Author Topic: The Coffee/Caffeine Thread! (Read 45897 times)

Tinman57 · « **Reply #50 on:** May 07, 2013, 08:02 PM »

But one never runs out of filters when they use a permanent one
I have been using one for almost 20 years and wouldn't consider ever going back to wasting money on paper filters. Imagine getting 20 years worth of filters for about $5. Not to say that anybody else end up with one that would last as long as mine. (I wash mine very gently by hand) The better ones do have a 5 year warranty, though, so even if it only lasts that long, you'd still save money and not have to worry about running out of filters.
-app103 (May 07, 2013, 12:57 AM)

I've got one of those permanant filters myself, but I don't like using it because it still lets the tiny grounds through. The paper filters are so cheap it isn't a factor, like 500 filters for $2.59.

app103 · « **Reply #51 on:** May 07, 2013, 10:20 PM »

The paper filters are so cheap it isn't a factor, like 500 filters for $2.59.
-Tinman57 (May 07, 2013, 08:02 PM)

Well, I have been known to be frugal to a fault.

barney · « **Reply #52 on:** May 08, 2013, 12:41 AM »

(I do have to wonder, however, how the cowboys managed to transport [unbroken] eggs .)
-barney (May 07, 2013, 06:46 PM)

Maybe they didn't. Maybe they only brought some empty shells along, perhaps already washed, dried, crushed and mixed in with their pre-ground coffee. It would make more sense. Lighter, takes up less space, not as fragile, no worries of spoiling on a long trip, and a lot less fuss & bother to make while out on the trail.

And even more convenient, would have been to use the old "sock method" of brewing coffee, where one uses a cloth bag (usually silk) or a clean sock to hold the grounds, ties a knot in it and drops it into the pot of boiling water. (early permafilter technology )
-app103 (May 07, 2013, 07:11 PM)

Nope. They/We used broken egg shells - more or less halves - 'cause the crushed ones don't work. You boil the coffee, then you throw in a dash of cold water - mebbe an ounce - and the egg shell halves. The bag thing would probably work, but socks? After a few days on the trail, there just ain't no clean socks

. Ya wear the oldest used, rotationally, but they ain't clean

- they're just somewhat dried out $:-\$ . Serious camping don' 'low for nothin' clean

.

app103 · « **Reply #53 on:** May 08, 2013, 03:27 AM »

The bag thing would probably work, but socks? After a few days on the trail, there just ain't no clean socks . Ya wear the oldest used, rotationally, but they ain't clean - they're just somewhat dried out $:-\$ . Serious camping don' 'low for nothin' clean .
-barney (May 08, 2013, 12:41 AM)

no no no no no no no! Not socks you packed to wear on your feet! And by clean I don't mean washed...I mean never worn...ever. You need a coffee only sock. This is an unused, 100% mercerized white cotton sock of a very tight knit that will act as a good filter for the grounds. There is an art to selecting the right sock. It's not the same as selecting socks for your feet. A brand new white cotton dress sock with a tight knit will work well, but a gym sock is useless, as it will let the grounds right through.

Once you have the one you will be using, it's just for coffee...you never ever put it on your feet! Just keep using it for coffee only, and over time it will make the coffee taste even better, as it ages. Yes, it will look like hell as the coffee stains it and the fibers become embedded with the residues of the coffee oils, but that is what actually makes your coffee better, I have been told. When you are done using it, you dump the grounds, turn it inside out and rinse it well, by hand. Then wring it out good and hang it to dry. Don't ever throw it in the laundry with any sort of detergent or bleach or you will end up with residues from that in your coffee.

