[MacNNFamous]

Cream and sugar are fine but your coffee has to be smooth/good enough to go solo.

[subego]

I’ve got good coffee and a decent grinder, but I only sorta like coffee in the first place.

I think I mentioned I started drinking it is because it fell to me to make it at work, which obligated me to test it. From there, I found the kick to be too useful. Especially when I had to get up at 3AM.


Edit: it’s also not too shabby as an appetite suppressant.

[subego]

Got my hands on some light cream again. So much better than the heavy.

Next time I’m stuck with it, I’m considering cutting the heavy with half water.

[ghporter]

Try skim/low fat milk instead of water to cut the heavy cream. Water and cream won’t mix well, but any milk will work ok. I’d go with whatever milk is handy when light cream isn’t available.

We use half-and-half for our coffee. It’s “heavy” enough to give the coffee body, but not so heavy that it floats…. We occasionally have whipped cream (whipped at home, so it’s really cream) left over, and a dollop on a cup of coffee is an interesting change of pace. But it’s definitely “heavy”. Whole milk, on the other hand, while not heavy, is also not enough for flavor.

Please note that while I drank coffee before I lived on the Gulf Coast, once I was introduced to real New Orleans café au lait (chicory coffee with steamed cream), anything other than real cream (or at least half-and-half) just doesn’t do it.

[subego]

For whatever reason I really dislike milk in coffee. I’m also going low carb (hence the artificial sweetener test)

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by subego 

For whatever reason I really dislike milk in coffee. I’m also going low carb (hence the artificial sweetener test)

I get that - there's a distinctively different taste of "coffee with milk" compared to "coffee with cream." But by cutting your heavy cream with milk, you're basically making your own half-and-half, so it wouldn't taste like milk.

I've sort of regressed in my coffee making process. The whole electric kettle, single-cup pour over process got really time consuming. I tried a "5 cup" carafe pour over gadget, which was less of a hassle, but... So I bought a 5-cup drip coffee maker.

It makes pretty darn good coffee too. One thing I think was always missing in my prior coffee makers was that they were always 12 cup devices. I'd either make way too much coffee, or the unit wouldn't do a good job with a half pot. This small guy is not like that. Our morning cups hold 12 ounces, so I put in just enough water and ground coffee to make 24oz, and a few minutes later, voila!

[subego]

10 “cups” is my sweet spot, and also happens to be exactly three pint bottles of water.

WRT milk, even the milk in half and half is a turnoff.

[Laminar]

Wife has started buying from BLK & Bold, a local coffee roaster. She got a grinder for Christmas which goes with the pour-over I got her a while back. The hot tap makes it easy to put together a cup.

Also she broke her French press this week so I need to find a new one so she can get back to bedtime tea.

[OAW]

Originally Posted by Laminar 

Wife has started buying from BLK & Bold, a local coffee roaster. She got a grinder for Christmas which goes with the pour-over I got her a while back. The hot tap makes it easy to put together a cup.

Also she broke her French press this week so I need to find a new one so she can get back to bedtime tea.

This is an African-American owned company that I purchase from as well. I like the signature dark roast and I recently tried the Ethiopian light roast. Both are very good. I also like how they donate 5% of their proceeds to youth charities.

OAW

[OAW]

Originally Posted by subego 

10 “cups” is my sweet spot, and also happens to be exactly three pint bottles of water.

WRT milk, even the milk in half and half is a turnoff.

Agreed. I really don't like milk in my coffee. Even in half and half.

OAW

[ghporter]

I guess it’s a (no pun intended) taste thing. Of course when I first drank coffee, my grandparents used condensed milk (and sugar) in their coffee. So whole milk was a lot lighter, and not super sweet, either.

Later, I got spoiled by New Orleans café au lait, specifically from Cafe Du Monde, so the milk thing is a part of the experience for me.

On the other hand, at work I’d drink it black. Overly strong Folgers from a 12 cup Mr. Coffee clone that has been “warming” the last two cups for several hours…. I tried bringing in milk or half-and-half, but it’s kinda hard to make that coffee “better.”

