Good Hostess attempt (coffee question)

[Lucy the Valiant]

(Adding: A French press is basically a container with a filter built-in; you put grounds in the bottom, pour the water on, wait a bit, and then "press" the filter to the bottom slowly. To clean it, you dump the grounds into your trash / compost, and rinse the rest out. So yes, slightly messier than just dumping grounds + paper filter, but - it's a 30-second or less process, not an all-morning chore. 😉  )

[regentrude]

27 minutes ago, heartlikealion said:

I’d like to know in regards to clean up as well. Low maintenance would be ideal to me. 

A French press is a glass cylinder with a filter plunger. To clean, dump grounds, rinse glass with hot water, rinse filter (swish in dishwater or use the shower thingy on your faucet if you have one) . Done. Takes less than a minute.

[Tanaqui]

French press is super easy to clean, and you can get in a variety of sizes depending on how much storage you're willing to devote to this.

I do recommend that unless your storage is really tidy you get an all-metal one. You don't want to find out day-of that you balanced everything very precariously and now your glass press has shattered on the floor. It's not the best part of waking up, I can tell you from experience!

[Frances]

1 minute ago, Tanaqui said:

French press is super easy to clean, and you can get in a variety of sizes depending on how much storage you're willing to devote to this.

I do recommend that unless your storage is really tidy you get an all-metal one. You don't want to find out day-of that you balanced everything very precariously and now your glass press has shattered on the floor. It's not the best part of waking up, I can tell you from experience!

I broke our glass one removing it from the dishwasher. We replaced with metal.

[marbel]

7 minutes ago, Tanaqui said:

I do recommend that unless your storage is really tidy you get an all-metal one.

Yes, ours is glass and we haven't broken it yet but it's in a stupid place and I hate babying it. But we keep it for power outages so it's worth having. We are very very short on storage here!

[Pawz4me]

54 minutes ago, Frances said:

So for the coffee experts, is there a difference in taste between using a French press and just the plastic cup insert with a paper filter? We have both, but for the rare times when my husband needs to make it rather than go pick one up for free (more often during the pandemic), he usually doesn’t use the French press because he says it’s messier to clean up and sometimes grounds get in the coffee. He doesn’t feel there is a taste advantage, but I’d say he has fairly simple coffee tastes. He could get whatever coffee drinks he wanted everyday for free at one of the local coffee shops, but always just gets the basic house blend with cream and Turbinado sugar.

I agree with your DH. I'm not very picky about coffee, but I don't particularly care for it made in a French press. I'd drink it if that was all that was available, but it's not a method I'd voluntarily choose both because I don't care for the taste and because it's messy to clean up. IMO a pour over yields much better tasting coffee, and a drip coffee maker is by far the easiest method.

[Spryte]

24 minutes ago, Frances said:

I broke our glass one removing it from the dishwasher. We replaced with metal.

I did the same, recently. Metal is the way to go! Do you have a link to a good metal one?

OP, cleaning up a French press is no big deal. Dump the grounds in the trash and rinse. It’s easier than any of our other options (except for the Nespresso, but that is serious overkill for you!).

One trick, for whoever mentioned grounds in their coffee, is to use a coarse grind. Another is to add an extra filter. OP, you don’t need to worry about either of those, though!

Honestly, I would never expect my non-coffee drinking hostess to serve coffee. You get huge points for even considering this! 

[katilac]

I drink coffee every single day.

I would not mind bringing my own supplies if told ahead of time that there was no coffee at the house and no coffee shops. 

It would definitely dampen my day if I showed up and didn't know ahead of time that there was no way to get a decent cup of coffee. If the visit was longer than a day, I would absolutely be figuring out how to get a cup by the second day, lol. I would drive a pretty far distance or buy a coffee pot at a local store if available. 

The majority of Americans do drink coffee everyday, so I think it's definitely common enough that people should be forewarned, lol. Tea is very common as well, but tea drinkers tend to be less cranky when they don't get their fix 😅 (but I do try to always have tea in the house for them anyway).

This sounds like family, so I think you work it out with the family vibes in mind. For local visitors (invited ones, not drop-ins), in my area the expectation would be to have coffee and tea on hand at almost any hour. 

 

[madteaparty]

I just gave away my drip machine. Here, use this and a filter inside. I grind my own beans but just buy ground coffee. You’re such a good hostess ❤️https://www.amazon.com/Melitta-Coffee-Brewer-Filter-Natural/dp/B01J96VMCA/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=FNV34TOJVSVM&keywords=melitta+pour+over+coffee+dripper&qid=1642381647&sprefix=melitta%2Caps%2C117&sr=8-3

Edited January 17, 2022 by madteaparty

[katilac]

9 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

I agree with your DH. I'm not very picky about coffee, but I don't particularly care for it made in a French press. I'd drink it if that was all that was available, but it's not a method I'd voluntarily choose both because I don't care for the taste and because it's messy to clean up. IMO a pour over yields much better tasting coffee, and a drip coffee maker is by far the easiest method.

