to bed for us ... well until they woke up and drug me into their room LOL. Anyhow, there was a Keurig & we found decaf tea (lol) but couldnt find actual coffee pods in the place, so when we finally got the kids up, dressed & corralled back into the vdub, it was off to Dunkin. We were meeting family so bought a couple of those 110oz carry coffee in a travel box gigs en route to our final destination.

Worked out ok but being poorly slept, reading about coffee and quickly realizing there was none where I was at was a special form of torture I care not to repeat.

Now at home, this is posted on my 09 mbp.

 

[eyoungren]

Worked out ok but being poorly slept, reading about coffee and quickly realizing there was none where I was at was a special form of torture I care not to repeat.

I believe this thread was active at the time I was up in Seattle. So, totally get being coffee deprived. Glad you were able to find a Dunkin though.

 

[eyoungren]

Sunday morning Mac and coffee…streaming Dronezone with the Radiola menubar app.



Coffee is Wide Awake, Seattle Dark. Normally we only drink this during the week (it replaced Death Wish quite a while back) but I haven't stocked up on our weekend coffee yet and that's all that was there.

 

[WriteNow]

Normally we only drink this during the week

Well, in the spirit of "it's 5 o'clock somewhere," I'll point out that it could have been Monday in Australia when you were drinking this!

 

[WriteNow]

Recently, I've been back to drinking the Safeway/Albertsons O Organics coffee. My local Safeway has had decent sale prices. It's probable that Seattle's Best at another store would be a better deal, but I'd gotten tired of it. Although I am getting a bit tired of O Organics in that it seemed a bit variable of late.

Yesterday, I mixed what was left in a bag of Peruvian Chanchamato and a bit of a new bag of Italian Roast. Probably not "best practice"--but I had so little of the former left and I wanted to get rid of it. Besides, I was not in a particularly critical mode. Later I amused myself thinking of Coffee Conflict, as the coffees battled it out amongst themselves in my cup.

 

[eyoungren]

Recently, I've been back to drinking the Safeway/Albertsons O Organics coffee. My local Safeway has had decent sale prices. It's probable that Seattle's Best at another store would be a better deal, but I'd gotten tired of it. Although I am getting a bit tired of O Organics in that it seemed a bit variable of late.

Yesterday, I mixed what was left in a bag of Peruvian Chanchamato and a bit of a new bag of Italian Roast. Probably not "best practice"--but I had so little of the former left and I wanted to get rid of it. Besides, I was not in a particularly critical mode. Later I amused myself thinking of Coffee Conflict, as the coffees battled it out amongst themselves in my cup.

I've been alternating between Starbucks Sumatra and Peets Major Dickison's Blend. My main problem is that Walmart is conveniently located, but because of the nature of how they do business, there is limited selection. In order to get a wider selection I have to actually make a point of traveling to a different store. Convenience and time constraints often make Walmart's limited selection win out.

I often do mashups of coffee blends, but primarily when I've got leftover blends I tried out but ultimately didn't care for. The hope is that maybe together they mike make something drinkable while at the same time reducing the amount of coffee I don't care for.

 

[WriteNow]

In mourning...

My daily driver coffee maker has gone to the big kitchen counter in the sky..

Fortunately, I have backup choices, including a French press pot. But I'll miss the convenient simplicity that automatic drip provides.

 

[eyoungren]

In mourning...

My daily driver coffee maker has gone to the big kitchen counter in the sky..

Fortunately, I have backup choices, including a French press pot. But I'll miss the convenient simplicity that automatic drip provides.

If you have a Goodwill near you, then your day will brighten and your mourning will ease. Drip coffeemakers are one of the staples you can find at the Goodwill for around $10-15. And not just the low end junk. Lots of people donate higher priced coffee makers.

But if new is where it's at, I'm sure a Black Friday deal is out there somewhere.

 

[WriteNow]

I'll probably look at thrift shops. The challenge is that it was a 4 cup maker, which doesn't seem as common. But they do sometimes turn up. Indeed, that one that just died was a 4 cup maker that came from a thrift shop.

