Any Coffee Lovers???

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by ithacaartist

There's the Blue Mountain, from Jamaica, as mentioned, and Puerto Rico's mountains yield some really great stuff.

The local Tops has 8 O'clock 'Blue Mountain' beans...Maybe I'll try some...

Back in the 50's, the local supermarket in Niagara Falls, 'Loblaws', had only beans IIRC. My parents would weigh/fill up a bag of 8'O'clock beans, dump it into the grinder hopper, put the bag back under and hit the switch...I have no idea what it tasted like, as I didn't drink coffee until...I don't know when I started drinking coffee...

I *think* it was 8 O'clock coffee...It was a black bag, IIRC, with maybe a red spot??? Back then, I drank milk with Nestles Quik stirred in...Remember Farfel???



"N-E-S-T-L-E-S...Nestles makes the very best...Choc-late!... <snap!>"...

[Patronen]

[QUOTE=ithacaartist;259930]Rich, "demitasse", literally translated, means half-cup.

The Caribbean has lots of high quality coffee to offer. There's the Blue Mountain, from Jamaica, as mentioned, and Puerto Rico's mountains yield some really great stuff. I doubt that we can legally obtain Cuban coffee, but it ranks right up there, as well. Last time I went to Vieques, I brought back a bag of Cafe' Hacienda San Pedro, which was excellent! There's an Italian family's enterprise in Seattle which will send you coffee; they make something called "Bizarro Blend" you can order online, which I found quite tasty!

Turkish coffee is also ground to powder, and I think you wind up drinking most of the grounds in a traditionally prepared cup of it.

For the adventuresome, I suggest one of the subscription services like Gevalia. Scandinavian roast, and also great. They offer seasonal specials on estate-grown coffees from all over the world, so it is a great way to sample lots of different one. When you sing up, they send a free something--often a coffee maker, of more free coffee, making it worth it to subscribe for about a year until the relatively high price cancels out the bargain that was the gift for joining.

So, Google around a little bit and you'll find something new to try. If you keep track of the characteristics, you can zero in on a brand, style, or blend that suits your fancy exactly.[/QUOTE

I met an Israeli acquaintance at my old job and one day we had a conversation about coffee when he asked to use the microwave and the water cooler. He had packets of Turkish coffee he drank that you had to get the water really hot and stir it around and there were fine grounds left. Later whenever he would stop by he would bring in packets of this Turkish coffee and it was pretty good stuff if you didn't mind the grounds.

[sheepherder]

Thurs morning:

I'm trying the Dunkin' Bonuts blend labeled 'French Vanilla'...I open the bag, and I'm in heaven! That sweet vanilla smell is so enticing, I can't wait for the drip maker to end!

It doesn't smell quite as good while dripping...But because the grind smelled so good, I decide to try it without creamer...And just 3 of those sugar 'dots'...

It's disappointing...Bitter, not sweet, and no longer smells like vanilla...So, I scoop in 3 heaps of creamer and another 3 dots of sugar...

Now, it's fairly drinkable, but not as good as LaVazza, Maxwell, or even Folgers...And nowhere near Crosby's or even Tim Horton's...(But it's not cappuccino)...

My nose has fooled me...

[alanint]

Gunny, Cafe Pilon is usually what is served in Miami. Made locally. If it's not available locally, you might be able to find it online. Make sure it is the "Expresso" grind!

http://www.cafepilon.com/en/

One online source:

https://www.javacabana.com/Catalog.c...?aid=JBING2013

[Sergio Natali]

Illy and Lavazza are both very god makes of coffee here in Italy too.

[sheepherder]

There was a great take-off of a popular [racist?] remark that I adopted in my AFRES coffee drinking days...

"I like my coffee the way I like my women...Cold and bitter!"...

[lugerholsterrepair]

Drink up fellows..hurry! By the time you are 60 years old you will have only one half the taste buds you had at 20!

[mrerick]

But, consider this... Those few taste buds are oh so experienced!!!!!

[ithacaartist]

Rich, the black bag was the "Bokar" blend/roast of 8:00.

My mom would hand the bag to the guy ath the A&P, and he would run it through the grinder. They also used to carry your groceries out to your car for you. Today, we get to use the dehumanizing self-checkout!

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by ithacaartist

My mom would hand the bag to the guy ath the A&P, and he would run it through the grinder. They also used to carry your groceries out to your car for you. Today, we get to use the dehumanizing self-checkout!

Same robot check-outs here too. And the brown paper bags, so handy for wrapping parcels for mailing, have disappeared. Replaced with plastic bags only good for collecting dog poop...Which is exactly what I use them for...

[sheepherder]

I finally used up my Devil's Brew yesterday, and started on the 8 O'Clock Jamaican Blue Mountain blend today...

Not much in the way of fragrance; and at first taste it tastes familiar...Took me a minute, but then I recognized the taste - International Foods Suisse Mocha instant coffee...[pic below]...I tried a couple of these back in the 80's [IIRC] and finally ditched them, but kept the cool tin boxes...

