Coffee, tea, and me
[NOTE: I’ve decided to take a short break from ragging on Obama today.]
So, do you agree that Eight O’Clock coffee is better than Starbucks? Consumer Reports says it is.
I have no opinion on the subject, because I never touch the stuff. Yes folks, today we have still another in a long series of shocking beverage confessions from neo-neocon: I hate coffee.
I don’t like coffee black. I don’t like it milked and sweetened and tarted up and I don’t like it expressoed. I don’t like it decaffed and I don’t like it supercharged. I don’t like the frappuccino mochachino whateverchino million-calorie extravaganzas at Starbucks.
I don’t like coffee’s taste. I don’t like the jittery feeling I get after I take just a few sips. I don’t like what it does to my GI tract. I don’t like the bitter aftermath, which seems to coat my entire alimentary canal with a thin layer of clinging grime. I don’t like the fact that it makes me thirsty, of all things.
I do like the smell. And I like the idea of drinking coffee, the conviviality of sitting with friends after a meal to savor the lingering moment.
And while we’re at it, it’s time to get a few other things off my chest. I don’t like tea.
Actually, I don’t like any caffeinated drinks, not even Coke.
Oh, what the heck, I may as well get it all out. True confessions: I don’t like any sort of sweetened soda, sugared or artificial.
And I absolutely detest the milky icky stickiness of milk—always have, even from childhood.
To make matters worse, I don’t like fruit juice. Even orange juice. Or maybe especially orange juice.
Okay, I’m going to level with you. I don’t like any sweetened or flavored beverage much, except for a sip now and then. The most I’ll do is a shot of peppermint tea, or one of those thingees with the bubbly water and a touch of vanilla or amaretto syrup.
My favorite beverage? You guessed it: water—and not necessarily that bottled stuff. From the tap is okay, too, especially on ice. Ahh! I like it carbonated, as well—the fancy foreign mineral type or the plain domestic.
And if there are any other carbonated water aficionados among my readers, have you ever noticed that the decree has been handed down that there will be no chilled individual bottles of carbonated water sold in a market?
Every now and then a little mini-Perrier will sneak into the cooler in the quickie grocery at the rest stop. But most of the time you will find nothing resembling soda water there, although nearly every other type of carbonated and non-carbonated drink will be present and accounted for—diet and sugared and caffeinated and non, as well as juices and teas and beers and flavored coffees, beverages to restore your sweat and balance your minerals and get your mojo working so you can drive all night, or to mellow you out. Plain water will always be there, too, and plenty of it. But you will have a long, long search before you find you can quench your thirst on the road with a cold bottle of the plain bubbly.
There. I feel better now.
Aren’t you difficult to please? Still given the options: “coffee, tea or me” I’ll take you.
I’ve always like my ladies just like I like my coffee, dark and bitter.
🙂
I like coffie, beer, single malt scotch, whisky, whiskey, fruit smoothies, ice tea (various types), and some jucies (particularly orange juice).
Whoa! Life without coffee?
Interesting what we get used to. For many years I was a soda (soft drink) freak. Too many, way too many; for too many years. Some years ago I decided to quit drinking them. I was surprised to find that I did not miss them at all.
Like Neo, I drink mostly water. But, plenty of coffee, black and strong, as a chaser. An occasional glass of iced tea, and a cup of chamomile tea before bed. Oh, an occasional beer.
I don’t know, I’d be careful, Neo:
Ripper: Mandrake?
Mandrake: Yes, Jack?
Ripper: Have you ever seen a Commie drink a glass of water?
Mandrake: Well, I can’t say I have.
Ripper: Vodka, that’s what they drink, isn’t it? Never water?
Mandrake: Well, I-I believe that’s what they drink, Jack, yes.
Ripper: On no account will a Commie ever drink water, and not without good reason.
Mandrake: Oh, eh, yes. I, uhm, can’t quite see what you’re getting at, Jack.
Ripper: Water, that’s what I’m getting at, water. Mandrake, water is the source of all life. Seven-tenths of this earth’s surface is water. Why, do you realize that seventy percent of you is water?
Mandrake: Uh, uh, Good Lord!
Ripper: And as human beings, you and I need fresh, pure water to replenish our precious bodily fluids.
Mandrake: Yes. (he begins to chuckle nervously)
Ripper: Are you beginning to understand?
Mandrake: Yes. (more laughter)
Ripper: Mandrake. Mandrake, have you never wondered why I drink only distilled water, or rain water, and only pure-grain alcohol?
Mandrake: Well, it did occur to me, Jack, yes.
Ripper: Have you ever heard of a thing called fluoridation. Fluoridation of water?
Mandrake: Uh? Yes, I-I have heard of that, Jack, yes. Yes.
Ripper: Well, do you know what it is?
Mandrake: No, no I don’t know what it is, no.
Ripper: Do you realize that fluoridation is the most monstrously conceived and dangerous Communist plot we have ever had to face?