Today, I used something that will make the coffee purists shudder: an old percolator. Although--while those aren't ideal--I have thought that the better percolators, carefully used, probably turn out better coffee than a sloppily used, junky drip maker. It's also fun to play with.

 

[eyoungren]

I'll probably look at thrift shops. The challenge is that it was a 4 cup maker, which doesn't seem as common. But they do sometimes turn up. Indeed, that one that just died was a 4 cup maker that came from a thrift shop.

Today, I used something that will make the coffee purists shudder: an old percolator. Although--while those aren't ideal--I have thought that the better percolators, carefully used, probably turn out better coffee than a sloppily used, junky drip maker. It's also fun to play with.

Walmart has a 5-cup drip coffeemaker for $10, everyday. I've bought two of them in the last several years. One for myself and one for my mom.

I know you said 4-cups, but it's close.

Also…I grew up with percolaters. My parents didn't get a drip coffeemaker until the late 70s, when I was 7,8 or 9. Would have been after my dad got my mom a microwave. We have our own percolater somewhere, which is a last resort coffeemaker. They were still making them in the late 90s.

 

[Certificate of Excellence]

My daily cup is a fast drip but I developed a taste for stronger percolator style coffee with making camp fire coffee. In the late 90s, I was backpacking/camping in the mountains a lot with my highschool friends. I picked up an old timey (still have it) coffee pot at a goodwill. My mom had this big tea steeper and Id throw that in there full of grinds and simmer it over a fire or in a coal bed for a while. Definitely gave the AM coffee some ganas lol.

Im surprised how much new percolators cost lol.

*Typed on my trusty 2009 mbp.

 

[WriteNow]

Walmart has a 5-cup drip coffeemaker for $10, everyday. I've bought two of them in the last several years. One for myself and one for my mom.

I know you said 4-cups, but it's close.

5 cup is reasonably close. I might start looking at Target--it's easier to get to--but $10 does appeal to my Inner Tightwad. LOL

Also…I grew up with percolaters. My parents didn't get a drip coffeemaker until the late 70s, when I was 7,8 or 9. Would have been after my dad got my mom a microwave. We have our own percolater somewhere, which is a last resort coffeemaker. They were still making them in the late 90s.

My parents used a percolator until 1970-something. I was pretty young, but I can remember us shopping for a glass bulb to replace a broken bulb. My parents couldn't find one that fit, and so it was onto the brave new world of drip. They got one of those Mr. Coffee makers.

My grandmother loved percolators, although she used drip for whatever reason. I had an old percolator that I got to play with that my grandmother saw one visit. She insisted we should use it to make coffee while she visited.

 

[WriteNow]

I picked up an old timey (still have it) coffee pot at a goodwill. My mom had this big tea steeper and Id throw that in there full of grinds and simmer it over a fire or in a coal bed for a while. Definitely gave the AM coffee some ganas lol.

I remember reading of various camp coffees and various tactics to deal with the grounds. A tea steeper would do the job. But I remember hearing of using socks--which one hopes were clean before stuffed with coffee grounds and tossed into the pot of water!

Im surprised how much new percolators cost lol.

I bet it was worse in the 1950s, adjusted for inflation. On the other hand, the best percolators of that era probably lasted and lasted.

 

[eyoungren]

But I remember hearing of using socks--which one hopes were clean before stuffed with coffee grounds and tossed into the pot of water!

Camping in the 1970s was big. Or at least my dad made it seem so because we ended up camping a lot. With any camping gear goes your cooler, but during the times when those coolers are stored at home my dad had a habit of dumping coffee into old socks and putting those inside the cooler. The idea was that the grounds would absorb any bad smells. When the cooler was needed again, you'd take the sock out. They'd go back in again when done. Sometimes they broke open so we'd have to clean the coffee out of the cooler.

I never saw anyone use them to actually make coffee, but that doesn't mean no one did.

 

[840quadra]

Caribou Coffee Reindeer blend and my Breville espresso machine are my jam this time of year.

