Anyone here serious about coffee?

[mcmxi]

If so, how serious?

I've fallen into a rabbit hole and was wondering if others have too.

 

[PHPaul]

Semi-serious. I have a Keurig and prefer dark roast or "extra bold" coffee. Presently using 8 O'Clock brand Dark Italian Roast.

 

[mcmxi]

Semi-serious. I have a Keurig and prefer dark roast or "extra bold" coffee. Presently using 8 O'Clock brand Dark Italian Roast.

Is that pod based or a drip machine? Are you picky about coffee when you're out and about?

 

[ken erickson]

Closest I got was buying whole beans and grinding them at home to suit. The finer the grind the stronger the taste. I never used a French press, just a drip coffee maker. Every once in a blue moon I will purchase whole beans if I want to treat myself to a “decent” cup of coffee. Normally for me it’s a Folgers medium roast , drank black.

 

[jimh406]

I was more serious when I was working. It was normal for me to grind my own beans at work and make my own coffee with a pourover filter. We had hotwater machines at work, so I didn’t have to boil my own. I also ground my own beans to make my own latte at home before leaving.

I only have about a cup a day now, and use the Nespresso that my daughter got me for Christmas. I can’t say it is better than using an espresso machine, but I think it makes her feel better that I use it. Fwiw, I don’t use Nespresso coffee and still prefer Starbucks Espresso Roast which I buy in pods on Amazon. I think the Nespresso maker makes a bit better coffee than a Keurig.

Camping, I still use a pourover filter most of the time although I don’t grind my own. I will have to say that the freezedried Starbucks is pretty good.

I tolerate other coffee most of the time but dislike coffee with nonfat milk or nondairy replacements. Give me cream or whole milk. Of course, that rules out coffee at many restaurants.

Fwiw, I also prefer draft beer, so maybe I’m already down the rabbit hole for that, too. In that case, it means I drink more beer out than at home.

 

[mcmxi]

I was more serious when I was working. It was normal for me to grind my own beans at work and make my own coffee with a pourover filter. We had hotwater machines at work, so I didn’t have to boil my own. I also ground my own beans to make my own latte at home before leaving.

I only have about a cup a day now, and use the Nespresso that my daughter got me for Christmas. I can’t say it is better than using an espresso machine, but I think it makes her feel better that I use it. Fwiw, I don’t use Nespresso coffee and still prefer Starbucks Espresso Roast which I buy in pods on Amazon. I think the Nespresso maker makes a bit better coffee than a Keurig.

Camping, I still use a pourover filter most of the time although I don’t grind my own. I will have to say that the freezedried Starbucks is pretty good.

I tolerate other coffee most of the time but dislike coffee with nonfat milk or nondairy replacements. Give me cream or whole milk. Of course, that rules out coffee at many restaurants.

Fwiw, I also prefer draft beer, so maybe I’m already down the rabbit hole for that, too. In that case, it means I drink more beer out than at home.

I'm definitely with you on the draught beer, although I'm drinking a lot less beer and wine these days, and virtually no spirits at all.

 

[Biker1mike]

Grew up grinding Mom's bag of coffee at the A&P check out counter. Loved that smell.
70s - 80s I ground beans for cup by cup. Pour over filter, french press and a really good expresso machine.
Over time quantity over quality took over. And raising kids changed the family budget.
Wife and I drip brew 10 cups every morning with big box store coffee, not bad.
Pitcher of iced coffee is in the fridge all summer.
I hate Starbuck's coffee. Local getty station has some pretty decent brews.

 

[ken erickson]

My son worked at a major food packaging facility in Central Wisconsin. One of the products they package is coffee K cups. The facility had a “company seconds store” that sold K cups that might have been under filled, or the label messed up a bit etc. He would bring me large boxes of loose K cups with many different brand names including some well know national brands. Made Me wonder how many different brands had the same exact coffee! Anyways I did not buy coffee for 3 or 4 years! He has since moved on to a different job,,,,,,,, God how I miss that job! Lolol.

 

[Henro]

I have one cup of decaf with heavy cream each morning.

I guess some would consider that serious.

Beer on the other hand, like draft, bottles or cans.

 

[jimh406]

Fwiw, Starbucks has a ton of different roasts/coffees that taste remarkably different. Not that you need to try to find one you like, but just fyi.

One thing I forgot about was at one time, I used to buy Seattle’s Best House Blend for my drip coffee maker and Starbucks Espresso for my espresso maker. I only ground the Starbucks beans because I would need to clean my grinder in between, otherwise.

Yea, I guess I did go down the rabbithole.

 

[mcmxi]

Fwiw, Starbucks has a ton of different roasts/coffees that taste remarkably different. Not that you need to try to find one you like, but just fyi.