So you see, nothing but rain water and grain alcohol for me!!
Coffee is my vice. Tea, hot chocolate – warm drinks. Not cold.
Here are the Ink Spots singing “Java Jive,” a.k.a. “ I Love Coffee, I Love Tea.” Maybe we should have coffee-flavored Jello.
LOL,
Aren’t you the cheap date? I enjoy coffee, black, but don’t find Starbucks to be particularly good. I’ve never found water especially appealing unless it has a trace of taste added, lemon etc. Not much into soda pop but I do favor some of the new flavored waters. And beer, glorious beer, is very satisfying.
It must be especially galling not to find your favorites in the chilled sections.
Now for my peculiar confession. I enjoy Tonic water which from observation most people find somewhat appalling. I enjoy your blog very much and find it and it’s commentators to be intelligent and polite. I’ve commented once or twice in the past. I’m not sure what caused me to man the keyboard today but I do look forward to my time spent here.
Thank You.
I’m with Charles. I like my coffee like I like my women. Hot, Dark, Bitter and Strong.
So why am married to a white Blonde?
Starbucks and the Seattle like brews, taste burned, to me. Eight O’clock coffee, in the red bag or the Colombian, tastes too “woody” to me. My mom, (from Boston) always drank Eight O’clock, perked, with a dash of salt added before percolating. I never drank coffee as a kid, didn’t start drinking it until I was in my early twenties. I love it now though. But it needs to be freshly made to be good.
I was a hard core Yuban Colombian drinker for better than 30 years. They went “green” or “save the rain forest” or something. It completely destroyed that previously delicious coffee, and I can’t drink it anymore. Now I drink Folgers Colombian only after trying many others. I use a Bunn home machine as it is fast, and consistent. I use filtered (at home) water only. If on the run or on the road, I try to drink Dunkin’ Doughnuts coffee. I like Luzianne tea brewed for iced tea (red box). I don’t drink hot tea much at all, sodas very rarely. Decaf anything is horrible. I don’t like, and therefore don’t consume, any alcoholic
beverages. Water is great if you’re thirsty. I love “Cape Cods” without the vodka.
I don’t like Obama.
I’m 95% Pennsylvania German (dad’s side of the family had a rogue Englishman in the family tree a few generations back) and grew up in a part of the state where beer (Teu-tonic water) and coffee are still the favored beverages. Just plain coffee, though, none of this Starbucks stuff. The only soda pop I ever liked was Pennsylvania Dutch Birch Beer, which is hard to find outside the state. Hot tea with honey and lemon was a comfort drink for a sick kid on the mend, and I still like to make myself a cup now and then.
It’s great to see so many different opinions here– let’s hope we get to keep our freedom of choice about drinks as well as other matters. An old German toast to Neo and all of you– Zum wohl!
My favorite beverage is also water, and I consume about a gallon a day. Since I don’t drink alcoholic beverages, when I’m in a social setting I usually have a club soda with lime.
And Re: br549 August 15th, 2009 at 3:59 pm “I don’t like Obama” neither does this chap!
Something wrong with the link in my previous post. Maybe this one will work:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XivhwO_zWWg
I’m dutifully shocked, Neo.
About regretfully un-chilled mineral water: I noticed that, too. Every time I go shopping, I have to lag my 6-pack of Gerolsteiner home and pop one bottle immediately into freezer, to get it cold quickly; it seems that my [not inexpensive] neighborhood supermarket doesn’t approve of the concept.
Speaking of ideal summer beverages: mineral water with a hint of fruit/herbal flavor to fight off the sometimes perceptible whiff of hydrogen sulfide. Best- Gerolsteiner with Dry Vermouth. Slice of lime or lemon will do in a pinch.
But coffee is an absolute necessity. I am not a real coffee fanatic (recently one of the bloggers I regularly read wrote series of posts on the history of coffee-making and -drinking, as well as on ideal coffee machine…the threads, to put it mildly, were astonishing. A real flame war, not unlike when religion or politics are concerned). But I stay firm behind my own choice: a small Krupp Espresso machine and Moca Java beans, to be grinded afresh before brewing.
Neo, next time you’re in the city, let’s go together to the Neue Gallery’s Zabarsky cafe. They bring coffee with an automatic glass of perfectly iced water – so each of us will have our beverage of choice!
I’ve always appreciated the iced water that is served routinely in American restaurants. Water was often reluctantly served and tepid in New Zealand. I live and die by my Brita pitcher….I even have a small one that I take with me on holiday when it will fit. Hate chlorine taste in the water. I’m with you Neo, water is my beverage of choice, although an icy smoothie doesn’t go astray when I’m hot and sweaty.
Now is the place I should have a clever comment about how I like my men, but I can’t think of anything.
Darn!
