Sunday Morning (Coffee) Drinking Thread

Submitted by 901 P on

At this point we know about the Friday/Saturday night adult beverage preferences of the MGo crowd. I'm guessing some of the folks here are pretty obsessive about their morning beverages as well--especially how they make/drink their coffee. I'm no connossieur: I have a pretty basic drip coffee machine. I go with about a 50-50 mix of dark roast (usually Starbucks French roast or espresso) that I grind, combined with pre-ground coffee from the grocery store. Mostly this is a way to keep down costs, as I tend to drink quite a bit of coffee. I brew it relatively strong and take it with cream.  

So before we purge the board of such mundane topics: what are you drinking this morning? (Other than the obvious: whole milk.) Coffee, tea, or a little something to help your hangover? French press? AeroPress? Keurig? Pour-over? Any particular type of beans? Or do you grab it from Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts or a local coffee shop? Black, cream, sugar? Any other additives? 

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icefins26

August 23rd, 2015 at 9:12 AM ^

BUNN NHBB Velocity Brewer on weekends for a pot, BUNN MCU Single Cup on weekdays. Whole bean from Costco for the weekends - currently going with Kirkland Rwandan. K Cups are always San Francisco Organic Rainforest Blend or Fog Chaser.

Tempted to get into the cone drip brewer as I love that but haven't gotten there yet.



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nmumike

August 23rd, 2015 at 9:12 AM ^

My Sunday's are French Press coffee days. I get my coffee from a local roaster, similarly I get my beer from local Brewers. I can't recommend getting coffee from a local roaster highly enough.



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Wolverine In Iowa

August 23rd, 2015 at 9:15 AM ^

Sucking down some Maxwell House from the Keurig (a reusable k-cup, fyi)...watching EPL (Baggies missed a PK and are duly being punished by Chelsea now).  Considering mowing the lawn if the grass dries out enough, and then doing some classwork.

Joined: 06/30/2008

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MotownGoBlue

August 23rd, 2015 at 9:20 AM ^

Dunkin Donuts regular blend from Costco. A dusting of Sugar in the Raw, splash of 1% organic milk (yeah, yeah) and a splash of almond-coconut milk (a scoop of protein powder on workout days). This followed up with acai-green tea/detox tea and tsp of raw La Lumiere honey. That followed up with an eight minute piss.

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turtleboy

August 23rd, 2015 at 9:17 AM ^

Get an espresso/cappuccino maker, or at least a French press. Much of the flavor from coffee beans is in the essential oils released, and any pots with a paper filter trap them and prevent them from getting into your cup.

Joined: 04/22/2011

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turtleboy

August 23rd, 2015 at 9:23 AM ^

Since I double posted I'll continue. You lose a bit more flavor if your beans were roasted and ground a long time ago as well, and left in a not-tightly-sealed container. The closer to brewing you get with the roasting and grinding you can manage, the better result you'll get. When I used to roast my own green beans and do my own blends I could roast the same day and notice the difference between fresh and less-fresh.

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Optimism Attache

August 23rd, 2015 at 9:36 AM ^

Somewhat related, went to Costa Rica on our honeymoon a couple years ago and was quite excited about the coffee. To my disappointment, pretty much everyone there seemed to just drink Nescafe. Considering my wife doesn't drink coffee, I didn't drag her on a coffee tour, which were offered, but still a bummer. Even the "good" places we stayed at offered at best the same Folgers drip stuff you can get a Meijer. This was despite driving past large coffee growing operations nearly every day we were in the mountains.

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901 P

August 23rd, 2015 at 10:03 AM ^

I was in Cuba last spring and had some very good coffee there. They seemed to have espresso machines just about everywhere. I've also spent considerable time in Vietnam and I love Vietnamese iced coffee--ca-phe sua da. I don't think Vietnamese coffee beans are considered all that great, but brew it strong and add some sweetened condensed milk and it is great. One thing that is fun about coffee is seeing the local variations in different parts of the world.

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Michigasling

August 23rd, 2015 at 1:37 PM ^

Terrific.

Have to confess I'm usually there for a local Staten Island roaster's pumpkin-flavored beans.  (I knew they were independent & local, because the old label misspelled pumpkin.)  Now they've fancied up their shiny vacuum-sealed bags, with classy artwork & graphics.  So I'm not the only one who's discovered them.  As for the pumpkin, even my die-hard dark-Starbucks addict sister who hates flavored coffee liked it.  But she's sticking with the hard stuff for breakfast.

And though I'm told you're not supposed to freeze coffee beans, I've done it for years, grinding the beans right out of the freezer, and the flavor is terrific.

 

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well.....

August 23rd, 2015 at 2:20 PM ^

my understanding is that it's b.c the unroasted beans are all sent to roasters out of country, and there are very few people who know how to roast in country. we visited a small plantation near atenas run by a family who have taught themselves how to roast and are trying to actually sell some costa rican coffee in costa rica. the guy who gave us the tour said that historically, only the very lowest quality beans were kept in country, to the point that supermarket coffee is often pre-mixed with sugar as it isn't really drinkable on it's own. we also had a fantastic cup of coffee in monteverde prepared with a chorreador (costa rican pour over). i think it's the best cup of coffee i've had in my life. so hopefully things are changing and great costa rican coffee will be available in costa rica. 