What’s that? “Powdered creamers?” Not a chance. The most honest ones call themselves “coffee whiteners”, but yuck.

[OAW]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

I guess it’s a (no pun intended) taste thing. Of course when I first drank coffee, my grandparents used condensed milk (and sugar) in their coffee. So whole milk was a lot lighter, and not super sweet, either.

Later, I got spoiled by New Orleans café au lait, specifically from Cafe Du Monde, so the milk thing is a part of the experience for me.

On the other hand, at work I’d drink it black. Overly strong Folgers from a 12 cup Mr. Coffee clone that has been “warming” the last two cups for several hours…. I tried bringing in milk or half-and-half, but it’s kinda hard to make that coffee “better.”

What’s that? “Powdered creamers?” Not a chance. The most honest ones call themselves “coffee whiteners”, but yuck.

I actually like condensed milk in my coffee. With that I don't even need to bother with sugar. But whole milk or half and half?

OAW

[subego]

I strangely am fine with milk in espresso. I mean, I know au lait is regular coffee, but at coffee places I get a latte or a cappuccino.

In regular coffee I’ll take (liquid) Coffee Mate over milk.

[ghporter]

[joke]
Were you frightened by a cow as a child?
[/joke]

Coffee Mate, dry or liquid, has a distinctive flavor (even the non-flavored versions) that is pretty yucky to me.

At one time I even tried powdered milk in my coffee (at work). No go. However, as a child I DID have to put up with mainly powdered milk for an extended period of time. So that, “skim milk” (whitened water) and even low fat milk are kinda repulsive…

[subego]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

[joke]
Were you frightened by a cow as a child?
[/joke]

The opposite! I love milk. Especially in cereal. I haven’t the faintest idea why it turns me off in regular coffee. It was pure luck I grabbed some straight cream and tried it. I had normally gotten half and half made by a local(ish) dairy. That was out one time, but the cream was in stock and I gave it a shot.

[subego]

Ran out of viable sugar substitutes, but a search turned up a 10 to 15-year-old stash of Splenda packets.

Tastes fine.

[Thorzdad]

I’ve started using oatmilk or a oat-coconut milk blend in my morning coffee, instead of half-n-half. It’s good.

[subego]

Opportunity to call it cocoatnut milk missed.

[subego]

Today was either chocolate milk or nothing. Pretty disgusting tbh. I prefer ND creamer.

[ghporter]

Chocolate milk in coffee isn't necessarily horrible. But it's better if you put in chocolate syrup (we like Hershey's Special Dark syrup) and mix it in well before adding any dairy/pseudo dairy product. Chocolate milk is not strongly enough flavored to compete with a decently brewed coffee, so it tastes "ish" instead of chocolaty.

[Brien]

One of our local places uses chocolate milk to make their mochas. Ish describes it perfectly

[subego]

Had to go Dunkin’ creamer or nothing.

Not bad. Too sweet though.

[reader50]

Aren't you getting hit by a heat wave? I'd think hot coffee would not be the answer.

Sweaty people driving around. Add hot coffee. Sweaty, jittery people driving around. This is not an improvement.

[Thorzdad]

Originally Posted by reader50 

Aren't you getting hit by a heat wave? I'd think hot coffee would not be the answer.

I had a friend from India who never, ever drank cold drinks, not even cold water. Always piping hot tea or coffee, even in the most sweltering of heat waves.

[subego]

It’s 85°, so not out of the ordinary for August.

I don’t like the overheating hot coffee causes in summer, but I’ve become non-functional without the caffeine hit. I should probably go iced.

[Laminar]

Originally Posted by Thorzdad 

I had a friend from India who never, ever drank cold drinks, not even cold water. Always piping hot tea or coffee, even in the most sweltering of heat waves.

I'd wondered why I only got a tepid glass of still water at Chinese restaurants, so I did some digging. Apparently it's a thing.
https://asia.nikkei.com/Editor-s-Pic...ders-ice-water

Originally Posted by subego 

It’s 85°, so not out of the ordinary for August.

I don’t like the overheating hot coffee causes in summer, but I’ve become non-functional without the caffeine hit. I should probably go iced.

