Starbucks anyone?

[gtalum]

Starbucks is overrated and overpriced. I guess it's good if you like really expensive mediocre coffee that's usually burnt.

[JenBayles]

Oh, such cynicism gt! I have to admit, I don't like the Starbucks store fronts and I'll never pay $5.00 for a cup of coffee. Never cared much at all for flavored coffees either. What I do like is that their coffees are available in all our grocery stores here so I can brew it to my liking at home. Best coffee I ever had is at Cafe du Monde (I think that's right?) New Orleans. I still can't duplicate it - and not for lack of trying. OK Sunny - you have a secret you want to give out?

[Miss Mary]

I can manage one pot of delicious coffee Jen. If I clean my coffee maker with full strength white vinegar, grind fresh coffee beans purchased at my local wine and liquor store (of all places!), grinding right before brewing. And saving the unground beans in the freezer (for another pot, that tastes pretty good). But that is one very delicious pot of coffee. And then it goes downhill after that!

My FIL likes his Cuisinart coffee maker with carafe and bean grinder. Swears by it. Of course it doesn't come cheap......I'll keep my trusty $30 Mr Coffee drink maker. LOL

I go to all that trouble for company!

But like you, I tend to brew it at home, buying expensive beans for special occasions or if I'm tired of the usual Chock Full O'Nuts we use.

Mary

[azsnowman]

Oh, such cynicism gt! I have to admit, I don't like the Starbucks store fronts and I'll never pay $5.00 for a cup of coffee. Never cared much at all for flavored coffees either. What I do like is that their coffees are available in all our grocery stores here so I can brew it to my liking at home. Best coffee I ever had is at Cafe du Monde (I think that's right?) New Orleans. I still can't duplicate it - and not for lack of trying. OK Sunny - you have a secret you want to give out?

Do we expect ANY LESS of GT??? Naaaa, it's EXACTLY what I would expect Just kidding!!

Yarrah...."YES" To "ME" Starbucks "IS all that!" It's WONDERFUL! Funny thing, I was talking to the ladies at our Starbucks here on Saturday morning when I got back from Phoenix and this EXACT conversation came up!! We came to the conclusion that Starbucks Expresso is "LACED" with something....it's so DAM addicting, it's WORSE than nicotine I swear!

[azsnowman]

On another note, I LOVE Douwe's coffee, it's actually a liquor that they use to brew every CUP fresh and it doesn't go stale sitting in the pot.

I am SUCH a "coffeeholic!" I usually drink 4-5 cups before I leave the house, hit Starbucks on the way to the PD I grind my coffee fresh every morning.....Millstone "Caramel Truffle!" YUMMMMMM!!! Dang, no WONDER I don't have ANY money...it ALL goes to coffee and smokes

[angelwing]

Whatever happened to good, old-fashioned perked coffee???? Man I miss that the most, sigh

[Miss Mary]

Whatever happened to good, old-fashioned perked coffee???? Man I miss that the most, sigh

angelwing! My parents had an old Corning Ware coffee pot, white with the blue cornflowers. It was such a nice sound to wake up to and of course, the smell was welcoming to. It also made a huge pot, over 12 cups I believe. You can still these old coffee pots at Flea Markets. They were all white with different flowers, to match casserole dishes.

Hey, we could ask members if they remember how to brew coffee! NO CHEATING! No googling the directions. lol

I remember how to......my dad also had an old dinged up alum. coffee pot we took camping. It had definitely seen better days but it sure make good coffee on chilly, damp mornings!

[angelwing]

I remember how to too!!!! Woohoo, we can compare once we see what people use to do:)

Ours was an aluminum one, it made 12 cups and it was sooo gooood! And the smell, ahhhhhhhh

[Miss Mary]

I think we stumped them angelwing!

[DaylilyDawn]

My hubby has a small coffepot that perks coffe. You put the water in the pot , put the stem that the basket sits on, fill the basket with the amount of coffee being used and put the lid on and plug it in. It only makes about 8 cups but then he is the only one drinking it.. I think coffe smells better than it tastes, so I don't drink it.

[kevin]

Starbucks just came to the UF campus, and the hippies are trying to get a student run cafe to compete with them.

[Miss Mary]

DayLillyDawn - I guess I forgot to add, we wanted directions for non-electric coffee perkalators! LOL The old fashioned ones you put on your stove burner. You got half the directions correct though - until you said you plugged it in.

