Coffee

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SReh26
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Joined: Thu Apr 01, 2021 10:48 pm

Coffee

#1

Post by SReh26 »

In light of the WSJ story yesterday that Italian luxury coffee brand Illy will try to expand in the US market, name your favorite coffee brand, style, philosophy and routine to do puzzles by here.

I drink Pilon ground espresso coffee, black with Jamie’s vanilla infused honey made on the stovetop. It’s $10 per tub At Walmart for a three month supply, extremely aromatic and flavorful. Beats bustelo and lavazza in my opinion.

When out and about I’ll have a cappuccino or latte as a rare treat with cinnamon and brown sugar. I like Nespresso but am anti- pod to preserve my ability to use different brands. I love the business story of Starbucks but not the coffee.
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Wendy Walker
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Location: Unionville, PA

#2

Post by Wendy Walker »

On the weekends, I make classic, strong Dunkin' Donuts or Eight O' Clock coffee, 2.5 scoops per carafe. But when I'm making coffee just for myself, I use only 1 scoop of DD or Eight O' Clock but add a scoop of Godiva Caramel ground coffee. Mark is an old-school black-coffee purist and considers this to be a violation of every principle of common decency.
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Last edited by Wendy Walker on Mon Jun 14, 2021 11:16 am, edited 2 times in total.
Good luck, fellow Muggles!
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Joe Ross
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#3

Post by Joe Ross »

French Roast or stronger, double-ish the amount suggested.

Black is great, but half & half or heavy cream for first mug of day and the rare cup with a holiday dinner.

There may be better, but most brands work & either of these are usually stocked:

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FrankieHeck
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Location: West Virginia

#4

Post by FrankieHeck »

I'm on the...how shall I say it...the low end of the spectrum of discerning tastes? My preference is Dunkin Donuts drip coffee with a liberal splash of half and half and enough sugar that I'm embarrassed to add it in front of others.

I almost never get coffee out, but the best coffee I had was from Dunkin Donuts, where they add the sugar and cream themselves. My husband and I each got a cup at the airport. He took a sip and gagged, and that's how I a) learned that DD's standard formula is four sugars and b) got to drink two large cups of it when my husband couldn't tolerate it.

My husband is out of town today, so I actually enjoyed my DD coffee with a big bowl of Cap'n Crunch "Oops! All Berries." What can I say. I have the palate of a three-year-old, and I am not afraid to admit it. I also have two boxes of DD Caramel Macchiato cereal in the pantry :D
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whimsy
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#5

Post by whimsy »

I'm not really a coffee drinker, but when I am, my preferences are similar to Frankie's! :D
Actually one of my most favorite modes of imbibing coffee is via Narragansett Autocrat Coffee Milk Stout. :lol:
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SReh26
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#6

Post by SReh26 »

Speaking of down to earth, I make mine in a saucepan, having used an italian metal two-compartment stove top espressomaker in the past and having found it a bear to clean properly. It’s perfectly fine, and has the added panache of being dubbed “cowboy style,” I am told.

I mostly put milk or cream in coffee and then switched after I heard a foodie coworker say, “I don’t like what cream does to coffee.” This was such heresy, my hair stood on end but I tried it as a diet aid and quickly converted.

You can imagine the guff I get for putting honey in coffee instead of sugar. It’s a running joke with a friend’s husband, who considers it an assault on human decency. 😅. But if you think you want to try vanilla infused honey, Jamies, available at Walmart, is great in coffee and on plain greek style yogurt.
Last edited by SReh26 on Mon Jun 14, 2021 11:21 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Hector
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#7

Post by Hector »

I use an Aeropress to make my (one) morning cup. It makes very strong, near espresso, coffee that I cut with some milk and microwave it, so it's like a latte but stronger because there is no foam or water from the steam.

Because I have just one cup a day, I allow myself my very favorite coffee, which is Blue Bottle's Three Africas. Strongly recommended, but read the rest of my reply as a big caveat.