One thing I forgot about was at one time, I used to buy Seattle’s Best House Blend for my drip coffee maker and Starbucks Espresso for my espresso maker. I only ground the Starbucks beans because I would need to clean my grinder in between, otherwise.

Yea, I guess I did go down the rabbithole.

Hmmm .... I think you glanced at a rabbit hole from a distance.

 

[mcmxi]

My descent into madness involves a coffee bean roasting machine that sits on my kitchen counter and 40lb of green coffee beans from various parts of the world (mostly Central America). And then there's all the other stuff.

 

[Benhameen]

It’s serious if I don’t have any first thing the morning. Lol.

 

[ken erickson]

My descent into madness involves a coffee bean roasting machine that sits on my kitchen counter and 40lb of green coffee beans from various parts of the world (mostly Central America). And then there's all the other stuff.

i was wondering how deep the hole was your headed down!
What are the advantages to roasting at home compared to buying roasted whole beans? I would assume you can tailor the roasting time and heat to your personal taste preferences ? What type of maker will you use?

I am sure there will be a certain satisfaction in creating a great cup of coffee from green beans but also the learning journey.

 

[rc51stierhoff]

If so, how serious?

I've fallen into a rabbit hole and was wondering if others have too.

How serious? I am serious that if I don’t have any in the morning no one around will be happy and if you stop by my desk with some bullshit better bring your a game.

Generally I am an old school believer in a percolator by choice or a French press, but for every day I use a Mr Coffee. In general it’s better with time to percolate or drip versus a kuereg…more flavor that way…and strong hot and black…no cream no caramel no froth no sugar(I am sweet enough as is, and if you are aren’t sure then Swirl your finger around in it and it should be just right).

I believe it’s the nectar of the gods my friend…so yeah I am serious.

 

[Jchonline]

I grind beans every day. I have to drive 1.5 hours every couple of weeks to get the roasted beans I really like (I get a few lbs). Pretty serious about my coffee. I hate keurig et al....just more plastic. For awhile I had a reusable pod and that was fine...but my current superauto is much better with freshly ground beans.

 

[jkrubi12]

Tim Horton's Original Medium Roast, through a Mr. Coffee (never really gets hot enough IMO, open to suggestions for my next drip coffee maker) then finished with light cream and table sugar.

DAILY!

 

[Lil Foot]

I'm allergic to the stuff, so yes, I'm serious about it- avoiding it!

 

[woodman55]

Does anyone use maple syrup as a sweetener ? I have one large cup of Folger's "Black silk" every morning, through a drip machine. No cream, no sugar, just a little bit of maple syrup to take the edge off.

 

[NCL4701]

I walked to the edge of the rabbit hole and slowly backed away.

For many years I ran more off caffeine than sleep and coffee was my primary method of delivery with tea coming in a distant second. Always black. Like the taste of heavy dark roasts but prefer the higher caffeine content of blondes if I’m aiming for caffeine. I know that may sound bad, but like I told one of my superiors many years ago when he asked why I slept so little and drank caffeinated coffee and tea all day, because anything stronger is illegal.

For many years I was strictly quantity. I’d show up at whatever office I was at that day well before anyone else, make a pot of coffee with whatever the office manager for that office happened to buy, and drink the whole pot. Then I’d make another pot for the rest of the office to share, making sure it was freshly ready when they arrived. Of course I’d take my one cup share out of the second pot. Wife hated coffee so drinking it at home was rare.

Then, for some reason I don’t recall I started drinking it less at work and more at home in the evenings. I didn’t want quantity, I was looking for quality: the kind of quality I had experienced at the rare independent coffee shops that mostly sold incredibly smooth and full flavored coffee best drunk straight rather than iced milk with a splash of coffee. So I started grinding the beans in an adjustable ceramic hand grinder; experimenting with various beans, coarseness of grind, French press, percolator, drip coffee maker, Keurig with reusable pod… I was starting to research roasting beans, researching sourcing equipment for small batch use, and I started to see one foot sliding into the rabbit hole so I drew the line at roasting beans myself.

Shortly after, a miracle occurred. Wife decided to see what was so wonderful about this coffee. She started with about half milk, half coffee. Over time, she pared back to zero milk most of the time but still enjoys a splash of milk once in a while. She didn’t understand why we couldn’t just get the cheapest pre-ground coffee she could find. I let her try that and she quickly found out why that’s not advisable.

We continued experimenting to find a process acceptable to both of us. We landed on a drip coffee maker with three scoops (it’s a small scoop, a bit more than a teaspoon) of medium ground Eight O’Clock coffee hand ground in small batches to make 10 cups.

Looked to me like roasting your own beans might be a fun hobby but it also looked like a pretty deep rabbit hole. I wasn’t quite up for diving in full bore.