Mmm...coffee...

[Dominique]

[QUOTE=princessbelle;411994]I don't drink fancy coffee from a fancy machine. My life growing up revolved around good ole cups of coffee and food with great discussions around the kitchen table.

I can't see, think or hear without my coffee in the mornings. Just about any coffee will do from any coffee pot. Bring it on strong with a little bit of french vanilla creamer and my day is off to a good start.

I usually drink a pot in the mornings and one in the afternoons. I panic when i am getting low. Addicted? You bet i am.

Morning Belle!

I came from a family that drank *mud* that would perk on top of the stove.....it would smell great and taste awful. I was in my early thirties before I ever drank a coffee that I thought *Hmmm, I might like this* I became cross addicted to crappy coffee (black) and 20 ounce Mt .dew. I understand completely, how easy it is to become addicted.

Not any more. One espresso a day, no more Mt. dew. Just water....all day long. I don't even need the espresso first thing.
Withdrawl, was brutal.

[girl_dee]

They would have to commit me for a long period to detox me. I won't go willingly, besides I take coffee medicinally, for my asthma, Cough Cough ahem.

[Dominique]

Originally Posted by Cajun_dee

They would have to commit me for a long period to detox me. I won't go willingly, besides I take coffee medicinally, for my asthma, Cough Cough ahem.

I was taking it in pill form too, it was in my migraine medicine. Holly cow....just kill me why don't you? LOL, I went thru withdrawl when I was single.....6 friggin month headache no lie.

And bell's pink script writing makes me want to run for the migraine medicine.....just saying Belle.....

[Okiebug61]

I'll probably be asked to leave the thread after this but I am a K-Cup Freak! I have a travel machine, an elite at home and a single serve at my office. I love the fact that I can have tea, coffee, hot chocolate and cider no matter where I am it fits the need.

[SecretAgentMa'am]

I am not up when the first coffee of the day is made, so I always roast the night before, at least. Beans always get at least a 12 hour rest, and most get a lot more than that since I roast about a week's supply at a time.

I've never bought any of Sweet Maria's 20 lb bags. We like to try a lot of different varieties, so I generally buy one of her 8 lb. sampler packs every month or so. It's a great way to get to try a lot of different beans while staying within budget. It works out to about $5/lb, and the samplers always include at least a couple of the high-end beans.

Espresso is a roast by the way.

I have to disagree with you there. It's common in North America to call extremely dark roasts "espresso roast" but espresso actually refers to the brewing method. From Wikipedia, referencing Ricardo and Francisco Illy's The Book of Coffee: "Espresso is a coffee beverage and brewing method, it is not a specific bean, bean blend, or roast level. Any bean or roasting level can be used to produce authentic espresso. For example, in southern Italy, a darker roast is generally preferred; but farther north, the trend moves toward slightly lighter roasts. Outside of Italy a wide range of roasts are popular." I generally roast to Full City or Full City+ for espresso. Extremely dark roasts will make it easier to get a full head of crema, but you also get that charcoal taste that's so common in coffee shops (I'm looking at you, Starbuck's). One of the reasons the drinks made by those shops are so packed with sugar is to mask the taste of their burned coffee.

The coffee roasting Wiki has a great reference chart for roast levels.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee_roasting

I used to buy bottles and bottles of Torani syrups, until I realized I could make them myself. They're basically just flavored simple syrups. Just combine 2 parts sugar to 1 part water, boil for a minute, and add whatever flavors you want. Right now we're using blackberry syrup that I made by boiling the seeds and pulp that were leftover after I made blackberry puree for margaritas in the sugar syrup. Half the syrup went into a bottle with a pour spout for coffee, and the other half got mixed with vodka for homemade blackberry cordial.

Originally Posted by Okiebug61

I'll probably be asked to leave the thread after this but I am a K-Cup Freak! I have a travel machine, an elite at home and a single serve at my office. I love the fact that I can have tea, coffee, hot chocolate and cider no matter where I am it fits the need.

There was a Keurig machine in the break room at my last job, and I honestly don't get why so many people love them. I understand that they're popular, but I found the coffee that came out to be weak and bitter. I don't think I ever managed to finish a cup, even with tons of cream and sugar. The hot chocolate also had a strange chemical flavor. Maybe it's just me. I can't stand artificial sweeteners, and I think all the K-cups other than the straight coffee have artificial sweeteners in them.