And it's very easy to adjust the strength of the coffee with a drip maker. I like coffee made in a French press just fine, but I'm with you on it being messy to clean up (in comparison to other tools) and it also seems to take longer when I'm dying for that first cup. It doesn't take longer, mind, but it seems longer because the coffee is just sitting there quietly, no pleasant hissing or dripping sounds to reassure me that coffee is on the way. 

[Annie G]

Thanks for starting this-I’ve been pondering the same thing. We had guests this summer for a week and we don’t live within 10 miles of anywhere to get coffee unless it’s a gas station.  I have a French press and coffee grinder but our guests didn’t know how to use it. (Dd bought it when she worked at Starbucks years ago but didn’t take it when she moved)

Son in law left Starbucks Via here so he’ll have coffee but I’d rather have a better setup for him. 

How long can I keep beans in the freezer?  How difficult is it for a non-coffee drinker to learn to make decent French press coffee?
 

[Ting Tang]

2 hours ago, sassenach said:

I think the easiest thing you can do is buy some Starbucks or Trader Joe's instant packets. If they're survival drinkers, like me, it'll be good enough to get them up and to the nearest coffee shop for their second cup. It requires no equipment or storage from you. Is it bad coffee? Yeah, but so is poorly made French press or stale coffee grounds. It's enough. 

"survival"  lol     That's me!  If I really want coffee, I will drink just about any kind of it!  ha ha

[TravelingChris]

1 hour ago, Murphy101 said:

It’s a social conundrum. Otoh of course a guest should not presume to get anything at all. But at the same time, it is considered especially hospitable to be able and willing offer a choice of beverages of some kind.

I have never expected to get anything when a guest.  And I’m not going to buy pop or beer even though I am sure some company would like it.  But I personally like being able to offer something other than plain water.

also: - 1lb bag of ground coffee will stay good for about 4 months in the freezer. You could buy even less than that from the bulk section of the store and freeze it. That’s what I do for decaf bc I only know 2 people who want some and they don’t visit much. 

I definitely try to please guests.  I don't buy soda unless there is a guest who might want one.  I have non sugar sweeteners though I never, ever use one nor does anyone else who normally comes here.  If my brother is staying here, I buy oranges so he can make fresh orange juice and skim milk because he drinks that.  We never have skim milk here otherwise.  

 

[TravelingChris]

24 minutes ago, katilac said:

I drink coffee every single day.

I would not mind bringing my own supplies if told ahead of time that there was no coffee at the house and no coffee shops. 

It would definitely dampen my day if I showed up and didn't know ahead of time that there was no way to get a decent cup of coffee. If the visit was longer than a day, I would absolutely be figuring out how to get a cup by the second day, lol. I would drive a pretty far distance or buy a coffee pot at a local store if available. 

The majority of Americans do drink coffee everyday, so I think it's definitely common enough that people should be forewarned, lol. Tea is very common as well, but tea drinkers tend to be less cranky when they don't get their fix 😅 (but I do try to always have tea in the house for them anyway).

This sounds like family, so I think you work it out with the family vibes in mind. For local visitors (invited ones, not drop-ins), in my area the expectation would be to have coffee and tea on hand at almost any hour. 

 

This is my husband and I too.  We both drink lots of coffee.  

[Emba]

My SIL does not drink coffee and a couple of times we’ve visited overnight and she didn’t have it on hand. I was dragging in the morning because I didn’t sleep well (lots more street noise than I was used to), and she apologized profusely for not having coffee, but really, I didn’t expect that she would. I don’t keep any beverages on hand that I don’t drink myself. We don’t drink a lot of soda, so if someone came over and wanted it, I wouldn’t feel bad for not having any on hand.  And if SIL had only coffee bags or instant, I’d drink it and not say anything, because I know she would have made a special effort to have it on hand.

 If you really want to have something on hand for guests, I’d go with the smallest size bag of ground coffee you can find (one grocery store near me sells little bags that are only enough for a pot or two, and cost about $2), and a small drip pot or French press. Do not, I beg you, buy your coffee at Dollar Tree.  But if someone is simultaneously addicted to coffee, so that they MUST have it, and also picky so that they MUST have it a certain way, I’d say the responsibility of coming up with their favored brew is their responsibility.

 Like, I have preferences, but at heart I’m an addict, and in a pinch I can taker my fix however it comes - sugar alone, or sugar and milk, or creamer powder, or real cream or half and half or just black coffee if I need to. And it doesn’t kill me to go without.

[Bootsie]

I am a coffee drinker.  I don't expect others to have coffee when I visit.  When asking what it would be nice to have as a hostess to offer guests, some depends upon what type of guests you are talking about--something to have if you have a small get-to-together, like a book club, at your house or something to have if you have a family member staying overnight.  This would determine the quantity that needs to be made at a time as well as how much to cater to the tastes of one individual. 