I never think of myself as a coffee drinker but I am. I spend 1 to 2 hrs at Starbucks every morning between about 6 and 8 am. But I only need a short (small) or sometimes a tall to feel satisfied. Right now, I like the Pike Peak (mild). And that’s usually it for my coffee for the day.
Can’t stand the thought of coffee black. Don’t like it with milk. At Sbux I always use the 18% Coffee Cream.
I used to think I was supposed to like herbal teas but lost my loyalty to the alternate world some time ago. I like the smell of tea, esp Earl Grey but don’t find it strong enough to please.
Love carbonated drinks cold. The problem with Starbucks is that sometimes the coffee isn’t hot and the baristas won’t admit it. “No one else complained”. or “You put too much cream in it”.
Well I put the same amount of cream in yesterday and, look, if I can stick my finger deep into the coffee without pain before I put in the cream, it isn’t hot.
Homemade flavored iced coffee in the summer is great. Unflavored coffee (like Costa Rican) tarted up with dry-toasted nuts (hazelnuts, almonds, pecans, or walnuts will do), maybe with some cocoa powder, even some cinnamon or vanilla. And to keep the caffeine down, I use a 50/50 blend of regular and decaf. Brew and refrigerate (in a glass pitcher) at least overnight. Nothing like having a flavored coffee milkshake second thing on a hot sticky morning, right after the oj. Obviously, your mileage does vary.
br549 Says:
Starbucks and the Seattle like brews, taste burned, to me.
Same here.
Eight O’clock coffee, in the red bag or the Colombian, tastes too “woody” to me. My mom, (from Boston) always drank Eight O’clock, perked, with a dash of salt added before percolating. I never drank coffee as a kid, didn’t start drinking it until I was in my early twenties. I love it now though. But it needs to be freshly made to be good.
I was a hard core Yuban Colombian drinker for better than 30 years. They went “green” or “save the rain forest” or something. It completely destroyed that previously delicious coffee, and I can’t drink it anymore. Now I drink Folgers Colombian only after trying many others.
Buying coffee in a can is like buying hamburger in a can. Or cheese in a can. Or eggs in a can. It’s just not natural. Go with the whole beans and spring for a coffee bean grinder (about $15). If you enjoy coffee, you’ll regret not doing it sooner.
You are so right about the absence of good cold unsweetened seltzer from the stores. It just happened to me — again — TODAY. Rows and rows of sweet caffeinated sodas I can’t drink because they’ll keep me up all night, rows and rows (increasingly) of sweetened flavored waters and NOTHING with a nice carbonated bite and no sweetness.
In this area a company called Adirondack makes a seltzer with no sweetener and a light flavor of orange or cranberry or lime. Perfect. But you have to buy them warm and chill them yourself.
I do drink coffee, with a little milk, never sweetened. I can’t stand to drink sweet things though I am perfectly happy to eat them — a mystery. Eight O’Clock is good, so is Dunkin’ Donuts. Starbucks is all greasy and burned, nasty.
Plain old water with some ice is wonderful, but I admit I like it better with a little lime or lemon juice squeezed in. No Sugar!
My wife and I drink seltzer water constantly. When our local grocery store had it on sale for 58 cents per 2-liter bottle, we bought 8 cases (64 bottles). It created a bit of a stir in the checkout line. Neither the cashier nor the stockboy could understand why we were buying so much…or what exactly we planned to do with it!
My only concern is that there is some kind of health risk associated with consumption of large amounts of carbonated water. Seriously. Are there any side-effects?
I like coffee but hardly drink it. I also never thought starbucks was any good.
90% its diet coke!
PS
for people who like seltzer water, check these out.
http://www.sodastreamusa.com/catalog/fountain-jet-start-kit?oid=117
I have one and I love not lugging bottles around (from the store and back to recyle center).
Not good to drink too many carbonated beverages while flying and for those who have GI problems it is probably not a great idea. Other than that if you are drinking seltzer water (not club soda which has a lot of salt in it) then you should be fine. Now, I have a seltzer bottle (which I like because it hearkens back to days of elegance – you know cocktail parties with tuxes and beautiful dresses) which allows you to do the “carbonated beverage on demand” kinda thing.
Neo – I don’t like sodas – I like my iced tea unsweetened (a faux pas in the south even though they offer it they never expect anyone to drink it). My Mother is English so I drink 4 cups of black tea everyday (with milk – no sugar – and no Sara’s “Earl Grey” doesn’t count, in fact it is an aberration), but in the morning I drink a couple of cups of decaf with half and half (again no – sugar). I used to drink tea in the AM as well, but even that smaller amount of caffeine would have me bouncing off the walls these days.
People in England used to say they got through the war on ” a cup of tea and a fag (cigarette)” – Lord knows they didn’t have much else (and I could relate some second hand stories about that). But just like what wine you drink with what food I say – “Drink whatever makes you happy”. In the hot humid summers down here in Florida I find that I am drinking a 50-50 mix of Gator/Power-aid and water when I am out and perspiring a lot.