How funny that this would come up just now. Yesterday I read this piece in the WaPo. For my entire adult life I'd been puzzled by people talking about the "bitterness" of coffee and how to reduce or mask it. I eventually decided that I must be different from most people in the sense of taste. So I was very interested to see that this is a trait with known genetic coding: I'm a "nontaster," with few bitterness taste buds (and typically for that I enjoy very hot-spicy foods). The genes that, as a side-effect, code for bitterness-sensing evidently are really in the immune-system business, and yesterday's WaPo piece reports early evidence that folks like me are more susceptible to severe COVID than "supertasters" who have the genes for acute sensitivity to bitterness.
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RPardoe
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#8

Post by RPardoe »

My coffee of choice remains Peet's even after I relocated from CA to TX. Thank goodness for subscriptions. Arabian Mocha-Sanani is my go-to, but have explored various small lots (Burundi Turashobora was a recent nice one) as they are offered by Peet's.

For coffee - I am a "classical" guy preferring African beans. I find Central American beans to be a bit too bright and less full-bodies than my tastes. There are some good beans from the Indonesian/Sumatra/Micornesian areas, but it really is a mixed bag to explore.

As for "bitterness" - that is the tail end of the extraction. The first notes are quite delicious, almost sweet. Too many people over-extract their coffee (wanting a fuller cup?) so draw the bitter notes into the cup. Next time you do drip coffee - taste the difference between the first drips and the last and you will see the difference.
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MikeM000
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#9

Post by MikeM000 »

I never drank coffee until I was 38 and we had our 2nd kid....now I can't live without it.

We mostly drink Starbucks, bought in the huge Sams Club/Costco bags. I also like Seattle's Best quite a bit, Trader Joe's Colombiana, and I just had Peet's for the first time this weekend...good golly is that yumtastic.
2 tablespoons/8 ounces of water in the Mr. Coffee, with splenda and flavored creamer. Usually 2 or 3 cups per day.
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SReh26
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#10

Post by SReh26 »

RPardoe wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 1:52 pm My coffee of choice remains Peet's even after I relocated from CA to TX. Thank goodness for subscriptions. Arabian Mocha-Sanani is my go-to, but have explored various small lots (Burundi Turashobora was a recent nice one) as they are offered by Peet's.

For coffee - I am a "classical" guy preferring African beans. I find Central American beans to be a bit too bright and less full-bodies than my tastes. There are some good beans from the Indonesian/Sumatra/Micornesian areas, but it really is a mixed bag to explore.

As for "bitterness" - that is the tail end of the extraction. The first notes are quite delicious, almost sweet. Too many people over-extract their coffee (wanting a fuller cup?) so draw the bitter notes into the cup. Next time you do drip coffee - taste the difference between the first drips and the last and you will see the difference.
Yes, I really liked Peet’s the few times I had it. Au bon pain used to serve it. Congratulations on relocating! If you have any tips on that topic you want to share, feel free to DM me.
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SReh26
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#11

Post by SReh26 »

I’ve experimented with other coffee brands from time to time and while I always return to Pilon, my ratings are as follows:

-blue bottle coffee: 4
-Nespresso: 9
-La Colombe Torrefaction: 9
-Illy: 7
-Cafe du Monde: 9
-Seattle’s Best: 8
-Peet’s: 8.5
-Bustelo: 7.5
-Venizelos instant: 6
-Nescafe instant: 5.5
-Folgers instant: 7.5
-McDonalds McCafe: 7.9
-Starbucks: 6.3
-whatever they serve on Alitalia: 9
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Cindy
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#12

Post by Cindy »

SReh26 wrote: Sat Jul 31, 2021 8:09 am I’ve experimented with other coffee brands from time to time and while I always return to Pilon, my ratings are as follows:

-blue bottle coffee: 4
-Nespresso: 9
-La Colombe Torrefaction: 9
-Illy: 7
-Cafe du Monde: 9
-Seattle’s Best: 8
-Peet’s: 8.5
-Bustelo: 7.5
-Venizelos instant: 6
-Nescafe instant: 5.5
-Folgers instant: 7.5
-McDonalds McCafe: 7.9
-Starbucks: 6.3
-whatever they serve on Alitalia: 9
Peet’s in the Keurig and add a Nespresso makes a darn good cup at home.
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SReh26
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#13

