Tales From The Coffee Pot

[Narragansett]

For years, I have prepared my morning coffee at night so that I can just push the button in the morning.

Well, as I get older, the chair grabs me at night, and when I wake up, I want to go right to bed. Besides being able to just push the button in the morning, I eliminated the catastrophe of screwing up the process. This can range from forgetting to add water or coffee, forgetting to put the pot back on the burner, forgetting you made the coffee the night before and adding double water.

Today it was forgetting to put the strainer back in before adding coffee. Coffee and grounds everywhere. 15 minute cleanup.

Anybody have horror stories to share?

 

[moosedog]

I'll bet you were fully awake after the 15 minute cleanup.

 

[pharman]

I can relate!

I can definitely relate! Several times I have prepared everything so I like you can just press the button to start the brewing process in the morning...twice now I had left a 1/2 pot of already made coffee in the pot from the night before, got up, pressed the starter button and went back to bed to snooze...a little while later I was awakened by my wife's screams that there was coffee all over the counter...big cleanup ensued...Roger

 

[Heinz]

I have given up on the night-before option. I have made all of the listed mistakes and maybe a few creative ones.

I went for years without a Mr Coffee style maker because of the various failures that flooded my counter.

Now I have an array of options, pour-over, press pot, Farberwar percolator (fifty tears old and still going strong) and a new Mr Coffee that I could set to start by itself in the morning.

I find it best to wait until the morning, take the dog out for his first pass, and then decide on the brew for the day. I usually have a cup or so left over from the day before to microwave and help start the decision process.

I like the Percolator coffee, but not too fond of the grounds in the cup. The best coffee is when I fresh grind it and use the big pour-over. Do you know there are a couple of errors you can do with the electric coffee grinder also?

These days usually Folgers and the Mr Coffee usually win out. If the kids are visiting or it is a rainy day we do the grind and pour over routine.

 

[Bald1]

For 34 yrs I worked odd shifts. Mostly starting between 2-4am. That means getting up before some people go to bed. I've found the auto setting on coffee pot to be priceless. I always have it set to go off 30 min before I wake up. Now that I'm retired I still set it to go off every morning at 5:30. I set it after dinner while cleaning up. That way I don't forget and it's done. I do the same at deer camp. My hunting buddies think I'm obsessive about my coffee ( and I am) but they like waking up to the smell of fresh brew…… My wife likes 1/2 decaf ice coffee. Her machine does not have timer option because ice would obviously melt. I set hers up complete with sugar free vanilla flavor when I do mine. Simply have to add ice and press go in the morning……. No real messes to report BUT a time or two I've awoke at 12:40 am to a pot full of hot water or a hot empty pot. That's not a good start to a 12hr day.

 

[steelslaver]

Morning. Running on habit alone. Go out hit the on button on machine, load up a double espresso filter and stick it in machine with short cup under it. Take big cup to fridge and pour it 1/2 full of 1/2 and 1/2, grab opened can of cat food while fridge is open. Stick 1/2 and 1/2 in nuke set for 2 minutes. Back to machine, fill second 2 shot filter, green light comes on, hit button to start espresso flow, fill 3 small saucers with a scoop of cat food. Hand dog first biscuit, Shut down espresso, and hit steam button, set out cat dishes and retrieve the 1/2 and 1/2 from nuke. Change out filters and then start steam frothing 1/2 and 1/2, dump and clean first filter, fill water bottle and wet dish cloth. Shut down stream, remove 1/2 and 1/2 dump in first 2 shots and start 2nd 2. Wipe down froth wand with dish rag and rinse it out. Hand dog second biscuit. Shut down machine, dump in last 2 shots, fill machines water container from bottle, clean second filter. Hand dog 3rd treat. Take a sip and actual start my day.

 

[Narragansett]

Morning. Running on habit alone. Go out hit the on button on machine, load up a double espresso filter and stick it in machine with short cup under it. Take big cup to fridge and pour it 1/2 full of 1/2 and 1/2, grab opened can of cat food while fridge is open. Stick 1/2 and 1/2 in nuke set for 2 minutes. Back to machine, fill second 2 shot filter, green light comes on, hit button to start espresso flow, fill 3 small saucers with a scoop of cat food. Hand dog first biscuit, Shut down espresso, and hit steam button, set out cat dishes and retrieve the 1/2 and 1/2 from nuke. Change out filters and then start steam frothing 1/2 and 1/2, dump and clean first filter, fill water bottle and wet dish cloth. Shut down stream, remove 1/2 and 1/2 dump in first 2 shots and start 2nd 2. Wipe down froth wand with dish rag and rinse it out. Hand dog second biscuit. Shut down machine, dump in last 2 shots, fill machines water container from bottle, clean second filter. Hand dog 3rd treat. Take a sip and actual start my day.

