How can I make you a good cup of coffee?

[Stacia]

I've had comments, but I've had complaints on the shape of my wine glasses (really... seriously ) so when I point out directions to the local coffee shop, I'm serious.

 

Really?

 

Wow.

[Pawz4me]

I'm not a coffee snob. Like I said earlier, I like my Keurig and the coffee it makes just fine. I usually use pre-ground Dunkin' Donuts coffee in a re-usable filter. I've tried quite a lot of higher end coffee beans over the years, but I don't notice enough taste difference to make them worth the extra effort or money (I drink a LOT of coffee). When we're traveling in the RV I use the same DD coffee but make it with a Melitta cone. In someone else's home I'm happy with and appreciative of anything they want to serve me, however they want to make it.

Edited November 18, 2017 by Pawz4me

[ktgrok]

I've had comments, but I've had complaints on the shape of my wine glasses (really... seriously ) so when I point out directions to the local coffee shop, I'm serious.

 

I don't like the coffee at my mom's house..I think it is because she uses a water softener maybe. But I dealt with it until recently when she stopped keeping cream or half and half in the house. Now I just happily make a starbucks run while visiting. I even bring her back something :)

[madteaparty]

This is a general question, riffing off Erin's post.

 

I've never had a coffee-drinking guest turn down coffee in my home. Well, there are exceptions such as, late night and I'm out of decaf, or someone is on meds/restricted diet, etc. But in general, people who are very particular about coffee in their own homes and out at cafes have never given me reason to think I serve inferior coffee. Reading many of the posts here, it's obvious that I do (at least in some people's opinion). :-) Said with a smile,not snark.

 

So I'm wondering - do people really make it known to hosts that they expect coffee (even if the hosts do not drink it) and complain if it's not up to their (guest's) standard?

 

A couple of posts seem to imply that but maybe I am misinterpreting or maybe there's a bit of hyperbole going on.

 

Just curious.

No! I barely know what I like myself (and it took me many years to find out; I thought coffee cart coffee in nyC was amazing (it can be, but it's also a giant pour-over) :)

I happened upon my very light roast on accident (they sold the beans in a shop in my office building and I hadn't had time to run to Whole Foods for the regular. The skies opened and the angels sang when I tried it at home. But this coffee is not widely available (I order online now), and the pour over was another happy accident (bc no room). Do we get to be snobbish about accidentally finding things we like? :) also, hosting in general is just such a rare thing anymore. If you make me coffee and talk to me well that's enough, no?

[ErinE]

Really?

 

Wow.

  

I don't like the coffee at my mom's house..I think it is because she uses a water softener maybe. But I dealt with it until recently when she stopped keeping cream or half and half in the house. Now I just happily make a starbucks run while visiting. I even bring her back something :)

Yes, really, but I just smile and point out the nearest location to correct my shortcomings. I make awesome bread, biscuits, and pancakes so I figure my coffee and wine flaws can be forgiven.

[ktgrok]

  

Yes, really, but I just smile and point out the nearest location to correct my shortcomings. I make awesome bread, biscuits, and pancakes so I figure my coffee and wine flaws can be forgiven.

 

I should clarify that I don't mind running to Starbucks, I just feel kind of rude doing it...like I'm pointing out their coffee isn't good enough for me. The Starbucks is in a Target so I usually make up a reason to run to Target for something and then grab Starbucks on the way  out. 

 

Or just wait until we leave and then get coffee at the Racetrack gas station on the way home. Not great coffee, but not bad. 

 

I am thinking I'll bring some shelf stable little creamer containers to keep at my moms at some point ,so I don't have to worry about it. The coffee itself is weird tasting (even if I bring my own k-cup and use it in their keurig) but it's really the lack of half and half that kills me. I need my creamer :)

[Alessandra]

Three ideas:

 

Trader Joe has a pretty good instant coffee.

 

Trader Joe also has a bottle of coffee concentrate.