It's one of the secrets to the great coffee that some of my Puerto Rican friends made, in my old neighborhood.
The first time I ever saw one of them making coffee I thought "ewwwwww! I am not drinking that! I don't want your athletes foot coffee! Don't be so ghetto...buy some filters!" But then it was explained to me that the sock was carefully chosen just for brewing coffee and had never been worn on anyone's foot, and if anyone ever tried to wear it or wash it in the laundry, her mom would kill them because a good coffee sock is hard to find. (luckily, they come in pairs)

Tinman57 · « **Reply #54 on:** May 09, 2013, 03:50 PM »

The paper filters are so cheap it isn't a factor, like 500 filters for $2.59.
-Tinman57 (May 07, 2013, 08:02 PM)

Well, I have been known to be frugal to a fault.
-app103 (May 07, 2013, 10:20 PM)

Ain't nothing wrong with being frugal, I was born into frugalness!

Tinman57 · « **Reply #55 on:** May 09, 2013, 03:55 PM »

Once you have the one you will be using, it's just for coffee...you never ever put it on your feet! Just keep using it for coffee only, and over time it will make the coffee taste even better, as it ages. Yes, it will look like hell as the coffee stains it and the fibers become embedded with the residues of the coffee oils, but that is what actually makes your coffee better, I have been told. When you are done using it, you dump the grounds, turn it inside out and rinse it well, by hand. Then wring it out good and hang it to dry. Don't ever throw it in the laundry with any sort of detergent or bleach or you will end up with residues from that in your coffee.
-app103 (May 08, 2013, 03:27 AM)

I would still wash it before the first use to get the manufactoring chemicals and other contaminants out.

app103 · « **Reply #56 on:** May 09, 2013, 11:41 PM »

I would still wash it before the first use to get the manufactoring chemicals and other contaminants out.
-Tinman57 (May 09, 2013, 03:55 PM)

Of course! But not in a washing machine with laundry products.

Tinman57 · « **Reply #57 on:** May 10, 2013, 08:29 PM »

I would still wash it before the first use to get the manufactoring chemicals and other contaminants out.
-Tinman57 (May 09, 2013, 03:55 PM)

Of course! But not in a washing machine with laundry products.
-app103 (May 09, 2013, 11:41 PM)

Vinegar and water should do the trick nicely....

cmpm · « **Reply #58 on:** June 07, 2013, 05:02 PM »

Here is a couple of places I get my coffee in bulk. I buy whole bean and not preground coffees, makes for a better fresher pot.
Coffee Bean International working out of Portland, Oregon and S&D Coffee out of Concord, North Carolina. Easily found on the net for phone numbers.

From CBI, I order their Anniversary Blend, the darkest roast they have.
minimum order-20lbs. Ground or whole bean. Must be a coffee retailer/reseller. Easy to do for me, when I started ordering, I owned a business. Any business name will work.

S&D supplies me with their Traditional Blend, European Select, and 100% Colombian.
Bulk or retail is fine with them, although I am their customer under a business name.
Available by the case with 10 2lb bags, 14oz bags or cases of 1.5oz bags that make 1 pot of coffee. Ground or whole bean.

I think the dark roast blends are even better then Hawaiian Kona or Jamaican Blue Mountain (the highest priced coffees I know of). Unless I can find these two in a dark roast, which is near impossible without special ordering. I'm just not up to $40 or more for a pound for coffee. I spend from $6 to $9 a pound.

I don't know about other countries, just my own, U.S.A.

IainB · « **Reply #59 on:** June 07, 2013, 09:37 PM »

Here's something novel - How To Make Coffee Concentrate to Serve Hot Coffee to a Crowd Cooking Lessons from The Kitchn.
It's made by soaking ground coffee in cold water. I haven't tried it yet, but I intend to.

On another coffee angle, I have just finished drinking my large mugfull of coffee, made with:

Arabic coffee (made in a plunger).
a dash of cold (green top) milk.
a level teaspoon of white sugar.
a sprinkling of hot chilli powder.

- all stirred up together. It's rather yummy!