If I were not a coffee drinker and I had visiting relatives who drank coffee, I would let them know I wasn't a coffee drinker and ask them to bring their own and fix it themselves.  If they are picky coffee drinkers, they will probably prefer that anyway.  A small, 4-cup drip coffeemaker, a french press, or a stove-top moka pot are usually inexpensive and easy to use.    A coarser grind will be used for a French press than for a moka pot--so there isn't simply a difference in the method but how the coffee is ground for the different methods.  The main issue of having coffee available for infrequent visitors is not the coffee maker it is having fresh coffee on hand.  

[katilac]

47 minutes ago, Emba said:

And it doesn’t kill me to go without.

It wouldn't kill me either, but it might kill somebody else. 

[alisoncooks]

15 minutes ago, katilac said:

It wouldn't kill me either, but it might kill somebody else. 

I don’t get cranky, but coffee seems to have a beneficial/necessary affect on my digestive system, iykwim. On the occasions when I’m away from home for greater than a day or so (week long camping with my folks), I now pack my kcup coffee maker. 

[Murphy101]

1 hour ago, TravelingChris said:

I definitely try to please guests.  I don't buy soda unless there is a guest who might want one.  I have non sugar sweeteners though I never, ever use one nor does anyone else who normally comes here.  If my brother is staying here, I buy oranges so he can make fresh orange juice and skim milk because he drinks that.  We never have skim milk here otherwise.  

For me it started with the basic fact that it is exceedingly rare for someone to invite a woman with 3-11 children anywhere, much less their home for a visit.  So I decided over 20 years ago that state or size of my own home be damned, I was going to have company over at least once a week.  And doing things that make company at ease makes it easier to repeat having them over. My hostess thing has always been never-ending coffee mugs and cookies and that I never ever care one bit how many people are here.  One shows up? Okay. 30 show up? Okay. “Add water” beverages and homemade cookies are quick and multiply easily. No sweat. 

1 hour ago, TravelingChris said:

This is my husband and I too.  We both drink lots of coffee.  

I drink enough coffee for anyone else who doesn’t. ONE time we went out of town for a funeral and the hotel had zero coffee. None in the rooms. None in the lobby. Apparently in the last town on earth without a flippin Starbucks, which I don’t even like but a gal does what she’s gotta do.  The hotel concierge guy said they didn’t have coffee bc of covid and shipping.  My husband was teasing me about hiding my passport bc I was like oh hell no I will do a lot bc of covid but I am NOT giving up coffee.  Where does coffee grow? Costa Rica! I could live in Costa Rica! And was looking up requirements to move there. 

Thankfully they served coffee after the funeral.  There was a ridiculously line to pour. Apparently we were not the only out of towners desperate for a fix. 😆

Ever since that incident in 2020, I ask. And I still pack my own. Just in case. Coffee insecurity is real. 

[Murphy101]

59 minutes ago, alisoncooks said:

I don’t get cranky, but coffee seems to have a beneficial/necessary affect on my digestive system, iykwim. On the occasions when I’m away from home for greater than a day or so (week long camping with my folks), I now pack my kcup coffee maker. 

I don’t get cranky but I have very low blood pressure, and it’s the lowest when I get up. Coffee literally helps me get moving instead of crawling back to bed. 

[TravelingChris]

24 minutes ago, Murphy101 said:

For me it started with the basic fact that it is exceedingly rare for someone to invite a woman with 3-11 children anywhere, much less their home for a visit.  So I decided over 20 years ago that state or size of my own home be damned, I was going to have company over at least once a week.  And doing things that make company at ease makes it easier to repeat having them over. My hostess thing has always been never-ending coffee mugs and cookies and that I never ever care one bit how many people are here.  One shows up? Okay. 30 show up? Okay. “Add water” beverages and homemade cookies are quick and multiply easily. No sweat. 

I drink enough coffee for anyone else who doesn’t. ONE time we went out of town for a funeral and the hotel had zero coffee. None in the rooms. None in the lobby. Apparently in the last town on earth without a flippin Starbucks, which I don’t even like but a gal does what she’s gotta do.  The hotel concierge guy said they didn’t have coffee bc of covid and shipping.  My husband was teasing me about hiding my passport bc I was like oh hell no I will do a lot bc of covid but I am NOT giving up coffee.  Where does coffee grow? Costa Rica! I could live in Costa Rica! And was looking up requirements to move there. 

Thankfully they served coffee after the funeral.  There was a ridiculously line to pour. Apparently we were not the only out of towners desperate for a fix. 😆

Ever since that incident in 2020, I ask. And I still pack my own. Just in case. Coffee insecurity is real. 

Okay, soon after we moved here, I was driving my youngest who was the only one I was still homeschooling and the only one who was living at home then full time to a meet in Atlanta.   I left early and for some dumb reason, forgot to bring coffee in a travel mug but thought I could get it on the way.  I went through the first town- no coffee place at all.  Second town - no coffee but I stopped at a diner thinking I could just buy a coffee to go-- no, they just had sweet tea.  Tried another place in the next town- no coffee.  Finally got one in yet another town- not a coffee shop but a restaurant that would let me buy a coffee to go.  Haven't made that mistake again.