 

If you buy some freshly ground beans, finely ground, you can simply boil them in a saucepan, then strain out the coffee. It's delicious and analogous to Greek or Turkish coffee. They boil the coffee with the sugar, bring it to a boil, let the bubbles subside, and repeat.

 

Here's a Sur La Table b r i k i -- I spaced because spell check changed word to British, lol.

 

https://www.surlatable.com/product/PRO-1398361/?mrkgcl=890&mrkgadid=1843227817&rkg_id=h-3b7174f7ccba23b7f468374f0ff6420c_t-1510976608&affsrcid=AFF0005&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=206387981&utm_term=88939892021product_type_l1cooking_tools%26product_type_l2&product_id=1398361&adpos=1o4&creative=45300852101&device=t&matchtype=&network=g&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIk9mIsprH1wIV0bfACh0kwgTFEAQYBCABEgJ4qvD_BwE

 

Amazon has lots of these for much less $$.

Edited November 18, 2017 by Alessandra

[KatieJ]

This is a general question, riffing off Erin's post.

 

 

 

So I'm wondering - do people really make it known to hosts that they expect coffee (even if the hosts do not drink it) and complain if it's not up to their (guest's) standard?

 

A couple of posts seem to imply that but maybe I am misinterpreting or maybe there's a bit of hyperbole going on.

 

Just curious.

I dont really demand coffee and I don’t complain if it’s not great coffee when I do drink it.

DH and I rarely drink coffee after breakfast. We rarely spend the night in anyone’s home except our daughters’s and they have good coffee.

So it works out.

[marbel]

I've had comments, but I've had complaints on the shape of my wine glasses (really... seriously ) so when I point out directions to the local coffee shop, I'm serious.

 

Whoa. That's awful.

 

I understand the wine glasses thing.  My husband and I used to do a lot of wine tasting, took classes, etc.  That was in another life before kids, etc. LOL. Anyway we bought a big box of super cheap glasses for our tasting classes but he would buy some nicer glasses in sets of 2.  When it's the two of us he pulls out the "right" glass but when we have company we all drink out of the cheap ones. I've reached the point where I wish the nice glasses would all get broken because they can't go in the dishwasher.  (He washes them, but they still annoy me.) 

 

Of course we have never commented on the glasses that are used in other people's houses!  If you offer me wine I will happily drink it out of whatever you give me. Even at the height of our wine geekiness, it didn't matter.  

 

And of course wine snobbery can reach a whole 'nother level over coffee snobbery... maybe.  :lol:  :lol:

 

Back to coffee - the first time we stayed with my mom, my husband commented (privately, to me) that her coffee was terrible. I didn't drink coffee then, but I wasn't surprised, my mother pretty much always bought whatever was cheapest.  That was Christmas Eve. I sent two nieces (teens) on a quest for good coffee.  They went to the nicest coffee shop in town, bought some beans, had them ground, and presented them to their Grammy as a Christmas gift. She thought it was the sweetest gift ever and immediately made a pot of coffee, and used that for the duration of our visit.  I'm sure she went back to her cheap stuff when we left.  

Edited November 18, 2017 by marbel

[mathnerd]

I have not read all the responses, but, since you occasionally make coffee, you don't have to invest in paraphernalia. Get yourself some Pour-over Bags of coffee - Trader Joe's sells reasonably priced ones. Other groceries sell them too. All you need to do is to pour hot water into the pouch. You can keep the bags for a while as they are individually wrapped. More here:

https://skillet.lifehacker.com/is-trader-joes-pour-over-bag-the-ultimate-in-coffee-con-1794757590

 

[Pam in CT]

I have not read all the responses, but, since you occasionally make coffee, you don't have to invest in paraphernalia. Get yourself some Pour-over Bags of coffee - Trader Joe's sells reasonably priced ones. Other groceries sell them too. All you need to do is to pour hot water into the pouch. You can keep the bags for a while as they are individually wrapped. More here:

https://skillet.lifehacker.com/is-trader-joes-pour-over-bag-the-ultimate-in-coffee-con-1794757590

 

 

:iagree:  Or get the sock, which is the same idea but reusable.  I'm telling y'all, the sock is brilliant.

