My first experiences with coffee

[moksha]

The cold brew coffee maker that Alas described might look something like this.

[Dravin]

The cold brew coffee maker that Alas described might look something like this.

Once can also just soak grounds in a tub/pitcher in the fridge and then filter it to remove the particulate matter. Not as handy as a pitcher designed for the purpose for small amounts but if you want to make a lot for some reason it works pretty well.

[glass shelf]

Cold brew with or without milk and lattes. Just saying.

I make my own lattes with just good coffee and steamed milk. Ones at coffee places have tons of added sugar in the form of syrups, whipped cream, etc.

Coffee is definitely an acquired taste for someone raised with Mormon tastebuds, but I'm glad I went to the effort. It's a great afternoon pick me up without the negative health effects of soda.

[Perfigliano]

Similar discussions went on between church members about caffeinated beverages before Elder Uchtdorf gave it the official thumbs-up in a conference talk. The main difference was that nobody could find any health benefits for Coke, but they drank/drink it by the case anyway. The interesting thing about coffee and tea is that they are forbidden by the church's health code, despite the fact that many studies have claimed health benefits and few have found disadvantages.

My mom usually tries to explain this by pointing out that the tobacco industry claimed health benefits to smoking for a good while. She insists that there must be some reason we just haven't discovered yet.

I think that raises more questions than it answers. Why doesn't it say anything about sugar? Marijuana? Cocaine? What about gluten?

I suspect if the WoW were given today, it would probably prohibit gluten or promote the paleo diet or something.

[Arcturus]

I admit I'm one of the crazier people who have developed a taste for coffee that is black and unsweetened (like my soul).

I go half-and-half, black mixed with Starbucks skinny latte. It is delicious to the taste.

[Hagoth]

The real problem with Coffee is that it is a grown-up drink. If you do anything grown-up you may be less inclined to think like a little child.

There's a hidden biochemistry department in the basement of the COB working on a baptismal water additive that will freeze your mental/emotional development at the moment of full immersion. The lead chemist, Dr. Ludovico, is throwing in a bonus compound which, once absorbed into the system, will cause extreme nausea at the taste of coffee and tea, or even at the very appearance of such evils. Special movie watching eye clamps will be applied at the time of confirmation as a deterrent against grown-up movie watching.

[Kishkumen]

It took a little time but coffee is a wonderful thing. Mrs Kish has developed an occasional obsession for an iced caramel macchiato. My preference is Starbucks House Blend whole bean and then add about 1/3 cup of milk. Note, I make it at home, I don't go to Starbucks daily. I just buy the Starbuck brand whole beans at the grocery store.

I have a daily cup in my Yeti tumbler to drink while driving to work. For Christmas, Mrs Kish got me a pretty sweet setup.

We buy whole beans and grind it daily with a ceramic burr grinder. This is what she got and it works well for a fine consistent grind.
-- JavaPresse Manual Coffee Grinder, Conical Burr Mill, Brushed Stainless Steel - on amazon for $24
-- Then we boil some water in a gooseneck electric kettle - about $30 - $50 on amazon. NOTE the gooseneck design is important for a smooth pour.
-- We use a clever coffee dripper - about $18 on amazon - to steep then dispense the coffee.

So for about $100, you can have a decent quality setup. When you consider the average cost of $5 per visit to Starbucks, it pays for itself quickly.

NOTE - the grinder we have is a hand crank grinder. It would take forever and a day to grind enough doing it by hand. I have a little 12V cordless drill that I use instead of the manual crank. It works great and much less expensive than a motorized grinder. Maybe I'll attach a pic of my setup.

We each have a stainless steel insulated tumbler/coffee mug. Those things will keep your drink hot forever.

Once you get acclimated to the bitterness, it's actually very good. You can distinguish different tastes and preferences for different brands and different types of beans. Personally, I hate any coffee from Dunkin Donuts. I like Starbucks House Blend. Hazelnut is OK. Various generic brands are OK. Preground Folgers is awful. Next on the list is the Costco Kirkland bean. Just try a few different beans until you find what you like. Maybe you prefer stuff pre-ground or something else.

I strongly prefer making it at home vs convenience store or general mass production coffee. Speciality coffee shops are good but can get expensive. It seems there is a marked difference in freshly ground whole bean vs stuff already ground. Keurig and other "instant coffee" machines with mini packages of pre-ground coffee packets tends to be lousy.

Also, don't drink it if it's too hot. Wait.
Burning your tongue won't make it any better. Coffee is meant to be sipped and enjoyed slowly. For me, this was difficult because Mormon's like to chug their soda. The rest of the world knows how to savour something. White Mormon Americans do not.

[IT_Veteran]

Next on the list is the Costco Kirkland bean...

Are you saying that the Costco beans are good or are barely a step up from Folgers? I've not tried them, but if they're that bad I'll pass. I've been making the pre-ground Peet's at home (sometimes a Kona blend instead) and I tend to enjoy it. I hope to invest in a burr grinder at some point but my lifestyle just doesn't fit that yet. I barely have time to make the single-serve (grounds, not K-Cup) travel mug before I run out the door every morning. I'm the only habitual coffee drinker in the house currently, my 17 year old is starting to experiment with it as well, so it doesn't yet make sense to make a full pot unless I'm going to be at home.

[moksha]

The real problem with Coffee is that it is a grown-up drink. If you do anything grown-up you may be less inclined to think like a little child.

There's a hidden biochemistry department in the basement of the COB working on a baptismal water additive that will freeze your mental/emotional development at the moment of full immersion. The lead chemist, Dr. Ludovico, is throwing in a bonus compound which, once absorbed into the system, will cause extreme nausea at the taste of coffee and tea, or even at the very appearance of such evils. Special movie watching eye clamps will be applied at the time of confirmation as a deterrent against grown-up movie watching.

I understand the primary ingredient is a tithing enhancer which is purposefully designed to taste gross.

[Dravin]

We buy whole beans and grind it daily with a ceramic burr grinder. This is what she got and it works well for a fine consistent grind.
-- JavaPresse Manual Coffee Grinder, Conical Burr Mill, Brushed Stainless Steel - on amazon for $24
-- Then we boil some water in a gooseneck electric kettle - about $30 - $50 on amazon. NOTE the gooseneck design is important for a smooth pour.
-- We use a clever coffee dripper - about $18 on amazon - to steep then dispense the coffee.

So for about $100, you can have a decent quality setup. When you consider the average cost of $5 per visit to Starbucks, it pays for itself quickly.

You've sparked something inside me with my post and now my wishlist is full of gear to replace my Mr. Coffee and pre-ground coffee when I finally get around to pulling the trigger. Other than not wanting to spring a bunch of money and new gear is the fact that my current routine is to load the Mr. Coffee and turn it on, hop in the shower, and have coffee waiting for me when I get out. It is really tempting though, some things are worth the time and change-up of routine.

Also, please share your drill set-up. I have a drill myself so it'd be useful knowledge to have if I ever take the step.

We each have a stainless steel insulated tumbler/coffee mug. Those things will keep your drink hot forever.

I love being able to take my time with my coffee in something insulated. Most of my coffee is quickly consumed in the morning before going to work, on my days off I can put it in my insulated coffee mug and enjoy it over the course of an hour or more. Much more enjoyable and it isn't like I'm drinking anything fancy, it is just nice being able to savor it (having it be the start of a day off probably also helps with the overall experience).

[IT_Veteran]

We each have a stainless steel insulated tumbler/coffee mug. Those things will keep your drink hot forever.

I love being able to take my time with my coffee in something insulated. Most of my coffee is quickly consumed in the morning before going to work, on my days off I can put it in my insulated coffee mug and enjoy it over the course of an hour or more. Much more enjoyable and it isn't like I'm drinking anything fancy, it is just nice being able to savor it (having it be the start of a day off probably also helps with the overall experience).

I love my stainless steel Contico cup. It's totally leakproof. I actually make the coffee and throw the cup into the saddlebags on my motorcycle and it's still nice and hot (and contained) when I get to work an hour later.

[wtfluff]

You've sparked something inside me with my post and now my wish list is full of gear to replace my Mr. Coffee and pre-ground coffee when I finally get around to pulling the trigger. Other than not wanting to spring a bunch of money and new gear is the fact that my current routine is to load the Mr. Coffee and turn it on, hop in the shower, and have coffee waiting for me when I get out. It is really tempting though, some things are worth the time and change-up of routine.