And about a hotel and it's coffee.  In October we stayed at a Hampton Inn when we went to a birding festival in south Alabama.  That coffee was horrendously bad.  I haven't ever had hotel coffee as bad as they had.  I even complained when we were checking out- the lady at the desk said lots of people compliment it-I really don't believe it.  But dh and I agreed it was the worse coffee we had ever had at a hotel or motel.  (I have had equally bad at a fast food place).

[LaughingCat]

If you really want to have something small -- then get a 'pour over' device.  There's plastic and metal ones.  It's like having a super mini drip maker -- about the size of a single filter.  I got one for myself because I am the only coffee drinker in the house and I only have one cup most days.  It was such a waste to have this big appliance on the counter for that -- and we already had an electric tea kettle as well for my husband's tea.  But you don't need the electric tea kettle -- just hot/boiling water (depending on how picky the coffee drinker is) poured over grounds in the 'pour over' device.  You can keep the coffee in the freezer to keep it more 'fresh'.  And if the person is pickier than that --then they should bring their own acceptable alternative IMO 😁

This one looks close to what I have for $12 : https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-LHS-Paperless-Reusable-Non-slip/dp/B07MX87HH9/ref=sr_1_8?crid=37QZOET17ERNC&keywords=pour+over&qid=1642394123&sprefix=pour+ov%2Caps%2C172&sr=8-8

[Frances]

3 hours ago, Spryte said:

I did the same, recently. Metal is the way to go! Do you have a link to a good metal one?

OP, cleaning up a French press is no big deal. Dump the grounds in the trash and rinse. It’s easier than any of our other options (except for the Nespresso, but that is serious overkill for you!).

One trick, for whoever mentioned grounds in their coffee, is to use a coarse grind. Another is to add an extra filter. OP, you don’t need to worry about either of those, though!

Honestly, I would never expect my non-coffee drinking hostess to serve coffee. You get huge points for even considering this! 

Sorry, I don’t. I don’t even remember where or when we bought it. My husband likely picked it up while out running errands, as he does most of the shopping.

[heartlikealion]

Some of these comments are hilarious. 

I have a couple relatives that have worked for or still work for airlines so they fly free or low cost. They visit sporadically but at most I’d see them yearly. They appreciate coffee, too. Last time I was living with stbx and he had a coffee service at his library (down the street from our home) so he got up early and made coffee there then brought the jug (this metal portable container) to the house. He drank coffee every weekday at the library. I never said he couldn’t make coffee in the house but we had limited counter space and I never cared for the smell (when I was in college the campus library added a café and from that point forward I got the smell of coffee walking into the library and hated it. At one point they had music I could hear from the café if I was downstairs so I just studied on a higher floor. In my mind the café was obnoxious lol). 

I think in a way I’m saying to myself well if you guys are taking the time and/or money to fly here I suppose it would be nice if I could supply something like coffee. Last visit I was like hey if Dad wants his expensive eggs (free range, etc) please pick them up on the way… I can’t get those easily by my house. They literally brought eggs lol and when I made my French toast bake for Christmas morning I proudly announced I used the good eggs lol 

We once had a gathering… I think a birthday party?? for my grandma. The out-of-state coffee/tea drinkers arranged it and we had to tell them it’s too hot for coffee in summer in the South. None of the guests wanted it and at the time I don’t think I knew how to make sweet tea but dh and/or his mom made it and we rushed it over to the relief of the guests lol

[mathnerd]

4 hours ago, Spryte said:

I did the same, recently. Metal is the way to go! Do you have a link to a good metal one?

I bought this metal french press after I broke my Bodum press: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JGBK6XV

I recently came across a review of french press coffee makers on Seriouseats and you might be interested in the products that they recommend as well: https://www.seriouseats.com/the-best-french-press-coffee-makers-5197670

 

[katilac]

29 minutes ago, heartlikealion said:

 The out-of-state coffee/tea drinkers arranged it and we had to tell them it’s too hot for coffee in summer in the South.  

Those words all have meaning individually, but that sentence does not. 

I live in the deep south, metro New Orleans. It is never, ever too hot for coffee. 

[Spryte]

29 minutes ago, katilac said:

Those words all have meaning individually, but that sentence does not. 

I live in the deep south, metro New Orleans. It is never, ever too hot for coffee. 

Agreed.

I drink coffee all day, every day. Even in the heat.

Slave to the bean!

[heartlikealion]

31 minutes ago, katilac said:

Those words all have meaning individually, but that sentence does not. 

I live in the deep south, metro New Orleans. It is never, ever too hot for coffee. 

Lol maybe not for avid drinkers? Maybe depends on time of day? 

[Ausmumof3]

To add to my little stovetop maker suggestion seeing as I’m feeling outnumbered we far prefer the coffee out of it to the French press style and it all goes on the dishwasher! 