[hornblower]

I drink coffee medicinally: I just need the caffeine. I love a good espresso but only from one of the super powered machines that professional cafes have.

Other than that, you can serve me instant in a cracked mug. It all tastes kind of ick to me, frankly. So long as it's piping hot and there's room for my soy milk (I bring my own), I'm satisfied. 

Tea, though. I'm picky about tea..... 
 

Edited November 19, 2017 by hornblower

[Baseball mom]

I think it's nice you want to offer your guests coffee, but not necessary. I'm a coffee drinker but will drink whatever the hosts offer.

 

If you do decide to offer coffee, I think a small drip machine might fit the widest variety of people, plus be the easiest for you to set-up & use for serving -- set it up once, brew the coffee, & then multiple cups of hot coffee are available. (In fact, just point to the machine & supplies & ask one of your coffee-drinking friends to set it up for you when they're over. That way they can determine the strength of the coffee, how much is brewed, etc.) If you look around for sales, you should be able to find one for around $20. You would then need filters (either paper or a gold re-usable one) + ground coffee (+ additions for coffee such as cream or milk, sugar or other sweetener).

 

I don't like the way Keurig tastes (plus the individual cups are environmentally unfriendly) & while French Press coffee tastes good, it is never hot enough imo. Pour-over is fine, but again, there's the heat issue (imo). At least a drip coffee maker provides a heating element to maintain the temperature while the pot of coffee is being used.

 

ETA: And, as you can tell from this thread, all of us coffee drinkers are nitpicky sorts about our coffee. Why you'd want to coddle us is beyond me! ;) :lol:

This

....well I don't know about the keurig or French press. I am a simple drip coffee girl.

[rachellvd]

We were at some friends’ house recently, and they served us single serve disposable pour overs similar to this https://www.amazon.com/TrulyAll-Disposable-Single-Pour-Over-Coffee/dp/B01IBXADOK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1511094546&sr=8-3&keywords=disposable+pour+over+coffee.

 

We were enamored, and it has become my favorite coffee when I’m on the road. That said, I also like French press, pour over, aero press, Starbucks Via tubes, instant from a jar (but only with milk), and pretty much every other form of coffee out there.

 

I second the sock as the cheapest and easiest to store option.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[StaceyinLA]

I haven’t read all the replies, and I know you have gotten some good suggestions. The one thing I would say in defense of having a Keurig is you don’t really have to know much about making coffee, or trying to get a good cup or measuring grounds or storing grounds for a long time (they will get funky in the freezer unless bagged up extra well to keep from picking up freezer odors or getting stale tasting). You buy the keurig, keep some pods on hand, and you’re good to go.

 

Keurig does have some decent coffee in the pods. There’s a Columbian fair trade select by Green Mountain that makes a good cup. Of course there are all the fun flavors too. The nice thing is you can get some packs of 3 pods at some places so you could have a few different kinds on hand, and you can still get sampler type boxes that have multiple types.

 

It’s really a great option if you only need coffee occasionally, and especially if you aren’t really big into making it. Sometimes getting the right measurements for a good cup can be really tricky, depending on the coffee.

 

Also, this time of year, I can’t imagine you can pick up a decent keurig (even the little single cup ones that don’t have the big water reservoir would work perfectly for you) for well under $100.

 

ETA - I have owned Keurigs in the past, then regular brewers and/or french press, then superautomatic espresso maker, then back to french press and now I love a pour over, but sometimes I do wish I could just throw a pod in and be done with it - coffee snobbery be damned.

Edited November 19, 2017 by StaceyinLA

[Barb_]

[quote name="StaceyinLA" post="7881342" timestamp=

 

ETA - I have owned Keurigs in the past, then regular brewers and/or french press, then superautomatic espresso maker, then back to french press and now I love a pour over, but sometimes I do wish I could just throw a pod in and be done with it - coffee snobbery be damned.

