Tales From The Coffee Pot

[AJ]

Quebec fish camp and coffee. That sounds like paradise. Reminds me of standing on dock at daybreak sipping coffee as the fog rose up off water. Then heading out in old cedar strip boats to catch walleye and pike.

Made me remember that when I was a kid that I went from Cleveland, Ohio to Peterborough, Canada. I was with my Grandfather and Father. My Grandfather went there to buy a cedar strip boat from the factory. Used that boat for over 20 years, not sure what happened to it. Probably sold.....

 

[Derosa]

I have never made a bad cup of coffee in the morning - I let my wife make the pot the night before and tell her how great the coffee is each morning. Yup, I am happily married.

 

[JH1951]

I have tried every new coffee making contraption from the first Mr. Coffee to the latest and greatest (under $150.) variety. They have all died and/or grossed me out with floating bugs or unknown things. Cleaning (to suit me) is also a pain in the rear. So, when the last auto-maker died, and I was conveniently at the end of my pod supply, I went 'old-school', again after many years. I grind my own beans with a 150 year old grinder and use a French press that uses 1850's technology. I am retired, so time is not of the essence. Brewing time is four minutes after the water boils (so maybe ten minutes total). Maintenance is a daily rinse, and maybe a monthly disassembly and scrub. No big deal on any front. I control the quantity, quality, and intensity completely. When company comes over I get out a second press and accommodate their wishes if they don't match mine. Anyway, back to old-school brewing has been more than satisfactory for me. No cords, vinegar cleans, leaks, or expensive pods..... Just a good cup-o-joe to start the day, and end it, as I drink a final cup around 11:00 p.m. with a big splash of Irish Whiskey.
This is my preference after several laps around the block... as always, YMMV.

 

[Bald1]

Well done JH. I've been flirting with the idea of a French press. The only time I get coffee like that is after dinner at certain restaurants. And 8 O'clock is a solid choice for coffee beans.

 

[oldbrownhat]

... Do you know there are a couple of errors you can do with the electric coffee grinder also?...

Umm... like forgetting to put the canister in the bottom to receive the ground elixir? BTDT.

Fortunately I have not yet reached a level of physical or mental infirmity where I cannot make coffee in the morning, although, as per the OP, the mystery of the increased gravitational force of the couch has not escaped my attention.

 

[mmb617]

Mike, SC Hunter, get you one of those 4 cup coffee makers. They make about 2 good-sized cups of coffee and are really inexpensive. Some are a cheap as 10 bucks.

That's what I use as it makes just about the right amount of coffee for me. I drink it as 4 small cups, about a half a mug each because I can't stand lukewarm coffee. I pour about a half mugful and microwave it for 15 seconds since the coffee maker doesn't make it as hot as I'd like, then drink it before it has a chance to cool much.

I'm done drinking coffee for the day well before noon so when I take the last cup I leave the lid up while the machine cools down. At some point later I prep it for the next morning. I can tell at a glance if I have it ready by whether the lid is up or down. In the morning all I have to do is hit the button and she starts brewing.

This method is relatively foolproof but I've still managed to screw it up once in a while. I'll notice that the coffee is really light in color and realize I'm running the water through yesterdays grounds. To avoid that I have to talk to myself while prepping the machine - "filter, coffee, water" as I perform each step. Sort of like shooting the muzzleloader and saying "powder, patch, ball" to avoid dryballing.

 

[oldbrownhat]

...I've been flirting with the idea of a French press...

My advice is to stop flirting and turn it into a full-blown affair.

 

[lkabug]

I'm guilty of succumbing to the Keurig also. Was using a stove top coffee maker for years. Would make 4 to 6 cups. I would have one cup and dump the rest. Per cup, Keurig is expensive, but i don't throw any away. And it is consistent coffee. The kids love it when they visit.

 

[Golddollar]

If you are talking about the old aluminum percolators, they make great coffee. My mother has about 10 of them from like 2 cups to 30 cups.

That's probably what it was. The generator in the camp used to kick out a lot so one less appliance per cabin made a big difference.

 

[oldbrownhat]

SteelSlaver, some morning I would look down at the cat's bowl and see two filter packs, and know why the coffee tasted so bad that morning.

I bet the cat was a bit perplexed, too!

 

[fiasconva]

JH1951, Eight O'Clock Coffee, old school goodness and my preference for years.

 

[cndrdk]

Water at my apartment was off once, so I made my morning coffee with Red Bull instead of water. Went out to the garage, fired up the old zero turn mower an mowed an acre and a half lot. Showered, grabbed the Harley and blasted off to work at a high rate of speed. Later that afternoon I realized I'm retired and I don't have a lawn to mow and have never owned a Harley.

 

[Skeet 028]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Good one!!