[Anne]

8 hours ago, mathnerd said:

For your purposes, you could buy this inexpensive pour-over coffee cone with filters that I am linking. Also buy a smaller pack of ground coffee from a department store and put in your freezer. Your coffee drinking guests can pour over hot water and brew their cup of coffee whenever they wish to drink it. I would refuse instant coffee if someone offered it to me because I can not drink it (bad memories of politely drinking cups of it in my in-laws' place!).

https://www.amazon.com/Melitta-Coffee-Brewer-Filter-Natural/dp/B01M5E5PHC?th=1

 

This is how I make my coffee at home - I think it makes great coffee.  

Anne

[Laura Corin]

8 hours ago, Frances said:

So for the coffee experts, is there a difference in taste between using a French press and just the plastic cup insert with a paper filter? We have both, but for the rare times when my husband needs to make it rather than go pick one up for free (more often during the pandemic), he usually doesn’t use the French press because he says it’s messier to clean up and sometimes grounds get in the coffee. He doesn’t feel there is a taste advantage, but I’d say he has fairly simple coffee tastes. He could get whatever coffee drinks he wanted everyday for free at one of the local coffee shops, but always just gets the basic house blend with cream and Turbinado sugar.

My husband prefers the cone. For someone who wants to make coffee easily,  I would suggest the French press - one big enough to easily make coffee for three people at once. Much simpler.

[Arcadia]

My husband use the French press he bought from T.J. Maxx for his tulsi ginger tea leaves. Its not a big one so more like a mug’s worth of tea.

Our pour over for coffee looks like this one https://www.amazon.com/Pour-Over-Coffee-Maker-Set/dp/B07SL4MTMT/ but is a $15 version. That can make 4 to 5 mugs. 
 

I also have the single coffee filter from Daiso. It’s plastic though so we stop using it after getting the pour over. I could buy the stainless steel version to replace the plastic one. 
 

On road trips, I am okay with 7Eleven coffee or I just bring along cans of coffee (UCC, Pokka, Mr Brown).

[kristin0713]

13 hours ago, heartlikealion said:

For perspective — the nearest DD is an hr away and the nearest Starbucks is 45 min away. There are no close by mom & pop coffee shops, either. I think nearby you can maybe order a sweet tea but not sure about coffee. And they serve lunch so not open in morning probably. That’s why when family came at Christmas and kept asking questions about coffee it stressed me out. One sister slept here one night and in the hotel another and just used what I had (the iced thing) or went without that one day. We don’t have any major chains here. Another town over you can get locally made coffee I think but it’s out of the way.

Ok, this adds important info and changes my answer. Since there is no place to get coffee locally and you are wanting to provide for overnight guests, I think your best bet is a small 4 cup drip coffee maker. They are very small and any coffee drinker could set it up. Get a pack of filters, a small bag of ground coffee, and when you are expecting your family also pick up some cream. They can take it from there and will really appreciate your efforts. 

[ktgrok]

12 hours ago, Pawz4me said:

I agree with your DH. I'm not very picky about coffee, but I don't particularly care for it made in a French press. I'd drink it if that was all that was available, but it's not a method I'd voluntarily choose both because I don't care for the taste and because it's messy to clean up. IMO a pour over yields much better tasting coffee, and a drip coffee maker is by far the easiest method.

I sort of agree. I would say that French press yield a stronger cup so if you prefer a less bitter coffee the poor over will taste better. As for easiest, going to stick with the K cup answer for that.

But like you I do find French press a bit messy to clean up. The wet ground stick to the inside and then I feel weird rinsing that much ground coffee down my drain. When I used to French press every day I kept a strainer so I could fill it with water and dump through the strainer to get most of the grounds. Not some thing a non-coffee drinker should have to deal with.

12 hours ago, Annie G said:

Thanks for starting this-I’ve been pondering the same thing. We had guests this summer for a week and we don’t live within 10 miles of anywhere to get coffee unless it’s a gas station.  I have a French press and coffee grinder but our guests didn’t know how to use it. (Dd bought it when she worked at Starbucks years ago but didn’t take it when she moved)

Son in law left Starbucks Via here so he’ll have coffee but I’d rather have a better setup for him. 

How long can I keep beans in the freezer?  How difficult is it for a non-coffee drinker to learn to make decent French press coffee?
 

1- a lot of gas station coffee is actually pretty good. I prefer racetrack coffee over Dunkin' Donuts.

2- french press coffee is super easy. You can look up how much to use as far as how much coffee and how much water, then just let steep for four minutes. Press and pour. That's it. You do want to use slightly more coarsely ground coffee if possible. Definitely not super fine ground. But if people prefer a more mild cup it is going to taste stronger than what they are used to.

11 hours ago, katilac said:

It wouldn't kill me either, but it might kill somebody else. 