Second inpression was that it seemed 'weaker' than my usual coffee...More watery...

So Now I'm wondering about the physical grind...I had left the dial set at 'Auto Drip'...Going back here and reading a couple comments and thinking about the grinds I got from the 'gourmet' coffeeshops, I probably should have set it to 'Fine' or even 'Espresso' or 'Turkish' to get a nice fine grind, like confectionary sugar...

This 'Auto Drip' is coarse, like coarse ground pepper granules...

It's good (not as good as Crosby's) but a bit too weak/watery...

I have my mothers old meat grinder; I wonder if it will grind coffee finer...

Edit: No, it won't. These granules go right through.

[Sergio Natali]

Richard,

Here in Italy there are similar sayings: an old Neapolitan one says that you've got to drink it scorchingly hot: ("come cazzo coce") I don't literally translate it as it is a bit rude, but that's what it is.
The second: saying: ".....Per fare un buon caffè ci vogliono 4 M... M come Miscela... M come Macinatura... M come Macchina... M come Mano..."
I'll translate it for you: to make a good cup of coffee it takes four Ms: mixture (blend), Macinatura (good grinding), Machine, Mano (hand),
In fact given the same water and the same best gound coffe not every barman can make a very good cup of coffee.

My 2 cents

[Norme]

Geez Rich, I can't believe what I'm reading! Vanilla, sugar, honey, creamer, what are you, some kind of wuss? Real men drink their coffee hot and black with nothing added. If you're going to add all that crap you might as well buy the cheapest coffee you can find, good coffee is wasted on you.
When my son-in-law asked for my daughters hand in marriage 12 years ago, I said "not if you put cream in your coffee". He's been drinking it black ever since.
Best regards, Norm

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by Norme

Real men drink their coffee hot and black with nothing added.

I'm sorry that I've not lived up to your expectations, Norm. You know how much your opinions mean to me.

Everything I eat or drink has either sugar or salt in it. I can't taste much of anything else.

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by Norme

Geez Rich, I can't believe what I'm reading! Vanilla, sugar, honey, creamer, what are you, some kind of wuss?

Norm, I forgot to add a comment about my honey...My coffee honey...My honey in my coffee...

It's 'Sioux Bee' honey...There's two kinds, but at first I didn't know that...The squeeze bottles are the same, but one has 'Clover' added to the label; the other has nothing...

I eventually tried them both, and the 'clover' honey is definitely sweeter...

I don't know how they get the honey bees to only eat clover and not elephant grass or whatever else they eat, but the 'clover honey' is the one all us schoolgirls choose!!!

[Ron Wood]

I drink mine black with 4 or 5 drops of stevia leaf extract. Gives sweetness but cuts way down on calories. I have cut back on the salt intake too. I have decided that I am going to live to be an old man if it kills me.

[John Sabato]

Originally Posted by Ron Wood

... I have decided that I am going to live to be an old man if it kills me.

... I often say, that if I had known I was going to live this long, I would have taken much better care of myself...but who am I fooling?

[GySgt1811]

I just finished the scrubbing the roof. Did I miss anything?

Gunny John

[Norme]

Hi Rich, I've mentioned this before on this forum, but whenever I have one of those difficult choices to make, I ask myself "What would John Wayne do?". Do you think John Wayne would put honey in his coffee, never mind the special sugar, the "creamer" (I'm afraid to ask what that is), and the vanilla extract? Rich, I beg you as your friend, change your ways before it's too late!
Norm

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by Norme

Hi Rich, I've mentioned this before on this forum, but whenever I have one of those difficult choices to make, I ask myself "What would John Wayne do?". Do you think John Wayne would put honey in his coffee, never mind the special sugar, the "creamer" (I'm afraid to ask what that is), and the vanilla extract? Rich, I beg you as your friend, change your ways before it's too late!
Norm

And for dinner, John Wayne would only eat fried beans??? (I watch his movies too!)

Let me take a quick look around my kitchen and describe the delicious delectable tidbits I have...

Fridge - Pepsi 12pk, A&W Root Beer 12pk, Cherry Coke 12pk, Butterfinger Bits, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Hershey's with Almonds, Tapioca, M&M's w/peanuts [42oz bag]. Up top - Garlic Triscuits, Ritz Garlic Crackers, spray-on Kraft Cheddar Cheese spread, Lay's Wavy Potato Chips, Sourdough Pretzels, Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts, and Sweet & Salty Almond Nut Granola bars.

And that's just the snack food! Yes, I'm a junk food junkie!!!

Today, I'm enjoying a mug of half & half LaVozza + Dunkin' coffee, with 6 cubes of white sugar and 3 heaping teaspoons of French Vanill Coffee-Mate creamer. And of course, clover honey. It's not bad.

I should mention how I like French Toast: Mix 2 eggs [scramble], dip bread in and put in fry pan, then put on plate and rub a pat of [salted] butter on each slice, then start dumping teaspoons of brown sugar on until you get a uniform 100% coverage at least 1/8" thick. The butter will hold the brown sugar in place while you cut & eat it.