[Dominique]

Very informative link, thank you. Espresso is a roast, came right out of my
tutorial book that Zack and Dani's sent along. To be honest. I stop roasting just before any bean starts bringing out the oil. I roast Kona, to a City roast. I'm not a fan of deep roasts. I, (my opinion) think
it's too bold and flavor is lost. Yes, I agree...you can, and I have, made espresso out of the kona beans.

That blueberry syrup sounded wonderful!

I didn't (and maybe it's a good thing) start to roast beans until after I detoxed from it. I do it yes, because I love a good cup if I am limiting my self to one cup a day. But I enjoy roasting it and giving it to others. I do enjoy the roasting. I was on the sampler packs with Zack and Dani's, and now that I am at sweet Maria's. I order up a couple one pound bags when she gives the crops a good to excellent rating. If it is something I end up
liking, I'll order the sak. It's shelf life is two years. I roast once or twice a week. We always have Kona beans.

I burr my grind my beans all at once. If I read your post correctly, you grind as you brew?

I never had a K cup. Coffee snob here. I don't drink coffee anyplace but here.

[SecretAgentMa'am]

Originally Posted by Yellow band

Very informative link, thank you. Espresso is a roast, came right out of my
tutorial book that Zack and Dani's sent along.

I've seen that book. The author seems to have just decided to stick in their very own label for a roast level in between a couple of the standard roast levels and call it espresso roast. They could just as easily have called it dinosaur roast or purple roast. They're the only author I've seen who seems to think it exists.

I burr my grind my beans all at once. If I read your post correctly, you grind as you brew?

Yes, I grind as I brew. Coffee goes stale very quickly, and the greater the surface area the faster it goes stale. You get the best flavor by pulling your shot no more than 30 seconds after grinding.

[betenoire]

Originally Posted by Okiebug61

I'll probably be asked to leave the thread after this but I am a K-Cup Freak! I have a travel machine, an elite at home and a single serve at my office. I love the fact that I can have tea, coffee, hot chocolate and cider no matter where I am it fits the need.

I have a Keurig and I hate that stupid thing. Nick's parents got us one because they think it's just the greatest thing on the planet.

The things I hate about my Keurig:

1 - it's not environmentally sound. Do I REALLY need to have plastic to toss in the trash every time I make a cup of coffee? (Do not mention the reusable k-cups you can buy. They make REALLY weak coffee.)

2 - it's not financially sound. I refuse to pay on average 55 cents every time I want a cup of coffee in my own fucking apartment.

3 - I do not want one cup of coffee in the morning. I want 3 or four. May as well make a pot.

4 - tastes bad!

5 - lameass trendyass expensiveass machine.

(I am, personally, all about the French Press.)

[SecretAgentMa'am]

Originally Posted by betenoire

I have a Keurig and I hate that stupid thing. Nick's parents got us one because they think it's just the greatest thing on the planet.

I had all the same thoughts about it. I received a free Senseo machine when they were brand new on the market, and wound up giving it away. I have no interest in a machine that requires me to buy specific refills for it that can only be purchased from that company. I actually bought the reusable filter for the Senseo to try it with my own coffee, and it still sucked. The Keurig didn't seem any different. My boss was in love with the Tully's Vienna Roast K-cups so that's what we mostly had. It was awful. I bought a variety pack of K-cups thinking maybe I just hated that coffee. Nope, couldn't stand any of it.

[Dominique]

Originally Posted by SecretAgentMa'am

I had all the same thoughts about it. I received a free Senseo machine when they were brand new on the market, and wound up giving it away. I have no interest in a machine that requires me to buy specific refills for it that can only be purchased from that company. I actually bought the reusable filter for the Senseo to try it with my own coffee, and it still sucked. The Keurig didn't seem any different. My boss was in love with the Tully's Vienna Roast K-cups so that's what we mostly had. It was awful. I bought a variety pack of K-cups thinking maybe I just hated that coffee. Nope, couldn't stand any of it.

Sipping espresso here. Glad to read I missed nothing with those K cups.

[betenoire]

Originally Posted by Cajun_dee

They would have to commit me for a long period to detox me. I won't go willingly, besides I take coffee medicinally, for my asthma, Cough Cough ahem.

I actually read once that coffee can help you snap out of it if you're on the edge of an asthma attack. Made me happy to read that.

I will not be giving up coffee or trying to detox from my caffeine addiction. Just not worth the, um, headache.