WOW, quite a routine

 

[Bekeart]

Easy Geezer Pleaser

Run tap water into Mug
Mug into Microwave
70 second Full Power
Remove Mug
Add 2 teaspoons of instant coffee.
Sip and Slurp

If the coffee ain't fit to drink STRAIGHT, why are you drinking it?

Bekeart


SWMBO requires strong brewed coffee with half and half.
She is worth it - I ain't.

 

[Rodan]

I resisted K-cup coffee for years... but I've been assimilated. It's so much easier... Machine is ready in 30 seconds, and have a cup of coffee in under a minute. And less waste, since I try to keep to 2 cups a day. I guess that offsets all the little plastic cups...

 

[Dave.357]

I have a lady that takes care of that.

 

[Heinz]

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.

 

[Nevada Ed]

Never forgot the filter, but did run out one time and have to use a napkin.

It is also sort of embarrassing to sit there waiting for the coffee to perk;
and finally realize, that you forgot to add the water !!

Ah, the joy of having a cup of coffee.

 

[Krogen]

I don't have any tales to tell about myself. Coffee is a big thing for me. I'm a home roaster.

But, back when dinosaurs roamed, Dad was fond of the night before coffee setup. One time he filled the carafe with water, poured it into Mr. Coffee, filled the carafe with water, put on the basket of grounds and set it on Mr. Coffee. He went to bed.

Next morning, Mr. Coffee had made a full pot of coffee into a carafe full of water. A bit of an overflow problem, first noticed by Mom's wet feet.

 

[Skeet 028]

I use the K cup also...a little stronger than max water. No cleanup...one mug a day...oh the cats have dry food. At least till night when rhey demand ...ummm...somekinda... meat? Wifedrinks TEA?? Green?? When I worked all those years ago...I was up at 0400...coffee brewed by 0430...morning ritual...0435 my Paramedic Angie was sitting down in the day room having her first mug. By 0515 we had the second pot going. By 0600 when the other slugs got up she and I were already wired for the day. She was a nice looking gal and smart...but she made terrible coffee and the guys did the cooking if ya know what I mean. I drank an average of 25 cups a day.

 

[Smoke]

The only coffee I ever really liked was Farmer Brothers Arabica Rush Double Caffeine Coffee. They had it at T. Rowe Price when I worked there. Very mellow but I could FEEL the Caffeine hit.

My last assignment I had to check the refrigerators at a place called Broadcom on the West edge of town. They had a Starbucks Coffee machine in the break room and the janitors always had a pot going when I got there at 0100. I drank it because it was was free but I wasn't impressed.

Now I do tea in the morning

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

I was getting up too many times at night and (even more) worthless the next day with high blood pressure until I dumped all caffeine every day. Once again I sleep through the night and function again the next day at normal BP. To each their own, and we are all different, but no caffeine has been a literal life saver for me. After a few weeks you do not miss it.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

Man!.............I just drink Folger's Instant, 2 cups in the morning and sometimes one at night. A whole pot would be wasted.

 

[twodog max]

I really like the timer pot option but right now we use a version that does not have that. I have had a very few mishaps over the years but not enough to put me off the night before routine.
We like ours just plain black Folgers.
What is the point in getting up if you don't have coffee. It is one habit I will indulge until my last day.

 

[ACORN]

I fill my Keurig with the sink sprayer to save wear on the valve in the bottom of the reservoir.
One morning in the dark, after my first cup, with just enough ambient light, I fill the Keurig.
In the reservoir among the bubbles from the sprayer I see something white swirling around.
Turned out to be one of these. About 2" long.

 

[ACORN]

Morning. Running on habit alone. Go out hit the on button on machine, load up a double espresso filter and stick it in machine with short cup under it. Take big cup to fridge and pour it 1/2 full of 1/2 and 1/2, grab opened can of cat food while fridge is open. Stick 1/2 and 1/2 in nuke set for 2 minutes. Back to machine, fill second 2 shot filter, green light comes on, hit button to start espresso flow, fill 3 small saucers with a scoop of cat food. Hand dog first biscuit, Shut down espresso, and hit steam button, set out cat dishes and retrieve the 1/2 and 1/2 from nuke. Change out filters and then start steam frothing 1/2 and 1/2, dump and clean first filter, fill water bottle and wet dish cloth. Shut down stream, remove 1/2 and 1/2 dump in first 2 shots and start 2nd 2. Wipe down froth wand with dish rag and rinse it out. Hand dog second biscuit. Shut down machine, dump in last 2 shots, fill machines water container from bottle, clean second filter. Hand dog 3rd treat. Take a sip and actual start my day.

Ever mix up the dog biscuit, cat food, and half & half.