Truth

9 hours ago, Murphy101 said:

For me it started with the basic fact that it is exceedingly rare for someone to invite a woman with 3-11 children anywhere, much less their home for a visit.  So I decided over 20 years ago that state or size of my own home be damned, I was going to have company over at least once a week.  And doing things that make company at ease makes it easier to repeat having them over. My hostess thing has always been never-ending coffee mugs and cookies and that I never ever care one bit how many people are here.  One shows up? Okay. 30 show up? Okay. “Add water” beverages and homemade cookies are quick and multiply easily. No sweat. 

I drink enough coffee for anyone else who doesn’t. ONE time we went out of town for a funeral and the hotel had zero coffee. None in the rooms. None in the lobby. Apparently in the last town on earth without a flippin Starbucks, which I don’t even like but a gal does what she’s gotta do.  The hotel concierge guy said they didn’t have coffee bc of covid and shipping.  My husband was teasing me about hiding my passport bc I was like oh hell no I will do a lot bc of covid but I am NOT giving up coffee.  Where does coffee grow? Costa Rica! I could live in Costa Rica! And was looking up requirements to move there. 

Thankfully they served coffee after the funeral.  There was a ridiculously line to pour. Apparently we were not the only out of towners desperate for a fix. 😆

Ever since that incident in 2020, I ask. And I still pack my own. Just in case. Coffee insecurity is real. 

I love this. Right before Covid hit I had started to have an idea for a weekly coffee get together at my house. For similar reasons, bringing all my children somewhere else was less likely to happen. I love the idea of cookies and coffee.

9 hours ago, TravelingChris said:

Okay, soon after we moved here, I was driving my youngest who was the only one I was still homeschooling and the only one who was living at home then full time to a meet in Atlanta.   I left early and for some dumb reason, forgot to bring coffee in a travel mug but thought I could get it on the way.  I went through the first town- no coffee place at all.  Second town - no coffee but I stopped at a diner thinking I could just buy a coffee to go-- no, they just had sweet tea.  Tried another place in the next town- no coffee.  Finally got one in yet another town- not a coffee shop but a restaurant that would let me buy a coffee to go.  Haven't made that mistake again.

And about a hotel and it's coffee.  In October we stayed at a Hampton Inn when we went to a birding festival in south Alabama.  That coffee was horrendously bad.  I haven't ever had hotel coffee as bad as they had.  I even complained when we were checking out- the lady at the desk said lots of people compliment it-I really don't believe it.  But dh and I agreed it was the worse coffee we had ever had at a hotel or motel.  (I have had equally bad at a fast food place).

Everyone in my family talks about how they don't like Atlanta. This just solidifies it. What the hell kind of place doesn't have coffee? As for the worst coffee I've ever had it was at a McDonald's. I would have sworn that they used cigarette butts instead of coffee grounds. Was never brave enough to try McDonald's coffee again.

7 hours ago, katilac said:

Those words all have meaning individually, but that sentence does not. 

I live in the deep south, metro New Orleans. It is never, ever too hot for coffee. 

I don't love drinking hot coffee outdoors when it is very hot. I will first thing in the morning though! And I still drink hot coffee even when we have power outages and no AC after hurricane. But I also include cans of Starbucks espresso in the cooler as part of our hurricane supplies. Indoors in air-conditioning hot coffee is fine no matter how hot it is outside. Outside in the heat after the 1st cup I will switch to cold brew or iced coffee or an iced Americano.

[ktgrok]

The thing about that little cake up machine is that it's not much bigger than a French press, and you don't also need a kettle to heat up water. I mean yes you can boil on the stove but someone who is half awake  craving caffeine would probably rather not deal with that.

[alisoncooks]

8 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

The thing about that little cake up machine is that it's not much bigger than a French press, and you don't also need a kettle to heat up water. I mean yes you can boil on the stove but someone who is half awake  craving caffeine would probably rather not deal with that.

Lol. This took me a minute before I remembered you were probably using voice-to-text. It’s like that game, where one reads the weird sounds and they make a phrase or word. 😂

[Annie G]

9 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

 

1- a lot of gas station coffee is actually pretty good. I prefer racetrack coffee over Dunkin' Donuts.

 

Yeah, places like Racetrack and Buc-ee’s have good coffee. Our tiny town gas stations are just that- tiny two pump gas stations with crappy coffee. Plus they aren’t open 24/7 and overnight guests often leave before they open.  Now, we do have a fancy place to get coffee but they’re only open SATURDAYS from 9 until noon. No kidding.  3 hours a week. They do often host Friday night music events but the place is called Comer Coffee Company and they’re open 3 hours a week. Not to be outdone, our bakery is also open 3 hours a week, but you order and pickup on the sidewalk because he hasn’t ever gotten around to finishing his storefront inside.   Small towns can be so weird. 
 

[ktgrok]

13 minutes ago, alisoncooks said:

Lol. This took me a minute before I remembered you were probably using voice-to-text. It’s like that game, where one reads the weird sounds and they make a phrase or word. 😂

yup, lol. 