 

Stacy, what went wrong with your Brera? I was thinking about asking for on for Christmas based on your very old coffee thread.

[bibiche]

ETA - I have owned Keurigs in the past, then regular brewers and/or french press, then superautomatic espresso maker, then back to french press and now I love a pour over, but sometimes I do wish I could just throw a pod in and be done with it - coffee snobbery be damned.

 

I think a lot of the intense dislike of Keurigs has little to do with coffee snobbery. When I hear a defense of Keurigs I hear "The environment be damned."   If it is ease that one is after, buy a jar of instant. The quality is the same or better than Keurig and there is less plastic waste.

[J-rap]

If you don't drink coffee yourself, then I wouldn't invest in a Keurig, or anything that requires a learning curve.  I'd get the cheapest small simple drip maker (like a small Mr. Coffee) that you can get for $12-$15.  Then, get the correct filters to use, and you can tuck it all in a cupboard until you have guests who want it.  

 

I'd put more effort into what kind of coffee beans you use, because I think if the coffee is good, it'll generally taste decent no matter how you prepare it.  (So you might as well do the easiest and simplest method.)

 

When you have guests coming, get the beans already ground because then you don't have to hassle with grinding them.  I prefer a dark roast, but you could get a medium roast and that should please most people.  (Columbian is considered a medium roast.)  There are brands I trust more than others, but those will vary from store to store.  You can always go to a Starbucks and buy bag of ground beans there.  Then you know they'll be fairly fresh.  (I've gotten the same beans in grocery stores but sometimes by the time they get there, they aren't as good.)

 

If your guests like their coffee strong (like me), you'll use one rounded tablespoon per cup.  You can also ask them if they'd like to prepare it themselves since they know their own tastes.

 

I do love coffee (a lot!), but I'd never complain if I went to a home that didn't serve it (though I would wonder how they could live without it! :D), and I sure wouldn't care what it was served in.

[ktgrok]

I think a lot of the intense dislike of Keurigs has little to do with coffee snobbery. When I hear a defense of Keurigs I hear "The environment be damned."   If it is ease that one is after, buy a jar of instant. The quality is the same or better than Keurig and there is less plastic waste.

 

First, many of us use a reusable filter with our Keurig, at least part of the time. Second, I never hear the same condemnation of people that use disposable diapers, which are WAY worse for the environment. Or that kind of rhetoric aimed at people that buy yogurt in individual cups. Or apple sauce cups. Not sure why it's so awful for k-cups in comparison?

 

Second, a jar of instant is not as easy, not when you have a baby in your arms, can't find your glasses, and are half awake. That's why I got my keurig :)  I needed fool proof coffee that I could make with one hand without risk of burning the baby. And most of all, I needed it FAST, lol. 

 

when I have a baby in my arms I use the regular k-cups (and there are several that are in fact recyclable now). When I don't, I usually use a reusable filter. 

 

I also, after using cloth on 3 kids, and mainly using disposable diapers on this baby. I feel WAY worse about that than the k-cups. 

[bibiche]

First, many of us use a reusable filter with our Keurig, at least part of the time. Second, I never hear the same condemnation of people that use disposable diapers, which are WAY worse for the environment. Or that kind of rhetoric aimed at people that buy yogurt in individual cups. Or apple sauce cups. Not sure why it's so awful for k-cups in comparison?

 

Second, a jar of instant is not as easy, not when you have a baby in your arms, can't find your glasses, and are half awake. That's why I got my keurig :)  I needed fool proof coffee that I could make with one hand without risk of burning the baby. And most of all, I needed it FAST, lol. 

 

when I have a baby in my arms I use the regular k-cups (and there are several that are in fact recyclable now). When I don't, I usually use a reusable filter. 

 

I also, after using cloth on 3 kids, and mainly using disposable diapers on this baby. I feel WAY worse about that than the k-cups. 

 

I'm totally with you on diapers and individual servings. I don't limit my condemnation to Keurigs, I condemn it all!  :tongue_smilie: