(Coffee blog update:)
I love coffee. I love the aroma of a fresh pot brewing in the morning. I can hardly wait for that sound our Mr.Coffee pot makes when it’s nearly done. (Sort of like the noise from several people all at once trying to suck the last delicious drop of a milkshake through a straw.)
I must have at least two cups of coffee each morning in order to function at all, but then so do 150 million other Americans over the age of 18. Coffee consumption in this country has soared in the last 25 years which, I suppose, can be traced back to specialty coffee shops, led by Starbucks, that began springing up everywhere offering espressos, lattes and cappuccinos as well as brewed coffees made from freshly roasted magic beans just in from South America, Hawaii or some other tropical climate country.
I’ve never gotten into the fancy foamy stuff but my taste buds have become a whole lot fussier since first sampling some of the exotic blends offered at those shops. I’m a cheapskate, though, and cringe at the prices they charge so I’ve been on a quest for several years to come up with that rich coffee-shop flavor AT HOME for a fraction of the cost. I think I’ve found it but am open to suggestions. First, let me retrace my long journey. I come from Scandinavian stock and Norskies are notorious for seemingly excessive coffee consumption. My mother was such a coffee junkie that she’d usually skip the electric percolator opting instead for a plain old coffee pot on top of the stove, tossing a few scoops of Hills Brothers right into the boiling water. She enjoyed chewing on the coffee grounds that wound up in the bottom of her cup..main-lining the caffeine right into her system.
I had no idea what it tasted like back then. You see, I was one of those who swore I’d never drink the stuff. It was an attitude that remained until I reached high school and got a part time job right across the street from our house washing bottles for a dairy testing lab set up in the basement. On Saturday’s, the lady of the house invited employees up to her kitchen for coffee..which meant a big plate of freshly baked frosting-covered cinnamon rolls the size of a Frisbee. To drink, she offered milk or coffee. Now, the bottles I had to wash contained milk samples from dairy herds across the area. If a box of samples sat around for more than a day or two, the contents turned all sorts of rotten; sometimes just a gelatinous glob that would burp a little as I dumped it down the drain. Other times it had turned to the consistency of a yellowish green moldy cheese with a Limburger essence. Anyway, after cleaning a few hundred of those I was in no mood for a glass of milk with my roll so that’s how and why I first became a coffee drinker.
At Keloland, my desk was just a few steps away from the coffee machine and I consumed it by the gallon. The only time it tasted worth a hoot, though, was in the first ten minutes after brewing and even then it suffered from flavor deprivation because the grounds were meted out in those stingy little pre-measured pillow packets. Never enough coffee in them..plus some people, while making a pot, would just toss that bundle into the basket not caring if it ended up wadded in a corner. The end result was a rust colored hot water concoction that some..not knowing the difference…would gleefully drink anyway.
Most church basement coffee is like that; pale and tasteless. I’ve also never had a good cup of coffee from the little machines in motel rooms..never. Yet, when we go down the hall for the free continental breakfasts the coffee out of the big brewer can be pretty good. I’ve also found that coffee at large banquets tends to be very good. I think it has to do with the time it steeps in those Thermos- pot-type carafes they put on your table.
A lot of restaurants, too, seem bent on saving money by serving up cheap bland coffee. Maybe they intend it that way so customers won’t loiter around all day and night taking up valuable booth space gulping down free refills.
Anyway, as I was saying earlier, I’ve searched for years trying to come up with a consistently delicious cup of rich..never bitter..full bodied coffee that I can make at home without a lot of fuss. We have tried just about every commercial and exotic brand. We’ve ground our own beans, used distilled water, even unbleached filters but the results have been..well.. erratic and labor intensive..not to mention expensive.
We’ve finally decided that 100% Colombian coffee delivers most of what we’re looking for. It has the fewest number of quakers which in the world of coffee are those underdeveloped beans that make the brew bitter. We also are more generous with the amount of grounds used in our Mr. Coffee machine: 3 heaping tablespoons per pot. (ten cups)
We have been using Folgers brand for some time but when the price jumped to 12 DOLLARS A CAN, I decided to try the HyVee brand of Colombian instead and save a few bucks. To be honest, we couldn’t tell much difference but it was just enough for us to go back. Now, I’ve been experimenting again since Folgers and other main line commercial brands have decided to put their 100% Colombian grinds in much smaller plastic cans..reducing the contents by at least a fourth. Oh, the price is a little lower but I’m feeling gouged and open to suggestion on other brands. (NOTE: I’m looking for convenience as well as good taste so if you think I’m a lost cause unless I grind the beans, use a French Press or crack eggs into the grounds..you’re probably right because I’ve tried those things and found the result not stunning enough to justify the effort in our house.)