I like 8 o’clock–been drinking it since Walmart stopped carrying the Kenya AA that I liked.
Bought some Espresso and some French Roast at Super Saver (first time I’ve been there) to try.
My wife does not like coffee either. Fortunately, she likes the smell of coffee, because she makes more reliably good coffee than I do.
Wow, that was so … unsexual.
My dad is 67 years old, retired Physicist, turned Farmer’s Market farmer. The water lines in most of his garden is from a shallow well that he has never had tested. So he does not drink from them. But between the main field and and the vegetable building where the vegetables are washed/packed (in community water- not the well water) there is the shop building. At the corner of that shop building, just beside the trail from the garden, there is a pvc pipe with a faucet head that is about 18 to 24 inches above the ground. This is the first chance of potable water as you come from the field. At 67 my dad drops down, bends over and drinks out of that faucet multiple times on days he is working in the field. Since the pipe is so short, it only takes a while for the cool water that has been underground in the pipes to flush out the warm water.
As you are drinking out of that faucet you often get a close up view of crickets, spiders and such. But the water- it tastes really good in the hot summer sun.
The two flavors that never pall: Coffee and chocolate. I prefer the lighter, less roasted versions but any type of coffee will do. I don’t brew it as strong as some. Folgers Breakfast Blend is what I buy. I’m no purist. I drink it black these days but creamed and sugared is fine too. I drink on average 6 — 8 cups per day. The aroma, the taste, the effect on me: a pleasant alertness, the dispelling of morning cobwebs, are all positive experiences. It has never kept me awake. I’m one who never has trouble sleeping — I’m asleep 5 minutes after my head hits the pillow.
I try to stay away from chocolate. Hot chocolate, brownies, chocolate cake, pudding, pie and candy are occasional treats I give myself. The taste is simply wonderful. Coffee or chocolate flavored ice cream: Umm, good. Speaking of ice cream, my current favorite is chocolate chip mint. As with chocolate, I keep my ice cream consumption down. Once or twice a month is plenty.
Oh, all you rightwing wingnuts all march in lockstep.
Stop doing what Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh tell you to do, and think for yourselves ! ! !
/Sarc
I’m a one cup a day of freshly ground and brewed coffee – almost any kind except for flavored ones. There is no way I would step into a Starbucks nor any other competitor. My fav beverage though the soda Dr. Pepper. I like it ice cold (almost slush) or a cup of it heated with a wedge of lemon. Yum. I don’t drink beer nor alcoholic drinks. I like women of all types, but especially those of olive complexion and of pretty Italian decent (my wife) and of fair complexion with blue eyes and blond hair (my oldest daughter and those of petite size with hazel eyes and long curly light brown hair (my youngest daughter).
I messed the first sentence up, but you know what I mean.
But, Neo. Surely… Surely you like APPLE juice!
Well, though I love everything you do not enjoy, I also tend to enjoy a good glass of carbonated water on occasion as well. And, really, buying Perrier works for me for now, I think you might enjoy one of these, as they might offer you some freedom in that department. Being of a simpler taste and preferring portability, I have this first one on my list of things to buy: http://www.cutleryandmore.com/details.asp?SKU=14653
however, if you prefer fancy to simple and would rather not have portable, there is always this: http://www.chefscatalog.com/product/20396-penguin-soda-maker.aspx
I have just been waiting for someone like you, to show that I do have eccentric or wide interests in consumption or cooking or whatever devices. So, thank you! I like a little lemon or lime in my sparkling water sometimes too. I think that would be as simple as a stop at the fresh fruit stand, or a stop at the local market.
I do not like it in a cup, I do not like it served straight up. I do not like it short or tall, I do not like coffee at all.
Tea is something I detest, Coke and Pepsi, same as the rest.
Water served simply with ice, Neo says “How very nice”.
Cheers.
I thought we had so much in common up through not liking coffee or tea or soda… but fruit juice? Come on. Pure fruit juice is probably the best way humanity’s ever found to hydrate itself.
Hi –
As a decades-long tea drinker, I really don’t want to face a morning without at least a cup of sencha right off to start the day.
But coffee?
First of all, there are really only three countries that do coffee right: Italy, Spain and Austria.
Of those three, there’s only one that has made a true culture out of drinking coffee: the country that has 1100 “coffeehouses” in the capital city alone (i.e. 1 per 1000 people!) and can look back at over 400 years of coffee history.
Austria.
Coffee isn’t a drink there, it’s a way of life. And a rather nice one at that.
I refuse to drink coffee anywhere but Vienna: in Vienna, you’re a fool not to (sorry!).
There’s Cafe Hawelka, the famous artist cafe where the owner still comes in every day at the age of 94.
There’s Cafe Sperl, which has been open over 100 years and is the only cafe that looks the same as it did 100 years ago.