[ktgrok]

7 minutes ago, Annie G said:

Yeah, places like Racetrack and Buc-ee’s have good coffee. Our tiny town gas stations are just that- tiny two pump gas stations with crappy coffee. Plus they aren’t open 24/7 and overnight guests often leave before they open.  Now, we do have a fancy place to get coffee but they’re only open SATURDAYS from 9 until noon. No kidding.  3 hours a week. They do often host Friday night music events but the place is called Comer Coffee Company and they’re open 3 hours a week. Not to be outdone, our bakery is also open 3 hours a week, but you order and pickup on the sidewalk because he hasn’t ever gotten around to finishing his storefront inside.   Small towns can be so weird. 
 

This is so bizarre. I mean I can picture that creepy little gas station, we have some small towns in Florida with those. But how does a business afford rent if they only are open three hours a week? 

[Scarlett]

When I go see my sister in Houston I take my own little camp coffee pot that has been in my family for like 50 years.  It is just a simple drip pot but makes good coffee.  

I think it would be nice and super hospitable if you had a simple coffee pot for guests who drink coffee.  Several of these options are very inexpensive and I have used many of them.  At work we have that $20 pod coffee maker. It works great. At home we have a french press.  Works great.  My little drip pot works great. Keep some pods/coffee on hand in the refrigerator or freezer....And when you are having overnight guests buy a container of half and half and you will be good to go.

[catz]

Well if you are going to get a french press, we have an insulated stainless one we travel with.  Something like this ...

https://www.amazon.com/Secura-Stainless-French-Coffee-Screen/dp/B00JE36GLQ/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=IZI08GA14JP7&keywords=insulated%2Bstainless%2Bfrench%2Bpress&qid=1642432948&sprefix=insulated%2Bstainless%2Bfre%2Caps%2C111&sr=8-2-spons&smid=A2EPN08Z0FPLG4&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzVE0xRDhUNkFGREpQJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMjA2MjE2M1RZWVBTWUYwS1dOJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAyMjU0ODQxWDJENlNHUjlJTUpQJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ&th=1

At least it holds coffee warm for a bit and you really don't have to worry about tossing it in the back of your cupboard.  The glass ones are a little fragile and don't hold coffee warm for long.   For someone like a sibling, I'd have no issue staying for a few days or whatever saying hey sis, pick up a bag of your favorite coffee.  Really, we regularly travel with that thing and wouldn't blink an eye if someone who wasn't a drinker didn't have a coffee set up.  I still think it is fine if you don't jump through that hoop.  

[skimomma]

Dh and I are huge coffee snobs.  It is a serious problem and I really wish it weren't so.  We have an insanely expensive and ridiculous espresso machine at home.  I cannot even justify it.  I am a frugal frugal person.  This is out of my normal character that it is almost a dirty secret.  Unless we are visiting with people we know to also be huge coffee snobs, we bring our own supplies.  Drip coffee is an abomination.  Instant?  Nope.  Tea-bag style?  Big nope.  And amateur use of a French press is also a big nope.  My poor MIL, who does not drink coffee, has been in a weird passive-aggressive coffee war with us for 10+ years.  She makes terrible coffee.  Just terrible.  Like, I don't even know what she does to make it so terrible.  She knows we bring our own stuff.  She makes a game out of getting out of bed before us and making a HUGE pot of nasty coffee and then we are in the awkward position of going coffee-less, choking down the swill, or being very rude by making our own.  I think she enjoys watching us squirm.  She has had the same bag of pre-ground coffee for years.  Years.  We usually have some sort of "errand" to run every morning where we sneak out to pound coffee from a local shop.  One time when she visited us she "helped us out" by grinding all of the coffee beans in the house!!!!!  Who does that?

Anyway, I would assess the level of coffee snobbery of your guests.  If they are normal people and not freaks like me, I'd get a couple of pour over cones and filters (cheap and easy to store), then pick up a small amount of decent coffee right before they visit.  Let them actually make the coffee themselves so they can choose ratios and such.  If they are total snobs, tell them to bring their own supplies and equipment.  That is their problem, not yours.

[Annie G]

1 hour ago, ktgrok said:

This is so bizarre. I mean I can picture that creepy little gas station, we have some small towns in Florida with those. But how does a business afford rent if they only are open three hours a week? 

Well, their website begins with “welcome to dreamland” so there ya go…quite a business plan, huh?

[Pam in CT]

20 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

I wouldn't do instant. A French press is probably the easiest. Keep the ground coffee in the freezer.

Or if you begrudge the space of a French press, the coffee filter socks fit easily into the spatula drawer.  I kept one of those in my suitcase, back when I used to go places.  The cloth part can go through the wash.

