My palate is about as unrefined as you'll come across, so I can't really detect any of the subtle flavor variations you all are talking about. That said, I have a french press at my desk here at work, and a bean grinder at home. I'll buy just about any coffee that smells good, grind it a bit, then store it in zip-lock bags. I pour some grounds into the french press, eyeballing the amount based on how much coffee I want to make, and let it steep until I get around to drinking it. I drop 3 sugar cubes into my mug, pour a bit of coffee in, let the cubes dissolve, then fill the cup the rest of the way so as to avoid needing a spoon to stir. It's just about the most unrefined way to make coffee, but it does the job. Once a week I'll treat myself to a white chocolate mocha coffee drink from Starbucks just because I like the way it tastes (see above).
bit of an addict here, but at least with a modicum of sophistication. of course, i prefer connoisseur. i like beans from indonesia, hawaii and india best, roasted full city. right now i'm really into single cup brewing methods like chemex and trifecta. trifecta: http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/17/the-trifecta-comes-to-town/ chemex: http://encoffee.com/coffeeblog/2010/12/new-york-times-mr-coffee-vs-mr-chemex/ if you like espresso, you might prefer a tri. chemex is fun, cause you feel like you're in a java lab.
White instant (two/three spoonfuls, has to be strong!), no sugar. Or cappuccino if I'm out and about. Froth is expensive though
I used to enjoy GNER coffee from the days when they had the rail franchise between Leeds and London. Good strong, black coffee and watching the sunrise from the 07:20 to King's Cross. Those were the days...
Whilst it's not particularly fancy or classy, I've developed a real taste for Kenco's Peruvian instant. If you want a coffee which requires no tools other than kettle, spoon and mug i wholeheartedly recommend it. That said i could kill for a vanilla latte with an espresso shot right now EDIT: Tried that stuff Greg however it was the squirrel **** version Nice though, if you like coffee
I like to grind the coffee myself and then bung it in a cafetiere/percolator. That said I still put two spoons of sugar in it... (supposedly ruins it?) Instant stuff gets equal treatment. (Has anyone tried dipping Mars Bars in coffee? It's amazing.)
No but I once tried a deep-fried Mars Bar. It was absolutely gross and the filling was hotter than thermite.
Spira, Twirl, Kit-Kat, Drifter, Twix, Penguin, etc. etc. (basically anything with wafer/biscuit centre) can be used as a confectional straw.
Just enjoying my (quite late today) daily cup of rich, strong percolated goodness I still find it hard to beat Rich Roast Colombian after all this time!
as much as I moaned yesterday I still enjoy a nice cup of tesco value coffee (or 3) in the morning times before uni. Tastes rank but its too cheap for me to resist
Not tried those heart-attack inducing creations as yet. Dipping Mars Bars into coffee for about three seconds yields a partially melted and warm exterior of chocolate which tastes of coffee and you also end up with chocolatey coffee. A win-win situation!
Most of the time at home it's just a standard coffee with whole milk made in a Bodum cafetiere. I don't stick to one specific blend but have been trying quite a few different ones from HasBean. If I feel like making an effort though I'll do myself an espresso using a rather stylish Guzzini stovetop job, and if I've got far too much time on my hands I'll turn it into a cappucino courtesy of an Aerolatte frother. Ideally I'd like to get a dedicated machine, preferably a Gaggia, but I'd be looking at around £180 when you add the grinder as well so that might require a bit of Summer work.
I only ever really have coffee during some sort of social event. Meetings, business lunches, etc. Because of this, my coffee habits are largely based off the social aspects. If present company has all gone with cream and sugar then I match them. It tastes sweeter and we end up with something in common. If at least one other has gone black, or if I must pour first then I go with black. If the conversation ever drifts to coffee you will automatically have the ace in the hole. You can build comraderie with fellow black coffee drinkers, or make light jokes to others such as "you could have ordered milk, you know".
Generally, my favourite coffee is one made by a co-worker; someone else's sweat and tears always taste that much better. I'm also a bit picky so I prefer it if they give it to me in some sort of object that holds liquid. On another note: men who drink herbal teas should have their man-cards taken away. I don't care if you 'actually really like them' or the kitchen knife is making you drink it, it's just not acceptable.
...discussing coffee with Americans...argh! It's like discussing beer with Americans...double Argh! Hi there Fella's! Think about it this way, in Italian forums, it'd go "Discussing coffee with Brits/Dutch/Germans...Argh!