I had an old Harvest Gold electric coffee pot, similar to what you described. I wish I still had it, it comes in handy when you want just a cup of hot water for tea. I used to use it up in our bathroom, when we had overnight guests. I didn't want to wake the house and start tea in the morning. So I'd brew a cup in our bathroom/bedroom, to sip before and after my shower - I know it sounds gross but we have a long space between our 2 sinks. Anyway, this was way back when everyone slept in (before kids, and dogs). Now we're all up early or least half the family is. LOL

Mary

[Pburgh]

Does anyone remember the clear glass Pyrex coffee pot? You could see the coffee brewing and perking on the stove. Many, many years ago I would only use my Pyrex. One day I realized that they had stopped making them. Now, I'm a super KLUTZ so breaking any portion of that pot (which I did regularly) meant disaster for my coffee making. I scoured every garage sale, old hardware stores, and department stores and bought up all kinds of replacement parts. I had them stored in my pantry until my sources and supplies dried up!!!!! Loved the coffee that that little percolater made.

Before I got my Cappresso which grinds and measures the coffee, I used one Tablespoon of coffee per cup of cold water and 1 Tablespoon for the pot.

I like to use my French Press coffee maker when I just want a few cups. I grind the coffee and put 1 1/2 TBS per cup and pour boiling water over the coffee, let it sit for about 5 minutes and push the plunger down. These are fairly cheap little buggers and make an excellent cup of coffee.

Ok, now I'm going to brew a pot of Earl Grey tea for Miss Mary!!!!

[gtalum]

The absolute BEST way to make coffee is with good fresh beans and a French Press.

[angelwing]

The way we did it (my dad was the main one since he was up at 3AM to go to work)1 tablespoon per cup and we had a 12 cup, was good and STRONG , lol, but we drank it If my mon or I made it we only did 10 tablespoons per pot, we went a tad weaker, lol!

[Pburgh]

gtalum, my Cappresso makes excellent coffee but for ONCE I agree with you.lol

{Karan is marking this date on here calendar}

[CentralFlGal]

They do over-roast their beans for that burnt taste. They also pay building owners to not renew leases on small cafes so they can muscle their way into communities. They lie about their Fair Trade coffees (where farmers are paid a higher price for their beans) - they pay much less than smaller roasters do for these beans and it accounts for only 1% of their total offering. Starbucks doesn't put its money where its mouth is.

We support small business instead. There are plenty of us in Starbucks' massive wake poised to pick up the pieces in this industry after they complete their market saturation and "consumer education" campaign.

[Miss Mary]

Karan - I remember the clear glass Pyrex ones!!!!

Angelwing - I think we'd better compare our notes. Since no one else has replied. Here's how I recall making old fashioned percolated coffee:

1. Start with cold water and fill your coffee pot.
2. Dampen the grounds basket, shaking off excess water.
3. Fill the basket, according to how many cups of coffee you wanted (I don't recall the ratio).
4. Bring to a boil, but not on high. Medium to Med-High heat.
5. Listen closely for percolating to begin. The coffee bubbled up in a glass top on the lid.
6. Immediately reduce temp to Simmer.
7. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes (5 minutes being strongest coffee).
8. Remove coffee pot from burner.
9. Carefully lift out basket and discard old coffee grounds.
10. Return coffee pot to burner and keep temp low, to keep coffee hot.

Removing the old coffee grounds was very, very important my dad said. If you kept them inside, the coffee just got stronger and bitter. We remove our coffee grounds after each brewing on our drip maker.

Karan - thanks for the tea. It's a chilly, raw day here in Cincy. It tastes great!
Mary

[Pburgh]

"Dampen the ground basket"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a great idea. I wish I would have know that back then. Those fine little grounds would never have gotten into my water.

[Miss Mary]

LOL!

My dad always said that was important too.

Notice how my dad taught me how to make coffee....he he. My mom was born and raised in Scotland though so that's where I get my taste for tea. I like both.

2 cups of coffee in the morning.

2 or so cups of tea in the afternoon.

If I have coffee in the afternoon, it gives me terrible heartburn.

But here's a funny observation - I can have coffee and/or tea, with caffeine, late at night and it never keeps me awake! LOL

Mary