Post by SReh26 »

Cindy wrote: Sat Jul 31, 2021 11:41 pm
SReh26 wrote: Sat Jul 31, 2021 8:09 am I’ve experimented with other coffee brands from time to time and while I always return to Pilon, my ratings are as follows:

-blue bottle coffee: 4
-Nespresso: 9
-La Colombe Torrefaction: 9
-Illy: 7
-Cafe du Monde: 9
-Seattle’s Best: 8
-Peet’s: 8.5
-Bustelo: 7.5
-Venizelos instant: 6
-Nescafe instant: 5.5
-Folgers instant: 7.5
-McDonalds McCafe: 7.9
-Starbucks: 6.3
-whatever they serve on Alitalia: 9
Peet’s in the Keurig and add a Nespresso makes a darn good cup at home.
Interesting - mixing them! Which Nespresso do you prefer?

I forgot to mention Lavazza. Until Pilon, it was my go-to brand. It’s odd that Pilon is among the cheapest but also among the best. But that’s a combination I like! My mom drank Eight o Clock coffee and Folgers.
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Cindy
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#14

Post by Cindy »

SReh26 wrote: Sun Aug 01, 2021 9:49 am
Cindy wrote: Sat Jul 31, 2021 11:41 pm
SReh26 wrote: Sat Jul 31, 2021 8:09 am I’ve experimented with other coffee brands from time to time and while I always return to Pilon, my ratings are as follows:

-blue bottle coffee: 4
-Nespresso: 9
-La Colombe Torrefaction: 9
-Illy: 7
-Cafe du Monde: 9
-Seattle’s Best: 8
-Peet’s: 8.5
-Bustelo: 7.5
-Venizelos instant: 6
-Nescafe instant: 5.5
-Folgers instant: 7.5
-McDonalds McCafe: 7.9
-Starbucks: 6.3
-whatever they serve on Alitalia: 9
Peet’s in the Keurig and add a Nespresso makes a darn good cup at home.
Interesting - mixing them! Which Nespresso do you prefer?

I forgot to mention Lavazza. Until Pilon, it was my go-to brand. It’s odd that Pilon is among the cheapest but also among the best. But that’s a combination I like! My mom drank Eight o Clock coffee and Folgers.
We always have a variety. I use whatever is open. I just like that it makes the overall cup of coffee have a stronger flavor. And the combo fits perfectly in my Swig and stays hot for hours. Also I use decaf Peet’s dark roast so I’m not flying high all morning.
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SReh26
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#15

Post by SReh26 »

I’ve dined in Vienna
I’ve sipped in Milan
But my favorite coffee
Is stovetop Pilon ☕️
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Beth Tyrpin
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#16

Post by Beth Tyrpin »

If you are sensitive to bitterness try Douwe Egbert. I can enjoy it black. By far my favorite coffee.
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TMart
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Location: Malvern, PA

#17

Post by TMart »

Back in the 90's when I was an investment banker, I drank lots of bad coffee all day long to keep going. I had trouble sleeping and woke up with headaches, so I went on a health kick - started eating better and exercising more, lost 35 pounds, switched from drinking mostly beer to more wine and bourbon, and gave up drinking coffee completely for about 10 years - I became quite the tea drinker.

Then, about 10 years ago, we took a family trip to Italy, and I had some of the best dark-roast coffee I've ever tasted. So I now have one cup a day of a nice Italian Roast and I'm not ashamed to say I use a Keurig for the convenience.

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MajordomoTom
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Location: St. Louis, MO

#18

Post by MajordomoTom »

Loose tea, preferably Fortnum & Mason, two large scoops, into a Cuisinart coffee maker.

Very strong.

English Breakfast or similar strong black tea.
"Lots of planets have a North", the Ninth Doctor.
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RPardoe
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Location: Houston, TX

#19

Post by RPardoe »

Why brew it...just munch on chocolate covered espresso beans instead!
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