Linda is usually up before me and makes the coffee and it’s always fine. If I don’t like it the way she brews it..well..you know what I can do. If I get up first, I make it the same way. If I were to fire up an electric bean grinder it would be the same as pull-starting a 30 horsepower Evinrude over the kitchen sink. The steaming cup I bring to her bedside could have the aroma of an angel’s breath and taste of Valhalla mahogany creme but could never compensate for the stink eye I’d receive for disturbing my beloved’s slumber.
So, I’m interested in your comments about coffee. Do you have any tips on making a really good brew? Contrary to what I had thought, In Hawaii, they say darker roast is not desirable..it’s burnt. Do you prefer light, medium or dark? Have you ever found a truly rich tasting decaf coffee? Right now all this coffee talk has me feeling the need for caffeine.
“Linda, I’m finishing up a blog here. Would you mind putting a pot on? Thanks, hon. You’re a peach.”
18 Responses
Gelavia, which says it’s from Sweden, is surprisingly good. Their advertising says “rich, but never bitter” and I agree. They offer several flavors from mild to bold. If you shop around and wait for sales, it’s not much more expensive than Folgers.
Peet’s, a California company, is also available in grocery stores and has a number of rich flavors ranging from mild to bold. Again, wait for it to go on sale and it won’t be much more expensive than Folgers.
Yuban is good or Don Francisco’s 100% Colombia Supremo Medium from Safeway–reasonable price too.
Love our Keurig. Costco Pacific Bold pods for a good strong brew. Wife likes hazelnut, I don’t. You could sell Linda on flavored coffees, brewed fresh by the cup. More expensive yes, but for a happy wife (happy life)….
I buy 2 bags – one is decaf – and combine them in a container at home to cut the caffine consumption. Good water makes a huge difference. At work, they bought gallons of water for coffee and it made a world of difference.
I like “old Nors. Egg coffee”… My mom always made egg koffe….Still I make egg coffee….some times…
If you couldn’t taste the difference between fresh ground and pre-ground beans, you might not be able to taste the difference in any of these suggestions. I do wish you luck, though, since a good cup in the morning is one of life’s little pleasures.
I find that fresh ground has a VASTLY better taste, that filtered water helps, that using a burr grinder makes just a subtle difference to using one of those “whirlygig” grinders and that doing a coarser grind makes for less acidic coffee. Also helps if the water is at the right temperature, which is tough for a lot of coffee makers to do.
What about Caribou Coffee?? I use it all the time. I buy mostly French Roast -Dark roast. Makes wonderful lattes,
have one every morning. And I do not think it is bitter but I like strong coffee.
And did you know they are still supporting our Amy? Awesome! And they have made a
new roast for her. Got this in an email from Caribou: It is also on the internet at Caribou.com
Amy’s Blend Dark
Amy Erickson was one of Caribou Coffee’s first roastmasters. Her coffee quality standards helped make our coffee what it is today. Amy was much more to us than a roastmaster, she was loved by those around her because her enthusiasm was contagious!
Amy Erickson lost her battle with breast cancer in 1995. As a tribute to Amy, and to support those impacted by breast cancer, we created Amy’s Blend. Amy’s Blend Light and Dark Roasts are crafted from the same blend of coffee from Guatemala, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, and Kenya, but roasted at two different roast degrees.
Amy’s blend dark roasted has lush chocolate and burgundy tones with a silky smooth body and a sweet and smoky finish, a similar roast degree to our Obsidian blend
This coffee combines Sweet and floral aromas with fruit undertones and a clean finish
Have a friend who swears by Kona from Hawaii. She says it is never bitter.
And yes water is very important, very fortunate we have good water here.
There is no need to post this just thought if you are not using Caribou you might try it.