I effectively make Americano by running the machine a bit longer to add more water to the cup. Effectively making it a posh Kureg but without the plastic pods, and a well tamped down double shot of fresh ground coffee. With the setup I can have a piping hot cup of fresh ground coffee in 1 minute, 30 seconds.

The Breville takes 45 seconds to heat water, by then I have a dose of coffee ground and packed into the portafilter and twisted into the machine.

When I want a bit more, I use the burr grinder setup I have, change the grind, and use my french press setup.

Camping in the 1970s was big. Or at least my dad made it seem so because we ended up camping a lot. With any camping gear goes your cooler, but during the times when those coolers are stored at home my dad had a habit of dumping coffee into old socks and putting those inside the cooler. The idea was that the grounds would absorb any bad smells. When the cooler was needed again, you'd take the sock out. They'd go back in again when done. Sometimes they broke open so we'd have to clean the coffee out of the cooler.

I never saw anyone use them to actually make coffee, but that doesn't mean no one did.

Camping as a kid, I remember my mom making egg coffee. Effectively ground coffee mixed with a fresh egg to control the grounds. You pour slow and enjoy a rich cup of coffee at a campsite without any need for a filter.

 

[eyoungren]

Caribou Coffee Reindeer blend and my Breville espresso machine are my jam this time of year.

I effectively make Americano by running the machine a bit longer to add more water to the cup. Effectively making it a posh Kureg but without the plastic pods, and a well tamped down double shot of fresh ground coffee. With the setup I can have a piping hot cup of fresh ground coffee in 1 minute, 30 seconds.

The Breville takes 45 seconds to heat water, by then I have a dose of coffee ground and packed into the portafilter and twisted into the machine.

When I want a bit more, I use the burr grinder setup I have, change the grind, and use my french press setup.


Camping as a kid, I remember my mom making egg coffee. Effectively ground coffee mixed with a fresh egg to control the grounds. You pour slow and enjoy a rich cup of coffee at a campsite without any need for a filter.

It will be Sumatra for me today when I get around to brewing it. Still need to get to the store for other blends in other formats.

I have coffee articles in my Flipboard newsfeed, so a while back egg shells or egg itself was a mention for sometime. You're saying it controls the grounds? I understand the idea is to control the bitterness. Would that be what you meant, or something else?

 

[840quadra]

It will be Sumatra for me today when I get around to brewing it. Still need to get to the store for other blends in other formats.

I have coffee articles in my Flipboard newsfeed, so a while back egg shells or egg itself was a mention for sometime. You're saying it controls the grounds? I understand the idea is to control the bitterness. Would that be what you meant, or something else?

In our case mom was using it to control the grounds as well. it ends up capturing most (not all) into the egg base. Likely helped with bitterness due the chemistry too.

I keep meaning to grab my camp kettle to make some at home, but then I turn to my French press at the last second lol.

 

[Certificate of Excellence]

I remember reading of various camp coffees and various tactics to deal with the grounds. A tea steeper would do the job. But I remember hearing of using socks--which one hopes were clean before stuffed with coffee grounds and tossed into the pot of water!


I bet it was worse in the 1950s, adjusted for inflation. On the other hand, the best percolators of that era probably lasted and lasted.

We never had to resort to our socks LOL

Inflation average from 1950 to 1960 was 1.28% in the US. Last year it was 4.1% and I know right now we're around 3%. A $65 Presto Percolator today would've cost around $5 through the 50s.

 

[WriteNow]

We never had to resort to our socks LOL

The primary method I've heard of is just adding a dash of cold water to try to settle the grounds. I'm now wondering about the socks thing--if what I think I remember is what I actually read/heard once... Could well be a single case of a single college guy who figured "this will work." LOL (And maybe even thinks: "Maybe using yesterday's sweaty sock will add a new dimension of taste to my coffee!" LOL)

Inflation average from 1950 to 1960 was 1.28% in the US. Last year it was 4.1% and I know right now we're around 3%. A $65 Presto Percolator today would've cost around $5 through the 50s.

4.1%? Wow. I knew it was bad--but I hadn't thought it was 4.1% bad!