I think you'll notice a difference if you simply start out with a grinder and whole beans, and use Mr. Coffee to brew the fresh-ground grounds. The fresher the beans, the better, so if you can find a local roaster, give that a try. I live in the belly of the beast, so I don't know of a Costco in here in the Theocracy that has an in-house roaster; I'm jealous of those who can buy fresh-roasted magic beans from Costco, but I'm lucky that I work close to a roaster who sells wholesale to the public from their roasting headquarters.

I believe Mr. Coffee makes a quite affordable burr grinder, though it's not "conical" burrs like Kish-Kori's grinder. The small conical grinder with the drill sounds awesome though. I grind all of my beans with a little hand grinder; I think the extra work kicks my coffee-confirmation-bias into high gear and my brain then thinks the my magic bean juice tastes even better!

[Dravin]

I think you'll notice a difference if you simply start out with a grinder and whole beans, and use Mr. Coffee to brew the fresh-ground grounds. The fresher the beans, the better, so if you can find a local roaster, give that a try. I live in the belly of the beast, so I don't know of a Costco in here in the Theocracy that has an in-house roaster; I'm jealous of those who can buy fresh-roasted magic beans from Costco, but I'm lucky that I work close to a roaster who sells wholesale to the public from their roasting headquarters.

There are some local roasters here in Indianapolis, and I saw some recommendations on r/coffee for mail order roasters (one of which I just realized is located in central Indiana) that are considered solid and reliable. So if I want freshly roasted beans I can certainly obtain some, and the bonus to the locals is for those with a coffee shop I can try the beans before I commit to a whole pound.

I believe Mr. Coffee makes a quite affordable burr grinder, though it's not "conical" burrs like Kish-Kori's grinder. The small conical grinder with the drill sounds awesome though. I grind all of my beans with a little hand grinder; I think the extra work kicks my coffee-confirmation-bias into high gear and my brain then thinks the my magic bean juice tastes even better!

I'm willing to commit to a little more time on my morning routine if it makes for a better cup. Quick question how long is it taking you to grind your beans? I realize it'll probably differ based on a few different variables, but a rough idea wouldn't hurt.

[Just This Guy]

I got one of these for DW for Christmas the year before last:

Cusinart Grind N Brew

We love it. this way you can have fresh ground coffee in one step. Sometime I'll set it the night before than the sound of the grinder going will wake me up in the morning. MSRP is a bit high, but they go on sale regularly if you watch for it.

I ill say that it has more parts then a traditional coffee maker, so clean up is a bit of a pain.

[wtfluff]

I'm willing to commit to a little more time on my morning routine if it makes for a better cup. Quick question how long is it taking you to grind your beans? I realize it'll probably differ based on a few different variables, but a rough idea wouldn't hurt.

I've never "timed" how long it takes to grind. I only grind enough for 2 cups at the most, with 1 cup at a time being the default. I don't think it takes more than 5 minutes, even for 2 cups worth of beans.

[Dravin]

I've never "timed" how long it takes to grind. I only grind enough for 2 cups at the most, with 1 cup at a time being the default. I don't think it takes more than 5 minutes, even for 2 cups worth of beans.

What? You don't randomly time yourself doing daily tasks? For shame. I figured the best you'd be able to give is an estimate. I appreciate it. I will say all this talk of good coffee is making me wish I hadn't just bought some ground coffee, I told myself when I started getting an itchy trigger finger that I wouldn't any whole bean and coffee paraphernalia until I was at the tail end of the grounds.

I love my stainless steel Contico cup. It's totally leakproof. I actually make the coffee and throw the cup into the saddlebags on my motorcycle and it's still nice and hot (and contained) when I get to work an hour later.

Mine is just some random insulated coffee mug I actually bought to surreptitiously drink beer a long while ago. It does the job but isn't anything special. The idea of something truly spill proof is nice though.

[Just This Guy]

I have a small KRUPS grinder I use when I don't use the Grind n' Brew. I go more off of sound than time. When it stops crunching, that is good for normal drip coffee. A bit less for french press and cold brew. If I am making espresso, I go longer, I go until the sounds smooths out. If I had to guess time, Drip coffee would about 10 seconds, espresso grind would be 25-30.

[wtfluff]

What? You don't randomly time yourself doing daily tasks? For shame. I figured the best you'd be able to give is an estimate.

[Kishkumen]