[ghporter]

Mornings call for hot coffee, for me, anyway. One cup (12oz) with half and half. After that, I’m fine. I can’t do sweet coffee. A touch of sweet is ok now and then, but if my coffee is going to be sweet, it may as well be coffee ice cream. Yum.

However I have heard the theory that hot drinks “balance” the body in hot weather. I’m not going to quite say BS to that, but… On the other hand, really cold drinks can change blood flow in not so good ways. The stomach lining is chilled by really cold stuff, and that diverts a LOT of blood away from everything else to the stomach. Which is why some people actually get kinda faint when they chug ice water.

[subego]

Originally Posted by Laminar 

I'd wondered why I only got a tepid glass of still water at Chinese restaurants, so I did some digging. Apparently it's a thing.

I’d wondered why I only got a tepid glass of beer in Europe, so I did some digging. Apparently Europeans are stupid.

[andi*pandi]

Once at a cookout, my new-age cousin gave me the stinkeye when I put her contribution (lemonade and seltzers) into the cooler along with the evil sugar sodas and beers.

[subego]

Originally Posted by Laminar 

What’s the idea? Just add ice? Do you make it muddier to compensate for getting watered down?

[Laminar]

Make it a little stronger, ice in a cup, pour over ice.

[Brien]

Nah, this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PApBycDrPo0

[andi*pandi]

Oh dear god. There's a dunkin' every 50 feet.

[subego]

Say you live in New England without saying you live in New England.

[subego]

They were out of regular Ethiopian, but currently have a “special” type that’s $75 for a ¾-pound bag.

[reader50]

For that price, it had better be a very special type, with bonus cocaine dust to pick you up.

[subego]

Details:

https://www.intelligentsia.com/produ...1-experimental

[subego]

This is one of those things like cat poop coffee where I know it’s a ripoff (and with the cat poop, abusive to cats), but I’m still curious enough to pay for it once.

I’m sure it’s pointless with a drip machine though.

[Brien]

None of the auction hype coffees have been worth it to me.

[subego]

I’m sure it’s good, but I can’t see it being 3X+ good. As is, $20 for a ¾-pound bag of the regular Ethiopian is too expensive.

[andi*pandi]

Originally Posted by subego 

Say you live in New England without saying you live in New England.

oh deah gawd, theyah's a Dunkin evry 50 feet, timmay!

[subego]

Krispy Kreme died for your sins.

[Thorzdad]

I never understood the KK fetish. The donuts were insanely over-glazed and teeth-chattering sweet. Then the donut itself was just air. Meh.

[Brien]

Same as cloyingly sweet Frappacinos or the ‘let’s put bacon and cereal on donuts’ things. Muricans love sugar.

[subego]

Originally Posted by Thorzdad 

I never understood the KK fetish. The donuts were insanely over-glazed and teeth-chattering sweet. Then the donut itself was just air. Meh.

I like my donuts that way.

[andi*pandi]

Originally Posted by subego 

Krispy Kreme died for your sins.

The invaders were repelled.

Now, Heavnly Donuts... those are pretty good.
https://heavnlydonuts.com/locations/

Linda's is great if you get there early.

And these? are they art? They're darned expensive but amazing.
https://www.unionsquaredonuts.com

[subego]

Originally Posted by subego 

They were out of regular Ethiopian, but currently have a “special” type that’s $75 for a ¾-pound bag.

It’s actually $75 for a 7 ounce bag.

I couldn’t help myself. I tried it.

It is probably one of the best cups of coffee I’ve ever had. Extremely smooth. Had some strong but not overbearing non-coffee tastes.

Still not worth it, but now I can stop wondering. It’d be nice as a gift for an aficionado.

[subego]

No African in season so I went Costa Rica. Not bad.

[andi*pandi]

Originally Posted by andi*pandi 

oh deah gawd, theyah's a Dunkin evry 50 feet, timmay!

Tragedy reported in Stow, MA:

https://twitter.com/MattWBZ/status/1...8Y2E6-rES6_aWg

[subego]

I thought that was Ira Glass for a second.