 

[Marine Corps Air]

All of these posts have reminded me of the coffee maker and exotic coffee from the movie "The Bucket List"

https://www.bing.com/th?id=OIP.MJjZ...=100&c=8&rs=1&qlt=90&o=6&dpr=1.3&pid=3.1&rm=2

and the "kopi luwak" coffee, which although one of the main characters extolled just how great it is, and the wonderful taste, ec. in reality it's only ground up wild civet cat poop.

I'll just keep using my Keurig K-cups, and pass on this opportunity!

Cheers!

Bill

 

[oldbrownhat]

...and the "kopi luwak" coffee, which although one of the main characters extolled just how great it is, and the wonderful taste, ec. in reality it's only ground up wild civet cat poop. ..

Well, not quite. It's coffee beans that have been... um..."processed through" the civet, and then (presumably) separated from whatever else emerged.

Notwithstanding, there is no way I'd be inclined to try it, at least not when remotely sober.

And at the prices thry're asking for the stuff ($33/oz.) there must be a bunch of civets driving around Indonesia in Lamborghinis.

 

[PALADIN85020]

1. Fill cup 3/4 full with water, heat to drinking temperature in the microwave.

2. Add a heaping teaspoon of instant coffee and a teaspoon of sugar.

3. Add a dollop of Irish cream.

Mission accomplished. Enjoy.

John

 

[oldbrownhat]

1. Fill cup 3/4 full with water, heat to drinking temperature in the microwave.

2. Add a heaping teaspoon of instant coffee and a teaspoon of sugar.

3. Add a dollop of Irish cream.

Mission accomplished. Enjoy.

John

Oh, very well then. Since we're exploring the extremes of the subject, here is a pic of the other end of the spectrum, from a fellow in Ottawa who "friended" my gf on FB when she decided to take the plunge into making espresso (aka "The Agony and the Ecstasy". There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth before suitable results were achieved.)

As far as I can tell, an ECM Synchronica espresso machine and a Rancilio Rocky grinder. If you have to ask the price..... (you aren't a well-established employee of the Federal Government.)

 

[llowry61]

Well, not quite. It's coffee beans that have been... um..."processed through" the civet, and then (presumably) separated from whatever else emerged.

Notwithstanding, there is no way I'd be inclined to try it, at least not when remotely sober.

And at the prices thry're asking for the stuff ($33/oz.) there must be a bunch of civets driving around Indonesia in Lamborghinis.

Have you ever tried to get a cat to take a pill ? I can't imagine what it takes to get a coffee bean down their gullet, so 33 an ounce might be a bargain

 

[oldbrownhat]

Have you ever tried to get a cat to take a pill ? I can't imagine what it takes to get a coffee bean down their gullet, so 33 an ounce might be a bargain

Yup. BTDT ! t seems, according to this website, that they eat the berries voluntarily:

The story goes that during the Dutch colonial period in Indonesia, coffee was first introduced as a cash crop. However, the Dutch forbade the local farmers from harvesting the coffee beans for their own consumption. Instead, the farmers had to pick up the beans from the ground or collect the beans from the civet cat feces. This is how the local people discovered that the beans that had been eaten and excreted by the civet cats produced a coffee with a unique flavor.

The production process for Kopi Luwak is certainly unique, to say the least....The civet cat is an omnivore and feeds on a variety of foods, including insects, small mammals, and fruit.

When the civet cat eats the coffee cherries, the beans inside the fruit are not fully digested. The beans pass through the cat's digestive system, where they are fermented and partially broken down by the animal's enzymes. The beans are then excreted in the cat's feces, which are collected by farmers and processed to produce Kopi Luwak coffee...
​

Not surprisingly, there are some ethical concerns about the cats' treatment (mentioned in the article).

 

[GreyOwl]

I have tried every new coffee making contraption from the first Mr. Coffee to the latest and greatest (under $150.) variety. They have all died and/or grossed me out with floating bugs or unknown things. Cleaning (to suit me) is also a pain in the rear. So, when the last auto-maker died, and I was conveniently at the end of my pod supply, I went 'old-school', again after many years. I grind my own beans with a 150 year old grinder and use a French press that uses 1850's technology. I am retired, so time is not of the essence. Brewing time is four minutes after the water boils (so maybe ten minutes total). Maintenance is a daily rinse, and maybe a monthly disassembly and scrub. No big deal on any front. I control the quantity, quality, and intensity completely. When company comes over I get out a second press and accommodate their wishes if they don't match mine. Anyway, back to old-school brewing has been more than satisfactory for me. No cords, vinegar cleans, leaks, or expensive pods..... Just a good cup-o-joe to start the day, and end it, as I drink a final cup around 11:00 p.m. with a big splash of Irish Whiskey.
This is my preference after several laps around the block... as always, YMMV.
View attachment 628580

I think I hav the almost twin to your grinder although mine shows a bit of torque twisting from decades of use! I had to rebuild the drawer about 10 years back.