[Spryte]

1 hour ago, skimomma said:

Dh and I are huge coffee snobs.  It is a serious problem and I really wish it weren't so.  We have an insanely expensive and ridiculous espresso machine at home.  I cannot even justify it.  I am a frugal frugal person.  This is out of my normal character that it is almost a dirty secret.  Unless we are visiting with people we know to also be huge coffee snobs, we bring our own supplies.  Drip coffee is an abomination.  Instant?  Nope.  Tea-bag style?  Big nope.  And amateur use of a French press is also a big nope.  My poor MIL, who does not drink coffee, has been in a weird passive-aggressive coffee war with us for 10+ years.  She makes terrible coffee.  Just terrible.  Like, I don't even know what she does to make it so terrible.  She knows we bring our own stuff.  She makes a game out of getting out of bed before us and making a HUGE pot of nasty coffee and then we are in the awkward position of going coffee-less, choking down the swill, or being very rude by making our own.  I think she enjoys watching us squirm.  She has had the same bag of pre-ground coffee for years.  Years.  We usually have some sort of "errand" to run every morning where we sneak out to pound coffee from a local shop.  One time when she visited us she "helped us out" by grinding all of the coffee beans in the house!!!!!  Who does that?

Anyway, I would assess the level of coffee snobbery of your guests.  If they are normal people and not freaks like me, I'd get a couple of pour over cones and filters (cheap and easy to store), then pick up a small amount of decent coffee right before they visit.  Let them actually make the coffee themselves so they can choose ratios and such.  If they are total snobs, tell them to bring their own supplies and equipment.  That is their problem, not yours.

We are twins! Right down to the espresso machine that is like our personal Italian sports car. My mother’s ex used to relish seeing us try to politely drink The Worst Coffee Ever. Shudder. 

[ktgrok]

1 hour ago, Annie G said:

Well, their website begins with “welcome to dreamland” so there ya go…quite a business plan, huh?

I mean, maybe if they are roasting two they have a mail order business that pays the bills? But that description makes me think they are out… Less than practical.

1 hour ago, skimomma said:

Dh and I are huge coffee snobs.  It is a serious problem and I really wish it weren't so.  We have an insanely expensive and ridiculous espresso machine at home.  I cannot even justify it.  I am a frugal frugal person.  This is out of my normal character that it is almost a dirty secret.  Unless we are visiting with people we know to also be huge coffee snobs, we bring our own supplies.  Drip coffee is an abomination.  Instant?  Nope.  Tea-bag style?  Big nope.  And amateur use of a French press is also a big nope.  My poor MIL, who does not drink coffee, has been in a weird passive-aggressive coffee war with us for 10+ years.  She makes terrible coffee.  Just terrible.  Like, I don't even know what she does to make it so terrible.  She knows we bring our own stuff.  She makes a game out of getting out of bed before us and making a HUGE pot of nasty coffee and then we are in the awkward position of going coffee-less, choking down the swill, or being very rude by making our own.  I think she enjoys watching us squirm.  She has had the same bag of pre-ground coffee for years.  Years.  We usually have some sort of "errand" to run every morning where we sneak out to pound coffee from a local shop.  One time when she visited us she "helped us out" by grinding all of the coffee beans in the house!!!!!  Who does that?

Anyway, I would assess the level of coffee snobbery of your guests.  If they are normal people and not freaks like me, I'd get a couple of pour over cones and filters (cheap and easy to store), then pick up a small amount of decent coffee right before they visit.  Let them actually make the coffee themselves so they can choose ratios and such.  If they are total snobs, tell them to bring their own supplies and equipment.  That is their problem, not yours.

I can't stand my parents coffee. I actually don't think it is them I think it is the water at their residence. Because I brought my own coffee before I made it myself and it still tasted weird. For years I would need to run to target across the street which happen to have a Starbucks, lol. And we would hit the gas station on the way home for coffee. This past year they put in a Starbucks down the street right on the way to the highway which is awesome. 

[skimomma]

11 minutes ago, Spryte said:

We are twins! Right down to the espresso machine that is like our personal Italian sports car. My mother’s ex used to relish seeing us try to politely drink The Worst Coffee Ever. Shudder. 

It is a sickness.  I don't know how this happened to me.  There was a time when I could drink normal coffee.

[skimomma]

2 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

 

I can't stand my parents coffee. I actually don't think it is them I think it is the water at their residence. Because I brought my own coffee before I made it myself and it still tasted weird. For years I would need to run to target across the street which happen to have a Starbucks, lol. And we would hit the gas station on the way home for coffee. This past year they put in a Starbucks down the street right on the way to the highway which is awesome. 

I do think water is part of it.  We use filtered water at home.  And even when we make our won at MIL's, it is just not quite right.  Better than whatever MIL does (seriously....what is she doing?!?!?) but still off.  

[Spryte]

Just now, skimomma said:

It is a sickness.  I don't know how this happened to me.  There was a time when I could drink normal coffee.

I completely agree. 
 

It gets in the way, for sure!

[Bootsie]

11 hours ago, katilac said:

Those words all have meaning individually, but that sentence does not. 

I live in the deep south, metro New Orleans. It is never, ever too hot for coffee. 

If it were, Cafe Du Monde would have been out of business a long time ago.  

Growing up in south Louisiana, I never heard anyone say it was too hot for coffee.  I think my grandmother had a pot on the stove almost 24/7.   Now, tea was a different thing; I was an adult before I had anything besides iced tea.