There’s very, very few pleasures in life like going to Cafe Sperl, getting a Melange and lighting up a good cigar. Preferably with good conversation, but alone if need be in order to contemplate life.
I stopped drinking Coke and the like about 10 years ago. Just give me my strong black Assam and I can start to live… 🙂
Rick Z, I have an old Brahn mini coffee grinder. It is pretty inconsistent. By the time all the beans are ground enough to release flavor, the majority is a fine powder.
So I stuck with Yuban until they drove me away. I have searched the net for good beans, buying small bags and trying them out. The original Yuban and now Folger’s are what I like. Maybe it’s just me, don’t know.
Any suggestions for a good quality grinder, and some killer beans from which to make a good pot of coffee? Straight up Colombian, which is a medium roast, I think, seems to be the right mix of body, aroma, and slight bitterness that I like. There is nothing like poking your nose into a freshly opened can of good coffee. Makes my eyes cross!
I saw that report on Eight O’Clock coffee, so I bought a bag to try it. It was pretty good for grocery store coffee! If I had to buy coffee from the grocery store again, I’d take it.
My Austro-Hungarian grandmother had her own drink: half strong black coffee and half hot chocolate. The brew was her standard cure for anything a child contracted…and for a cold, it worked.
Of course, the tyke was wired for the day (lots of caffeine) but that was the side effect.
Even today, I have a standing order with our secretary – 9:00am sees this concoction on my desk…
Great post, Neo. I mostly agree with you on this….but am on a long-distance drive right now and don’t have time to comment further. Will be back at the end of the road to add a few observations. I believe that on long distance drives and life, there are only three liquids I will put in my mouth and none of them have even a drop of sugary anything. It’s a marathon that we fail to train for at our great exhaustion.
Gosh what picky taste. I’ll drink most anything. The satisfaction comes from the variety.
Let’s see: coffee(hot and iced), water, tea (hot and iced), rum, rye, borbon, wine, irish whisky, home-made smoothies, Mexican hot chocolate (Abuelita’s is the best for me). Did I leave anything out?
Cappy must have coffee, in plentiful amounts to perform amazing and heroic acts of SQL and performance tuning day and night. Zoom…
P.S. Cappy was not at Woodstock. That goofy slacker on the left in the WSJ’s Weekend Journal from Friday was not me. No sireee!
Best coffee anywhere is Community Club from Louisiana. AND it’s now available at Whole Foods, so you can get the best coffee ever and support John Mackey’s totally civil and reasonable editorial in the WSJ, which has led to a boycott of the store. I hardly ever go there–I’m unimpressed by the organic label–but will do so more now, and I called the two stores in my area yesterday to tell them that I support Mackey’s editorial. All you commenters in blue areas might want to do the same.
br549 Says:
I lost a post, so here goes again.
For electric coffee grinders, try Krups. You can also find manual grinders, but they can be well into the $75-100 range. When using an electric grinder, use it like a food processor: Pulse. This prevents the coffee from being pulverize and also prevents it from heating up due the high-speed whirring blades, which can detract from coffee’s flavor.
As for beans, try http://www.portorico.com/store/
I live in Queens, so it’s not a hassle, but they do mail order. Their store prices are reasonable. They also have a wide variety that moves off the floor, literally. They have these plastic-lined 50-100 pound coffee bags on the floor, and the coffee never sits around long enough to go stale.
Br549,
I concur with Rick Z re: Krup coffee grinder (see my comment above); use it for 10 years now and it still works like a clock. Although real coffee junkie would tell you that only burr coffee grinder is worthy of your attention.
The place to find coffee junkies? Here.
Is it possible to survive without sweet iced tea? People actually live without it? Wow I never knew that.
While I drink a lot of water, sweet iced tea is my drink of choice.
Coffee strong and black every morning after a glass of orange juice. I have never even walked into a Starbucks but I have bought an over priced cup or two at the book store. Soft drinks I will only drink if there is nothing else. An occasional beer especially when on the coast eating at one of the local seafood shacks. Boiled shrimp seem to cry out for a draft been in an icy mug. 🙂
I’ve found green plastic bottles of perrier at the local convenience store (though this wasn’t the case a few years ago). You might be pleasantly surprised by new developments on this front.
My only concern is that there is some kind of health risk associated with consumption of large amounts of carbonated water. Seriously. Are there any side-effects?
very very very very light damage to the teeth as any carbonated drink (not guinnesss thats nitrogen). it washes off fast so has very little time.
but you did say any… sugar and the byproducts of processing it are immensly more damaging. in the absense of the extra sugar we use we would not need much dental care. cavities is a desease of the wealthy. 🙂 in nature sugar is a very rare find.
in case you didnt know, CO2 and water = Carbonic Acid – H2CO3
Did you know bottled water is being criticized for contributing to global warming?
