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Post by Bact PhD on Feb 15, 2022 23:28:59 GMT
(about the only category of beverages we haven't covered already  )
This post is "Adventures In Coffee"
I didn't think I was especially finicky when it came to coffee...but maybe I am.
For most of my adult life, my morning cuppa (or maybe half-potta) joe was via a drip coffeemaker, using mostly grocery store brands of coffee (later beans, once I got my own grinder). By the late 'aughts, I had settled in with a combination of coffeemaker/grinder settings that worked for me. Then late last month, the (8-y/o?) coffeemaker died in spectacular fashion, spewing water on the kitchen counter and delivering undrinkable coffee. Time to go shopping...
I'm the only coffee drinker in the house; accordingly, I've stuck with 4-cup models for some time. Alas, when I went to look for the model of coffeemaker to replace the dead one, only one store in town even carried it, and they were out of stock more or less indefinitely. UGGH. I didn't want to get a big capacity maker (see first sentence of this paragraph), so I decided to get a Keurig with a separate purchase of the stainless steel reusable pod. Why not? I only drink a couple of cups a day anyway, and this means no pot to fool with washing -- win/win, right?
Wrong.
The coffee that came out was incredibly weak, even the stuff from the pre-made pod, which I got as a comparison. I adjusted the amount of water, reducing it to the bare minimum. I made the grind much finer than before. I put as much ground coffee in the pod as it would take without risking it popping open mid-cycle. Minimal success. I came across a couple of YouTube videos about "how to make the best coffee from a Keurig." A comment on one of them hit -- the same complaint I had -- that regardless of what tweaks were made, the coffee that came out was just incredibly weak.
By this morning, nearly four weeks after the initial purchase, I had had enough. About an hour of web searching later, I did what I should have done in January -- ordered the model I've used for years, even if it means I have to wait for it. Once the new coffeemaker arrives, I'll see if Dear Daughter wants the Keurig...
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Post by LFC on Feb 15, 2022 23:39:24 GMT
I read a review of several pod makers and one thing that came up was that some of them simply don't brew hot enough. Everything I've ever consumed out of Keurig brewer has been weak and lame. It turns out they are pretty low on the temperature scale, maybe out of lawsuit fears and maybe because it's cheaper to make. We've done much better with Cuisinart and Hamilton Beach because they get much hotter. So when you check out some reviews you might want to keep that in mind if you see that type of criticism.
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Post by Bact PhD on Feb 15, 2022 23:49:17 GMT
I read a review of several pod makers and one thing that came up was that some of them simply don't brew hot enough. Everything I've ever consumed out of Keurig brewer has been weak and lame. It turns out they are pretty low on the temperature scale, maybe out of lawsuit fears and maybe because it's cheaper to make. We've done much better with Cuisinart and Hamilton Beach because they get much hotter. So when you check out some reviews you might want to keep that in mind if you see that type of criticism. |
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andydp
Tenured Full Professor
Posts: 2,749
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Post by andydp on Feb 16, 2022 0:23:45 GMT
Funny but just last week I had to replace the Hamilton Beach that served us well for a few years.
The one I had sported a separate basket to make a travel mug size coffee (14oz). It also had Keurig capability. The Keurig coffee was always a bust. The separate basket always came through.
The new one is a Hamilton Beach also but it doesn’t have the basket system for the single cup. It has a 14oz cup brewer.
Like the one it replaced, it’s programmable so my AM “cuppa” is ready when I come down.
Life is good !! Enjoy your coffees everyone !!
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AnBr
Associate Professor
Posts: 1,768
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Post by AnBr on Feb 16, 2022 1:39:09 GMT
A simple coffee press will yield good results. I usually get my coffee on the way to work. For leisure days when I have more time I have the luxury of having one the best coffee houses around. Their roster has a national reputation Their dark coffees are rich with complex tastes and aromatic esters. That first sip is an Oh-my-God moment. Makes Star Bucks seem weak and lame in comparison.
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Post by LFC on Feb 16, 2022 2:53:16 GMT
Makes Star Bucks seem weak and lame in comparison. Starbucks is burnt crap. I guess it's fine when you dump so much froo-froo junk into it that you don't even taste coffee anymore but I'm a black coffee drinker so crappy roasting or brewing has nowhere to hide. |
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AnBr
Associate Professor
Posts: 1,768
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Post by AnBr on Feb 16, 2022 3:04:52 GMT
Starbucks may be crap, but it is better than fast food coffee.
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Post by LFC on Feb 16, 2022 3:09:12 GMT
Starbucks may be crap, but it is better than fast food coffee. There's something about McDonald's that I have trouble describing. It sort of tastes like there's coffee dust suspended in the liquid. Ugh. |
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Post by Bact PhD on Feb 16, 2022 3:17:14 GMT
I don't mind Starbucks, at least as long as I get the beans from the grocery store and grind & brew it at home. The frou-frou drinks I get from there on occasion serve as a semi-dessert treat, more like Hot chocolate with a caffeine kick, as opposed to a "regular" cuppa (just a little lowfat milk & sugar, not enough to mask execrable brewing).
I have to be truly desperate for a caffeine fix to go the fast-food route.