My brother is a retired USMC Gunnery Sgt. He drinks coffee all day and likes the coffee that sits on the burner all day. So he’s been all over the world taste testing coffee and knows what he likes. He is not a fan of the high end coffees like Starbucks or Caribou. Those coffees are too weak, too bitter, or just don’t taste good. However, he found a coffee shop coffee that he really likes and its Dunn Brothers on the eastside of Sioux Falls. He lives in Southern CA and Dunn Brothers hasn’t expanded out there yet so whenever he’s back in this area, he stops in at Dunn Brothers to get a cup of coffee and a bag of ground coffee beans to bring home. Dunn Brothers roasts their own coffee onsite so it smells very coffee like in their store. Plus, the store is locally owned and very helpful when trying to pick out a coffee that suits your palate. I recommend you try it, if you haven’t already. Otherwise, I recommend Yuban.
Thanks for the memories Doug!
Grandma Berg’s egg coffee comes to mind first. WAAAAY too strong for a preteen/teen/adult but she and grandpa loved it!Their friends loved it! I still believe that it could have been used successfully as a finish remover on furniture or a paint remover for metal.I loved them both dearly…but I was never man enough to drink Grandma Berg’s egg coffee.
I would agree that you might enjoy the Gevalia coffees. Also, the McCafe coffees are worth a try.
For special occasions splurge for Greenwell Farms 100% Kona Coffee which can be ordered directly from the Greenwell Farms website. I will let you discover the price!True 100% Kona coffee is similar to going to Disneyland or Disney World in that once you begin to enjoy the experience …it doesn’t matter how much it costs!
I think prices started going up when, as Williams and Ree put it, “Juan Valldez started John Deereing” those beans down from the mountain instead of lugging them by donkey.
Glad I don’t drink the stuff. One thing I don’t have to give up.
I like Caribou coffee my wife buys, but I’m sure it is more expensive. There is not a hint of bitterness compared to Folgers. I only drink it on Sunday’s after church, which helps keep the cost down, otherwise at work it is Folgers.
My wife DeeAnn runs the little Purple & Pink Cafe in Java, S.D. and she has served Folger’s Country Classic for as long as she has been open- for over three years. She is cook, waitress, dishwasher & waitress all rolled up in one!! She is one little dynamo!! Stu & DeeAnn Surma
I probably meant Folger’s Country Roast or Classic Roast & my wife isn’t two waitresses- but a cashier , also!! Stu & DeeAnn Surma
https://www.mysticmonkcoffee.com/store/
while I don’t drink a lot of coffee, I do enjoy this several times a week.
I have seen this coffee grinding and roasting business pedrsonally. It is an amazing operation. The Monks actually operate this business themselves in an ajoining building next to their small Monastery. They are currenty building a new Monastery near Meteeteese Wyoming. This is a multi million dollar project that is partially funded with the coffee sales.
I am involved with this project as an Electrical Inspector for the State of Wyoming. It is a beautful construction project that will take sewveral years to complete. The consrtuction methods are similar to the ancient european methods used several hundered years ago. Beautiful Gothic design with beautiful stone work. I will never work on a project like this in my lifetime.
Doug, bland coffee at church? At St. Peter Lutheran of Orland I grew up getting Norwegian egg coffee. It was always made by a nice lady named Lola, whose Norwegian was every bit as good as her English. She’s long gone, so I don’t know who makes it now. Church was also the place I had my first coffee at the age of five(5). My mother started me on my lifelong love of coffee, bless her heart.
Three scoops? According to the directions, you should be using 10 scoops for a 10 cup pot. That can be a bit much so I go with 6 scoops-the flavor matches the aroma. Love egg coffee made in my Grandma’s “well-seasoned” coffee pot. Don’t remember washing it too often.
Recent science news might pleasantly surprise coffee drinkers. Take a look at my summary of SCEINCE NEWS article on health benefits of coffee. http://dakotatoday.typepad.com/dakotatoday/2015/10/-coffee-is-good-for-us-according-to-science-news.html
Doug, while I don’t consume as much coffee these days, as I did in my working years, I enjoy a couple half-cups each morning. I buy a can, each, of Costco’s regular coffee and the decaf. Then I mix 50/50 in my coffee grounds jug, and scoop my daily mix from there. I find the price competitive, coffee satisfying and my wife feels good about my caffeine reduction.