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evenyoubrutus

August 23rd, 2015 at 9:19 AM ^

I have a DeLonghi espresso maker. I have been working on trying to manipulate my wife into letting me get a Rancilio. Either way I have been able to pull a pretty decent shot with years of practice on my current machine (even though it is not top of the line). I used to roast my own beans as well until my roaster broke when I moved last year, and so I have stuck with buying my beans from local roasters such a Mighty Good. On weekends I will utilize the revives of my pour-over. I prefer my coffee as a medium roast and my espresso medium dark (but not burnt). On that note can anyone recommend a good espresso bean that I could get from a place like Amazon? The reviews there are not very helpful.

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Njia

August 23rd, 2015 at 9:53 AM ^

If you haven't seen them yet. Great site with lots of advice on every coffee topic and brand imaginable. They are very high on Rancillio, but recommend a controller accessory to get the temp just right. I have a Saeco semi-auto that has been in my kitchen for about four years. Best equipment investment ever. I agree with one of the other posters that the grounds in the portafilter are a soupy mess, but that's a small price to pay. Coupled with my Baratza burr grinder, the product is outstanding.

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uchi

August 23rd, 2015 at 10:40 AM ^

I hope this doesn't come across poorly, but was all the practice worth it? Or is it like a hobby at this point? That's why I haven't bought anything, and don't even try to make my own coffee at home -- I just figure the pros at good shops will always be better than me, you know.

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Romulan Commander

August 23rd, 2015 at 9:18 AM ^

At last! Thanks for initiating a coffee discussion 901P. I grind espresso in a burr grinder and brew with a Bialetti stove top espresso maker. I live in Urbana, IL and recently discovered that the Espresso Royale shops here sell excellent whole bean coffee. I'm also partial to cofees from Wisconsin: Colectivo (Milwaukee) and Just Coffee (Madison).

Then some half and half and honey, which I found I really enjoy in my coffee,

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turtleboy

August 23rd, 2015 at 9:36 AM ^

I had a similar experience with my Breville. Don't get me wrong, I love my machine, but I stumbled on a MUCH better one as a backup for work and found it makes the best cup by far. Many on-demand style espresso machines seem to skimp out on water temperature for the cup, where the stove top kind gets more steam into the grounds. My best cups come from a small machine where the entire water reservoir is like a pressure cooker, and once it all fully boils and evaporates you choose where it goes: cup or wand. The whole building will smell like coffee, my cup will have a delicious oil slick on top every time, and my grounds will be too hot to touch and dry as a bone afterwards. My breville and stove-top grounds end up not hot but warm, and soupy in the end, by comparison, with great flavor, but less of it.

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evenyoubrutus

August 23rd, 2015 at 9:47 AM ^

Does it have two temperature settings? Normally you would want your espresso pulled at around 160° whereas the steamer puts it up to 212°. There are espresso makers that have two boilers, one for espresso and one for steam (like the ones in coffee shops) because on the single boilers will get too hot after using the steamer and you have to wait for them to cool off to pull another shot. In my experience when I have tried to pull right after using the steamer the crema is too thin and there is a distinct bitterness that overpowers the true espresso taste.

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turtleboy

August 23rd, 2015 at 9:58 AM ^

It doesn't, unfortunately, but I regulate it by having it set to release to the cup by default before the temperature climbs too high. I've found if I forget the temp rises, and will also scald the milk. Even if it does get too hot the steamed milk helps cut any acidity, not to mention the millions of tiny micro bubbles it puts into your coffee if it's not too stiff. If the foam is softer and can stir in it does for a sip what professional tasters do when they aggressively slurp to aerate.

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ChicagoBigHouse

August 23rd, 2015 at 9:21 AM ^

Every day is pour over day.  I have some freshly roasted beans from brioso in Columbus, OH.   There is an interesting guy who owns the place.  Kinda fanatical, but based on the beans I picked, knew what my beers of choice were.  Pretty impressive.   Gotta have freshly roasted beans, grind them yourself, and enjoy!  

I do use a scale to get the coffee/water proportion the same each time.  A burr grinder (mentioned above) is a great way to get a consistent grind.  Also, I use a digital electric kettle.  Sounds nuts, but as I tell everyone, it makes things very quick and easy to get good consistent coffee.

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Picktown GoBlue

August 23rd, 2015 at 11:00 PM ^

a Cup O Joe out here in PIcktown (part of the Stauf's family), but they're long gone.  Looks like there are only 2 Cup O Joe's left in Columbus, and 2 renamed as Stauf's.  Great coffee.

My personal favorite iced coffee is Thai Iced Coffee.  Our local Thai restaurant makes a good one.  Favorite of all time was from a little restaurant in Chicago called Thai Little Home Cafe, but they closed years ago.

Joined: 01/21/2011

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kevnblue

August 23rd, 2015 at 9:21 AM ^

I've grown fond of using the Chemex. My favorite Michigan roasters are Populace Coffee (Bay City) and Anthology Coffee (Detroit). Intelligentsia and Ritual are two of the best roasters in the country, IMO.

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uchi

August 23rd, 2015 at 10:01 AM ^

I can tell you know your stuff. I have been unable to find the time or interest in making my own coffee/espresso at home. Further, I figure the big shops (Mighty Good, Intellgentsia, Bow Truss, Astro, Madcap, etc.) have the top-end equipment, the best product, and their pro baristas have skills I'd never cultivate. Am I correct?

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