Approaching my 78th birthday, I’m possibly your oldest commenter.Here’s my comment: What one dislikes should never enter one’s mind, much less rise to the surface in prose. (Poetry would be ok)
For example, consider an old fashion glass brimming with ice. Picture a single drop of bitters falling on the ice like the start of a summer rain. Then let bourbon follow the bitter drop untill it knows it has company. (Takes practice) The amount of sweet vermouth to join the concoction takes years of training–that’s why I’m so old–but the result, at first sip, will bring a smile to your face, which is what life is all about.
For liquids I go for green tea sometimes w peppermint, yerba mate ( mucho), LOTS of cold water in the summer, some smoothies (banana, ground flax, milk, vanilla, soy, sesame oil for example). I added green tea after reading it had health benefits.
Sometimes coffee. I like coffee but w my tea, don’t want to overcaffeinate myself. I never drank coffee in younger years, but when a tourist in Latin America, it was one way to get safe water. Colombian is SO good. Venezuelan and Guatemalan also good. I later resorted to coffee when working in the oil field, to stay awake at 4 a.m.
I find bottled water to be a silly affectation, with the following exception. In Central America, I often fill up a bottle with tap water, and add iodide to it to insure that it is potable. Maybe iodide-infused water doesn’t taste that great, but I never have suffered from the runs when I use it.
Traveling in China – drink HOT water, the drink the natives favor. You can even do this (sparingly with the local tap water in big cities), but you’re better off starting with a local bottled water. Cheap – one or two yuan, about 25 cents, per liter.
Locally, drink tea. Guan Yin green tea is the best general variety, good all day long. For the best tea, invest (and it is an investment) in a “Brick Tea”, tea that has been pressed onto a shape (=brick) and left to ferment the sugars and carbs into a solid mass. “Pu’ Er” (red tea) is the best bet in Northern China, but STRONG when brewed correctly.
Forget the coffee…it’s Nescafe at best. The beers are superior quality, get the local brew – about 20 cents a liter – and quaff away. Tsing Dao is the export only, but in large cities the restaurants usually will have a stock.
Neo, you must live in an area that has soft water. Here in North Texas we have two problems. First our water is so hard it stands up by itself without a glass. Second, all our water comes from reservoirs, and after it gets hot enough we have algal blooms (not algore, algal). It’s safe to drink but still tastes kinda pleh. I cook only in filtered water year-round.
My mother wouldn’t let me drink iced tea and ice coffee until I was adult enough to drink them unsweetened. And in my case, decaffeinated, for some of the reasons listed above plus positively unholy PMDD (PMS on steroids). Mmmmm, ice coffee….
Peter the Alaskan Kid Says:
” but fruit juice? Come on. Pure fruit juice is probably the best way humanity’s ever found to hydrate itself.”
I was drinking a lot it for awhile and I started gaining weight. Stuff has a lot of calories…
I like some coffee with my cream, some vodka in my fruit juice, and water. Lots of it because I work and sweat a lot.
“Plain water will always be there, too, and plenty of it. . . . . There. I feel better now.”
Bravo for you! That demonstrates real critical sense. (No, I am not patronizing you.)
And how wonderful to live in a nation so rich that one can argue about flavors of water, sip water from a climate-threatening plastic bottle, while at an environmental conference, and be quite sure the toilet will flush.
For me, the idea of rating drinks by snob-points is even more disconcerting than Netflix’s “Hated It . . . Liked It . . . Loved It” rating scale. When Netflix’s star rating scale flashes up, I think, “Is that all there is? Are we having fun now?” Why not, “Is there something called artistic ability shown?”
When rating an aqueous drink, there should also be ratings for “disgusting sulfide odor,” “questionable particles,” “gut-wrenching diarrhea,” and “you might survive the hepatitis” ratings. And most significantly, “there is some water.”
But to get back to our happy Obama-times that can only get better as we get cooler (well, the OK kind, not the AGW denying kind), fizz water is great, otherwise, if your tap source isn’t perfect, a Brita filter does wonders (NO taste), on the cheap.
BTW, I don’t know if this is mentioned above but somebody calculated that CO2 from carbonated beverages being opened accounts for 500 million pounds of CO2 added to the atmosphere from United States carbonated beverage drinkers.
We should tax it at 50 cents a pop 🙂 he he
My taste in coffee is a bit unusual. Most people find that milk added to bad coffee moderates the flavor. I find that it makes the sourness of slightly rancid oil or the ripsaw bitterness of bad or badly brewed coffee stand out all the more. I will only add milk (or better, cream) to very good coffee, and not always then.
The best coffee I ever had? Well, about eight years ago Horn and Hardart tried to bring back their signature brand. They made some mistakes, one of them to retain a sixties-like interior. But their coffee was magnificent, and their Automat blend was the strongest or second strongest non-espresso I have ever had, with absolutely no sourness or roughness and only a very moderate bitterness. ‘Silky’ hardly describes it. I was told that they controlled brewing temperatures and pressure (temperature to within one degree F) as well as brewing time. It worked, and I was very sad to see the places close.