(I use green top milk as it affects the taste/bitterness of the coffee, but I don't like the taste of milk/cream in my coffee - and green top milk is probably about as far from being normal milk as you can get, and it doesn't taste of much.)

urlwolf · « **Reply #60 on:** June 08, 2013, 04:35 AM »

For people trying to get away from coffee, but wanting to have the alertness that comes with it... try mate. National beberage of Argentina. Has to be consumed in a gourd. Totally worth the hassle, as the concetration peak you get... you could drill a hole on the wall with your stare O_o

Tuxman · « **Reply #61 on:** June 08, 2013, 08:50 AM »

A German "hacker" (and Pirate Party) drink is Club-Mate, some mate tea with carbon dioxide. Pretty nice, tastes like dead grandparents but makes your heart run a marathon. It may lead to lack of sleep though.

And I'm having some coffee now.

urlwolf · « **Reply #62 on:** June 08, 2013, 08:54 AM »

Club mate is for babies.
It has nothing to do with the real thing.
Just try it...
It has plenty of vitamin and minerals too.

Tuxman · « **Reply #63 on:** June 08, 2013, 08:55 AM »

The real thing tastes like Club-Mate which has been left open for three weeks behind the fridge. Why would anyone want that?

Tinman57 · « **Reply #64 on:** June 08, 2013, 04:19 PM »

Here is a couple of places I get my coffee in bulk. I buy whole bean and not preground coffees, makes for a better fresher pot.
Coffee Bean International working out of Portland, Oregon and S&D Coffee out of Concord, North Carolina. Easily found on the net for phone numbers.

From CBI, I order their Anniversary Blend, the darkest roast they have.
minimum order-20lbs. Ground or whole bean. Must be a coffee retailer/reseller. Easy to do for me, when I started ordering, I owned a business. Any business name will work.

S&D supplies me with their Traditional Blend, European Select, and 100% Colombian.
Bulk or retail is fine with them, although I am their customer under a business name.
Available by the case with 10 2lb bags, 14oz bags or cases of 1.5oz bags that make 1 pot of coffee. Ground or whole bean.

I think the dark roast blends are even better then Hawaiian Kona or Jamaican Blue Mountain (the highest priced coffees I know of). Unless I can find these two in a dark roast, which is near impossible without special ordering. I'm just not up to $40 or more for a pound for coffee. I spend from $6 to $9 a pound.

I don't know about other countries, just my own, U.S.A.
-cmpm (June 07, 2013, 05:02 PM)

I buy my coffee beans by the 5lb bag through CoffeeAM. I've tried a couple of other coffee places, but I think CoffeeAM has a better taste, plus it's a little cheaper. Oh, the beans are Mocha-Java, my afternoon coffee. Sucking on a cup right now.

On another note, I just retired my Hamilton Beach Brewstation for another Hamilton Beach with a single cup brewer built into the side. Really makes a nice cup of java, plus I get more mileage (and a bolder cup of coffee) with the "Bold" setting. Sometimes I want a cup of coffee in the early afternoon, and you have to add a little more coffee for such a small amount in a regular pot. This new one with the single cup brewer takes care of that little problem.

Only bad thing about new coffee makers is the break-in period. Even though I ran water through it to flush out any manufacturing contaminants, it still has that new coffee maker taste to it.

cmpm · « **Reply #65 on:** June 08, 2013, 05:23 PM »

Cool! Yes, seems CoffeeAM has a good selection, thanks. S&D's 2lb bags are not particularly great coffees but the prices are low enough so I can keep up my 2 pot a day habit. (It was 3, I've cut down) CBI is 5lb bags, some very good to excellent to choose from. S&D will send you samples if you like, which is great to see in this coffee business thing.

I'll have to check out some CoffeeAM selections, when my "pot" can handle it.

Edvard · « **Reply #66 on:** June 10, 2013, 11:01 PM »

Today I had my first cup of caffeinated coffee in about 6 years. Not at all the lift I thought I'd get, though I noticed I WAS a bit more focused (emergency attention span boost needed at work while team lead is on vacation), so all in all, a successful experiment.
If I can't sleep tonight, however, I'm gonna be ticked...