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Post by Bact PhD on Feb 16, 2022 3:21:39 GMT
Starbucks may be crap, but it is better than fast food coffee. There's something about McDonald's that I have trouble describing. It sort of tastes like there's coffee dust suspended in the liquid. Ugh. coffee barely flavored brown water. |
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andydp
Tenured Full Professor
Posts: 2,749
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Post by andydp on Feb 17, 2022 20:22:19 GMT
There's something about McDonald's that I have trouble describing. It sort of tastes like there's coffee dust suspended in the liquid. Ugh. coffee barely flavored brown water.There was an online article a few years ago comparing coffees and which had the most caffeine. There are some in Egypt that are so high in caffeine they don't recommend more than a couple of ounces. They had a comparison chart from highest to lowest. Mc Donald's had the least amount of caffeine in the list. |
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AnBr
Associate Professor
Posts: 1,768
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Post by AnBr on Feb 18, 2022 12:58:01 GMT
There was an online article a few years ago comparing coffees and which had the most caffeine. There are some in Egypt that are so high in caffeine they don't recommend more than a couple of ounces. They had a comparison chart from highest to lowest. Mc Donald's had the least amount of caffeine in the list. Do you remember enough about that article to locate it again? I'd be interested in seeing it. |
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Post by LFC on Feb 18, 2022 14:39:57 GMT
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Post by LFC on Feb 18, 2022 16:09:18 GMT
And now a moment of face palming. |
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pnwguy
Associate Professor
Posts: 1,447
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Post by pnwguy on Feb 18, 2022 18:31:16 GMT
And now a moment of face palming. <button disabled="" class="c-attachment-insert--linked o-btn--sm">Attachment Deleted</button>
It's not only Republicans who went to P.T. Barnum University... |
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pg
Grad Student
Posts: 89
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Post by pg on Sept 20, 2022 0:44:12 GMT
(about the only category of beverages we haven't covered already )
This post is "Adventures In Coffee"
I didn't think I was especially finicky when it came to coffee...but maybe I am.
For most of my adult life, my morning cuppa (or maybe half-potta) joe was via a drip coffeemaker, using mostly grocery store brands of coffee (later beans, once I got my own grinder). By the late 'aughts, I had settled in with a combination of coffeemaker/grinder settings that worked for me. Then late last month, the (8-y/o?) coffeemaker died in spectacular fashion, spewing water on the kitchen counter and delivering undrinkable coffee. Time to go shopping...
I'm the only coffee drinker in the house; accordingly, I've stuck with 4-cup models for some time. Alas, when I went to look for the model of coffeemaker to replace the dead one, only one store in town even carried it, and they were out of stock more or less indefinitely. UGGH. I didn't want to get a big capacity maker (see first sentence of this paragraph), so I decided to get a Keurig with a separate purchase of the stainless steel reusable pod. Why not? I only drink a couple of cups a day anyway, and this means no pot to fool with washing -- win/win, right?
Wrong.
The coffee that came out was incredibly weak, even the stuff from the pre-made pod, which I got as a comparison. I adjusted the amount of water, reducing it to the bare minimum. I made the grind much finer than before. I put as much ground coffee in the pod as it would take without risking it popping open mid-cycle. Minimal success. I came across a couple of YouTube videos about "how to make the best coffee from a Keurig." A comment on one of them hit -- the same complaint I had -- that regardless of what tweaks were made, the coffee that came out was just incredibly weak.
By this morning, nearly four weeks after the initial purchase, I had had enough. About an hour of web searching later, I did what I should have done in January -- ordered the model I've used for years, even if it means I have to wait for it. Once the new coffeemaker arrives, I'll see if Dear Daughter wants the Keurig... Eh? Sometimes, it's all about the beans. My DH was the coffee connoisseur. Oh my. He was in love with Kona beans. Used to be franchised in many spots in the NW. Well, ok...Then I didn't have to import the precious from HI. Fun story- once after selling our home in OR much quicker than we thought, we ended up taking a vacation home in OR for 3 months. Truly a wonder. I only cared because I got to harvest dates and figs and grapes and tomatoes. What a wonderful fall. He? Loved that it was very close to a Bad Ass franchise. Bad Ass, as in the donkeys in HI that would work to bring down 100% Kona beans. Fun thing to research. We had just a few personal things with us, as everything else was in storage while we decided where to go. 3 knives, 2 pans, 1 auto-grind/ drip Cuisinart and our office equipment. HA! we were "virtual" before virtual was cool. We used to play backgammon for what we called "favor points." But one day, back at the farm, we got a little crazy and competitive. The bet? If I won, he would go get firewood in his "birthday suit"- in the dark. If he won, I'd have to get up and light the fire. Bummer- for all it's beauty, I never noticed that it had no CENTRAL HEAT. And go to Bad Ass to get the coffee. I've never played a better match. Fun fact- I still have the pic of when he made good on his end. It's a bit grainy, but oh yes. He did it, in his birthday suit. I still went to get the coffee. All's fair in love and coffee. And then we moved to ATX. Shoot- imported coffee beans from all over the world, roasted to order. Sounds expensive but nope. Heck, they deliver for free. More coffee? My DS was born 3 months premature. He happened to come on Earth when caffeine was now a proven thing to keep things going for one born so early. I still have the bill for my 250K baby. For which the charge was an eye-popping $150 a shot. My, my. $100 in total deductible. But? Now he's a caffeine addict. OK. He helps to manage a very large restaurant group, far flung, high end to low end and not coffee oriented. And guess what ? He personally trains ALL of his baristas. And- gag me- he still likes Starbucks. My. His father would be so disappointed. Me? I'm good with my green tea. As always, thanks for listening! |
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andydp
Tenured Full Professor
Posts: 2,749
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Post by andydp on Sept 20, 2022 11:21:22 GMT
Me? I'm good with my green tea. As always, thanks for listening! I read if you substitute green tea for coffee in the morning, you remove 85% of any reason you may have for living. Side note: When we first visited New Mexico, I "discovered" Piñon Coffee. I would buy a can of it at Trader Joe's for a once a week morning treat. Imagine my joy at finding three pound bags of unground Piñon coffee at the Costco in Denver. My wife and daughter have purchased two more bags for my enjoyment. Life is bearable again. (Until happy hour) |
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