The other strongest or second strongest: is served to employees, contractors, and visitors by Bloomberg LP in their 57th street building, where I had the chance to work on a contract. I routinely cut it with decaf, usually 60/40, and it was still stronger than most French roasts and quite smooth (but not quite as smooth as the Automat). Bloomberg knows where to spend his money.
I have never had the coffee whose beans are processed through the civit’s digestive tract. Would I try it? Well, the price is high enough that I am spared the harder part of that decision.
Recently I switched to this great coffee maker from Freiling. http://www.amazon.com/Frieling-0103-5-6-French-Press/dp/B00009ADDR
It makes coffee French Press style, which means no filters, and since it is stainless steel, it will never break.
It makes a fantastic cup of coffee.
That CO2 didn’t appear magically. It came from someplace and I very much doubt that fuel was burned just to produce it. More likely it was taken OUT of the atmosphere. The world’s supply of carbonated beverages is a carbon reservoir. The larger it is, the more CO2 comes out of the atmosphere. It’s a penny in a very large wishing well, of course.
OTOH, shipping bottled beverages probably uses more energy than pumping water through pipes, and pulling the CO2 out of the atmosphere also takes energy. It’s not done just to get the CO2; the same processing liquifies other gasses (nitrogen, oxygen, argon, xenon) which are also sold after whatever filtering is needed for the purpose (medical oxygen must be much purer than welding oxygen).
How about a pousse-cafe?
1/6 oz grenadine syrup
1/6 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1/6 oz creme de cassis
1/6 oz white creme de cacao
1/6 oz Green Chartreuse
1/6 oz brandy
http://www.jasonhedges.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/pousse-cafe_7.jpg
I am an utter coffee fiend… I’ll drink two pots a morning, given a chance. (although I don’t make it very dark when I know I’ll have a chance to do that, or I’d never sleep.) Hope the kiddo appreciates me going on decaf for him, grumble grumble….
I can’t stand milk, either. Other than that, I can and will drink most anything in moderation.
How about tonic water? Do you enjoy that?
Virgin Tonics are pretty good, too. (Gin and tonic without the tonic.)
For folks looking for great coffee– Mystic Monks are *good.* I can drink most any type of coffee, even the horrible instant stuff in hotels in Japan, but even I can tell this stuff is *really* good. (Starbucks does taste like it’s been left on a hot burner too long… ah well)
Artfldgr –
I don’t even know what most of those are…..
njcommuter-
all information I can find on the source of carbonation in soda water suggests that it’s from biological or chemical sources, not atmospheric.
Foxfier – from the whole list I’d consent only to creme de cassis (liquor made of black currants), and only a few drops of it in my mineral water.
All these are concentrated spirit+sugar concoctions with flavoring, more or less natural. I imagine the overall effect would be if you drank jam dissolved in alcohol.
Huxley: I was told 1)vacuum (2-bowl) coffeemaker is superior to French press and 2) a simple Melitta cone put on top of cap and lined with regular paper filter gives the same effect as $200 dripping machines…
I’ve been earning a living for the last six years in the coffee business. Here’s some info that may help:
There are two main sub-divisions of coffee, Arabicas and Robustas. Arabicas are grown at higher elevations and in general are the best beans.
Robustas are cheap and caffeine laden, but often moldy or woody and weak flavored coffees that grow in the lower elevations. They are really only suited for having their caffeine extracted for medicines and soft drinks.
The commenter who disliked coffee because it tasted “woody” has likely suffered from stale, water-damaged Robusta coffee.
There are three main coffee growing regions, Africa, Indonesia and Latin America. They have distinct flavor profiles, different enough that plenty of people will love the coffee from one part of the world and not be able to choke down the others.
If you these words describe your ideal coffee, try an African: Lemony, tangy, acid, tart, berry, bright, sparkling, citrusy, light body, clean finish, astringent.
African coffees make the best iced coffee. Brew double strength and don’t try to keep it for more than a few hours.
If you like coffee that’s nutty, balanced, caramelly, medium body, and has a clean finish, try a Latin American. The classic all-American coffee is a Latin American blend, medium roast.
If your bag is a strongly flavored coffee that is syrupy, earthy, assertive, bold, big bodied, has a lingering taste and is low in acid, try an Indonesian.
Regardless of what coffee you use, start with filtered or distilled water. A tiny, tiny pinch of salt can make a real difference. Use a french press – or simply stir your coffee into freshly boiled water, let sit for 4 minutes and strain it into your cup.
I do agree that the vacuum coffeemaker is as good as, maybe slightly better than, a french press. But they are typically large, cumbersone and expensive, too.
A goodly proportion of the coffee flavor is in the oil, so a paper filter that absorbs the oil and keeps it out of your cup is not your friend. Get a stainless steel or gold-plated metal filter. Chemical sweeteners and synthetic flavored “creamers” will fight with your coffee. Drink it plain or with real sugar and cream.