Tinman57 · « **Reply #67 on:** June 11, 2013, 08:23 PM »

Today I had my first cup of caffeinated coffee in about 6 years. Not at all the lift I thought I'd get, though I noticed I WAS a bit more focused (emergency attention span boost needed at work while team lead is on vacation), so all in all, a successful experiment.
If I can't sleep tonight, however, I'm gonna be ticked...
-Edvard (June 10, 2013, 11:01 PM)

I'm the total opposite. If I don't have my pot of coffee every day, I can't stay awake til bedtime. Then there's the headaches from lack of caffeine....

Edvard · « **Reply #68 on:** June 11, 2013, 08:56 PM »

Then there's the headaches from lack of caffeine....
-Tinman57 (June 11, 2013, 08:23 PM)

Ah, yes... the reason I kicked in the first place. Caffeine withdrawal headaches are the worst pain I have ever felt in my life. I'm sure it's NOTHING compared to childbirth, but I did get the feeling something was trying it's level best to burst out of my eyesockets when I had them. Had another cup today... best get back to the wagon tomorrow.

Tinman57 · « **Reply #69 on:** June 12, 2013, 07:55 PM »

Interesting! But one never runs out of filters when they use a permanent one.

I have been using one for almost 20 years and wouldn't consider ever going back to wasting money on paper filters. Imagine getting 20 years worth of filters for about $5. Not to say that anybody else end up with one that would last as long as mine. (I wash mine very gently by hand) The better ones do have a 5 year warranty, though, so even if it only lasts that long, you'd still save money and not have to worry about running out of filters.
-app103 (May 07, 2013, 12:57 AM)

I broke out my old stainless steel coffee filter last week and started using it. After a weeks use, I went back to the paper filters. The reuseable filters allows the very fine coffee dust to pass through, giving the coffee a different, stouter taste. But the built-in single cup brewer on my coffee machine taste just fine with the gold reuseable filter that it came with. Guess because it's such a small amount it don't get all that bypass. So now I use both filter and reuseable. lol

cmpm · « **Reply #70 on:** June 14, 2013, 07:22 PM »

@Tinman57

ok, tried the Mocha Java - I had to order it..just because....

+1 for the flavor seal bag
+5 for the free sample of another coffee, did not expect it, but it was in the box when I opened it

It is more like medium dark roast coffee to me.
If you like dark roast, the Anniversary Blend from CBI (Coffee Bean International), is hard to beat.
And I have to warn you that it may spoil anyone that tries it.

Tinman57 · « **Reply #71 on:** June 16, 2013, 08:16 PM »

@Tinman57

ok, tried the Mocha Java - I had to order it..just because....

+1 for the flavor seal bag
+5 for the free sample of another coffee, did not expect it, but it was in the box when I opened it

It is more like medium dark roast coffee to me.
If you like dark roast, the Anniversary Blend from CBI (Coffee Bean International), is hard to beat.
And I have to warn you that it may spoil anyone that tries it.
-cmpm (June 14, 2013, 07:22 PM)

I'm not into dark roast, too acidic for me and I just don't like the taste as much. Dark roast are for the people that enjoy strong coffee.

Yep, new customers of Coffee AM get's a free sample of other coffee. They also have a flavor of the month you can sign up for where they send you a small sampling of different flavors every month. I can't remember how much it cost though, but if you want to try different blends it might be right up your alley.....

cmpm · « **Reply #72 on:** June 17, 2013, 09:32 AM »

That is probably why I like it, it's light on acidity, and not bitter like some dark roasted coffee. Their are these roasts from CBI (and other distributors I'm sure), dark, espresso, peak, velvet, French, Italian, satin, double French and maybe more. I'm not much for the flavored coffee, but there are plenty of those.

Edvard · « **Reply #73 on:** June 17, 2013, 11:00 PM »

Got an Illy 2-pack gift set for Father's day.

I never buy it as I can't afford the stuff normally, so my wife and son buying some for me is quite the treat.

Generally speaking, I've found that paying more for your coffee is a fairly low-stakes gamble. 9 times out of 10, you get what you paid for. I have NEVER stumbled across a budget-brand coffee that was premium-brand good, and I have never bought something for 10+ bucks a pound that brewed up like horse spit.