Coffee has some natural allies in the culinary world. Try coffee and: caramel, raspberry, chocolate, nuts, lemon, vanilla, cinnamon, molasses, cherries.
It’s a myth that the darker and more flavorful a coffee is, the more caffeine it will necessarily have. There are exceptions, but in general, the darker roasted and more flavorful a coffee is, the LESS caffeine it has. The evil robustas are pale and flavor deficient, but are loaded with caffeine. Sumatra and Kona, to name two, are bursting with flavor, and only moderate in caffeine.
I believe decaffeinating is for the desperate and ill – a tiny cup of dark, real coffee is good for your soul. But if a medical condition has you totally off caffeine, buy only “water decaffeinated” coffees. The difference in flavor is worth the slight extra price.
There’s trade-offs galore about grinders. All I know for sure is that freshly ground coffee is so much better that you should grind your own, even if all you have is a BLENDER. I’m considered an authority and have been for years, and a cheap old blender is what I use. Someday I’ll get the money for a burr grinder – or not, the grandkids always need something that seems more important.
Have fun with your coffee. And sure, I’ll be happy to talk coffee and share my biases with anyone who can be polite. Obama fans welcome, but you will have to explain yourselves 🙂
Raincityjazz at Yahoo dot com.
Oh, I also like water. Particularly in a steel container, like a steel camping mug or old school GI canteen.
Larry Dring (used to write for Soldier of Fortune magazine) was an interesting fellow, and a Green Beret in Vietnam. He also preferred the taste of water from a steel canteen, and used one in ‘nam (despite the plastic types being standard). He believes the steel canteen saved his life during the Tet Offensive, when he recieved a hit there.
I should have said “believed”, since Larry has since passed away.
Yes. A great cup of coffee, a Bays English muffin with jam, the newspaper, sitting on the back deck with the wind slightly rustling the leaves in the trees, and the birds chirping as the sun rises for a new day.
God, I love America!
Thanks to Neo, thanks to all for a wonderful thread. Looks like I’m going to be grinding my own beans shortly.
Ah! I should’ve guessed they were liqueur– domo, Tatyana!
Think I’ll stick with fruity boxed table wine, though, cheaper. ^.^
Oh, in defense of hard water– I’ve lived on either home wells or springs, always with water about as hard as it comes, and it’s still pretty good water. (heck on coffee makers, though, even after the purifier)
kona cofee from hawaii… 🙂
I’m not a fan of Starbucks coffee either. Too much caffeine and too expensive.
Call me cheap and common but I’m happy stopping in at 7-11
kona coffee — we have a ”Bad Ass Coffee” shop that sells Hawaiian coffee.
If you go to New Orleans, be sure to go to the French market and try their chicory coffee, with a fresh beignet. Heaven.
Starbucks is much too bitter for my mild Southern palate. I like mine light and sweet.
Paper filter or no paper filter? You might want to consider this:
A few years ago, one set of studies indicated that drinking coffee might (very) slightly increase your risk of cancer; another set indicated that it might (very) slightly decrease your risk of cancer.
Further analysis revealed that the difference was in the filtering, or lack thereof. With a paper filter, a slight decrease in risk; without it, a slight increase in risk.
This may be true for beverages bottled in plants. But beverages dispensed from soda fountains or vending machines (without bottles) are charged with CO2 stored in cylinders (‘bottles’). These probably do come from compressed gas suppliers.
One thing that hasn’t been noted here is that when CO2 comes out of solution, it cools the liquid. The cooling isn’t dramatic, but it can make a beverage more pleasant on a warm day.
Raincityjazz,
You ought to give lectures! Seriously, there are many coffee lovers who would pay to know more. I learned a lot and I thought I knew a lot (and I do :).
About fresh grind, though this is from Cook’s magazine, which tests things and then reports on recipes, ingredients, drinks, to pots and pans, the works for cooks and chefs who take serving seriously. With coffee beans, they suggest ground from fresh, the flavor only lasts about 10 days (given room temp and average humidity and a well seal-able coffee bag). They also suggest a particular brand of coffee grinder, and oddly, it is not a burr grinder. They did temp readings on the beans while grinding and found that both by temp and taste, the difference between burr and the other is negligible.
Thanks for the info. I particularly liked your notions of regional coffees and their uses. I love occasional iced coffee, and only use real cream and sugar (and am glad to see that is correct by your standards). But too, I like what you describe as Indonesian coffee. I have never realized the difference nor noted where my coffee is coming from (though I generally buy fare-trade as it is usually the best). Oh, and I was always left with the impression that the darker the stronger, caffeine wise. Since I prefer French or Turkish roast, I guess I am giving my body a break on that. And, I love it in my French press. I do not make too much, that way, it is always fresh, and it is simple enough for me:P
Thanks again!